Hey yall, I homebrewed a demonic sorcerer subclass a while ago for a player that has since abandoned the PC entirely. It was built borrowing from other official sources (Sorcerer subclasses, races, etc) but a few of the original ideas I still feel are fun. Would love any thoughts or tweaks to the balancing of the subclass! I haven't included subclass spells due to them being too specific to what the player and I agreed on (and I have no confidence on said choice of spells). Thanks in advance!
Hellish Ancestry:
Starting at 1st level, you have resistance to fire damage. When you reach 3rd level in this class, you learn the scorching ray spell, which doesn't count against your number of sorcerer spells known. In addition, you can cast it by spending 2 sorcery points or by expending a spell slot. If you cast it with sorcery points, the enemies hit by the ray must pass a DC 8 + Spellcasting ability + proficiency bonus Constitution Saving throw or become burned (Disadvantage on next attack and Charisma Checks till full rested).
Demonic Survival:
Your infernal blood refuses to die and will do anything to preserve itself. Starting at 1st level, and once per long rest, if an attack would reduce you to 0 HP, you can roll a Charisma DC 5 + damage dealt saving throw as a reaction, and on a success, you can warp any distance away up to your speed, avoiding incoming damage and reducing you to 1 HP. When you use this feature, you burn up in flames only to reappear with a few burns and the burned status for one turn. (If your speed is 30ft, you can warp 15ft)
Fire In Your Blood:
The Infernal fire in your blood burns ever hotter. Starting at 6th level and once per turn, whenever you are hit with a melee attack you can use your reaction to damage said enemy for 1d4 fire damage and force them to roll a DC 8 + Spellcasting ability + proficiency bonus Constitution Saving throw or become burned (Disadvantage on next attack and Charisma Checks till full rested). Infernal magic also empowers your spells; whenever you cast a fire or cold damage spell, add your Charisma modifier to the damage roll.
Fiendish Form:
Your body becomes more attuned to Avernus. On 14th level you gain the ability to sprout a pair of demon wings (they look like bat's) from your back, gaining a flying speed equal to your current speed. You can create these wings as a bonus action on your turn. They last until you dismiss them as a bonus action on your turn. You can't manifest your wings while wearing armor unless the armor is made to accommodate them, and clothing not made to accommodate your wings might be destroyed when you manifest them.
Avernus Incarnate:
Your blood burns with power, your soul screams in infernal, you can now become an avatar of Avernus. At 18th level you gain resistance to cold damage and for 6 sorcery points you can turn into demonic form. Your horns grow longer, you grow a tail and an aura of hell surrounds you. For 10 minutes you gain advantage on Charisma Rolls, you gain Immunity to fire and resistance to nonmagical weapon attacks. As an action, you can choose to wield this power and exude an aura of fear to a distance of 60 feet. For 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were casting a concentration spell), each hostile creature that starts its turn in this aura must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the aura ends. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw is immune to your aura for 24 hours.
Hellish Ancestry: The extra resistance is a bit powerful. The burned condition feels very unnecessary, you could reduce it to having disadvantage on the next attack and it would be the same.
Demonic survival: Better than Shadow's Strength of the Grave in every way. You should nerf it by removing the teleportation and the burned condition, at low level, teleporting is one hell of a feature.
Fire in your blood: Really weak, it has poor damage for its level and being Burned is a nuisance at best. I recommend amping up the damage by a decent amount, maybe add a use per day limit in exchange. The Fire or Cold empowerment is good, no notes.
Fiendish Form: Draconic Sorcerer's ability, decent but a tad weak at this level, no other notes.
Avernus Incarnate: A buffed version of Draconic sorcerer’s ability, no notes.
My biggest recommendation is to figure out what your trying to get out of the subclass, do you want the sorcerer to feel like a living bomb, an unkillable fire, etc.. Because the subclass features feel rather scattered, with the random inclusion of Demonic Survival and Fiendish Form feeling very defensive and mobile in nature.
