A bit of context first: I'm DMing a campaign that's gonna be pretty heavy on fiends, and I'm anticipating my party's Gloom Stalker Ranger having trouble keeping pace with the other character's (Oath of the Watchers Paladin, Fiend patron Chainlock, Shadow Magic Sorcerer, Life Domain Cleric) combat effectiveness due to the fact that fiends tend to resist nonmagical weapon damage and he's only got so many spell slots for zephyr strike. So the solution therefore seems to give him a magic weapon so he doesn't have to deal with his damage output being consistently halved--but just a plain +1 longbow seemed to lack flavor. I want to give him something unique.
Enter the +1 Longbow of Smiting and its big, bad, for-higher-levels-only cousin, the Longbow of Divine Wrath.
Longbow of Smiting, +1
Weapon (longbow), rare (requires attunement by a by a non-evil creature proficient with this weapon)
This weapon is imbued with some of the divine power channeled by holy warriors. You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. When you hit a creature with an attack with this weapon, you can expend charges to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for one charge, plus 1d8 for each additional charge expended. The damage increases by an additional 1d8 if the target is an Undead or a fiend.
The weapon regains 1d4 - 1 expended charges daily at dawn. A cleric or paladin can expend a spell slot to restore additional charges to this weapon, one per level of the spell slot expended, up to the weapon's maximum. The weapon cannot regain charges in this way again until the next dawn, and it can never have more charges at any one time than the number it started out with. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, this weapon's divine power fades altogether, and it becomes an ordinary weapon.
If an evil creature attempts to attune to this weapon, it must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take 4d8 radiant damage (half as much on a successful save).
A cleric can create a new weapon of smiting (or revive an old one) through prayer and a special ritual. This ritual takes 1 hour to perform, consumes 500gp of holy water, and requires the caster to expend a spell slot of 3rd level or higher. (Reviving a weapon of smiting whose power has faded does not require holy water unless the caster wishes to increase the weapon's attack/damage bonus and number of charges.) If the slot expended is 5th level or higher, the weapon created has 5 charges and a +2 to attack and damage rolls; this increases to 7 charges and a +3 to attack and damage rolls if the slot expended is 7th level or higher. If the slot expended is 9th level, the weapon instead becomes a weapon of divine wrath.
Now, seeing as it's my homebrew and I'm a maniac, I just had to have a way for him to upgrade it over the course of the campaign. . .
Longbow of Divine Wrath
Weapon (longbow), artifact (requires attunement by a by a non-evil creature proficient with this weapon)
This weapon is imbued with the soul of a holy warrior who has decided to ally themself with you from beyond the grave. You have a +4 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. When you hit a creature with an attack with this weapon, you can expend charges to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for one charge, plus 1d8 for each additional charge expended. The damage increases by an additional 1d8 if the target is an Undead or a fiend.
The weapon regains 1d10 - 1 expended charges daily at dawn. A cleric or paladin can expend a spell slot to restore additional charges to this weapon, one per level of the spell slot expended, up to the weapon's maximum. The weapon cannot regain charges in this way again until the next dawn, and it can never have more charges at any one time than the number it started out with. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 20, this weapon regains 1 expended charge.
If an evil creature attempts to pick up this weapon, it must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take 4d8 radiant damage (half as much on a successful save).
In addition, this weapon is sentient. It has an Intelligence of 10, Wisdom of 14, and Charisma of 18, as well as hearing and darkvision out to 120 feet. It communicates by transmitting emotion to the creature wielding or carrying it. The DM rolls or chooses from the table below to determine the exact nature of your new spiritual ally and the nature of their assistance.
d8
Spirit
1
Conquerer. This lawful neutral spirit allows you to strike fear into the hearts of all who would stand against you. As an action on your turn, you can radiate an aura of terror, forcing all enemy creatures within 30 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw (saving throw DC 16). On a failed save, a creature becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. While you are within its line of sight, its speed is reduced to 0. The frightened creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. This effect ignores immunity to fear, but creatures that are immune to fear have advantage on their saving throws. You must finish a short or long rest before you use this feature again.
This spirit most values utter domination and cannot abide by reckless mercy.
2
Paragon. This lawful good spirit shields your spirit from the wicked workings of darkness. While attuned to this weapon, you are always under the effects of a protection from evil and good spell.
This spirit most values honor and cannot abide by breaking a sworn oath.
3
Legend. This chaotic good spirit fills you with heroic resolve, enabling you to achieve feats thought impossible. While you are attuned to this weapon, you are immune to being frightened. Once when you fail a saving throw or miss with an attack, you can choose to succeed or hit instead. You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this ability again.
This spirit most values valor and cannot abide by acts of cowardice.
