D&D 5e Subclass Contest Chat Thread

[CountDVB]

=) very true!
The remaining feedback!

Spoiler: School of Comprehension

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Wow! I didn't expect it to be this interesting. Instinctual Insight should probably use a reaction instead of bonus action as it will likely be done outside of your turn. It is also a bit unclear how it works with cantrips as cantrips normally are not scribed and as 0-level spell would currently not have a time or cost to scribe. Greater understanding and Arcane appreciation are both strong but probably fine. I would probably set a hard limit for arcane appreciation instead of let it increase with levels. 10 extra spells would be good enough in my mind.

Since I apparently suck at wording, I will put it in layman's terms: By Level 20, you could have a maximum of 7 non-Wizard spell list spells, any of them cantrips or up to 5th level. You can analyze one non-Wizard spell per level (so you can do one at 15 and then again at 16 and so on, getting a freebie at Level 14).

Good point on the cantrip thing though.

[CountDVB]

Okay, going for streak completion on this one. Keep your grains of salt ready.

Spoiler: Comprehension Wizard

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And from the teacher we move to the student. A fitting concept for a wizard. The extra proficiencies are nice, about time a wizard used a skill every now and then. Knack of Learning at level 12 is almost as good as the discounts for all other wizard subclasses combined. But to be fair, that was always a pretty meh feature to begin with, so I don't really mind. The size of your spellbook is still going to be largely dependent on availability. But that does mean that taken together these two make for a reasonably strong level 2 already. And then Instinctual Insight comes along and terrifies me slightly. Gone is the limitation of availability. At this point this definitely feels like one of the stronger wizard subclasses to me, or well, one of the most diverse at least. Arcane Appreciation opens things up even further at 14th level. I wouldn't have as much of a problem with that if the wizard capstone came at level 17 or so, but this feels just early enough to make the feature very powerful. Greater Understanding doesn't seem like the weakest feature ever either. Now, sure, okay, I'm not very experienced with wizards (nor with sorcerers, Frissalot would like to point out), so take this whole section with a big grain of salt. But to me it feels like it's overall a bit too strong. The dilemma is that you could fix the power of the subclass by changing the Instinctual Insight and Arcane Appreciation features used to learn all those extra spells, but those are the best features flavor wise, by a mile! So I have no idea what I'd advice you to do. On the other hand, as a counterpoint to everything before this: a wizard already has sooo many spells, does it really hurt to just give her all the spells? EDIT: Also, I missed the limit on the number of non-wizard spells. That's actually pretty reasonable.

Well, it will cost a bit to copy Wizarding spells you see and you have a limit on non-Wizard spells though I may simplify the writing or text. I might take inspiration for Magical Secrets of the Bard for inspiration on the writing here.

I will be making another edit for this soon!

[Ilerien]

Okay, going for streak completion on this one. Keep your grains of salt ready.

Spoiler: Exemplar Rogue

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It's a rogue of elegance, well spoken and ever graceful. I love the concept. I'm playing something going in that direction now, it's harder to play than it looks if you don't have an ounce of grace in your entire being. 6 Artistry Dice (okay, 8 with some short rests, but that's still within tolerances) seems about right for the feature. Lend Talent is an interesting feature. There aren't a lot of features that let you teach people. Guidance and persuasion are usually the closest things you can get. I also cannot for the life of me figure out a way to make this broken. Finding good uses for it might be challenging on the other hand, but they do exist. So I'm a great big overall fan of this feature. Persuasive Performance is strong, but does not feel too out of sync with what say an arcane trickster can do by this level. Inspire Talent is fine because it's level 17, it feels like a logical development for that feature. I'm less sure about the extra sneak attack damage at level 13. The other two functions of this feature are good and very flavorful, but does a rogue really need even more sneak attack damage? I don't know, and knowing is half the battle. Reading this bit of text back I don't get the feeling from it that I like this subclass, but I do. The one potential sort of balancing remark aside it seems like a very nice and thematic yet mechanically sound build.

My sincere gratitude for the feedback. Glad you liked it! :)
Flat damage bonus for Sneak Attack feels out of place indeed. It stems from my intention to give this subclass some nominally offensive improvement: for example, both Inquisitive and Mastermind rogues are geared mostly towards out-of-combat activity, but have some explicitly offensive features as well. I'll try to think up something more thematic here.

[CountDVB]

Behold, another update to School of Comprehension!

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Updated the pharmacist as well, given that feedback has probably mostly come to an end.

Made Chemical Defense and Coated Weapon(s) less powerful and more focused, added some clarification to Brew Concoction and Tool Proficiency, added a change of other class features (only Foe Slayer, in either vanilla or revised ranger) from Wis to Int in Revelation, since a subclass that uses two mental stats would be weirder than one that changes the stat associated with non-subclass features. I might still make some changes to the spell list or something before the end of the contest, but this feels pretty final.

[Old Harry MTX]

Updated the Sidekick, corrected some typos, smoothed some edges and added some flavor.

[Phhase]

*DEEP BREATH*Feedback!

Spoiler: ~ Game Master ~ Artificer

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First of all, very meta. I approve.

Artificial Spirit
Information is power. Not only is it flavorful, it has just the right powerset that gets me, that of analysis, knowing, and scanning. I approve.

Name of the Game
Check is ok. I like Trap card, but would it be so bad if one could choose the effect? Snake Eyes is my clear favorite. Being able to introduce determinism, no matter how little, is always powerful in a game of dice. Is there any reason to gate these abilities through the observation mechanic, though?

Duplicate Effort
How long does a copied roll last? Other than that, there's no complaining from me about a second serving of determinism. The ability to turn 1 crit (allied OR enemy) into 2? Sign me up.

Game Mastery
Checkmate's not quite clear to me. Do they fall asleep at 1 level of exhaustion, or 6 levels? It seems unlikely that a target would ever gain more than 1-3 levels before saving successfully. Deadly Trap is pretty deadly, especially considering some of the spell duration. My favorite continues to be the Dice, as Fumble is crazy. Natural-1-in-a-can. Love it.

