5e Sorcerous Origin: Medusa's Blood, Pls PEACH

[BerzerkerUnit]

Medusa Blood Sorcerer
Your line traces back to one cursed by the gods. Alternatively this may be a blessing from the dark deities of the Yuan-Ti.

Bonus Spells
You gain a number of bonus spells as seen below.
1. Thornwhip, Detect Magic, Charm Person
2. See Invisible, Hold Person
3. Waterbreathing, Fear
4. Charm Monster, Stone Shape
5. Dominate Person
6. Flesh to Stone

Wreathed in Serpents
Beginning at 1st level your face becomes framed in a writing mass of serpentine bodies. These may be spectral entities or your hair may literally transform into the creatures which are rooted in your scalp. You gain advantage on intimidation and insight checks. Your serpents serve a special purpose for the Bonus spells granted by this origin, functioning as a spell focus and able to perform the somatic components for these spells.
Additionally, when you are attacked by a creature within 5 feet you can use your reaction to expend a spell slot and retaliate with the snakes. The attacker suffers 1d8 Poison damage + an additional 1d8 Poison for each level of the spell slot expended.

Shed Skin
By 6th level the meddling of the gods has forged within you a highly resilient spirit that rages against restraint. When you would be grappled, restrained, paralyzed, or petrified, you can spend a sorcery point to become immune to these conditions until the end of your next turn.

Petrifying Gaze
At 14th level the power of your Petrifying Gaze manifests more fully. When you cast Flesh to Stone, the cost of any Metamagic you apply to its casting is reduced by ½ to a minimum of 1 sorcery point.

Soulstone Terror
At 17th level the reality of your accursed nature reaches its apex, stirring the souls of the creatures you’ve petrified to compel their stone forms to do your bidding. As an action you can cast Animate Objects on any single creature you have currently turned to stone. Statues animated in this way function as dictated by the spell’s description. You can animate one additional statue for each Sorcery point you spend.

[Loek]

Bonus Spells
You gain a number of bonus spells as seen below. Each time you gain a level you can trade one of these spells for an Enchantment spell from any list.
1. Thornwhip, Detect Magic, Charm Person
2. See Invisible, Hold Person
3. Waterbreathing, Fear
4. Charm Monster, Stone Shape
5. Dominate Person
6. Flesh to Stone

Normally, I'd disagree with the 6th level spell, but it's extremely on theme for this one, so understandable. I do have 2 suggestions about the rest of the feature though:
Suggestion 1: Look at either of the Tasha's sorcerous origins and use their wording/styling. (Each time you gain a level, becomes: Whenever you gain a sorcerer level - 2nd level spells, becomes: at level 3 - etc)
Suggestion 2: Basically related to the first suggestion, but on top of that also some balancing. The replacement spells should be of the same level... and giving "any list" is always risky due to half casting classes and how their spells tend to be more powerful for their level. While having only a single spell school to pick from nerfs this slightly... I don't think it does so enough.



Wreathed in Serpents
Beginning at 1st level your face becomes framed in a writing mass of serpentine bodies. These may be spectral entities or your hair may literally transform into the creatures which are rooted in your scalp. You gain advantage on intimidation and insight checks. Your serpents serve a special purpose for the Bonus spells granted by this origin, functioning as a spell focus and able to perform the somatic components for these spells.
Additionally, when you are attacked by a creature within 5 feet you can use your reaction to expend a spell slot and retaliate with the snakes. The attacker suffers 1d8 Poison damage + an additional 1d8 Poison for each level of the spell slot expended.

Again, very on theme. (I'm assuming that the insight checks are boosted due to more eyes/minds look at things?) The 3 in 1 kind of feels like a bit much... but all 3 aren't overpowered, so it's probably fine.
I think I'd take the "looks like a snake monster" bit and stretch it some downsides as well (disadvantage on certain checks, I'm thinking things related to hiding/disguising/appearing less intimidating. Or maybe even some mental static for focusing on a specific mental thing?) to balance it out.


Gods Touched
By 6th level the meddling of the gods has forged within you a highly resilient spirit. You can add your Constitution modifier and Proficiency bonus to death saves. Additionally, when you would be reduced to 0 hit points or less you can choose to instead fall to 1 hit point. You can use this aspect of the feature once and must complete a long rest before doing so again.