4
Redeemer. This neutral good spirit allows you to make the ultimate sacrifice for your allies, shielding them from harm at the cost of your own safety. When a creature within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to magically take that damage, instead of that creature taking it. This ability doesn't transfer any other effects that might accompany the damage, and this damage can't be reduced in any way. If this damage would drop you to 0 hit points, you add a +4 bonus to all death saving throws you make within the next minute.
This spirit most values mercy and cannot abide by unchecked violence.
5
Beacon. This chaotic good spirit can invoke primeval forces on your behalf to ensnare your foe. You can cast ensnaring strike once without expending a spell slot, and it does not require Concentration. You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this ability again.
This spirit most values compassion and cannot abide by cruelty.
6
Exemplar. This lawful neutral spirit allows you to be a beacon of hope for those who fight beside you. As a bonus action, you can let out a rallying cry that bolsters your allies' will to fight. Each friendly creature that can hear you within 30 feet of you regains hit points equal to 1d6 + 4. You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this ability again.
This spirit most values loyalty and cannot abide by betrayal of one's companions.
7
Sentinel. This neutral good spirit watches over you and your companions, warning you of coming danger. While you are attuned to this weapon, you cannot be surprised, and you and all friendly creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage on initiative rolls.
This spirit most values vigilance and cannot abide by abandonment of one's duty.
8
Avenger. This lawful good spirit guides your strikes to help you slay your sworn foes. As a bonus action, you can utter a vow of enmity against a creature you can see. You gain advantage on attack rolls against the creature with this weapon for 1 minute or until it drops to 0 hit points. You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this ability again.
This spirit most values decisive vengeance and cannot abide by a wavering will.
Consult the rules for sentient weapons should conflict between you and this weapon arise, such as if you act in a manner contrary to the spirit's alignment or goals. Your attunement to this weapon ends if you are unable to reconcile your differences with the spirit or if your alignment shifts to Evil. Once your attunement to this weapon ends, voluntarily or not, you can only attune to this weapon one more time. If you end your attunement to this weapon a second time, you cannot attune to any weapon of divine wrath ever again.
If you die while attuned to this weapon, your spirit joins that of your heavenly ally's in watching over its future wielders. Work with your DM to determine an appropriate boon to grant subsequent creatures that attune to this weapon.
I based each of the weapon of divine wrath spirits off of the eight non-evil Paladin oaths, because why not!! I thought it added flavor.
Now, opinions on this whole concept? If you were the Paladin in my party, would you be irritated if someone else had one of these weapons? Should I scrap the concept altogether and just give the Ranger a regular +1 longbow, save this idea for a party without a Paladin, or go ahead and make these available in my game?
Ok, so, for the longbow of smiting- the effects are probably too powerful for just a rare weapon. I would say either removing the +1 or making it very rare would help balance it. I also think it's odd that you have to be a paladin or cleric to expend spell slots into it, especially if you make it for a ranger. It wouldn't seem to make it unbalanced in any way if you just say you can expend spell slots to increase the charges, regardless of class. It's also very odd that you can create a +3 (with powerful extra features) weapon by expending 500gp. I would just remove that last paragraph, since there are already rules for crafting magic items that DMs can use if they want, and because that is DEFINITELY not accurate pricing. I also recommend changing the Dexterity save to a Charisma save, since it doesn't really seem like you're physically avoiding anything. Also, if somebody is attuning to something then they are probably not in a situation where 4d8 radiant damage matters, so maybe do something like have the weapon cast bestow curse or send a nightmare using dream. Last thing I would recommend is making it so that it isn't 1d4-1, since rolling a 1 in that situation can be pretty lame. Either 1d3 (which is used in official magic items, 1d6/2) or 1d4 would work similarly.
For the longbow of divine wrath- Since it's an artifact you can pretty say "to hell with balancing" as they aren't really at a defined power level. I would say, though, with how powerful this is it seems odd it's 1d10-1 charges regained at dawn. What if you roll a 1? I would say make it 2d6 or 3d4, to make it a little less wild. Same comments as before on the Dexterity save, though maybe up the DC as well. The Conqueror's ability to bypass frightened immunity can lead to odd situations with some monsters, so I would recommend giving the boot to that. The Beacon's ability is super lame- a first level spell per rest is nothing compared to the rest of the abilities. Also, it doesn't indicate what DC should be used for the spell, so it's not even useable. Exemplar is similarly pitiful- 1d6+4 is completely useless at the level this weapon would be given. Other than that, the rest of the abilities are pretty cool (although Conqueror is a bit odd in that it's the only one with a DC). Finally, what do you mean by the last paragraph? Does the weapon's next wielder gain the boon of whoever died with it AND whoever started it? Or does the last person who died with it kick out the spirit and replace their boon with their own. If the former, could a player find a weapon with multiple boons already in it? It's a cool idea, but it could use some clarification.
