#homebrew 5e

[homebrew-a-la-traumaverse]

The Wildcard Rogue - Homebrew Rogue Subclass

It's hard for your enemies to pin you down when even you don't know what's coming. When you want to roll the dice and feel the fear in your DM's eyes, this is the subclass for you.

[roserysttrpggarden]

The Accursed Playtest 1

Hi there~! I hope these...Interesting times have treated you well, if you want some reprive from the horrors of life, I come bearing you all a gift. My second custom class for Dungeons and Dragons 5th-edition. The Accursed! An individual who became cursed, and has since learned to control it, turning it into a source of power. If you've ever wanted to play frankenstein's monster, a werewolf, or something like the lich king then this is the class for you.

Playing an Accursed

As previously mentioned, the accursed is a half caster similar to your rangers and paladins, focusing on debuffing and other control effects, unlike all other casters, the accursed uses constitution as its spellcasting ability, for your power now derives itself from your now cursed vitality.

Hex Points: Rather than using spell slots, the accursed gains a tiny pool of points, known as hex points to cast their spells, as well as use other accursed abilities. Similar to ki points or the warlocks spell slots, your hex points are recovered upon completing a short or long rest, allowing you to quickly regain your powers on the fly.

Overchannel: Overchannel is a type of stance the accursed can enter as a bonus action, unleashing their afflictions full power, this could take form as a bestial transformation, or a storm of raw arcane energy. While you overchannel your curse you can spent hit dice, rather than hex points when using your accursed abilities, as well as gaining additional benefits determined by your subclass. However, this power comes at a price, for the entire time your cursed is overchanneled, you suffer from a penality.

Accursed Adaptations: As the accursed gains levels, it gains adaptations, ways its curses evolves to be even more debilitating, these are essentially the accurseds eldritch invocation. However, I tried to design these much more as additional abilities the accursed can use, rather than just passive effects they get, though there are absolutely adaptations that are more passive. Some of my favorite adaptations include Evil eye, which lets you see hostile creatures under the effects of your spells as if you had blindsight. Scourge strike, which lets you spend hex points to deal additional necrotic damage on a weapon attack or unarmed strike (Essentially the accursed version of divine smite). And Manifested affliction allows you to summon a ghostly representation of your curse to aid you in battle.

Subclasses

The accursed document features 8 subclasses for your accursed subclass to choose from, while I won't go into great detail for each, I will list what each one does.

The Curse of The Beast is a lycanthrope subclass that turns an accursed into a ravenous beast, unleashing flurries of strikes against their foes.

The Curse of The Immolated is a blaster subclass focused on dealing as much fire damage as possible, burning enemies to a crisp

The Curse of The Immortal turns the accursed into a healer, bestowing them plenty of temporary hit points.

The Curse of Rebirth is a necrotic tank that empowers itself with temp HP, gaining benefits while it has said temp HP.

The Curse of The Sickened is a potent debuff that slowly chips away at its opponents health with powerful poisons and diseases

The Curse of The Parasite is a flexible striker that uses its variety of mutations to adapt to any combat scenario.

The Curse of Misfortune is your archetypal accursed that debuffs foes and bends fate to its will.

And lastly, The Curse of The Warrior is your archetypal gish that turns the accursed into a potent weapon wielder (Especially if you pick up the more martial oriented adaptions)

Design Goals

The overall goal of the accursed was to create a unique caster that played with the idea of "power at a price" while you wield explosive debuff and control potential (As well as other roles depending on your subclass) you also suffer from severe debuffs and lack much in the way of resistances through the accursed itself. This created an interesting "power budget" when designing the class as I felt like I could get away with bolder abilities due to those debuffs being there. It was also interesting to design for since, to quote someone who's intelligence score is higher than my own (That I don't remember the name of as of writing) 5th-edition is not a system of downsides, the only feature I can think of that debuffs you off is frenzy on the berserker barbarian, and even then that got patched out with the new PHB, so it feels rather interesting to design a class that's build around downsides (Even if you do have a way to get around it temporarily) I also wanted to create an experimental caster for the simple fact that casters arn't my favorite to design for. They're fun to play absolutely! But designing for them feels a little tedious since spellcasting inevitably takes up so much of the classes power budget, not to mention that there's a good chance you'll have to write new spells to fit a specific class theme, and that I don't want to just make a slightly altered paladin or wizard. Here's hoping I succeeded at the later.

That's all you need to know about the accursed before testing the class out for yourself, the document also comes with several new spells, most of which were written for the accursed itself, as well as a 2024 rules conversion guide for those wanting to play the class with the updated PHB. I hope you enjoy the accursed, leave feedback and possibly play the class in your own games.

Have fun and make sure to play some D&D

Link to the PDF here

[charonarp]

I AM UNCERTAIN???? (Yes this is a repost to make it its own post rather than a repost, looked messy)

I'll try and break down my reasons for these suggested domains (which are not required to follow for these specific deities, do whatever you think feels right .w.)