This one on the other hand doesn't really fit the theme for me (sure the idea that a god wants you to live (either for you to do their bidding or for you to suffer more) works, but it feels rather weak both thematically and pure gameplay wise (in fact, it mostly feels like a "I don't wanna roll a new character again" trait)


Petrifying Gaze
At 14th level the power of your Petrifying Gaze manifests more fully. When you cast Flesh to Stone, the cost of any Metamagic you apply to its casting is reduced by ½ to a minimum of 1 sorcery point.

I'm not fully versed in the balance of metamagic, so I dunno. I'd add something about rounding up though.


Soulstone Terror
At 17th level the reality of your accursed nature reaches its apex, stirring the souls of the creatures you’ve petrified to compel their stone forms to do your bidding. As an action you can cast Animate Objects on any creature you have currently turned to stone. Statues animated in this way function as dictated by the spell’s description. You can animate one additional statue for each Sorcery point you spend.

Oh, I like this one. Though the "Any" in this feature might do some heavy lifting (can you animate people you petrified weeks ago in that city on a different plane? Can you animate something larger than huge? etc)


Overal, a fun idea, that needs some tightening on the wording used. And maybe a small boost/changed idea around level 6.

[Old Harry MTX]

As Loek said, I'm not totally convinced about the 6th level feature.
What about giving resistance to poison damage AND/OR advantage on saving throws against the paralized and petrified conditions AND/OR the ability to use your reaction a bunch of time per day to force a creature that just hit you with a melee attack to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it takes a number of d4 equal to your PB in poison damage and is poisoned until the end of its next turn.

[BerzerkerUnit]

Normally, I'd disagree with the 6th level spell, but it's extremely on theme for this one, so understandable. I do have 2 suggestions about the rest of the feature though:
Suggestion 1: Look at either of the Tasha's sorcerous origins and use their wording/styling. (Each time you gain a level, becomes: Whenever you gain a sorcerer level - 2nd level spells, becomes: at level 3 - etc)
Suggestion 2: Basically related to the first suggestion, but on top of that also some balancing. The replacement spells should be of the same level... and giving "any list" is always risky due to half casting classes and how their spells tend to be more powerful for their level. While having only a single spell school to pick from nerfs this slightly... I don't think it does so enough.




Again, very on theme. (I'm assuming that the insight checks are boosted due to more eyes/minds look at things?) The 3 in 1 kind of feels like a bit much... but all 3 aren't overpowered, so it's probably fine.
I think I'd take the "looks like a snake monster" bit and stretch it some downsides as well (disadvantage on certain checks, I'm thinking things related to hiding/disguising/appearing less intimidating. Or maybe even some mental static for focusing on a specific mental thing?) to balance it out.



This one on the other hand doesn't really fit the theme for me (sure the idea that a god wants you to live (either for you to do their bidding or for you to suffer more) works, but it feels rather weak both thematically and pure gameplay wise (in fact, it mostly feels like a "I don't wanna roll a new character again" trait)



I'm not fully versed in the balance of metamagic, so I dunno. I'd add something about rounding up though.



Oh, I like this one. Though the "Any" in this feature might do some heavy lifting (can you animate people you petrified weeks ago in that city on a different plane? Can you animate something larger than huge? etc)


Overal, a fun idea, that needs some tightening on the wording used. And maybe a small boost/changed idea around level 6.

Thank you very much for your feedback! I’ll consider poison resistance and immunity to petrifaction. Notably, the level 1 feature’s active/reactive component requires you to be in melee so I thought a level 6 feature that kept you alive was warranted.

[BerzerkerUnit]

As Loek said, I'm not totally convinced about the 6th level feature.
What about giving resistance to poison damage AND/OR advantage on saving throws against the paralized and petrified conditions AND/OR the ability to use your reaction a bunch of time per day to force a creature that just hit you with a melee attack to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it takes a number of d4 equal to your PB in poison damage and is poisoned until the end of its next turn.

Thank you for your feedback as well! As mentioned above I’ll consider the resistance/immunities, but the reaction feature mention seems like a watered down version of the 1st level feature’s reaction.

[JNAProductions]

It'll help keep you alive against Power Word Kill, Disintegrate, or big powerful attacks.
It'd do basically nothing against a small flurry of weak attacks.

It also doesn't have the clause that it only works if you wouldn't be outright dead-is that intentional?

[BerzerkerUnit]

I altered the 6th level feature.

I’m also going to remove the feature that allows trading enchantment spells.