I make a lot of homebrew in my time, but I've often had trouble balancing the things I make. I'd like some help regarding how to balance the following homebrewed items please. All thoughts and criticism are welcome.
(Note: Revisions have been made to some of these. Slashed out words and sentences represent changed or removed notes. Underlines words or sentences represent replacements or further added information)
Weapon - Gauntlets: +2 to AC. Melee weapon attack. Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d6 bludgeoning damage. If you uses bonus action or a second attack, it deals 1d8 damage from the second hit onward.
(Claws can be fitted onto gauntlets to grant a +2 to hit, half of their usual damage roll, changes the damage type to slashingpiercing and any unique properties and bonuses they already grant (EX: From being a magical weapon, or being silvered). For example: if the Gauntlets above were fitted with the claws above, the Gauntlets would be granted an additional +2 to hit, and would deal 1d10 damage on a hit.)
Magic weapon - Claws of Anubis (requires attunement): Melee weapon attack. Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d6damage. Upon reducing a creature’s hit points to 0, you can force that creature to make a strength saving throw with a DC equal to 10 + your wisdom modifier + your charisma modifier. On a failed save, the target is turned into a mummy. The mummy obeys your every command for 24 hours before it dissolves into sand and dies. If not ordered, the mummy will follow you around, and protect you from harm and aid you in whatever tasks you might do. You can use this feature a total amount of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and must long rest to recharge uses. If the creature succeeds the saving throw, they just die.
Magic weapon - Hammer of Surtr:Melee weapon attack. Reach 5ft, one target (splash). Hit: 1d12 bludgeoning + 1d6 Fire Damage, and 1d6 fire damage splash on allies within 5 feet of the targeted foe
Feat - Wild Born: You gain proficiency in the Nature, Survival, and Animal Handling skills. Also, you have advantage on checks made to track or hunt, and perception checks that are made using smell or hearing. You also have access to the pack tactics skill, and can attempt to hide when obscured by natural phenomena.
Feat - Trickster’s intuition: You gain proficiency in the deception skill, and have advantage on checks made to see through other’s lies, or to check if they are lying. You can also perfectly imitate the behavior, writing style, or vocal sounds and patterns of a creature if you spend 24 hours studying that specific behavior or pattern, allowing you to roll with advantage and double your proficiency bonus when making checks using that specific behavior or pattern.
Race - Quattuor:Quattor are tall muscular half-giants with stone gray skin, and 4 arms. Other than those traits, they look relatively human.Your size is medium or large (your choice). You have a base movement speed of 30 feet. Your strength and constitution scores increase by 2. You have advantage on all strength rolls involving your arms. Your unarmed strikes use a D6 for damage. If you attack using an unarmed strike, you can use your bonus action to make 3 additional attack rolls.
Class - Dragonkeeper: Information can be found here. (Incomplete, still working out some specifics with this one)
Race - Phoenixborne: Information can be found here.
Magic Weapon - Distributor:Ranged magic attack. Reach 120 ft, one target. Hit:1d10 3d6 necrotic damage. When you deal damage using this stave’s ranged attack, the stave absorbs hit points equal to half of the damage dealt up to some limit?. These hit points can be distributed to yourself or other creatures within range. The stave starts with 2100 hit points, and recharges 100 hit points per longshort rest equal to the amount of hit points you receive from using your hit dice. The stave does not recover hit points if you do not use hit dice. On a long rest the stave regains 1d100 hit points.
Magic Weapon - Wyrmslayer:Melee weapon attack. Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d8 (1d10) slashing damage. Versatile. This weapon deals 1d10 damage if used with two hands. Specialty. This weapon gains advantage and an extra dice when used against dragons, wyrmlings, and wyverns.
Magic Weapon - Knightslayer:Melee weapon attack. Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d8 (1d10) slashing damage. Versatile. This weapon deals 1d10 damage if used with two hands. Specialty. This weapon gains advantage and an extra dice when used against foes wearing medium or heavy armor.
(Slayer weapons can apply to any type of enemy (fiends, fey, ect) you just need to change the name and specialty bonus. The above are just examples.)
Spell - Aura of Death: 4th level spell. When you cast this spell, up to 5 creatures of your choice in a 30 feet radius centered around the caster must make either a constitution or strength saving throw, or be knocked unconscious for the duration of the spell. When a creature is knocked unconscious by this spell, they are put under the effects of the “Feign Death” spell.
Magic Item - Vocal Amplifier: You can use a bonus action to hold this up to your mouth, giving you advantage, and an extra dice when using spells that rely on your foe hearing you. This however, also increases the range of the spell to all creatures within a 15 foot radius around the targeted creature, or it simply doubles the range and width of the spell when applicable.
Spell - Reality Check: 9th level spell. Lay a hand on the head of a creature within 5 feet of you. That creature must make a wisdom saving throw or take 3d10 psychic damage, and become aware that they are in a roleplaying game led by a DM and a handful of players. The chosen creature can see the DM and players for as long as you choose to continue touching the creature, or either you or the creature is incapacitated.
Magic Item - Death’s Bargaining Coin: This coin is a dull copper piece or a cheap coin with its face worn off radiating a slight energy that is magical in nature. When you fail all 3 death saving throws, this coin becomes a normal coin or copper piece, the spell reincarnate is casted on yourself, and your body is teleported 50 feet away from danger.
Spell - Mass Power word kill: 9th level spell. Every creature that has a maximum of 100 HP or less that can hear you dies, and immediately fails all saving throws (when applicable).
Magic Item - Death’s contract: This tag or talisman is placed somewhere on your person. If you fail all of your death saving throws, you may choose to survive stabilize with one hit point, however, you permanently fail one death saving throw from now on.
Race - Possessor: This Race is made up of objects that possess dead creatures. The Possessor takes the form of a sizable object on the creature’s body, whether that be a hat, a sword, a piece of armor, ect. While piloting the body, the possessor remains motionless, appearing as the object they’re supposed to look like, while the body’s motor functions and the mouth move as if the body was the Possessor’s own, and by all appearances appears as a normal member of the species, aside from the permanent vacant expression the body wears. As a Possessor, you do not have any racial features that the body of your choosing does, and only have access to surface level memories regarding the body’s name, race, age, gender, and magical energy. However, the body itself has immunity to poison. But if the object is specifically attacked, then damage is dealt as normal. The object shares the same stats as the body it possesses, and doesn't die unless the object is destroyed.
Magic Weapon - Flash Dagger: Requires attunement. +2 to hit and damage rolls. 1d8 piercing damage. 60/100 foot range. Crits at 18 or higher. Any creature hit with this weapon cannot use reactions, and has disadvantage on any attack rolls made against other creatures that aren’t the user of this weapon. The weapon also magically teleports back to the user when thrown, assuming they’ve attuned with it.
Race - Death: Admittedly, I haven't written out a full doc for this one yet, all I have is the PC I used as an example for the race, which can be found here.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm taking a break to focus on IRL stuff. Please don't think bad of me. I'm terribly sorry for any inconveniences this hiatus of mine brings about.
Weapon - Gauntlets: +2 to AC. Melee weapon attack. Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d6 bludgeoning damage. If you uses bonus action or a second attack, it deals 1d8 damage from the second hit onward.
Does this require attunement and can you wield another weapon while wielding them?
You could add a restriction to this similar to the bracers of unarmored defense, but you could get away with adding a restriction that it can't be used in conjunction with a shield (or simply indicate that it requires both arms to use). As long as you can't stack it with a shield, I don't think it's over powered as 1d6 is a fairly low damage output and 1d8 is in the middle.
One thing you might want to think about adding is a Weapon Mastery property (Topple seems like it would fit well or Nick). Even if you're using this for the 2014 rules, picking a mastery will make more people playing with the 2024 rules likely to use it.