Overall
My "Depilate the DM Build" folder continues to grow. That is, a build designed to turn a DM bald via hair-tearing. Includes such lovely things as the Lucky feat and Divination Wizard.

Spoiler: Dirty Fighter Rogue

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Needs more shenanigans before I can do a proper crit! Try things like hamstringing, poisoning weapons with dung, arterial damage, internal damage, suffocation, etc. Don't be afraid to make it permanent.

Otherwise, looks solid. I like the idea of being able to load as many shenanigans into one attack as possible to be quite appealing.

Spoiler: Luxury Domain

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I've heard this is quite good. Let's see!

Pursuer of Luxury
Interesting choice of mechanics, very nice for an RP heavy game.

Resplendence
"By the power of swag cribs, I declare thee chill af!" Nice.

Lap of Luxury
Very interesting mechanic. Does it only work for cleric spells? I can see it having all sorts of interesting applications if not. Additionally, can you only partially substitute a material component if you want to save potential/don't have quite enough? That would be an excellent QoL feature.

Potent Spellcasting
Boilerplate. Why, though? I've always wondered.

Chateau of Luxury
Very cool. Two questions: One, is momentum cancelled when entering the door, IE can you save yourself from a fall by conjuring the door? Potentially with a bunch of pillows on the other side? And two, if you have a brig of some sort in there, is there any way for a creature inside the manse to escape if you vanish the door, outside of magic? Would make a pretty great prison too then.

Overall
Very, very specific. But you know, I like that! I like things with a sharp, clear identity. Well done!

Spoiler: Perfect Sorcerer

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aka. literally Mary Sue incarnate. Let's see these shenanigans.

Perfect Embodiment
Strike a pose to cast spell, sparkling like a "vampire" all the while. The Subtle Spell mechanic seems either hilariously strong (since most if not all expensive components are consumed) or borderline pointless (2 additional sorcery points are worth more than a ball of bat guano and sulfur). Also note, you don't get sorcery points until level 2, not that it technically matters.

Captivating Allure
Seems fine. Trying not to imagine the potential RP opportunities.

Saucerer Supreme
This seems like a complicated way of saying "These metamagic options become free". But I like it, especially free Elemental spell. Scribes Wizard is some of my favorite UA almost solely because of the fact that you can change the element of a spell to whatever you want, opening up vistas of flavor opportunities.

Stunning Attraction
Hnnnnnnnnnng. It's fine. It works. Why deafened, though? If you want "Speechless" you can have them be Suffocating until the start of your next turn, which only means their breath effectively catches in their throat, preventing verbal spells and speech.

Living Exception
Do you have resistance to effects that would reduce your Charisma or age you somehow? Seems fine otherwise.

Overall
It's perfect. For a...certain definition of the word. I can't speak to the sort of player that this would attract, but mechanically it's inoffensive and logical. Were you the one that made the (I forget the name/class exactly) "Everyone-loves-me-magical-boy/girl" subclass way back (I think) last year?

Spoiler: Chef Fighter

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This potato bacon cheddar soup I made is painfully thick, it's great.

1-Star Chef
Hol on, so if you're attacking with a knife and fork, is this subclass the stealth reincarnation of the Ass-Eater class? I just remember an image of the Ass-Eater as a gremlin-looking dude with a knife and fork. Random, I know, but it's the first thing that popped into my head, sorry. Looks fine otherwise.

Meal Prep
Iiiinteresting. I'll have to make my own take someday. Do oysters make you more charismatic because shlorping them down looks impressive? I assume undercooked meat is meat to be slipped to an unsuspecting enemy, right? And the coffee, does it immunize you against gaining further exhaustion? Does accrued exhaustion return once the coffee wears off? Can the exhaustion stack beyond 6 while coffee'd? Clarify. Also, more food, and some drinks. Am hungry.

2-Star Chef
Looks fine.

3-Star Chef
How many meals can you make during a short rest?

4-Star Chef
Looks fine.

5-Star Chef
"YOU WANT MORE!?" *whack* Not something I expected, but seems fine.

Overall
More food! And drinks, too! Need some grog. Otherwise, a solid stab at the cook archetype, keep goin'.

Spoiler: Crystalline Druid

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Focus Crystal
Looks good.

Reorganizing Aura
Wow. This is some Walking Wasteland stuff. Other posters have brought up thoughts on why that's pretty crazy, but I'll just ask: imagine walking by load-bearing supports. Also, does it affect liquids? "Freezing" a path over water would be pretty cool.

Refracting Crystal
Enhanced Twinspell, once per long rest. Not bad. I think it would also be cool to be able to use the crystal as a dort of "spell mirror" or conduit in order to, say, cast around a corner.

Crystal Formed
Pretty badass! Personally, I'd prefer something other than a STR bonus to get some extra "Broken Glass" damage. Maybe extra crit range or a bleed?

Read the Crystals
Something something Mind Spike. Quite spicy indeed.

Body Reorganized
Is the Crystal prison otherwise immune to damage, other than the noted types? Is the trapped creature in stasis/can it breathe/do ongoing DoT effects continue? Stipulate. Otherwise, this is pretty sweet.

Overall
Very interesting direction to take the crystal aesthetic. I look forwared to its continued evolution.

Spoiler: Savant Sorcerer

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Arcane Prodigy
I really like the idea of hyperspecializing in one school in this way. It opens up all kinds of possibilities! Just one thing: how does this jive with the UA feature that allows sorcerers to swap out spells on a long rest?

Efficient Savant
Free upcast! Nice. Could be especially spicy for things like curses or other unique upcast features.

Callosall Spellcasting
Double concentration, nice!

Inspired Prodigy
Ooh, flexibility, my favorite. Does this ability consume a spellslot or not?

Overall
Y'know, I might just consider playing this over Wizard sometimes. It has a sort of 3.5 wizardish feel with the way the school specialization works. Perhaps go even harder and make the class better at the chosen school, but add a prohibited school? That'd be neat. Nice!

Spoiler: Unerring Ranger

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Sniping
So, Sneak Attack. Does it stack with Sneak Attack if you have Rogue levels? If the intent is no, then name it Sneak Attack, that way it doesn't stack. Also, the stipulation about critical hits. The way critical hits work is that the number of damage dice for the attack is doubled (INCLUDING things like smites and sneak attacks). So, does this stack with a normal critical? Do you roll double the dice, then double the damage?