Hey yall, I homebrewed a demonic sorcerer subclass a while ago for a player that has since abandoned the PC entirely. It was built borrowing from other official sources (Sorcerer subclasses, races, etc) but a few of the original ideas I still feel are fun. Would love any thoughts or tweaks to the balancing of the subclass!
I haven't included subclass spells due to them being too specific to what the player and I agreed on (and I have no confidence on said choice of spells).
Thanks in advance!
Hellish Ancestry:
Starting at 1st level, you have resistance to fire damage. When you reach 3rd level in this class, you learn the scorching ray spell, which doesn't count against your number of sorcerer spells known. In addition, you can cast it by spending 2 sorcery points or by expending a spell slot. If you cast it with sorcery points, the enemies hit by the ray must pass a DC 8 + Spellcasting ability + proficiency bonus Constitution Saving throw or become burned (Disadvantage on next attack and Charisma Checks till full rested).
Demonic Survival:
Your infernal blood refuses to die and will do anything to preserve itself. Starting at 1st level, and once per long rest, if an attack would reduce you to 0 HP, you can roll a Charisma DC 5 + damage dealt saving throw as a reaction, and on a success, you can warp any distance away up to your speed, avoiding incoming damage and reducing you to 1 HP. When you use this feature, you burn up in flames only to reappear with a few burns and the burned status for one turn. (If your speed is 30ft, you can warp 15ft)
Fire In Your Blood:
The Infernal fire in your blood burns ever hotter. Starting at 6th level and once per turn, whenever you are hit with a melee attack you can use your reaction to damage said enemy for 1d4 fire damage and force them to roll a DC 8 + Spellcasting ability + proficiency bonus Constitution Saving throw or become burned (Disadvantage on next attack and Charisma Checks till full rested). Infernal magic also empowers your spells; whenever you cast a fire or cold damage spell, add your Charisma modifier to the damage roll.
Fiendish Form:
Your body becomes more attuned to Avernus. On 14th level you gain the ability to sprout a pair of demon wings (they look like bat's) from your back, gaining a flying speed equal to your current speed. You can create these wings as a bonus action on your turn. They last until you dismiss them as a bonus action on your turn. You can't manifest your wings while wearing armor unless the armor is made to accommodate them, and clothing not made to accommodate your wings might be destroyed when you manifest them.
Avernus Incarnate:
Your blood burns with power, your soul screams in infernal, you can now become an avatar of Avernus. At 18th level you gain resistance to cold damage and for 6 sorcery points you can turn into demonic form. Your horns grow longer, you grow a tail and an aura of hell surrounds you. For 10 minutes you gain advantage on Charisma Rolls, you gain Immunity to fire and resistance to nonmagical weapon attacks. As an action, you can choose to wield this power and exude an aura of fear to a distance of 60 feet. For 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were casting a concentration spell), each hostile creature that starts its turn in this aura must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the aura ends. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw is immune to your aura for 24 hours.
Hellish Ancestry: The extra resistance is a bit powerful. The burned condition feels very unnecessary, you could reduce it to having disadvantage on the next attack and it would be the same.
Demonic survival: Better than Shadow's Strength of the Grave in every way. You should nerf it by removing the teleportation and the burned condition, at low level, teleporting is one hell of a feature.
Fire in your blood: Really weak, it has poor damage for its level and being Burned is a nuisance at best. I recommend amping up the damage by a decent amount, maybe add a use per day limit in exchange. The Fire or Cold empowerment is good, no notes.
Fiendish Form: Draconic Sorcerer's ability, decent but a tad weak at this level, no other notes.
Avernus Incarnate: A buffed version of Draconic sorcerer’s ability, no notes.
My biggest recommendation is to figure out what your trying to get out of the subclass, do you want the sorcerer to feel like a living bomb, an unkillable fire, etc.. Because the subclass features feel rather scattered, with the random inclusion of Demonic Survival and Fiendish Form feeling very defensive and mobile in nature.
The low level features are busted.