D&D Subclass Contest VIII Voting Thread

[MoleMage]

Our eighth contest is wrapped up! In defiance of our usual 10-12 entries, this contest pulled down an astounding 22 entries! With such a large pool to choose from, I have decided to expand the voting a little bit.

Simple rules. Vote for your number 1, number 2, and number 3 picks. You can't vote for yourself. A number 1 vote is worth 3 points, a number 2 is worth 2, and a number 3 is worth one. For this contest only, you can choose your top five. #1 is worth 3 points, #2 and #3 worth 2 points each, and #4 and #5 are worth 1 point each.

Also enter your top two picks for the next theme from those randomly pulled from the list of future themes. The winner will be our next theme, while the runner-up will be guaranteed to be in the voting next cycle. A number one pick is worth 2 points, and a number two pick is worth 1.



Entry
Creator
1st
2/3
4/5



Barbarian: Path of the Pack Master (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23831912&postcount=2)
Man_Over_Game
0
3
2



Ranger: The Skinwalker (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23832222&postcount=3)
theVoidWatches
4
2
1



Fighter: Enlightened Warrior (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23832236&postcount=4)
nickl_2000
1
2
2



Fighter: Green Knight (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23834723&postcount=5)
Crisis21
0
0
0



Bard: Faustian College (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23836366&postcount=6)
Vogie
2
4
3



Rogue: Relic Grifter (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23837067&postcount=7)
Fnissalot
7
1
0



Sorcerer: Primal Bloodline (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23837894&postcount=8)
Bloodcloud
0
1
1



Sorcerer: Fury Origin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23840389&postcount=9)
Mechalobster
0
4
1



Wizard: Coffee Wizard (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23842237&postcount=10)
Kingsluger
0
0
1



Wizard: Hedge Wizard (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23847148&postcount=11)
SleeplessWriter
0
0
2



Monk: Way of Tranquil Fury (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23849644&postcount=12)
MoleMage
0
2
3



Barbarian: The Skald (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23851858&postcount=13)
HeavenBlade
0
1
0



Ranger: The Soulsworn (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23854925&postcount=14)
RickAsWritten
0
1
1



Fighter: The Bone Knight (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23857049&postcount=15)
Amnoriath
0
0
0



Rogue: Mageblood (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23876223&postcount=16)
KOLE
1
1
2



Cleric: Self-Sacrifice Domain (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23877043&postcount=17)
DracoDei
0
0
0



Barbarian: Path of the Spirit Vessel (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23888033&postcount=18)
sengmeng
0
1
3



Sorcerer: Quickblood Origin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23890687&postcount=19)
Ivellius
0
3
1



Fighter: Adept Replicator (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23894222&postcount=20)
moonfly7
1
1
0



UA Revised Ranger: Battledancer Conclave (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23898263&postcount=21)
gloryblaze
0
2
1



Wizard: Forbidden Knowledge (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23899236&postcount=22)
thisdude901
0
1
3



Barbarian: Leywalker (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23911696&postcount=23)
Breccia
0
1
3




Classes unrepresented in contest 8: Druid, Paladin, and Warlock. All of these were partial or full donor classes, though.



Theme
Description
1st
2nd


The Pen is Mightier than the Sword
Subclasses based on "stationery combat"
3
2


My Way is Different
Alternate or Rare mechanics
1
4


Calling Card
Summoning sigils and circles
4
4


Keep it Simple, Stupid
Simple Subclasses
3
2


Follow Me!
Commanders and leaders
5
2



The Pen is Mightier than the Sword carried over from last contest as the runner-up. Please contain your theme votes to these five themes. If the one you wanted to vote for isn't here, blame google's random number generator and hold out for next time. Feel free to make new theme suggestions still, I will add them to the overall list and they will have a chance of being rolled for next month's contest.

This thread will stay open until the end of the day on June 2nd. The following day I will post with the tallied results and declare a winner, then post the next contest thread. Good luck everyone!

