"Greetings, foundlings, and salutations! You have decided to enter the mystical halls of the Brews, where you might learn some most astonishing mysteries and solve the most tangled of puzzles. Your task is to present us with something we haven't seen before, and have it make us look upon it with delight. You have but a few tendays to create your product and show it to us, so we suggest you get to work!"
- Meyonmon Merridith, Ex-Candlekeep Scholar
If this is your first time joining us, welcome. The purpose of this thread is to spread a little bit of fun in the form of a friendly competition! Your task: Create an item of homebrew (see below) that is totally original and makes us go “wow!” The end products will be rated by members of the community, and the victor of each category will help create the next Finest ‘Brew contest! The previous contests are linked below:
All competitions thus far have contained a multitude of spectacular and inspired entries, so I suggest you check them out if you haven't already. Now, onto the important stuff:
Timeframe
Entries must be submitted before midnight (EST) on Sunday February 19th to be considered part of the competition.
Contest Categories
In each Finest Brew contest, there are three categories. These are so that people with skill in creating, say, monsters, don't end up stuck having to make dungeons. Each category is judged separately. There can only be one entrance per category per account. The category types are as follows:
DM Options: Things that provide tools for DMs to make encounters more interesting and rewards more enticing - such as dungeons/encounters, magic items, monsters, random tables, or even optional rules/mechanics.
PC Options: Things that help a player will build and develop their character - such as homebrew classes, subclasses, spells, feats, backgrounds or race/lineage/species options.
Interactive Options: Things that affect how characters interact with the world, exploring both its social structure and environment - such as NPCs, puzzles, stories/lore, terrain, traps/hazards or even institutions like shops or taverns
This time, our category themes are:
DM Options: Letter of the Law
Rules of law ultimately aim to impart order onto society, but with a clever wit and some abstract definitions, one can twist and defile the law to bind others to their bidding. What meaning does the "spirit" or "letter" of law hold over your creations? Contracts, lawyers, judges, codes, and regulations are just a small taste of what may inspire your designs. (This theme was picked by Semako).
PC Options: Windows to the Soul
Our eyes hold powers to perceive, observe, and give insight to the mechanism of the world around us. In this world of swords and sorcery, these jewellike orbs can hold further powers, evoking mystical rays like that of a Beholder, piercing the darkness like denizens of the underdark, unsettling the constitution of many like horrific aberrations, or imparting misfortune like the "evil eye" of the Vistani. For your submission to this category, what kind of powers and influence do eyes impart on the character? (This theme was picked by Quar1on).
Interactive Options: A House of Cards
A deck of cards can represent many things. In the hands of a friend, it evokes laughter and good times. In the hands of a fortune-teller, it evokes anxiety and excitement for the future. In the hands of an archmage, it may evoke powerful and otherwordly threats as they are revealed to possess the legendary Deck of Many Things. What kinds of cards and decks might characters find within the world, and what kind of events might they evoke? (This theme was picked by Kaboom979)
Voting will start Monday February 20th (or thereabouts, once the survey is made) and will end at noon midnight (EST) on Monday February 27th. Thursday March 2nd. A Google Forms poll for each category will be posted on this thread, and all may vote on it - including contestants. However, while a contestant can vote on other people's homebrew in the forms, they must not vote on their own. Scores are assigned using a numerical value from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).
Balance/Playability - This score is about how well the entry would run in game. If this entry is overpowered or underpowered, consider subtracting points. Also, consider subtracting points if it is poorly written or unclear, since that would make it a lot harder to understand and use in game.
Idea/Creativity- This score is about cool, interesting and unique the entry is. If someone's idea does not fit well into the contest category it is submitted for, consider subtracting points. If someone has put alot of extra work into the submission reflected by its length or artistic pieces, consider adding points
Written Feedback - You have the option to give written feedback, should you choose, for any entries on the forms. Written feedback does not factor into a contestants score.
We are hoping that by giving everyone more criteria to vote on for each entry, you will think about each aspect and not feel the need to cram all of your thoughts into a single number. We are also hoping that having multiple scores contribute to the total will make ties less likely to occur.
Please try to take the time to review and vote for every entry, except for your own, in the categories you vote in, as even one vote can easily sway a competition like this. If there's anything you feel very strongly about, also feel free to review it in the thread! Reviews won't count for anything, but it's nice to get feedback!
Determining Winners
Category Winners: Each of the two final scores will be added together to constitute the entry's total score, with the highest score determining the winner of each category.
The winner of each individual category will pick the theme for that category in the next competition. If there is a tie, then they can work together to come up with a theme. If you pick the theme for a category, then you cannot compete in it in the next competition.
Contest Winner: The entry with the highest individual score across the three categories will then be coronated as the contest winner and become the judge of the next competition. To clarify, this means that the highest of the 3 high scores is the winner.
If one person wins two or more categories, they win, regardless of if any of their individual scores are the highest.
If two or more entries are tied for highest score, the contestant with the highest total score for all of their entries will take the crown - so be sure to try and put something forward for every category to win a tiebreaker!
Guides & Mini-FAQ* & Changelog
WAIT! Before you see the 5th level Wall of Text in this FAQ’s* & Guides section, and decide not to submit to the competition because you don’t want to read it, remember that reading this section is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL. You do not need to read any of this to submit something for the competition, to pick a category, or to become the next judge. This is merely a helpful tool if you’re confused. You have no obligation to read or use it!
Guide for Competition & Category Winners.
Competition Winner: The competition winner becomes the next judge, they are responsible for doing the following:
They must start a private message thread between all the other category winners to figure out what themes the next categories will have. The judge must also pick the themes for all the categories they won. When possible, it is best to avoid reusing the same theme for the same category multiple times, though repeating themes for the same categories will be unavoidable eventually.
The judge must start the next competition thread. They can copy & paste most information from the previous competition thread, but must change the relevant information, such as dates and category themes. If you are the next judge and don’t know how long a given part of the competition, such as voting, should last, then just look at how long it lasted in the last competition, and have it be the same length for your competition. The judge should also update the “Contestants” section of their competition with links to each entry, and the name of the user who submitted it.
