Nature's Warden Class (shape shifting melee class)

[nickl_2000]

My first attempt at homebrewed a full class. Still a first draft, but I would love thoughts on balance

My intent is to get the feel of a Moon Druid, but make it completely Melee based with no actual spells.

http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/SkZcdWQi0G


EDIT: Made some changes based on first comments and changed the link to Homebrewery


Thank you everyone!

[JNAProductions]

Gets two strong saves. Why?

Shapeshifting has a typo-should be Strength and Dexterity, not Strength and Wisdom.

Also,it's OP as hell. CR 1 Brown Bear has a multiattack routine of bite-claw-claw, for an average of 30.5 damage (if all attacks hit) at a +5 bonus. Compare that to a VHuman Fighter with GWM, who gets only one attack base at +5 for 11.33 average, or +0 for 21.33 average. It would take a GWM Fighter making TWO ATTACKS with -5/+10 toggled on to outpace the brown bear.

Why does it get a bonus ASI at 10?

Nature's Skills just... Don't seem to fit. Why Expertise?

Urban Travel is too good. Advantage on stealth checks is a much higher level Thief ability, and requires you to move half speed.

City Crowds references an ability that doesn't exist.

Mountainous Traveler is a copy-paste of Urban Travel.

Animal Senses should specify when you gain Expertise.

Draconic Shaping is almost certainly OP. Shapeshift into a Dragon, use Frightful Presence to start an encounter. Afterwards, shapeshift back to humanoid, and then back to dragon-you've got a new Frightful Presence ready to go.

Natural Armor should be 10+Dex+Con or Wis. (Pick one-and that's directed at you, nickl, NOT a player who picks this boon.) Not 10+Con+Wis.

[nickl_2000]

Gets two strong saves. Why?

Because I thought it would make sense, but I can adjust it to Wisdom and something else. I wanted the class to be somewhat wisdom based.

Also,it's OP as hell. CR 1 Brown Bear has a multiattack routine of bite-claw-claw, for an average of 30.5 damage (if all attacks hit) at a +5 bonus. Compare that to a VHuman Fighter with GWM, who gets only one attack base at +5 for 11.33 average, or +0 for 21.33 average. It would take a GWM Fighter making TWO ATTACKS with -5/+10 toggled on to outpace the brown bear.

It does do damage, but level 1 that is to much. For some reason I was thinking Moon Druids got CR 2 at level 2, not CR 1. I will adjust the CR levels accordingly. That being said, they are somewhat limited by not getting temp HP like a Moon Druid and crap AC.

Why does it get a bonus ASI at 10?

Because I wanted this to be a natural based martial class that didn't have spell casting. As such I wanted to give the player more options for feats and ASIs as were fitting . However, I dropped it in favor of something else.

Nature's Skills just... Don't seem to fit. Why Expertise?

Urban Travel is too good. Advantage on stealth checks is a much higher level Thief ability, and requires you to move half speed.

Fair enough. I've dropped the travel abilities in lieu of a channel divinity type ability at level 2 and at level 10 two uses and a boost to power.

City Crowds references an ability that doesn't exist.

I thought that was standard that you could more through enemies spaces by making an acrobatics check. Is that a houserule? What is the standard rule here, that you can't move through their space?

Mountainous Traveler is a copy-paste of Urban Travel.

Bugger

Draconic Shaping is almost certainly OP. Shapeshift into a Dragon, use Frightful Presence to start an encounter. Afterwards, shapeshift back to humanoid, and then back to dragon-you've got a new Frightful Presence ready to go.

What if I limited this to using it once per long rest? Would that solved the problem?

Natural Armor should be 10+Dex+Con or Wis. (Pick one-and that's directed at you, nickl, NOT a player who picks this boon.) Not 10+Con+Wis.

I can change it to be 10+Wis+Con, but why not? What is the problem with 10+Con+Wis for this class.

[JNAProductions]

Basically, it makes it too SAD and powerful. Right now, it can already dump Dex since its score is replaced while Shifted. By making it Wis+Con, you can either use the animal's AC OR 10+Wis+Con, meaning you can nab AC 20 in every single form, which we can agree is far too much. (22, with your capstone.)

[nickl_2000]

Basically, it makes it too SAD and powerful. Right now, it can already dump Dex since its score is replaced while Shifted. By making it Wis+Con, you can either use the animal's AC OR 10+Wis+Con, meaning you can nab AC 20 in every single form, which we can agree is far too much. (22, with your capstone.)