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)
Ok, so, for the longbow of smiting- the effects are probably too powerful for just a rare weapon. I would say either removing the +1 or making it very rare would help balance it. I also think it's odd that you have to be a paladin or cleric to expend spell slots into it, especially if you make it for a ranger. It wouldn't seem to make it unbalanced in any way if you just say you can expend spell slots to increase the charges, regardless of class. It's also very odd that you can create a +3 (with powerful extra features) weapon by expending 500gp. I would just remove that last paragraph, since there are already rules for crafting magic items that DMs can use if they want, and because that is DEFINITELY not accurate pricing. I also recommend changing the Dexterity save to a Charisma save, since it doesn't really seem like you're physically avoiding anything. Also, if somebody is attuning to something then they are probably not in a situation where 4d8 radiant damage matters, so maybe do something like have the weapon cast bestow curse or send a nightmare using dream. Last thing I would recommend is making it so that it isn't 1d4-1, since rolling a 1 in that situation can be pretty lame. Either 1d3 (which is used in official magic items, 1d6/2) or 1d4 would work similarly.
For the longbow of divine wrath- Since it's an artifact you can pretty say "to hell with balancing" as they aren't really at a defined power level. I would say, though, with how powerful this is it seems odd it's 1d10-1 charges regained at dawn. What if you roll a 1? I would say make it 2d6 or 3d4, to make it a little less wild. Same comments as before on the Dexterity save, though maybe up the DC as well. The Conqueror's ability to bypass frightened immunity can lead to odd situations with some monsters, so I would recommend giving the boot to that. The Beacon's ability is super lame- a first level spell per rest is nothing compared to the rest of the abilities. Also, it doesn't indicate what DC should be used for the spell, so it's not even useable. Exemplar is similarly pitiful- 1d6+4 is completely useless at the level this weapon would be given. Other than that, the rest of the abilities are pretty cool (although Conqueror is a bit odd in that it's the only one with a DC). Finally, what do you mean by the last paragraph? Does the weapon's next wielder gain the boon of whoever died with it AND whoever started it? Or does the last person who died with it kick out the spirit and replace their boon with their own. If the former, could a player find a weapon with multiple boons already in it? It's a cool idea, but it could use some clarification.
Thanks very much!! I'll probably trim down the attack/damage bonuses for each of the rarities, since that's not the important part to me. My thought process for the class-based limit on spell slot expenditure was that since it was imbued with divine power, It wouldn't make sense (from a lore perspective) that it could regain that power through an arcane caster's spell slots. As for the crafting rules, I tend to dump all my thoughts into a single place when I'm homebrewing, so I'll definitely just note it down elsewhere and revise it. Any suggestions for making the holy water cost scale with item rarity? Do you think a cost based on the value range of items at each rarity would work?
And very fair point on the save--a Charisma save does make more sense now that I think about it (the only reason I made it a Dexterity save in the first place is because many fiends tend to have good Charisma saves and somehow it felt wrong giving them a potential advantage on this save). But holy crow, bestow curse (either disadvantage on Wisdom or Charisma rolls seems appropriate)is an even better idea--thank you so much!! I think I'll save dream for the effect imposed by the weapon of divine wrath, since the weapon itself actually could serve as a messenger.
I suppose 1d4 (or 1d6, or 1d8, depending on the rarity) regained charges probably won't hurt, especially with the existing caveat that the weapon can't have more charges at any given time than the number it started out with? I mainly included the spell slot recharge mechanic in case the player rolled a 1 so they wouldn't be SOL, but I might cut it now. And very good point about the 1d10 - 1 for the weapon of divine wrath!! 3d4 would create a better distribution of results that feels more reliable, and maybe I could remove the restriction on the maximum number of charges, seeing as it is an artifact. Methinks I'll up the new Charisma save DC to 20, because that spirit really doesn't like evil touching it.
I'll definitely take your advice for the Conquerer's ability (my original thought was that many fiends are immune to fear, but shouldn't a high-level holy crusader be, like, one of the scariest things for them?), and that's an oops on my part with the Beacon's ability. (COVID brain fog plus not enough sleep go brrrrr.) I'm looking through the other Oath of the Ancients (the Beacon spirit's inspiration) oath spells for something to replace it with. Do you think something like free misty step once (or a few times!!) per short or long rest, free stoneskin once per long rest without material components or concentration, or free plant growth once as a bonus action per short or long rest would feel more in line with the other abilities? As for the Exemplar's ability, I just took that one straight off the Oath of the Crown's channel divinity, which is gained at third level, which is probably why it's pretty lame. Do you think (1d6 + 4) * the character's level would be more appropriately powerful (acknowledging that you said to hell with balancing artifacts, so this may be a moot question, aha)?