Superior Accuracy
Gearsplitter is hilarious, I love it. Disarming shot is great. Holy shot seems a little out of place. Why do you get a free disruption attack..? I'm not certain about spellsplitter, what about instead of dispelling active magic, it prevented the target from spellcasting for x duration? The only thing that's missing here is to complete the Lucky Luke picture is the ability to shoot an enemy's ranged attack out of the air with your own ranged attack as a reaction.

Lucky Shot
Perfect for sniping.

Superior Shot
C R I T I C A L H I T S. Does this stack with the Fighter Champion feature?

Perfect Shot
Looks good.

Overall
This is the subclass I'd pick if I wanted to make Lucky Luke. It's pretty sweet. The only concern I have is that the class features make the Sharpshooter/some other feat features less optimal than they'd otherwise be. Iunno if that's intentional, just thought I'd bring it up.

Spoiler: Exemplar Rogue

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Skill Artistry
For when you REALLY want to be sure you succeed EVERY time. Seems a little overkill to enhance Expertise, but I can see it having some applications.

Lend Talent
Interesting. Why would you want to do this unless you were splitting the party, though?

Sustaining Presence
Interesting use of artistry dice. Essentially mithrandism in a bottle.

Persuasive Performance
I SMELL JUMPLOMANCY. APPROVED. If the effect is nonmagical, then is it possible to dispel the charmed effect it causes?

Intellectual Agility
Typo: Second. Quite the feature. The offensive power is an interesting choice. Do you think this feature might be a bit heavy?

Inspire Talent
Improved Lend Talent. Looks good!

Overall
This looks like a good class choice when you want your character to revolve less around class features and more around tools and skills, brewing potions and poisons, forging equipment, repairing things, making/unmaking traps, etc. I like this. Sometimes, you just need a little less stab. Also, jumplomancy.

Spoiler: Comprehension Wizard

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Extraacademian Education
Interesting idea. Could you pick the same option twice? What do you think about a Martial weapon? I like the tools idea, helps if you want to build a magecrafter.

Knack of Learning
Clever way to spin the boilerplate wizard spell-scribing feature for the subclass!

Instinctual Insight
Veeery interesting. Mind your spellslots around this guy, or he'll copy your homework! Perfect for lifting spells off of enemies. I love it.

Expedited Expertise
Ah, there we go, a martial weapon. What do you think of, potentially, medium or light armor?

Arcane Appreciation
Nice, omni-spell-copy! Love it.

Overall
This looks like the best parts of Lore Wizard and Mystic Theurge rolled into an appetizing package. I think, with some build ingenuity, it could work well, but it depends on the magic level of the setting, the DM, and potentially other class dips. Which makes me think, if you have cleric levels, for example, could you transfer one of your own cleric spells into your wizard spell list? And would there be an application...

Spoiler: Big Pharma Ranger

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Revelation/Brew Concoction
I like the idea, but could you create a concoction that contains an offensive spell, and toss it at enemies? I feel like that should be a feature as well.

Extra Attack
Exists. Works fine with future features.

Expertise
Good.

Chem Defense
OK.

Coated Weapon
If you can effectively only have one coated weapon at a time, I don't see why you couldn't let someone else use it. Otherwise, looks good.

Improved Delivery
Cool.

Overall
Seems....ok. Not as exiting as I first thought. The ranger spell list isn't that huge, though the extra spells help somewhat. I missed the appendix bit where it said that there is a clause where other creatures can use a coated weapon, make it more clear in the feature ("unless they are proficient with/have Expertise with alchemist's tools"). It needs..something, though. I think the offensive Concoction applications would go a long way. Iunno. I guess I expected something else.

Spoiler: Sidekick Ranger

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Favored Pal
Works pretty well with a rogue!

Extra Reaction
Pretty spicy in conjunction with attacks of opportunity/the tunnel fighter fighting style!

Combined Attack
Wow, that's alot of attacks, especially if you get reactive charges for every turn!

Assisted Casting
This has some real sweet potential. You can't use it to cast a spell of a higher level than the original slot, right? Additionally, the Ranger chassis doesn't really have much in the way of spell slots, I wonder how much better dipping into other spellcasting classes would make this feature?

Twin Protection
Cool.

Proficient Assistance
Help actions, now with more Help!

Complete Synergy
Get down, Mr. President!

Arcane Affinity
Considering this is the ranger here, there could be some interesting synergy. Can you cast spell from other classes using this feature?

Flanking Counterattack
Does this interact with other Sidekick features?

Overall
You have successfully fulfilled the design vision of "Help Action of Opportunity: The Class". Well done. My only other thought: What if two characters were each other's Sidekick? How powerful would that be?

*Whew* Lot of entries! Sorry it took so long, the ever-growing list was quite intimidating. Thank you for all the positive feedback on Fate's Beloved ! For once, I can't really think of any patches to make! Molemage, I assume you'll make the voting thread?

Also, Ilerien, I know it's an MtG reference, but am I the only one that reads "I am black/blue" as "I am covered in bruises?" It has a certain resonance with the description .

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Spoiler: Big Pharma Ranger

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Revelation/Brew Concoction
I like the idea, but could you create a concoction that contains an offensive spell, and toss it at enemies? I feel like that should be a feature as well.

Extra Attack
Exists. Works fine with future features.

Expertise
Good.

Chem Defense
OK.

Coated Weapon
If you can effectively only have one coated weapon at a time, I don't see why you couldn't let someone else use it. Otherwise, looks good.

Improved Delivery
Cool.

Overall
Seems....ok. Not as exiting as I first thought. The ranger spell list isn't that huge, though the extra spells help somewhat. I missed the appendix bit where it said that there is a clause where other creatures can use a coated weapon, make it more clear in the feature ("unless they are proficient with/have Expertise with alchemist's tools"). It needs..something, though. I think the offensive Concoction applications would go a long way. Iunno. I guess I expected something else.

