BerzerkerUnit
2020-08-06, 09:52 PM
Way of the Dragon Spear
If you like Final Fantasy Lancers like I do, here you go. First time I've gotten a leaping mechanic I can make sense of, high risk, high reward.
I approached this after watching Treantmonk's video about Monks and using the WotC method of trying to correct with subclass design. If the Monk is mechanically weak (and it is, most of the time) then here's the oomph.
Lances as Monk Weapon. terrible until you can reliably fight mounted, so not a big deal.
Pike as Monk Weapon. Finally, a monk that can get in on GWM. If you aren't going full monk you don't have the Ki for Flurry of Blows to break this and you never want to GWM on a Lancer Leap.
Dragon's Tail is most of Polearm Master. yes, but it trades out the reaction attack in favor of bonus AC (something Monks are weak on) and really you're playing this for the Lancer Leap which is eating your Reaction.
Lancer Leap. Reworded specifically so you replace your Martial Arts or Flurry attacks.
Storming Dragon Steed. "Guys that do Kung Fu don't ride horses!" Yeah they did, everyone that had horses rode horses and this makes mounts hilariously awesome.
Evasive Leap. Helps the mount, helps bring you back up to par with a Fighter that got their 3rd attack.
Falling Star Maneuver. Only casters getting nukes is a sacred cow we need to slay.
Thank you for listening to my rants
Dragon Spear Proficiency
At 3rd level after selecting this archetype you master the use of Tridents, Pikes, and Lances. These are considered Monk Weapons for you.
Lashing Dragon’s Tail Technique
After choosing this archetype at 3rd level, you gain a +1 to your Armor class while wielding a spear, trident, quarterstaff, pike, javelin or lance, and wearing no armor. When you use your Martial Arts or Flurry of Blows Feature you can perform your additional attacks with the back end of your weapon, dealing your Martial arts die + relevant ability modifier in bludgeoning damage.
Lancer Leap
Beginning at 3rd level, when you use your Step of the Wind technique while wielding a spear, trident, quarterstaff, pike, javelin or lance you may dash vertically, moving directly upward. When you do so, you may hover until the beginning of your next turn. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Any time before the beginning of your next turn you can use your reaction to fall on any creature within 15 feet of the space you left and make an attack. On a hit, the target is knocked prone and suffers your weapon damage + 1 martial arts die for every 10 feet you fell, to the limit of your movement. At 6th level you can fall on any creature within 30 feet, and at 11th level within 60 feet. On a miss you fall prone and take falling damage as normal.
Hit or miss, you end the fall in an empty space of your choosing adjacent to the target.
Storming Dragon Steed
At 6th level and beyond a creature on which you are mounted shares the benefit of your Increased Movement and Slow Fall Features, Step of the Wind and Patient Defense techniques, as well as the features granted by this subclass. Use the mount’s movement when determining the height to which you move and the maximum damage of your Lancer Leap.
Evasive Leap
At 11th level the swiftness with which you launch yourself is incomparable. When you make a dexterity saving throw you can spend 2 Ki to grant yourself advantage on the save. On a success you immediately initiate your Lancer Leap as if you’d taken the attack action.
Falling Star Maneuver
At 17th level you master the ultimate Dragonspear technique. You can spend 5 Ki points as an action once to leap so quickly and so far, you disappear from sight as you transcend the boundaries of time and space. You cannot be sensed in any way until you return from this boundary at the beginning of your next turn or as follows: at any time before the beginning of your next turn you can reappear in the space of a target you know the location of within 1 mile, having fallen an interminable distance through the multiverse. The target must succeed on a dexterity saving throw against your Ki DC or suffer 20d10 piercing damage that ignores resistances and immunities, knocks the target prone and restrains them in the rubble underneath. A successful save halves the damage and prevents the target from being prone or restrained. The target can end the restrained condition by using their action to make a Strength check against your Ki DC.
The shockwave from your fall blasts everything in a 60 foot radius around your target with 10d6 Thunder damage making the area rough terrain. Creatures in the radius that succeed on a strength saving throw against your Ki DC can reduce the damage by half and avoid being knocked prone. This area is lightly obscured by a cloud of dust and smoke for 1 minute or until a strong wind disperses the cloud.
