PDA

View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Divine Patron: Thunderbird (Revised) (PEACH!)



Crisis21
2019-04-03, 09:58 AM
I'm dusting off and revising an old homebrew archetype of mine for a campaign I'm about to start in and I'd like to get some feedback on it. The Divine Patron that must be sought out is the Thunderbird (https://lootthebody.wordpress.com/2015/11/23/monstrous-monday-the-thunderbird/).


Divine Patron: Thunderbird

The Thunderbird is one of the more dangerous patrons for the beginning warlock to seek out. For one, they are highly hostile to anyone who can be sensed as Evil or who performs Evil actions in their territory. For another, Thunderbirds make their home in high mountains and are followed by storms wherever they go making the journey to meet them hazardous in its own right. In addition, while they are intelligent and divine messengers who can understand most languages, they are incapable of speaking any language known to the mortal races, making the process of coming to an agreement a difficult one. Good-aligned individuals will have an easier time of reaching an agreement than Neutrally inclined people, and Evil-aligned persons are advised not to waste their time as there are more expeditious ways of committing suicide.

If an agreement is reached, the method by which the Thunderbird's power is granted is also dangerous, given that it involves being struck by lightning. If the recipient has been honest and truthful of their intentions in the agreement reached, they will be left with one hit point and a permanent burn scar where the lightning struck them and have gained the Warlock Archetype Divine Patron: Thunderbird. If they have been duplicitous or deceptive with their intentions they will instead take 14d6 Electric damage as if struck by a 9th level Lightning Bolt and if they are somehow not killed outright, the Thunderbird will be more than happy to finish the job.


Spell List Expansion

The following spells are added to the Warlock spell list for you.

First Level: Feather Fall, Thunderous Smite
Second Level: Blindness/Deafness, Gust of Wind
Third Level: Fly, Lightning Bolt
Fourth Level: Storm Sphere, Freedom of Movement
Fifth Level: Holy Weapon, Control Winds

In addition, for your Mystic Arcanum at 11th, 13th, 15th, and 17th levels, you may select a spell from the following list rather than the Warlock Spell List:
Sixth: Chain Lightning
Seventh: Whirlwind
Eighth: Control Weather
Ninth: Storm of Vengeance

Bonus Cantrips

At 1st level, you learn the Shocking Grasp and Thunderclap cantrips. They count as warlock cantrips for you, but they don't count against your number of cantrips known.

Storm Ward

When you gain this archetype at 1st level you fall under the protection of the Thunderbirds and their power defends you from harm. You gain natural armor of 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier when not wearing armor or wielding a shield.

Stormkin

Starting at sixth level, your body becomes acclimated to the power of the Thunderbird. You become resistant to thunder and lightning damage and you have advantage on saving throws against paralysis and being stunned.

Storm Armor

You begin to gain an understanding of the power of the Thunderbirds and can now actively channel that strength from your body. Starting at 10th level, when you engage in battle you can activate this ability using a Bonus Action; encasing your body and gear in arcs of electricity for up to one minute. When a creature successfully makes a melee attack against you while this effect is active, they take lightning damage equal to your Charisma modifier. If you grapple or are grappled by another creature while this effect is active, they take this damage every round they are in physical contact with you while this effect is active. You regain use of this ability after a short or long rest.

Storm Body

You have learned to embody without the storm that is within. Starting at fourteenth level you can cast Investiture of Lightning (https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/3009-investiture-of-lightning) once without using a spell slot as a bonus action. It counts as a Warlock spell for you when using this ability. This ability recharges after a long rest.


New Invocations

Essence of the Storm
Prerequisite Divine Patron: Thunderbird
When you cast a Warlock spell or cantrip, you may change its damage type to Lightning.

Storm Talons
Prerequisite 12th level, Pact of the Blade feature, Divine Patron: Thunderbird
Your pact weapon deals an additional 1d8 lightning damage when you succeed on an attack.

nickl_2000
2019-04-03, 12:09 PM
Storm Strike - I actually think this is underpowered. You get a single casting of a concentration spell that does and extra 2d6 damage and can push away/ knock prone. The extra cantrip helps, but I still think it is under powered compared to other warlock level 1 abilities.

