And yep, I made a PC option I was happy with fairly quickly.
Background Boots
Wondrous Item, rare (requires attunement)
These nondescript boots make their wearer fade into the background, giving watchers the feeling that the wearer should be there and avoiding notice.
While wearing these boots and not attempting to hide or acting openly hostile, creatures must succeed on a Wisdom(Insight) check contested by your Charisma(Deception) check, which is made with advantage, to notice you. If they fail the check, they have no memory of your passing.
Unfortunately, Magic items only qualify as DM options. Pretty cool, though!
Category: Must Have Been the Wind (PCs) Design: Subclass (Ranger) Acknowledgements: Thanks to Alaqua Cox and her character of Maya Lopez/Echo for inspiring this subclass. Subclass Features: The following features are grated to you at the specified levels by your subclass.
Ranger Level
Feature
3rd
Shadow Magic, Silent Step, Whispering Blade
7th
Tinnitus Attack
11th
Whispering Menace
15th
Absolute Silence
Someone stalking you through the shadows of a lamp-lit street is a scary idea, but the Whispering brings new meaning to the phrase "Silent as the Dead". Utterly quiet, these terrifying hunters tread so lightly and attack so viciously that most prey has no chance of escaping their clutches.
The profession of the Whispering is usually taken up by deaf or speechless individuals, who don't need sound to live out their everyday lives. This doesn't change the fact that a person trained in the art of the Whispering is still one of the most fearsome warriors known, or that regardless of how well you try, the Whispering will always sneak up on you...
Shadow Magic
3rd-level Whispering feature You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Whispering Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know. Additionally, you can cast any spells gained from the Whispering Spells table without requiring verbal components, though all other components for the spell must still be provided. How these spells appear is up to you; for instance, you might make phantasmal killer a silent specter, or you might cause your dissonant whispers to sound like the ringing of tinnitus.
3rd-level Whispering feature You have trained in the art of being totally silent. While travelling at a normal pace, you and any creatures travelling with you can attempt to move stealthily. Also, your proficiency bonus is doubled for the purpose of any Stealth checks you make, and you learn a series of hand signs that allow you to communicate simple ideas with any creature that can see your hands without speaking, though they gain no special ability to communicate with you silently in turn.
Whispering Blade
3rd-level Whispering feature You can attack from the shadows without so much as being detected. When you or an allied creature within 30 feet of you initiates a combat, you take your first turn at initiative count 20 + your initiative modifier. Once you have taken this turn, you roll initiative as you would normally, and you take your turn at the initiative rolled for all subsequent turns after first.
Tinnitus Attack
7th-level Whispering feature Your attacks cause a deafening bout of tinnitus in your targets. Whenever you hit a creature that can hear you with a melee weapon attack, you can force that creature to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature is deafened until the start of your next turn. Regardless of whether the creature succeeded on the save or not, they also take 1d4 thunder damage, as ringing fills their ears.
Whispering Menace
11th-level Whispering feature You can use your silence even more effectively in combat. When you take the Dash action on your turn, you can't be the target of opportunity attacks for the rest of that turn. Additionally, the damage a creature takes from your Tinnitus Attack feature increases to 2d4 when the creature fails its save (a creature that succeeded on the save still takes 1d4 thunder damage, as normal).
Absolute Silence
15th-level Whispering feature You are immeasurably silent, leading many people to think you're a ghost. When a combat starts and you are the first to take an action, the first creature you hit with a melee weapon attack this turn automatically fails their saving throw against your Tinnitus Attack feature. Also, your Tinnitus Attack feature now deals 1d8 thunder damage to a creature on a successful save, or 2d8 thunder damage on a failed one, in addition to being deafened.
You can also spend an hour as part of a long rest to teach another creature to use hand signals to communicate with you or their allies without speaking, as in your Silent Step feature, though you must still be able to see each other's hands in order to communicate in this fashion. You can only teach one creature these hand signals at a time.
No prob, also don't want to sound snarky which through text I think I did sound snarky
Appreciate you putting on this competition for the community, I love home brewing and didn't know this existed until the last one. Grateful that we have a fun outlet to stretch our brewing abilities!
Regarding the Whispering Blade feature, what about changing it to "20 plus your Initiative modifier" to avoid it becoming a liability for characters with high Initiative modifiers such as Harengons or in general those with the Alert feat?