As long as you can't wear a shield with it, I don't think being able to hold a weapon while wearing them will have a major impact. If this is supposed to be a primary weapon, you could also consider creating different versions of it that provide +1/+2/+3 bonuses to attack and damage at different rarities, so that it's something that doesn't quickly get outshined by other magic weapons.
Weapon - Claws: Melee weapon attack. Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d4slashing damage. (Claws can be fitted onto gauntlets to grant a +2 to hit, half of their usual damage roll, changes the damage type to slashingpiercing and any unique properties and bonuses they already grant (EX: From being a magical weapon, or being silvered). For example: if the Gauntlets above were fitted with the claws above, the Gauntlets would be granted an additional +2 to hit, and would deal 1d10 damage on a hit.)
Without the gauntlets, this is too weak. For comparison, this is the same as a dagger, but can't be thrown, so it is inherently weaker than other weapons. See my notes above about adding weapon masteries as that could differentiate it a little (probably Nick for this). Even if you bumped it up to 1d6, it would still be pretty weak, but with the Light weapon property added to it, then it fits in with the Shortsword and Scimitar.
With the 2024 rules especially, this is weaker than unarmed fighting as the Unarmed Fighting feat gets you either 1d6 or 1d8 bludgeoning damage and one level in Monk could get you 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
With the gauntlets, I'd recommend simplifying this, especially as it looks like a weapon being silvered, adamantine, or magical won't have much of an impact anymore. For example, adding claws changes the damage type to slashing or piercing and you get a +1 or a +2 to attack and damage.
I really like the idea of a modular item with the gauntlets where there are things you can affix to them to get bonuses. This would play really well with weapon masteries. If you can affix one item to your gauntlets, then you could have four main bonuses to play with: attack and damage bonus, damage type change (minimal impact), changing the weapon mastery of the gauntlets or giving a new option, or adding a condition that triggers on a hit.
Magic weapon - Claws of Anubis (requires attunement): Melee weapon attack. Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d6damage. Upon reducing a creature’s hit points to 0, you can force that creature to make a strength saving throw with a DC equal to 10 + your wisdom modifier + your charisma modifier. On a failed save, the target is turned into a mummy. The mummy obeys your every command for 24 hours before it dissolves into sand and dies. If not ordered, the mummy will follow you around, and protect you from harm and aid you in whatever tasks you might do. You can use this feature a total amount of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and must long rest to recharge uses. If the creature succeeds the saving throw, they just die.
I think most similar affects would have a Constitution save to resist a transformation; however, that's primarily for flavor reasons. The only mechanical impact this has is that Constitution saves tend to be easier for monsters than Strength. It doesn't affect the balance much, but might be worth adding some descriptive language that shows why this is STR rather than CON.
Setting the DC based on Wisdom and Charisma is interesting, but severely limits the characters could apply to as it's rare to be high in both of those stats. You'd almost have to build your character around the item, which would make it hard to give out as a random item.
Creating the mummy and being able to control it is potentially really powerful, especially if you can control it without an action or bonus action, but probably not broken if the item is rare enough. I would reduce it to once per long rest instead of proficiency bonus times as being able to have many mummies is likely overpowered and will significantly slow down combat (especially given they have some special abilities with their attacks).
Magic weapon - Hammer of Surtr:Melee weapon attack. Reach 5ft, one target (splash). Hit: 1d12 bludgeoning + 1d6 Fire Damage, and 1d6 fire damage splash on allies within 5 feet of the targeted foe
I would make this an attunement item given the amount of damage it does.
See my note on weapon masteries.
Are you using the term allies here to refer to allies of the monster or allies of the attacker? Flavor-wise, it might make sense to have this affect all creatures within the radius or let you select a specific target that it hits.
You could expand the area of effect and increase the damage, but have those creatures make a Dexterity save to avoid it, taking half damage on a failure.
Feat - Wild Born: You gain proficiency in the Nature, Survival, and Animal Handling skills. Also, you have advantage on checks made to track or hunt, and perception checks that are made using smell or hearing. You also have access to the pack tactics skill, and can attempt to hide when obscured by natural phenomena.
This is overpowered. The skilled feat is definitely underpowered and this doesn't let you pick the proficiencies, but the fact that it gives you advantage on many checks (I think this would give you advantage on almost every survival check), 3 proficiencies, an extremely powerful ability, and (see final bullet for details on the final ability), you're getting more like 2 feats in one even without an ability score increase.
If you want to make this like a 2024 feat, you'd want to give it an option to increase an ability score by 1 (I'd say either any of them or limit to Intelligence or Wisdom). With the bonus +1, the 3 proficiencies and the advantage in itself would be a decent feat.
Pack tactics is quite powerful and I think that along with a +1 to a stat would be a fairly powerful feat.
I'm less sure about what the final ability is doing as you can hide when you're obscured, so is this saying that you could hide with half-cover, replicating the Ranger's Nature's Veil ability, or something else?
Feat - Trickster’s intuition: You gain proficiency in the deception skill, and have advantage on checks made to see through other’s lies, or to check if they are lying. You can also perfectly imitate the behavior, writing style, or vocal sounds and patterns of a creature if you spend 24 hours studying that specific behavior or pattern, allowing you to roll with advantage and double your proficiency bonus when making checks using that specific behavior or pattern.
This seems really similar to the Actor feat, so I'm not sure exactly what this is trying to do differently. Giving temporary expertise and advantage when rolling is a little clunky which is close to an automatic success when you're disguised as I can't imagine you would take this feat if you didn't have decent charisma. Overall, I don't think it's overpowered, but I don't think there are many cases where you'd want to take this over the Actor feat as you'd also get a +1 to CHA with it. If you gave it a +1 to CHA, then this would be a straight upgrade to that.
Phrasing recommendation - I would use the word deception rather than lies as it's a broader description that will result in fewer arguments. For example, a person can avoid lying or tell half-truths while still misleading or being deceptive, but an ability to see through lies wouldn't trigger on that.
Race - Quattuor:Quattor are tall muscular half-giants with stone gray skin, and 4 arms. Other than those traits, they look relatively human.Your size is medium or large (your choice). You have a base movement speed of 30 feet. Your strength and constitution scores increase by 2. You have advantage on all strength rolls involving your arms. Your unarmed strikes use a D6 for damage. If you attack using an unarmed strike, you can use your bonus action to make 3 additional attack rolls.
This is overpowered:
Being large has a much bigger impact (pun not intended) than it might seem. Many abilities that push or knock prone have size restrictions on them, so it's a benefit there, but also affect party dynamics as most places you travel aren't going to be built for large creatures. The 2024 Goliaths have an ability that lets them increase their size (I think it's a bonus action that they can do proficiency bonus times per day).
I would stick to a typical +2/+1 for stats. The +2/+2 for the Mountain Dwarf and +2/+1/+1 for Half-Elves are extremely powerful and the signature ability of the species, but as 2024 rules pull those into backgrounds, the ASIs would be dropped for someone using the 2024 rules and, thus, the most powerful feature of the species would be gone. Since Tasha's Cauldron of Everything was released, I believe all official material has given players the option to pick a +2/+1 or +1/+1/+1 for any ability score rather than specifying (while the Tasha's rules allow you to swap out any older ones for different scores), so I wouldn't bother specifying which stats are boosted.
The triple unarmed strike is simply too powerful as you would have someone making 4 attacks at level 1. You'd either need to lock that behind a level cap (i.e., they don't get it until they reach level 3 or 5), remove it altogether, or rework the number. Being able to attack as a bonus action if you make an unarmed strike isn't bad, but monks get the same feature. If you do 2, then it's basically free flurry of blows, which is just better than the signature low-level ability of the monks, so I'm not sure what to do. I think 2 is too many and 1 is too few.
