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Teaguethebean
2019-12-06, 06:46 PM
Hello friends I have been trying to make some options for an arctic campaign I am running and I was planning on making an winter/frost/ice domain for any cleric that wants to play. I am not very good at homebrew so I am planning on keeping it rather tame. Would it be balanced to simply take the death domain but change anything that says necromancy spells or necrotic damage to domain spells, and cold damage. (First level feature would let you take ray of frost or frost bite at lv1 and the other would be added to your spell list.)
For domain spells I would simply grant them the arctic druid spells, though at lv1 they would get Fog cloud and then ice knife, or armor of agathys. Though I can't decide.

Any comments or ideas? I am not aiming to make a support based winter cleric but a more primal and dangerous style of nature.

nickl_2000
2019-12-06, 07:38 PM
I may actually start with tempest domain. Replace lightning damage with cold damage.

Instead of knocking someone away you slow their movement by 10.

Teaguethebean
2019-12-06, 08:01 PM
I may actually start with tempest domain. Replace lightning damage with cold damage.

Instead of knocking someone away you slow their movement by 10.

How would one justify the 1st level feature? Seems fairly strange for a retributive ice strike.

nickl_2000
2019-12-06, 08:46 PM
How would one justify the 1st level feature? Seems fairly strange for a retributive ice strike.

Change it to be an ice shield instead that gives resistance on one hit or a bonus AC

Teaguethebean
2019-12-07, 12:37 AM
Change it to be an ice shield instead that gives resistance on one hit or a bonus AC

Kinda drives it away from the offensive style I was hoping to offer in this domain.

Ogrillian
2019-12-07, 03:47 AM
I like this idea but please remember that as elements go, Ice’s offensive properties are mostly control-type. Also don’t overlook it’s ability to hold a solid form, great for creating weapons or environmental traps.

If you find a spell that’s too defensive, tweak it a little, like, for instance say ‘nickl 2000’ idea first level ice shield you could add: any one who lands a melee attack on you while it’s active would receive your proficiency modifier in Cold Damage. Try reading some Wuxia novels for elemental inspiration. I recommend Versatile Mage. (Though to be fair many Wuxia novels DO go for video game style damage quickly.)

Composer99
2019-12-08, 10:36 AM
I am away from my DMG, but if memory serves the death domain is overpowered to some greater or lesser extent. So I don't know about using it as a basis for a PC domain.

As others have already done, I'd be inclined to suggest battlefield control for combat features, and sculpting ice for ribbon features, and using the cold to sap the strength of others long-term for utility.

Lvl45DM!
2019-12-08, 09:32 PM
How would one justify the 1st level feature? Seems fairly strange for a retributive ice strike.

A thin rime of frost covers the battle-priests chain mail, and small snowflakes are shaken loose with every step he takes into the fray. Raising his pick he smashes it into the thick hide of the orc. Snarling, the pig-faced monster lashes out with his bone club and thumps the priest on the shoulder. With that mighty blow the frost cracks, shatters, and with a soulless shriek launches itself at the orc, freezing its heartsblood.
By the time the blue-skinned corpse falls, the frost has already grown again, crystalline fractals spreading to again coat the rings of steel.

Amechra
2019-12-09, 11:59 PM
I'd go with the following for the spells:

1st: Armor of Agathys, Ice Knife
3rd: Earthbind, Snilloc's Snowball Swarm
5th: Sleet Storm, ???
7th: Hallucinatory Terrain, Ice Storm
9th: Cone of Cold, ???

I think that they should also get Frostbite and Shape Water at 1st level as bonus cantrips.

Phhase
2019-12-12, 10:17 PM
I'd go with the following for the spells:

1st: Armor of Agathys, Ice Knife
3rd: Earthbind, Snilloc's Snowball Swarm
5th: Sleet Storm, ???
7th: Hallucinatory Terrain, Ice Storm
9th: Cone of Cold, ???

I think that they should also get Frostbite and Shape Water at 1st level as bonus cantrips.

Excellent start. I vote that the missing spells here be: Leomund's Tiny Hut (for taking shelter from cold), and Control Winds (For creating or abating blizzards).

Or, if you don't mind custom spells, replace Control Winds with Otiluke's Cryogenic Globule.

Otiluke's Cryogenic Globule

5th-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 70 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

A ball of subzero fluid is launched from your hand. Make a ranged spell attack. On a direct hit, the target and all creatures within 20ft take 6d6 cold damage and are restrained by the rapid-freezing liquid. Creatures within the splash zone must make a Reflex save to take half damage and avoid being restrained. A 20ft radius Fog Cloud heavily obscures the impact zone for 1 round thereafter.

As an action, restrained enemies may make a Strength(Athletics) check to break free of the ice.

If the attack misses, roll 1d8 to determine which space beside the target the projectile lands.
For each level above 5th this spell is cast at, deal 1d6 extra cold damage.

I'm in a contemplative mood, so here's me taking a whack at the rest of the subclass.

Level 1 - Winter's Blood: Icy terrains have no effect on you. In addition, extreme cold environs have no effect on you.

Level 1 - Gnawing Chill: Whenever you deal cold damage, affected creatures must make a Con save versus your spellpower or have their speed reduced by 10ft until the end of your next turn.

Level 2 - Channel Divinity: Heat Void: As an action you begin to draw in heat from creatures and objects around you for 1 minute. You have resistance to fire damage, and any non-magical fires that come within 10 feet of you are extinguished. Creatures that start their turns within 10 feet of you or move into the area for the first time on a turn take cold damage equal to (Your Wisdom bonus) + (Your proficiency bonus). You gain half the damage dealt in this way as temporary hp.

Level 6 - Icy Numb: Whenever you deal cold damage to an enemy, you may use a bonus action to impose disadvantage on Dexterity saves and checks for 1 minute. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your Wisdom Bonus (Min 1) per long rest.

Level 8 - Cryogenic Brand: Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 cold damage to the target. At 14th level, this becomes 1d10 damage, and if you use Icy Numb, the affected creature is also grappled as your weapon freezes to the creature. Use your Wisdom bonus instead of your Strength bonus for purposes of maintaining the grapple.

Level 17 - Absolute Zero: You are immune to cold damage, and any creature that fails the save against your Gnawing Chill is instead grappled as if affected by Cryogenic Brand.

Thoughts?

Damon_Tor
2019-12-13, 11:38 AM
The explicit ability to use the Shape Water cantrip to make weapons for yourself would be neat. "You can use the Shape Water cantrip to make more complex shapes than normal, which can be frozen to create melee weapons, shields, or tools of ice." Just a bit of utility and flavor.