I adjusted it to 10+Wis+Dex, although that does get funky when adjusting Dex for shapes. The player will have to just handle that in deciding on forms.

I adjusted the Dragonic Forms to 2 times per long rest to avoid spamming of the breath weapon, but Frightful Presence isn't an issue since that isn't a Draconic ability for CR7 and less dragon forms. I also adjusted the level down to 9 since you have to have a significant investment in Nature Boon's to get a 2 times a day ability.

[Blackbando]

JNA has really gone over most of what I'd like to say, but there is one thing I believe is an issue.

The empowered strikes features at 18th.

They're not overpowered or anything, no, no. They're actually quite horrible, in most cases. These would be fine at like, 3rd-ish level, but for an 18th level feature, they're extremely weak. The only time you're not gimping yourself by using them is if you're facing a demilich, a barbarian, or some homebrew monster resisting magical weapons (which, to be fair, could easily be possible).

Not only are they very weak, but they're also kind of... boring? They don't do anything interesting, and, while that's not necessarily an issue, I think it'd be a good idea to try something more creative. Maybe a paladin-esque 1 minute hero mode based on the subclass, of sorts?

[nickl_2000]

JNA has really gone over most of what I'd like to say, but there is one thing I believe is an issue.

The empowered strikes features at 18th.

They're not overpowered or anything, no, no. They're actually quite horrible, in most cases. These would be fine at like, 3rd-ish level, but for an 18th level feature, they're extremely weak. The only time you're not gimping yourself by using them is if you're facing a demilich, a barbarian, or some homebrew monster resisting magical weapons (which, to be fair, could easily be possible).

Not only are they very weak, but they're also kind of... boring? They don't do anything interesting, and, while that's not necessarily an issue, I think it'd be a good idea to try something more creative. Maybe a paladin-esque 1 minute hero mode based on the subclass, of sorts?

Thanks for the comments. I'll be honest, I really kind of suck at epic level stuff so it's a struggle. I will see what I can come up with as a better capstone for the subclasses

[nickl_2000]

Updated the level 18 abilities to the ones below. Does that seem better? It certainly sucks less, my only concern here is actually the Cities Guardian. I feel like it may lag behind the other two some.


Urban Protector - Cities Guardian
At 18th level you can summon the primeval forces of the vermin in the city. For one minute, your skin exudes poison. Any creature that hits you or is hit by you must make a Con save (DC 8+Prof+Wis Mod) or be poisoned for one minute.
Additionally, as a bonus action, you may summon a giant cloud of gnats in a 50x50 foot area, the gnats cause blindness for all creatures, other than you, inside it. This cloud lasts 1 minute and dissipates instantly if you summon another.
You may use this ability once per long rest.


Mountain’s Protector - Mountain's Guardian
At 18th level you can summon the primeval forces of the Mountains. For one minute, your limbs frost over with ice and your body grows. You become a size larger, increasing the damage of all your attacks by 1 die (2d6 damage becomes 3d6, 4d8 becomes 5d8) and causing a burst of cold whenever you hit. Once a turn, when you hit with an attack, all creatures within 5 feet of you must make a Con saving throw (DC 8+Prof+Wis) or take 4d8 cold damage (half on success).
You may use this ability once per long rest.


Forest’s Protector - Forest's Guardian
At 18th level you can summon the primevel forces of the Forest into your body. For one minute, roots become living moving objects around you and vines sprout from your limbs. All terrain within 15 feet of you becomes difficult terrain and anyone attacking you. As a reaction to someone attempting to attack you, you may cause the roots to attempt to trip your opponent. They must make a Dex save (8+Prof+Wis Mod) or be knocked prone and suffer disadvantage on that attack.

As a bonus action, during your turn, you may use the vines growing from your limbs to make a ranged melee attack against your opponent. On a successful hit, your opponent is restrained. They can be freed by using an action make a DC 12 strength or dex chek on their turn, or an ally making a DC 12 str check.

You may use this ability once per long rest.

[nickl_2000]

City Crowds references an ability that doesn't exist.

Updated City Crowds

City Crowds
At level 14 you have become accustomed to travelling through large crowds of people and squeezing through them. As such, you gain advantage when trying to escape a grapple. Travelling through another creature's space is not difficult terrain, and you can travel through a hostile creatures space. Additional you do not suffer disadvantage on attack rolls and Dex saving throws when squeezing into a smaller space.

There we go, these are all definitely RAW rules that I'm working against