I've created the first version of a homebrew archetype (the Psionic Warrior), viewable here or here:
Psionic Warrior
The Psionic Warrior is a master of their own mind. Practitioners of this archetype follow an ancient tradition thought to be based on the style of the fierce Githyanki. Psionic Warriors excel in defending themselves from physical and mental attacks, and can focus their minds so keenly that their will creates physical barriers protecting the warriors. The skills of the Psionic Warrior are a dying art, and, outside of the Githyanki, Psionic Warriors are rare. Those who truly follow this tradition can find employ anywhere a trained warrior can, and sometimes in places one normally couldn't, their mental defenses allowing them to go toe-to-toe with enemies that would cause equally physically powerful warriors to quake in their boots.
Psionic Attunement
Starting when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your deep self-knowledge and psionic affinity gives you a unique insight into the workings of the Weave. You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses this skill.
In addition, you learn the Detect Magic spell, which you can cast only as a ritual.
Mental Defense
Also at 3rd level, you learn to manifest your will as a psychic barrier, protecting you at the cost of lessening your offensive capabilities.
The first time you make a weapon attack on your turn, you may take a penalty to your weapon attack bonus (up to half your Fighter level, rounded up). You gain a bonus to your AC equal to the penalty to your weapon attack bonus. The adjusted bonuses remain in effect until the start of your next turn. You must take an additional penalty to your attack bonus to activate other features that trigger on taking a penalty to your attack bonus.
Psionic Barrage
At 7th level, you learn to infuse your blows with psionic energy, harming both your enemies' physical forms and their psyches.
You may use your bonus action on your turn to cause your weapon attacks to deal an extra 1d6 psychic damage on a hit until the end of your turn. In addition, if these attacks use a nonmagical weapon, the damage from this weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage until the end of your turn.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses of it once you finish a long rest.
Thought Shield
Starting at 10th level, your self-discipline has honed your mental defenses. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. If you already have this proficiency, you instead gain proficiency in Intelligence or Charisma saving throws (your choice).
In addition, your mastery over your psyche has granted you the ability to use your own pain to snap yourself out of harmful mental states. Once on each of your turns if you are under an effect that causes you to be charmed, frightened, paralyzed, or stunned, you may take psychic damage equal to your Fighter level. This damage cannot be reduced or prevented in any way. Immediately after taking this damage, you may make a saving throw with advantage against the effect. If the effect does not require saving throws to end it, you end it without any saving throw.
Psychic Onslaught
Starting at 15th level, you are able to focus your mind on delivering one terrible blow to your foe, striking both their mind and body with staggering power.
As an action, you may make a single weapon attack against a foe, using your weapon's normal reach or range. On a hit, the target suffers the attack's normal effects, and must make an Intelligence saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier). A creature that fails this saving throw takes psychic damage equal to your Fighter level, and is stunned until the end of your next turn. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw takes half as much psychic damage, and is not stunned.
Psychic Retaliation
Starting at 18th level, your mental defenses increase, manifesting in a psychic barrier that punishes your foes when they harm you. When a creature hits you with an attack, that creature takes psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier. In addition, you may use your reaction to give that creature disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of its turn.
I am looking for feedback on this homebrew subclass, especially pertaining to balancing the mechanics. I am well aware that I have a tendency to make features far too powerful, and attempting to balance a fighter subclass is especially difficult for me, with the tendency of Fighter features (and archetype features) scaling and stacking with each other (example: The Samurai's Fighting Spirit seems pretty good until you realize that it's even better because you can use it in combination with Action Surge, 1+ Extra Attacks, and that GWM power attack feat that was so easy for you to get because of your many ASIs).
With that in mind, a note on balancing: I don't really consider multiclassing when making homebrew stuff, because, at the table I play at, you are generally not allowed to multiclass when playing a homebrew race/class, (barring some ultra-specific concept you're going for). So I'm not too concerned with the Psionic Warrior's interactions with other classes' features when multiclassing.