The asterisk (*) means it is partnered content, and is not considered "official" (I just wanted more options listed)

Irene the Matron

Known to be benevolent and fair, seeing justice throughout the world (speculated to at times be a bit strange), Irene is connected to a lot of things. Rebirth, restoration, light, various stuff.

Why the Light Domain?Well... In the official D&D cleric domain subclass, it is described to promote the ideals of rebirth and renewal, truth, vigilance, and beauty. Aphmau is, while technically Irene herself, is also considered to be a type of reincarnation?

On top of that, Irene gave parts of her god-like abilities in the form of relics (I think????) to the Divine Warriors, granting them immortality. However, instead of being incapable of dying, they're instead put into a cycle of rebirth, which is still a form of immortality in some cases.

On top of that, Irene is often associated with the light. In Diaries Rebirth, Aphmau's markings glow with light whenever using her powers, so it felt like a safe bet to associate her with this suggested domain.

Why the Life Domain?Similar reason to the one above. Deities of life often promote vitality and health through healing the sick and wounded, caring for those in need, something Irene is known to do.

Why the Nature Domain?In Diaries Rebirth, Aphmau is able to heal the land with her divine magic. On top of that, Irene is also known to not just heal people, but also heal crops and nature in order to help others, so it felt fitting.

Why the Peace Domain? The peace domain is a very underused domain in D&D, but despite that, gods of peace inspire people of all sorts to resolve conflict and to stand up against those forces that try to prevent peace from flourishing. This felt like something that'd fit Irene, due to what she's often associated with.

Enki the Keeper

Enki is known to have a thirst for knowledge, especially regarding the arcane. He was one of the easier ones to find connections to.

Why the Arcana Domain?One of the easier ones to explain. He's skilled with magic, and knows how to create magical items out of thin air. Gods of the Arcana domain know the secrets and potential of magic intimately. For some of these gods, magical knowledge is a great responsibility that comes with a special understanding of the nature of reality.

For these reasons, this domain felt fitting for Enki.

Why the Knowledge Domain?Gods of the Knowledge Domain value learning and understanding above all, something that Enki is quite passionate about. He created a massive library to preserve his knowledge and records on the world, and even wrote about each individual Divine Warrior, albeit limited.

Like the Arcana Domain, this one felt self-explanatory

Why the Moon Domain? The Moon Domain is a subclass primarily from the Tal'Dorei Reborn book from Critical Role. It's stated that Moon Clerics are often depicted as guides, and within Gal'ruk, they have the saying "May Enki be with you", which is akin to "may he guide you" or something similar.

Shad the Destroyer

Shad wasn't always the angry, heartless Shadow Lord we know him in the series. This anger mainly stems from his distraught when Irene turns their daughter into a relic, which seems to indicate he is, in a way, a family man.

Why the Blood Domain?The Blood Domain is not part of the official 5e subclasses, but instead comes from the Tal'Dorei Reborn book from Critical Role. Blood Clerics can stem from two paths: Selfishness and Selflessness.

This domain also holds themes in regards to the connection between soul and body, which felt appropriate for what is known about Shadow Knights. It is about the power of sacrifice, the balance between life and death. It's likely Shad uses this domain for more selfish, and more malevolent reasons compared to most.

Why the Death Domain?A fun fact about the Death Domain, that I learned, is that it was originally created for DMs to create a "villainous" cleric, alongside the Oathbreaker Paladin. However, it's mostly evolved into something more.

The Death Domain is concerned with the forces that cause death, as well as the negative energy that gives rise to undead creatures. Because Shadow Knights are labeled as "Undead" within the MCD universe (which will be different for "awakened" Shadow Knights), especially since someone must die and hold a strong sense of vengeance to get Shad's attention, this domain felt suitable.

Why the War Domain?Gods of war watch over warriors and reward them for their great deeds. Some might be good, some bad, others neutral. The reason why I thought this domain would be suitable was because of Shad's militaristic nature we know him for as the Shadow Lord.

Shadow Knights also, for the most part, always stem from a militaristic background for a more "natural" selection, known to be guards under the rule of their respective lords. Because Shad is forming a military of vengeful souls of knighthood, it felt safe to say he would hold influence within the War Domain of clerics.

Esmund the Protector

Esmund is one of Irene's loyal warriors, her shield, and was a major point of conflict between Irene and Shad, as he held feelings for the woman he protected.

While not much is known about him on a personality level, it's clear he's protective, loyal, and self-sacrificial (to a point).

Why the Blood Domain?Although the Blood Domain can be viewed as an "evil" domain, it's far from it, as every domain can be good and evil. The reason behind the decision to grant him access to the Blood Domain (from Tal'Dorei Reborn) was because he appears to be the kind to sacrifice himself to protect others he cares about.

Even though this isn't a very strong reason, it felt suitable for him in some regard.

Why the Light Domain?Even though it's not much, I feel like he'd hold some influence over this domain because of his connection to Irene, or his stance on being her loyal protector.

