Path of the Zealot alternate class feature help

[Deadfire182]

So, i'm currently in a game based on multiple areas separated into sections of the pantheons, and it's really fun, but also pretty difficult. I decided to make a backup character, who would be a lizardfolk Path of the Zealot barbarian. The third level feature for this subclass is as follows:


Warrior of the Gods
At 3rd level, your soul is marked for endless battle. If a
spell, such as raise dead, has the sole effect of restoring
you to life (but not undeath), the caster doesn't need material
components to cast the spell on you.


This is a problem, as our DM does not allow coming back from the dead (a real suprise for our cleric)
My potential fix for this is:


Warrior of the Gods:
At 3rd level, your soul is marked for endless battle. Taking damage does not count as a failed death saving throw for you.


Originally, I put advantage on death saving throws in there as well but we decided that was pretty overpowered. I think this ability is fairly balanced, as it's mostly a ribbon until you get your 14th level feature that allows you to fight with 0hp, but even then, you still have to make death saving throws and you still fall unconscious (or die) at the end of your rage, same as you would if you just had the normal feature.

I would love some feedback on this, or maybe some alternate ability suggestions

[Man_Over_Game]

It's still a little weak, and a bit unreliable.

I'd replace it with saying that being Stabilized returns you to 1 HP, which is really thematic. A crazed, zealot Barbarian jumps up immediately after his wounds are closed, ready to jump into the fray once more.

[Deadfire182]

That is a pretty cool alternative, and i'd assume it would work with the regular 3 death saving throw successes as well as being stabalzied by other people?

[Man_Over_Game]

That is a pretty cool alternative, and i'd assume it would work with the regular 3 death saving throw successes as well as being stabalzied by other people?

Agreed. It doesn't make you live any better, but it does make it so that you can constantly fight more often. It's countered by the fact that enemies will be more likely to put you down after the first time you get back up, so while it makes you more persistent, it definitely doesn't increase your longevity. A fair trade.

[Foxhound438]

Remember that you also get Divine Fury at 3rd, so the resurrection thing is more like a ribbon ability.

[GlenSmash!]

Remember that you also get Divine Fury at 3rd, so the resurrection thing is more like a ribbon ability.

It's a real useful ribbon once a party cleric gets Revivify. Like a Ribbon+ but Party and as we can see from the OP campaign dependent.

[Master O'Laughs]

The gain 1 hp when stabilized would also make the Spare the Dying cantrip pretty useful specifically to use on the Barb.

[NaughtyTiger]

Warrior of the Gods:
At 3rd level, your soul is marked for endless battle. Taking damage does not count as a failed death saving throw for you.


I do like it. If you think it's too strong, then
"Taking damage while unconscious isn't a Crit"

I think stabilize == 1hp is very strong.

[Master O'Laughs]

Another thought is to give them the following benefits:

A natural 1 only counts a single failed death saving throw. You require 4 failed saving throws to die.

[Man_Over_Game]

I do like it. If you think it's too strong, then
"Taking damage while unconscious isn't a Crit"

I think stabilize == 1hp is very strong.

Most forms of stabilization already require an action (Spare the Dying, Healer's Kit), or they're from a 50/50 coin toss (which has multiple ways to force a fail, but no ways to force a success).

This wouldn't be any different than someone casting Healing Word on you and rolling for minimum HP, and Healing Word is a Bonus Action. Celestial Warlocks and Shephard Druids can do the same thing as level 3 class features for their allies at long range. I have seen many more melee combatants get healed out of Dying from healing magic than I have of people just being stabilized and unable to fight.

[Deadfire182]

Most forms of stabilization already require an action (Spare the Dying, Healer's Kit), or they're from a 50/50 coin toss (which has multiple ways to force a fail, but no ways to force a success).

This wouldn't be any different than someone casting Healing Word on you and rolling for minimum HP, and Healing Word is a Bonus Action. Celestial Warlocks and Shephard Druids can do the same thing as level 3 class features for their allies at long range. I have seen many more melee combatants get healed out of Dying from healing magic than I have of people just being stabilized and unable to fight.

I din't even think about spare the dying, and that is a very interesting ability. On one hand, if the cleric is around, you shouldn't die. STD is a cantrip, so you can keep fighting as much as you want, like the little ball of anger you are. On the other though, it costs the cleric their action and they have to stick to you like glue (fun for the cleric, I imagine), you have stand back up with half your movement and reactivate rage (not as much of a problem at 14th, since you'll likely be up while making the saving throws, and nearly negated at 20), and a cat can kill you again with one swipe of its claws.

[NaughtyTiger]

This wouldn't be any different than someone casting Healing Word on you and rolling for minimum HP, and Healing Word is a Bonus Action. Celestial Warlocks and Shephard Druids can do the same thing as level 3 class features for their allies at long range. I have seen many more melee combatants get healed out of Dying from healing magic than I have of people just being stabilized and unable to fight.

The glaring difference is a consumed resource, like a spell slot, or a per rest class ability versus a free guaranteed and uber common thing like Spare the dying or Healers kit, or +5-10 Medicine check.

There is a Feat that does this at will, but the resource is, well, a feat. Those are more rare than a spell slot or a Flumph.

[Damon_Tor]

I would love some feedback on this, or maybe some alternate ability suggestions


"Three failed death saves do not kill you. Instead, when you fail your third death save and on each failed death save thereafter you gain one level of exhaustion."

So taking damage still counts as failing death saves, but you can fail a whole lot more of them (seven) before you actually die. The levels of exhaustion ensure there are still some consequences for the defeat. Exhaustion can be harsh, but it's not as harsh as death so I call that a win.

[GlenSmash!]

"Three failed death saves do not kill you. Instead, when you fail your third death save and on each failed death save thereafter you gain one level of exhaustion."

So taking damage still counts as failing death saves, but you can fail a whole lot more of them (seven) before you actually die. The levels of exhaustion ensure there are still some consequences for the defeat. Exhaustion can be harsh, but it's not as harsh as death so I call that a win.

Would you then change the level 14 ability to include not gaining the exhaustion on a 3rd failed save while raging?

[Man_Over_Game]

The glaring difference is a consumed resource, like a spell slot, or a per rest class ability versus a free guaranteed and uber common thing like Spare the dying or Healers kit, or +5-10 Medicine check.

There is a Feat that does this at will, but the resource is, well, a feat. Those are more rare than a spell slot or a Flumph.

I feel like the most abusive you could get with this is either:


Divine Soul Sorcerer with Spare the Dying, using Quickened spell to cast it as a Bonus Action.
Thief Rogue with the Healer feat, stabilizing the Barbarian as a Bonus Action.
Grave Cleric using Spare the Dying at range.


In Scenario 1, the sorcerer is spending a resource and is limiting himself to casting a Cantrip for the turn. He also has to be at the same location as the Barbarian, which didn't work out well for people who were just in that same location.
Scenario 2 is exactly the same as Scenario 1, but costs a feat and a use of the Healer's Kit rather than a Sorcery Point and being restricted to cantrips.
Scenario 3 leaves the Cleric with doing no other actions this turn. Between the two actions of the Barbarian and the Cleric, only one action is able to be used to change the scenario of the battle (assuming the Barbarian doesn't start dying again).

If you asked someone if you'd do one of these scenarios, or just cast Healing Word for its convenience, they'd probably consider it 50/50. Personally, I'd sway more towards Healing Word just because of how inexpensive it is and the fact that I can keep fighting with range.

[Damon_Tor]

Would you then change the level 14 ability to include not gaining the exhaustion on a 3rd failed save while raging?

No, but I'd have you ignore all effects of exhaustion (including death) while raging.