Thanks so much Semako, I have altered the text to be precisely as you suggested it! I wanted to do it earlier, but I couldn't think of the correct wording required.
For my player option, a spell I've had unpublished for a while: Lost Depth. It's perfect for a rogue and conceptually pretty funny. I'm also looking for feedback on it! It's meant to be available to rangers, sorcerers, and wizards.
Lost Depth
Level
4th
Casting Time
1 Action
Range/Area
Touch
Components
V, S
Duration
1 Minute
School
Transmutation
Attack/Save
None
Damage/Effect
Buff (...)
You touch one willing creature who becomes two-dimensional. For the duration, the target gains the following benefits:
The target has resistance to bludgeoning damage.
The target has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide.
The target can pass through small holes, narrow openings, and even mere cracks.
The target's melee attacks deal slashing damage instead of bludgeoning or piercing damage and score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20.
Submitting an option for the DM Category, a magic item which requires attunement by a barbarian.
Tavern Table
Armor (Shield), Common (requires attunement by a Barbarian)
Appearing like a simple table you can find at any old tavern, this magical shield grants you powerful defensive and offensive abilities when used as anything other than a table. While you have this shield donned you gain the benefits of half-cover, which replaces the normal effect of donning a shield.
While raging and holding this shield, you can replace one attack you make on each of your turns with a wide sweep using the table. You can target up to two creatures, who are each within 5 feet of you, who must succeed a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take bludgeoning damage equal to 1d12+your Rage Damage.
This shield also acts as a fully functional table. During a short rest, any ally which expends hit dice to regain hit points can add your Constitution modifier to one of the rolls.
Primus is still in the (clock)works, but I at least have my player option ready: The Oath of the Wild Hunt Paladin. These feral paladins are all about the hunt, they are predators looming in the shadows, waiting to pounce at their unsuspecting prey.
Hope you like it, I am open for feedback :-) I have many ideas for that theme and subclass, way too much for that one subclass actually, so I kinda struggled with what I should put in there especially at level 15; I also was thinking of an Inspiring Howl for example, which would grant some temporary hit points and allowed allies to use a reaction to move and attack and other abilities more geared towards the aspect of the pack rather than the solo hunter...
Also, if you allow some homebrew modifications, the Unarmored Defense optional rule (Str+Con or Dex+Con, player's choice) would fit this oath really well, as does a small modification to the Divine Sense feature at level 3:
I am sorry for the misunderstanding then. I did not know that the theme is viewed so narrowly. I thought you might appreciate the time I invested into this and the idea of entering that category with a paladin subclass rather than some kind of feat or the n-th assassin/ninja-type subclass, when paladins aren't generally known for being good at stealth.
Yes, the general theme is the hunt, but stealth is an important aspect of the hunt, like sneaking up on an enemy and then striking it - with an aura that helps with stealth, Pass without Trace and spells that buff movement and help overcoming difficult terrain this subclass is built for it. There not a lot more spells for stealth specificially that fit the theme of the subclass and paladin subclasses follow a strict build scheme so there is not much wiggle room for ribbon abilities.
The subclass is not final yet of course, I would have changed it to reflect actual feedback regarding its actual design, mechanics, balance...
I apologize for my curtness. I realize I have been too blunt in my criticism. However, the subclass which you posted reflects little on the ‘stealth’ aspect of the hunt, only having the 7th-level feature have anything in common with the theme. Please consider some way to revise your submission so that it better fits the category theme.
I am sorry, I.did not want to get involved in an argument either.
But, @Yamana_Eajii, calling someone a cheater is a no-go as is calling homebrew someone spend a lot of time on creating "half-assed" and similar, just because I misunderstood the theme.
I accept that you won't accept my subclass for this contest, I might or might not come up with something else depending on whether I have time, but I am wondering if it is worth it if submissions here are met with such a reaction for slightly missing the theme instead of constructive criticism.
Just to confirm: Is Primus, ruler of Mechanus, as a monster fine for the DM category?
Hello, it's been a while since I participated in one of those contests, but I'm glad to do so again today!
DM Options: Ironclad
What is a powerful armor, if it isn't a display of one's power? and what better way to display said power than to use the bones of your enemies as armor? I therefore present you the bone armor, a fragile but glorious armor crafted from the bones of the monster you slay!