As for passing on the weapon, yes, the weapon's next wielder gains the boon of the original spiritual ally as well as any other boons from previous wielders. So theoretically, yes, a player could find a weapon with multiple boons imbued into it (though that will mean more spirits for the player to contend with). I definitely see what you need about it meaning clarification--I'm still trying to figure out exactly how it works. I'm thinking that appropriate bonus boons could be stuff like limited access to a class feature that the previous wielder(s) themselves obtained--like a dagger of divine wrath that once belonged to a Rogue granting access to evasion a few times per long rest, or a rapier of divine wrath that once belonged to a Bard granting you a use of bardic inspiration. I dunno, I'll probably make a rolling table for it. I sure do love my rolling tables.
In short--yes, your feedback was incredibly helpful!! Thank you so much for taking the time to look over my creation!!
I understand why you bypassed immunity to frightened now. A good compromise could be to frighten normal enemies, but turn fiends and/or undead (as in Oath of Devotion's Turn the Unholy), since being immune to fright has no effect on being turned. Turning is generally a very powerful effect (wastes movement and action), so the ability would be even more effective against fiends than other enemies, which goes well with what you want to accomplish.
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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)
Ohhh, I like this idea a lot!! More people in the party who can just say “no” to large parts of the encounter if the dice roll in their favor never hurt anything, right? 😆
Also, keep in mind... Gloomstalker Ranger, if he has Sharpshooter means that he's smiting at 600ft at advantage. Throw in a few levels of assist Rogue, and he's auto critting his first attack. Well say he was able to throw on a hail of thorns before his snipe. You're looking at 2d8+12d6+16 at say 8th level... So, falling behind the others damage is one thing, giving him the ability to Nova stuff out of the sky at 600 meters, Thats on you as the DM at that point.
So, he might fall behind in a 6 round fight, but that first round or anytime he crits is gonna be BIG OOOOOF,
Very fair point!! However, counterpoint—my player is brand-new to the game and doesn't seem to know enough about character optimization to take that Assassin Rogue dip. I mean, he took the Archery fighting style and is wearing light armor, and yet he still set Strength as his highest stat. (And, like, the Sorcerer did that too with her Charisma and her Wisdom, but she also rolled like a god so she's still got an 18 in her primary stat. The Ranger's got only 15 Dex.) Also, where are you getting the advantage from? I checked both the text for Gloom Stalker and Sharpshooter to see if I had missed something, but all I found is that Sharpshooter negates the disadvantage from attacking with the long range of his bow. Unless you're referring to the unseen attacker rules that he can easily take advantage of due to Umbral Sight, which, fair. It is indeed on me if I give him ways to abuse his capabilities, but ultimately, my perspective (as a DM who, granted, still has not run a single combat yet) is that my players being very strong just means they get to meet the ~fun~ homebrew monsters sooner. . . I do appreciate the advice, though!! :)
Word of advice: when new players are making their first characters, ensure that they're *absolutely sure* they want their stat choices to be suboptimal. The first character I made was a Halfing Wizard with an Intelligence score of 8. I still had a lot of fun, but I severely regretted my stat choices.
Word of advice: when new players are making their first characters, ensure that they're *absolutely sure* they want their stat choices to be suboptimal. The first character I made was a Halfing Wizard with an Intelligence score of 8. I still had a lot of fun, but I severely regretted my stat choices.
True. My older sister, who doesn't play as much as I do, once made a Cleric with -3 Wisdom modifier.
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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)
Mhm. Session 0 was kinda hectic because I was walking the absolutely brand-new Cleric through making her first character, so I didn't have much focus to spend on helping the other, slightly less new players optimize their characters, but their stat and spell choices haven't really caused problems for them yet because it's been all RP and meeting NPCs so far. After the first combat, once they've gotten to see how their characters work beyond a few skill checks, I'm gonna offer to let them change up stuff about their characters' build--stats, spells, fighting styles, even their subclass if one of them discovers that they're really not vibing with the mechanics of what they picked. We haven't gotten there yet, and probably won't for another few sessions, but to give an example, I am anticipating an oof when my Sorcerer discovers that having almost exclusively Concentration spells isn't a great place to be and that crown of madness is just not that great.
And honestly, mood. My very first character (who I only got to play for like one session because I was busy and then COVID hit) was a Half-Elf Druid, and yet I put her highest stat into Intelligence. I also had no idea how Wildshape worked, and yet my DM let me turn into a Giant Eagle or something else that could fly anyways because he didn't really know how it worked either. Lesson learned--I have now looked up the Wildshape rules for my own Moon Druid player to see what he can and can't do.