Storm Armor - I like this, but it could use a little more clarification.
1) Do they get hurt on hit only or even if they miss you?
2) What happens if you grapple someone?
3) What causes this to activate? An action, bonus action, it just happens one initiative?
I am a little worried about the 10 minutes, that seems extremely long for a short rest recharge. Since it's short rest, I would make it 1 minute.

Stormkin - This is pretty late for a natural armor. Also, you should explicitly put it in there that it doesn't work if you are wielding a shield.

Storm Body - This feels pretty meh to me. At this point you have some pretty powerful spells and lots of options. I'm not sure what would be better. Maybe some sort of 1 minute per day transformation, or an maybe upgrade to the Storm Armor ability (does more damage and hurts more people)

Essence of the Storm - I think this is to much as well. There is a reason the Lore Wizard never made it into a real book. Being able to change damage types on spells is just a little to much.

Crisis21
2019-04-03, 02:44 PM
Storm Strike - I actually think this is underpowered. You get a single casting of a concentration spell that does and extra 2d6 damage and can push away/ knock prone. The extra cantrip helps, but I still think it is under powered compared to other warlock level 1 abilities.

Storm Armor - I like this, but it could use a little more clarification.
1) Do they get hurt on hit only or even if they miss you?
2) What happens if you grapple someone?
3) What causes this to activate? An action, bonus action, it just happens one initiative?
I am a little worried about the 10 minutes, that seems extremely long for a short rest recharge. Since it's short rest, I would make it 1 minute.

Stormkin - This is pretty late for a natural armor. Also, you should explicitly put it in there that it doesn't work if you are wielding a shield.

Storm Body - This feels pretty meh to me. At this point you have some pretty powerful spells and lots of options. I'm not sure what would be better. Maybe some sort of 1 minute per day transformation, or an maybe upgrade to the Storm Armor ability (does more damage and hurts more people)

Essence of the Storm - I think this is to much as well. There is a reason the Lore Wizard never made it into a real book. Being able to change damage types on spells is just a little to much.

Okay, point by point:

Fair. I'll do some research and adjust.

Ah, I knew I forgot something. Bonus Action to activate, only on a successful hit, and yes it works if you grapple or are grappled (because it really should).

Good point. Do you think I should swap this with Storm Armor in the progression or fold it into Storm Strike to buff that?

Technically, the Investiture series of spells are transformations (6th level spell transformations at that). They just require concentration and can last up to 10 minutes.

If it was able to swap to more damage types, I might agree with you on it being overpowered, but it's swapping for damage types that this archetype already has lots of access to already, so it's almost fluff really. I could debuff it to lightning damage only if you think that would be more balanced.


Edit: I have made some preliminary changes. Bonus cantrips at 1st level are Shocking Grasp and Thunderclap. Thunderous Smite has replaced Thunderwave on the expanded spell list. Storm Armor has been clarified and duration dropped to 1 minute. Stormkin is now the 1st level feature and doesn't grant bludgeoning resistance (should I move resistances back to the 10th level feature?. Essence of the Storm now only allows changing damage type to Lightning. Currently researching for a new level 10 feature.

Edit2: Split 'Stormkin' between 1st and 6th level features. Natural armor is the 1st level feature and the resistances are the 6th and now include advantage on saves vs paralysis and stunning. How does that look?

Question: Should the damage for Storm Talons follow a leveling progression (example: 1d6 at 1st -> 1d8 at 5th -> 1d10 at 11th -> 1d12 at 17th)?

nickl_2000
2019-04-04, 06:18 PM
I think the changes you have made are very positive. A one level dip is very strong on the subclass, but a one level dip is very strong for all warlocks.

I think the blade damage is fine the way it is. Sure it will be powerful combined with hex, but it's at a cost.

Crisis21
2019-04-09, 10:40 AM
Minor edit: Realized Blinding Flash was a homebrew spell (how did I miss that for so long?) and replaced it on the expanded spell list with Holy Weapon. Changed 'Storm Protected' to 'Storm Ward' because wordplay.