Once the time to submit entries ends, the judge is responsible for starting the google form for voting. If a judge doesn’t know how to do this, there will most likely be someone from the previous competition who would be willing to help if asked.
The judge should remove troll votes if there are any, and announce the scores and winners of the previous competition, after voting ends. It’s alright not to be able to do this immediately after voting ends, but the judge should try to do it as quickly as they can.
The judge, just like any other category winner, cannot submit anything to a category they created, or significantly impacted the creation of.
Category Winners: A category winner must do the following:
They must pick the next competition's theme for the category they won. Other category winners can help advise you or give you ideas for the theme, but ultimately, it’s up to you to pick it. The judge should start a private message thread with you and the other category winners, and that’s where you tell them your next category idea.
If you pick a category's theme, you cannot participate in it in the next competition. In addition, if you played a very, very significant role in picking another category’s theme, it is best for you not to participate in it. For example, if another contestant gives a list of their five ideas for the next competition and lets you pick it, then you probably shouldn’t participate in that category for when that theme comes up. However, if you just say something like, “Ooh, that sounds like a cool category idea,” or, “I like that idea but it is a little confusing, maybe you could word it differently?” Then you didn’t play that significant of a role in choosing that category, so you can still participate in it.
Mini FAQ* for competition contestants:
Q. Wait, how do I submit?
A. You just make a post in the competition thread with either a link to your entry, or your entry typed out in it. It helps to add what category you’re submitting to, but it is not strictly necessary since it’s pretty easy to figure out what type of category the entry is for.
Q. Can you vote on your own submission?
A. As described in the “Voting” section of this competition, you cannot vote on any of your own entries. Simply act as if they didn’t exist on the forms, you can still vote for everyone else’s submissions. This is an honor rule, since there is no way to enforce this, but we trust that contestants will do their best not to break this rule.
Q. Where can I find the forms for voting?
A. When the competition submission time ends, voting will start soon. You vote on a google form. The judge should link the forms near the voting section when they’re up, and they will probably also make a post on the thread announcing that voting’s started with the link.
Q. Can I have multiple submissions in the same competition?
A. Yes, you can have multiple submissions for the same competition. HOWEVER, as described in the “Contest Categories” section of this competition, you can only have one entry per category. For example, you can make something for the DM’s Options, PC Options, and Inspirational Options, but you can't make two things for PC Options and one for DM’s.
Q. I’ve already submitted something for X category, can I change my submission for it?
A. Yes, you can change your submission for a specific category as long as the deadline for submissions has not yet been reached. Do remember that if you’re changing your submission, it is best to edit your original post with your first submission to say that it is obsolete, and necessary to make a new one to announce & link your new submission. Also, do keep in mind that it does create a bit more work for the judges when you edit your submission, because they have to update the links. However, it is alright to do so.
Q. Is written feedback optional and does it effect an entries score?
A. Yes, written feedback is optional. No, it does not effect an entries score.
Q. Is the scoring by total score, or by average score?
A. The scoring is done by average score. Were it done by total score, it would effectively force people to give themselves a 0 if they followed the honor rule of not voting for their own entry should they vote. Due to this, voting is done by average score instead.
Q. How do I know if my submission is more appropriate for the DM category or the Interactive category?
A. If it is not obvious which of the two categories your submission would make sense for, then it really comes down to which pillar of the game you seek to explore. DM Options are more closely tied to combat whereas Interactive Options are more closely tied to exploration and social encounters.
As an example, if you have an NPC with a stat block and you are not sure where to submit, consider whether the goal of incorporating the NPC into a game would be to fight the PCs or for the PCs to gather information from it. Its possible to write a strong, social-focused NPC who still has a stat block just in case things turn towards combat, but if your desire for the NPC is to interact with the PCs through roleplay, then it likely is more fitting for the Interactive Category. If your desire is for the NPC to maybe roleplay a little, but ultimately engage the party in combat, then it would be closer to a "monster" and fit in the DM category.
Changelog
Removed Inspirational Category. Replaced with Interactive Category. Rearranged/introduced submission types for all three categories accordingly
The goal is to expand the non-DM, non-PC options to allow for more creativity and input without being bogged down in the traditionally lengthy options of designing dungeons, character builds, and lore. With the addition of things like NPCs, puzzles, terrain, and hazards, the hope is that there is more room in the third category now for more "bite sized" homebrewing
Also, very minor thing Kaboom, but the HP Lovecraft bit in the FAQ is still there. I suppose it's universally-applicable knowledge, but I thought I should let you know just in case you want to remove it anyways.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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)
Would a custom card game be appropriate for Interactive Options, or would that fall more into the realm of DM Options?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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)
Would a custom card game be appropriate for Interactive Options, or would that fall more into the realm of DM Options?
I would say a card game would fit with Interactive Options. This category is meant to fully reflect interesting ways the characters may interact with the world (or vice versa) either socially or through exploration, and so I think having a special card game that they could run the chance of playing as part of the campaign falls into the social interaction idea
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
I am looking forward to craft a subclass to behold... once i find enough time to read these forbidden, black tomes of eldritch knowledge :-)
Since I came up with the DM option, I can't submit something for it, but if I could, I would submit my Wizard of the Coast: https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3200416-the-wizard-of-the-coast - born from the current OGL 1.1 and monetizing turmoil... May it serve you as a (free!) source of inspiration!
Here is my submission for the PC category: The Surveyor Archetype for the Ranger class. This subclass gives features that will widen your rangers view to give them unique scouting capabilities. In writing this, I took some inspiration from the Eagle Totem barbarian, Find Traps (trying to make it better), the OneD&D Stonecunning, Guiding Bolt, and more. Speaking of OneD&D, as part of this submission I may try writing a version compatible with the new OneD&D format for Rangers put forth in the Expert Classes UA. Anyway, let me know what you think
Surveyor
Rangers of the surveyor archetype hone their sense of sight to reveal hidden paths and secret passages. They are adept at spotting hazards and planning out a march miles in advance to ensure safe and unimpeded travel. Surveyors also train in the art of divination to augment their natural insights with foresights.
Surveyor Magic
At 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the table. Each spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of ranger spells you know.