[theVoidWatches]

1. Fnissalot's Relic Grifter Rogue (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23837067&postcount=7)

2. Bloodcloud's Primal Broodline (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23837894&postcount=8)

3. thisdude901's School of Forbidden Knowledge (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23899236&postcount=22)

4. nickl2000's Enlighted Warrior Fighter (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23832236&postcount=4)

5. Vogie's Faustian College (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23836366&postcount=6)

Next Contest:

1. Keep it Simple, Stupid

2. The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

[sleepyhead]

1st
Vogie


2nd
Breccia


3rd
Sengmeng


4th
theVoidWatches


5th
Kole



1-Calling card, 2-My way is different


Theme idea "Bigger is better"- big whatever

[moonfly7]

1. Relic grifter
2. Skinwalker
3. Pack master
4. Leywalker
5. Faustian college

Theme vote:
1. Calling card
2. Pen is mightier than the sword

[gloryblaze]

1. Relic Grifter
2. Quickblood
3. Faustian College
4. Mageblood
5. Coffee Wizard

1. Follow Me!
2. Calling Card

[Crisis21]

Grading (10 point scale):
Follows contest theme: 5 points
Seems balanced: 1 point
Formatting/spelling/grammar: 1 point
Want to play: 3 points

1st - 10 points - KOLE - Rogue: Mageblood
2nd - 9.9 points - MoleMage - Monk: Way of Tranquil Fury
3rd - 9.8 points - theVoidWatches - Ranger: The Skinwalker
4th - 8.6 points - sengmeng - Barbarian: Path of the Spirit Vessel
5th - 8.5 points - Ivellius - Sorcerer: Quickblood Origin


Theme votes:

1st - The Pen is Mightier than the Sword
2nd - My Way is Different

[nickl_2000]

The Skinwalker - Dark, gritty, extremely thematic and an interesting class. Seems like it would be a blast to play too. Also, I personally have a thing for making good ranger subclasses. I feel like they need more choices.
Battledancer Conclave - I can't tell why I really like this subclass, but something about it calls to me. Maybe it's a Ranger that works well with others, maybe its because I've been interested in other dark a gritty characters today, maybe it just seems like it would be fun to play, maybe all of the above. I'm not exactly sure, but it looks like a really fun class and one that would really play well.
Ranger – Soulsworn Archetype - Apparently I have a thing for dark and gritty rangers today. I really liked the flavor of this character and the styling behind it.
Path of the Pack Master - Apparently going along with my theme of liking Ranger type stuff. This is a good class, it's a good combination of the wild barbarian and the friend to the beast. I think it fills a nice gap missing in the wild barbarian world.
Monk: Way of Tranquil Fury - I just really, really like the idea of a rage monk.





Theme votes:

1st - KISS
2nd - Follow me!

[Ivellius]

Entry Votes:

Fnissalot's Relic Grifter - At the end of the day, I found this one of the more creative and compelling themes brought out of the contest. The inspiration is clear, but it's a uniquely Rogue-ish take on religion. The "broadened" approach to the domain replacement was innovative.
Mechalobster's Fury Origin - This one flipped my expectations a bit--I would assume (and we all saw) that one would make a Spell Rager as a barbarian option, but not here. This one felt well-balanced, and I liked the sorcery take on Reckless Attack. I'm not sure the flavor completely works, but it impressed me as well-designed.
gloryblaze's Battledancer Conclave - At first I thought this was going to be a Bladesinger borrowing, but "Bard-as-Ranger" sounded surprisingly compelling. I like the way it approaches the Conclave levels in a way that feels very supportive yet falling in line with the class's expectations. I do think the actual mechanic with Harmonic Resonance and Rhythm of the Wilds is a little clunky (it dis-incentivizes using your Inspiration), but the framework is good.
Rickaswritten's Soulsworn Archetype - Hey, another Ranger. While I'm not sure I like porting warlockiness to a Wisdom caster (shouldn't they know better?), it does a really good job at replicating the feel of the borrowed class. It also fills a nice niche of more of a spellcasting ranger, incentivizing a Wisdom-heavy build. Invoked Attack would probably sound better as "Eldritch Beam" or "Witch Blast" or some such.
SleeplessWriter's Hedge Wizard - This gets a shout-out for making me laugh through having amusing fluff. I don't know if it entirely fits the theme as it borrows from the druid and sorcerer in almost equal measure, but eh. (I did the same thing, really, so...)

Honorable mentions to nickl_2000's Enlightened Warrior Archetype (I liked the concept--not sold on a few of the ki costs, but it made a surprising amount of sense) and Man_Over_Game's Path of the Pack Master (mechanically solid, but it didn't feel as innovative as many others--missing that spark) as the next two on my list.