There's not a lot of "light" symbolism with him outside of his hair and shield, but considering he's an ancestor of Garroth, and seems to hold up a desire of truth and vigilance (in some manner), this domain felt suitable in some regard.

Why the Order Domain?This domain represents discipline, as well as devotion to a type of law, an institution, or a philosophy. In his case, that would be his devotion to Lady Irene.

Esmund is a knight, seemingly more so compared to the other Divine Warriors. Because of this, the Order Domain felt suitable in some regard (yes, this is being repeated).

Why the War Domain?Although Shad may be a god of war in a malevolent sense, I feel as though Esmund would be the "light" version of this domain, but isn't the only one who would be associated with it.

Clerics of the War domain can include champions of honor and chivalry, something that seems to be what Esmund symbolizes in some manner.

Menphia the Fury

While not much is known about Menphia directly, we do know that she is mostly renown within the Tu'la region, and isn't recognized by many within Ru'aun.

Because of the lack of knowledge known of Menphia, there will be some creative interpretations (as there will be for nearly all of these characters).

Why the Forge Domain?Although not much tells us about what Menphia's personality and background is like, we do know that the Tu'la region is more technologically advanced compared to Gal'ruk and Ru'aun, which are more magic-focused.

The Forge domain focuses on what it suggests: a forge. Essentially a blacksmith's path in religion. The domain practices patience and hard work, and that your patience will be rewarded once something is created.

Although this domain doesn't specify what it connects to the most outside of forging, this option felt somewhat suitable to what Menphia might be associated to in some manner.

Why the Light Domain?Even though Esmund and Irene have some influence within this domain, the reason behind this decision is different from theirs. While she may be a Divine Warrior of Irene, my decision for choosing this is its association with fire and sunlight.

As a follow up on the Forge Domain, fire is necessary to make things with a forge, hence its connection. On top of that, the Tu'la region, mostly in regards to Meif'was, seems to have a type of connection or sense of comfort from the sun.

Although not much is known about Menphia, this domain felt suitable for her in some regard.

Why the War Domain?Outside of being a Divine Warrior, the Tu'la region is associated with not only monarchy, but with war as well. It is known to be militaristic and powerful when it comes to technology.

While only vague, it felt somewhat suitable for her in some regard.

Kul'zak the Wanderer

Out of the members of the Divine Warriors, he is one of the few that seems to have the least amount of knowledge known for his personality and behavior.

From what I could find, there's not much in regards to the reasoning behind his title, nor his influence within the history of the Divine Warriors.

Since his title is very vague, much like Menphia's, there will be some creative interpretation.

Why the Grave Domain?This one is an interesting take... Gods of the grave watch over the line between life and death. Followers of this domain also seek to put wandering spirits to rest, destroy the undead, and ease the suffering of the dying.

Deciding to stick with a "Wandering" theme, this domain felt suitable due to its relation to aiding those who wander, such as spirits and undead, hoping to ease other's suffering.

Why the Tempest Domain?This domain is associated with weather, while also being connected to the sea and elements. Many followers of this path may be seafaring folks, and travelers, those who hold courage.

While a good number of gods of this domain are associated with violence and physical strength, it doesn't have to always be the case. This felt suitable in some regard because of its association with travelers (mainly with seafarers).

Why the Twilight Domain?This domain is, functionally, considered a "broken" subclass, as it provides a ridiculous amount of dark vision at level one (in the 2014 edition).

As stated on its page: "Clerics who serve these deities bring comfort to those who seek rest and protect them by venturing into the encroaching darkness to ensure that the dark is a comfort, not a terror."

While not much is known about Kul'zak, this domain felt like something he'd have a connection with. He, along with Menphia were not known to harbor any feelings towards Irene like the other members of the Divine Warriors did, and provided aid when it came to vanquishing Shad.

This gives me the feeling that he's somewhat of a protector, a source of respite for those growing weary from their travels.

Not a lot of these are very strong points, I was just trying to go off what I could find on the Wiki and could come up with ideas that could suit each one.

Of course, deities are not limited to only being followers of clerics, anyone can be religious. Clerics just happen to be followers that devote themselves to the divine and happen to be recognized and granted abilities associated with their respective domain.

You can be a traveling bard who follows the path of Kul'zak, or a fighter who follows the path of Esmund, etc.

And if someone was to play a cleric, I would say that you don't have to limit yourself to these suggested domains to be a follower of one specific deity. That would be very restrictive, and everyone has their own general idea on what domain best fits who.