Starting when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain enhanced sight through natural landscapes. Choose one of the following traits:
Sight of the Land. As an action, you can expand a Ranger spell slot to gain Tremorsense for 10 minutes. The range of this sense is a number of feet equal to 20 times the level of spell slot expended. You must be on a natural surface or touching such a surface to use this Tremorsense. This includes areas like caves, dirt paths, or sandy coastlines but not worked surfaces like cut stone, wood, or metal.
Sight of the Sea. Areas which are heavily obscured due to rain, mist, snow, or fog (including those produced by magic) are treated as only lightly obscured for you. Additionally, while underwater you gain Darkvision out to 60 feet. If you already have Darkvision from another source, it is instead extended by 60 feet while underwater.
Sight of the Skies. You can see up to 1 mile away with no difficulty, able to discern even fine details as though looking at something no more than 100 feet away from you. Additionally, you have advantage on any Wisdom (Survival) checks made to predict the weather, and traveling at a fast pace does not impose a penalty onto your passive Perception score.
Each time you finish a long rest, you can change which trait you benefit from for this feature. Alternatively, you can change which trait you benefit from for this feature any time you finish a short rest within your Favored Terrain.
Note on the Deft Explorer Optional Feature
If your character is using the Deft Explorer feature from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, you instead gain the ability to change your chosen trait as part of short rest after you reach 6th level.
Primal Concentration
Also at 3rd level, your natural magic guides your attacks with added precision. While you are concentrating on a spell cast using a Ranger spell slot, you gain a bonus to your weapon attack rolls equal to half the level of slot expended (rounded up).
Disarming Glare
You have a keen eye for dangerous footing and malicious tricks. At 7th level, as an action you can sense the location of any trap or hazard within line of sight. For the purpose of this feature, this includes anything that, when triggered, would require you (or another creature) to make a saving throw to avoid a sudden or unexpected effect you consider harmful or undesirable. Thus, this feature would sense traps (both mundane and magical) such as an area affected by a glyph of warding or a pit trap, as well as natural hazards such as a weakness in the floor, an unstable ceiling, or a hidden sinkhole.
When you use this feature, if the save DC for any of the traps that are revealed by this feature is less than your spell save DC, it is magically disarmed (or dispelled). Once you have used this feature to reveal the location of traps or hazards, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Guiding Mark
Starting at 11th level, once per turn when you hit a creature with an attack, you can magically mark the target to reveal its weaknesses. While marked this way, any attack rolls against the target score a critical hit on a roll of 19-20 on the d20. A creature can be marked by this feature more than once, with the range of values for which a critical hit can be scored extending by 1 for each additional mark. For example, a creature bearing three of these marks can have a critical hit scored against it on a roll of 17-20 on the d20.
Once a critical hit is scored against a marked target, each mark on it from this feature vanishes.
Revealing Vista
Your field of vision becomes widened through communing with the natural world around you. At 15th level, You gain Truesight to a range of 30 feet, you are immune to the blinded condition, and you cannot be surprised.
Additionally, you can cast Locate Creature and Locate Object without expending a spell slot, without preparing the spell, and without material components, provided you are outdoors when you cast it. Once you cast either spell with this feature, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest.
I like that, I did not really expect this kind of take on the PC options theme!
The 3rd level features are pretty much fine, I am just missing some kind of offensive feature here - basically all other ranger subclasses get an offensive feature at level 3 that adds damage in some way.
The level 7 feature is basically how Find Traps should always have worked, love it! For the level 7 feature, you are mentioning a "spell" once, although the feature is not a spell; and I think it should have more than just one use per day. When I think of a ranger, I think of a character who is almost always ready to deal with any natural hazards and not of someone who after having done one thing immediately is crying for a long rest to be able to use their cool feature again :-) Another idea is incorporating the features of the Dungeon Delver feat here in some way, such as advantage on saving throws against traps and resistance to damage dealt by traps.
The Guiding Marksmanship feature is the feature I like the least of this subclass. It does not work with STRangers (and also not with Dhampirs using their bite and with rare multiclasses using Cha or Int to attack - Artificer actually is pretty fitting as a multiclass in terms of theme here); and I think advantage is not that good here, considering you already gain it when you take advantage of your improved eyesight (Darkness, Fog Cloud, Sleet Storm... all grant you advantage with Sight of the Sea and Sight of the Land), as well as when you use Guardian of Nature, which you can learn at level 13. Most level 11 ranger subclass abilities grant a situational 3rd attack of some sort. With this subclass, something like an increased critical hit range could work well thematically, maybe in combination with an additional attack as part of your Attack action if you score a critical hit?
Revealing Vista is fine, although Truesight is not much of a bonus when you already have Tremorsense from level 3 onwards. In fact, Tremorsense is better than Truesight for combat purposes as long as you and your enemies are grounded, because Tremorsense allows you to see normally in heavily obscured areas, Truesight does not. Maybe you can find some other kind of buff that is good enough for a level 15 ability? Also, "natural environment" strikes me as odd and a potential source of misunderstandings here, considering it is not exactly clear what is natural and what not from the perspective of the ranger; and of course not all rangers are that much associated with wilderness and "natural environments". Urban rangers are very much possible just like rangers with a connection to other planes. Probably it is best to just remove that phrase?
I like that, I did not really expect this kind of take on the PC options theme!
The 3rd level features are pretty much fine, I am just missing some kind of offensive feature here - basically all other ranger subclasses get an offensive feature at level 3 that adds damage in some way
I added the Precision Attack feature as the offensive candidate. I didnt want another +1d6/+1d8 damage once per turn type feature, so I instead gave them a limited bonus to their attack rolls to set them apart. Less damage on average, but more reliable attacks.
The level 7 feature is basically how Find Traps should always have worked, love it! For the level 7 feature, you are mentioning a "spell" once, although the feature is not a spell; and I think it should have more than just one use per day. When I think of a ranger, I think of a character who is almost always ready to deal with any natural hazards and not of someone who after having done one thing immediately is crying for a long rest to be able to use their cool feature again :-) Another idea is incorporating the features of the Dungeon Delver feat here in some way, such as advantage on saving throws against traps and resistance to damage dealt by traps.