Spoiler: reply

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Thanks for the feedback. I will do a final update tomorrow because I think figured out what to do with Chemical Defense to tie the mechanics of the class together, so I might revisit some other things as well.

The reason I put such a restriction on brew concoction is basically that I feared I would be giving these rangers almost all the benefits of prepared casting while they also still have the mother class' spontaneous casting, as limited as that feature is in terms of spell list and number of spells known. In the current build the offensive spells are already sort of boosted, because you can include more of them in your spells known if you can get support spells in concoction form. I agree that such a "between the lines" boost isn't nearly as interesting as a proper feature, even if only because its usefulness isn't obvious, but I also wanted to focus on the main functionality of the class and still balance things out across the regular class space. But I'll see what I feel like I can do. If I do make a change I might be able to de-weird the spell list a little as well.

The reason other creatures can't use the coated weapon effectively is basically to prevent the pharmacist from becoming someone else's sidekick. It should at least be primarily your weapon. An alternative with the same result might be the "costs a bonus action" option.

[Edea]

Is it bad that I'm already sort-of chomping at the bit for the next subclass contest

[Phhase]

Is it bad that I'm already sort-of chomping at the bit for the next subclass contest

One of us! One of us!

[nickl_2000]

*DEEP BREATH*Feedback!

Spoiler: Chef Fighter

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This potato bacon cheddar soup I made is painfully thick, it's great.

1-Star Chef
Hol on, so if you're attacking with a knife and fork, is this subclass the stealth reincarnation of the Ass-Eater class? I just remember an image of the Ass-Eater as a gremlin-looking dude with a knife and fork. Random, I know, but it's the first thing that popped into my head, sorry. Looks fine otherwise.

Meal Prep
Iiiinteresting. I'll have to make my own take someday. Do oysters make you more charismatic because shlorping them down looks impressive? I assume undercooked meat is meat to be slipped to an unsuspecting enemy, right? And the coffee, does it immunize you against gaining further exhaustion? Does accrued exhaustion return once the coffee wears off? Can the exhaustion stack beyond 6 while coffee'd? Clarify. Also, more food, and some drinks. Am hungry.

2-Star Chef
Looks fine.

3-Star Chef
How many meals can you make during a short rest?

4-Star Chef
Looks fine.

5-Star Chef
"YOU WANT MORE!?" *whack* Not something I expected, but seems fine.

Overall
More food! And drinks, too! Need some grog. Otherwise, a solid stab at the cook archetype, keep goin'.

*Whew* Lot of entries! Sorry it took so long, the ever-growing list was quite intimidating. Thank you for all the positive feedback on Fate's Beloved ! For once, I can't really think of any patches to make! Molemage, I assume you'll make the voting thread?

Also, Ilerien, I know it's an MtG reference, but am I the only one that reads "I am black/blue" as "I am covered in bruises?" It has a certain resonance with the description .

You asked about oysters. Oysters are generally considered an aphrodisiac, thus advantage on charisma checks

Undercooked meals is there as a RP ability. You are captured by someone who is forcing you to make a meal for them. You make a meal to deliver to the king's guards prior to sneaking in to kill him. Things like that. Effectively, you are slipping poison into someone's food. The challenge is figuring out how to get your adversary to eat the meal and take the time to do it.

As for coffee, I don't see it preventing you from getting more exhaustions you just simply aren't affected by it until the coffee wears off. Abused well enough, you could use the coffee to stay awake until you die from exhaustions, although that effect would still be suppressed. Once the coffee ears off though, you instantly drop dead.

For the meals on a short rest, the intent was that you could make enough meals to get back to your maximum (i.e. your proficiency modifier).

The 5 star chef ability was channeling Gordan Ramsey and other such chefs who are loud and brutal to people wouldn't should be in their kitchen. It is their space, and no one, ever, messes with them there.

I will clarify some things though.

I imagine that this subclass will extent after this contest if over. I had fun creating the meals, and will want to keep playing with it and making more options. Grog is a great idea though, and there are certainly more drinks that go along with it.

[CountDVB]

*DEEP BREATH*Feedback!

Spoiler: Comprehension Wizard

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Extraacademian Education
Interesting idea. Could you pick the same option twice? What do you think about a Martial weapon? I like the tools idea, helps if you want to build a magecrafter.

Knack of Learning
Clever way to spin the boilerplate wizard spell-scribing feature for the subclass!

Instinctual Insight
Veeery interesting. Mind your spellslots around this guy, or he'll copy your homework! Perfect for lifting spells off of enemies. I love it.

Expedited Expertise
Ah, there we go, a martial weapon. What do you think of, potentially, medium or light armor?

Arcane Appreciation
Nice, omni-spell-copy! Love it.

Overall
This looks like the best parts of Lore Wizard and Mystic Theurge rolled into an appetizing package. I think, with some build ingenuity, it could work well, but it depends on the magic level of the setting, the DM, and potentially other class dips. Which makes me think, if you have cleric levels, for example, could you transfer one of your own cleric spells into your wizard spell list? And would there be an application...

*Whew* Lot of entries! Sorry it took so long, the ever-growing list was quite intimidating. Thank you for all the positive feedback on Fate's Beloved ! For once, I can't really think of any patches to make! Molemage, I assume you'll make the voting thread?

Also, Ilerien, I know it's an MtG reference, but am I the only one that reads "I am black/blue" as "I am covered in bruises?" It has a certain resonance with the description .

Thank you very much! Your work looks awesome as well. I'm not experienced enough to give any constructive feedback XDD ^^;;

Not sure about picking the same option twice for Extraacademian Education, not sure how balanced that would be.

Knack of Learning will help out alot, especially with how difficult it is learning spells early on because of costs.

Pretty much the whole point of Instinctual Insight. Maxmized Learning. Plus, limits the need to crib off of scrolls or other spellbooks

No armor for Expedited Expertise. Would take a bit too long for them plus it'd probably cause balancing issues.

Arcane Appreciation is this to a degree though you're capped with 5th level spells. Granted, you could still learn some good healing spells and unique tricks with that.

I'm glad you like it! It is made to show a bit of creativity and the joy of learning, combined with being good at learning. Learning how to learn is a skill most wouldn't consider, but well-honed leads to alot of potential.

