Second, the Way of the Cobalt Soul. This is a subclass focused around knowing your enemy, and exploiting their weaknesses. You can take extra reactions, and use pressure points to understand your opponent
Mercer and DDB finally figured out the licensing with the Cobalt Soul? No more trying to hack Cobalt Soul monks together in the homebrew editor?
WOO!
Also apparently I know what Fjord is nao, and will have something to see when the episode lands on YT on Monday. Huh. That paladin oath is heckin' lit. I'm legit faintly upset Fjord won't be able to delve into more than its beginner abilities, because man. Somewhere in the Raven Queen's realm, Vax'ildan is bawling his eyes out at how flawlessly this Open Sea oath would mix with rogue and how it wasn't even a thing until years after his death. There's a whole host of awesome character concepts that paladin enables.
Also it's just cool to see DDB continuing to share the love and make these options available to everyone. I have no idea what sort of Baba Yaga screwballery they did to get the Cobalt Soul out of licensing jail, but I'm glad to see it. Even if Debilitating Barrage remains unrepentantly awful. C'est la vie. Not everything can be Quivering Palm.
I really like the concept of a wise and scholarly Monk class, and man does the Oath of the Open Sea scream good guy pirates. Now I have One Piece on the brain. lol
I'm going to preface this review by saying that I have not watched Critical Role. I've read Explorers Guide to Wildemounte, but don't know that much about CR lore or the characters. On to the actual review.
The Oath of the Sea: The fluff at the start is interesting, but is very specific. Most Paladin oaths dedicate to ideals, while this one is not very clear about what ideas it supports. (No, "Ocean" is not an ideal.) I like this customizability, but all paladins that take this oath are tied to water and the sea.
The oath spells: lots of elemental spells and stuff from the Druid list. Call Lightning stands out as the most powerful of the bunch.
The Channel Divinity: This is where we get to the really good bits of the subclass. Marine Layer is instant cover, allowing you to even the playing field for people that want to hide. Pairs nicely with a Rogue, as Yurei said. Fury of the Tides is some interesting battlefield control. You can yeet people around, and I imagine a lot of enemies are going to be launched off cliffs with this ability.
Aura of Liberation: Eh. Allows you to move freely, but nothing groundbreaking.
Stormy Waters: Allows you to use your reaction to deal light damage and more importantly, knock people prone. Another nice control ability.
Mystic Swashbuckler: This isn't broken, but not that bad either. Advantage on attacks is nice, but is slightly annoying to set up. The other abilities are nice little buffs, especially the one that lets you dodge as a bonus action.
Now on to the Cobalt Soul.
First, we have Extract Aspects. This is the signature feature of the subclass, and lets you make reaction attacks against someone you hit with flurry of blows. It also lets you learn the targets weaknesses.
Extort Truth: I guess this is okay? It forces the target to tell the truth, but they can just not respond anyway. You could use it to validate someone's statements, though.
Mystical Erudition: Extra languages and skills. Nice.
Mind of Mercury: I will take ALL the reactions. As long as I have Ki to burn. Sweet on defense, nice on offense against targets you Extracted Aspects from.
Debilitating Barrage: Okay for setting up a Nova hit with a paladin, but it is quite Ki-heavy. Looks pretty balanced.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
Generally nothing here sets me off as overly overpowered, however I haven't really play-tested any of them. The theming is great though, although yeah I agree Oath of the Sea is a little interesting. It seems to follow the ideal of liberation and being free from the law, and it's abilities match that. I do agree it has a lot more fluff and specifics than the other oaths.
I would like to see what you all think about it from a gameplay aspect, cause I don't have much experience in that regard when it comes to Monk, and I can't see a whole lot bad with Oath of the Sea.
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if I edit a message, most of the time it's because of grammar. The rest of the time I'll put "Edit:" at the bottom.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Maybe I just forgot... but has Beau ever actually used the Extract Aspects ability to get in any extra opportunity attacks, or the ability to spend Ki to get extra reactions? I feel like she's done the second one a few times, and I'm unfamiliar with Monk enough that I didn't realize it was a subclass-specific ability, but I can't think of a single time when an enemy missed and she was like, "A-ha! I've extracted aspects on them, so I can get an opportunity attack!"
