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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Fighter Champion, Arcane Archer and Samurai Variants



GabesHorn
2018-08-06, 09:14 PM
CHAMPION VARIANT

It's a relatively short and not a huge overhaul but it's still got design goals to make the objective clear:

DESIGN GOALS
1. Retain the mechanical simplicity of the original design
2. Balance the class to a level of comparable effectiveness in combat to other martial archetypes
3. Suit the flavour of a physically talented but generic fighter.
4. Improve out of combat utility.


LEVEL 3 - PHYSICAL PROWESS
At 3rd level, you can increase two ability scores by +2, choosing from Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. Your maximum for the increased scores is now 22.

LEVEL 7 - REMARKABLE ATHLETE*
Starting at 7th level, you can add half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) to any Strength, Dexterity or Constitution check you make. In addition, when you make a running long jump, the distance you can cover increases by a number of feet equal to your Strength modifier.

LEVEL 10 - IMPROVED FIGHTING STYLE
At 10th level, your Fighting Style class feature is improved.

Archery: You gain a +3 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
Defense: While you are wearing armor, you gain a +2 bonus to AC.
Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +3 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Great Weapon Fighting: When you roll a 1, 2 or 3 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1, 2 or 3. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
Protection: When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll and force the creature to attack you instead. You must be wielding a shield.
Two-Weapon Fighting: When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add twice your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Alternatively, you can choose a second option from the Fighting Style class feature.

LEVEL 15 - IMPROVED CRITICAL
Starting at 15th level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

LEVEL 18 - SURVIVORunchanged
At 18th level, at the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to 5 + your constitution modifier if you have no more than half of your hit points left. You don't gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points.


*The Remarkable Athlete half proficiency bonus now applies for checks that you already apply your proficiency bonus too



ARCANE ARCHER VARIANT


I'm also reposting an Arcane Archer variant I originally posted on another site.

DESIGN GOALS
1. Balance the class to a level of comparable effectiveness in combat to other martial archetypes
2. Improve the viability of all Arcane Shot options to a similar level
3. 'Fix' the issue of limited resources with Arcane Shot without either overbalancing the class or handicapping Arcane Shot's power
4. Create a more logical progression of level appropriate feats
5. Improve the class's scaling



LEVEL 3 - MAGIC ARROW

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to infuse arrows with magic. Whenever you fire a nonmagical arrow from a shortbow or longbow, you can make it magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. The magic fades from the arrow immediately after it hits or misses its target.

LEVEL 3 - ARCANE SHOT

At 3rd level, you learn to unleash special magical effects with some of your shots. When you gain this feature, you learn two Arcane Shot options of your choice (see “Arcane Shot Options” below). Once per turn when you fire an arrow from a shortbow or longbow as part of the Attack action, you can apply one of your Arcane Shot options to that arrow. You decide to use the option when the arrow hits a creature, unless the option doesn’t involve an attack roll. You have two uses of this ability, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a short or long rest. You gain an additional Arcane Shot option of your choice when you reach certain levels in this class: 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level. Each option also improves when you become a 10th-level fighter, and once more at 18th level.

LEVEL 7 - ARCANE ARCHER LORE
At 7th level, you have learned magical theory or some of the secrets of nature — typical for practitioners of this elven martial tradition. You choose to gain proficiency in either the Arcana or the Nature skill, and you choose to learn either the prestidigitation or the druidcraft cantrip.

LEVEL 7 - ARCANE SURGE

At 7th level, you can choose to funnel your stamina into renewing your magical reserves. On your turn as a bonus action, you can choose to expend one use of Second Wind or Action Surge to regain one use of Arcane Shot. You can only use this feature if you have less than two uses of Arcane Shot remaining.

LEVEL 10 - CURVING SHOT

At 10th level, you learn how to direct an errant arrow toward a new target. When you make an attack roll with a magic arrow and miss, you can use a bonus action to reroll the attack roll against a different target within 60 feet of the original target.

LEVEL 15 - EVER-READY SHOT
Starting at 15th level, your magical archery is available whenever battle starts. If you roll initiative and have no uses of Arcane Shot remaining, you regain one use of it.

LEVEL 18 - POTENT ARROW

At 18th level, the magical effects of your archery have become overwhelming and difficult to counteract. You can choose to apply this feature when you expend a use of Arcane Shot. Creatures have disadvantage on saving throws made against the effects of that Arcane Shot only. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.


ARCANE SHOT OPTIONS

The Arcane Shot feature lets you choose options for it at certain levels. The options are presented here in alphabetical order. They are all magical effects, and each one is associated with one of the schools of magic. If an option requires a saving throw, your Arcane Shot save DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.

Banishing Arrow. You use abjuration magic to try to temporarily banish your target to a harmless location in the Feywild. The creature hit by the arrow must also succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be banished. While banished in this way, the target’s speed is 0, and it is incapacitated. At the end of its next turn, the target reappears in the space it vacated or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied. After you reach 10th level in this class, a target also takes 1d6 force damage when the arrow hits it. This improves to 2d6 at 18th level.

Beguiling Arrow. Your enchantment magic causes this arrow to temporarily beguile its target. The creature hit by the arrow takes an extra 2d6 psychic damage, and choose one of your allies within 30 feet of the target. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw, or it is charmed by the chosen ally for 1 minute. This effect ends early if the chosen ally attacks the charmed target, deals damage to it, or forces it to make a saving throw. The psychic damage increases to 3d6 when you reach 10th level in this class. This improves to 4d6 at 18th level.