You end your fall in an empty space adjacent to the target. You regain the use of this feature after completing a long rest.
If you like Final Fantasy Lancers like I do, here you go. First time I've gotten a leaping mechanic I can make sense of, high risk, high reward.
I approached this after watching Treantmonk's video about Monks and using the WotC method of trying to correct with subclass design. If the Monk is mechanically weak (and it is, most of the time) then here's the oomph.
Lances as Monk Weapon. terrible until you can reliably fight mounted, so not a big deal.
Pike as Monk Weapon. Finally, a monk that can get in on GWM. If you aren't going full monk you don't have the Ki for Flurry of Blows to break this and you never want to GWM on a Lancer Leap.
Dragon's Tail is most of Polearm Master. yes, but it trades out the reaction attack in favor of bonus AC (something Monks are weak on) and really you're playing this for the Lancer Leap which is eating your Reaction.
Lancer Leap. Reworded specifically so you replace your Martial Arts or Flurry attacks.
Storming Dragon Steed. "Guys that do Kung Fu don't ride horses!" Yeah they did, everyone that had horses rode horses and this makes mounts hilariously awesome.
Evasive Leap. Helps the mount, helps bring you back up to par with a Fighter that got their 3rd attack.
Falling Star Maneuver. Only casters getting nukes is a sacred cow we need to slay.
Thank you for listening to my rants
Dragon Spear Proficiency
At 3rd level after selecting this archetype you master the use of Tridents, Pikes, and Lances. These are considered Monk Weapons for you.
Lashing Dragon’s Tail Technique
After choosing this archetype at 3rd level, you gain a +1 to your Armor class while wielding a spear, trident, quarterstaff, pike, javelin or lance, and wearing no armor. When you use your Martial Arts or Flurry of Blows Feature you can perform your additional attacks with the back end of your weapon, dealing your Martial arts die + relevant ability modifier in bludgeoning damage.
Lancer Leap
Beginning at 3rd level, when you use your Step of the Wind technique while wielding a spear, trident, quarterstaff, pike, javelin or lance you may dash vertically, moving directly upward. When you do so, you may hover until the beginning of your next turn. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Any time before the beginning of your next turn you can use your reaction to fall on any creature within 15 feet of the space you left and make an attack. On a hit, the target is knocked prone and suffers your weapon damage + 1 martial arts die for every 10 feet you fell, to the limit of your movement. At 6th level you can fall on any creature within 30 feet, and at 11th level within 60 feet. On a miss you fall prone and take falling damage as normal.
Hit or miss, you end the fall in an empty space of your choosing adjacent to the target.
Storming Dragon Steed
At 6th level and beyond a creature on which you are mounted shares the benefit of your Increased Movement and Slow Fall Features, Step of the Wind and Patient Defense techniques, as well as the features granted by this subclass. Use the mount’s movement when determining the height to which you move and the maximum damage of your Lancer Leap.
Evasive Leap
At 11th level the swiftness with which you launch yourself is incomparable. When you make a dexterity saving throw you can spend 2 Ki to grant yourself advantage on the save. On a success you immediately initiate your Lancer Leap as if you’d taken the attack action.
Falling Star Maneuver
At 17th level you master the ultimate Dragonspear technique. You can spend 5 Ki points as an action once to leap so quickly and so far, you disappear from sight as you transcend the boundaries of time and space. You cannot be sensed in any way until you return from this boundary at the beginning of your next turn or as follows: at any time before the beginning of your next turn you can reappear in the space of a target you know the location of within 1 mile, having fallen an interminable distance through the multiverse. The target must succeed on a dexterity saving throw against your Ki DC or suffer 20d10 piercing damage that ignores resistances and immunities, knocks the target prone and restrains them in the rubble underneath. A successful save halves the damage and prevents the target from being prone or restrained. The target can end the restrained condition by using their action to make a Strength check against your Ki DC.
The shockwave from your fall blasts everything in a 60 foot radius around your target with 10d6 Thunder damage making the area rough terrain. Creatures in the radius that succeed on a strength saving throw against your Ki DC can reduce the damage by half and avoid being knocked prone. This area is lightly obscured by a cloud of dust and smoke for 1 minute or until a strong wind disperses the cloud.
You end your fall in an empty space adjacent to the target. You regain the use of this feature after completing a long rest.