Ill fix the spell language and consider making it a 1/SR type feature
The Guiding Marksmanship feature is the feature I like the least of this subclass. It does not work with STRangers (and also not with Dhampirs using their bite and with rare multiclasses using Cha or Int to attack - Artificer actually is pretty fitting as a multiclass in terms of theme here); and I think advantage is not that good here, considering you already gain it when you take advantage of your improved eyesight (Darkness, Fog Cloud, Sleet Storm... all grant you advantage with Sight of the Sea and Sight of the Land, as well as when you use Guardian of Nature, which you can learn at level 13. Most level 11 ranger subclass abilities grant a situational 3rd attack of some sort. With this subclass, something like an increased critical hit range could work well thematically, maybe in combination with an additional attack as part of your Attack action if you score a critical hit?
I like the idea of an increased crit range, but dont want to have a rehash of Champion Fighter. I have put an easy version in place of the original effect for now. Let me know what you think. I think itd be fun if there was some sort of "feedback" effect, like if someone actually manages to score a critical hit against the target before the mark vanishes you get some added benefit. Idk
Revealing Vista is fine, although Truesight is not much of a bonus when you already have Tremorsense from level 3 onwards. In fact, Tremorsense is better than Truesight for combat purposes as long as you and your enemies are grounded, because Tremorsense allows you to see normally in heavily obscured areas, Truesight does not. Maybe you can find some other kind of buff that is good enough for a level 15 ability?
The drawback of the tremorsense for this ranger is you basically have to be outdoors, and it wont function inside buildings. I think this sort of restriction is merited, as tremorsense without any limitations is probably too strong for low levels. For the OneD&D dwarf, as of now it is limited by the fact that it only works on stone and not other surfaces like dirt, metal, or wood. In contrast to the OneD&D dwarf whose Stonecunning tremorsense works on "natural or worked stone" this tremorsense only functions on "natural" surfaces, so it wont help with the worked stone of a keep or dungeon. Its more limited, but you can also have it for longer and at a greater ranger.
Truesight from this feature is "always on", works in any environment, and has the added benefit of revealing the true form of shapechangers or creatures whose appearance was altered by illusion magic. You can also see through illusions, which only works for tremorsense if the illusion appears to be "touching" the ground for you to realize its not actually there. How tremorsense deals with creatures using illusion magic to alter their appearance feels dubious and probably comes down to DM ruling.
Plus, my idea here is that more types of vision are better. From this subclass the ranger can have tremorsense & truesight & its various special sights which can be paired with darkvision from their race/species choice and blindsight if they choose the blind fighting style to give a well rounded arsenal of visual senses.
Also, "natural environment" strikes me as odd and a potential source of misunderstandings here, considering it is not exactly clear what is natural and what not from the perspective of the ranger; and of course not all rangers are that much associated with wilderness and "natural environments". Urban rangers are very much possible just like rangers with a connection to other planes. Probably it is best to just remove that phrase?
The type of theme I am going for with this subclass is much more connected to outdoor environments, almost a kind of Natural Explorer++. Sight of the Land only works on natural surfaces and Sight of the Skies works everywhere, but is realistically only helpful outside with alot of clearance. So I was not building around the idea of Urban rangers. I think that if someone wants to play an Urban ranger, there are other subclasses that would allow them to fulfill that fantasy better.
Within the context of the language of the base Natural Explorer feature there is precedent for what would be considered a "natural environment" so I do not think more clarification than the listed examples is needed.
Edit. I did decide to make a few small changes to the 15th level feature, making it more widely useful while still having an added benefit while you are outdoors
I would like to participate if that is fine. My entry for the DM Options section is the Avatar of Justice. An incredibly powerful celestial being who brings judgement upon those who break a higher law. I intentionally left the lore section a little vague so that it could be incorporated into any setting. I also don't have a way to determine CR higher than 20 so I am kind of guesstimating on that. I will probably make something for the other sections too later on.
Please let me know if the link works because I have had trouble with publishing stuff before.
Appreciator of all things Weird, Wondrous, and/or Yummy
In the Autumn Country, days end quickly, the gloaming hours linger, and the midnights pile one upon the other till the air is thick and flows like twilight syrup.
I would like to participate if that is fine. My entry for the DM Options section is the Avatar of Justice. An incredibly powerful celestial being who brings judgement upon those who break a higher law. I intentionally left the lore section a little vague so that it could be incorporated into any setting. I also don't have a way to determine CR higher than 20 so I am kind of guesstimating on that. I will probably make something for the other sections too later on.
Appreciator of all things Weird, Wondrous, and/or Yummy
In the Autumn Country, days end quickly, the gloaming hours linger, and the midnights pile one upon the other till the air is thick and flows like twilight syrup.
I would like to participate if that is fine. My entry for the DM Options section is the Avatar of Justice. An incredibly powerful celestial being who brings judgement upon those who break a higher law. I intentionally left the lore section a little vague so that it could be incorporated into any setting. I also don't have a way to determine CR higher than 20 so I am kind of guesstimating on that. I will probably make something for the other sections too later on.
Please let me know if the link works because I have had trouble with publishing stuff before.
Yooo this is literally so cool!! I'm not the best at judging balance (yet), but the flavor of all the abilities is just 10/10. Kinda tempted to bring them into my own campaign as servants of my homebrew god of justice, ngl. . .
Okay, I also now have my submission prepared for the DM Option. I present the Scroll of Binding Accord, which will make use of undead servants to punish any who breach the terms of a contract.
Scroll of Binding Accord
Scroll, Very Rare
This magical parchment draws on extraplanar energies of order and law. It is typically employed by archmagi, cult priests, high level dignitaries, and senior guild leaders to ensure that the deals they make hold deathly weight with the other party. A contract may be formed between two or more creatures by writing with ink, blood, or a similar marking substance. Alternatively, if entering into a verbal agreement, the terms are magically inscribed onto the page as they are dictated. In this way, each party giving willing, truthful agreement to the terms produces their signatures onto the contract. After the scroll is signed, it vanishes to a vault or similar location on the plane of Mechanus.
