This is my first time creating a homebrew subclass. How it came into being is a long story, but it's based off Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu. (And no, I'm not eight. Like I said, it's a long story.) How would you balance this?
Fighter: Way of the Ninja
Martial Artist (3rd)
At 3rd level, you gain a +2 to AC if you are not wearing heavy armor.
Elemental Student (3rd)
At 3rd level, choose a damage type to which you have special affinity: fire, lightning, thunder, cold, or force. You have resistance to this damage, which is your Elemental Damage, and will be used for later features. You gain a cantrip based on the damage you chose: produce flame (fire), shocking grasp (lightning), thunderclap (thunder), ray of frost (cold), or eldritch blast (force).
Spinjitzu Initiate (7th)
At 7th level, you learn an ancient martial art known as Spinjitzu. As a bonus action, you can cause a whirlwind resembling the element corresponding to your Elemental Damage type to swirl around you. While your Spinjitzu is active, you gain the following benefits:
Each creature that ends its turn within 5 feet of you takes damage equal to half your fighter level, rounded down. The damage type is your Elemental Damage.
Your unarmed strikes do damage of your Elemental Damage type instead of bludgeoning damage.
Your unarmed strikes do extra damage equal to your proficiency bonus. The damage type is your Elemental Damage.
These benefits last for one minute, and you must complete a short or long rest before you can do Spinjitzu again.
Elemental Warrior (10th)
At 10th level, all your weapon attacks do an extra 1d6 damage of your Elemental Damage type. In addition, your weapon attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non magical damage.
Spinjitzu Master (15th)
At 15th level, you gain immunity to your Elemental Damage type while doing Spinjitzu. In addition, while doing Spinjitzu, your speed increases by 10 feet, and your reach increases by 5 feet.
True Potential (18th)
At 18th level, you unlock the secrets of Spinjitzu. When you enter Spinjitzu, you can choose to make it your True Potential. In addition to the normal benefits of Spinjitzu, you gain the following benefits:
You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed.
You gain resistance to all damage except psychic and radiant.
You gain an additional +2 to AC if you are not wearing heavy armor.
When the Spinjitzu ends, you gain 2 levels of exhaustion, and you cannot use your True Potential again until they have been removed.
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Will everyone stop calling him "The Demogorgon"? It's his name, not a title!
1. A flat +2 to AC is super powerful. You probably want to change/get rid of that feature.
2. You can't just say "you gain a cantrip," you have to say what ability you use for it. Since no additional ability score is necessary anywhere within the class (and it's pretty lame to have a new primary ability for a single cantrip from a single feature), I would recommend getting rid of or changing that feature. Making the spells more utility based instead of attack based could work, since utility spells don't generally require an ability score.
3. Resistance to a chosen damage type is pretty strong at level 3. Maybe move that down a bit. Also, resistance to force is horrible, so nobody is gonna choose that.
4.You don't have to specify that the extra damage on unarmed strikes equal to proficiency bonus deals elemental damage, since they already do elemental damage from the prior bullet point.
5. The emphasis on unarmed strikes doesn't make much sense along with the other features. The inability to effectively use heavy armor means that it's clearly not supposed to be a strength build, but then buffing unarmed strikes (which always use strength) points in a completely different direction.
6. I like the way you use exhaustion for the 18th level ability, that's something you should keep.
Overall, it's got some questionable balancing and emphasis on a variety of ability scores with little overlap. I recommend completely scrapping the idea of this being a fighter subclass and instead making it a monk subclass. Ninjas are generally monks in DnD; don't wear any armor, use daggers (which count as monk weapons), big dexterity, move real fast. There's even already a specific ninja subclass for monks (Way of the Shadows) AND an elemental subclass (Way of the Four Elements). I would recommend looking at those for inspiration, and then inserting your own ideas.
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Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
They got rid of airjitzu because it was overpowered in the actual show so why put it into this class, although it would be quite cool to have that ability.
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This is my first time creating a homebrew subclass. How it came into being is a long story, but it's based off Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu. (And no, I'm not eight. Like I said, it's a long story.) How would you balance this?
Fighter: Way of the Ninja
Martial Artist (3rd)
At 3rd level, you gain a +2 to AC if you are not wearing heavy armor.
Elemental Student (3rd)
At 3rd level, choose a damage type to which you have special affinity: fire, lightning, thunder, cold, or force. You have resistance to this damage, which is your Elemental Damage, and will be used for later features. You gain a cantrip based on the damage you chose: produce flame (fire), shocking grasp (lightning), thunderclap (thunder), ray of frost (cold), or eldritch blast (force).
Spinjitzu Initiate (7th)
At 7th level, you learn an ancient martial art known as Spinjitzu. As a bonus action, you can cause a whirlwind resembling the element corresponding to your Elemental Damage type to swirl around you. While your Spinjitzu is active, you gain the following benefits:
These benefits last for one minute, and you must complete a short or long rest before you can do Spinjitzu again.
Elemental Warrior (10th)
At 10th level, all your weapon attacks do an extra 1d6 damage of your Elemental Damage type. In addition, your weapon attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non magical damage.
Spinjitzu Master (15th)
At 15th level, you gain immunity to your Elemental Damage type while doing Spinjitzu. In addition, while doing Spinjitzu, your speed increases by 10 feet, and your reach increases by 5 feet.
True Potential (18th)
At 18th level, you unlock the secrets of Spinjitzu. When you enter Spinjitzu, you can choose to make it your True Potential. In addition to the normal benefits of Spinjitzu, you gain the following benefits:
When the Spinjitzu ends, you gain 2 levels of exhaustion, and you cannot use your True Potential again until they have been removed.
Will everyone stop calling him "The Demogorgon"? It's his name, not a title!
1. A flat +2 to AC is super powerful. You probably want to change/get rid of that feature.
2. You can't just say "you gain a cantrip," you have to say what ability you use for it. Since no additional ability score is necessary anywhere within the class (and it's pretty lame to have a new primary ability for a single cantrip from a single feature), I would recommend getting rid of or changing that feature. Making the spells more utility based instead of attack based could work, since utility spells don't generally require an ability score.
3. Resistance to a chosen damage type is pretty strong at level 3. Maybe move that down a bit. Also, resistance to force is horrible, so nobody is gonna choose that.
4.You don't have to specify that the extra damage on unarmed strikes equal to proficiency bonus deals elemental damage, since they already do elemental damage from the prior bullet point.
5. The emphasis on unarmed strikes doesn't make much sense along with the other features. The inability to effectively use heavy armor means that it's clearly not supposed to be a strength build, but then buffing unarmed strikes (which always use strength) points in a completely different direction.
6. I like the way you use exhaustion for the 18th level ability, that's something you should keep.
Overall, it's got some questionable balancing and emphasis on a variety of ability scores with little overlap. I recommend completely scrapping the idea of this being a fighter subclass and instead making it a monk subclass. Ninjas are generally monks in DnD; don't wear any armor, use daggers (which count as monk weapons), big dexterity, move real fast. There's even already a specific ninja subclass for monks (Way of the Shadows) AND an elemental subclass (Way of the Four Elements). I would recommend looking at those for inspiration, and then inserting your own ideas.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
airjitzu would be cool
They got rid of airjitzu because it was overpowered in the actual show so why put it into this class, although it would be quite cool to have that ability.