Argis13
2021-09-25, 10:29 AM
One of my players wanted to play a Wizard with a wild-magic like effect. I thought: Why Not?
This is my first attempt to make a subclass, so let's see how it goes.
Here's the child of the Divination Wizard and the Wild Magic Sorcerer: The School of Fate.
The Fate Wizard is has a few superficial similarities to the Divination Wizard, however, they are very different to each other in philosophy. The Divination Wizard attempts to change the future, to anticipate it so that the right choice can be made. The Fate Wizard is the servant of Destiny, letting things fall as they may, and attempting to bring the futures that they foresee about, but truly accepting that, in the final account, they do not know what will happen. Ever.
But, even though the events in the universe may be all a result of random events, and may not be predetermined, that is no reason to believe in free will. It is simply a brute fact that certain events will happen, and certain events will not, no choice is made in the process. Does a fairly-rolled die decide what face it lands? None tell it which face to land on. None predict what number it will show. Does that mean it has “free will?”
-Note: Please don't let the thread get derailed with an argument about free will. It's just a different theme for a Wizard subclass.
2nd Level Class Feature: Pawn of Time
Magic is always affected by luck and circumstance, yours in particular. At 3rd Level, whenever you roll a 1 on a spell attack roll or a check to maintain concentration, your magic is counterspelled, you are damaged by a spell of 4th level or higher, roll on the Unknown Fate table.
You may choose to not roll on the Unknown Fate table by, if you have one, sacrificing a spell slot. You become blinded for 1 minute, you may attempt a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of your turns to end the blinded condition.
Once per short rest as an action, you may regain an expended spell slot of 5th Level or lower by rolling on the Unknown Fate table a number of times equal to the slot level you are attempting to regain.
d20
Unknown Fate
1
If you are casting a spell, it fails. If you are concentrating, you lose concentration. Roll on the Wild Magic Surge Table (PHB 104). Ignore any effect on sorcery points unless you have them as a feature already.
2
Roll on Critical Negatives Table.
3
You disgorge the last meal you ate, gain the poisoned condition for 1 minute.
4
You call magic “magick” no matter how silly it seems for 1 day.
5
You feel a sense of real urgency in your bladder.
6
All dogs within 1 mile change into cats under the full moon for the next 3 months.
7
All humanoids within 100 yards alter self to appear as you.
8
You shrink 8 inches in height. You gradually return to your original height over the course of 1 day.
9
You fear a conspiracy is after your precious bodily fluids, and they are a real and present danger at this very moment. Lasts 10 minutes.
10
You teleport up to 100 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.
11
You are attended by 1d4 skeletons with no combat ability, but immense ability to boogie. (+3d10 on Charisma (Preform) checks to dance). They are friendly to you and your allies.
12
Bizarre, illusory images from your past pour out of you in every direction, especially images where you felt strong emotions.
13
For next 1d10 rounds frogs & toads hop into area & then fly into the sky, never to be seen again.
14
The next time a creature’s attack would hit you, the attacker must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or fail to attack and drop their weapon.
15
You become striped like a zebra until next long rest.
16
A small red gem worth 50gp appears in your hand. If and you throw up to 40ft it as an action on your next turn, a fireball spell will be cast at the point it lands or when it gets more than 40ft away from you, whichever happens first. If you do so, the gem is utterly obliterated.
17
The Target* of the spell and their allies within 60ft. all randomly exchange places by teleportation.
18
You cast darkness on your current location.
19
You are affected by mirror image.
20
Roll on Critical Positives Table.
d6
Critical Negatives Table
1
Make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. If you fail, gain a random short-term madness. (DMG 259)
2
Make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. If you fail, you are transformed into a giant spider for 1 minute, as if by the polymorph spell. You and all creatures within 30 feet of you gain vulnerability to fire damage for 1 minute.
3
You are stunned for 1d4 rounds each time you cast a spell for 1 minute.
4
You are affected as by a Philtre of Love. (DMG 184)
5
All spells 1st level or higher you cast within the next minute automatically fail.