When a creature which signed this scroll would take an action that would breach the terms of the agreement, they receive a mental ping as a warning. At the DMs discretion, this warning may also outline the way in which the action would act to break the terms. If the creature willingly chooses to break the terms of the agreement, the scroll’s magic acts to impart sentience onto the nearest corpse to that creature to uphold the contract. This animated corpse manifests as a revenant, using the stat block from the Monster Manual with the following change:
Armor of Order (Reaction). When the revenant is damaged by an attack, spell, or other effect, it can use its reaction to replace the amount of damage rolled with its average value.
Any revenant summoned by the scroll this way seeks vengeance on any creature that had broken the terms of the agreement. It will hunt down its target for up to one year, with the “soul” jumping from one corpse to another unless targeted by the wish spell.
A creature who signed the contract can be released in one of the following ways:
They survive for one year after breaching the terms of the deal.
They convince each of the other signers to repeal the contract, which requires willing, truthful agreement from each party. Doing so destroys the scroll.
A creature could also potentially destroy the scroll if they travel Mechanus and locate it. Doing so releases all signed creatures from the contract, who immediately receive a mental ping which indicates this.
Regardless if signed through writing or statement, a creature can only sign a contract formed on this scroll if doing so willfully and using its True Name, otherwise their name is immediately erased from the page without any effect. This scroll also cannot be targeted by the illusory script spell.
I hope this suits the category well enough! If you have any feedback to give, I would gladly receive it!
Love the flavor of this spell, just a few things
1) I dont think you need to specify that creatures that are immune to being frightened are immune to the effects of the spell, since the spell's only effect is to impart the frightened condition
2) This feels very powerful, maybe enough for it to merit being a higher level. A creature affected by this spell is frightened of every creature it can see and cannot repeat its save unless it has an ally willing to use its action to help it. Otherwise, if the party surrounds the creature, then it is locked down and unable to escape, since it cant willing move closer to a source of its fear. While its locked down this way, its going to have disadvantage on all of its attack rolls and ability checks.
2a) I think that to balance it out, it might be worthwhile to include another criteria by which the target can repeat its save that isnt reliant on another creature helping it or casting a spell on it. Something like if the target manages to get out of sight of everyone else, it can repeat its save.
3) I find it a little odd that this spell is specifically available to the School of Enchantment subclass for Wizards, as that subclass does not offer an expanded spell list as part of its features. Bards and Warlocks, on the other hand, make a ton of sense thematically.
I hope this suits the category well enough! If you have any feedback to give, I would gladly receive it!
Love the flavor of this spell, just a few things
1) I dont think you need to specify that creatures that are immune to being frightened are immune to the effects of the spell, since the spell's only effect is to impart the frightened condition
2) This feels very powerful, maybe enough for it to merit being a higher level. A creature affected by this spell is frightened of every creature it can see and cannot repeat its save unless it has an ally willing to use its action to help it. Otherwise, if the party surrounds the creature, then it is locked down and unable to escape, since it cant willing move closer to a source of its fear. While its locked down this way, its going to have disadvantage on all of its attack rolls and ability checks.
2a) I think that to balance it out, it might be worthwhile to include another criteria by which the target can repeat its save that isnt reliant on another creature helping it or casting a spell on it. Something like if the target manages to get out of sight of everyone else, it can repeat its save.
3) I find it a little odd that this spell is specifically available to the School of Enchantment subclass for Wizards, as that subclass does not offer an expanded spell list as part of its features. Bards and Warlocks, on the other hand, make a ton of sense thematically.
Actually I think it is quite underpowered and in need of some good buffs. Fear, for comparison, is a 3rd level spell that can affect multiple creatures, disarms them and takes their actions away by forcing them to dash or dodge; Wrathful smite is a 1st level spell that frightens one creature, and it is very difficult for an affected creature to break out - and it is just a bonus action to cast; and Raulothim's psychic lance targets a much better saving throw with Intelligence, does not care about immunity to fear, deals a good amount of damage and incapacitates the target for one round, meaning it can't do anything for that duration.
I would suggest adding some damage to your spell that occurs when it is cast and at the end of every turn the target is still frightened. Another idea could be adding an effect similar to Dissonant Whispers where the target has to use its reaction to run away when it succeeds (!) on its saving throw or the spell ends for it, giving it some additional utility and unique mechanics so that it no longer is just a save or suck spell.
I would add the spell to the sorcerer (mainly because of Shadow and Aberrant Mind sorcerers) and to the cleric (works well with the Trickery domain, an eldritch Knowledge cleric, some darkness/twilight cleric flavors...) spell lists too.
I hope this suits the category well enough! If you have any feedback to give, I would gladly receive it!
Love the flavor of this spell, just a few things
1) I dont think you need to specify that creatures that are immune to being frightened are immune to the effects of the spell, since the spell's only effect is to impart the frightened condition
2) This feels very powerful, maybe enough for it to merit being a higher level. A creature affected by this spell is frightened of every creature it can see and cannot repeat its save unless it has an ally willing to use its action to help it. Otherwise, if the party surrounds the creature, then it is locked down and unable to escape, since it cant willing move closer to a source of its fear. While its locked down this way, its going to have disadvantage on all of its attack rolls and ability checks.
2a) I think that to balance it out, it might be worthwhile to include another criteria by which the target can repeat its save that isnt reliant on another creature helping it or casting a spell on it. Something like if the target manages to get out of sight of everyone else, it can repeat its save.
3) I find it a little odd that this spell is specifically available to the School of Enchantment subclass for Wizards, as that subclass does not offer an expanded spell list as part of its features. Bards and Warlocks, on the other hand, make a ton of sense thematically.
2) The spell is, I think, of a fair level, considering such spells as banishment which remove a target from combat altogether are also 4th-level. I agree that the condition for ending the effect is too situational and I intend to remedy that.
3) I made this spell back when I didn’t realize what putting a subclass on the spell list did; this will be fixed.
The Competition of the Finest Brews I - Judged by Yamana_Eajii. (Thread accidentally deleted)
The Competition of the Finest Brews II - Judged by Thauraeln_The_Bold.
