April 16th, 2018
Greetings fellow adventurers!
This update provides users the ability to create their own Homebrew Character Subclasses!
The homebrew subclasses will not only provide textual data in their own listing and details pages, but will also allow users to select subclasses and have their effects applied in the character builder!
The main homebrew page has been updated with a slot for subclasses:
And now there is a listing page for homebrew subclasses:
Currently, you can filter by name, author, the base class (Fighter, Rogue, Wizard, etc.) of the subclass, and which spell casting ability score (INT, WIS, etc.) that the subclass may use. Additional filtering may be added in the future, based on feedback.
As with other homebrew-able data, you can either create a homebrew subclass from an existing, publicly available subclass to use as a guide, or create one from scratch.
You must first select a base class to build your subclass on top of. Once a base class is selected, you can either create a copy of a subclass that you have access to, or create a new subclass from scratch.
Let's dive in and create a brand new subclass for Rogue, called the "Inquisitor" (think, church assassin).
The starting form is fairly simple, Name, Version, Short Description, Description fields are pretty standard to all our homebrewable data. The next few boxes are interesting, though. Want to make a Barbarian with spellcasting like Arcane Trickster or Eldritch night? Now you can. Buy using the spell casting related fields choose the stat for your spell casting modifier, what list of spells the subclass has access to and if the spells are learned (like a Wizard) or known (like a Cleric). You can check out the tooltips on the fields for more specifics.
Since our Inquisitor works for the church, let's give him access to the Cleric spell list:
With the starting information filled in, we'll save our process, which will now allow us to start entering our class features:
The name and description fields are pretty straight forward, the Multiclass Description field is used if any additional text is needed when multiclassing with this subclass. The actions fields (not currently used in the current character sheet, but will be in the new one), allow us to group data on the new character sheet by Actions / Reactions / Bonus Actions / Other, etc. So, while you won't see any immedaite use of populating these fields, they will be utilized once the new character sheet is launched.
NOTE: If you want to give a subclass access to spells in the character sheet, for a base class that doesn't typically have spell casting access (like Fighter, Rogue, etc), you MUST create a class feature for your subclass named Spellcasting:
Likewise, you can create a class feature called Pact Magic to give your subclass Warlock-type access to spells.
Class Features can also have options that characters can choose from (like Maneuvers for a Battlemaster Fighter.) Once your Class Feature is created you can then enter Options.
Both Class Features and Class Feature Options can have Modifiers, Spells, and Limited Use applied. Let's give our Inquisitor a Class Feature called Vigilant.
And apply the modifier, which adds the character's WIS Mod to their DEX Mod for the character's base initiative:
And now, looking at the character's Initiative on the their character sheet:
We can see the character's base Initiative is +10.
The modifier, spell, and limited use sections are the same as what's used in our other homebrewable data, and James has a bunch of creation guides on building homebrew on DDB, so please reference some of those great guides for guidelines on using those forms. And I'm sure James will be doing a detailed guide for subclasses too :)
One additional sub section for a Class Feature is Level Scaling. This form is used for effects that scale based on class level (like Superiority Dice for Battle Master:)
Also with this release, we have enabled commenting, ratings, and reporting on ALL published homebrew. The homebrew author can control turning commenting on / off for their published homebrew:
Once comments are enabled, a commenting section will be available at the bottom of the details page:
Homebrew Authors will also receive notifications when users comment on their creations.
For Ratings, logged-in users can rate a homebrew up or down, by using the ratings controls at the bottom of detail pages:
A user can undo their vote after voting, but are never allowed to vote more than once:
The rated values are now displayed in a new sortable column on the homebrew listings:
We've also added the ability for logged-in users to send in reports for published homebrew items. Our moderator staff is automatically notified of these reports. So no more trying to PM a mod directly if you see something suspect on a published piece of homebrew. The Report button is located at the bottom of the details page:
We've also added the Add / Remove Collection button on the bottom of the details pages as well.
Hopefully, these quality of life improvements to all homebrew will provide for better community engagement and use of all the fabulous homebrew data being created on DDB.
If you haven't seen any of James' great in-depth guides on creating various types of homebrew on DDB, please check them out!
Races, Backgrounds, Feats, Magic Items, Monsters, and Spells
We're really excited to see all the wonderful subclasses that the community creates!
Next up for part of the dev team - source management for content sharing!
Happy homebrewing!
Then, once you have saved your feature, use the "add spells" option below the feature. Choose "Yes" to the question "Always Prepared?" and specify "Available at Character Level" (1,3,5,7, or 9, for each added spell).
Update: ok, that's strange. If you create a cleric subclass by selecting the Life Domain as template, the Domain Spells feature isn't there. But if you choose the Forge Domain (and perhaps others), the Domain Spells feature is there to edit as needed...