Mhm. Session 0 was kinda hectic because I was walking the absolutely brand-new Cleric through making her first character, so I didn't have much focus to spend on helping the other, slightly less new players optimize their characters, but their stat and spell choices haven't really caused problems for them yet because it's been all RP and meeting NPCs so far. After the first combat, once they've gotten to see how their characters work beyond a few skill checks, I'm gonna offer to let them change up stuff about their characters' build--stats, spells, fighting styles, even their subclass if one of them discovers that they're really not vibing with the mechanics of what they picked..
here is something i worked up for smiting dragons.
When you hit a dragon with this weapon, as a free action, may choose to deliver a smite attack upon a dragon, the smite attack deals an extra 2d8 points of radiant damage plus 1d8 for every age category of the dragon older than Wyrmling (+3d8 against a young dragon, +4d8 against a adult, +5d8 against a Ancient dragon, and +6d8 against a Greatwyrm). The smite function may be used three times per day but no more than once per round
This is awesome. I especially like the idea of a plethora of Heavenly Beings acting like a crowd of supporters at a football game:
"Watch your left!". "MOVE, YOU FAT FU-". "Language". "Would you all be quiet?! He's trying to aim." "Idiots. I didn't sign up for a football game."
Also, add it. I've played ranger before, and against some enemies (even if you have Favoured Enemy, which he doesn't), it feels like your trying to break a brick wall with a stick. This item will be great.
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A Fools Errand will fail. A Foolish Errand has a chance to succeed.
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A bit of context first: I'm DMing a campaign that's gonna be pretty heavy on fiends, and I'm anticipating my party's Gloom Stalker Ranger having trouble keeping pace with the other character's (Oath of the Watchers Paladin, Fiend patron Chainlock, Shadow Magic Sorcerer, Life Domain Cleric) combat effectiveness due to the fact that fiends tend to resist nonmagical weapon damage and he's only got so many spell slots for zephyr strike. So the solution therefore seems to give him a magic weapon so he doesn't have to deal with his damage output being consistently halved--but just a plain +1 longbow seemed to lack flavor. I want to give him something unique.
Enter the +1 Longbow of Smiting and its big, bad, for-higher-levels-only cousin, the Longbow of Divine Wrath.
Longbow of Smiting, +1
Weapon (longbow), rare (requires attunement by a by a non-evil creature proficient with this weapon)
This weapon is imbued with some of the divine power channeled by holy warriors. You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. When you hit a creature with an attack with this weapon, you can expend charges to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for one charge, plus 1d8 for each additional charge expended. The damage increases by an additional 1d8 if the target is an Undead or a fiend.
The weapon regains 1d4 - 1 expended charges daily at dawn. A cleric or paladin can expend a spell slot to restore additional charges to this weapon, one per level of the spell slot expended, up to the weapon's maximum. The weapon cannot regain charges in this way again until the next dawn, and it can never have more charges at any one time than the number it started out with. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, this weapon's divine power fades altogether, and it becomes an ordinary weapon.
If an evil creature attempts to attune to this weapon, it must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take 4d8 radiant damage (half as much on a successful save).
A cleric can create a new weapon of smiting (or revive an old one) through prayer and a special ritual. This ritual takes 1 hour to perform, consumes 500gp of holy water, and requires the caster to expend a spell slot of 3rd level or higher. (Reviving a weapon of smiting whose power has faded does not require holy water unless the caster wishes to increase the weapon's attack/damage bonus and number of charges.) If the slot expended is 5th level or higher, the weapon created has 5 charges and a +2 to attack and damage rolls; this increases to 7 charges and a +3 to attack and damage rolls if the slot expended is 7th level or higher. If the slot expended is 9th level, the weapon instead becomes a weapon of divine wrath.
Now, seeing as it's my homebrew and I'm a maniac, I just had to have a way for him to upgrade it over the course of the campaign. . .
Longbow of Divine Wrath
Weapon (longbow), artifact (requires attunement by a by a non-evil creature proficient with this weapon)
This weapon is imbued with the soul of a holy warrior who has decided to ally themself with you from beyond the grave. You have a +4 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. When you hit a creature with an attack with this weapon, you can expend charges to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for one charge, plus 1d8 for each additional charge expended. The damage increases by an additional 1d8 if the target is an Undead or a fiend.
The weapon regains 1d10 - 1 expended charges daily at dawn. A cleric or paladin can expend a spell slot to restore additional charges to this weapon, one per level of the spell slot expended, up to the weapon's maximum. The weapon cannot regain charges in this way again until the next dawn, and it can never have more charges at any one time than the number it started out with. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 20, this weapon regains 1 expended charge.
If an evil creature attempts to pick up this weapon, it must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take 4d8 radiant damage (half as much on a successful save).
In addition, this weapon is sentient. It has an Intelligence of 10, Wisdom of 14, and Charisma of 18, as well as hearing and darkvision out to 120 feet. It communicates by transmitting emotion to the creature wielding or carrying it. The DM rolls or chooses from the table below to determine the exact nature of your new spiritual ally and the nature of their assistance.
d8
Spirit
1
Conquerer. This lawful neutral spirit allows you to strike fear into the hearts of all who would stand against you. As an action on your turn, you can radiate an aura of terror, forcing all enemy creatures within 30 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw (saving throw DC 16). On a failed save, a creature becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. While you are within its line of sight, its speed is reduced to 0. The frightened creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. This effect ignores immunity to fear, but creatures that are immune to fear have advantage on their saving throws. You must finish a short or long rest before you use this feature again.
This spirit most values utter domination and cannot abide by reckless mercy.
2
Paragon. This lawful good spirit shields your spirit from the wicked workings of darkness. While attuned to this weapon, you are always under the effects of a protection from evil and good spell.
This spirit most values honor and cannot abide by breaking a sworn oath.
3
Legend. This chaotic good spirit fills you with heroic resolve, enabling you to achieve feats thought impossible. While you are attuned to this weapon, you are immune to being frightened. Once when you fail a saving throw or miss with an attack, you can choose to succeed or hit instead. You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this ability again.
This spirit most values valor and cannot abide by acts of cowardice.
4
Redeemer. This neutral good spirit allows you to make the ultimate sacrifice for your allies, shielding them from harm at the cost of your own safety. When a creature within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to magically take that damage, instead of that creature taking it. This ability doesn't transfer any other effects that might accompany the damage, and this damage can't be reduced in any way. If this damage would drop you to 0 hit points, you add a +4 bonus to all death saving throws you make within the next minute.
This spirit most values mercy and cannot abide by unchecked violence.
5
Beacon. This chaotic good spirit can invoke primeval forces on your behalf to ensnare your foe. You can cast ensnaring strike once without expending a spell slot, and it does not require Concentration. You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this ability again.
This spirit most values compassion and cannot abide by cruelty.
6
Exemplar. This lawful neutral spirit allows you to be a beacon of hope for those who fight beside you. As a bonus action, you can let out a rallying cry that bolsters your allies' will to fight. Each friendly creature that can hear you within 30 feet of you regains hit points equal to 1d6 + 4. You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this ability again.
This spirit most values loyalty and cannot abide by betrayal of one's companions.
7
Sentinel. This neutral good spirit watches over you and your companions, warning you of coming danger. While you are attuned to this weapon, you cannot be surprised, and you and all friendly creatures within 30 feet of you have advantage on initiative rolls.
This spirit most values vigilance and cannot abide by abandonment of one's duty.
8
Avenger. This lawful good spirit guides your strikes to help you slay your sworn foes. As a bonus action, you can utter a vow of enmity against a creature you can see. You gain advantage on attack rolls against the creature with this weapon for 1 minute or until it drops to 0 hit points. You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this ability again.
This spirit most values decisive vengeance and cannot abide by a wavering will.
Consult the rules for sentient weapons should conflict between you and this weapon arise, such as if you act in a manner contrary to the spirit's alignment or goals. Your attunement to this weapon ends if you are unable to reconcile your differences with the spirit or if your alignment shifts to Evil. Once your attunement to this weapon ends, voluntarily or not, you can only attune to this weapon one more time. If you end your attunement to this weapon a second time, you cannot attune to any weapon of divine wrath ever again.
If you die while attuned to this weapon, your spirit joins that of your heavenly ally's in watching over its future wielders. Work with your DM to determine an appropriate boon to grant subsequent creatures that attune to this weapon.
I based each of the weapon of divine wrath spirits off of the eight non-evil Paladin oaths, because why not!! I thought it added flavor.
Now, opinions on this whole concept? If you were the Paladin in my party, would you be irritated if someone else had one of these weapons? Should I scrap the concept altogether and just give the Ranger a regular +1 longbow, save this idea for a party without a Paladin, or go ahead and make these available in my game?
Ok, so, for the longbow of smiting- the effects are probably too powerful for just a rare weapon. I would say either removing the +1 or making it very rare would help balance it. I also think it's odd that you have to be a paladin or cleric to expend spell slots into it, especially if you make it for a ranger. It wouldn't seem to make it unbalanced in any way if you just say you can expend spell slots to increase the charges, regardless of class. It's also very odd that you can create a +3 (with powerful extra features) weapon by expending 500gp. I would just remove that last paragraph, since there are already rules for crafting magic items that DMs can use if they want, and because that is DEFINITELY not accurate pricing. I also recommend changing the Dexterity save to a Charisma save, since it doesn't really seem like you're physically avoiding anything. Also, if somebody is attuning to something then they are probably not in a situation where 4d8 radiant damage matters, so maybe do something like have the weapon cast bestow curse or send a nightmare using dream. Last thing I would recommend is making it so that it isn't 1d4-1, since rolling a 1 in that situation can be pretty lame. Either 1d3 (which is used in official magic items, 1d6/2) or 1d4 would work similarly.
