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SpawnOfMorbo
2019-12-20, 12:20 PM
I want to work out 4 ribbon-ish abilities that give features and advantage to skills that help in non-combat situations.

These are meant to make non-combat engaging. The Warlock now has a feature that puts their fluff to use in a social setting other than "BURN THE WITCH" scenarios. Warlock is now a lawyer.

But then I got to thinking, these ribbon-ish abilities can be interchangeable that way if you want a Warlock to have channel divinity (can call it channel patron), then they don't have to be a lawyer. Specific fluff, that is still flexible if you want it to be. A Cleric with Streetwise would be hilarious.

These will focus on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma ability checks but also on general purpose checks that don't fall under a specific ability score.

I've taken from thaumaturgy, theives cant, natural explorer, and some other ideas.

I've trimmed down some things and added more to others... Nowhere near done though, more of a spitball currently.

With a setting that I'm running a campaign in, my group has decided that the 4 main classes should be Cleric, Ranger, Rogue, and Warlock... So I'm dealing with these first and not sure if I'll get around to more ribbons. Cleric is a bit different from the others, but I really like the idea that a cleric can

I dropped a few things from Natural Explorer and added some stuff from Favored Enemy. Some of the things from natural explorer can fall under ability checks.




Thaumaturgy

As a bonus action you may channel a fraction of your deity's power and will. You may keep this effect active for one minute per cleric level you have obtained (concentration).

While this is active you may cause one or more of the following effects to happen.

Your voice booms up to three times as loud as normal.

Divine energy surrounds you, you shine bright light out to 10' of a color that represents your deity.

You can cause flames to flicker, brighten, dim, or change color within 30'.

You cause harmless tremors in in the ground out to 100'.

While producing the effects of Channel Divinity, you gain advantage on wisdom (insight), charisma (intimidation), and charisma (persuasion) checks.






Nothing yet






Explorer

You are particularly familiar with exploring natural environments and are adept at traveling and surviving in such regions.

While in natural terrain, you gain the following benefits:

Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.

While tracking creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.

You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) and Intelligence (Nature) checks. Additionally you have advantage on Intelligence checks regarding information on beasts, fey, giants, humanoids, and plants.






Streetwise

Over the course of your upbringing you have learned how to own a city. You can pick up on secret mix of dialects, jargon, and code that allows people to hide messages in seemingly normal conversation. It takes double the amount of time to convey such a message than it does to speak the same idea plainly when both are trained in streetwise. To convey this message to someone that isn't trained, it takes 4 times as long to get your subtle hints across.

In addition, you understand a set of secret signs and symbols used to convey short, simple messages, such as whether an area is dangerous or the territory of a thieves’ guild, whether loot is nearby, or whether the people in an area are easy marks or will provide a safe house for thieves on the run.

You have advantage whenever you track a creature, try to find an item or try to find information while in a city or settlement.






You have learned the fine art of writing a contract.

Anytime a deal is made, you have advantage in spotting when you're about to get screwed or any subtle issues that most would miss.

Additionally, you have advantage at hiding small details in contracts that can screw over others or give you a leg up. These little details are typically changing a price to be paid, number of days something needs to be done in, one or two words, or what item is to be exchanged.






As a witch, you obtain magic abilities from powerful creatures that are in oposition to the gods. However, unlike Warlocks, your patrons come from the material plane. Depending on your patron, some witches take up the mantle of druid, especially if they are near a big city and want to keep a low profile.

As with any arcane caster, witches are feared by the general public and seen as taboo. Witches have advantage on Charisma checks to pass as not a witch and on Charisma (deception) checks.

As a bonus action you channel a fraction of your patron's power to perform one or more of the following effects.

You can manipulate a creature or object's shadow to act as you please. The shadow must stay connected to the source.

You can snuff out any tiny natural fires that are within 30'. Fire that are in an oven, fireplace, camp fire, candle, or similar can be targeted. Additionally, any such place you can snuff out a fire, you may use an action to start a fire there.

You can make sounds of loud wind and thunder be heard up to 60' away, and soft wind and thunder for another 30' past that point, for up to 1 minute (concentration).

Cyclops08
2019-12-20, 05:56 PM
Thaumaturgy for Warlocks
1) you can create a few notes of ominous music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cphNpqKpKc4
2) you can manipulate a person's shadow to act as you please
3) you can start a campfire but it crackles with green or blue flames
4) You can make thunder

SpawnOfMorbo
2019-12-20, 06:51 PM
Thaumaturgy for Warlocks
1) you can create a few notes of ominous music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cphNpqKpKc4
2) you can manipulate a person's shadow to act as you please
3) you can start a campfire but it crackles with green or blue flames
4) You can make thunder

I like it!