Contest Votes:

Follow Me!
Calling Card

[KOLE]

1. Enlightened Warrior, nickl_2000
2. Path of the Packmaster, MOG
3. Quickblood Origin, Ivellius
4. Faustian College, Vogie
5. Wizard, Forbidden Knowledge, thisdude901

Honorable mention to Skinwalker and Green Knight for being IMO a draft or two away from something amazing. If we were voting for concept, they'd win, but for a finished product this is how I feel.

Theme Vote:
1. Follow Me!
2. KISS

[MoleMage]

1. Relic Grifter. I love the theme, the mechanics are solid, the features are fun. It's good all around.
2. Fury Origin. If magic comes from happenstance or dragons, why not being really angry?
3. Adept Replicator. Though it's the most non-specific of the options, I like the way balance was achieved.
4 and 5. Honestly I like both of these in different ways, so I'm putting them together: Barbarian: Leywalker and Barbarian: Spirit Vessel. I like the idea of a 1/3rd caster for barbarian, and each of these handled it in a good way. I especially like the way that they have their own specific interactions with raging and spellcasting.

Theme 1: Calling Card
Theme 2: My Way is Different

[Bloodcloud]

My votes:
1. Relic Grifter: thematic in more than one way, unique, balanced (IMO), really great all around
2. Fury origin: On point, balanced, flavorfull. Just a bit unclear on wether the damage bonus apply to one damage roll or all.
3. Faustian College: Cool theme, I really like the infernal instrument. A bit disappointed you didn't integrate the extra use of bardic inspiration at level 3.
4. Path of the Packmaster: I like the theme, execution is good, just seems quite on the strong side.
5. Tranquil fury: Nice implementation of the repressed anger monk. Not a fan of the no recharging until long rest though

For next:
1. My Way is Different
2. Follow Me!

[Breccia]

My votes:

1) The Skinwalker. It's just too interesting and makes too much sense.
2) The Faustian College. It's unique, and the Cha synergy works.
3) The Relic Grifter. It's potent and capable, but a tad restricted.
4) Forbidden Knowledge. That Trip to the Far Realm demands a saving throw, but otherwise it is good and atmospheric.
5) let's face it, Path of the Spirit Vessel is more direct than mine anyhow.

Next contests: Follow Me and Calling Card, in that order.

[DracoDei]

Well, I guess voting with limited understanding is better than not voting at all.
Entries:
1 - Adept Replicator - Gets top vote for daring to be all-purpose.
2 - Path of the Pack Master - The idea of beating up an animal to gain it as a companion is a nice twist.
3 - (Hopefully I will read enough of the others to vote for this spot.)
4 - (Hopefully I will read enough of the others to vote for this spot.)
5 - (Hopefully I will read enough of the others to vote for this spot.)

Next Contest:
1 - KISS - Voting for this because it is NOT to my personal tastes, and I have enough on my plate at the moment without being tempted into entering the next contest.
2 - FOLLOW ME! - Ditto... but much less so.

[Fnissalot]

Well done everyone! All of the ones i have voted on were overall very solid. They would be fun to play, incorporated the theme in a fun or interesting way, were streamlined to not get a feel clunky, and appeared balanced enough.

Sub-classes:
1. theVodiWatches Skinwalker
2. Ivellius Quickblood Origin
3. Mechalobsters Furt Origin
4. SleeplessWriters Hedge Wizard
5. gloryblazes Battledancer Conclave

Theme:
1. Calling Card
2. Keep it simple!

[RickAsWritten]

1. Vogie's Faustian College - You had me at the Tenacious D reference. I stayed because of the fun mechanics
2. KOLE's Mageblood - Simple, effective, and looks like a blast to play.
3. nickl_2000's Enlightened Warrior - I'm a fan of Monks and this is a solid Monk port.
4. Mechalobster's Fury Origin - Again simple, effective, and fun.
5. MoleMage's Way of the Tranquil Fury - Solid angry Monk. I love the Blade Catching feature, such a cool way to expand on an existing Monk feature.

1. The Pen is Mightier than the Sword
2. My Way is Different

[sengmeng]

This was such an amazing contest, I'm giving everyone a review before I choose. I wish we could choose even more than 5, and I didn't see a single one that I wouldn't allow in a campaign. You are all winners in my books, but life necessitates that someone wins over the others.

