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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Expanded Options for Land Druids, Totem Warriors, and Storm Heralds.



sandmote
2019-08-01, 09:19 PM
This page on the homebrewery (https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/S1-1UYz-7H)

I've written a few more subclass options, for deep sea land druids, land druids in major cities, totem warriors living in swamps and the ocean, and wind/tornado and mine/underdark/earthquake themed Storm Heralds.



Circle of the Land Options
Urban


Druid Level
Circle Spells


3rd
locate animals or plants, spider climb


5th
haste, plant growth


7th
freedom of movement, greater invisibility


9th
passwall, wrath of nature



Open Ocean


Druid Level
Circle Spells


3rd
pass without trace, ray of enfeeblement


5th
daylight, water breathing


7th
control water, divination


9th
maelstrom, mislead



Path of the Totem Warrior Options
Totem Spirit
The following are additional Totem spirit options, intended for use in an aquatic campaign.

Crocodile. While raging you can make a grapple check against another creature as a bonus action, and count as one size larger for the purposes of grappling. The spirit of the crocodile helps you drag foes to their grave.

Octopus. While raging, you gain resistance to psychic damage and advantage on intelligence and charisma saving throws. The spirit of the octopus grants an inscrutable mind.

Shark. While raging, you gain a natural bite attack that deals 1d4 damage + your strength modifier in piercing damage. You can use this bite attack as a bonus action against creatures that possess fewer than half their max hit points, and such creatures cannot hide while within 30 feet of you. While raging your swim speed increases by 10 feet, or you gain a 30 foot swim speed if you don't already possess one. Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws against poison. The spirit of the shark plunges ahead and devours all.

Aspect of the Beast
The following are additional aspect options, intended for use in an aquatic campaign.

Crocodile. The crocodile is a patient ambusher. While in darkness and not moving or otherwise revealing yourself, you can use an action to become invisible to any creature that relies on darkvision or tremorsense to see you in that darkness.

Octopus. The octopus can crawl through the smallest crevasse. You can choose to count as one size smaller for the purposes of squeezing into a smaller space and can hold your breath for 1 hour.

Shark. The shark breaths by moving and moves as it breaths. You gain the ability to breath underwater and a 30 foot swim speed, or your innate swim speed increases by 5 feet.

Totemic Attunement
The following are additional Totemic Attunment options, intended for use in an aquatic campaign.

Crocodile. While raging, you have advantage on attack rolls against targets you are grappling and creatures you are grappling have disadvantage on attack rolls against you.

Octopus. While raging you are immune to the stunned, paralyzed, and restrained conditions, and have advantage on ability checks and saving throws to avoid being grappled.

Shark. Once per turn while you're raging, when you hit a creature that has taken damage from a creature other than you since the end of your last turn, you may deal an additional 1d12 damage to that creature.

Path of the Storm Herald Options
Storm Aura
The following environments are options for your storm aura.

Mountain. When this effect is activated, you can choose one other creature you can see in your aura. The target must make a Strength saving throw. The target is pushed 5 feet on a failed save on a failed save, or half as far on a successful one. The distance increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 10 feet at 10th level, 15 feet at 15th level, and 20 feet at 20th level. If the creature is pushed into a wall, it takes 1d4 bludgeoning damage for every five feet of travel remaining.

Underdark. When this effect is activated, the ground within 10 feet of you becomes difficult terrain until the start of your next turn. This difficult terrain is magical, and deals 1d4 piercing damage for every 5 feet a to any creature other than you travels through it that moves into or through any part of your aura. The damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 2d4 at 10th level, 3d4 at 15th level, and 4d4 at 20th level.

Storm Soul

Mountain. You gain resistance to thunder damage, and you don't suffer the effects of being at a high altitude. Moreover, when you start falling you can use a reaction to fly up to 20 feet unto a solid surface.

Underdark. You gain resistance to force damage, and you can hold your breath for 30 minutes. Moreover, you gain tremorsense out to a range of 10 feet.

Raging Storm

Mountain. Immediately after a creature in your aura hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature it gains one level of exhaustion for 1 minute, as it is robbed of breath and sapped of energy. Holding its breath has no effect on this ability, as air is sucked through its nose and directly from its body.

Underdark. When you hit a creature in your aura with an attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is grappled by the ground. You make Strength (Athletics) checks to keep the target grappled as normal, but the grapple does not end if you become incapacitated, you cannot move a creature grappled in this way, and the creature automatically frees itself if it moves any distance.

foobar1969
2019-08-08, 06:38 AM
I don't have much to say about Land Druid spells, but Totems and Storms are fun to consider.