Maybe I just forgot... but has Beau ever actually used the Extract Aspects ability to get in any extra opportunity attacks, or the ability to spend Ki to get extra reactions? I feel like she's done the second one a few times, and I'm unfamiliar with Monk enough that I didn't realize it was a subclass-specific ability, but I can't think of a single time when an enemy missed and she was like, "A-ha! I've extracted aspects on them, so I can get an opportunity attack!"
I don't think she has used the Reaction attack when attacks miss her - but I think that might be intentional. She has the Sentinel feat - and if she retaliates on a miss - she can't stop them if they try to run away. Although with Mind of Mercury she now can. It's probable that she just forgets to.
She's only used Mind of Mercury once I believe - and that was when it was a lower level ability before Matt revised the subclass. It was in a training session that was RP for her learning the ability.
The entire cast of Critical Role is notorious for constantly forgetting their class abilities. On top of recently going on a sixteen-week forced Covid hiatus (never good for remembering rules minutiae), they also work well over forty hours a week on roughly two and a half full-time jobs per person. They all still do voiceover on top of their work for CR-the-company, half of them have children, and they all now have extra duties for their new nonprofit.
Frankly it's a miracle they play as well as they do, especially since not a single one of them save sometimes Liam really cares about squeezing everything they can from their characters in a fight.
Beau in particular also has a habit of killing a LOT of ki points for Stunning Strike spam, with only a mediocre ki DC. Given how many billions of Twidiots must have nagged her over Stunning Strike being the only reason Monks exist, I'm not surprised she hasn't dug hard into her reaction abilities. Especially since this version of the Cobalt Soul is quite new. The reaction punch from Extract Aspects wasn't there before, and Mind of Mercury has undergone a ton of revisions. This version is super interesting, but I don't blame Marisha for not having a strong grip on it yet.
I've been looking at the Oath of the Open Sea in a bit more detail, and am trying to understand exactly what ideals they swear an oath too. The most obvious one is freedom. The ocean is a place that (at least not in most fantasy settings) is not ruled by anyone, and lets people chart their own course. This is also supported by the "Adapt Like Water" tenet. Someone who can adapt to situations is likely free to choose how they act. Finally, the oath refers back to nature a lot, in an almost druidic way. While this is a pretty good start for a paladins oath, I am trying to think on how I could expand it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
Basically it's a Percy Jackson template, "the sea will not be contained!"
I don't think the oath is that problematic or any vaguer than any of the other oaths. Freedom to go beyond boundaries to value what nature, specifically the sea, reveals. Dip a few levels of Bard and you have the narrator behind the song "Brandy, You're a Fine Girl." I think the disconnect you're working on is because the nautical is not the most supported domain of the game. It's also world-specific, and even moreso specific to a particular game group so the dissonance isn't surprising.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Basically it's a Percy Jackson template, "the sea will not be contained!"
I don't think the oath is that problematic or any vaguer than any of the other oaths. Freedom to go beyond boundaries to value what nature, specifically the sea, reveals. Dip a few levels of Bard and you have the narrator behind the song "Brandy, You're a Fine Girl." I think the disconnect you're working on is because the nautical is not the most supported domain of the game. It's also world-specific, and even moreso specific to a particular game group so the dissonance isn't surprising.
I guess this makes sense. This oath is a lot more free with the morality of the character as well, I think. It could be another oath for non-good paladins to use.
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A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
I'm just shocked to see a water-themed subclass that didn't provide a swim speed and the ability to breath underwater.
That's because Travis' character Fjord already had both those from his warlock levels. The subclass was made specifically for him, ergo it's not necessarily balanced around general play
I'm just shocked to see a water-themed subclass that didn't provide a swim speed and the ability to breath underwater.
That's because Travis' character Fjord already had both those from his warlock levels. The subclass was made specifically for him, ergo it's not necessarily balanced around general play
That and Aura of Liberation is still like passive freedom of movement. It's a decent buff imo, and even if you're an aquatic race, it could help party members. I find it a little odd that the added spells don't include water breathing, but as Dave said, Travis already has some of these things.
I'm just shocked to see a water-themed subclass that didn't provide a swim speed and the ability to breath underwater.
I would add those abilities to Aura of Liberation. The Aura is not very good so far, and giving a swim speed and underwater breathing could compensate for the other situational ability.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
These aren't showing up in the app at all. I don't know if that's a hidden CR content settings issue somewhere (I have it enabled on the website) or an app issue.