6
You disgorge 1d1000 counterfeit gold coins, take 4d6 bludgeoning damage.
d6
Critical Positives Table
1
You immediately gain 20 temporary hit points. You may immediately take 1 additional action.
2
The target* and their allies within 60ft. of them are Turned (As if undead, by the cleric class ability turn undead) for d6 rounds each
3
Your intelligence score increases by 2 for 1 hour.
4
You may immediately cast one prepared spell of 2nd Level or lower at no cost.
5
You have are surrounded by a spectral shield for 1 minute, giving you a +2 bonus to your AC and immunity to magic missile.
6
Up to two creatures of your choice within 30ft. become paralyzed, and you and one creature of your choice within 30ft. gain resistance to all damage for the next minute.
*If you are casting a beneficial spell, or have no target, this instead affects a creature of your choice within 30ft.
The intention for these tables is to most of the time just be a weird effect, with occasional benefits and downsides, weighted to the downsides, because you can cancel your roll, or gain spell slots by rolling on the table.
Should you be able to cancel the roll after you see the number? What are some good effects to put on the table? Any weird interactions with other classes I haven't considered?
2nd Level Class Feature: Magical Fate
At 3rd Level, you already know the shape of magic that lies in your future, you may cast identify and with no components as an action at will.
This is intended the replacement for the "you can get spells from your school for cheap" class feature. Basically a ribbon, but has some minor use.
6th Level Class Feature: Bound to Happen
At 6th Level, you gain the ability to channel your belief in destiny to strengthen your will to maintain certain spells. Once per long rest, when you cast a spell, you can declare that that spell that is fated to remain. That spell lasts for double its normal duration, is treated as an 8th level spell for the purposes of the spells counterspell and dispel magic if it is not already of equal or higher level, checks and saving throws to resist or end the effects of the spell other than those for counterspell and dispel magic are at disadvantage, and you have advantage on concentration checks for maintaining that spell, if applicable.
This is "The reason you choose this school." Not 100% on the long rest recharge, but I'm fairly confident. Perhaps have another "sacrifice a spell slot to get it back" again, or take some damage like Overchannel?
10th Level Class Feature: The Evils of Free Will
At 10th Level, if you charm a creature, you can, as an action, attempt to convince them that free will is a lie. You may make a Charisma (Persuasion) check contested by the CreatureÂ’s Wisdom (Insight) check. If you succeed, that creature is so convinced that they have no real choice, it shows in their magic: they must roll on the Unknown Fate table each time they cast a spell, unused to the idea as they are.
(If they already believe that Free Will is a lie, the DM may rule that they follow the same rules as you for triggering the Unknown Fate table, though they may never choose whether or not to roll).
After the charm wears off, so too do the effects of this feature, and the creature is immune to this ability for 24 hours.
If you fail, the creature perceives that you’re trying to gain a tactical advantage, and thus can ignore the mechanical effects of your argument, and the creature is immune to this ability for 24 hours.
You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per week. A creature must be able to understand you in order to be effected by this feature.
Flavory ability to affect other casters. I like the use for the charmed condition in combat. Only PHB way for a single-class wizard to get the proficiency in persuasion is the Guild Artisan Background or a feat, so I'm not too concerned about it going off too reliably, and charms tend to come off pretty fast in combat as well. There's probably a way to break this with multiclassing or geas, (30 day duration charm!)want to know if it's bad enough to want to prevent, and, if so, how to prevent it.
14th Level Feature: Pessimistic Incompatiblism
At 14th level, you truly and intrinsically understand the philosophy of your school. You may “choose” to override another creature’s “choice” with randomness. Twice per long rest, after a creature makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw but before the result is determined, you may expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher to reroll the dice, with the new result replacing the old one. However, when you use this ability, there is a 1 in 20 chance that it fails, you spend the slot and the use of this ability and you trigger your Pawn of Time class feature.
