A Homebrewers’ “How-To” FAQ*

Quote from RabbitOfAutumn >>

Is there a way to simply add spells to a spell list? Not to automatically be usable, but to become available to choose? Similar to how a Warlock's expanded spell list works?

Are you saying you want to add existing spells to a class list they're not on? There's no way to do that, but you can create homebrew copies of them and set them to be on whatever class lists you want.

Or do you mean you want to make a homebrew subclass that works like an old-style Warlock subclass where it adds spells to the class list but doesn't give them to you? You can do that by just adding them to the "Additional Specific Spells" list on the main page of editing the subclass.

Quote from wagnarokkr >>

Quote from RabbitOfAutumn >>

Is there a way to simply add spells to a spell list? Not to automatically be usable, but to become available to choose? Similar to how a Warlock's expanded spell list works?

Are you saying you want to add existing spells to a class list they're not on? There's no way to do that, but you can create homebrew copies of them and set them to be on whatever class lists you want.

Or do you mean you want to make a homebrew subclass that works like an old-style Warlock subclass where it adds spells to the class list but doesn't give them to you? You can do that by just adding them to the "Additional Specific Spells" list on the main page of editing the subclass.

 Yes, but more specifically I'm trying to set them to options. The exact process I'm trying to achieve is to have the Warlock's expanded spell list be dependent on an initial choice concerning their patron.

Quote from RabbitOfAutumn >>

Quote from wagnarokkr >>

Quote from RabbitOfAutumn >>

Is there a way to simply add spells to a spell list? Not to automatically be usable, but to become available to choose? Similar to how a Warlock's expanded spell list works?

Are you saying you want to add existing spells to a class list they're not on? There's no way to do that, but you can create homebrew copies of them and set them to be on whatever class lists you want.

Or do you mean you want to make a homebrew subclass that works like an old-style Warlock subclass where it adds spells to the class list but doesn't give them to you? You can do that by just adding them to the "Additional Specific Spells" list on the main page of editing the subclass.

 Yes, but more specifically I'm trying to set them to options. The exact process I'm trying to achieve is to have the Warlock's expanded spell list be dependent on an initial choice concerning their patron.

I'm pretty sure there's no way to do that in conjunction with an option.

Quote from wagnarokkr >>

Quote from RabbitOfAutumn >>

Quote from wagnarokkr >>

Quote from RabbitOfAutumn >>

Is there a way to simply add spells to a spell list? Not to automatically be usable, but to become available to choose? Similar to how a Warlock's expanded spell list works?

Are you saying you want to add existing spells to a class list they're not on? There's no way to do that, but you can create homebrew copies of them and set them to be on whatever class lists you want.

Or do you mean you want to make a homebrew subclass that works like an old-style Warlock subclass where it adds spells to the class list but doesn't give them to you? You can do that by just adding them to the "Additional Specific Spells" list on the main page of editing the subclass.

 Yes, but more specifically I'm trying to set them to options. The exact process I'm trying to achieve is to have the Warlock's expanded spell list be dependent on an initial choice concerning their patron.

I'm pretty sure there's no way to do that in conjunction with an option.

 Unfortunate, thank you for the help, though.

Hi, I am rather new to DND, but I have an idea for a fighter subclass. can you help me get my bearings on making a homebrew subclass?

What's the idea and what are you trying to accomplish it in terms of playstyle and flavor?

I intend to make it like a hybrid between battle master and a monk, but it focused on swords. Give it "evasion", more movement speed, make all swords have the finesse trait while wearing light armor or being unarmored , give it benefits similar to the feat "dual wielder" but with swords only and give it something akin to "deflect attack" bit with swords.

Quote from Inconsequential_nobody >>

I intend to make it like a hybrid between battle master and a monk, but it focused on swords. Give it "evasion", more movement speed, make all swords have the finesse trait while wearing light armor or being unarmored , give it benefits similar to the feat "dual wielder" but with swords only and give it something akin to "deflect attack" bit with swords.

 I would recommend one of two methods:

1. Start with a Battle Master Fighter, and use Actions to give it 1d4/1d6 (depending on 2014 or the other one) bludgeoning weapon attacks that scale up at levels 5, 11, and 17. Then give it a Modifier for "Enable Pact Weapon", and then use the replace weapon damage type to set to Dex. This way you can mimic Dedicated Weapon. The only thing this doesn't account for is your Martial Arts Die expanding your weapon damage, because you technically don't have Martial Arts. For movement, you can adjust that in the Modifiers as well (make sure you boost your innate speed so it applies to stuff like Winged Boots). Also give an Action for Ki, and set it to scale with your Fighter's Level. Then later on, you can add Flurry of Blows and other Ki abilities you think mesh with the Battle Master using more actions. Evasion is an easy one, since you don't have to do much outside of naming and describing it. 
2. The other option is a lot easier: just make a Battle Master Feat. Copy the Martial Adept Feat, bring the total Maneuvers up to whatever you'd like, and adjust the Dice amount in the Actions tab. This takes it from a "Subclass" to a "Battle Master Plug-In" that you can plug into any character.