Path of the Pack Master: I like it. Would allow in campaign. I especially love the final feature letting you save an ally by taking the hit meant for them, and also that mule is on the list. I think it would be great to wrestle some farmer's work animal and then abscond with it.

Skinwalker Conclave: I like it, though I am somewhat creeped out by it. Would allow it for a villain NPC, or villain campaign. I like especially that it tacks druid onto ranger, but shifts the attitude by quite a bit. I have a minor objection to Animalistic Smite, as it seems like adding a dash of paladin for no reason.

Enlightened Warrior: I like it (I think I might like all of them lol). Would allow in my campaign. Please check out and compare to my Samurai entry on the 5e Base Class Contest, as I think that they are both interesting ideas for a Fighter + Ki concept. I didn't like the Invisibility spell being part of it, as I get that it's a reference to ninjas, but it comes out of nowhere. At the very least, it should have had an option to take another spell instead if you don't feel like being a ninja. The final ability is awesome, and I wish I'd thought of it for my Samurai.

Green Knight: I like it, especially for the literary reference (I'm an English major (the kind that studies literature, not an officer in the English army)), and I would allow it in my campaign. This contest really is as good as people have been saying. No real complaints, though nothing especially stands out as outstanding either. Sorry, I know faint praise can be worse than condemnation. If you want to be a fighter with some naturey magic, this is you.

Faustian College: I'll level with you: I've been day drinking. So when I say I absolutely love this subclass, take that with a grain of salt. I love the references, both literary and musical, and I love the features. I think I had a complaint (maybe one feature was oddly lackluster?) but I can't even remember it now, and I literally just tabbed over to my reply from the contest page. I would absolutely allow this in my campaign, in fact I may require it.

Relic Grifter: Honestly, I was going to give you first place as a default for picking such a perfect theme (I knew immediately that you were doing Beni from the Mummy), but I guess I have to actually read the entry for fairness' sake. So, wow, I didn't think anyone could unseat the Faustian College, but I can't believe how complete and completely awesome this is. I will be making a character based around this and playing them at the first opportunity. Maybe today. My only complaint is that you assume I have access to a lot of supplemental books.

Primal Bloodline: I like it, but the format is a little rough; you have to assume some people are going to look at your entry while drunk, and big bolded letters are the way to go. I like Aspect of the Beast especially, and most of all that you could be literally part plant by heritage; not sure why that appeals to my sensibilities, but it allows a character archetype that is mostly absent from 5e right now. I would totally allow this in my campaign. Also, Primal Apotheosis is pure awesome sauce. I think I should apologize to the first three entrants, because I was only tipsy when I read them and I might have liked them even more if I'd read them with more booze in me.

Sorcerous Origin: Fury OK, I love this, but what does it actually mean? You are a sorcerer from a barbarian tribe and you get so angry that magic shoots out of you? Sorcerous origins mean your heritage is the source of your magic, so what is going on here? Again, I love it. It's exactly what I want from a barbarian sorcerer, but the fluff ain't up to snuff. Oops, I rhymed. Anyway, I would totally allow this in my campaign IF my player created a good origin story. Also, minor nitpick: adding 1 hitpoint is already part of the draconic origin, and the creativity in the rest of the entry should have carried through to something different. I like especially that it is almost a reverse of my entry, tacking spells onto a barbarian versus tacking rage onto a sorcerer.

Coffee Wizard: I'll admit, at first I did not like this. I thought it was ignoring the theme, and then I realized that it was indeed following theme, and was using caffeine as an explanation for Monk abilities. I like that. A lot. It's solid, and gives abilities that are hard to otherwise acquire. I would definitely allow it in my campaign if it's not overly serious. For some reason, I like the entries that take from another class while disregarding its tone.

Hedge Wizard: I'll be honest, I know hedge wizard is a reference to something, but I'm drunk and I have a lot of entries to get through, so I'm not Googling it. I like that you borrowed from more than one class and the entry's attitude is refreshing. I don't see this as an archetype that readily comes to mind (maybe Radagast the Brown?) and that is an issue. Still, seems solid and balanced, and I would allow it in my campaign (I think I'll allow almost anything at this point, though, so don't take that as too high of praise). You know what, this seems overly harsh and you don't deserve less love than anyone else, so I'm going to do another shot and reconsider.