I like the subclass but I have a few issues with it.
Psychic Attunement. My understanding of psionics is that they are separate from the Weave and traditional magic. Looking at the githyanki knight, more appropriate spells might include jump, mage hand, and misty step.
Mental Defenses is worded weirdly, I took my own stab at it.
The first time you make a weapon attack on your turn, you may take a penalty, less than or equal to half your Fighter level, rounded up, to your weapon attack bonus. You gain a bonus to your AC equal to this penalty until the start of your next turn.
Could Psionic Barrage be a d8 instead of a d6?
Thought Shield should simply end the effect, regardless if it requires a saving throw. Compare it to the monk's Stillness of Mind, an ability that comes in at 7th level.
In Psychic Onslaught, "using your weapon's normal reach or range" should be nixed.
Psychic Retaliation may be too powerful but as it's 18th level it shouldn't be an issue.
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
I like the subclass but I have a few issues with it.
Psychic Attunement. My understanding of psionics is that they are separate from the Weave and traditional magic. Looking at the githyanki knight, more appropriate spells might include jump, mage hand, and misty step.
Sort of? According to this, psionics make their own Weave, in a sense. My concept for the Psionic Warrior is that they focus on internal mastery. Since this implies a focus on their personal Weave, it seems reasonable for the Psionic Warrior to have, to quote myself, "unique insight into the workings of the Weave."
Maybe that doesn't really work, but either way, I'm not sure how I would go about giving the Psionic Warrior the spells you mentioned. I definitely don't want to give it spellcasting slots, and casting the spells at will would most likely be far too much, but I'm not sure if "once per rest" or something similar would be good.
Mental Defenses is worded weirdly, I took my own stab at it.
The first time you make a weapon attack on your turn, you may take a penalty, less than or equal to half your Fighter level, rounded up, to your weapon attack bonus. You gain a bonus to your AC equal to this penalty until the start of your next turn.
I think this is good, but maybe still needs this bolded addition: "The first time you make a weapon attack on your turn, you may take a penalty less than or equal to half your Fighter level, rounded up, to your weapon attack bonus (until the end of your turn). You gain a bonus to your AC equal to this penalty until the start of your next turn."
I know my original text is pretty wordy, but I want to make it clear to the player that this functions basically like a Defender, with a little extra complexity.
I had it as a d8 originally, but since it applies for all of your attacks, with a d6 the feature comes in just barely second to the similar Fighting Spirit feature of the Samurai in terms of damage per round, and the Psionic Barrage also offers some combat utility. So I'm worried that would be too good. But with the Psionic Barrage being use-able in combination with Mental Defenses (which would lower your damage in that round against most foes with your lower chance to hit), I'm not sure. What do you think?
Thought Shield should simply end the effect, regardless if it requires a saving throw. Compare it to the monk's Stillness of Mind, an ability that comes in at 7th level.
Do you think you could elaborate on this, please?
Stillness of Mind is a 7th level feature, but it also doesn't come in at the same time as proficiency in Wisdom saving throws, nor does it allow the ending of a paralysis or stun effect.
Psychic Retaliation may be too powerful but as it's 18th level it shouldn't be an issue.
When first writing this feature, I had it written like this:
"Psychic Retaliation
Starting at 18th level, your mental defenses increase, manifesting in a psychic barrier that punishes your foes when they harm you. When a creature hits you with an attack, that creature takes psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier. In addition, you may use your reaction to give that creature disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of its turn. If you choose to use your reaction in this way, you may not deal psychic damage to creatures who hit you, until the start of your next turn."
Do you think a change like this (or exactly this change) would help to bring the power level down a bit?
I don't know if it is necessary to tone down the level 18 ability, let it deal the damage back after doing the disadvantage reaction. First, it is simpler, second its not that much damage for an ability at that level. It kind of makes sense to do like a psychic blast to leave an enemy reeling for a round.
I generally like it, I will keep pondering it.