The Competition of the Finest Brews III - Judged by TabaxiRogueFighterClericWarlock
The Competition of the Finest Brews IV - Judged by Kaboom979
The Competition of the Finest Brews V - Judged by ThorukDuckSlayer
The Competition of the Finest Brews VI - Judged by Semako
The Competition of the Finest Brews VII - Judged by MilestoGo_24
The Competition of the Finest Brews VIII — Judged by Heartofjuyomk2
The Competition of the Finest Brews IX— Judged by IamSposta
The Competition of the Finest Brews X — Judged by Kaboom979
The Competition of the Finest Brews XI - Judged by BoringBard
The Competition of the Finest Brews XII- Judged by ThorukDuckSlayer
All competitions thus far have contained a multitude of spectacular and inspired entries, so I suggest you check them out if you haven't already. Now, onto the important stuff:
Timeframe
Entries must be submitted before midnight (EST) on Sunday February 19th to be considered part of the competition.
Contest Categories
In each Finest Brew contest, there are three categories. These are so that people with skill in creating, say, monsters, don't end up stuck having to make dungeons. Each category is judged separately. There can only be one entrance per category per account. The category types are as follows:
This time, our category themes are:
DM Options: Letter of the Law
Rules of law ultimately aim to impart order onto society, but with a clever wit and some abstract definitions, one can twist and defile the law to bind others to their bidding. What meaning does the "spirit" or "letter" of law hold over your creations? Contracts, lawyers, judges, codes, and regulations are just a small taste of what may inspire your designs. (This theme was picked by Semako).
PC Options: Windows to the Soul
Our eyes hold powers to perceive, observe, and give insight to the mechanism of the world around us. In this world of swords and sorcery, these jewellike orbs can hold further powers, evoking mystical rays like that of a Beholder, piercing the darkness like denizens of the underdark, unsettling the constitution of many like horrific aberrations, or imparting misfortune like the "evil eye" of the Vistani. For your submission to this category, what kind of powers and influence do eyes impart on the character? (This theme was picked by Quar1on).
Interactive Options: A House of Cards
A deck of cards can represent many things. In the hands of a friend, it evokes laughter and good times. In the hands of a fortune-teller, it evokes anxiety and excitement for the future. In the hands of an archmage, it may evoke powerful and otherwordly threats as they are revealed to possess the legendary Deck of Many Things. What kinds of cards and decks might characters find within the world, and what kind of events might they evoke? (This theme was picked by Kaboom979)
Voting Link to the Poll
Voting will start Monday February 20th (or thereabouts, once the survey is made) and will end at
noonmidnight (EST) onMonday February 27th.Thursday March 2nd. A Google Forms poll for each category will be posted on this thread, and all may vote on it - including contestants. However, while a contestant can vote on other people's homebrew in the forms, they must not vote on their own. Scores are assigned using a numerical value from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).Written Feedback - You have the option to give written feedback, should you choose, for any entries on the forms. Written feedback does not factor into a contestants score.
We are hoping that by giving everyone more criteria to vote on for each entry, you will think about each aspect and not feel the need to cram all of your thoughts into a single number. We are also hoping that having multiple scores contribute to the total will make ties less likely to occur.
Please try to take the time to review and vote for every entry, except for your own, in the categories you vote in, as even one vote can easily sway a competition like this. If there's anything you feel very strongly about, also feel free to review it in the thread! Reviews won't count for anything, but it's nice to get feedback!
Determining Winners
Guides & Mini-FAQ* & Changelog
WAIT! Before you see the 5th level Wall of Text in this FAQ’s* & Guides section, and decide not to submit to the competition because you don’t want to read it, remember that reading this section is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL. You do not need to read any of this to submit something for the competition, to pick a category, or to become the next judge. This is merely a helpful tool if you’re confused. You have no obligation to read or use it!
Guide for Competition & Category Winners.
Competition Winner: The competition winner becomes the next judge, they are responsible for doing the following:
Category Winners: A category winner must do the following:
Mini FAQ* for competition contestants:
Q. Wait, how do I submit?
A. You just make a post in the competition thread with either a link to your entry, or your entry typed out in it. It helps to add what category you’re submitting to, but it is not strictly necessary since it’s pretty easy to figure out what type of category the entry is for.
Q. Can you vote on your own submission?
A. As described in the “Voting” section of this competition, you cannot vote on any of your own entries. Simply act as if they didn’t exist on the forms, you can still vote for everyone else’s submissions. This is an honor rule, since there is no way to enforce this, but we trust that contestants will do their best not to break this rule.
Q. Where can I find the forms for voting?
A. When the competition submission time ends, voting will start soon. You vote on a google form. The judge should link the forms near the voting section when they’re up, and they will probably also make a post on the thread announcing that voting’s started with the link.
Q. Can I have multiple submissions in the same competition?
A. Yes, you can have multiple submissions for the same competition. HOWEVER, as described in the “Contest Categories” section of this competition, you can only have one entry per category. For example, you can make something for the DM’s Options, PC Options, and Inspirational Options, but you can't make two things for PC Options and one for DM’s.
Q. I’ve already submitted something for X category, can I change my submission for it?
A. Yes, you can change your submission for a specific category as long as the deadline for submissions has not yet been reached. Do remember that if you’re changing your submission, it is best to edit your original post with your first submission to say that it is obsolete, and necessary to make a new one to announce & link your new submission. Also, do keep in mind that it does create a bit more work for the judges when you edit your submission, because they have to update the links. However, it is alright to do so.
Q. Is written feedback optional and does it effect an entries score?
A. Yes, written feedback is optional. No, it does not effect an entries score.
Q. Is the scoring by total score, or by average score?
A. The scoring is done by average score. Were it done by total score, it would effectively force people to give themselves a 0 if they followed the honor rule of not voting for their own entry should they vote. Due to this, voting is done by average score instead.
Q. How do I know if my submission is more appropriate for the DM category or the Interactive category?
A. If it is not obvious which of the two categories your submission would make sense for, then it really comes down to which pillar of the game you seek to explore. DM Options are more closely tied to combat whereas Interactive Options are more closely tied to exploration and social encounters.
As an example, if you have an NPC with a stat block and you are not sure where to submit, consider whether the goal of incorporating the NPC into a game would be to fight the PCs or for the PCs to gather information from it. Its possible to write a strong, social-focused NPC who still has a stat block just in case things turn towards combat, but if your desire for the NPC is to interact with the PCs through roleplay, then it likely is more fitting for the Interactive Category. If your desire is for the NPC to maybe roleplay a little, but ultimately engage the party in combat, then it would be closer to a "monster" and fit in the DM category.