Magic Weapon - Distributor:Ranged magic attack. Reach 120 ft, one target. Hit:1d10 3d6 necrotic damage. When you deal damage using this stave’s ranged attack, the stave absorbs hit points equal to half of the damage dealt up to some limit?. These hit points can be distributed to yourself or other creatures within range. The stave starts with 2100 hit points, and recharges 100 hit points per longshort rest equal to the amount of hit points you receive from using your hit dice. The stave does not recover hit points if you do not use hit dice. On a long rest the stave regains 1d100 hit points.
How does it distribute the HP to other creatures - do you need to use an action, bonus action, or a set amount of time? Is there a limit to the amount of HP you can restore at one time? The power of this item largely depends on the answer to those questions.
This one also depends more on the rarity of the item. At low levels, this is likely far too powerful. If you can restore up to 100 HP in combat with an action or bonus action, then this is significantly more powerful than the 7th level Heal spell, which would put it on the level of an artifact.
This feels a bit like 2 magic items combined - I'd say have it setup so that you distribute the HP to yourself or another creature within range without absorbing them into charges for the staff. It's decent damage and range with a good healing ability and very simple and clean. A staff that charges based on hit dice used during short rests is cool and powerful, so I'd make that a separate item that doesn't do any of these ranged attacks; however, I would recommend reducing the number of charges well below 100 or providing a strict limit on how it restores HP or significantly limiting the amount it can do at once. For example, having this only be able to doll out HP during a short rest would work. You could also add some chaos in by making them have to make a roll to see if it blows up if you exceed the 100 charges or the change of it being destroyed if the charges reaches zero like many similar items.
Magic Weapon - Wyrmslayer:Melee weapon attack. Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d8 (1d10) slashing damage. Versatile. This weapon deals 1d10 damage if used with two hands. Specialty. This weapon gains advantage and an extra dice when used against dragons, wyrmlings, and wyverns.
This is very similar to the dragon slayer item. It's not overpowered.
Magic Weapon - Knightslayer:Melee weapon attack. Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d8 (1d10) slashing damage. Versatile. This weapon deals 1d10 damage if used with two hands. Specialty. This weapon gains advantage and an extra dice when used against foes wearing medium or heavy armor. (Slayer weapons can apply to any type of enemy (fiends, fey, ect) you just need to change the name and specialty bonus. The above are just examples.)
This shouldn't be overpowered unless the amount of extra dice is super high.
Spell - Aura of Death: 4th level spell. When you cast this spell, up to 5 creatures of your choice in a 30 feet radius centered around the caster must make either a constitution or strength saving throw, or be knocked unconscious for the duration of the spell. When a creature is knocked unconscious by this spell, they are put under the effects of the “Feign Death” spell.
This is way too powerful as you can easily end an encounter because there's no way for them to break out of this. Doing this to one target might be okay as long as this requires concentration. If you want it to be an AOE, then they should at least make saving throws at the end of each of their turns to break out of it or be taken out of it by taking damage or being shaken awake (as an action) by another action.
Magic Item - Vocal Amplifier: You can use a bonus action to hold this up to your mouth, giving you advantage, and an extra dice when using spells that rely on your foe hearing you. This however, also increases the range of the spell to all creatures within a 15 foot radius around the targeted creature, or it simply doubles the range and width of the spell when applicable.
A foe needing to hear you is a bit too subjective - I'd recommend either giving the bonus on spells that have a verbal component or bonus damage to thunder spells.
Messing with the size of an AOE or making a non-AOE spell into one is a bit overpowered because you could do something like dominate person or hold monster and target multiple people. In the best cases, this is like upcasting or twinning a spell, which is very powerful. If you put a limited number of charges on this and/or other limiters (e.g., you can't do it to a spell higher than 5th level), then that'll make it a bit more reasonable, but still very powerful.
Spell - Reality Check: 9th level spell. Lay a hand on the head of a creature within 5 feet of you. That creature must make a wisdom saving throw or take 3d10 psychic damage, and become aware that they are in a roleplaying game led by a DM and a handful of players. The chosen creature can see the DM and players for as long as you choose to continue touching the creature, or either you or the creature is incapacitated.
This one is funny, but I think it might be underpowered. Essentially, this would be like giving a target a form of short or long-term madness (which is how other players would see it). I would codify what that means mechanically by giving them the frightened or something like the confusion spell. I think this could also be a much lower level, maybe 5?
Magic Item - Death’s Bargaining Coin: This coin is a dull copper piece or a cheap coin with its face worn off radiating a slight energy that is magical in nature. When you fail all 3 death saving throws, this coin becomes a normal coin or copper piece, the spell reincarnate is casted on yourself, and your body is teleported 50 feet away from danger.
Seems reasonable, though should be very rare or higher. I recommend requiring attunement.
Spell - Mass Power word kill: 9th level spell. Every creature that has a maximum of 100 HP or less that can hear you dies, and immediately fails all saving throws (when applicable).
Not sure what the range (I think that can hear you would be too difficult to figure out) is, but too powerful - giving a huge range to what is already a 9th level spell is too much, even if power word kill isn't insanely powerful.
Magic Item - Death’s contract: This tag or talisman is placed somewhere on your person. If you fail all of your death saving throws, you may choose to survive stabilize with one hit point, however, you permanently fail one death saving throw from now on.
I like it. I would either specify stabilize or go to 1 hit point though as the first would imply that you're still at 0 HP. I recommend requiring attunement until it is used.
Race - Possessor: This Race is made up of objects that possess dead creatures. The Possessor takes the form of a sizable object on the creature’s body, whether that be a hat, a sword, a piece of armor, ect. While piloting the body, the possessor remains motionless, appearing as the object they’re supposed to look like, while the body’s motor functions and the mouth move as if the body was the Possessor’s own, and by all appearances appears as a normal member of the species, aside from the permanent vacant expression the body wears. As a Possessor, you do not have any racial features that the body of your choosing does, and only have access to surface level memories regarding the body’s name, race, age, gender, and magical energy. However, the body itself has immunity to poison. But if the object is specifically attacked, then damage is dealt as normal. The object shares the same stats as the body it possesses, and doesn't die unless the object is destroyed.
I'll revisit this later and add notes as it'll take me some more time.
Magic Weapon - Flash Dagger: Requires attunement. +2 to hit and damage rolls. 1d8 piercing damage. 60/100 foot range. Crits at 18 or higher. Any creature hit with this weapon cannot use reactions, and has disadvantage on any attack rolls made against other creatures that aren’t the user of this weapon. The weapon also magically teleports back to the user when thrown, assuming they’ve attuned with it.
I think this one has too many abilities mixed together unless you want it to be legendary. I'd recommend losing the expanded crit range.
Race - Death: Admittedly, I haven't written out a full doc for this one yet, all I have is the PC I used as an example for the race, which can be found here.
I'll revisit this later and add notes as it'll take me some more time.
Weapon - Gauntlets: +2 to AC. Melee weapon attack. Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d6 bludgeoning damage. If you uses bonus action or a second attack, it deals 1d8 damage from the second hit onward.
Does this require attunement and can you wield another weapon while wielding them?
You could add a restriction to this similar to the bracers of unarmored defense, but you could get away with adding a restriction that it can't be used in conjunction with a shield (or simply indicate that it requires both arms to use). As long as you can't stack it with a shield, I don't think it's over powered as 1d6 is a fairly low damage output and 1d8 is in the middle.
One thing you might want to think about adding is a Weapon Mastery property (Topple seems like it would fit well or Nick). Even if you're using this for the 2014 rules, picking a mastery will make more people playing with the 2024 rules likely to use it.
As long as you can't wear a shield with it, I don't think being able to hold a weapon while wearing them will have a major impact. If this is supposed to be a primary weapon, you could also consider creating different versions of it that provide +1/+2/+3 bonuses to attack and damage at different rarities, so that it's something that doesn't quickly get outshined by other magic weapons.
No, Gauntlets are not intended to be magical, nor can they be used with other weapons.