...

Love it. Regardless of clunkiness or disjointedness, it grants some abilities that would be really fun attached to a wizard, especially a full-on animal companion in place of a wussy regular familiar.

Way of Tranquil Fury: Love it. Monk with a dash of barbarian is one of the most unique entries so far, and this is done elegantly. I haven't called any entry elegant so far, and that's a major part of my evaluation process usually. Of course, sobriety is also usually a major part of my evaluation process. Minor nitpick: it doesn't feel like a raging monk, except for the fact that you tell us he's raging in the fluff parts. I love duality as a theme and concept in most things, and I'd have appreciated it more if the monk essentially had two "modes" rather than smoothly incorporating rage into his martial arts. Still, you did an amazing job with this and I think my complaint is probably only a matter of taste.

Skald: Ok, I can't be objective here. I am of Viking heritage, and I love that you threw my people a bone here, but I'm also going to be irate (possibly berzerk) if you don't absolutely nail it.

...

I LOVE THIS!!!! You have sung the song of my people!

My only nitpick: don't be so timid. The inspiration die would be fine at d6 to start with; ditch that d4.

Soulsworn: okay, sorry buddy, but you came on the heels of the Skald, and that might hurt you a bit. I like what you got here, and Warlock was my borrowed class as well, so I like how you did it a bit differently, but I'm afraid you might suffer a bit for no fault of your own. Minor nitpick: you lead them by the hand. They get the enhanced eldritch blast as a matter of course instead of choice. It works, but give the player some credit, ok? Also, I like your fluff, but ranger/warlock is just weird, and not in the "delightful contradiction" way. I do appreciate your thoroughness in laying out which invocations are allowed. You're a better man (if you identify as such) than me. Ok, wow, that seems mean, I'm going to do another shot in case encroaching sobriety was the real perpetrator here.

...

Ok, I would definitely allow this in my campaign if it fit with the very good fluff you laid out. I like that, unlike mine, you get some of the Warlock's higher level "spellcasting" ability.

The Bone Knight: OK, so, it looks like you ignored the theme, and I am not ok with that. Edgelord much? Still, solid mechanics, and balance-wise, I'd allow it in my campaign. Also, format.

Mageblood: Hmmm, I might be turning into a mean drunk, but this isn't different enough, in my opinion, from the Arcane Trickster to necessitate including it in a campaign. If, for some reason, a rogue with a high charisma wanted to still do magic, I'd let them use this, but I'd be almost as likely to just let them use charisma in place of intelligence as a regular old Arcane Trickster. I'm sorry if this hurts, but I need to lay off the booze for a bit. I would give you a reconsider with another shot, but I'm far too gone right now. Please don't hate me; I'm sure you will do better in the future and it's nothing personal.

Self-Sacrifice Domain: Okay, this is the domain that should replace "Life" as the standard, but also I'm drunk and I'm not going to read your whole entire other class to make sense of this entry. On the other hand, polearm users don't get enough love, so kudos for that. I like how strong this is as a bodyguard, but holy crap, if you're expending spell slots, you don't also need to take damage, not for a mere 2-to-10 d8 radiant damage. I'd reluctantly allow this in my campaign, but I haven't yet met a player who's likely to take this option. Their failing, not yours. Your custom spells are very good, too.

Path of the Spirit Vessel: Oh my God, what kind of trash is this? You think you're cute, combining pact magic with a barbarian? The fluff is just drivel; did you even spell-check this crap? Who made this?

...

Oh.

Sorcerous Origin: Quickblood I like this. Would definitely allow in my campaign, in fact my son is a huge fan of the Flash, so this is at least top three for likely to end up used in a campaign. I like that you took the route of incorporating more than one class's features and shifted the theme away from those classes. Worst I can say is that it's merely balanced, not delightfully outstanding. Much better than the Path of the Spirit Vessel. Still, adding extra actions to a powerhouse like the sorcerer is enough. Thumbs up.

Adept Replicator: I applaud the attempt, because allowing it to borrow from every other class is ambitious without a doubt... but I don't like it. Format is weird, and the "you only get this at its lowest level" is a weird limit. I honestly do not, at a first reading, understand what I get out of it, and that's a problem (it might be my problem, though; I don't know if I mentioned this, but I've been drinking). I can't afford to do another shot, so I'm going to down an energy drink instead and see if I like it better.

