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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next 5E class feature values - help!



Malapterus
2018-06-03, 04:45 PM
I am trying to put together something legitimate but I am not precise on the power balances of 5E.

Namely, I am looking at what I shall call 'class options' - the customizations most classes get three times between level 1 and 20, like Barbarian Paths and Bard Colleges.

An important thing to distinguish between are single-option paths, where your second and third choice are determined by the first (Barbarian Path of the Berserker) vs. multi-option paths where you get a variety of choices at each increase (Barbarian Path of the Totem).

To help me out, please give the following a value between 1 and 10, in your opinion:

First class option (set):
Second class option (set):
Third Option (set):

First class option (multi-option):
Second class option (multi-option):
Third Option (multi-option):

Ability Score Improvement (or Feat):

Extra Attack:

Conditional Extra Attack (I.E. Ranger, Hunter Archetype, Horde Breaker):

Fighting Style:

Extra Bonus Action:

Extra HP (equal to one maxed-out hit die):

Additional spells per day (Casting class does not get 9th level spells):

Additional spells per day (Casting class DOES get 9th level spells):

Armor Class Increase:

Ability Score added to Armor Class (Like Wis for Monks or Con for Barbarians):

Damage Resistance (to one type):

Increased Weapon Damage (Choose Melee or Ranged):

Increased Spell Damage:

Increased Energy Damage (Choose one type of energy):

Ability substitution (I.E. use Wis in place of Dex for a major use of Dex):

Movement Speed Increase:

Regenerative healing (Heal a small amount of damage each turn):

Special Healing (heal a decent amount of damage with restrictions a limited number of times per day):

Additional Spells-per-day:

Additional spells known:

Additional skill proficiency:

Additional Saving Throw proficiency:

Additional use of class feature with per-day limit:

Improved ability to wear armor (I.E. proficient with additional armor & able to use it with class features you cannot normally use it with):

Conditional advantage to attack rolls:

Advantage to a specific saving throw:

Increased DC vs your class features (like Stunning Fist or combat maneuvers):

this is all I can think of right now, but please chime in with anything else!

PhoenixPhyre
2018-06-03, 08:05 PM
All of these are strongly contingent on the base class.

Some classes get most of their power from their subclass (Ranger), others get very little.

So there's no way to generalize here, sadly.

Each package has to be assessed as a whole.

Crisis21
2018-06-03, 10:41 PM
What PhoenixPyre said.

Can you maybe help us help you? What are you trying to put together? I'm going to assume a base class for 5e, but what kind? Martial? Full caster? Half-caster? Other? Give us some idea of what direction you want this to go in.

JNAProductions
2018-06-03, 11:01 PM
What the others said.

Malapterus
2018-06-04, 06:38 PM
what are you trying to make?

A general guideline for homebrew Paths/Colleges/Circles/Etc for any and all classes.

PhoenixPhyre
2018-06-04, 08:18 PM
A general guideline for homebrew Paths/Colleges/Circles/Etc for any and all classes.

Yeah, ain't gonna happen.

Give a feature to one class and it overlaps what they get from the base class and is useless. To another it may represent a major advantage.

For examples--take heavy armor proficiency.

Give it to a monk...and they'll say "thanks but no thanks" (since so much of their other dependence is on Dex and lots of other features don't work with armor on.

Give it to a Wizard, and they'll love you long time.

In addition, different classes get different amounts of sub-class features, and each one has different "ribbon" levels.

For example, Wizards get usually 2 at level 2--a QoL cost-reducer for a school and then a major active ability (abjurer's ward, for example). Fighters get 1 at level 3, and it's usually a big one.

Fighters get a level 7 one that's pretty minor. Bards' level 6 feature is big (magical secrets I for lore, for example). Druids' level 6 is a mix of utility and ribbon. Etc.

Unlike classes as a whole, who get power bumps at specific levels (especially 5, 11, and 17), sub-classes vary wildly.

You could make a guide to Sub-classes for <base class>, one for each class. But not generic across all base classes.