The idea behind these are to improve unarmed strikes (and because I like punching things, lol). These basically act as a shield and a weapon combined into one, as I don't really see anyone being able to reliably punch someone with a shield strapped to their arm.
Yeah, looking over the weapon mastery list, Nick seems like a good fit.
Weapon - Claws: Melee weapon attack. Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d4slashing damage. (Claws can be fitted onto gauntlets to grant a +2 to hit, half of their usual damage roll, changes the damage type to slashingpiercing and any unique properties and bonuses they already grant (EX: From being a magical weapon, or being silvered). For example: if the Gauntlets above were fitted with the claws above, the Gauntlets would be granted an additional +2 to hit, and would deal 1d10 damage on a hit.)
Without the gauntlets, this is too weak. For comparison, this is the same as a dagger, but can't be thrown, so it is inherently weaker than other weapons. See my notes above about adding weapon masteries as that could differentiate it a little (probably Nick for this). Even if you bumped it up to 1d6, it would still be pretty weak, but with the Light weapon property added to it, then it fits in with the Shortsword and Scimitar.
With the 2024 rules especially, this is weaker than unarmed fighting as the Unarmed Fighting feat gets you either 1d6 or 1d8 bludgeoning damage and one level in Monk could get you 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
With the gauntlets, I'd recommend simplifying this, especially as it looks like a weapon being silvered, adamantine, or magical won't have much of an impact anymore. For example, adding claws changes the damage type to slashing or piercing and you get a +1 or a +2 to attack and damage.
I really like the idea of a modular item with the gauntlets where there are things you can affix to them to get bonuses. This would play really well with weapon masteries. If you can affix one item to your gauntlets, then you could have four main bonuses to play with: attack and damage bonus, damage type change (minimal impact), changing the weapon mastery of the gauntlets or giving a new option, or adding a condition that triggers on a hit.
Noted, I'll make those changes.
Yeah, fair.
So remove the silvered/adamantine/magical benefits part, but keep the damage change and to-hit roll benefits?
Magic weapon - Claws of Anubis (requires attunement): Melee weapon attack. Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d6damage. Upon reducing a creature’s hit points to 0, you can force that creature to make a strength saving throw with a DC equal to 10 + your wisdom modifier + your charisma modifier. On a failed save, the target is turned into a mummy. The mummy obeys your every command for 24 hours before it dissolves into sand and dies. If not ordered, the mummy will follow you around, and protect you from harm and aid you in whatever tasks you might do. You can use this feature a total amount of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and must long rest to recharge uses. If the creature succeeds the saving throw, they just die.
I think most similar affects would have a Constitution save to resist a transformation; however, that's primarily for flavor reasons. The only mechanical impact this has is that Constitution saves tend to be easier for monsters than Strength. It doesn't affect the balance much, but might be worth adding some descriptive language that shows why this is STR rather than CON.
Setting the DC based on Wisdom and Charisma is interesting, but severely limits the characters could apply to as it's rare to be high in both of those stats. You'd almost have to build your character around the item, which would make it hard to give out as a random item.
Creating the mummy and being able to control it is potentially really powerful, especially if you can control it without an action or bonus action, but probably not broken if the item is rare enough. I would reduce it to once per long rest instead of proficiency bonus times as being able to have many mummies is likely overpowered and will significantly slow down combat (especially given they have some special abilities with their attacks).
Yeah, I should've added context to that. Basically the person is trying to resist being wrapped up by the bandages. I had a really cool mental image of the claws shooting out bandages and wrapping up the chosen foe to mummify them and- yeah, I'll add that.
Roger. I'll change it to either a Strength or Wisdom (PCs choice) then.
Haha Legendary item go brrrr. Also, good call of the once per long rest thing, and great call on combat clogging. I'll make those changes as well.
Magic weapon - Hammer of Surtr:Melee weapon attack. Reach 5ft, one target (splash). Hit: 1d12 bludgeoning + 1d6 Fire Damage, and 1d6 fire damage splash on allies within 5 feet of the targeted foe
I would make this an attunement item given the amount of damage it does.
See my note on weapon masteries.
Are you using the term allies here to refer to allies of the monster or allies of the attacker? Flavor-wise, it might make sense to have this affect all creatures within the radius or let you select a specific target that it hits.
You could expand the area of effect and increase the damage, but have those creatures make a Dexterity save to avoid it, taking half damage on a failure.
Yup yup, makes sense.
So graze, push, or sap?
Yeah, good idea. i originally had it flavoured as the weapon knew who were allies, but that would classify it as an artifact, so I'll implement those changes.
Feat - Wild Born: You gain proficiency in the Nature, Survival, and Animal Handling skills. Also, you have advantage on checks made to track or hunt, and perception checks that are made using smell or hearing. You also have access to the pack tactics skill, and can attempt to hide when obscured by natural phenomena.
This is overpowered. The skilled feat is definitely underpowered and this doesn't let you pick the proficiencies, but the fact that it gives you advantage on many checks (I think this would give you advantage on almost every survival check), 3 proficiencies, an extremely powerful ability, and (see final bullet for details on the final ability), you're getting more like 2 feats in one even without an ability score increase.
If you want to make this like a 2024 feat, you'd want to give it an option to increase an ability score by 1 (I'd say either any of them or limit to Intelligence or Wisdom). With the bonus +1, the 3 proficiencies and the advantage in itself would be a decent feat.
Pack tactics is quite powerful and I think that along with a +1 to a stat would be a fairly powerful feat.
I'm less sure about what the final ability is doing as you can hide when you're obscured, so is this saying that you could hide with half-cover, replicating the Ranger's Nature's Veil ability, or something else?
Ah, I see, I see... Pack tactics and camouflage no good?
Ayup, there we go. Gotcha.
Which is why there's no ability score increase for this one.
It works the same as the Wood Elf's "Mask of the Wild." So I guess it would really depend on how your DM interprets it.
Feat - Trickster’s intuition: You gain proficiency in the deception skill, and have advantage on checks made to see through other’s lies, or to check if they are lying. You can also perfectly imitate the behavior, writing style, or vocal sounds and patterns of a creature if you spend 24 hours studying that specific behavior or pattern, allowing you to roll with advantage and double your proficiency bonus when making checks using that specific behavior or pattern.
This seems really similar to the Actor feat, so I'm not sure exactly what this is trying to do differently. Giving temporary expertise and advantage when rolling is a little clunky which is close to an automatic success when you're disguised as I can't imagine you would take this feat if you didn't have decent charisma. Overall, I don't think it's overpowered, but I don't think there are many cases where you'd want to take this over the Actor feat as you'd also get a +1 to CHA with it. If you gave it a +1 to CHA, then this would be a straight upgrade to that.
Phrasing recommendation - I would use the word deception rather than lies as it's a broader description that will result in fewer arguments. For example, a person can avoid lying or tell half-truths while still misleading or being deceptive, but an ability to see through lies wouldn't trigger on that.
This is based on a quote from Black Clover, where a character named Rhya can tell when another person is lying due to his life as a liar (which is why it's also worded as such :) ).
Gotcha, one CHA boost coming up!
Yeah, I can totally see that happening. I'll make that change right away.
Race - Quattuor:Quattor are tall muscular half-giants with stone gray skin, and 4 arms. Other than those traits, they look relatively human.Your size is medium or large (your choice). You have a base movement speed of 30 feet. Your strength and constitution scores increase by 2. You have advantage on all strength rolls involving your arms. Your unarmed strikes use a D6 for damage. If you attack using an unarmed strike, you can use your bonus action to make 3 additional attack rolls.
This is overpowered:
Being large has a much bigger impact (pun not intended) than it might seem. Many abilities that push or knock prone have size restrictions on them, so it's a benefit there, but also affect party dynamics as most places you travel aren't going to be built for large creatures. The 2024 Goliaths have an ability that lets them increase their size (I think it's a bonus action that they can do proficiency bonus times per day).