Changelog
Removed Inspirational Category. Replaced with Interactive Category. Rearranged/introduced submission types for all three categories accordingly
Contestants (Final Scores)
DM Option:
Avatar of Justice (Monster) by The_Summoning_Dark (6.17)
Scroll of Binding Accord (Magic Item) by Kaboom979 (7.00)
The House of Good Judgement (Rules / Encounter) by Agilemind (6.00)
Attorney's Badge (Magic Item) by Quar1on (7.00)
Dagger of Pacts (Magic Item) by AntonSirius (7.00)
The Stone Arbiter (Encounter) by MilestoGo_24 (7.83)
PC Option:
Surveyor Archetype (Ranger Subclass) by Kaboom979 (7.00)
Scopophobia (Spell) by MilestoGo_24 (6.50)
Way of a Thousand Eyes (Monk Subclass) by Agilemind (6.86)
Horrific / Glamorous Appearance (Spell) by The_Summoning_Dark (7.00)
Fomorian Knight (Fighter Subclass) by AntonSirius (6.17)
The Beholder (Warlock Subclass) by IamSposta (7.17)
Dreamspawn Sorcerer (Sorcerer Subclass) by Semako (7.50)
Interactive Option:
Ordo Chartae (Organization) by The_Summoning_Dark (7.17)
Shilo Grifther (NPC) by IamSposta (7.00)
Starguide Casino (Location) by MilestoGo_24 (8.00)
Our Lady of the Busted Flush (Location) by AntonSirius (7.50)
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
(Note to self not to slack off and delay working on my submission. ): )
BoringBard's long and tedious posts somehow manage to enrapture audiences. How? Because he used Charm Person, the #1 bard spell!
He/him pronouns. Call me Bard. PROUD NERD!
Ever wanted to talk about your parties' worst mistakes? Do so HERE. What's your favorite class, why? Share & explain
HERE.Hurrah! Let's get cooking!
Also, very minor thing Kaboom, but the HP Lovecraft bit in the FAQ is still there. I suppose it's universally-applicable knowledge, but I thought I should let you know just in case you want to remove it anyways.
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)
Would a custom card game be appropriate for Interactive Options, or would that fall more into the realm of DM Options?
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)
I would say a card game would fit with Interactive Options. This category is meant to fully reflect interesting ways the characters may interact with the world (or vice versa) either socially or through exploration, and so I think having a special card game that they could run the chance of playing as part of the campaign falls into the social interaction idea
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
Ooh, I may have something I noted down forever ago and then never elaborated on that I could work on for the card themed one!
Excellent categories, looking forward to seeing what comes out!
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
DM's Guild Releases on This Thread - latest release; the Harvest Sprite, a playable Jack-o-Lantern Race!
Or check them all out on DMs Guild!
DrivethruRPG Releases on This Thread - latest release: The Promethean Scientist (Dr Frankenstein) Artificer Subclass!!
I also dabble in art on here (my art thread)
I am looking forward to craft a subclass to behold... once i find enough time to read these forbidden, black tomes of eldritch knowledge :-)
Since I came up with the DM option, I can't submit something for it, but if I could, I would submit my Wizard of the Coast: https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3200416-the-wizard-of-the-coast - born from the current OGL 1.1 and monetizing turmoil... May it serve you as a (free!) source of inspiration!
Here is my submission for the PC category: The Surveyor Archetype for the Ranger class. This subclass gives features that will widen your rangers view to give them unique scouting capabilities. In writing this, I took some inspiration from the Eagle Totem barbarian, Find Traps (trying to make it better), the OneD&D Stonecunning, Guiding Bolt, and more. Speaking of OneD&D, as part of this submission I may try writing a version compatible with the new OneD&D format for Rangers put forth in the Expert Classes UA. Anyway, let me know what you think
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
I like that, I did not really expect this kind of take on the PC options theme!
The 3rd level features are pretty much fine, I am just missing some kind of offensive feature here - basically all other ranger subclasses get an offensive feature at level 3 that adds damage in some way.
The level 7 feature is basically how Find Traps should always have worked, love it! For the level 7 feature, you are mentioning a "spell" once, although the feature is not a spell; and I think it should have more than just one use per day. When I think of a ranger, I think of a character who is almost always ready to deal with any natural hazards and not of someone who after having done one thing immediately is crying for a long rest to be able to use their cool feature again :-) Another idea is incorporating the features of the Dungeon Delver feat here in some way, such as advantage on saving throws against traps and resistance to damage dealt by traps.
The Guiding Marksmanship feature is the feature I like the least of this subclass. It does not work with STRangers (and also not with Dhampirs using their bite and with rare multiclasses using Cha or Int to attack - Artificer actually is pretty fitting as a multiclass in terms of theme here); and I think advantage is not that good here, considering you already gain it when you take advantage of your improved eyesight (Darkness, Fog Cloud, Sleet Storm... all grant you advantage with Sight of the Sea and Sight of the Land), as well as when you use Guardian of Nature, which you can learn at level 13. Most level 11 ranger subclass abilities grant a situational 3rd attack of some sort. With this subclass, something like an increased critical hit range could work well thematically, maybe in combination with an additional attack as part of your Attack action if you score a critical hit?
Revealing Vista is fine, although Truesight is not much of a bonus when you already have Tremorsense from level 3 onwards. In fact, Tremorsense is better than Truesight for combat purposes as long as you and your enemies are grounded, because Tremorsense allows you to see normally in heavily obscured areas, Truesight does not. Maybe you can find some other kind of buff that is good enough for a level 15 ability? Also, "natural environment" strikes me as odd and a potential source of misunderstandings here, considering it is not exactly clear what is natural and what not from the perspective of the ranger; and of course not all rangers are that much associated with wilderness and "natural environments". Urban rangers are very much possible just like rangers with a connection to other planes. Probably it is best to just remove that phrase?
I added the Precision Attack feature as the offensive candidate. I didnt want another +1d6/+1d8 damage once per turn type feature, so I instead gave them a limited bonus to their attack rolls to set them apart. Less damage on average, but more reliable attacks.