Anyways, uh...yeah, this is what I got. I'm open to feedback and suggestions! (I will be making a guide on how to make custom deities within this as well, as it was stated that Irene and Shad were blessed by EXISTING GODS that seem to have little to no influence over the main story, so who's to say there can't be more outside of the Divine Warriors? [insert shrug emoji]

[drowsylock]

WORLDBUILDING WEDNESDAY

Zzzz... zzz... *yawn* Oh I'm sorry I didn't see you come in, what was it that I wanted to talk to you about? Oh yeah, it's--

And you know what that means folks, it's time to work on another segment of TTRPG space which can give you and your party an instant upgrade through worldbuilding. Today we're going to talk about something very near and dear to my heart, and one of the *BEST* stylistic choices D&D specifically gives their players (and GMs) to create lore, tension, drive, and the easiest way to foster a roleplaying dynamic for new players, we are of course going to be talking about Warlock Patrons.

Okay- okay- that's enough, don't make me shoo you all away with the broom again... You guys wouldn't believe how hard it is to get those guys out of here, like Cthulhu, much like myself, is always asleep, but he's larger than a small country, how do you even get a eldritch deity to go back to sleep, huh?

Now obviously if you've ever played D&D you've most likely played a warlock, I say this because I mean- look at them, actually look at them. Yeah, they're pretty sexy, and of all the spellcaster classes, it is one of the easiest to start out as. Plus, who doesn't like playing an edgelord from time to time (yes I'm talking to you, young me when you first started playing D&D).

Now one of my favorite mechanics about warlocks is the potential for "soft worldbuilding." Soft worldbuilding in the potential characters who fluctuate around your PC. Of course the biggest option, and who we're talking about today, the Patron, but this can include other warlocks, cultists, otherworldly servants, rival zealots, gods from the same pantheon, etc. etc.

The Patron is unique to the Warlock in that they are, unlike the God of a Cleric, the main influence in your character's choices. Of course there can be devout clerics, where the relationship is more based around the will of a God, and only acts as a figurehead of their chosen deity. But a Cleric at the end of the day can leave their order should they choose to do so. A Warlock is bound by blood and arcana itself to enact their Patron's will until the Patron sees fit to grant them their autonomy, or else everything is ripped away from them.

The Patron's range in DnD 5e is becoming increasingly vast territory including (but not limited to): Archfey, Celestial creatures, Eldritch abominations, Fiends, Genies/Djinn, Eldritch abominations but now underwater, some kind of Shadowfell creature, the Undead, or even... the Undead... again?

You can play something as simple as the Devil--from the bible--to something as unique as... Strahd von Zarovich (are you happy now CoS fans? I finally mentioned him in a post).

But genuinely, no matter what subclass you go with your Patron you as a player, or even as GM with a Warlock PC, have unlocked a chance to Worldbuild and create not only drive for the PC but even your entire party.

A Patron is essentially just someone your PC owes a debt to, this could be due to signing a bargain you didn't understand, them saving your life, them granting you powers, or heck maybe you just ended up being born with a contract attached to you at birth. However it happened, you now owe your life to a being far more powerful than you or anyone around you.

For GMs this gives you a new element to work into your story.

Don't have a BBEG? Problem solved!

You don't know who's puppeting the King of the neighboring nation? Problem solved!

You can't sleep at night even though you're a Half-Elf and you probably don't even need to sleep, so instead you try to work on your spellcraft and instead a traveller in all black clothes arrives in your small apothecary on the outskirts of town, so you wonder "huh... I guess business of any kind is still good business," and thus you help him out, giving him the potions he's looking for, until you notice that what you thought was dried mud caked onto his boots isn't blood...

Uh.... what was my point? Oh yeah... Uhm... The Patron can serve as a narrative antagonist, a fun side character, or even as someone who just moves the plot along.

With this in mind, how can we elevate this already well beloved feature into something that helps worldbuilding for not only the GM but the player as well?

I'm glad you asked, because you have to break it down into a couple of simple starting blocks: 1.) who is your Patron, 2.) why are they your Patron, and 3.) what contract keeps you from leaving their grasp (i.e. what is their end goal with your PC)?

Defining who your Patron is is important.

Without knowing who your patron is you're kinda lost in the dark, I know plenty of players who say "you decide who my patron is GM," and to them I chuckle, bend down to their eye level, and cheerfully say: "NO YOU SILLY HEAD, YOU DECIDE." Patron decision should be made by both the Player and the GM, with more of the weight leaning onto the Player, because ultimately, you should be deciding how you want your character to grow and revolve around the presence of the Patron.

Say you choose Fiend, a perfectly acceptable choice, but you the Player say "I don't care who it is, as long as I get my magic." That instantly tells my brain as a GM there are no real "repercussions" of you being a Warlock, you might as well by a Sorcerer who just gained powers through heritage (nothing against them as a class, but bloodline Sorcerers are the definition of Nepotism).

Your character, at some point in their backstory, became a warlock, you sought it out, sort of like how Pointy Hat defines a Lich, it is not just someone who one day became a Lich, you actively sought out your powers, whether you wanted it or not.

The first step in becoming an "active" warlock (and as a whole, an active player) is choosing that Patron with specificity.

Maybe your Patron is a long dead relative who became an Archfiend through trickery and backstabbing their way through the Nine Hells, now, as they have built up enough power they seek to return to the land of the living.