I would stick to a typical +2/+1 for stats. The +2/+2 for the Mountain Dwarf and +2/+1/+1 for Half-Elves are extremely powerful and the signature ability of the species, but as 2024 rules pull those into backgrounds, the ASIs would be dropped for someone using the 2024 rules and, thus, the most powerful feature of the species would be gone. Since Tasha's Cauldron of Everything was released, I believe all official material has given players the option to pick a +2/+1 or +1/+1/+1 for any ability score rather than specifying (while the Tasha's rules allow you to swap out any older ones for different scores), so I wouldn't bother specifying which stats are boosted.
The triple unarmed strike is simply too powerful as you would have someone making 4 attacks at level 1. You'd either need to lock that behind a level cap (i.e., they don't get it until they reach level 3 or 5), remove it altogether, or rework the number. Being able to attack as a bonus action if you make an unarmed strike isn't bad, but monks get the same feature. If you do 2, then it's basically free flurry of blows, which is just better than the signature low-level ability of the monks, so I'm not sure what to do. I think 2 is too many and 1 is too few.
Ah, I see, interesting.
I actually didn't know about that, thanks for telling me.
Ahhh I know, but with 4 arms I don't really know how to change ittt. :( My idea was to change it so you can make two unarmed strikes (like Nick) instead of one, but that feels way to powerful to give to a racial feature. I'll try and figure out an appropriate level for that.
Magic Weapon - Distributor:Ranged magic attack. Reach 120 ft, one target. Hit:1d10 3d6 necrotic damage. When you deal damage using this stave’s ranged attack, the stave absorbs hit points equal to half of the damage dealt up to some limit?. These hit points can be distributed to yourself or other creatures within range. The stave starts with 2100 hit points, and recharges 100 hit points per longshort rest equal to the amount of hit points you receive from using your hit dice. The stave does not recover hit points if you do not use hit dice. On a long rest the stave regains 1d100 hit points.
How does it distribute the HP to other creatures - do you need to use an action, bonus action, or a set amount of time? Is there a limit to the amount of HP you can restore at one time? The power of this item largely depends on the answer to those questions.
This one also depends more on the rarity of the item. At low levels, this is likely far too powerful. If you can restore up to 100 HP in combat with an action or bonus action, then this is significantly more powerful than the 7th level Heal spell, which would put it on the level of an artifact.
This feels a bit like 2 magic items combined - I'd say have it setup so that you distribute the HP to yourself or another creature within range without absorbing them into charges for the staff. It's decent damage and range with a good healing ability and very simple and clean. A staff that charges based on hit dice used during short rests is cool and powerful, so I'd make that a separate item that doesn't do any of these ranged attacks; however, I would recommend reducing the number of charges well below 100 or providing a strict limit on how it restores HP or significantly limiting the amount it can do at once. For example, having this only be able to doll out HP during a short rest would work. You could also add some chaos in by making them have to make a roll to see if it blows up if you exceed the 100 charges or the change of it being destroyed if the charges reaches zero like many similar items.
Action, it's like a supped up version of the Paladin's lay on hands where you have a select amount of HP you can distribute.
Haha legendary lay on hands stave go brrrrr
The reason why I had it has an absorption based stave is so there'd be a reliable way to deal damage while also restoring the staves charges. Yeah, I'll limit how much absorbing can restore. Side note: The chaos element is hilarious. I love it.
Magic Weapon - Wyrmslayer:Melee weapon attack. Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d8 (1d10) slashing damage. Versatile. This weapon deals 1d10 damage if used with two hands. Specialty. This weapon gains advantage and an extra dice when used against dragons, wyrmlings, and wyverns.
This is very similar to the dragon slayer item. It's not overpowered.
Magic Weapon - Knightslayer:Melee weapon attack. Reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 1d8 (1d10) slashing damage. Versatile. This weapon deals 1d10 damage if used with two hands. Specialty. This weapon gains advantage and an extra dice when used against foes wearing medium or heavy armor. (Slayer weapons can apply to any type of enemy (fiends, fey, ect) you just need to change the name and specialty bonus. The above are just examples.)
This shouldn't be overpowered unless the amount of extra dice is super high.
Spell - Aura of Death: 4th level spell. When you cast this spell, up to 5 creatures of your choice in a 30 feet radius centered around the caster must make either a constitution or strength saving throw, or be knocked unconscious for the duration of the spell. When a creature is knocked unconscious by this spell, they are put under the effects of the “Feign Death” spell.
This is way too powerful as you can easily end an encounter because there's no way for them to break out of this. Doing this to one target might be okay as long as this requires concentration. If you want it to be an AOE, then they should at least make saving throws at the end of each of their turns to break out of it or be taken out of it by taking damage or being shaken awake (as an action) by another action.
Magic Item - Vocal Amplifier: You can use a bonus action to hold this up to your mouth, giving you advantage, and an extra dice when using spells that rely on your foe hearing you. This however, also increases the range of the spell to all creatures within a 15 foot radius around the targeted creature, or it simply doubles the range and width of the spell when applicable.
A foe needing to hear you is a bit too subjective - I'd recommend either giving the bonus on spells that have a verbal component or bonus damage to thunder spells.
Messing with the size of an AOE or making a non-AOE spell into one is a bit overpowered because you could do something like dominate person or hold monster and target multiple people. In the best cases, this is like upcasting or twinning a spell, which is very powerful. If you put a limited number of charges on this and/or other limiters (e.g., you can't do it to a spell higher than 5th level), then that'll make it a bit more reasonable, but still very powerful.
This was originally meant for spells like suggestion, PWH, vicious mockery, ect, which is why I specified the hearing bit rather than specifying verbal components. My mental image of this is essentially a loud speaker or something like that.
I'm going to keep it, but make it so that the spell's effect is diminished slightly (like watering down a drink) so the saving throw is easier to make.
Spell - Reality Check: 9th level spell. Lay a hand on the head of a creature within 5 feet of you. That creature must make a wisdom saving throw or take 3d10 psychic damage, and become aware that they are in a roleplaying game led by a DM and a handful of players. The chosen creature can see the DM and players for as long as you choose to continue touching the creature, or either you or the creature is incapacitated.
This one is funny, but I think it might be underpowered. Essentially, this would be like giving a target a form of short or long-term madness (which is how other players would see it). I would codify what that means mechanically by giving them the frightened or something like the confusion spell. I think this could also be a much lower level, maybe 5?
Yeah, this one was more of a "huh, that'd be funny" rather than anything else, but I appreciate the feedback.
Magic Item - Death’s Bargaining Coin: This coin is a dull copper piece or a cheap coin with its face worn off radiating a slight energy that is magical in nature. When you fail all 3 death saving throws, this coin becomes a normal coin or copper piece, the spell reincarnate is casted on yourself, and your body is teleported 50 feet away from danger.
Seems reasonable, though should be very rare or higher. I recommend requiring attunement.
Spell - Mass Power word kill: 9th level spell. Every creature that has a maximum of 100 HP or less that can hear you dies, and immediately fails all saving throws (when applicable).
Not sure what the range (I think that can hear you would be too difficult to figure out) is, but too powerful - giving a huge range to what is already a 9th level spell is too much, even if power word kill isn't insanely powerful.
Probably half the range of base PWK or something. I'll figure it out.
Magic Item - Death’s contract: This tag or talisman is placed somewhere on your person. If you fail all of your death saving throws, you may choose to survive stabilize with one hit point, however, you permanently fail one death saving throw from now on.
I like it. I would either specify stabilize or go to 1 hit point though as the first would imply that you're still at 0 HP. I recommend requiring attunement until it is used.
Magic Weapon - Flash Dagger: Requires attunement. +2 to hit and damage rolls. 1d8 piercing damage. 60/100 foot range. Crits at 18 or higher. Any creature hit with this weapon cannot use reactions, and has disadvantage on any attack rolls made against other creatures that aren’t the user of this weapon. The weapon also magically teleports back to the user when thrown, assuming they’ve attuned with it.