Ill fix the spell language and consider making it a 1/SR type feature
I like the idea of an increased crit range, but dont want to have a rehash of Champion Fighter. I have put an easy version in place of the original effect for now. Let me know what you think. I think itd be fun if there was some sort of "feedback" effect, like if someone actually manages to score a critical hit against the target before the mark vanishes you get some added benefit. Idk
The drawback of the tremorsense for this ranger is you basically have to be outdoors, and it wont function inside buildings. I think this sort of restriction is merited, as tremorsense without any limitations is probably too strong for low levels. For the OneD&D dwarf, as of now it is limited by the fact that it only works on stone and not other surfaces like dirt, metal, or wood. In contrast to the OneD&D dwarf whose Stonecunning tremorsense works on "natural or worked stone" this tremorsense only functions on "natural" surfaces, so it wont help with the worked stone of a keep or dungeon. Its more limited, but you can also have it for longer and at a greater ranger.
Truesight from this feature is "always on", works in any environment, and has the added benefit of revealing the true form of shapechangers or creatures whose appearance was altered by illusion magic. You can also see through illusions, which only works for tremorsense if the illusion appears to be "touching" the ground for you to realize its not actually there. How tremorsense deals with creatures using illusion magic to alter their appearance feels dubious and probably comes down to DM ruling.
Plus, my idea here is that more types of vision are better. From this subclass the ranger can have tremorsense & truesight & its various special sights which can be paired with darkvision from their race/species choice and blindsight if they choose the blind fighting style to give a well rounded arsenal of visual senses.
The type of theme I am going for with this subclass is much more connected to outdoor environments, almost a kind of Natural Explorer++. Sight of the Land only works on natural surfaces and Sight of the Skies works everywhere, but is realistically only helpful outside with alot of clearance. So I was not building around the idea of Urban rangers. I think that if someone wants to play an Urban ranger, there are other subclasses that would allow them to fulfill that fantasy better.
Within the context of the language of the base Natural Explorer feature there is precedent for what would be considered a "natural environment" so I do not think more clarification than the listed examples is needed.
Edit. I did decide to make a few small changes to the 15th level feature, making it more widely useful while still having an added benefit while you are outdoors
I appreciate the feedback
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
I would like to participate if that is fine. My entry for the DM Options section is the Avatar of Justice. An incredibly powerful celestial being who brings judgement upon those who break a higher law. I intentionally left the lore section a little vague so that it could be incorporated into any setting. I also don't have a way to determine CR higher than 20 so I am kind of guesstimating on that. I will probably make something for the other sections too later on.
Please let me know if the link works because I have had trouble with publishing stuff before.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/homebrew/monsters?filter-type=0&filter-search=Avatar of Justice&filter-cr-min=&filter-cr-max=&filter-armor-class-min=&filter-armor-class-max=&filter-average-hp-min=&filter-average-hp-max=&filter-is-legendary=&filter-is-mythic=&filter-has-lair=&filter-author=&filter-author-previous=&filter-author-symbol=&filter-rating=-11
It sounds like a great submission, but sadly the link does not work
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
I tried it again with a different link. Is it working now?
Yep, ill add it to the list. Let me know if you make a new version before the end of the submission period so I can update the link
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
Yooo this is literally so cool!! I'm not the best at judging balance (yet), but the flavor of all the abilities is just 10/10. Kinda tempted to bring them into my own campaign as servants of my homebrew god of justice, ngl. . .
Okay, I also now have my submission prepared for the DM Option. I present the Scroll of Binding Accord, which will make use of undead servants to punish any who breach the terms of a contract.
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
Here’s my Player option, a spell which I already had made:
Scopophobia
I hope this suits the category well enough! If you have any feedback to give, I would gladly receive it!
Come participate in the Competition of the Finest Brews, Edition XXII?
My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature
Love the flavor of this spell, just a few things
1) I dont think you need to specify that creatures that are immune to being frightened are immune to the effects of the spell, since the spell's only effect is to impart the frightened condition
2) This feels very powerful, maybe enough for it to merit being a higher level. A creature affected by this spell is frightened of every creature it can see and cannot repeat its save unless it has an ally willing to use its action to help it. Otherwise, if the party surrounds the creature, then it is locked down and unable to escape, since it cant willing move closer to a source of its fear. While its locked down this way, its going to have disadvantage on all of its attack rolls and ability checks.
2a) I think that to balance it out, it might be worthwhile to include another criteria by which the target can repeat its save that isnt reliant on another creature helping it or casting a spell on it. Something like if the target manages to get out of sight of everyone else, it can repeat its save.
3) I find it a little odd that this spell is specifically available to the School of Enchantment subclass for Wizards, as that subclass does not offer an expanded spell list as part of its features. Bards and Warlocks, on the other hand, make a ton of sense thematically.
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
Actually I think it is quite underpowered and in need of some good buffs. Fear, for comparison, is a 3rd level spell that can affect multiple creatures, disarms them and takes their actions away by forcing them to dash or dodge; Wrathful smite is a 1st level spell that frightens one creature, and it is very difficult for an affected creature to break out - and it is just a bonus action to cast; and Raulothim's psychic lance targets a much better saving throw with Intelligence, does not care about immunity to fear, deals a good amount of damage and incapacitates the target for one round, meaning it can't do anything for that duration.
I would suggest adding some damage to your spell that occurs when it is cast and at the end of every turn the target is still frightened. Another idea could be adding an effect similar to Dissonant Whispers where the target has to use its reaction to run away when it succeeds (!) on its saving throw or the spell ends for it, giving it some additional utility and unique mechanics so that it no longer is just a save or suck spell.
I would add the spell to the sorcerer (mainly because of Shadow and Aberrant Mind sorcerers) and to the cleric (works well with the Trickery domain, an eldritch Knowledge cleric, some darkness/twilight cleric flavors...) spell lists too.
2) The spell is, I think, of a fair level, considering such spells as banishment which remove a target from combat altogether are also 4th-level. I agree that the condition for ending the effect is too situational and I intend to remedy that.
3) I made this spell back when I didn’t realize what putting a subclass on the spell list did; this will be fixed.
Come participate in the Competition of the Finest Brews, Edition XXII?
My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature