This is my first homebrew subclass and I need some thoughts on it:
The ferroknight is a fighter who can magically manipulate magnetism. Rather than become a spellcaster with this ability, the fighter decided a control of metal would be more efficient for a warrior on the front lines, bending the weapons of enemies and crushing them in their own armor. Aside from 3rd level offering some equipment-related buffs to combat, the ferroknight's main attraction (pun intended) is battlefield control. It's rather niched around opponents in metal armor, so primarily it's good for fighting civilized humanoids, which in some campaigns would be pretty effective if you're in a war or constantly anger the city guards. (I'm looking at you, chaotic neutral bard)
3rd level: Magnetism: Beginning when you take this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the following features:
Magnetized Armor. You cannot be disadvantaged in Stealth checks due to wearing armor and you cannot have your speed inhibited by lacking the necessary Strength score to wear it.
Magnetized Weapon. You can wield heavy and two-handed weapons made of metal in one hand. You can also deal two-handed damage with versatile weapons made of metal while wielding them in one hand.
Rail Weapon. Any melee weapon made of metal you hold gains the thrown (30/60) property. You can recall a thrown metallic weapon to your free hand using a bonus action. You can use this to disarm a creature holding a metal weapon within normal throwing range if they fail on a DC 12 Strength saving throw. This DC is lowered to 8 when attempting to disarm them at long range.
7th level: Field of Polarity: At 7th level, you can use your action to create a 10-foot radius sphere of magnetic polarity centered on yourself for 1 minute. This sphere is treated as difficult terrain to hostile creatures with equipment made of metal, and they have disadvantage on attacks made from within it. You can use this feature twice per long rest.
10th level: Hold Armor: At 10th level, you can use your action to choose up to 5 creatures within 60 feet that are wearing metal armor. Targets must succeed on a Strength saving throw against a DC of 14 or be paralyzed for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, a target can make another Strength saving throw. On a success, they break free of the paralysis. You can use this effect on up to 5 creatures, refreshed upon completing a long rest. Uses of this effect are only spent on a successful paralysis of the target.
15th level: Magnetic Storm: At 15th level, you can use your action to create a magnetic storm within a 25-foot radius sphere centered at your location for 1 minute. All creatures who start their turn in or enter the sphere must make a DC 14 Strength saving throw or become magnetized. While magnetized creatures remain in your magnetic storm, you can use a bonus action to push or pull up to 2 creatures up to 10 feet towards you or away from you. You cannot push them outside the magnetic storm. At the end of each of its turns, a creature can make another Strength saving throw. On a success, they break free of the storm's hold. The magnetized effect ends naturally when the storm ends. You can use this feature once per long rest.
18th level: Ferrous Flight: At 18th level, while wearing metal armor, you gain a flying speed of 40 feet. You can grant other creatures a flying speed of 20 feet if they are also wearing metal armor, but they must be within 60 feet of you to retain this flight. If they are in the air when they lose their flying speed, they fall to the ground.
Some interesting ideas here! I've a text wall of comments (not intended to be negative, just thoughts on possible tweaks/improvements):
Magnetized Weapon: Mechanically you may have a few issues to address; is this intended to allow you to wield two pikes with Dual Wielder? How are two-handed ranged weapons (like a longbow) intended to work (do you want a fighter running around with a greataxe in one hand and a longbow in the other yet still somehow firing the longbow)?
In case it helps, I've got some homebrew for large races and have been refining a similar rule for how they can wield a single two-handed or versatile "medium" weapon, and the latest iteration of the rule is:
You may wield one medium sized or smaller two-handed or versatile weapon in one of your hands with the same effectiveness as if you were wielding it in two. You may only wield a ranged weapon in this way if it has the loading or reload property.
Just to let you see how I've setup a similar rule after a bunch of playtesting and iterations, as you could maybe tweak this to fit your intended theme.