[Phhase]

You asked about oysters. Oysters are generally considered an aphrodisiac, thus advantage on charisma checks

Huh. The more you know.

[Old Harry MTX]

*DEEP BREATH*Feedback!

Spoiler: Sidekick Ranger

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Favored Pal
Works pretty well with a rogue!

Extra Reaction
Pretty spicy in conjunction with attacks of opportunity/the tunnel fighter fighting style!

Combined Attack
Wow, that's alot of attacks, especially if you get reactive charges for every turn!

Assisted Casting
This has some real sweet potential. You can't use it to cast a spell of a higher level than the original slot, right? Additionally, the Ranger chassis doesn't really have much in the way of spell slots, I wonder how much better dipping into other spellcasting classes would make this feature?

Twin Protection
Cool.

Proficient Assistance
Help actions, now with more Help!

Complete Synergy
Get down, Mr. President!

Arcane Affinity
Considering this is the ranger here, there could be some interesting synergy. Can you cast spell from other classes using this feature?

Flanking Counterattack
Does this interact with other Sidekick features?

Overall
You have successfully fulfilled the design vision of "Help Action of Opportunity: The Class". Well done. My only other thought: What if two characters were each other's Sidekick? How powerful would that be?

Hi Phhase! thanks for your feedback!

Extra Reaction
Pretty spicy in conjunction with attacks of opportunity/the tunnel fighter fighting style!

Yes, for this reason I specify that you can use Reactive Charges only to fuel the Sidekick's features and not as a normal Reaction, otherwise it would have been too game-breaking.

Combined Attack
Wow, that's alot of attacks, especially if you get reactive charges for every turn!

In reality they are less than you might think. Since you can only make only one attack on your turn, your Favourite Pal can actually make one additional attack only. In its turn, you can spend Reactive Charges and do more attacks, but each of them has a lower chance of hitting than a normal attack, since both your Favourite Pal's attack rolls and yours must be successful. Normally at 5th level a Ranger takes an Extra Attack, which needs only one attack roll to succeed.

Assisted Casting
This has some real sweet potential. You can't use it to cast a spell of a higher level than the original slot, right? Additionally, the Ranger chassis doesn't really have much in the way of spell slots, I wonder how much better dipping into other spellcasting classes would make this feature?

Exactly! you can only upscale a spell, not "merge" the spell slots into a higher level one to cast a higher level spell.
I'm glad you like it! Assisted Casting and Arcane Affinity are designed to make it attractive to create a bond even with caster classes, or even better with "gish" classes, like paladins, valor bards, eldritch knights or war clerics.

Proficient Assistance
Help actions, now with more Help!

In the original version it was called Good Cop / Bad Cop, and it gave bonuses only to Intimidation and Persuasion checks... The problem was that if neither the Sidekick and the Favourite Pal had proficency in these checks, it became ridiculous ^^
I think it's better this way, even if Good Cop / Bad Cop stays in my heart...

Arcane Affinity
Considering this is the ranger here, there could be some interesting synergy. Can you cast spell from other classes using this feature?

Not as intended, you can only cast your Self spells targeting your Favourite Pal, and vice-versa. Do you think I should specify it?

Flanking Counterattack
Does this interact with other Sidekick features?

Fair point! As intended, yes, except with Combined Attack. So I changed the text of Combined Attack this way: "As soon as one of you hits a creature with a melee attack on its turn, the other can use its reaction to make an attack against that creature."

This way, when you make a Flanking Counterattack, your Favourite Pal can still use its reaction to aid you if it has not already used the Help action, but cannot use Combined Attack. Thanks for letting me see that!

Overall
You have successfully fulfilled the design vision of "Help Action of Opportunity: The Class". Well done. My only other thought: What if two characters were each other's Sidekick? How powerful would that be?

Mmm, i don't think that two Sidekicks would be powerful. Each of them can only make one attack on their turn, and they both have access to the same spell list, so in my opinion they lose both power and versatility.

Thanks again, I greatly appreciated the help!

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Okay, updated the pharmacist.

Chemical Defense now lets you prepare one of three resistances during your long rest using your alchemist's supplies, matching it to Coated Weapon and Brew Concoction, giving the subclass more of an identity as someone who uses their brains and tools to be prepared.

I listed all the spells usable with the Brew Concoction feature (there are bound to be one or two errors in this, it's a pretty big list, so please let me know if you notice one) and polished the feature a bit. I was going to amend the Improved Delivery Feature to say that reaction spells could now be drank as a reaction for instance, but then I noticed that this would only have applies to Absorb Elements, so I defined Brew Concoction as using spells with a casting time of one action or one bonus action instead and dropped that one spell for the sake of simplicity. I added the clarifying text "drinking a concoction counts as casting a spell with regards to the rules of casting multiple spells per turn". I was also going to change out Telekinesis, but I noticed that changing Telekinesis to Far Step would have resulted in three being 3 4th level spells on the list of which 2 would be about teleportation (the other being Tree Stride). After long deliberation with myself I did give in on Comprehend Languages in favor of Frost Fingers. It doesn't feel quite as thematic, but it helps find the balance on the following point.

The following point being that I thought about the worries on the lack of offensive magic. Notice that there are several offensive ranger spells with range self, like Ensnaring Strike, Hail of Thorns, Zephyr Strike, Conjure Barrage and Lightning Arrow. I feel those are okay, they don't break the balance when used as expansions to the ranger's limited spells known or when cast by other team members drinking a concoction, but I fear further additions could potentially be a balance issue and could muddle up the theme. Allowing thrown concoctions for instance, would that allow for a spell like Spike Growth, as long as it's cast on a point within throwing range? Or would they still need to be single target offensive spells? Does it open up Hunter's Mark? I find it a tough call to make. If indecisiveness gets the better of me I might be back later today. Actually, I already feel the urge rising to add Destructive Wave instead of Telekinesis to the 5th level spells as a late game power move. Drinking it as a bonus action and following up with two attacks to whichever creatures are still standing would be kind of nice. EDIT: I did exactly that. 5th level didn't have a power concoction yet, while 4th level for instance had Guardian of Nature, 3rd level had Conjure Barrage and Lightning Arrow etc. It needed one late game spell with which to abuse Improved Delivery a bit. (2nd level still doesn't have a decent attack concoction, but level 1 and 2 are where regular ranger spell casting shines, at least in terms of having this handful of spells you can know and spam to good effect, so it's a good combination. There are also several upcastable level 1 attack spells, and the list of candidates for extra level 2 spells contained many great utility options but no real attack spells anyway.) (Another thing I considered is giving every concoction an emergency damage option where you add in some reagent as a bonus action and then throw it to deal damage, but that seemed kind of meh...)

