D&D 5e Subclass Contest Chat Thread

[Icecaster]

Continued reviews:

Spoiler: College of the Fist

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Fluff is nice. It's compelling, and paints a picture for how this specific subclass of bard fits in with other subclasses of bard in both similarity and difference. Unarmored defense is understandable given the apparent power-from-the-body theme, and the idea of a bard unlocking that secret and shedding his weak leather armor to become a real brawler at level 3 sounds pretty cool. As for Force of Personality, I'm confused by the progression of the unarmed strikes and where these levels came from. To me, it seems like it would be easier to bump the damage to a d6 at 6th and a d8 at 14th to keep with the subclass features, and the progression would still stay behind monk. I'm just not sure what those specific levels mean, and it would give the player something to keep track of in their subclass at levels they're not supposed to be getting things from their subclass. The bardic inspiration psychic damage is interesting, and really adds to the semi-mysticism of using your personality and body together in synergy. Extra attack is appropriate, and Inspired Blow is a nice capstone that allows for some serious multitasking in being a bard and laying the smackdown. All in all, the subclass is simple, yet effective. The mechanics seem reasonably balanced, and my only complaint (which is obviously pretty minor) is about the progression of unarmed strikes, which I could be persuaded to accept with a little reasoning.

Spoiler: Pilferer

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Frisk is interesting. I suppose much of the usefulness of the feature is determined by the DM, but since it's obviously a fairly fluff-based feature - besides the disadvantage on Perception - that's alright. It does set up the subclass nicely for thievery, though, which is good. There's a huge bonus to Sleight of Hand at 3rd level, but since there's not a lot of combat focus, that seems fine to me. It gives the mechanics for a rogue that would rather steal than fight. I can't remember the specific rules on disarming somebody, but it seems fine given that you have to forgo holding anything else useful. "Borrow" Weapon is cool. I'm hesitant with all of this weapon-taking, and I would imagine an unprepared/inexperienced DM could get frustrated quickly, although it doesn't seem inherently overpowered. Hijack Attunement is very flavorful and not too much, characteristic of a 13th level rogue feature. Steal Life is even more flavorful, and I really like it, but it seems a little much to have at will. Since the large majority of damage rogues are dealing at this level comes from sneak attack, having to use an unarmed strike isn’t a huge handicap on it, giving the rogue a massive amount of survivability, especially since the feature doesn’t require hitting a humanoid (allowing for punching something like a rabbit and gaining back a large chunk of hp) or even an animate being (allowing for, in the loosest possible interpretation, punching something like a tree to gain a large chunk of hp). I might reduce its usage to once or twice if kept as is., and possibly restrict the amount of hit points you can gain from a target, such as a maximum amount equal to the maximum hit points of the target, where it retains its usefulness in combat but can’t be outright abused.

Spoiler: Master Hand Patron

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Haha, I always love a good breaking of the fourth wall. Expanding the mind into a limb seems vague and conceptual in the fluff, but it becomes pretty clear once you start reading the features. I like the general theme of summoning and moving things in the spells, and I think it sets up the rest of the subclass nicely. Spectral hand sounds like fun and allows for some antics without being gamebreaking in any big way. As for flying fist, boy does this create a cool image. In my mind I’m imagining a spectral, almost cartoonish hand walking on its middle and index fingers like a person and then flicking people, and I’m also seeing the thumb people from spy kids. I don’t have mage hand’s limitations on me at the moment, but I would be wary of people attempting to fly by having their spectral hand carry them, which would obviously be potent for a cantrip. Bigby’s hand is appropriate, I can see where you get the other 10th level stuff from. For 14th level, things look fine, but does the three-quarters cover from Interposing Hand last for the duration of the casting of mage hand? The first and third bullets have a time on them, but that one does not. Overall, I think the idea is intriguing while still being open to interpretation, and the mechanics are well-balanced. The theme feels a tad loose in areas, but this could probably be fixed with even a few extra sentences of fluff to tie it all together in a nice bow.

I hope my reviews have been helpful, every single subclass was a pleasure to read and think about, and I look forward to seeing the future submissions. Now, shortly, I’ll be posting my first version of the Gauntleteer. It is, of course, open to any and all feedback and criticism; I don’t do wizards very often. My main concern is that it may deal too much damage. I wanted an upgrade over fire bolt, but I don't want it to be too good or lead to a worse problem than eldritch blast poses.