I think this one has too many abilities mixed together unless you want it to be legendary. I'd recommend losing the expanded crit range.
Say it with me... Haha legendary item go brrrrr.
Thank you so much for your feedback!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm taking a break to focus on IRL stuff. Please don't think bad of me. I'm terribly sorry for any inconveniences this hiatus of mine brings about.
Weapon - Gauntlets These must not be stack-able with a shield or a two-handed weapons / two-weapon fighting. i.e. they must considered weapons that are not-light and that occupy that hand. Alternatively, the AC bonus should be reduced to +1 and they should require attunement.
Weapon - Claws Should be a Rare magic item unless you remove all bonuses to hit, and clarify that they simply increase the weapon damage die of Gauntlets to 1d10 and change the damage type.
Magic weapon - Claws of Anubis (requires attunement):The mummy should last for only 1 hour and be creatable only once per long rest. The DC for the saving throw should be either 8+Wis+prof or 8+Cha+prof and it should be a Wisdom saving throw not at Strength one to be consistent with other shape-altering and curse-based magic. That would make it a Very Rare item, if you were aiming for Legendary then you could allow it to be used prof-bonus times per day.
Magic weapon - Hammer of Surtr:splash damage doesn't exist in 5e, so you will need to rewrite it as 1d6 fire damage to the target & all creatures within 5 ft of the target other than yourself. This would be a Rare magic item.
Feat - Wild Born: Either give advantage or proficiency on the skills not both and remove pack tactics (pack tactics is extremely powerful and was rightfully removed from player options since MotM). This might actually be better as a Background that grants Magic Initiate:Druid.
Feat - Trickster’s intuition:This seems unnecessary, why not just use the Actor feat instead?
Race - Quattuor: Reduce bonus action unarmed strikes to only 1 attack.
Magic Staff - Distributor: The staff can be used to make a ranged spell attack against one target within 120 ft, make a ranged spell attack against the target, on a hit it deals 3d6 necrotic damage and the staff absorbs hit points equal to half the necrotic damage dealt. The staff also absorbs all hit points you would normally regain whenever you spend hit dice. The staff can store a maximum of 75 hit points. As an Action you can expend the stored hit points to heal any number of creatures within 30 ft of you distributing the stored hit points as you see fit. Requires attunement by a spellcaster, Very rare magic item.
Magic Weapon - Wyrmslayer: The Dragon Slayer sword/weapon already exists this is redundant.
Magic Weapon - Knightslayer: rewrite this one like the text of the Dragon Slayer or Giant Slayer weapons but change the creature that gets the 3d6 bonus damage to creatures in medium/heavy armour.
Spell - Aura of Death:You need to clarify if this is reducing them to 0 hit points or simply putting them to sleep? If it is reducing them to 0 hit points then this is more powerful than most 9th level spells.
Magic Item - Vocal Amplifier:Most spells don't specify if the target needs to hear you so this is going to be really problematic to adjudicate.
Spell - Reality Check: Kind pointless and just a "you break the 4th wall" as a spell. Not sure what it would be useful for other than as a joke-y-joke.
Magic Item - Death’s Bargaining Coin: This one seems fine as is!
Spell - Mass Power word kill: You need to specify a radius, and this is worse than regular Power Word Kill because you are most likely going to kill your own party members with it.
Magic Item - Death’s contract: It's fine, I'm not sure the point though. Like as a player I'd want to RP negotiating the terms of some contract with death / a devil rather than the DM just giving me this magic item.
Race - Possessor: What happens if the possessed body dies? Are you stuck as an immobile object on a corpse? Is the possessed body immortal? How does one get stats for the possessed body? How does levelling up work? If I the possessor gain levels in Barbarian does that do anything at all? You should probably just look at the Magic Jar spell and use that instead of whatever you intended to use this for.
Magic Weapon - Flash Dagger:Either reduce the throw range to 20/60 ft or remove the "the target has disadvantage on attacks against others" then it would be on par to be an Artifact rarity item. Also, why it is called "Flash Dagger"? it's not a dagger nor does it flash.
Weapon - Gauntlets These must not be stack-able with a shield or a two-handed weapons / two-weapon fighting. i.e. they must considered weapons that are not-light and that occupy that hand. Alternatively, the AC bonus should be reduced to +1 and they should require attunement.
These aren't magic items, they're meant to be special weapons (akin to a Lance or Net, weapons that have the "special" property.) And yes, they are not stackable with any other weapons or shields.
Weapon - Claws Should be a Rare magic item unless you remove all bonuses to hit, and clarify that they simply increase the weapon damage die of Gauntlets to 1d10 and change the damage type.
Again, not magic items. The reason why I didn't clarify the exact change is because there may be stronger/weaker variants of the Gauntlets and Claws, which might not add up to 1d10.
Magic weapon - Claws of Anubis (requires attunement):The mummy should last for only 1 hour and be creatable only once per long rest. The DC for the saving throw should be either 8+Wis+prof or 8+Cha+prof and it should be a Wisdom saving throw not at Strength one to be consistent with other shape-altering and curse-based magic. That would make it a Very Rare item, if you were aiming for Legendary then you could allow it to be used prof-bonus times per day.
Yeah, I should've added context to that. Basically the person is trying to resist being wrapped up by the bandages. I had a really cool mental image of the claws shooting out bandages and wrapping up the chosen foe to mummify them and- yeah, I'll add that.
Magic weapon - Hammer of Surtr:splash damage doesn't exist in 5e, so you will need to rewrite it as 1d6 fire damage to the target & all creatures within 5 ft of the target other than yourself. This would be a Rare magic item.
('_')7
Feat - Wild Born: Either give advantage or proficiency on the skills not both and remove pack tactics (pack tactics is extremely powerful and was rightfully removed from player options since MotM). This might actually be better as a Background that grants Magic Initiate:Druid.
Oh, I didn't know that it was originally an option. Thanks for letting me know. A background does make a lot of sense based on what I'm going for, so I'll think about changing that.
Feat - Trickster’s intuition:This seems unnecessary, why not just use the Actor feat instead?
Because the Actor feat doesn't make it so you can tell if someone else is using deception? See my reply to Razmus for context.
Race - Quattuor: Reduce bonus action unarmed strikes to only 1 attack.
('_')7
Magic Staff - Distributor: The staff can be used to make a ranged spell attack against one target within 120 ft, make a ranged spell attack against the target, on a hit it deals 3d6 necrotic damage and the staff absorbs hit points equal to half the necrotic damage dealt. The staff also absorbs all hit points you would normally regain whenever you spend hit dice. The staff can store a maximum of 75 hit points. As an Action you can expend the stored hit points to heal any number of creatures within 30 ft of you distributing the stored hit points as you see fit. Requires attunement by a spellcaster, Very rare magic item.
('_')7
Magic Weapon - Wyrmslayer: The Dragon Slayer sword/weapon already exists this is redundant.
Ah, but the Wyrmslayer affects all draconic creature, thus loopholes aren't possible.
Magic Weapon - Knightslayer: rewrite this one like the text of the Dragon Slayer or Giant Slayer weapons but change the creature that gets the 3d6 bonus damage to creatures in medium/heavy armour.
('_')7
Spell - Aura of Death:You need to clarify if this is reducing them to 0 hit points or simply putting them to sleep? If it is reducing them to 0 hit points then this is more powerful than most 9th level spells.
It's been stated in the spell that it knocks them unconcious.
Magic Item - Vocal Amplifier:Most spells don't specify if the target needs to hear you so this is going to be really problematic to adjudicate.
See: Vicious Mockery, Command, Power word heal, Dominate person, Hold monster, ect
Spell - Reality Check: Kind pointless and just a "you break the 4th wall" as a spell. Not sure what it would be useful for other than as a joke-y-joke.
Haha, yeah, that's exactly what it is.