Maybe your Patron started out as your imaginary friend who you've known since childhood, everyday you and your friend would play dark games around your small town... everyone knew to be wary of you and your supposed friend. As a result of the rumors your well-off family sent you away to learn wizardry in the Kingdom's capital. But there you seemed to flunk out even further. It wasn't until your childhood friend found you in the real world with promises of unimaginable power.

Either way, your Patron should be someone in your character's life, and has now convinced you to become their warlock.

Choosing the why.

In those two prior examples I examined why it's important to choose your Patron, now comes the "why." In both my examples I touched on this a little.

The first example takes the control out of the character's hands, this is what is called a "passive" character, where the story seems to choose the character, rather than the character choosing to become a Warlock. Now this can still be a fun character design, since the Warlock can be actively avoiding their Patron/warlock duties but the party and the GM will eventually have to deal with the fallout of not being an active warlock.

In the second example the character is "active" due to the want of the PC to become more powerful in their arcane studies. Say they were the "golden child" prior to meeting their imaginary friend, they've always been gifted in the ways of magic and have impressed the town elders. By actively signing a contract with their imaginary friend they are wanting to become a warlock and seek out more opportunity for growth.

Either of these options are fine, so long as you give the character something that they are active about. Characters who don't have goals can end up being boring, 1-Dimensional, and shallow.

What would you sell your soul for?

A question asked throughout the ages. What is your soul worth? In the creation of your Patron your PC has accepted that there is someone, of a higher power, that they now serve. It could be for all eternity, it could just be until they finish a quest. Whichever route you choose your character should be active in their need to complete said goals, whether they want to or not.

This gives the PC: agency, side quests from the main plotline, and some sort of antagonist. Note: the Antagonist doesn't necessarily have to be the Patron, the term Antagonist simply implies someone who creates an obstacle for your PC and/or your party.

This gives the GM: a long term villain/aid for the party, a deus ex machina, fun side plots, as well as chances to flesh out parts of the world/campaign you may not have already thought out.

The contract should include what your Warlock's set "timeline" is (whether for a couple years to all of eternity), what is being given up as collateral (i.e. a soul, loved ones, your actual physical form, your mind, etc.), and what they're giving in return (usually just magic, but it doesn't always have to be).

Here are two examples of some contracts drafter up for our previous two "Pact of the Fiend" Warlocks:

Scenario #1:

When you found your mother's chest of things buried deep in the cellar of your ancestral home you hoped it may explain her rather strange disappearance. Yet when all you found was the strange amulet the doubts began creeping back into your mind. Your mind filled with your father's half drunken voice as you began to listen to his outlandish theories. "The daughter of a devil," your mind began to mimic, you hated that he may be right, and in defeat began to turn back to the ancient wooden steps... but not before the smell of brimstone began to fill the air...

From out of the corner of your eye do you see bright red flames erupting from the floorboards, and before you stands what seems like any ordinary many... and yet... perhaps 300 years out of date?

He greets you in a strange tongue, you try to yell for your father to come rescue you, but everything feels eerily quiet. The man assures you that no one else can hear you, except for him. He introduces himself as Rhemann Morsk, your great-great-great-great-great grandfather, and the founder of your family's great lineage. He reveals he was once a petty thief before stealing the throne of a powerful lord, yet even that was not enough for him, and soon Rhemann started studying the occult, and was even able to traverse time and space to the Nine Hells... although with disastrous consequences. Seeing as he was now trapped in the Hells, he sought to use every source of cunning that he used in the mortal world to his advantage. He made his way up the food chain to become an Archfiend, and a powerful one at that.

Now he has been reawakened to the mortal plane, and he plans to use you as his conduit. You beg for him to leave and to use someone else, but he assures you-- only you can be his surrogate for you have his amulet, and whoever so wears it shall be his surrogate on earth. But he comforts you, serve him for all eternity and he will grant you immeasurable power... and perhaps... he will even show you where your long lost mother resides.

Scenario #2:

You've been sitting in your "Conjurations 101" class for what seems like hours. All that fills your mind is that you have to go to your next class, and the next one, and the next one, and the next one. This all feels so... beneath you. At least back in Whiteoak you were considered one of the most powerful spellcasters of your generation. Those rotten Swiftglow twins wouldn't dare mess with you by the time you and Zan were done with them.

Zan, now that's not a name you haven't thought of in a long time. You wondered late into the midnight hours every night of whether Zan was real. But you guessed it hardly mattered any more. You were an adult now, doing real things. Even if they were so incredibly boring.

Days passed by, classes continued, and one day you decided to just skip Conjuration, besides you already knew what they were talking about, something about Hadar's arms? You would investigate the forbidden section of the library whilst your classmates took a nice nap during class. Yet, whilst you walked the narrow corridors of the ancient college you saw something you hadn't seen in nearly 10 years... a familiar young boy, dressed in black, with deep amber eyes. It had to be Zan.