Are you trying to use the Create a Character button, or looking at it through Game Rules? I know you can find it through game rules on PC, but I don't have the app.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
Two new Matt Mercer Subclasses are live on Beyond!
First, the Oath of the Open Sea. This is a Paladin subclass focused on water and the ocean. If you want a swashbuckling paladin, this is your ticket.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/paladin#OathoftheOpenSea
Second, the Way of the Cobalt Soul. This is a subclass focused around knowing your enemy, and exploiting their weaknesses. You can take extra reactions, and use pressure points to understand your opponent
https://www.dndbeyond.com/classes/monk#WayoftheCobaltSoul
Do you like this subclasses? I am personally looking forward to a Cobalt Soul monk, a fighter who fights smart, not hard.
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
My Improved Lineage System
Wait wait wait wait wait.
Mercer and DDB finally figured out the licensing with the Cobalt Soul? No more trying to hack Cobalt Soul monks together in the homebrew editor?
WOO!
Also apparently I know what Fjord is nao, and will have something to see when the episode lands on YT on Monday. Huh. That paladin oath is heckin' lit. I'm legit faintly upset Fjord won't be able to delve into more than its beginner abilities, because man. Somewhere in the Raven Queen's realm, Vax'ildan is bawling his eyes out at how flawlessly this Open Sea oath would mix with rogue and how it wasn't even a thing until years after his death. There's a whole host of awesome character concepts that paladin enables.
Also it's just cool to see DDB continuing to share the love and make these options available to everyone. I have no idea what sort of Baba Yaga screwballery they did to get the Cobalt Soul out of licensing jail, but I'm glad to see it. Even if Debilitating Barrage remains unrepentantly awful. C'est la vie. Not everything can be Quivering Palm.
Please do not contact or message me.
I really like the concept of a wise and scholarly Monk class, and man does the Oath of the Open Sea scream good guy pirates. Now I have One Piece on the brain. lol
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I'm going to preface this review by saying that I have not watched Critical Role. I've read Explorers Guide to Wildemounte, but don't know that much about CR lore or the characters. On to the actual review.
The Oath of the Sea: The fluff at the start is interesting, but is very specific. Most Paladin oaths dedicate to ideals, while this one is not very clear about what ideas it supports. (No, "Ocean" is not an ideal.) I like this customizability, but all paladins that take this oath are tied to water and the sea.
The oath spells: lots of elemental spells and stuff from the Druid list. Call Lightning stands out as the most powerful of the bunch.
The Channel Divinity: This is where we get to the really good bits of the subclass. Marine Layer is instant cover, allowing you to even the playing field for people that want to hide. Pairs nicely with a Rogue, as Yurei said. Fury of the Tides is some interesting battlefield control. You can yeet people around, and I imagine a lot of enemies are going to be launched off cliffs with this ability.
Aura of Liberation: Eh. Allows you to move freely, but nothing groundbreaking.
Stormy Waters: Allows you to use your reaction to deal light damage and more importantly, knock people prone. Another nice control ability.
Mystic Swashbuckler: This isn't broken, but not that bad either. Advantage on attacks is nice, but is slightly annoying to set up. The other abilities are nice little buffs, especially the one that lets you dodge as a bonus action.
Now on to the Cobalt Soul.
First, we have Extract Aspects. This is the signature feature of the subclass, and lets you make reaction attacks against someone you hit with flurry of blows. It also lets you learn the targets weaknesses.
Extort Truth: I guess this is okay? It forces the target to tell the truth, but they can just not respond anyway. You could use it to validate someone's statements, though.
Mystical Erudition: Extra languages and skills. Nice.
Mind of Mercury: I will take ALL the reactions. As long as I have Ki to burn. Sweet on defense, nice on offense against targets you Extracted Aspects from.
Debilitating Barrage: Okay for setting up a Nova hit with a paladin, but it is quite Ki-heavy. Looks pretty balanced.
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
My Improved Lineage System
Generally nothing here sets me off as overly overpowered, however I haven't really play-tested any of them. The theming is great though, although yeah I agree Oath of the Sea is a little interesting. It seems to follow the ideal of liberation and being free from the law, and it's abilities match that. I do agree it has a lot more fluff and specifics than the other oaths.
I would like to see what you all think about it from a gameplay aspect, cause I don't have much experience in that regard when it comes to Monk, and I can't see a whole lot bad with Oath of the Sea.
if I edit a message, most of the time it's because of grammar. The rest of the time I'll put "Edit:" at the bottom.