More generally though I wonder if there should still be a benefit to wielding a weapon properly; for my large races wielding a medium weapon like this is an alternative to wielding a proper "large" version of the same weapon which deals either +2 damage or has reach, so you have a choice between a large greataxe, or a medium greataxe plus shield, which keeps the weapons somewhat balanced. As it is your current rule makes all other weapons redundant as they simply deal less damage with no benefits of their own, so I think there should either be a benefit to still using two hands, or a benefit that applies to other weapons to balance it out.
Rail Weapon: I'd maybe tweak the recall wording a bit to something like "You can magnetically pull a metal weapon you can see within 60 feet into a free hand as a bonus action. If the weapon is held by a creature, it must make a Strength saving throw with a DC of 6 + your proficiency bonus to prevent this, or a DC of 10 + your proficiency bonus if it is within 30 feet." or something along those lines? This way it scales, and makes clear this is a feature not just for your own weapons (there's currently a bit of a disconnect in the wording).
Magnetized Armor: Instead of eliminating stealth disadvantage, would it maybe make more sense to be able to doff the armour as an action, but then recall and don it in the same way as for rail weapon as a bonus action? i.e- if you need to sneak in somewhere, you'd doff your armour, stealth in, and if combat occurs your recall you armour as a bonus action to reattach to your body (like in the later Iron Man movies)? This would feel more "magnetic" IMO, though it might need some restrictions (unobstructed path for the armour, maybe a range limit)?
Field of Polarity: I like this idea, but I wonder if might make sense to make it a bit weaker but give it more, scaling uses (e.g- proficiency uses), maybe limiting the disadvantage to only attacks against yourself (so it's a purely defensive feature rather than an aura debuff)? Also I assume that the effect is intended to move with the player, but this may need to be specified?
Hold Armor: Interesting feature! The DC should probably be based on something (number + proficiency bonus?) so it can scale up at higher levels. Could probably use some clarification on the number of uses; is it five uses per long rest, but you can spend as many as you like as a single action? I'm a little unsure about being able to hit five targets at once on top of Field of Polarity, it might make more sense for this to also be proficiency uses per long rest, but a single target at a time (effect ends if you choose another target) but you could still potentially use this to lock down a single armoured target even if it saves (by triggering the effect again)?
Magnetic Storm: As with Field of Polarity this probably needs to clarify if it moves with the player. I'm also wondering if it might make sense to tie it to Field of Polarity, i.e- once per long rest you can spend one use of Field of Polarity, increasing the radius to 25 feet and gaining the push/pull and can't leave the area effects?
Ferrous Flight: Fun feature, but should there be a limit to how many creatures can be given flight in this way?
One overall thought about this sub-class though is that it's very campaign/encounter dependent; very powerful if you're facing bandits or whatever with metal weapons and/or armour, but against creatures without any metal you're only really receiving the 3rd and 18th level benefits, everything else is outside your control. It might make sense to have at least one of the features be more general purpose. For example, Field of Polarity could include a cloud of metal filings so it can effect enemies without metal, and the same for Magnetic Storm?
Anyway, these are just some initial thoughts; hope I don't come across too negative or nitpicky, as I like a lot of the ideas in this sub-class!
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
All really helpful suggestions, Haravikk! I took your ideas about the 3rd level features, and the scaling and proficiency bonus uses. I added a limit of four additional creatures to Ferrous Flight as well. I would like to make a small correction though: Magnetic Storm actually already affects creatures that aren't wearing metal armor. It just says all creatures that start their turn in or enter the sphere, not ones with metal on them. But I did make the other features more general-purpose: Field of Polarity, in addition to only posing disadvantage on metal-clad attacks made against you, imposes difficult terrain on ALL creatures who enter the field. When Magnetic Storm activates, not only does it extend the range of the field, but it also makes the disadvantage spread to ALL enemies regardless of equipment. Hold Armor also ties into Magnetic Storm now. Creatures that have been magnetized do not need to be wearing metal armor in order to be held by this feature. I think all these changes definitely make the subclass more streamlined and able to fight more types of enemies, so thanks!