"Hello friend... it has been quite some time..." he seemed to say with a far deeper voice than you remembered.

You chuckles and tried to laugh him off. Yet when you turned the corner there he was again. Zan tries to tell you how hard it was to see you slog the last decade alone, why not invite him into your life again? Why not let him in?

You could have all the power you ever dreamed... and so... so... so much more. All you have to do was to let Zan in.

And just like that, that's Warlock Patrons! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did writing it. Until... *yawn* until... Zzzz... next... time... ZZzzz... Zzz...

[dungeonmastersconsortium]

Would you use a D&D 5e Homebrew "Heroic Action" System?

The idea is that your players, outside of rolls and hard mechanics can CHOOSE to have a heroic moment and influence the story in a way that they want to. The DM can negotiate what's possible, and offer them something like a Minor, Major, or Grave Consequence. Essentially, it's a player getting to choose a moment to shine in exchange for the DM giving the player a disadvantage or long term consequence.

And please don't comment or tag with systems that have similar mechanics/systems. I'm already aware of them, and yes, they'll have an influence on this.

[jaypea00101010]

Expanded Optional Class Features!

Over my time playing 5e there's a few small tweaks I've wanted to make to the core classes, below are just a few of the tweaks I personally use at my tables!

Below are optional class features for Barbarians, Clerics, Monks, Paladins, Rangers and Warlocks, with reasoning given for them all

Barbarian

Ancestral Rage

Rage stops barbarians casting spells, but that leaves races that get spells a little high and dry, not able to use their spells in most fights, this is intended to fix that. Nothing super crazy, but tiefling barbarians will have just a little more fun.

Unending Rage

The latest barbarian playtests have let barbarians use bonus actions to keep raging, and let them rage for 10 minutes. While I think this doesn't really work thematically, it made me realise Rage probably shouldn't be as limited either. Will this come up much, not really, but it's a little less tracking and it's more thematic.

Unshakeable Rage

Force damage is becoming a lot more common on higher CR monsters, so having resistance to it for barbarians is pretty important. It's a fix to the main problem I have with barbarians, like I spoke about in THIS tumblr post.

Cleric

Channel Divinity: Spirit Guardians

Once again this is a fix to my biggest problem with the class, I don't really think turn undead is thematic for all clerics, but I think the spirit guardians spell both is pretty thematic for all clerics (or can easily be reflavoured to be), and is such a must pick for the class, it should just be built in, so this does! Scales with your proficiency bonus so it'll stay useful at all levels, and frees up your third level slots for something else

Monk

Overflowing Ki

Monks need more ki points, and while this might look like it's giving them less at first, the recharge on this is a lot better, you might have less ki points overall, but you'll have all of them for all every combat

Perfect Flow

Similarly to overflowing ki, monks deserve a better capstone, so this is it, a constant flow of ki points, so you can always do what you need in a fight

Paladin

Swear Your Oath

Again a fix to my biggest problem with paladins. The source of sorcerers power is their subclass, so they get it at level 1, same with clerics and warlocks, so why not paladins? This feature, while not doing anything mechanical, helps the thematics of paladins immensely

Ranger

Mark Foe

Potentially the first part of a full ranger rework, rangers need a better feature than Favoured Enemy, and this is it. In an ideal world rangers would have a core class feature like this that subclasses could build off...... maybe....

Survivalist's Spellcasting

Another fix, rangers are the masters of the wilderness, they should be able to prepare for any situation.... but no, they're known casters, well no longer

Warlock

Eldritch Blast

The final fix I've spoken about before, it's such a must-have, that it just needs to be a class feature. Plus having it be a class feature means it doesn't scale with multiclassing which helps a lot (still not quite enough to stop hexblades, but I've got another fix there

Cunning Contract

Warlocks were int based in the D&DNext playtests, and they still absolutely make sense to be, so this just does that!

[dungeonmalcontent]

Normally I don't need the spite to motivate me. But someone seriously needs to cast some doubts about my ability to do this necromancy class document. Because it's taking a while to sit down and actually focus on it.

[ibd-5e]

[starkindart]

I can finallyyy post this now that we've had the relevant D&D session and it won't be spoiling anything 🤭 I had the best time playing Marius at a winter ball event, shit's getting real 👀

[oneshotsfunshots]

Homebrew DnD One-Shot #8

[PDF]

[homebrew-a-la-traumaverse]

Subclasseptember Day 30

Let's say you could make a wish to change one thing about Dungeons and Dragons.

Not the culture surrounding it, not the business practices of the company that owns it, not the various tweets that have become immortalized over the years. The game itself. The rules and mechanics that define the game you're playing.

For myself, a few years ago, it would have been that there was no way to really unify the things I wanted out of a character. You can cast a spell, or you can hit the enemy with a sword; those are two separate actions, Smites and Scagtrips notwithstanding.

If you're a Paladin, you can choose to smite your enemies, or you can choose to heal your friends. Your support abilities and your martial abilities are contained away in neat little boxes that never mix.