Player Options: Must Have Been the Wind When the party wizard fails his stealth check and finds himself powerless facing the hulking monster, he can use his magic to try and give the sneaky rogue an opportunity to strike! I present you snake swiftness, a spell from an older edition.
I'm working on a set of monsters (I assume that's fine?) for the Ironclad category. I probably won't submit anything for the other categories, mostly because I don't have a lot of time to work on this stuff and I just don't have ideas.... Oh well, let's hope my Iron Sentinels turn out okay.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Paladin main who spends most of his D&D time worldbuilding or DMing, not Paladin-ing.
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Oops. My bad
Come participate in the Competition of the Finest Brews, Edition XXV?
My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature
Unfortunately, Magic items only qualify as DM options. Pretty cool, though!
Come participate in the Competition of the Finest Brews, Edition XXV?
My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature
For my player option, become the winds with this stealthy feat for flyers.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/feats/887868-invisible-wind
My homebrew content: Monsters, subclasses, Magic items, Feats, spells, races, backgrounds
The Whispering
Category: Must Have Been the Wind (PCs)
Design: Subclass (Ranger)
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Alaqua Cox and her character of Maya Lopez/Echo for inspiring this subclass.
Subclass Features: The following features are grated to you at the specified levels by your subclass.
Someone stalking you through the shadows of a lamp-lit street is a scary idea, but the Whispering brings new meaning to the phrase "Silent as the Dead". Utterly quiet, these terrifying hunters tread so lightly and attack so viciously that most prey has no chance of escaping their clutches.
The profession of the Whispering is usually taken up by deaf or speechless individuals, who don't need sound to live out their everyday lives. This doesn't change the fact that a person trained in the art of the Whispering is still one of the most fearsome warriors known, or that regardless of how well you try, the Whispering will always sneak up on you...
Shadow Magic
3rd-level Whispering feature
You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Whispering Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know. Additionally, you can cast any spells gained from the Whispering Spells table without requiring verbal components, though all other components for the spell must still be provided. How these spells appear is up to you; for instance, you might make phantasmal killer a silent specter, or you might cause your dissonant whispers to sound like the ringing of tinnitus.
Whispering Spells
Silent Step
3rd-level Whispering feature
You have trained in the art of being totally silent. While travelling at a normal pace, you and any creatures travelling with you can attempt to move stealthily. Also, your proficiency bonus is doubled for the purpose of any Stealth checks you make, and you learn a series of hand signs that allow you to communicate simple ideas with any creature that can see your hands without speaking, though they gain no special ability to communicate with you silently in turn.
Whispering Blade
3rd-level Whispering feature
You can attack from the shadows without so much as being detected. When you or an allied creature within 30 feet of you initiates a combat, you take your first turn at initiative count 20 + your initiative modifier. Once you have taken this turn, you roll initiative as you would normally, and you take your turn at the initiative rolled for all subsequent turns after first.
Tinnitus Attack
7th-level Whispering feature
Your attacks cause a deafening bout of tinnitus in your targets. Whenever you hit a creature that can hear you with a melee weapon attack, you can force that creature to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature is deafened until the start of your next turn. Regardless of whether the creature succeeded on the save or not, they also take 1d4 thunder damage, as ringing fills their ears.
Whispering Menace
11th-level Whispering feature
You can use your silence even more effectively in combat. When you take the Dash action on your turn, you can't be the target of opportunity attacks for the rest of that turn. Additionally, the damage a creature takes from your Tinnitus Attack feature increases to 2d4 when the creature fails its save (a creature that succeeded on the save still takes 1d4 thunder damage, as normal).
Absolute Silence
15th-level Whispering feature
You are immeasurably silent, leading many people to think you're a ghost. When a combat starts and you are the first to take an action, the first creature you hit with a melee weapon attack this turn automatically fails their saving throw against your Tinnitus Attack feature. Also, your Tinnitus Attack feature now deals 1d8 thunder damage to a creature on a successful save, or 2d8 thunder damage on a failed one, in addition to being deafened.
You can also spend an hour as part of a long rest to teach another creature to use hand signals to communicate with you or their allies without speaking, as in your Silent Step feature, though you must still be able to see each other's hands in order to communicate in this fashion. You can only teach one creature these hand signals at a time.
Frequent Eladrin || They/Them, but accept all pronouns
Luz Noceda would like to remind you that you're worth loving!