I also removed the line in Coated Weapon about other creatures not getting the extra damage. I'm going to trust the player to use the feature as they think is fun. Also improved the flavor text a little.



EDIT: Anyway, that's it for me changing things. May you all be visited by much wisdom as a voter, and by even more votes as a candidate.

[Ilerien]

*DEEP BREATH*Feedback!

Spoiler: Exemplar Rogue

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Skill Artistry
For when you REALLY want to be sure you succeed EVERY time. Seems a little overkill to enhance Expertise, but I can see it having some applications.

Lend Talent
Interesting. Why would you want to do this unless you were splitting the party, though?

Sustaining Presence
Interesting use of artistry dice. Essentially mithrandism in a bottle.

Persuasive Performance
I SMELL JUMPLOMANCY. APPROVED. If the effect is nonmagical, then is it possible to dispel the charmed effect it causes?

Intellectual Agility
Typo: Second. Quite the feature. The offensive power is an interesting choice. Do you think this feature might be a bit heavy?

Inspire Talent
Improved Lend Talent. Looks good!

Overall
This looks like a good class choice when you want your character to revolve less around class features and more around tools and skills, brewing potions and poisons, forging equipment, repairing things, making/unmaking traps, etc. I like this. Sometimes, you just need a little less stab. Also, jumplomancy.

Also, Ilerien, I know it's an MtG reference, but am I the only one that reads "I am black/blue" as "I am covered in bruises?" It has a certain resonance with the description .

Kudos for the feedback! :)

The drawback of being scheming and untrustworthy, you know, in rare cases of these qualities being discovered

Spoiler: Comments

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Lend Talent
There is a lot of situations when one has to make an ability check individually as opposed to every party member making the same check, even barring class features that call for specific skill checks (e.g. Swashbuckler's 9th level feature), so Lend Talent is useful even if one's party isn't split often. Though it was indeed designed with the intention of making it especially useful when it happens.

Persuasive Performance
Back in my day, I had spent good several minutes laughing at the original jumplomancer build, so, yeah, can't make an Exemplar without it. :D The effect cannot be dispelled, though I should probably make a clause about it dissipating if a charmed creature is attacked by the Exemplar or their allies.

Intellectual Agility
It is undoubtedly heavy. Feels a bit underpowered for level 13 with just the first two clauses, though.
And thanks for pointing out the typo!

Overall
Glad you liked it!

Upd: went ahead and changed the third clause of Intellectual Agility.

[Fnissalot]

Thanks for the feedback! See my replies in bold.

*DEEP BREATH*Feedback!

[Perfect Sorcerer]
aka. literally Mary Sue incarnate. Let's see these shenanigans.

Perfect Embodiment
Strike a pose to cast spell, sparkling like a "vampire" all the while. The Subtle Spell mechanic seems either hilariously strong (since most if not all expensive components are consumed) or borderline pointless (2 additional sorcery points are worth more than a ball of bat guano and sulfur). Also note, you don't get sorcery points until level 2, not that it technically matters.

It is meant for the bat guano part. It is not meant to make it cheaper but instead it allows spells with material components to be cast unnoticed

Captivating Allure
Seems fine. Trying not to imagine the potential RP opportunities.

Saucerer Supreme
This seems like a complicated way of saying "These metamagic options become free". But I like it, especially free Elemental spell. Scribes Wizard is some of my favorite UA almost solely because of the fact that you can change the element of a spell to whatever you want, opening up vistas of flavor opportunities.

It might be okay to just buff them to be free as it cleans up the language of it. I think I will change it to that you pick 2 of the four options which become free for you.

Stunning Attraction
Hnnnnnnnnnng. It's fine. It works. Why deafened, though? If you want "Speechless" you can have them be Suffocating until the start of your next turn, which only means their breath effectively catches in their throat, preventing verbal spells and speech.

Stunned already makes you less able to speak, and the idea was that deafened makes you less aware of your surroundings?

Living Exception
Do you have resistance to effects that would reduce your Charisma or age you somehow? Seems fine otherwise.
I would say that the intention was no, those things would be great RP moments for the subclass. But I guess that as written, effects that increase your age might become halved.

Overall
It's perfect. For a...certain definition of the word. I can't speak to the sort of player that this would attract, but mechanically it's inoffensive and logical. Were you the one that made the (I forget the name/class exactly) "Everyone-loves-me-magical-boy/girl" subclass way back (I think) last year?

Thanks! No, that doesn't sound familiar?

[RickAsWritten]

Any chance we could do the extension thing? I've been crazy busy with work and haven't cleaned up my entry. In addition we've had a groundswell of new entries, so it couldn't hurt to give everyone a little extra time.

[nickl_2000]

Any chance we could do the extension thing? I've been crazy busy with work and haven't cleaned up my entry. In addition we've had a groundswell of new entries, so it couldn't hurt to give everyone a little extra time.

I'll second that. I wouldn't mind a few more days to look over the last few that got added so I can give feedback.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

I suppose Breccia posting a subclass somewhere around the deadline as stating "I wish I had seen this earlier" counts as a third request...

I certainly wouldn't mind a bit of an extension.

EDIT: Although I also wouldn't mind not extending. So I'll back out of the discussion now.

[Breccia]

I suppose Breccia posting a subclass somewhere around the deadline as stating "I wish I had seen this earlier" counts as a third request...

Not really, I wasn't trying to push anything back. I'm also not expecting a lot of feedback either, due to the timeline.

[BerzerkerUnit]

I’m for an extension. I missed the final pass at my Hybrid class.