This page on the homebrewery (https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/S1-1UYz-7H)

Totem Spirit

Crocodile. While raging you can make a grapple check against another creature as a bonus action, and count as one size larger for the purposes of grappling. The spirit of the crocodile helps you drag foes to their grave.

Octopus. While raging, you gain resistance to psychic damage and advantage on intelligence and charisma saving throws. The spirit of the octopus grants an inscrutable mind.

Shark. While raging your swim speed increases by 10 feet, or you gain a 30 foot swim speed if you don't already possess one. Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws against poison. The spirit of the shark plunges ahead and devours all.
These all seem reasonable and fit their themes.
Yes, Octopi are aberration-blooded. I like how they're the opposite of Bear totem.



Aspect of the Beast

Crocodile. The crocodile is a patient ambusher. While in darkness and not moving or otherwise revealing yourself, you can use an action to become invisible to any creature that relies on darkvision or tremorsense to see you in that darkness.

Octopus. The octopus can crawl through the smallest crevasse. You can choose to count as one size smaller for the purposes of squeezing into a smaller space and can hold your breath for 1 hour.

Shark. The shark breaths by moving and moves as it breaths. You gain the ability to breath underwater and a 30 foot swim speed, or your innate swim speed increases by 5 feet.

Crocodiles don't use darkness to hide. How about something like "If you are in concealment and did not move this turn, you may make a Stealth check with advantage to hide for as long as your entire body remains motionless. While doing so, you are also hidden from Tremorsense."

Octopus is good.

Instead of more swimming, how about blood sense? "If you can smell, you gain advantage on ability checks to locate or track wounded creatures, and you may make such checks as bonus actions."



Totemic Attunement

Crocodile. You have advantage on attack rolls against targets you are grappling and creatures you are grappling have disadvantage on attack rolls against you.

Octopus. While raging you are immune to the stunned, paralyzed, and restrained conditions, and have advantage on ability checks and saving throws to avoid being grappled.

Shark. Once per turn while you're raging, when you hit a creature that has taken damage from a creature other than you since the end of your last turn, you may deal an additional 1d12 damage to that creature.

Crocodile is missing "While you're raging, "

Shark is complicated. Does it need the "from a creature other than you" clause?





Path of the Storm Herald Options
Storm Aura
Two additional options, which you choose and switch between as normal.

IMO "These two environments are options you can choose for your Storm Aura" would be clearer, and the later upgrades need no additional text beyond what's in Xanathar.



Mountain. When this effect is activated, you can choose one other creature you can see in your aura. The target must make a Strength saving throw. The target is pushed 5 feet on a failed save on a failed save, or half as far on a successful one. The distance increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 10 feet at 10th level, 15 feet at 15th level, and 20 feet at 20th level. If the creature is pushed into a wall, it takes 1d4 bludgeoning damage for every five feet of travel remaining.

Underdark. When this effect is activated, the ground within 10 feet of you becomes difficult terrain until the start of your next turn. This difficult terrain is magical, and deals 1d4 damage for every 5 feet a creature other than you travels through it. The damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class, increasing to 2d4 at 10th level, 3d4 at 15th level, and 4d4 at 20th level.

Underdark seems too strong. I'd limit it to the first time each round that a creature moves in the aura. Also, it should have a damage type. Maybe slashing?



Storm Soul
Two additional options, which you choose and switch between as normal.

Mountain. You gain resistance to thunder damage, and you don't suffer the effects of being at a high altitude. Moreover, when you start falling you can use a reaction to fly up to 20 feet unto a solid surface.

Underdark. You gain resistance to force damage, and you can hold your breath for 30 minutes. Moreover, you gain tremorsense out to a range of 10 feet.

Force resistance and tremorsense seems good enough, and I don't see how hold breath fits the theme.



Raging Storm
Two additional options, which you choose and switch between as normal.

Mountain. Immediately after a creature in your aura hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature it gains one level of exhaustion for 1 minute, as it is robbed of breath and sapped of energy. Holding its breath has no effect on this ability, as air is sucked through its nose and directly from its body.