Magic Item - Death’s Bargaining Coin: This one seems fine as is!
^^
Spell - Mass Power word kill: You need to specify a radius, and this is worse than regular Power Word Kill because you are most likely going to kill your own party members with it.
Yeah, good point. I'll change that.
Magic Item - Death’s contract: It's fine, I'm not sure the point though. Like as a player I'd want to RP negotiating the terms of some contract with death / a devil rather than the DM just giving me this magic item.
What if it was given to you by Death?
Race - Possessor: What happens if the possessed body dies? Are you stuck as an immobile object on a corpse? Is the possessed body immortal? How does one get stats for the possessed body? How does levelling up work? If I the possessor gain levels in Barbarian does that do anything at all? You should probably just look at the Magic Jar spell and use that instead of whatever you intended to use this for.
The body is already dead, I specified that at the beginning. The body is technically immortal by those standards, I guess. I see leveling up as the Possessor getting stronger, and using it's magic to make the body stronger as a result. The difference between Magic Jar and this is that Magic Jar can't possess dead things. I'll add more context later.
Magic Weapon - Flash Dagger:Either reduce the throw range to 20/60 ft or remove the "the target has disadvantage on attacks against others" then it would be on par to be an Artifact rarity item. Also, why it is called "Flash Dagger"? it's not a dagger nor does it flash.
It is a dagger, it just deals more damage than a normal one. It's sharper, I guess? It's called the Flash Dagger due to a similar skill in a game I play being called "Flashing Blade"
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm taking a break to focus on IRL stuff. Please don't think bad of me. I'm terribly sorry for any inconveniences this hiatus of mine brings about.
The body is already dead, I specified that at the beginning. The body is technically immortal by those standards, I guess. I see leveling up as the Possessor getting stronger, and using it's magic to make the body stronger as a result. The difference between Magic Jar and this is that Magic Jar can't possess dead things. I'll add more context later.
Undead are technically dead but aren't immortal. Having a PC be permanently disguised as an ordinary object attached to an immortal/undestroyable corpse would be horrendously broken, and if enemies could easily identify the item as the source of the possession then they will simply rip it off of the body thus instantly nullifying that PC. I also still don't understand how it is supposed to work. Does the possessor get a class? If so how do they use any of their class features? If the Possessor is a barbarian can the random corpse they are attached to Rage?
What do you mean by this exactly:
l. The object shares the same stats as the body it possesses, and doesn't die unless the object is destroyed.
Let's say my party just killed a Chimera, and one of them takes me, the Possessor - a level 5 Wizard, off the random humanoid corpse I'm on and put me onto the Chimera's body. Now I'm a level 5 Wizard Possessor attached to a Chimera. Can I fly & use the multiattack & breath weapon of the Chimera? Can I cast spells like a wizard? Can I do both?
The body is already dead, I specified that at the beginning. The body is technically immortal by those standards, I guess. I see leveling up as the Possessor getting stronger, and using it's magic to make the body stronger as a result. The difference between Magic Jar and this is that Magic Jar can't possess dead things. I'll add more context later.
Undead are technically dead but aren't immortal. Having a PC be permanently disguised as an ordinary object attached to an immortal/undestroyable corpse would be horrendously broken, and if enemies could easily identify the item as the source of the possession then they will simply rip it off of the body thus instantly nullifying that PC. I also still don't understand how it is supposed to work. Does the possessor get a class? If so how do they use any of their class features? If the Possessor is a barbarian can the random corpse they are attached to Rage?
All valid concerns. Here are some answers that I pulled out of my portable hole:
Some background first: The Possessor itself is made when a person who has a particularly strong will is killed, causing a treasured object on their person to inherit some of their spirit (kind of like Yokai). As a Possessor, they have the same statistics as the object they became, whether it be a hat, a necklace, a ring, what have you, until they take control of a corpse. As the object, they can move around and can communicate via telepathy, but that's it. Possessors usually have the ability to speak to the soul of the corpse, and have to gain permission to use the body. Once the Possessor has seated itself onto the corpse, it cannot be taken off unless it is killed, or it chooses to leave.
Possessors have an innate magical power that allows the body to work without a soul, with the Possessor itself acting in place for the soul, controlling the corpse as a puppet. The body will make roles and whatnot as usual. The possessor's magic also keeps the body in perfect condition until the body dies. When a player fails all death saving throws (and maybe if the Possessor chooses to leave the body), the magic stops working on that body forever. Therefore not immortal (yayyy, retconning!)
It'd also take some perception check to identify the Possessor as the power source, as the possessor looks like a completely normal object when piloting the body.
The class & class features come from the body itself. If the body dies (the second time), then the Possessor has to find a corpse, and would use that as the new body.
What do you mean by this exactly:
l. The object shares the same stats as the body it possesses, and doesn't die unless the object is destroyed.
Let's say my party just killed a Chimera, and one of them takes me, the Possessor - a level 5 Wizard, off the random humanoid corpse I'm on and put me onto the Chimera's body. Now I'm a level 5 Wizard Possessor attached to a Chimera. Can I fly & use the multiattack & breath weapon of the Chimera? Can I cast spells like a wizard? Can I do both?
If I was a DM, I'd rule the scenario as such:
The object is not Chimera sized, nor can the Chimera understand you. It wouldn't give you permission to use its body anyhow. Now you also cannot use the original body because you chose to leave it. Good luck finding a new body.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm taking a break to focus on IRL stuff. Please don't think bad of me. I'm terribly sorry for any inconveniences this hiatus of mine brings about.
The class & class features come from the body itself. If the body dies (the second time), then the Possessor has to find a corpse, and would use that as the new body
If the class & class features come from the body, then how can the character level up? The body is an inert puppet? I'm also still unclear whether the body has hit points & AC & saving throws? Can an enemy kill the body? Can they knock it to 0 hp? Can they charm or frighten it? What happens if a Ghost tries to possess the body possessed by a Possessor? If it is a dead body do healing spells work on it? Sorry but this sounds like it would make a neat NPC for players to interact with, but I don't see how it would work for a player to play as one.
As a Possessor, they have the same statistics as the object they became, whether it be a hat, a necklace, a ring, what have you, until they take control of a corpse. As the object, they can move around and can communicate via telepathy, but that's it.
What? an object doesn't really have game statistics. It might have a hardness and some hit points but it doesn't have saving throws, it doesn't have senses, it doesn't have a movement speed. All the objects you listed would have < 20 hit points, and ACs from 5 (hat) to maybe 20 (ring). So super easy to destroy if noticed.
You can't really have a player play as an object because the entire game is designed around both players and enemies being "creatures". Even an animated sword is a creature with the construct type with ability scores, saving throws, hit points, skill proficiencies and senses. Objects don't get any of those.
The object is not Chimera sized
What? Why would that matter? A humanoid necklace can be a bracelet to a Chimera, a bracelet a toe ring, and any old item can glue itself to the back of the Chimera.
nor can the Chimera understand you
Neither can a corpse that's been dead for hundreds of years that's had its soul sent to the Nine Hells and turned into a Lemure.
Now you also cannot use the original body because you chose to leave it
Why not? If the body gave permission once, why can't it give it again?
I feel like you need a 20 page lore document to explain how this Possessor is supposed to work in your personal HB world.
I make a lot of homebrew in my time, but I've often had trouble balancing the things I make. I'd like some help regarding how to balance the following homebrewed items please. All thoughts and criticism are welcome.
(Note: Revisions have been made to some of these. Slashed out words and sentences represent changed or removed notes. Underlines words or sentences represent replacements or further added information)
slashingpiercing and any unique properties and bonuses they already grant (EX: From being a magical weapon, or being silvered). For example: if the Gauntlets above were fitted with the claws above, the Gauntlets would be granted an additional +2 to hit, and would deal 1d10 damage on a hit.)Feat - Wild Born: You gain proficiency in the Nature, Survival, and Animal Handling skills. Also, you have advantage on checks made to track or hunt, and perception checks that are made using smell or hearing. You also have access to the pack tactics skill, and can attempt to hide when obscured by natural phenomena.