This is my first homebrew subclass and I need some thoughts on it:
The ferroknight is a fighter who can magically manipulate magnetism. Rather than become a spellcaster with this ability, the fighter decided a control of metal would be more efficient for a warrior on the front lines, bending the weapons of enemies and crushing them in their own armor. Aside from 3rd level offering some equipment-related buffs to combat, the ferroknight's main attraction (pun intended) is battlefield control. It's rather niched around opponents in metal armor, so primarily it's good for fighting civilized humanoids, which in some campaigns would be pretty effective if you're in a war or constantly anger the city guards. (I'm looking at you, chaotic neutral bard)
3rd level: Magnetism: Beginning when you take this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the following features:
Magnetized Armor. You cannot be disadvantaged in Stealth checks due to wearing armor and you cannot have your speed inhibited by lacking the necessary Strength score to wear it.
Magnetized Weapon. You can wield heavy and two-handed weapons made of metal in one hand. You can also deal two-handed damage with versatile weapons made of metal while wielding them in one hand.
Rail Weapon. Any melee weapon made of metal you hold gains the thrown (30/60) property. You can recall a thrown metallic weapon to your free hand using a bonus action. You can use this to disarm a creature holding a metal weapon within normal throwing range if they fail on a DC 12 Strength saving throw. This DC is lowered to 8 when attempting to disarm them at long range.
7th level: Field of Polarity: At 7th level, you can use your action to create a 10-foot radius sphere of magnetic polarity centered on yourself for 1 minute. This sphere is treated as difficult terrain to hostile creatures with equipment made of metal, and they have disadvantage on attacks made from within it. You can use this feature twice per long rest.
10th level: Hold Armor: At 10th level, you can use your action to choose up to 5 creatures within 60 feet that are wearing metal armor. Targets must succeed on a Strength saving throw against a DC of 14 or be paralyzed for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, a target can make another Strength saving throw. On a success, they break free of the paralysis. You can use this effect on up to 5 creatures, refreshed upon completing a long rest. Uses of this effect are only spent on a successful paralysis of the target.
15th level: Magnetic Storm: At 15th level, you can use your action to create a magnetic storm within a 25-foot radius sphere centered at your location for 1 minute. All creatures who start their turn in or enter the sphere must make a DC 14 Strength saving throw or become magnetized. While magnetized creatures remain in your magnetic storm, you can use a bonus action to push or pull up to 2 creatures up to 10 feet towards you or away from you. You cannot push them outside the magnetic storm. At the end of each of its turns, a creature can make another Strength saving throw. On a success, they break free of the storm's hold. The magnetized effect ends naturally when the storm ends. You can use this feature once per long rest.
18th level: Ferrous Flight: At 18th level, while wearing metal armor, you gain a flying speed of 40 feet. You can grant other creatures a flying speed of 20 feet if they are also wearing metal armor, but they must be within 60 feet of you to retain this flight. If they are in the air when they lose their flying speed, they fall to the ground.
Some interesting ideas here! I've a text wall of comments (not intended to be negative, just thoughts on possible tweaks/improvements):
Magnetized Weapon: Mechanically you may have a few issues to address; is this intended to allow you to wield two pikes with Dual Wielder? How are two-handed ranged weapons (like a longbow) intended to work (do you want a fighter running around with a greataxe in one hand and a longbow in the other yet still somehow firing the longbow)?
In case it helps, I've got some homebrew for large races and have been refining a similar rule for how they can wield a single two-handed or versatile "medium" weapon, and the latest iteration of the rule is:
Just to let you see how I've setup a similar rule after a bunch of playtesting and iterations, as you could maybe tweak this to fit your intended theme.
