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Amechra
2019-07-29, 12:01 AM
The Dread Witch [Sorcerous Origin]
Most people see fear as something to avoid, but you aren't most people. To you, fear is as close as a lover and as gentle as a friend.

1 :- Mastery of Fear
You are proficient with Intimidation if you weren't already. In addition, you learn Cause Fear as if it were a Sorcerer spell.

1 :- Adoration of the Frightful
You have advantage on Charisma checks made to interact socially with frightened creatures. In addition, you have advantage on spell attacks while frightened.

6 :- Fearful Empowerment
You gain an additional pool of Sorcery points equal to your Charisma modifier which you can only access while you are frightened. You regain any points you spend from this pool at the end of each short or long rest.

14 :- Piercing Terror
Your spells ignore immunity to the Frightened condition. Whenever you inflict the Frightened condition or a creature fails a saving throw against your spell save DC to end the Frightened condition, you may have that creature take 1d10 psychic damage.

18 :- Galaxy of Terror
Frightened creatures have disadvantage on saving throws against your spells. As long as you are frightened, you may apply up to two different metamagic options to the same spell.



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Translating the Dread Witch from 3e into 5e. Yes, I know the prestige class had a fear aura, but I feel like that's stepping on the Draconic sorcerer too much. Adoration of the Frightful is based off a spell Sorcerers got back in 3.5, which charmed frightened creatures... but I decided that not letting creatures you've frightened attack you would be a touch much.

The whole "you're better at casting spells while frightened" thing is my favorite bit of the prestige class, so that's staying - you get Sorcery points because it used to either be +1-+3 CL or a free 1st-3rd level spell. Sadly, I couldn't fit in the "any spell you cast is a [Fear] spell!" aspect of the prestige class, but I hope casting Cause Fear/Fear will cover for that.

...

Should I give them Phantasmal Killer/Weird as well? It's strange that Sorcerers don't get those spells in the first place.

Lil Mordecai
2019-08-02, 09:49 AM
I hadn't seen that prestige class before, looks fun! For the piercing terror ability, a flat 14-20 damage might be too much; maybe make it equal to your charisma modifier? Or to keep it increasing as you level up, equal to your class level divided by 2 (rounded down), or highest level of spell known?

Amechra
2019-08-02, 11:38 AM
I hadn't seen that prestige class before, looks fun! For the piercing terror ability, a flat 14-20 damage might be too much; maybe make it equal to your charisma modifier? Or to keep it increasing as you level up, equal to your class level divided by 2 (rounded down), or highest level of spell known?

One possibility is having it deal 1d10 Psychic damage on each failed save vs. your fear spells - like a mini version of Phantasmal Killer stapled to your castings of Cause Fear and Fear.

Actually, yeah, I think I'll go with that.

sleepyhead
2019-08-02, 12:56 PM
So are you suppose to cast fear on yourself? Seems like some of this is just to uncommon for practical use otherwise.

Amechra
2019-08-02, 01:36 PM
So are you suppose to cast fear on yourself? Seems like some of this is just to uncommon for practical use otherwise.

If you really need the boost, casting Cause Fear on yourself is a possibility. Most of the penalties will be negated (you are basically just left with Disadvantage on ability checks, thanks to Adoration of the Frightful and the movement restriction being irrelevant). Which reminds me - I should make Piercing Terror's damage optional...

If not, you have a decent debuff you can toss around that pierces immunities. And don't underestimate a Subtle Cause Fear for social situations...