Balance tweaks for Wild Soul Barbarian? [DM]

[ToastyTobasco]

Considering letting a player use the new Wild Soul UA Barbarian but I am putting caps on a couple bits for balance sake:

Wild Surge Table:
* 1 Necrotic energy bursts from you. Each creature within 30 feet of you takes 1d10 necrotic damage, and you gain temporary hit points equal to the sum of the necrotic damage dealt to the creatures. *

I am thinking capping the temp HP at 10x Barb level to prevent 100 temp hp for diving into a goblin/kobold nest to then charge the boss and tank stupid hard. Yes it is a 10% chance but while raging, they have double the temp HP if they arent fighting magic enemies. Also considering a time limit to be used instead of the cap, such as lasting as long as the rage, but I feel like this could have some circumstantial breaking

*At 6th level, you can channel the magic surging inside you into other creatures. As an action, you can touch a creature and roll a d4. The creature recovers an expended spell slot of a level equal to the number rolled. If the creature you touch can’t recover a spell slot of that level, the creature instead gains temporary hit points equal to five times the number rolled. You take force damage equal to five times the number rolled. When you reach 14th level in this class, you increase the die to a d6*
This one >needs< a hard cap. 1 Healing Spirit and you've got some stupid shenanigans. I'm thinking to make the force damage to be unable to be reduced or resisted and have a cap (Con mod per long rest?) I also havent had much experience with 6th lvl and up spells so I dont know on recovering those being broken or not. It would be a very long time before we hit 14.



Thoughts?

[LudicSavant]

Level 6 should just be replaced with an entirely different ability, IMHO.

[MikeRoxTheBoat]

For the first one, just give them 5 or 10x Barb Level Temp HP and leave it at that. The necrotic damage doesn't discriminate against friend or for, so you could also give the option of the barbarian attempting to control the surge, allowing him to take necrotic damage in place of any number of creatures that would be affected. Could give incentive to put a dent into his temp HP right at the start, or risk his buddies for more tanking power.

For the 2nd one, just add the caveat "You regain the ability to do this on a short rest, or the next time you (some sort of condition you specify)." You could also remove or lower the self damage. Conditions could be "roll initiative, rage, trigger a wild surge" etc. For a once an encounter ability, it's not as broken. You could also just leave it as a short rest. Basically just gives the barbarian the ability to grant Arcane Recovery to anyone once a rest.

Alternatively, just add the caveat "a creature can only benefit from this once, then requires a long rest to benefit from it again." Then he can charge up his party before a battle, but can't do it indefinitely.

[stoutstien]

Considering letting a player use the new Wild Soul UA Barbarian but I am putting caps on a couple bits for balance sake:

Wild Surge Table:
* 1 Necrotic energy bursts from you. Each creature within 30 feet of you takes 1d10 necrotic damage, and you gain temporary hit points equal to the sum of the necrotic damage dealt to the creatures. *

I am thinking capping the temp HP at 10x Barb level to prevent 100 temp hp for diving into a goblin/kobold nest to then charge the boss and tank stupid hard. Yes it is a 10% chance but while raging, they have double the temp HP if they arent fighting magic enemies. Also considering a time limit to be used instead of the cap, such as lasting as long as the rage, but I feel like this could have some circumstantial breaking

*At 6th level, you can channel the magic surging inside you into other creatures. As an action, you can touch a creature and roll a d4. The creature recovers an expended spell slot of a level equal to the number rolled. If the creature you touch can’t recover a spell slot of that level, the creature instead gains temporary hit points equal to five times the number rolled. You take force damage equal to five times the number rolled. When you reach 14th level in this class, you increase the die to a d6*
This one >needs< a hard cap. 1 Healing Spirit and you've got some stupid shenanigans. I'm thinking to make the force damage to be unable to be reduced or resisted and have a cap (Con mod per long rest?) I also havent had much experience with 6th lvl and up spells so I dont know on recovering those being broken or not. It would be a very long time before we hit 14.



Thoughts?

the fluphs option need more concise text because it's both precise and vague. Quite impressive actually

The lv 6 ablity probably needed to be scratch and replaced.

The reroll effects at later lv is redundant at lv 20 with infinite rages. that also problem needs to be replaced with something.

The randomness of the surges keeps the THP I check so I don't think a change there is needed

[ToastyTobasco]

For the first one, just give them 5 or 10x Barb Level Temp HP and leave it at that. The necrotic damage doesn't discriminate against friend or for, so you could also give the option of the barbarian attempting to control the surge, allowing him to take necrotic damage in place of any number of creatures that would be affected. Could give incentive to put a dent into his temp HP right at the start, or risk his buddies for more tanking power.

For the 2nd one, just add the caveat "You regain the ability to do this on a short rest, or the next time you (some sort of condition you specify)." You could also remove or lower the self damage. Conditions could be "roll initiative, rage, trigger a wild surge" etc. For a once an encounter ability, it's not as broken. You could also just leave it as a short rest. Basically just gives the barbarian the ability to grant Arcane Recovery to anyone once a rest.

Alternatively, just add the caveat "a creature can only benefit from this once, then requires a long rest to benefit from it again." Then he can charge up his party before a battle, but can't do it indefinitely.

I think I'll keep the 10x the Barb level.
I really like your ideas for the L6 ability. Making it have a SR requirement makes it less cheesable, the alternative makes it an interesting gamble before a big fight