More generally though I wonder if there should still be a benefit to wielding a weapon properly; for my large races wielding a medium weapon like this is an alternative to wielding a proper "large" version of the same weapon which deals either +2 damage or has reach, so you have a choice between a large greataxe, or a medium greataxe plus shield, which keeps the weapons somewhat balanced. As it is your current rule makes all other weapons redundant as they simply deal less damage with no benefits of their own, so I think there should either be a benefit to still using two hands, or a benefit that applies to other weapons to balance it out.
Rail Weapon: I'd maybe tweak the recall wording a bit to something like "You can magnetically pull a metal weapon you can see within 60 feet into a free hand as a bonus action. If the weapon is held by a creature, it must make a Strength saving throw with a DC of 6 + your proficiency bonus to prevent this, or a DC of 10 + your proficiency bonus if it is within 30 feet." or something along those lines? This way it scales, and makes clear this is a feature not just for your own weapons (there's currently a bit of a disconnect in the wording).
Magnetized Armor: Instead of eliminating stealth disadvantage, would it maybe make more sense to be able to doff the armour as an action, but then recall and don it in the same way as for rail weapon as a bonus action? i.e- if you need to sneak in somewhere, you'd doff your armour, stealth in, and if combat occurs your recall you armour as a bonus action to reattach to your body (like in the later Iron Man movies)? This would feel more "magnetic" IMO, though it might need some restrictions (unobstructed path for the armour, maybe a range limit)?
Field of Polarity: I like this idea, but I wonder if might make sense to make it a bit weaker but give it more, scaling uses (e.g- proficiency uses), maybe limiting the disadvantage to only attacks against yourself (so it's a purely defensive feature rather than an aura debuff)? Also I assume that the effect is intended to move with the player, but this may need to be specified?
Hold Armor: Interesting feature! The DC should probably be based on something (number + proficiency bonus?) so it can scale up at higher levels. Could probably use some clarification on the number of uses; is it five uses per long rest, but you can spend as many as you like as a single action? I'm a little unsure about being able to hit five targets at once on top of Field of Polarity, it might make more sense for this to also be proficiency uses per long rest, but a single target at a time (effect ends if you choose another target) but you could still potentially use this to lock down a single armoured target even if it saves (by triggering the effect again)?
Magnetic Storm: As with Field of Polarity this probably needs to clarify if it moves with the player. I'm also wondering if it might make sense to tie it to Field of Polarity, i.e- once per long rest you can spend one use of Field of Polarity, increasing the radius to 25 feet and gaining the push/pull and can't leave the area effects?
Ferrous Flight: Fun feature, but should there be a limit to how many creatures can be given flight in this way?
One overall thought about this sub-class though is that it's very campaign/encounter dependent; very powerful if you're facing bandits or whatever with metal weapons and/or armour, but against creatures without any metal you're only really receiving the 3rd and 18th level benefits, everything else is outside your control. It might make sense to have at least one of the features be more general purpose. For example, Field of Polarity could include a cloud of metal filings so it can effect enemies without metal, and the same for Magnetic Storm?
Anyway, these are just some initial thoughts; hope I don't come across too negative or nitpicky, as I like a lot of the ideas in this sub-class!
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
All really helpful suggestions, Haravikk! I took your ideas about the 3rd level features, and the scaling and proficiency bonus uses. I added a limit of four additional creatures to Ferrous Flight as well. I would like to make a small correction though: Magnetic Storm actually already affects creatures that aren't wearing metal armor. It just says all creatures that start their turn in or enter the sphere, not ones with metal on them. But I did make the other features more general-purpose: Field of Polarity, in addition to only posing disadvantage on metal-clad attacks made against you, imposes difficult terrain on ALL creatures who enter the field. When Magnetic Storm activates, not only does it extend the range of the field, but it also makes the disadvantage spread to ALL enemies regardless of equipment. Hold Armor also ties into Magnetic Storm now. Creatures that have been magnetized do not need to be wearing metal armor in order to be held by this feature. I think all these changes definitely make the subclass more streamlined and able to fight more types of enemies, so thanks!
Magneto is a comic book character.
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