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HumanoidPhoenix
2019-11-16, 06:13 AM
I made this for a friend of mine and this was my first real go at a homebrew character class, I was wondering if anyone could give me some feedback? Criticisms and suggestions welcome.

NOTE: This was made with the express wishes of my friend in mind, any blatant 'weirdness' may be attributed to their requirements. (Example: I probably wouldn't have used Soul Fragments; probably would'ave just re-skinned Ki points.)


Oracle
An elf wearing simple robes made from a cloth almost unearthly in its darkness walks alone along a path most would consider fraught with danger. The dead lay around her lone figure, their eyes glazed over and their pupils an eerie shade of white. The figure is soon encased in shadow and disappears none the wiser, her aim complete.

Such mysterious figures are known as oracles the mysticism surrounding their very nature a boon when faced with their enemies. An oracle has harnessed the very essence of their being, the soul. An intangible force bound in our mortal bodies. They have learnt to manipulate the souls of the dead for their own ends and seek nothing but to further their goal in the collection of souls, whether that be for another or their own twisted sense of enjoyment.

Some are considered crazed while others are revered as miracle workers. Yet still many consider their power a farce and suffer for it. When dealing with an oracle you gamble your very soul.

Blind to the World
The abyss one finds themselves in when using soul magic is all but absolute. It is impossible to reach in and take what you desire without first being taken from. All oracles (upon their induction) experience a sharp pain behind their eyes before being rendered blind. Fortunately, most oracles have no need for them. Almost all oracles have learnt to sense the souls of those around them and rely on their four remaining senses to ‘see’.

Creating an Oracle
When creating an oracle, consider your character’s background. How did you awaken these powers? Through meticulous study or a thirst for knowledge? Were you taught or gifted the power? To the contrary where you born cursed with these abilities? Also consider what motivates you. Revenge? Power? Possibly an outside force?

Quick Build
You can make an oracle quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Wisdom your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the sage background.

Class Features
As an Oracle, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per oracle level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per oracle level after 1st

Proficiencies
Armor: None
Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
Tools: None

Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Deception, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Sleight of Hand and Survival

Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon • (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
• (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
• Two daggers


The Oracle


Level
Proficiency Bonus
Soul Assimilation
Soul Fragments
Features


1st
+2
1
1
Soul Reaper


2nd
+2
1
2
Soul Assimilation


3rd
+2
1
3
Refined Ability, Oracle Focus feature


4th
+2
1
4
Ability Score Improvement


5th
+3
1
5
---


6th
+3
1
6
Oracle Focus feature


7th
+3
1
7
---


8th
+3
2
8
Ability Score Improvement


9th
+4
2
9
---


10th
+4
2
10
Refined Ability


11th
+4
2
12
---


12th
+4
2
14
Ability Score Improvement


13th
+5
2
16
---


14th
+5
3
18
Oracle Focus feature


15th
+5
3
20
---


16th
+5
3
22
Ability Score Improvement


17th
+6
3
24
Refined Ability


18th
+6
3
26
Oracle Focus feature


19th
+6
4
28
Ability Score Improvement


20th
+6
4
30
Third Eye





Soul Reaper
Through a great deal of dedication, luck, or sheer tenacity you have become able to manipulate your own soul in ways unprecedented

Soul Fragments
Starting at 1st level, your abilities allow you to harness the energy of your own soul. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of Soul Fragments. Your oracle level determines the number of fragments you have, as shown in the Soul Fragments column of the Oracle table. You can spend these fragments to fuel various soul features. You start knowing five such features: Omen from The Dead, Desolation, Concealment, Soul Burst and Peace of Mind. You learn more soul features as you gain levels in this class.

When you spend a Soul Fragment, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended Soul Fragments back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest concentrating to regain your Soul Fragments. Some of your soul features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Soul save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier


Omen from The Dead
As an action, you can spend 1 Soul Fragment to cast augury without providing material components.

Desolation
As an action, you can spend 1 Soul Fragment to cast darkness, or silence without providing material components.

Concealment
As an action, you can spend 1 Soul Fragment to hide yourself regardless of the terrain. Any perception checks made to find you suffer disadvantage until you move, attack or cast anything else.

Soul Burst
You can project you’re lifeforce outward, striking your opponents. As an action, you can spend 1 Soul Fragment to deal 1d8 Psychic damage to everyone within a 10ft radius centred on yourself.

Peace of Mind
As an action, you can spend 1 Soul Fragment to cast calm emotions.

Soul Assimilation
You can make use of other people’s souls to substitute for your own. Starting at 2nd level, you can spend 10 minutes over the unconscious body of a sentient being and extract their soul, converting it into Soul Fragments (this cannot exceed your Soul Fragment total). The conversion rate increases as you gain oracle levels, as shown in the Oracle table. The target is then dead and unable to return to life via any spell (except a well worded Wish).

Refined Ability
Starting at 3rd level, you begin to improve upon your abilities. You gain 5 improved abilities at 3rd level. You also gain even greater abilities at 10th and 17th level. Each of these can be used at any time, including the base effects from your Soul Fragments feature.