2/rest Lucky with a cost and a risk. Only real questions are do the cost and risk balance it out, for a 14th level ability?
This is my first attempt to make a subclass, so let's see how it goes.
Here's the child of the Divination Wizard and the Wild Magic Sorcerer: The School of Fate.
The Fate Wizard is has a few superficial similarities to the Divination Wizard, however, they are very different to each other in philosophy. The Divination Wizard attempts to change the future, to anticipate it so that the right choice can be made. The Fate Wizard is the servant of Destiny, letting things fall as they may, and attempting to bring the futures that they foresee about, but truly accepting that, in the final account, they do not know what will happen. Ever.
But, even though the events in the universe may be all a result of random events, and may not be predetermined, that is no reason to believe in free will. It is simply a brute fact that certain events will happen, and certain events will not, no choice is made in the process. Does a fairly-rolled die decide what face it lands? None tell it which face to land on. None predict what number it will show. Does that mean it has “free will?”
-Note: Please don't let the thread get derailed with an argument about free will. It's just a different theme for a Wizard subclass.
2nd Level Class Feature: Pawn of Time
Magic is always affected by luck and circumstance, yours in particular. At 3rd Level, whenever you roll a 1 on a spell attack roll or a check to maintain concentration, your magic is counterspelled, you are damaged by a spell of 4th level or higher, roll on the Unknown Fate table.
You may choose to not roll on the Unknown Fate table by, if you have one, sacrificing a spell slot. You become blinded for 1 minute, you may attempt a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of your turns to end the blinded condition.
Once per short rest as an action, you may regain an expended spell slot of 5th Level or lower by rolling on the Unknown Fate table a number of times equal to the slot level you are attempting to regain.
d20
Unknown Fate
1
If you are casting a spell, it fails. If you are concentrating, you lose concentration. Roll on the Wild Magic Surge Table (PHB 104). Ignore any effect on sorcery points unless you have them as a feature already.
2
Roll on Critical Negatives Table.
3
You disgorge the last meal you ate, gain the poisoned condition for 1 minute.
4
You call magic “magick” no matter how silly it seems for 1 day.
5
You feel a sense of real urgency in your bladder.
6
All dogs within 1 mile change into cats under the full moon for the next 3 months.
7
All humanoids within 100 yards alter self to appear as you.
8
You shrink 8 inches in height. You gradually return to your original height over the course of 1 day.
9
You fear a conspiracy is after your precious bodily fluids, and they are a real and present danger at this very moment. Lasts 10 minutes.
10
You teleport up to 100 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.
11
You are attended by 1d4 skeletons with no combat ability, but immense ability to boogie. (+3d10 on Charisma (Preform) checks to dance). They are friendly to you and your allies.
12
Bizarre, illusory images from your past pour out of you in every direction, especially images where you felt strong emotions.
13
For next 1d10 rounds frogs & toads hop into area & then fly into the sky, never to be seen again.
14
The next time a creature’s attack would hit you, the attacker must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or fail to attack and drop their weapon.
15
You become striped like a zebra until next long rest.
16
A small red gem worth 50gp appears in your hand. If and you throw up to 40ft it as an action on your next turn, a fireball spell will be cast at the point it lands or when it gets more than 40ft away from you, whichever happens first. If you do so, the gem is utterly obliterated.
17
The Target* of the spell and their allies within 60ft. all randomly exchange places by teleportation.
18
You cast darkness on your current location.
19
You are affected by mirror image.
20
Roll on Critical Positives Table.
d6
Critical Negatives Table
1
Make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. If you fail, gain a random short-term madness. (DMG 259)
2
Make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. If you fail, you are transformed into a giant spider for 1 minute, as if by the polymorph spell. You and all creatures within 30 feet of you gain vulnerability to fire damage for 1 minute.
3
You are stunned for 1d4 rounds each time you cast a spell for 1 minute.
4
You are affected as by a Philtre of Love. (DMG 184)
5
All spells 1st level or higher you cast within the next minute automatically fail.