None of them really call to me.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Something to remember when assessing these subclasses, is that Matt designed them for specific characters, for the Critical Role game.
They may have features that are too strong or too weak in a number of general or specific circumstances.
They're released because people asked for them and Matt put in the extra effort to get them written up and released.
Thank you Matt, you're a legend. ♥️
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Maybe I just forgot... but has Beau ever actually used the Extract Aspects ability to get in any extra opportunity attacks, or the ability to spend Ki to get extra reactions? I feel like she's done the second one a few times, and I'm unfamiliar with Monk enough that I didn't realize it was a subclass-specific ability, but I can't think of a single time when an enemy missed and she was like, "A-ha! I've extracted aspects on them, so I can get an opportunity attack!"
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I don't think she has used the Reaction attack when attacks miss her - but I think that might be intentional. She has the Sentinel feat - and if she retaliates on a miss - she can't stop them if they try to run away. Although with Mind of Mercury she now can. It's probable that she just forgets to.
She's only used Mind of Mercury once I believe - and that was when it was a lower level ability before Matt revised the subclass. It was in a training session that was RP for her learning the ability.
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The entire cast of Critical Role is notorious for constantly forgetting their class abilities. On top of recently going on a sixteen-week forced Covid hiatus (never good for remembering rules minutiae), they also work well over forty hours a week on roughly two and a half full-time jobs per person. They all still do voiceover on top of their work for CR-the-company, half of them have children, and they all now have extra duties for their new nonprofit.
Frankly it's a miracle they play as well as they do, especially since not a single one of them save sometimes Liam really cares about squeezing everything they can from their characters in a fight.
Beau in particular also has a habit of killing a LOT of ki points for Stunning Strike spam, with only a mediocre ki DC. Given how many billions of Twidiots must have nagged her over Stunning Strike being the only reason Monks exist, I'm not surprised she hasn't dug hard into her reaction abilities. Especially since this version of the Cobalt Soul is quite new. The reaction punch from Extract Aspects wasn't there before, and Mind of Mercury has undergone a ton of revisions. This version is super interesting, but I don't blame Marisha for not having a strong grip on it yet.
Please do not contact or message me.
I've been looking at the Oath of the Open Sea in a bit more detail, and am trying to understand exactly what ideals they swear an oath too. The most obvious one is freedom. The ocean is a place that (at least not in most fantasy settings) is not ruled by anyone, and lets people chart their own course. This is also supported by the "Adapt Like Water" tenet. Someone who can adapt to situations is likely free to choose how they act. Finally, the oath refers back to nature a lot, in an almost druidic way. While this is a pretty good start for a paladins oath, I am trying to think on how I could expand it.
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
My Improved Lineage System
Basically it's a Percy Jackson template, "the sea will not be contained!"
I don't think the oath is that problematic or any vaguer than any of the other oaths. Freedom to go beyond boundaries to value what nature, specifically the sea, reveals. Dip a few levels of Bard and you have the narrator behind the song "Brandy, You're a Fine Girl." I think the disconnect you're working on is because the nautical is not the most supported domain of the game. It's also world-specific, and even moreso specific to a particular game group so the dissonance isn't surprising.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I guess this makes sense. This oath is a lot more free with the morality of the character as well, I think. It could be another oath for non-good paladins to use.
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
My Improved Lineage System
I'm just shocked to see a water-themed subclass that didn't provide a swim speed and the ability to breath underwater.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
That's because Travis' character Fjord already had both those from his warlock levels. The subclass was made specifically for him, ergo it's not necessarily balanced around general play
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That and Aura of Liberation is still like passive freedom of movement. It's a decent buff imo, and even if you're an aquatic race, it could help party members. I find it a little odd that the added spells don't include water breathing, but as Dave said, Travis already has some of these things.
I would add those abilities to Aura of Liberation. The Aura is not very good so far, and giving a swim speed and underwater breathing could compensate for the other situational ability.
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
My Improved Lineage System
These aren't showing up in the app at all. I don't know if that's a hidden CR content settings issue somewhere (I have it enabled on the website) or an app issue.
Are you trying to use the Create a Character button, or looking at it through Game Rules? I know you can find it through game rules on PC, but I don't have the app.
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
My Improved Lineage System