Omission for Life Domain?
Hi to everyone who has been asking about adding spells specific to subclasses!
To add to the answer already here, I have just wrote some detailed instructions for a user who has asked a similar question on the forum - apologies that I did not see your posts here first. Check out the post here - and remember that, as opposed to cleric spells in the post I've just linked to, warlock spells DO count as a known spell and are NOT always prepared.
Let me know if you need any more help!
EDIT: Some guy called Hartless just updated how subclass spells work, just as I posted this. (I'm not bitter, nope... ;D) Thanks to this amazing change, adding expanded spells is easier than ever - there is a new field called 'Additional Specific Spells' beneath your subclass's description, within its Basic Information. Just don't forget to let your users know what spells you've added there! Let me know if anyone needs help with the new way to add expanded spells.
Is it possible to replace/remove class features using a subclass? My specific goal is to remove the spells granted by the base class and replace them entirely with homebrew spells (which are all just copies of the real spells). I tried creating an empty feature named "Spellcasting" hoping that it would replace the base class' spellcasting so I could just assign spells to the subclass, but the site just spun forever when I tried assigning the subclass to a character.
The campaign I'm planning has a somewhat reworked magic system; all the same spells still exist, but they are mixed around to different classes. Making a homebrew copy of a spell and assigning it to a different class is easy, but taking a spell away from a class seems less so. I can obviously tell my players to ignore the non-homebrew spells, but that makes for a very cluttered interface during spell selection. It might be my solution, though...
Any idea how to do a "substitute X for Y" type calculation? For instance, I want to be able to allow my new Wizard subclass to use either Intelligence or Dexterity for initiative. Any way to calculate that? Can't find an existing subclass to emulate...
I'm basically making the Jack of All Trades ability. How do I "Add Half Proficiency Bonus UNLESS already proficient"
Any hope to homebrew CLASSES?
I’m very excited about using this feature. It seems like a really cool system. I’m wondering though, if you guys intend on making the option to create a whole new class (not just a subclass) in the future. Or if you plan on including the Artificer class in your Unearthed Arcana content available on DnD Beyond. I play a lot of different homebrew classes that are not subclasses, and I also play an Artificer and would love to be able to keep track of my characters on DnD Beyond. In any case, thank you for making this available. It’s super cool.
Yes, you will be able to make a full class, this has been announced but not released. This isn't one of their priorities.
Unearthed Arcana is only on DnDBeyond during the playtest period. After the period closes they remove the content.
Question I am trying to build a similar feature to font of magic (sorcerer) for a wizard subclass on the request of one of my players. I figured out how to build the base level font of magic effect pretty easily but what I don't know is how to set it up to add a new point each level. Any advice would be appreciated. I am currently playing around with setting it on the level scaling but I am unsure if that will have the desired effect
Hi! I've created a (wizard spell list) spell casting rogue, with the spellcasting feature. Now when I use the subclass, it won't let me load up the class editor. Any help?
I don't believe I saw a similar question to this, but is/will there be a way to create a subclass that doesn't use magic from a class that normally does. For example, create a magic-less ranger? Specifically, I want to make it so that character cannot choose any spells. If this is/won't be possible, then why does it give the option to say no, a certain subclass can't cast spells?
I'm wicked bummed that it's so hard to implement custom classes, because this is SO CLOSE but it's not really enough to, for example, implement the Mystic from Unearthed Arcana or the modern / sci fi classes in Ultramodern 5, The 5th Age, Esper Genesis or Hyperlanes. So a lot of the really weird campaigns I'm either in or trying to run can't use the tool.
The primary competition this tool has with other similar / unofficial tools is the ability for the GM to do this kind of weird off-book stuff. If even one character in the campaign is using a class from a third party source book or from old Unearthed Arcana... there's no way to make that happen in this tool.
Anyway, custom subclasses are huge, and you're doing a lot of amazing work and I understand that it's just really a lot of work to go back and make it so a player can build custom classes. This signals that you understand what players want and are working toward it and I love that. It gives me hopes that some day we might see homebrew classes, though that day may be rather far out. I'd love to be using this for all of my campaigns.
I am having issue creating class feature options that appear in the dropdown menu in character creation for a subclass I am making.
I can create the class feature, and I can change the class feature to have options, and I can type in options for this class feature just fine. However, when I then go into character creation and pick my Homebrew subclass and click on the "Choose a Level 3 Option" drop down menu, none of my options appear, leaving a blank "Choose a Level 3 Option". I have been at this almost all day, and none of my google searches have yielded any useful information. What am I doing wrong? Is it perhaps a bug?
How did you even pick your homebrew subclass? I can't find it during the character creation process.