...

I like it a little better, but I'd rather see it as this: you get all the first level features of a different class. The next time you take it, you can gain the first level features of a different class, or the second level features of the first class, including archetype features, and so on. Basically, you end your 20 level career as a vanilla fighter with the abilities of 5 more class levels, whether they're all the same class or multiple. I'm sorry, but I'd rather include my version in a campaign than yours. You reached for the stars, and were found wanting. But, as Bruce Lee said: In great attempts, there is glory even in failure.

Battledancer Conclave: I like it. At first, I didn't. I thought "what does being a ranger have to do with helping, inspiring, or leading others?" but then I thought "maybe he doesn't want to, he just has to." So I see this as the wily wilderness guide begrudgingly teaching some city slickers to function in the wild, and I like it very much in that context. Mechanically, it does what it should and is balanced. I would allow it in my campaign.

Forbidden Knowledge: I like it. Not many wizard subclasses in this contest, and wizards being knowledge seekers makes warlock powers a plausible idea. I'd allow it in my campaign, and it fits what I would expect for Wizard x Warlock.

Leywalker: Ok, final entry. My liver just breathed a sigh of relief. I don't know if I can be objective here. It's in direct competition with mine, as a barbarian spellcasting archetype. I like that it has sorcery points but gives them another name, but I don't like that leylines don't really have an inherent connection to a barbarian's rage. I can't do any better than that for a review. It looks balanced, I think I'd allow it in my campaign. It has some unique mechanics that I like, especially Saturation. I don't know. I'm starting to lose it.


1st: Relic Grifter

2nd and 3rd: Faustian College and Skald

4th and 5th: Leywalker and Enlightened Warrior

That's my final answer and I'm sticking to it.

Thank you for joining me on this emotional journey.

Edit: forgot about theme votes.

I don't care. Whatever is fine. But, if I can suggest a new theme: counterintuitive subclasses. Something that requires a decent score in an ability that that class wouldn't normally have, like a wizard that uses strength to punch spells into people, or a monk with charismatic leadership qualities, or an acrobatic paladin. I'm just spitballing here. I'm drunk, btw.

[SleeplessWriter]

Contest Votes:


1. Ranger: The Skinwalker
2. Monk: Way of Tranquil Fury
3. Fighter: Enlightened Warrior
4. Sorcerer: Primal Bloodline
5. Wizard: Forbidden Knowledge

Theme Votes:


1. The Pen is Mightier
2. Calling Card

This contest was a lot of fun, and it wasn't easy to whittle down all the entries to just the top five either, I could tell that they all had a lot of work put into them.
I had a bit of flavor text I was going to add at the beginning of the subclass, but I lost track of the days and the deadline got me by one day, heh.
It was a lot of fun making the Hedge Wizard, and I really look forward to the next contest. I didn't really have a specific inspiration for the class, I just thought wizards could use a slightly more martial subclass, a nature themed subclass, and one where I could just have fun playing a bitter hobo wizard with a superiority complex directed at literally every other wizard. Lots of fun.

Anyway, thank you all, and have a nice night,

Sincerely, a SleeplessWriter.

[MoleMage]

The votes are tallied, and we had three clear breakaway classes once the votes were in. We had a tie for points between 2nd and 3rd, which resolved through the second tiebreaker (greatest number of 1st place votes).

In 3rd place, with 17 points, we have the Faustian College! Because sometimes an artist just needs an unholy bargain to get ahead.

In 2nd place, also with 17 points, we have the Skinwalker Ranger! Take the hides of your fallen prey to become a wolf (elf?) in sheep's clothing! Shapeshift into even horrifying forms. Creep out your friends!

And in 1st place, with 23 points, we have the Relic Grifter! Keep a keychain full of holy symbols! Trick the gods! Reference The Mummy!

In a shocking turn, we also for the first time have had a tie for theme. Calling Card and Follow Me each earned 12 points. Since Follow Me earned more 1st place votes, that will be our theme for contest IX. Calling Card will then be our theme for contest X, and during that contest's voting we will start over with a brand-new pool of random themes from the theme list. Look for Contest IX: Follow Me! in the next few minutes!