For the longbow of divine wrath- Since it's an artifact you can pretty say "to hell with balancing" as they aren't really at a defined power level. I would say, though, with how powerful this is it seems odd it's 1d10-1 charges regained at dawn. What if you roll a 1? I would say make it 2d6 or 3d4, to make it a little less wild. Same comments as before on the Dexterity save, though maybe up the DC as well. The Conqueror's ability to bypass frightened immunity can lead to odd situations with some monsters, so I would recommend giving the boot to that. The Beacon's ability is super lame- a first level spell per rest is nothing compared to the rest of the abilities. Also, it doesn't indicate what DC should be used for the spell, so it's not even useable. Exemplar is similarly pitiful- 1d6+4 is completely useless at the level this weapon would be given. Other than that, the rest of the abilities are pretty cool (although Conqueror is a bit odd in that it's the only one with a DC). Finally, what do you mean by the last paragraph? Does the weapon's next wielder gain the boon of whoever died with it AND whoever started it? Or does the last person who died with it kick out the spirit and replace their boon with their own. If the former, could a player find a weapon with multiple boons already in it? It's a cool idea, but it could use some clarification.
Hope this helps! :)
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.
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Thanks very much!! I'll probably trim down the attack/damage bonuses for each of the rarities, since that's not the important part to me. My thought process for the class-based limit on spell slot expenditure was that since it was imbued with divine power, It wouldn't make sense (from a lore perspective) that it could regain that power through an arcane caster's spell slots. As for the crafting rules, I tend to dump all my thoughts into a single place when I'm homebrewing, so I'll definitely just note it down elsewhere and revise it. Any suggestions for making the holy water cost scale with item rarity? Do you think a cost based on the value range of items at each rarity would work?
And very fair point on the save--a Charisma save does make more sense now that I think about it (the only reason I made it a Dexterity save in the first place is because many fiends tend to have good Charisma saves and somehow it felt wrong giving them a potential advantage on this save). But holy crow, bestow curse (either disadvantage on Wisdom or Charisma rolls seems appropriate) is an even better idea--thank you so much!! I think I'll save dream for the effect imposed by the weapon of divine wrath, since the weapon itself actually could serve as a messenger.
I suppose 1d4 (or 1d6, or 1d8, depending on the rarity) regained charges probably won't hurt, especially with the existing caveat that the weapon can't have more charges at any given time than the number it started out with? I mainly included the spell slot recharge mechanic in case the player rolled a 1 so they wouldn't be SOL, but I might cut it now. And very good point about the 1d10 - 1 for the weapon of divine wrath!! 3d4 would create a better distribution of results that feels more reliable, and maybe I could remove the restriction on the maximum number of charges, seeing as it is an artifact. Methinks I'll up the new Charisma save DC to 20, because that spirit really doesn't like evil touching it.
I'll definitely take your advice for the Conquerer's ability (my original thought was that many fiends are immune to fear, but shouldn't a high-level holy crusader be, like, one of the scariest things for them?), and that's an oops on my part with the Beacon's ability. (COVID brain fog plus not enough sleep go brrrrr.) I'm looking through the other Oath of the Ancients (the Beacon spirit's inspiration) oath spells for something to replace it with. Do you think something like free misty step once (or a few times!!) per short or long rest, free stoneskin once per long rest without material components or concentration, or free plant growth once as a bonus action per short or long rest would feel more in line with the other abilities? As for the Exemplar's ability, I just took that one straight off the Oath of the Crown's channel divinity, which is gained at third level, which is probably why it's pretty lame. Do you think (1d6 + 4) * the character's level would be more appropriately powerful (acknowledging that you said to hell with balancing artifacts, so this may be a moot question, aha)?
As for passing on the weapon, yes, the weapon's next wielder gains the boon of the original spiritual ally as well as any other boons from previous wielders. So theoretically, yes, a player could find a weapon with multiple boons imbued into it (though that will mean more spirits for the player to contend with). I definitely see what you need about it meaning clarification--I'm still trying to figure out exactly how it works. I'm thinking that appropriate bonus boons could be stuff like limited access to a class feature that the previous wielder(s) themselves obtained--like a dagger of divine wrath that once belonged to a Rogue granting access to evasion a few times per long rest, or a rapier of divine wrath that once belonged to a Bard granting you a use of bardic inspiration. I dunno, I'll probably make a rolling table for it. I sure do love my rolling tables.
