Exanding 'vicious mockery'

Psychological Attack

You can make an attack using:

• Intimidation (Charisma or Strength)
• Persuasion (Charisma)
• Deception (Charisma)

Action: Making a psychological attack requires an action.

Attack roll:
d20 + proficiency + Charisma (or Strength)

Mental Defense:
10 + Wisdom modifier

On hit:
1d6 + Charisma psychic damage (ranged attack, unarmed, non-lethal)

Range: 30 ft
Target: a creature that can perceive and understand you

Simple Effect

If you beat the target’s defense by 5 or more:

→ the target makes a Wisdom save
(DC = 8 + proficiency + Charisma)

Fail:
Disadvantage on its next attack roll or saving throw (your choice)

Success:
No effect, and the target is immune to your effects until the end of its next turn

Max 1 effect per target per turn

 Social Advantage

You have advantage if:

• the target is distracted or trusting
• the target is isolated
• you have leverage (blackmail, authority, identity…)

Quick Notes

• Non-magical (unless part of a magical effect)
• Creatures without social awareness → half damage, no effects
• At 0 HP: the target is mentally broken (can’t act)
• Further psychic damage may kill or incapacitate it (DM’s discretion)

🔹 Rogue Option

A rogue can apply Sneak Attack as psychic damage  if:

• the target is isolated
  OR
• the rogue has social advantage

(Doesn’t work on creatures unable to understand you). Note: sneak attack definition include ranged weapon. This is to be adapted...

Design Goals

• avoid “one roll decides everything”
• make social builds matter
• add positioning and tactical choices
• keep roleplay central

 Feedback

• Too strong / too weak?
• Table-friendly or too much?
• Is one effect enough?

If there’s interest, I can share a more advanced version (stress, archetypes, etc.)

“Words don’t deal damage… unless they do.”

… this gives me the vibes of being AI generated.

Anyways, it’s pretty bad damage for anything beyond tier 1. I don’t get how you make an attack with a skill check, nor how that feeds into the actual attack roll. The Metal Defence is nonsensical, why cant it be a Wisdom save instead? Having two different rolls required for it to get actual effects other than low damage is pretty bad, there’s a reason why it was dumped in 5.5e

Further problems, the Rouge option is completely unrelated to everything else, how does your sneak attack deal Psychic damage if it’s from a physical weapon? Define isolation, what the hell does social advantage mean?

Positioning has nothing to do with this homebrew and it has nothing to do with improving roleplay. Social builds are anlready good due to them already having plenty of classes (paladin and bard to name a few). Giving them a subpar ability with a bunch of rules stuffed in doesn’t help with anything.

AI helped with the translation-  i'm french.

I use AI to compare the DPR (damage per roll) and to balance, like any designer.

This is a regular attack. Extra attacks, bonuses to damage from class features, etc apply.

The rogue like other classes uses words as a weapon (basic unarmed attack)

Social advantage is an advantage to attacks if you isolate the victim (inverse the regular sneak attack condition) or if you have a prepared situation (balckmail, assassin level 9 and 13 setup).

Well, I just improved social combat as seen in Torg eternity or Witcher. It is like other options in DMG- you use it or not. I just make it modular- it does work in a combat beside regular physical and magical damage.

Quote from mictrepanier1 >>

AI helped with the translation-  i'm french.

I use AI to compare the DPR (damage per roll) and to balance, like any designer.

This is a regular attack. Extra attacks, bonuses to damage from class features, etc apply.

The rogue like other classes uses words as a weapon (basic unarmed attack)

Social advantage is an advantage to attacks if you isolate the victim (inverse the regular sneak attack condition) or if you have a prepared situation (balckmail, assassin level 9 and 13 setup).

Well, I just improved social combat as seen in Torg eternity or Witcher. It is like other options in DMG- you use it or not. I just make it modular- it does work in a combat beside regular physical and magical damage.

 1. Aight

2. And what exact method did you use for DPR? Did you compare it to a fighter with a greatsword, sword and board and stuff like that?

3. You should probably mention that it can be used as part of the Attack action, else the ability is just way too weak.

4. A basic unarmed attack is 1 + str modifier, unless you’re talking about Psychological Attack. The rogue also cannot benefit from sneak attack if it uses a Psychological Attack, it’s not a Finesse or Ranged weapon. I'd recommend you really specify mechanically, because it’s generally pretty vague.

5. The problem is that it doesn’t really fill any hole thats in D&D. There’s no Resolve or anything to further cement it, so it’s basically just a ported in mechanic that feels really complicated for some reason.

Is this something just anyone can do? If so, that makes no sense. An average commoner shouldn't be able to shout at someone and kill them.

2- A rogue with a rogue, a fighter with a fighter. Archetype with a 2d6 basic attack if you forgo defense, as per regular weapons. My system is a little bit under because of the special effet, like vious mockey is under other cantrips damage.

3. This is an range attack per se. With all the regular rules. 

4. Thanks, i'll fix it. Sneak attack definition already include 'ranged weapon attacks'. I don't see exploits- divine smite is for melee attack- this is not a magic or weapon attack, this is special. I'll need help with this detail. Not a core issue, just a hole for min/maxers.

5. All archetypes like courtier, orators, etc, unless you think they can just backstab with knifes... And it is regular combat rules adapted, not new mechanisms.

Do you want me to transate my 5 archetypes and post them here ?