Thundering Arrow. You imbue your arrow with thunderous force drawn from the school of evocation. The energy detonates after your attack. The target takes 2d6 thunder damage, and immediately after the arrow hits, all other creatures within 10 feet of it take 2d6 thunder damage each, and each make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save the creatures are pushed away from your target by 10 feet. On a successful save the creatures are not pushed away and take half as much damage. The thunder damage increases to 3d6 when you reach 10th level in this class. This improves 4d6 at 18th level.

Enfeebling Arrow. You weave necromantic magic into your arrow. The creature hit by the arrow takes an extra 2d6 necrotic damage. Additionally, the damage dealt by its weapon attacks is halved for 1 minute. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can make a Constitution saving throw against this effect, and on a successful one the effect ends. The necrotic damage increases to 3d6 when you reach 10th level in this class. This improves to 4d6 at 18th level.

Grasping Arrow. When this arrow strikes its target, conjuration magic creates grasping, poisonous brambles, which wrap around the target. The creature hit by the arrow takes an extra 2d6 poison damage, its speed is reduced by 10 feet, and it takes 2d6 slashing damage the first time on each turn it moves 1 foot or more without teleporting. The target or any creature that can reach it can use its action to remove the brambles with a successful Strength (Athletics) check against your Arcane Shot save DC. Otherwise, the brambles last for 1 minute or until you use this option again. The poison damage and slashing damage both increase to 3d6 when you reach 10th level in this class. These improve to 4d6 at 18th level.

Piercing Arrow. You use transmutation magic to give your arrow an ethereal quality. When you use this option, you don’t make an attack roll for the attack. Instead, the arrow shoots forward in a line, which is 1 foot wide and 60 feet long, before disappearing. The arrow passes harmlessly through objects, ignoring cover. Each creature in that line must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes damage as if it were hit by the arrow, plus an extra 2d6 piercing damage. On a successful save, a target takes half as much damage. The piercing damage increases to 3d6 when you reach 10th level in this class. This improves to 4d6 at 18th level.

Seeking Arrow. Using divination magic, you grant your arrow the ability to seek out a target. When you use this option, you don’t make an attack roll for the attack. Instead, choose one creature you have seen in the past minute. The arrow flies toward that creature, moving around corners if necessary and ignoring three-quarters cover and half cover. If the target is within the weapon’s range and there is a path large enough for the arrow to travel to the target, the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. Otherwise, the arrow disappears after traveling as far as it can. On a failed save, the target takes damage as if it were hit by the arrow, plus an extra 2d6 force damage, and you learn the target’s current location. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage, and you don’t learn its location. The force damage increases to 3d6 when you reach 10th level in this class. This improves to 4d6 at 18th level.

Shadow Arrow. You weave illusion magic into your arrow, causing it to occlude your foe’s vision with shadows. The creature hit by the arrow takes an extra 2d6 psychic damage, and it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be unable to see anything farther than 5 feet away until the start of your next turn. The psychic damage increases to 3d6 when you reach 10th level in this class. This improves to 4d6 at 18th level.



SAMURAI VARIANT

Finally, a Samurai variant. The archetype as it is, is not significantly more mechanically developed than the Champion. You have 1 more resource, but with literally 1 way of expending it. Aside from having more options and a minor scaling change to the Fighting Spirit temporary HP, no balance changes are intended.

DESIGN GOALS
1. To expand the breadth of options in combat.
2. To deepen the thematic connection between the Samurai and its class features.




LEVEL 3 - BONUS PROFICIENCYunchanged
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: History, Insight, Performance, or Persuasion. Alternatively, you learn one language of your choice.

LEVEL 3 - FIGHTING SPIRIT
Starting at 3rd level, your intensity in battle can shield you and help you strike true. As a bonus action on your turn, you can give yourself advantage on weapon attack rolls until the end of the current turn. When you do so, you also gain 5 temporary hit points. The number of temporary hit
points increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 10 at 10th level and 15 at 15th level. Alternatively, you can channel your intensity into an unnerving shout called a kiai. As a bonus action on your turn, you can choose up to 3 creatures within 60 feet of you, provided they can hear or see you. Each creature must succeed on a Wisdom save or become frightened until the beginning of their next turn. The DC for this save is equal to 10 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. You can use either use of this feature three times, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

LEVEL 7 - ELEGANT COURTIERunchanged
Starting at 7th level, your discipline and attention to detail allow you to excel in social situations. Whenever you make a Charisma (Persuasion) check, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your Wisdom modifier. Your self-control also causes you to gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. If you already
have this proficiency, you instead gain proficiency in Intelligence or Charisma saving throws (your choice).

LEVEL 10 - TIRELESS SPIRIT unchanged
Starting at 10th level, when you roll initiative and have no uses of Fighting Spirit remaining, you regain one use.

LEVEL 15 - FROM THE HILT
Starting at 15th level, your unique fighting style allows you to trade accuracy for rapid strikes and counterattacks. If you take the Attack action on your turn and have advantage on an attack roll against one of the targets, you can forgo the advantage for that roll to make an additional weapon attack against that target, as part of the same action. Alternatively, when a creature within 5 feet of you attacks you or another target, you can use your reaction to make a single weapon attack against that creature. You can only use this feature once per round.

LEVEL 18 - STRENGTH BEFORE DEATH unchanged
Starting at 18th level, your fighting spirit can delay the grasp of death. if you take damage that reduces you to 0 hit points and doesn't kill you outright, you can use your reaction to delay falling unconscious and immediately take an extra turn. While you have 0 hit points during that extra turn, taking damage causes death saving throw failures as normal, and three death saving throw failures can still kill you. When the extra turn ends, you fall unconscious if you still have 0 hit points. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.