No prob, also don't want to sound snarky which through text I think I did sound snarky
Appreciate you putting on this competition for the community, I love home brewing and didn't know this existed until the last one. Grateful that we have a fun outlet to stretch our brewing abilities!
Very interesting!
Regarding the Whispering Blade feature, what about changing it to "20 plus your Initiative modifier" to avoid it becoming a liability for characters with high Initiative modifiers such as Harengons or in general those with the Alert feat?
Thanks so much Semako, I have altered the text to be precisely as you suggested it! I wanted to do it earlier, but I couldn't think of the correct wording required.
Frequent Eladrin || They/Them, but accept all pronouns
Luz Noceda would like to remind you that you're worth loving!
Done! Rangers, sorcerers, and wizards.
They wanted you to edit the original post, but thanks.
My homebrew content: Monsters, subclasses, Magic items, Feats, spells, races, backgrounds
I already did!
…but you didn’t.
Come participate in the Competition of the Finest Brews, Edition XXV?
My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature
Submitting an option for the DM Category, a magic item which requires attunement by a barbarian.
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
This Player Option does not fit the category.
Come participate in the Competition of the Finest Brews, Edition XXV?
My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature
I am sorry for the misunderstanding then. I did not know that the theme is viewed so narrowly. I thought you might appreciate the time I invested into this and the idea of entering that category with a paladin subclass rather than some kind of feat or the n-th assassin/ninja-type subclass, when paladins aren't generally known for being good at stealth.
Yes, the general theme is the hunt, but stealth is an important aspect of the hunt, like sneaking up on an enemy and then striking it - with an aura that helps with stealth, Pass without Trace and spells that buff movement and help overcoming difficult terrain this subclass is built for it. There not a lot more spells for stealth specificially that fit the theme of the subclass and paladin subclasses follow a strict build scheme so there is not much wiggle room for ribbon abilities.
The subclass is not final yet of course, I would have changed it to reflect actual feedback regarding its actual design, mechanics, balance...
I apologize for my curtness. I realize I have been too blunt in my criticism. However, the subclass which you posted reflects little on the ‘stealth’ aspect of the hunt, only having the 7th-level feature have anything in common with the theme. Please consider some way to revise your submission so that it better fits the category theme.
Come participate in the Competition of the Finest Brews, Edition XXV?
My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature
I will not get involved in an argument. As it is now, Semako, your PC Submission will not be accepted.
Come participate in the Competition of the Finest Brews, Edition XXV?
My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature
I am sorry, I.did not want to get involved in an argument either.
But, @Yamana_Eajii, calling someone a cheater is a no-go as is calling homebrew someone spend a lot of time on creating "half-assed" and similar, just because I misunderstood the theme.
I accept that you won't accept my subclass for this contest, I might or might not come up with something else depending on whether I have time, but I am wondering if it is worth it if submissions here are met with such a reaction for slightly missing the theme instead of constructive criticism.
Just to confirm: Is Primus, ruler of Mechanus, as a monster fine for the DM category?
Hello, it's been a while since I participated in one of those contests, but I'm glad to do so again today!
DM Options: Ironclad
What is a powerful armor, if it isn't a display of one's power? and what better way to display said power than to use the bones of your enemies as armor? I therefore present you the bone armor, a fragile but glorious armor crafted from the bones of the monster you slay!
Bone armor
Player Options: Must Have Been the Wind
When the party wizard fails his stealth check and finds himself powerless facing the hulking monster, he can use his magic to try and give the sneaky rogue an opportunity to strike! I present you snake swiftness, a spell from an older edition.
Snake's Swiftness - and its mass variant - Mass Snake's Swiftness
Feel free to check out my hombrew: Magic Items, Spells, Monsters, Species, Feats, Subclassses, and Backgrounds. More detail in my Homebrew Compendium.
If you have any comments, suggestions, or ways to improve my homebrew, tell me, I'm always looking to improve!
Map commission Here.
I'm working on a set of monsters (I assume that's fine?) for the Ironclad category. I probably won't submit anything for the other categories, mostly because I don't have a lot of time to work on this stuff and I just don't have ideas.... Oh well, let's hope my Iron Sentinels turn out okay.
Paladin main who spends most of his D&D time worldbuilding or DMing, not Paladin-ing.