Feat - Trickster’s intuition: You gain proficiency in the deception skill, and have advantage on checks made to see through other’s lies, or to check if they are lying. You can also
perfectlyimitate the behavior, writing style, or vocal sounds and patterns of a creature if you spend 24 hours studying that specific behavior or pattern, allowing you to roll with advantage and double your proficiency bonus when making checks using that specific behavior or pattern.Race - Quattuor: Quattor are tall muscular half-giants with stone gray skin, and 4 arms. Other than those traits, they look relatively human. Your size is medium or large (your choice). You have a base movement speed of 30 feet. Your strength and constitution scores increase by 2. You have advantage on all strength rolls involving your arms. Your unarmed strikes use a D6 for damage. If you attack using an unarmed strike, you can use your bonus action to make 3 additional attack rolls.
1d103d6 necrotic damage. When you deal damage using this stave’s ranged attack, the stave absorbs hit points equal to half of the damage dealt up to some limit?. These hit points can be distributed to yourself or other creatures within range. The stave starts with2100 hit points, and recharges100hit points perlongshort rest equal to the amount of hit points you receive from using your hit dice. The stave does not recover hit points if you do not use hit dice. On a long rest the stave regains 1d100 hit points.Magic Item - Vocal Amplifier: You can use a bonus action to hold this up to your mouth, giving you advantage, and an extra dice when using spells that rely on your foe hearing you. This however, also increases the range of the spell to all creatures within a 15 foot radius around the targeted creature, or it simply doubles the range and width of the spell when applicable.
Spell - Reality Check: 9th level spell. Lay a hand on the head of a creature within 5 feet of you. That creature must make a wisdom saving throw or take 3d10 psychic damage, and become aware that they are in a roleplaying game led by a DM and a handful of players. The chosen creature can see the DM and players for as long as you choose to continue touching the creature, or either you or the creature is incapacitated.
Magic Item - Death’s Bargaining Coin: This coin is a dull copper piece or a cheap coin with its face worn off radiating a slight energy that is magical in nature. When you fail all 3 death saving throws, this coin becomes a normal coin or copper piece, the spell reincarnate is casted on yourself, and your body is teleported 50 feet away from danger.
Spell - Mass Power word kill: 9th level spell. Every creature that has a maximum of 100 HP or less that can hear you dies, and immediately fails all saving throws (when applicable).
Magic Item - Death’s contract: This tag or talisman is placed somewhere on your person. If you fail all of your death saving throws, you may choose to survive stabilize with one hit point, however, you permanently fail one death saving throw from now on.
I'm taking a break to focus on IRL stuff. Please don't think bad of me. I'm terribly sorry for any inconveniences this hiatus of mine brings about.
I like the inevitable trait for the Death race, but it's way too overpowered. It should be something like:
Inevitable. You take a -5 penalty to initiative. However, if you go last in initiative, you have advantage on all attack rolls made that round.
Don't you just love platypuses/platypi/platypodes?
-Literally everyone ever
Proud member of the EVIL JEFF CULT! PRAISE JEFF!
Homebrew Races: HERE Homebrew Spells: HERE Homebrew Monsters: HERE
My trophy that I stole- I mean, won, in Last Comment Wins! (For realz this time):🏆
Ah, but then death would not be inevitable, would it? Plus this also means you are unable to critically succeed on any attack rolls.
I'm taking a break to focus on IRL stuff. Please don't think bad of me. I'm terribly sorry for any inconveniences this hiatus of mine brings about.
I can't say anything for sure without trying some of these out in game, so these are just my first impressions and may be wrong!
My Homebrew: Subclasses, Monsters, Feats, Backgrounds, Magic Items
Migrating to 2024 and releasing new Homebrew regularly.
Feedback and play-testing appreciated!
I'm taking a break to focus on IRL stuff. Please don't think bad of me. I'm terribly sorry for any inconveniences this hiatus of mine brings about.
Feat - Wild Born: Either give advantage or proficiency on the skills not both and remove pack tactics (pack tactics is extremely powerful and was rightfully removed from player options since MotM). This might actually be better as a Background that grants Magic Initiate:Druid.
Feat - Trickster’s intuition:This seems unnecessary, why not just use the Actor feat instead?
Race - Quattuor: Reduce bonus action unarmed strikes to only 1 attack.
Magic Item - Vocal Amplifier:Most spells don't specify if the target needs to hear you so this is going to be really problematic to adjudicate.
Spell - Reality Check: Kind pointless and just a "you break the 4th wall" as a spell. Not sure what it would be useful for other than as a joke-y-joke.
Magic Item - Death’s Bargaining Coin: This one seems fine as is!
Spell - Mass Power word kill: You need to specify a radius, and this is worse than regular Power Word Kill because you are most likely going to kill your own party members with it.
Magic Item - Death’s contract: It's fine, I'm not sure the point though. Like as a player I'd want to RP negotiating the terms of some contract with death / a devil rather than the DM just giving me this magic item.
I'm taking a break to focus on IRL stuff. Please don't think bad of me. I'm terribly sorry for any inconveniences this hiatus of mine brings about.
Undead are technically dead but aren't immortal. Having a PC be permanently disguised as an ordinary object attached to an immortal/undestroyable corpse would be horrendously broken, and if enemies could easily identify the item as the source of the possession then they will simply rip it off of the body thus instantly nullifying that PC. I also still don't understand how it is supposed to work. Does the possessor get a class? If so how do they use any of their class features? If the Possessor is a barbarian can the random corpse they are attached to Rage?
What do you mean by this exactly:
Let's say my party just killed a Chimera, and one of them takes me, the Possessor - a level 5 Wizard, off the random humanoid corpse I'm on and put me onto the Chimera's body. Now I'm a level 5 Wizard Possessor attached to a Chimera. Can I fly & use the multiattack & breath weapon of the Chimera? Can I cast spells like a wizard? Can I do both?
All valid concerns. Here are some answers that I pulled out of my portable hole:
If I was a DM, I'd rule the scenario as such:
I'm taking a break to focus on IRL stuff. Please don't think bad of me. I'm terribly sorry for any inconveniences this hiatus of mine brings about.
If the class & class features come from the body, then how can the character level up? The body is an inert puppet? I'm also still unclear whether the body has hit points & AC & saving throws? Can an enemy kill the body? Can they knock it to 0 hp? Can they charm or frighten it? What happens if a Ghost tries to possess the body possessed by a Possessor? If it is a dead body do healing spells work on it? Sorry but this sounds like it would make a neat NPC for players to interact with, but I don't see how it would work for a player to play as one.
What? an object doesn't really have game statistics. It might have a hardness and some hit points but it doesn't have saving throws, it doesn't have senses, it doesn't have a movement speed. All the objects you listed would have < 20 hit points, and ACs from 5 (hat) to maybe 20 (ring). So super easy to destroy if noticed.
You can't really have a player play as an object because the entire game is designed around both players and enemies being "creatures". Even an animated sword is a creature with the construct type with ability scores, saving throws, hit points, skill proficiencies and senses. Objects don't get any of those.
What? Why would that matter? A humanoid necklace can be a bracelet to a Chimera, a bracelet a toe ring, and any old item can glue itself to the back of the Chimera.
Neither can a corpse that's been dead for hundreds of years that's had its soul sent to the Nine Hells and turned into a Lemure.
Why not? If the body gave permission once, why can't it give it again?
I feel like you need a 20 page lore document to explain how this Possessor is supposed to work in your personal HB world.
Yeah, atp I actually might.
I'm taking a break to focus on IRL stuff. Please don't think bad of me. I'm terribly sorry for any inconveniences this hiatus of mine brings about.