Thanks, I will do as you said.

I have this ability on a homebrew:

Bite. You have strong teeth that enable you to make natural bite attacks. You can choose to Bite as an unarmed strike that deals 1d6 piercing damage, which can be calculated using either your Strength or Dexterity modifier for both the attack roll and damage bonus. You are proficient with this attack.

I had no problem with the snippet.  My challenge is trying to figure out how to input the action.  Since you have to choose a modifier in the action tab, do I need to input two actions to list on the character sheet under attacks?

Quote from FuzzEPickles >>

I have this ability on a homebrew:

Bite. You have strong teeth that enable you to make natural bite attacks. You can choose to Bite as an unarmed strike that deals 1d6 piercing damage, which can be calculated using either your Strength or Dexterity modifier for both the attack roll and damage bonus. You are proficient with this attack.

I had no problem with the snippet.  My challenge is trying to figure out how to input the action.  Since you have to choose a modifier in the action tab, do I need to input two actions to list on the character sheet under attacks?

Yeah, you need to add two separate actions for the two abilities. This is how, e.g.,  the Soulknife Rogue's Psychic Blades feature (which similarly can be used with either Strength or Dexterity) is implemented in the official content.

On the actual character, you can then hide whichever version is less useful so it doesn't clutter things up.

Thank you for the quick response.  How would you go about hiding it on the actual character?

I figured out how to hide the attack, but is there a way to hide the duplicate text?

Quote from FuzzEPickles >>

Thank you for the quick response.  How would you go about hiding it on the actual character?

I figured out how to hide the attack, but is there a way to hide the duplicate text?

No, I meant hiding the attack, I don't think there's a way to hide the feature text.

You could implement it as an option, where the user would choose between Dexterity and Strength in the character builder when they set this up (similar to how some feats and species options will let you choose the spellcasting ability for a spell they grant). Then only the selected one would show up on the character sheet at all, but if they ever needed to switch between them for any reason, it would be a little more annoying to do.

I ran it past the player.  They prefer to have both showing, even though it looks a little messy.  In case of a STR drain or something along those lines.

Hello, I must ask the specialists, because even AI cant help with it. Is there any way I can homebrew Arcane Trickster with full wizard spell slots and spell level progression? Like No matter what I do, ticked “Level” in “Spell Prepared Type”, or tried to grant the Spellcasting feature at level 1. It just doesnt seem to work and the “Extra magical Arcane trickster” I’m making is still just a ⅓ of a wizard.

Quote from CAYENDO >>

Hello, I must ask the specialists, because even AI cant help with it. Is there any way I can homebrew Arcane Trickster with full wizard spell slots and spell level progression? Like No matter what I do, ticked “Level” in “Spell Prepared Type”, or tried to grant the Spellcasting feature at level 1. It just doesnt seem to work and the “Extra magical Arcane trickster” I’m making is still just a ⅓ of a wizard.

 
No. The spell slot progression is hard coded into the class. You can never make non-spellcasting classes have full spellcasting progression. 

The closest is create "limited uses" features that can add the spells and charges, but this will be incredibly clunky, difficult to use, won't combine with the spells system properly and will be confusing to make and use.

Quote from CAYENDO >>

Hello, I must ask the specialists, because even AI cant help with it. Is there any way I can homebrew Arcane Trickster with full wizard spell slots and spell level progression? Like No matter what I do, ticked “Level” in “Spell Prepared Type”, or tried to grant the Spellcasting feature at level 1. It just doesnt seem to work and the “Extra magical Arcane trickster” I’m making is still just a ⅓ of a wizard.

 You're running at this from the wrong direction. Make a Wizard that gets extra proficiencies and a sneak attack instead. It's the same thing in the end as long as you work all of the modifiers and bonuses correctly.

I looked through the FAQ but, could not seem to find an answer (maybe I missed it?) and, respectfully, did not want to look through 71 pages of comments, so I apologize if my question has been addressed before. With that out of the way, is there a way to make an item where certain information is hidden to the player? I know spoiler tags are supposed to do that, but I found out through some messing around that my PCs can see all of the spoiler tagged information if they have the item and just go to the character sheet editor! I thought maybe it was because I (the DM) made a character and so through DM privileges I got to immediately see past the spoilers, but I tested with my friend, and it seems to work the same.

Hopefully I explained this in a coherent enough way (its 1:36 am for me so I'm a wee bit sleepy.)

Do I just ask my players to respect the honor rules or is there a way to fix this proper?

Make a copy of the item and omit the text you don't want. Give that to the player. If the original was also a homebrew item you can remove it from your collection so they cannot add it. When ready to give the proper version find it in your creations and add it to your collection.

If the item is from a book there's no way to stop them adding the item and seeing it, so you just need to ask them not to. Although they'll know what to add if you tell them the real name - instead make the homebrew copy and give it a new name. They won't know to then look up the real/full version.