In short--yes, your feedback was incredibly helpful!! Thank you so much for taking the time to look over my creation!!
I understand why you bypassed immunity to frightened now. A good compromise could be to frighten normal enemies, but turn fiends and/or undead (as in Oath of Devotion's Turn the Unholy), since being immune to fright has no effect on being turned. Turning is generally a very powerful effect (wastes movement and action), so the ability would be even more effective against fiends than other enemies, which goes well with what you want to accomplish.
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.
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Ohhh, I like this idea a lot!! More people in the party who can just say “no” to large parts of the encounter if the dice roll in their favor never hurt anything, right? 😆
Also, keep in mind... Gloomstalker Ranger, if he has Sharpshooter means that he's smiting at 600ft at advantage. Throw in a few levels of assist Rogue, and he's auto critting his first attack. Well say he was able to throw on a hail of thorns before his snipe. You're looking at 2d8+12d6+16 at say 8th level... So, falling behind the others damage is one thing, giving him the ability to Nova stuff out of the sky at 600 meters, Thats on you as the DM at that point.
So, he might fall behind in a 6 round fight, but that first round or anytime he crits is gonna be BIG OOOOOF,
Very fair point!! However, counterpoint—my player is brand-new to the game and doesn't seem to know enough about character optimization to take that Assassin Rogue dip. I mean, he took the Archery fighting style and is wearing light armor, and yet he still set Strength as his highest stat. (And, like, the Sorcerer did that too with her Charisma and her Wisdom, but she also rolled like a god so she's still got an 18 in her primary stat. The Ranger's got only 15 Dex.) Also, where are you getting the advantage from? I checked both the text for Gloom Stalker and Sharpshooter to see if I had missed something, but all I found is that Sharpshooter negates the disadvantage from attacking with the long range of his bow. Unless you're referring to the unseen attacker rules that he can easily take advantage of due to Umbral Sight, which, fair. It is indeed on me if I give him ways to abuse his capabilities, but ultimately, my perspective (as a DM who, granted, still has not run a single combat yet) is that my players being very strong just means they get to meet the ~fun~ homebrew monsters sooner. . . I do appreciate the advice, though!! :)
Word of advice: when new players are making their first characters, ensure that they're *absolutely sure* they want their stat choices to be suboptimal. The first character I made was a Halfing Wizard with an Intelligence score of 8. I still had a lot of fun, but I severely regretted my stat choices.
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True. My older sister, who doesn't play as much as I do, once made a Cleric with -3 Wisdom modifier.
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)
Mhm. Session 0 was kinda hectic because I was walking the absolutely brand-new Cleric through making her first character, so I didn't have much focus to spend on helping the other, slightly less new players optimize their characters, but their stat and spell choices haven't really caused problems for them yet because it's been all RP and meeting NPCs so far. After the first combat, once they've gotten to see how their characters work beyond a few skill checks, I'm gonna offer to let them change up stuff about their characters' build--stats, spells, fighting styles, even their subclass if one of them discovers that they're really not vibing with the mechanics of what they picked. We haven't gotten there yet, and probably won't for another few sessions, but to give an example, I am anticipating an oof when my Sorcerer discovers that having almost exclusively Concentration spells isn't a great place to be and that crown of madness is just not that great.
And honestly, mood. My very first character (who I only got to play for like one session because I was busy and then COVID hit) was a Half-Elf Druid, and yet I put her highest stat into Intelligence. I also had no idea how Wildshape worked, and yet my DM let me turn into a Giant Eagle or something else that could fly anyways because he didn't really know how it worked either. Lesson learned--I have now looked up the Wildshape rules for my own Moon Druid player to see what he can and can't do.
That's actually a really good idea
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here is something i worked up for smiting dragons.
When you hit a dragon with this weapon, as a free action, may
choose to deliver a smite attack upon a dragon, the smite
attack deals an extra 2d8 points of radiant damage plus 1d8
for every age category of the dragon older than Wyrmling
(+3d8 against a young dragon, +4d8 against a adult, +5d8
against a Ancient dragon, and +6d8 against a Greatwyrm).
The smite function may be used three times per day but no more
than once per round
This is awesome. I especially like the idea of a plethora of Heavenly Beings acting like a crowd of supporters at a football game:
"Watch your left!". "MOVE, YOU FAT FU-". "Language". "Would you all be quiet?! He's trying to aim." "Idiots. I didn't sign up for a football game."
Also, add it. I've played ranger before, and against some enemies (even if you have Favoured Enemy, which he doesn't), it feels like your trying to break a brick wall with a stick. This item will be great.
A Fools Errand will fail. A Foolish Errand has a chance to succeed.