What if you supported your allies in the process of attacking?

Well. You might get something a lot like the Magical Girl.

(featuring: Like 10 more pages of material that didn't fit here, 4 subclasses, a level of customization similar to the Warlock, and ethically-sourced Creative Commons art with absolutely zero AI input.)

Link below in the reblogs.

[roserysttrpggarden]

Exalted Playtest 1

Hello there users of tumblr, after a long time in development, I now present the first playtest of the Exalted (Formerly known as the avatar) class for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition. Originally created as part of my "Homebrew Class Design for Dummies" series, the exalted is a class based on divine heros such as Hercules, Sun Wukong, Cú Chulainn and Maui. As well as the Exalted TTRPG. You are a once ordinary individual that-through one way or another has been imbued with a spark of divine power, you now wield aspects of godly power as you carve your own legacy, weather that be as a great hero, a wise mentor or even a malevolent conqueror.

Playing an Exalted

For the most part, the exalted is a standard martial class, you choose your favorite weapon and you attack with it. However, the exalted has three core characteristics that make it stand out compared to other marital classes. Those being Willpower Points. Each time the exalted takes the attack action, it gains a willpower point, for every willpower point is has accrued it gains a bonus to the damage rolls of its divine implement (The classes signature weapon) Willpower points can also be spent to utilize special abilities, known as Providences

Providence Abilities: Providence abilities are miniature spell like abilities the exalted can preform by spending their willpower points, one example is "Split Heaven and Earth" which allows the exalted to cause a small earthquake, dealing damage to creatures in a 30-foot cone or 50 foot line, as well as creating difficult terrain. Providence abilities are granted both through your subclass, as well as through your epithets

Epithets: Epithets are the other main feature of the exalted, acting like a mix of warlock invocations and channel divinities, they grant you a unique providence ability. As well as granting you a passive ability known as a boon that enhances your capabilities.

Design Goals

Overall my goals for the exalted class are both A: To provide a more in depth and customizable martial and B: To make a class with the same level of flexbility as a cleric (Ie: where a whole party can play a cleric and still fill very distinctive roles) I also wanted the class to sort of redefine how the player thinks of the attack action, similar to a bladesinger wizard or the fizbans dragonborns. Hence why a good chunk of the providence abilities replace an attack action.

That's about all I have to say on the exalted playtest, the document also includes two new conditions, as well as a conversion guide for using the class with 2024 rules. I hope you'll read through the document, give me any feedback you got and possibly use this class for your own tables. Have fun and make sure to play some D&D

[kowaipun]

Gay Icon The Babadook

This clip is from our live streamed dnd game on Twitch. It takes place in the ancient greek inspired lands of Materia, a land where beings from Faerie steal children away during the night. Parents tell stories to their children about the witch in the woods, and mean it. Gods of the celestial plane often interact with mortals, not uncommonly to their detriment, while mortals still pay tribute at temples, and pray for safety or favor. Stories of Demi-gods and mythical beast fill the scrolls of authors and the mouths of storytellers. Our story revolves around 6 beings, neither mortal nor god, but somewhere in between. Each with a destiny to play in the upcoming events, whether it be small or large.

Interested? our socials here: https://linktr.ee/Lifeofdice

[drowsylock]

DUNGEONS

Hellooooooooo everyone it's Drowsy and I have not post nearly as much as I wanted to on here (or anywhere TBH) and I wanted to start off today by reinstating a favorite of mine-- what's that? You have no clue what I'm talking about. Oh, how sorry I am, let me backup, because today is--

Every(ish) Wednesday I like to try and do a thingy thing-- a worldbuilding thingy thing. And I haven't been doing that, which is so very sad. Which is also why I'm bringing it back!

Now for today I'm gonna be talking about something who is, I'd say, very past the cultural zeitgeist now (by a couple months) which is Dungeon Meshi, why? Because I only recently finished the series and it pertains to today's topic-- DUNGEONS.

Why Dungeons? Well 1.) because I feel like they can still serve a purpose in modern D&D/other TTRPGs, 2.) they don't get enough love (in my opinion), and 3.) I plan to use Dungeons (or rather one honkin' huge one) in my own project. Sound good? Awesome.

First what is a Dungeon? Merriam-Webster describes them as "a dark usually underground prison or vault." Which I like but we can do better.

For simplicity sake we are going to describe a dungeon as "an obscured, usually maze-like, structure which gives host to a particular adventure or set of adventures." Vague, but pointedly vague.

Now the thing about my style of game, whether or not it's D&D, is it's always always roleplay based, I've never been a big "Dungeon-Crawler" GM, but I used to be a big "Dungeon-Crawler" player, which comes with I think just the crowds I was playing with when I was first introduced to the game and the community (y'know, way back when). But there isn't anything wrong with playing dungeon crawls, I just like my game a bit more grounded in reality. That was until I discovered a world, or rather series that tackles that dungeon crawling in such a unique and interesting way, I am of course referring to--

Delicious in Dungeons otherwise known by it's far more popular name, Dungeon Meshi. This series has a real nostalgic vibe for me, like an old school game but played by a serious GM and party who want to push the boundaries of their game. That is of course thanks to the creator Ryoko Kui and her deep love of all things fantasy.