Prophecy of the Dead
By 3rd level, as an action you can spend 2 Soul Fragments to cast divination without providing material components.

Fallow Field
By 3rd level, as an action you can spend 3 Soul Fragments to remove one sense from a target (concentration of up to 1 minute).

Veil of Obscurity
By 3rd level, as an action you can spend 3 Soul Fragments to cast invisibility at a range of self.

Soulful Jolt
By 3rd level, as a bonus action you can spend 2 Soul Fragments to deal 1d4 + your soul-spell ability modifier Psychic damage to everyone within 30ft of you.

Hollow
By 3rd level, as an action you can spend 3 Soul Fragments to make a target within 5ft of you make a Charisma saving throw against your Soul-save DC or forget the recent past (up to one minute).

Search for Answers
At 10th level, as an action you can spend 4 Soul Fragments to cast scrying.

Austere Effete
By 10th level, as an action you can spend 5 Soul Fragments to cast hallow without any material components other than 1000gp.

Shroud of Suppression
At 10th level, as an action you can spend 5 Soul Fragments to cast greater invisibility at a range of self.

Soul Flare
At 10th level, you can project your soul forward. As an action you can spend 4 Soul Fragments to deal 6d6 Psychic damage in a 30ft cone in front of you.

Forced Tranquillity
At 10th level, you can subdue a person’s soul. As an action you can make a person make a Charisma saving throw against your Soul-save DC or be incapacitated for 1d4 rounds.

Prognosticate
By 17th level, as an action you can spend 6 Soul Fragments to cast foresight without material components.

Virulent Smog
By 17th level, as an action you can spend 6 Soul Fragments to create a black fog that renders all but you blinded for 1d8 rounds and deals 3d8 Poison damage (to which you become immune for the duration) every turn spent inside it. The fog covers a 30ft radius around you.

Absolute Eclipse
By 17th level, as an action you can spend 6 Soul Fragments to cast sequester.

Soul Surge
By 17th level, as an action you can spend 6 Soul Fragments to cast sunburst except the spell does Psychic damage.

Complete Vacancy
By 17th level, as an action you can spend 6 Soul Fragments to cast mind blank.

Oracle Focus
At 3rd level, you choose a facet of your power that guides your abilities. Choose the Focus of Cruelty, Focus of Renewal or Focus of Domination, each of which is detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 14th and 18th level.

Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Third Eye
Your awareness has spread, allowing you to sense the presence of others without the aid of your senses. At 20th level, you can spend 6 Soul Fragments to cast true seeing on yourself once per day without providing material components.

Oracle Focuses
As an oracle’s connection to the soul grows deeper, they are drawn to pursue one portion of the abyss of power available to them. This provides great insight on the capabilities of one’s soul and gives a direction to those lost along their way. What one focuses on often implies their power’s use. To harm others, to help. For some its to challenge the very nature of fate itself.

Focus of Cruelty
Some oracles choose a more violent approach in their pursuit of power, or a strange sense of pleasure. The Focus of Cruelty is a focus on the destructive force that can be found within every soul. Violence, rage and pain are the core notions taken up by people of this specialisation.

Manifestation of Ire
Starting when you choose this focus at 3rd level, you can channel your anger into a blade. As an action, you can use 2 Soul Fragments to cast flame blade however the blade deals Psychic damage instead.

Bulwark of Pain
Beginning at 6th level, you can use 3 Soul Fragments and your bonus action to give advantage on the next attack made by a number of allies up to half your Charisma modifier, rounded down (minimum of 1).

Soul Rend
Beginning at 14th level, as an action you can expend 4 Soul Fragments to tear at the very core of your enemy. The target must make a Constitution saving throw against your Soul save DC taking 10d6 Psychic damage on a failed save and half as much on a success.

Convergence of the Damned
Starting at 18th level, you can spend 5 Soul Fragments to open up a hole into a plane filled with the souls of the damned at a range of 60ft. Anyone (excluding the caster) within a 30ft radius of the anomaly must make a Strength save against the oracle’s Soul save DC or be dragged straight to the hole where they take 8d8 Psychic damage. On a success the target remains stationary and takes no damage.

Focus of Renewal
A few oracles prefer to passively use their abilities to aid allies and friends. The Focus of Renewal is based upon healing the mind, body and soul of those in your care. Peace, salubrity and generosity are the core principles taken by most people of this specialisation.

Soul Recovery
Beginning at 3rd level, you can recover damage wrought upon an unfortunate soul. As an action you can spend 2 Soul Fragments to heal one target of your choice of hit points equal to 2d4 + your Soul-spell ability modifier. For every Spell Fragment above 2 used, the healing increases by 1d4.

Endowment
By 6th level, you’ve learnt to guard the souls of your allies. As an action you can spend 1, 2 and 3 Soul Fragments to cast the gentle repose, sanctuary, and death ward spells respectively.

Soul Restoration
At 14th level, you can spend 4 Soul Fragments to create one of the following effects: -cast lesser restoration on one target
-cast greater restoration on one target without providing material components --choose one target within 30ft of you to regain hit points equal to 5d8 + your Soul-spell ability modifier.

