Sorcerous Winds, a Sorcerer Subclass Project Based on Air Elementals

[redmordred]

Here's my second 5e homebrew project. Please give me your input. PEACH.

EDIT: Reworked the idea into several new subclasses and removed dust for now.

Older Version. Homebrewery Link.

Newest Version. PDF Link.

Original Version.

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Descendant of the Winds

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At 1st level, you choose one type of elemental as your ancestor. The damage type associated with each elemental is used by features you later gain.

Ancestry	Damage Type
Fog	Cold
Smog	Acid
Smoke	Fire
Dust	Thunder

The arcane magic within you is tied to your elemental heritage. You can speak, read, and write Primordial. (Knowing this language allows you to understand and be understood by those who speak its dialects: Aquan, Auran, Ignan, and Terran.)

Curse of the Sky

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When you choose your origin, you learn the secrets of your element.

When you hit a creature with a cantrip’s attack or when a creature fails a saving throw against your cantrip, you can curse the target until the end of your next turn or until you curse a different creature with this feature.

Once per turn when you cast a spell, you can trigger the curse if that spell deals your damage type. Doing so subjects the target to the appropriate additional effect below, and then the curse ends if the spell isn’t a cantrip (you choose the effect to use if more than one effect applies):

Fog: If the affected target takes cold damage from your spell, the target’s speed is also reduced by 15 feet until the end of your next turn. If the spell already reduces the target’s speed, use whichever reduction is greater.

Smog: If the affected target takes acid damage from your spell, the target takes additional 1 acid damage at the start of their turn for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier.

Smoke: If the affected target takes fire damage from your spell, the target takes additional fire damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

Dust: If the affected target takes thunder damage from your spell, they are moved 15 feet. If the spell already moves the target, use whichever movement is greater.

Wrath of Winds

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At 6th level you gain resistance to your ancestral damage type and poison.

In addition you can create a tempestuous blast in either a 30ft line, a 15ft cone, or a 5ft radius centered on you (your choice). Each creature in the attack must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creatures takes 1d6 of your elemental damage per two sorcerer levels and becomes blinded until the start of its next turn. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage and isn't blinded. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses after a long rest.

Cloudcaller

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At 6th level, you gain the ability subtly alter the weather around you.

If there is enough substance nearby (ash, loose dirt, or liquid) you can use an action to create a thick cloud (as fog cloud) in 20ft radius around you. You can end this affect as bonus action.

Windwalker

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At 14th level, you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed. In addition you become vaporous while moving. When you move on your turn, you take only half damage from opportunity attacks, and you can move through any enemy’s space but can’t willingly end your move there. Enemies you move through or who make you a successful melee attack against you must make a DC15 Constitution saving throw or become blinded until the start of their next turn.

Tempest Soul

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At 18th level, you gain immunity to your damage type and poison.

You also gain the ability to cast Gaseous Form at-will without expending a spell slot with a casting time of 1 minute. You can increase this casting time to 10 minutes and choose a number of willing creatures touching your or touching someone that is touching you equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. The chosen creatures can take Gaseous Form at the same time you do. When you increase your casting in this way, you can not do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

[Whiles]

I really like the theme of this one! Very creative. I really can't comment on balance or anything, because I'm not good at eyeballing that stuff. Here are my thoughts and observations:

1) Not sure I like the word "smog," at least in a fantasy setting. It brings modernity, as well as being a combination of "smoke" and "fog," two other types of this origin. I understand that it's hard to find synonyms sometimes. Try maybe "Haze" or something similar?

2) Not sure how "dust" equates with Thunder damage. But I understand damage-type choices are limited.

3) I think it would be cool if you added "Ash" to the list, in the same vein as dust. Not sure what damage type it might be, though.

Once again, there are merely my opinions.

[redmordred]

Thanks a lot for the feedback. I've just overhauled the project into several subclasses now and reworked a lot of the ideas around them. I've added a new link to the original post, so people can contrast and compare between the old one and new one.

[redmordred]

After some more feedback, I've rebalanced several of the abilities in terms of both use and damage to be more inline with SRD material. The updated version is online and ready to look at.

[redmordred]

Updated again. I've gotten some new feedback on these subclasses and have thus done the following:

* Updated language to better reflect intentions and action economy.

* Rebalanced some features that have since been deemed overpowered (consistent, unchecked blinding)

* Buffed several features that had unnecessary save changes from the core class.