Well what makes it so fresh and new in the staple of an already heavy and preexisting genre of fantasy, well for starters, and the most obvious, is the cooking element. Each monster has its own unique worldbuilding, flavor, and unique ways to be vital to a single episode of the series. There is also the subtle worldbuilding and lore of the dungeon itself which defines the dungeon and gives it its own personality. There is also the use of fantasy staples (Halfling rogue, Human fighter, Elf who's good at magic, big strong Dwarf) and turning those tropes on their head (Halfling who's in his 40s, Human leader who isn't charismatic, Elf who isn't always good at magic, Dwarf who likes cooking). All of this combines to make a setting which feels uniquely its own.

Now, of course Dungeon Meshi is just one fine example of this worldbuilding but there are many more, each with their own unique styles, lore, creatures, treasures, etc. But how can we make *YOUR* dungeons more interesting?

The Flavor: well for any good Dungeon it should take on a sort of character of its own, you can make your dungeons unique by giving them their own character traits.

Think of unique descriptors or traits that would flavor your dungeon to have a specific pizzazz. For one of my settings "Carved from Ruin" dungeon delving is a key role in the story, so to distinguish them they each have their own flavors: one of them is buried deep in the dessert, washed away under a mountain of sand and acts more like a pyramid lost beneath the sands. Another one could be a necromancer's laboratory with a keen sense for undeath. Yet another could be trapped between dimensions and splits between the different realms of existence between layers.

Either way you go about it, each dungeon should feel uniquely its own. Think of different places, reasons, and types of dungeons that would be built.

The Monsters: now I don't suggest spending time developing what each and every monster tastes like (unless you're into that kind of thing) but give the dungeon unique monsters, not just your run of the mill goblins, ghouls, and other g-starting-words. Make them feel varied and like a orchestra of different beings.

I for one don't subscribe to the idea of "evil races" in any TTRPG, there are evil people who do evil things, but not every one of a group is evil. Goblins might rob you because they need money for their desolate villages to trade with their Dwarven neighbors, and skeletons might be able to reconnect to their souls from when they were alive. However, some animals or creatures may act on instinct, such as slimes may detect you as a food source and they need more nutrients than rat dung and bones. A pack of roaming basilisks may have set up nests in the depths of a dungeon for protection.

Each monster/animal/creature should have purpose, and purpose more than just "I'm evil!" Good storytelling comes when stories cross and blend into one or many different stories.

And finally, we have play with the status quo. The norm of the dungeon should not be the norm of the surface world, things get weird down here. I almost use Dungeons as the Wild Wests of my settings, where nearly everything is legal and laws go out the window.

Perhaps the nearby dungeon serves as the home of the town's Black Market, or rather its been taken over by turncoat Adventurers who have become more like poachers. Either way these Dungeons don't work well with the "status quo" of the above world.

Aaaaand yeah! I hope all those were helpful, and let me know if this is something you're interested in seeing in the future! I worked hard on this one and maybe later I'll talk about my own project. Any ways I hope to see you all again very very soon. And with that... *yawn* I'm... uh... Zzzz... Zzz... Drowsy... Zzzz...

[theworldbrewery]

OK so i can't in good conscience recommend giving your players new versions of their character sheets with effed-up Alt-Universe biographies, making them stew on it for a week, and then running a level 12/13 "get the party together for the first time" session, because technically player agency is one of the cardinal rules of D&D

but

the energy at the table last night was incredible.

my PCs went into the Loom of Fate to cut themselves off from their destinies, with the end goal of becoming superpowered and maybe ascending to godhood. I gave them new character sheets for their characters and 1-page biographies, and threw them into an alternate universe/timeline.

given the context of fates and destinies, this was a more safe move to pull than it usually would be and they are LOVING it so I'm glad I didn't chicken out. the bard became a bardlock. the fighter changed subclasses! and i swear they've never been happier at the table, it feels so counter-intuitive and yet it WORKS. In part because some of the magical sacrifices they've made to the gods and the efforts they've already made towards ascension are still impacting them in the AU timeline, but now their characters lack the context! it's delicious.

so anyway. don't do this. but if you do, you've got to put in 4 years of play-time to set up an AU where every difference in the timeline is sizzling with tension and establish the themes and internal consistency of sacrifices and power and fate and escaping fate and give them built-in stakes that play into the original timeline threats But Worse Now, because the PCs weren't there in the past to intervene!

[dungeonofthedragon]

Two weeks until Illambria! Currently getting the Player Options ready for the big day.

Here's a sneaky preview of some heritage features! Once again, featuring @onemillionwordsofcrap's incredible butch sabertooth.