[Old Harry MTX]

I have no preferences, anything is fine with me.

[MoleMage]

Alright it wasn't before the deadline strictly speaking but it was before I signed on to make the voting thread and we have three extension requests, so a two-week extension is in effect! New deadline is Oct 18th. Voting thread will likely be later in the day on the 19th, I have an all-day thing that day.

[Phhase]

Alright it wasn't before the deadline strictly speaking but it was before I signed on to make the voting thread and we have three extension requests, so a two-week extension is in effect! New deadline is Oct 18th. Voting thread will likely be later in the day on the 19th, I have an all-day thing that day.

Post updated to reflect.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Okay, then I'll keep my short & pinch of salty review series complete with...

Spoiler: Exterminator Ranger

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Quite a few rangers here, where did we all come from? Now, I on a personal title have never really liked the favored enemy feature to begin with. So uhmm, yeah. I also feel like a favored enemy based subclass is going to be inherently not super balanced, because it will always be more useful around his favored enemy then in other situations. And I think this subclass may actually be going a bit too far in that for my taste. At level 11 you do 8d6 bonus damage when fighting favored enemies op top of your regular everything and a doubled crit chance. Purely damage-mathematically I think that's fairly balanced, it's only about 4 times the extra damage other rangers would get at level 11, and favored enemies will typically not make up more than a quarter of the enemies fought. And some of that bonus damage even came from the level 3 offensive feature, so the subclass may in fact be too weak, purely damage-mathematically. Especially since the requirement to attack two different targets makes it mildly complex to always stack the damage with Hunter's Mark. And you're not getting any of the regular minor defensive features, although Toxic Knowledge is a very nice flavor feature. To be fair, this is probably what a subclass like this should be like, make it a bit weaker overall to prevent it from being too OP in its area of expertise. And for players looking for that experience, this seems like a well designed subclass.

[Lvl45DM!]

I'm taking sickening advantage of the extension if possible and posting The Way of Intercepting Fist.

[nickl_2000]

So, I took advantage of the extra time and added several more meals. Grog, Brandy, Apple Pie, Spinach Salad, Ginger Carrot Soup, Charming Cooking (I hate the name of this, so I would love a replacement name suggestion).


Also reviews that I haven't gotten to yet.

Spoiler: The Sidekick

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First, I like the idea of being able to make a spunky sidekick character. It's a fun concept and great for someone who wants to play but avoid the spotlight. Ranger was a really, really good choice for this to.

Favored Pal - This is an interesting ability, although I am glad it doesn't allow a distance help like the mastermind. I think it would be okay since there are multiple ways to get advantage, but being the favored pal of a rogue would make him your best friend for life.

Extra Reaction - Seems fine with me, especially since you have it only applying to sidekick abilities. Giving a rogue more than one reaction a round is a horrible idea, but you avoided allowing that with a 3 level dip.

5th Level: I'm not sure why you have this ability in here. The Ranger gets a subclass ability at levels 3, 7, 11, and 15. Is this intended to replace the extra attack feature? If it is, then you should mention it. Otherwise giving this ability is to powerful.

Proficient Assistance - I'm not a fan of this ability. Giving advantage at will for ability checks is pretty powerful, now you are giving advantage and a proficiency bonus and seems like a little much. Especially when you have a skill monkey build.

Complete Synergy - This definitely needs to be a reaction to begin with and needs to have a distance requirement.


I really like the idea of this subclass, the concept is pretty nice. It feels like it's a bit of a one trick pony though, you can do one thing in different ways, but it is still one thing. I would like to see a little bit more diversity in abilities personally, but that is just me.

Spoiler: The Exterminator

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I applaud seeing more Rangers out there. It's still a class that needs more love in 5e. :)

Toxic Knowledge - First thing here. If you already have the poisoners kit you lose out on part of this ability, typically when you give this ability you should give a backup if they already have it (or expertise in poisoners kit if they already have it). My major problem with this ability is that you give them the ability to modify poisons to be more effective, but poisons are not very effective in 5e. They are either INCREDIBLY expensive, or they don't do all that much. Either way, they are not the best for overall action economy.

It may be worth considering creating a list of new poisons that this ranger can make with this ability at a reduced cost, or at least make applying a poison to require a "lower" action or an object interaction.

The Fragility of Life - An effective ability and fitting to the subclass. It hurts if you aren't fighting a favored enemy, but I think the damage increases make up for that somewhat.

And How to Bring It - Crit from 20 to 19-20 seems fine. There is a slight typo in Dexterity of Constitution. I'm not sure on a +2 on the DC of a spell, it would likely be okay since a ranger generally cares about Dex before Wisdom so their spell DCs tend to be lower, but again you are focused on favored enemies so it should be fine.

Crush the Swarm - Seems fine, a damage boost, but still limited.

Remove the Head or Destroy the Brain - So, a decently powerful capstone but a bit of a boring one.

From a player perspective I've got a few significant issues with this subclass. One is that most of the abilities are pretty passive (i.e. you just get better at something rather than having more options). This isn't necessarily bad design, and there are certainly plenty of official options that do exactly that. So, this isn't as significant. The significant issue I see here is that if you aren't fighting on of your favored enemies you get absolutely nothing from your subclass, I mean nothing at all. Since the favored enemies of a ranger tend to be pretty specific and you only get 3 of them, there are going to be plenty of times that you don't run into a favored enemy.

I would really like to see this subclass get more favored enemies, or abilities that apply to all enemies but are better against favored enemies. That would make a substantial difference in the overall enjoyability of playing this subclass.

Some examples I can give:
-You can make extra poisons and apply them more easily. The DC is higher against favored enemies.
-You deal an extra 1d6 damage against everyone. Against a favored enemy it starts at 1d8 and increases over time.

As I said above, the design goal here is to make sure that the PC always gets something, but they get something better than going again their specialty. That way they never feel like an ability gained is wasted, or they go a session without using an ability.