Underdark. When you hit a creature in your aura with an attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is grappled by the ground. You make Strength (Athletics) checks to keep the target grappled as normal, but the grapple does not end if you become incapacitated, you cannot move a creature grappled in this way, and the creature automatically frees itself if it moves any distance.
A little more complicated than the standard ones, but workable.

Fnissalot
2019-08-08, 08:16 AM
Urban druid might be too strong with both haste and greater invisibility.

The first part of mountain barbarian should be once per turn during the effect right? And the damage from underdark is too high. 1 dmg per 5 feet or 1 d6 per turn if they move within it seems reasonable to me.

Octopus is super cool!

sandmote
2019-08-09, 12:44 AM
Crocodiles don't use darkness to hide. How about something like "If you are in concealment and did not move this turn, you may make a Stealth check with advantage to hide for as long as your entire body remains motionless. While doing so, you are also hidden from Tremorsense." The term "Concealment" isn't used in 5e, which is what I'm trying to get around. Instead, you're can either be lightly obscured or heavily obscured. The problem being that anyone with darkvision treats darkness as lightly obscuring something.

I was mostly thinking of having it be between the Gloom Stalker and the One With Shadows eldritch Invocation. What about "While in darkness or otherwise heavily obscured, you can use an action to become invisible to any creature that relies on darkvision or tremorsense to see you in that area of heavy obscurement. This effect lasts until you move or otherwise reveal yourself."


Instead of more swimming, how about blood sense? "If you can smell, you gain advantage on ability checks to locate or track wounded creatures, and you may make such checks as bonus actions." I think I would kind of prefer to change the 3rd level shark option. I'd like to have a totem for characters in aquatic campaigns, and I'm pretty such the 3rd level option is far les likely to get chosen anyway. Swim speed only while raging isn't great. Not sure what to replace it with though.


Crocodile is missing "While you're raging, "

Shark is complicated. Does it need the "from a creature other than you" clause?

IMO "These two environments are options you can choose for your Storm Aura" would be clearer, and the later upgrades need no additional text beyond what's in Xanathar.

Underdark seems too strong. I'd limit it to the first time each round that a creature moves in the aura. Also, it should have a damage type. Maybe slashing? Will add these.


Force resistance and tremorsense seems good enough, and I don't see how hold breath fits the theme.

A little more complicated than the standard ones, but workable. For hold breath, I was thinking something about cave ins. Although given the rest of Underdark is fairly strong, I'll remove it. I did try to keep the 14th level features simple, but most other status effects looked either useless or too strong, and I didn't want another option for dealing damage.


Urban druid might be too strong with both haste and greater invisibility.

The first part of mountain barbarian should be once per turn during the effect right? And the damage from underdark is too high. 1 dmg per 5 feet or 1 d6 per turn if they move within it seems reasonable to me. I'm kind of torn about replacing either spell. Haste fits the theme of hectic urban life, while invisibility would probably be very practical to someone protecting nature in an unnatural setting. Would Arcane Eye fit the theme okay?

Considering it can affect multiple enemies, I think I'll stick to a d4, but I will limit it to dealing damage once per target. That also simplifies movement options for everyone else, as you either take damage or you don't, instead of taking damage dependent on where you are. Really should have thought of that myself.

foobar1969
2019-08-10, 08:13 AM
I think I would kind of prefer to change the 3rd level shark option. I'd like to have a totem for characters in aquatic campaigns, and I'm pretty such the 3rd level option is far less likely to get chosen anyway. Swim speed only while raging isn't great. Not sure what to replace it with though.
Maybe a rage-based blood frenzy? Or a bite attack? Or both?
"While raging, your jaws become stronger and your sense of smell more acute. Your bite is a natural melee weapon that deals 1d4 slashing damage + your Strength modifier, or if you already have a bite attack it does +1 extra damage. Furthermore, any injured creature within 30 feet cannot be hidden from you, and you may use your bite attack against it as a bonus action."

sandmote
2019-08-10, 04:00 PM
Maybe a rage-based blood frenzy? Or a bite attack? Or both?
"While raging, your jaws become stronger and your sense of smell more acute. Your bite is a natural melee weapon that deals 1d4 slashing damage + your Strength modifier, or if you already have a bite attack it does +1 extra damage. Furthermore, any injured creature within 30 feet cannot be hidden from you, and you may use your bite attack against it as a bonus action."

I'll add a version of that. Thanks.

Edit: on second thought, I''ll limit to creatures below half health and won't let it stack with natural bite attacks. It's already an extra strength attack per turn for the barbarian.