6
You disgorge 1d1000 counterfeit gold coins, take 4d6 bludgeoning damage.
d6
Critical Positives Table
1
You immediately gain 20 temporary hit points. You may immediately take 1 additional action.
2
The target* and their allies within 60ft. of them are Turned (As if undead, by the cleric class ability turn undead) for d6 rounds each
3
Your intelligence score increases by 2 for 1 hour.
4
You may immediately cast one prepared spell of 2nd Level or lower at no cost.
5
You have are surrounded by a spectral shield for 1 minute, giving you a +2 bonus to your AC and immunity to magic missile.
6
Up to two creatures of your choice within 30ft. become paralyzed, and you and one creature of your choice within 30ft. gain resistance to all damage for the next minute.
*If you are casting a beneficial spell, or have no target, this instead affects a creature of your choice within 30ft.
The intention for these tables is to most of the time just be a weird effect, with occasional benefits and downsides, weighted to the downsides, because you can cancel your roll, or gain spell slots by rolling on the table.
Should you be able to cancel the roll after you see the number? What are some good effects to put on the table? Any weird interactions with other classes I haven't considered?
2nd Level Class Feature: Magical Fate
At 3rd Level, you already know the shape of magic that lies in your future, you may cast identify and with no components as an action at will.
This is intended the replacement for the "you can get spells from your school for cheap" class feature. Basically a ribbon, but has some minor use.
6th Level Class Feature: Bound to Happen
At 6th Level, you gain the ability to channel your belief in destiny to strengthen your will to maintain certain spells. Once per long rest, when you cast a spell, you can declare that that spell that is fated to remain. That spell lasts for double its normal duration, is treated as an 8th level spell for the purposes of the spells counterspell and dispel magic if it is not already of equal or higher level, checks and saving throws to resist or end the effects of the spell other than those for counterspell and dispel magic are at disadvantage, and you have advantage on concentration checks for maintaining that spell, if applicable.
This is "The reason you choose this school." Not 100% on the long rest recharge, but I'm fairly confident. Perhaps have another "sacrifice a spell slot to get it back" again, or take some damage like Overchannel?
10th Level Class Feature: The Evils of Free Will
At 10th Level, if you charm a creature, you can, as an action, attempt to convince them that free will is a lie. You may make a Charisma (Persuasion) check contested by the CreatureÂ’s Wisdom (Insight) check. If you succeed, that creature is so convinced that they have no real choice, it shows in their magic: they must roll on the Unknown Fate table each time they cast a spell, unused to the idea as they are.
(If they already believe that Free Will is a lie, the DM may rule that they follow the same rules as you for triggering the Unknown Fate table, though they may never choose whether or not to roll).
After the charm wears off, so too do the effects of this feature, and the creature is immune to this ability for 24 hours.
If you fail, the creature perceives that you’re trying to gain a tactical advantage, and thus can ignore the mechanical effects of your argument, and the creature is immune to this ability for 24 hours.
You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per week. A creature must be able to understand you in order to be effected by this feature.
Flavory ability to affect other casters. I like the use for the charmed condition in combat. Only PHB way for a single-class wizard to get the proficiency in persuasion is the Guild Artisan Background or a feat, so I'm not too concerned about it going off too reliably, and charms tend to come off pretty fast in combat as well. There's probably a way to break this with multiclassing or geas, (30 day duration charm!)want to know if it's bad enough to want to prevent, and, if so, how to prevent it.
14th Level Feature: Pessimistic Incompatiblism
At 14th level, you truly and intrinsically understand the philosophy of your school. You may “choose” to override another creature’s “choice” with randomness. Twice per long rest, after a creature makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw but before the result is determined, you may expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher to reroll the dice, with the new result replacing the old one. However, when you use this ability, there is a 1 in 20 chance that it fails, you spend the slot and the use of this ability and you trigger your Pawn of Time class feature.
2/rest Lucky with a cost and a risk. Only real questions are do the cost and risk balance it out, for a 14th level ability?