Spoiler: Monk Archetype: Way of the Intercepting Fist

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Empty Your Cup - This is actually super powerful. A starting monk typically has a 16 in Wis and Dex. So, you are increasing your AC from 16 to 19 for a round. Now, for a single round this isn't all that bad. However, when at 15-18 for one bonus action you are likely going to be increasing your AC to 24/25 for 4 rounds, which often ends up being the entire fight. Initiative is a little bit odd as well, since bonus actions don't really exist until you are in combat and you need a bonus action to activate this ability. Additionally, you are looking at using a bonus action to add a minimum of +3 to all attack rolls in that round, with bounded accuracy you are likely to hit every attack. Again, in high level combat my AC will be 25 for the entire fight and I will be getting +16 to all attacks from the second round onwards (assuming you don't have other bonuses). With short rest re-gains of ki, this can easily be done every single combat, causing you to rarely miss an attack

Be Like Water - Seems perfectly fine to me. I don't know how someone does slashing damage with a headbutt, but Monks are supposed to be supernatural.

Game of Death - I assume this is level 6, you should mention that. I feel like the duration on the effect is to long, or the ki cost is to low. This is a reaction, which monks don't have excessive use for, so they will likely be using it every combat to make one enemy completely ineffective against them. I would look at a cost of 2-3 ki instead of 1 for this ability and it will likely be fine.

One-Inch Punch - This is a reaction to being attacked, so I assume it happens before they roll to see if they hit you. Is that the intent? My own personal opinion on this is that you should make that incredibly clear, but if I mentioned your intent you are perfectly fine. Can you do this while incapacitated (incapacitated means you don't get reactions. Technically stunned doesn't allow reaction because you are also incapacitated. This isn't a suggestion, just a question)? I actually really like this ability, it's powerful enough to drop a nova on someone and really flavorful.


Okay, I just got at this point that this is paying homage to Bruce Lee I'm not a huge fan of his, so I didn't catch it until enter the dragon.


Enter the Dragon - This ability goes to far, even for a capstone. At level 17, my AC is likely 23 (25 with bracers of defense or protection item. Then you can boost it by 5 more for 1 minute with a bonus action? A 28 AC for an entire combat with the cost of 1 ki and 1 bonus action is pretty broken even at level 17. The extra damage is fine, the step of the wind and patient defense if pretty powerful as well.

So, what are the solutions here. 1 would be to remove the AC bonus from the level 3 ability or make it last only 1 round even at high levels (since it's based on stats, it's already getting better as you level without the longer timeframe). Another would be making this a form/stance that you take. So, as a reaction to rolling initiative you can enter the Stance of the Dragon by spending 5 ki. It last for 1 minute and you get X. By making it cost Ki and have some sort of action cost it frees you to add more power to it.


This is a very flavourful class and sounds like a blast to play. There are a few balance issues that need to be resolved to make it game ready, but I look forward to seeing them!

[Old Harry MTX]

So, I took advantage of the extra time and added several more meals. Grog, Brandy, Apple Pie, Spinach Salad, Ginger Carrot Soup, Charming Cooking (I hate the name of this, so I would love a replacement name suggestion).


Also reviews that I haven't gotten to yet.

Thanks for your feedback!

Favored Pal - This is an interesting ability, although I am glad it doesn't allow a distance help like the mastermind. I think it would be okay since there are multiple ways to get advantage, but being the favored pal of a rogue would make him your best friend for life.

Yes, at least for Attack Rolls. For Ability Checks it is left to the discretion of the DM and to the literature on the subject.

Extra Reaction - Seems fine with me, especially since you have it only applying to sidekick abilities. Giving a rogue more than one reaction a round is a horrible idea, but you avoided allowing that with a 3 level dip.

Exactly, and as you said yourself, even if a Rogue got Reactive Charges, it could still use them only to fuel the Sidekick's features.

5th Level: I'm not sure why you have this ability in here. The Ranger gets a subclass ability at levels 3, 7, 11, and 15. Is this intended to replace the extra attack feature? If it is, then you should mention it. Otherwise giving this ability is to powerful.

Yes, i used the UA Revised Ranger, that have an additional Ranger Conclave Features at 5th level instead of an Extra Attack. I agree with you that if it had these features AND the Extra Attack it would be too strong, without the Extra Attack there should be no problem. Thankyou, I will definitely specify it in the FAQ section!

Proficient Assistance - I'm not a fan of this ability. Giving advantage at will for ability checks is pretty powerful, now you are giving advantage and a proficiency bonus and seems like a little much. Especially when you have a skill monkey build.

I do not agree here. You give the bonus only on Ability Checks in which the helper are proficent, only the half of the helper's PB, only at a designated character, and you can only make one Help Action per round... I see it more like a fluff ability to be honest ^^

Complete Synergy - This definitely needs to be a reaction to begin with and needs to have a distance requirement.

It requires a reaction right now, since it requires a Help Action. As intended, this feature simply changes the text of the standard Help Action in somethin like this: "... When you take the Help action to aid your Favored Pal, it gains advantage on the next Ability Check or Saving Throw it makes to perform the task or surpass the danger you are helping with, provided that it makes the check before the start of your next turn..."

For the rest, you apply all the rules of a standard Help Action, including the benefits granted by Favored Pal, and any limitations on the distance.

EDIT: I've changed the text of the feature a bit, hoping to be more clear:

Complete Synergy
From 11th level, having overcome so many dangers together has taught you how to deal with them. Whether it is through physical help, advice, encouragement or the simple awareness of the presence of the other, you and your Favored Pal can now take the Help action to give advantage on the other's next Saving Throw, provided that it makes the throw before the start of the helper's next turn.

When one of you do this, it can still take, once per round, the Help action as a reaction or bonus action, as granted by the Favored Pal feature.

I really like the idea of this subclass, the concept is pretty nice. It feels like it's a bit of a one trick pony though, you can do one thing in different ways, but it is still one thing. I would like to see a little bit more diversity in abilities personally, but that is just me.

Thankyou! I'm glad you like! Considering the topic of the contest I preferred to focus on a single theme, but I tried to develop it in several different aspects, both from melee, magic and utility point of view. Let's say that the simple concept of Help Actions allow a great variety of applications with a single mechanic.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Charming Cooking (I hate the name of this, so I would love a replacement name suggestion).

Lucky Charms?

Peace Meal?