System Crash
By 18th level, you can register a shock to the soul great enough to debilitate your opponents. As an action, you can spend 5 Soul Fragments to enforce a Constitution saving throw on your enemy. On a failed save the target takes 10d6 Psychic damage and half as much on a success.

Focus of Domination
The more unique oracles choose to manipulate others souls as tools. The Focus of Domination relies on the use of souls in aiding oneself. The binding or coercion of these souls is often seen as a violation however most oracles disregard that. Taking what you want and using something until its worthless are the core tenants of the people who take this specialisation.

Soul-bind
Starting at 3rd level, you can bind a soul into service. As an action you can spend 2 Soul Fragments to bine a wandering soul to your service for 1d6 rounds. The soul will act on your initiative and follow your orders to attack or move (no action required). The statistics of your spirit are that of a specter found in the Monster Manual.

Oracle Claimant
At 6th level, you can influence a person to their very core. As an action you can spend 3 Soul Fragments to create one of the following effects:
-cast Charm Person on one target
-cast Dominate Person on one target
-cast Enthrall on one target
-cast Command on one target

Soul Siphon
By 14th level, you can manipulate the power of wandering souls to heal your own. As an action you can spend 4 Soul Fragments to deal 6d8 Psychic damage and add half of that (rounded down) to your current hit points.

Magnum Opus
Beginning at 18th level, you have improved the amount of souls you are able to bind. As an action you can spend 5 Soul Fragments to bind two souls to you for 1d8 rounds. The souls will act on your initiative and follow your orders to attack or move (no action required). The statistics of your spirits are that of a specter found in the Monster Manual. This can be used in conjunction with your Soul-bind feature. Using this feature more than once at any given time will result in a failure.

Composer99
2019-11-16, 09:00 AM
The class' primary shtick is manipulating soul fragments, so oracle isn't a very thematic name, to be honest.

Also, the first three levels are ridiculously overpowered.
- five soul features at 1st level, three of which allow you to cast 2nd-level spells, a hide anywhere feature, and a psychic damage AoE
- five more soul features at 3rd level along with the subclass

I'm not a fan of the no save kill feature at 2nd level. It's not overpowered, necessarily, but clever players could easily find ways to abuse it. "Sentient" is also a vague requirement. I'd go with a game statistic requirement, such as an Intelligence score minimum.

But then, half of tier 2 and tier 3 are dead levels, interrupted by power spikes at 10th and 17th level, and you're not getting your power increases at the tier 2 and tier 3 boundaries (5th level and 11th level). Compare that to full casters who get 3rd-level spells at 5th level and 6th-level spells at 11th level, or "martials" who get Extra Attack at 5th level and assorted fancy features at 11th.

Edit: It occurs to me, after first posting this reply, that while you get many abilities at 1st and 3rd level, you don't have a lot of juju with which to use them. That's fine, in and of itself - spellcasters have pretty hard caps on their spell slots, especially at low levels. But unlike spellcasters, you don't get cantrips, and unlike "martials", you don't have combat features. In that respect, you're like the old-school magic users of editions past - once you're out of juice, you're bringing out the light crossbow!

All in all, it's a fun and interesting concept, but it needs some serious smoothing out. I would also suggest trying to come up with more... "soul invocations" but then having the player pick from among them instead of just getting them all each time they get a new tier of those abilities.

JNAProductions
2019-11-16, 09:19 AM
Fallow Field needs a save.

Prognosticate is ridiculous-with 24 Soul Fragments, you can cast it four times, giving the entire party the benefits of Foresight.

Overall, it really feels poorly balanced, with little thought in the mechanics. The theme is cool (though I do agree Oracle is an odd naming choice) but the mechanics need a LOT of work.

Breccia
2019-11-16, 10:29 AM
The class' primary shtick is manipulating soul fragments, so oracle isn't a very thematic name, to be honest.

That was my first take too.

However, my greatest issue is that a 2nd level Soul Reaper can block raise dead. That's way too strong for such a low level ability. I strongly recommend
a) pushing it back to 9th, and
b) a caster stronger than the Soul Reaper can beat the effect.

I guess the question is, if there was a particularly evil villain, why wouldn't he have a staff of six of those guys on call?

I get the idea of changing the rules with the specific intent of shock value, and the presence of a Soul Reaper on the field would be uniquely terrifying for both in and out of game reasons. A lot of games have those, and they work well. But this feels too easy. Messing with raise dead shouldn't be that easy.

But...there's the other side of the same ability.

The idea of harvesting a class resource from a fallen opponent is a good one, and I don't know that I've seen it done much before. I like it and I think it should stay. But...ten minutes? At that point, the PCs are probably taking a short rest anyhow, at which point the Soul Reaper will be fully recharged. If the ability is faster, you add tactics to the fight. Specifically, the idea of the Soul Reaper taking a turn off to OM NOM NOM a downed opponent and refuel.

So I'm actually contradicting myself and saying the ability also needs an upgrade -- at least, as far as the practicality of the resource management goes. Maybe at a higher level, once/short rest, they can insta-snack?

I have other comments, but I can't get past such a major issue so early in the class.