so I have wanted to try and make a werewolf style character somehow and it just dawned on me that barbarians could be a perfect fit with their raging and all. I have made a first pass at a hombrew for this, but would like some feedback as I try to make this an actual balanced thing. Please let me know your thoughts:
I have thought about how best to maybe incorporate a regeneration quality or others, but I'm afraid id be adding too many features. I look forward to your thoughts! Thanks
Exhaustion is removed by a long rest and 6 levels of it is instant death. I do not suggest making gaining a level of it a requirement of raging with this subclass. Not only that, but it's obviously the main idea as all other features seem to be based on it. Perhaps alter the mechanic to make it something you can choose to do rather than have to and maybe add a feature that lets the barbarian remove 1 level of exhaustion on a short rest. I also suggest having Keen Scent (Advantage on Perception checks that involve smell) available to the barbarian even outside of the transformation, this will add some out-of-combat utility as well as something that they don't have to rage to get out of this subclass. Remember, to maintain a rage a barbarian must attack or be attacked every round.
I felt the exhaustion was an important rp element surrounding so I’m trying to figure out a way to balance it. Rage still triggers the transformation, but it can now last for up to 10 min, other conditions of rage still apply. I also made bloodlust a tool to remove exhaustion which I feel also fits in the rp since werewolves and such are supposed to have uncanny stamina.
finally, I took keen scent and uncanny senses and made them just normal resting abilities so that there are some features available while not transformed and I think this still fits the rp.
with these changes, are any of the features op or underwhelming? Again, I have not played barbarian before so I’m curious for community feedback. Thanks.
The idea of restoring on a kill is interesting, the usefulness would vary based on the campaign. To some up my feelings on it, it's fine and an interesting idea that should have popularity, but I don't expect WotC to ever use a similar mechanic (since I'm assuming your not trying to sell it to WotC, your fine on this). I suggest a slight rewriting of Lycan Transformation. It says, "When your rage ends, you return to your normal form and suffer one level of exhaustion.", but it also says, "The transformation lasts for up to 10 min." So I'm uncertain if the Transformation lasts for 10 minutes while Raging and then the Transformation ends while the Rage continues if you manage to make it actually last that long, or if the rules for how Rage continues is being changed to 10 minutes.
Overall the subclass is good to go, you just need to do a once over with the writing; make sure everything is in order and make sure that the majority will be able to understand your intent.
Thanks for the feedback. I intended to make the rage last longer due to the penalty associated and the rp element so I fixed that. Final version below:
so I have wanted to try and make a werewolf style character somehow and it just dawned on me that barbarians could be a perfect fit with their raging and all. I have made a first pass at a hombrew for this, but would like some feedback as I try to make this an actual balanced thing. Please let me know your thoughts:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/subclasses/288543-path-of-the-lycan
*latest version*
I have thought about how best to maybe incorporate a regeneration quality or others, but I'm afraid id be adding too many features. I look forward to your thoughts! Thanks
Exhaustion is removed by a long rest and 6 levels of it is instant death. I do not suggest making gaining a level of it a requirement of raging with this subclass. Not only that, but it's obviously the main idea as all other features seem to be based on it. Perhaps alter the mechanic to make it something you can choose to do rather than have to and maybe add a feature that lets the barbarian remove 1 level of exhaustion on a short rest. I also suggest having Keen Scent (Advantage on Perception checks that involve smell) available to the barbarian even outside of the transformation, this will add some out-of-combat utility as well as something that they don't have to rage to get out of this subclass. Remember, to maintain a rage a barbarian must attack or be attacked every round.
Thanks! That is good feedback. I have never played a barbarian before so some of these nuances are new to me. I revised the path of the Lycan below:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/subclasses/287787-path-of-the-lycan
I felt the exhaustion was an important rp element surrounding so I’m trying to figure out a way to balance it. Rage still triggers the transformation, but it can now last for up to 10 min, other conditions of rage still apply. I also made bloodlust a tool to remove exhaustion which I feel also fits in the rp since werewolves and such are supposed to have uncanny stamina.
finally, I took keen scent and uncanny senses and made them just normal resting abilities so that there are some features available while not transformed and I think this still fits the rp.
with these changes, are any of the features op or underwhelming? Again, I have not played barbarian before so I’m curious for community feedback. Thanks.
The idea of restoring on a kill is interesting, the usefulness would vary based on the campaign. To some up my feelings on it, it's fine and an interesting idea that should have popularity, but I don't expect WotC to ever use a similar mechanic (since I'm assuming your not trying to sell it to WotC, your fine on this). I suggest a slight rewriting of Lycan Transformation. It says, "When your rage ends, you return to your normal form and suffer one level of exhaustion.", but it also says, "The transformation lasts for up to 10 min." So I'm uncertain if the Transformation lasts for 10 minutes while Raging and then the Transformation ends while the Rage continues if you manage to make it actually last that long, or if the rules for how Rage continues is being changed to 10 minutes.
Overall the subclass is good to go, you just need to do a once over with the writing; make sure everything is in order and make sure that the majority will be able to understand your intent.
Thanks for the feedback. I intended to make the rage last longer due to the penalty associated and the rp element so I fixed that. Final version below:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/subclasses/288543-path-of-the-lycan