Cleric: Abyssal Domain - A Kraken Priest Conversion

[Langsley]

Hello, so I recently finished this homebrew and just wanted to share it here. I'm hoping to get some criticism, and maybe a better idea for names as when I named the domain, I wasn't aware of the fact that the word 'abyss' was closely tied to demons in the Forgotten Realms lore.

I currently have a version up on The Homebrewery; I don't have enough posts on here to submit a link yet, so the url code is: share/ryW6ew4IPG

Thank you for taking a look, and if you end up using it for a one shot or something, I'd love to hear you regale the tale.


Abyssal Domain

Spoiler: Lore; nothing new here - just the verbatim from the Monster Manual

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A kraken can seem godlike to folk who have witnessed its fury. Those who mistake its might for divine power and those who seek to appease the monster through veneration are sometimes rewarded with power, to serve thereafter as kraken priests.

The kraken can make itself dimly aware of a kraken priest's thoughts if the two are on the same plane of existence, and it can then push aside the priest's personality and control it. Kraken priests can thereby act as eyes and ears for their masters, and when the kraken has something to say, the priest becomes its mouthpiece.

Every kraken priest undergoes a change in appearance that reflects the kraken's influence, although each one differs in how its reverence is displayed. One kraken priest might have ink-black eyes and a suckered tentacle for a tongue, while another has a featureless face and a body covered in eyes and mouths that dribble seawater. These horrific manifestations intensify when the kraken possesses its minion to utter its dire pronouncements.

Abyssal Domain Spells
1st command, create or destroy water
3rd darkness
5th call lightning, water breathing, water walk
7th control water, evard's black tentacles
9th maelstrom, destructive wave

Aquatic Combatant
When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency in heavy armor and tridents.

The Depths of Fanaticism
From 1st level, you can breathe air and water and have a swim speed of 30ft and have learned either Abyssal, Infernal, or Primordial.

Channel Divinity: Voice of the Kraken
A kraken speaks through you with a thunderous voice audible within 150ft. Creatures of the your choice that can hear the kraken's words (which are spoken in Abyssal, Infernal, or Primordial) must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Channel Divinity:
Behold! MY TENTACLES!

Spoiler

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Beginning at level 6, as a reaction in response to any enemy action, you may spawn a number of aqueous tentacles equal to your class level/5 (rounded down) from your person to grapple any targets of your size within 30ft. of you. Using multiple tentacles to grapple the same target increases the maximum grapple size equal to the number additional of tentacles used.

Grapples with this ability use your spell attack modifier and are made with disadvantage against Small and smaller sized creatures. The channeling lasts for up to 1 minute or until you use a bonus action to release it.

While grappling, you may not move further than 30ft away from any target without relinquishing your hold.

On each of your turns you may use a bonus action to command each of your tentacles.

Fling. One Medium or smaller object held or creature grappled by your tentacles must either make a Strength saving throw or be thrown up to 30ft in a direction of your choosing and knocked prone. If a thrown target strikes a solid surface, the target takes 3(1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 10ft it was thrown. If the target is thrown at another creature, that creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be knocked prone if it is the same size or smaller than the creature thrown.

A Sickly Grasp. Pick any number your of tentacles to attempt a grapple on a target. Multiple grapple rolls may be made if size requirements are sufficient in the case of multiple tentacles.

For example, a medium creature being targeted by 3 tentacles will contest 3 times where as a large target would only contest once.

Scion of the Abyss
At 17th level, You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.

[JNAProductions]

The first CD is too good-it’s turning undead, but for anyone of your choice within 150’.

[Langsley]

The first CD is too good-it’s turning undead, but for anyone of your choice within 150’.

It's a straight rip off of the Kraken Priest's ability. Do you think replacing/upgrading the traditional turn undead with it would be kosher as an ability? Part of me believes that the versatility deficit from having a similar pair of abilities compensates for its strength. There's also the Wisdom vs Charisma saving throw thing. I don't know how well the undead do vs Charisma in comparison to Wisdom but if they faired differently, I think it would tread a different venue. The final note I'd like to add is that Turn Undead is not based on a condition whereas Voice of the Kraken is - with Turn Undead rendering enemies incapable of actions and reactions.

I think my current stance after writing all this is that CD works as an expansion upon Turn Undead with less specificity and with a less oppressive nature.

Thanks for posting; really helped me consider an ability I hadn't thought through thoroughly.