For Psionic barrage the increase in damage is very multiplicative when you have more extra attacks at higher levels, I think d6 is just fine, similar to hunters mark.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
I don't know if it is necessary to tone down the level 18 ability, let it deal the damage back after doing the disadvantage reaction. First, it is simpler, second its not that much damage for an ability at that level. It kind of makes sense to do like a psychic blast to leave an enemy reeling for a round.
I generally like it, I will keep pondering it.
I'm glad you like it. My concern with Psychic Retaliation (as I've begun to think on it a bit more) is that, since the damage activates on any hit, it can start to really add up, despite being a tiny amount of damage, over the course of a round. Of course, your other archetypal features should be making you pretty hard to hit, so it's not certain that it would, in fact, add up in most optimal situations.
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And that's all I have to say about that.
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Hello, Chrominator here (again).
I've created the first version of a homebrew archetype (the Psionic Warrior), viewable here or here:
Psionic Warrior
The Psionic Warrior is a master of their own mind. Practitioners of this archetype follow an ancient tradition thought to be based on the style of the fierce Githyanki. Psionic Warriors excel in defending themselves from physical and mental attacks, and can focus their minds so keenly that their will creates physical barriers protecting the warriors. The skills of the Psionic Warrior are a dying art, and, outside of the Githyanki, Psionic Warriors are rare. Those who truly follow this tradition can find employ anywhere a trained warrior can, and sometimes in places one normally couldn't, their mental defenses allowing them to go toe-to-toe with enemies that would cause equally physically powerful warriors to quake in their boots.
Psionic Attunement
Starting when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your deep self-knowledge and psionic affinity gives you a unique insight into the workings of the Weave. You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses this skill.
In addition, you learn the Detect Magic spell, which you can cast only as a ritual.
Mental Defense
Also at 3rd level, you learn to manifest your will as a psychic barrier, protecting you at the cost of lessening your offensive capabilities.
The first time you make a weapon attack on your turn, you may take a penalty to your weapon attack bonus (up to half your Fighter level, rounded up). You gain a bonus to your AC equal to the penalty to your weapon attack bonus. The adjusted bonuses remain in effect until the start of your next turn. You must take an additional penalty to your attack bonus to activate other features that trigger on taking a penalty to your attack bonus.
Psionic Barrage
At 7th level, you learn to infuse your blows with psionic energy, harming both your enemies' physical forms and their psyches.
You may use your bonus action on your turn to cause your weapon attacks to deal an extra 1d6 psychic damage on a hit until the end of your turn. In addition, if these attacks use a nonmagical weapon, the damage from this weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage until the end of your turn.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses of it once you finish a long rest.
Thought Shield
Starting at 10th level, your self-discipline has honed your mental defenses. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. If you already have this proficiency, you instead gain proficiency in Intelligence or Charisma saving throws (your choice).
In addition, your mastery over your psyche has granted you the ability to use your own pain to snap yourself out of harmful mental states. Once on each of your turns if you are under an effect that causes you to be charmed, frightened, paralyzed, or stunned, you may take psychic damage equal to your Fighter level. This damage cannot be reduced or prevented in any way. Immediately after taking this damage, you may make a saving throw with advantage against the effect. If the effect does not require saving throws to end it, you end it without any saving throw.
Psychic Onslaught
Starting at 15th level, you are able to focus your mind on delivering one terrible blow to your foe, striking both their mind and body with staggering power.
As an action, you may make a single weapon attack against a foe, using your weapon's normal reach or range. On a hit, the target suffers the attack's normal effects, and must make an Intelligence saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier). A creature that fails this saving throw takes psychic damage equal to your Fighter level, and is stunned until the end of your next turn. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw takes half as much psychic damage, and is not stunned.
Psychic Retaliation
Starting at 18th level, your mental defenses increase, manifesting in a psychic barrier that punishes your foes when they harm you. When a creature hits you with an attack, that creature takes psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier. In addition, you may use your reaction to give that creature disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of its turn.
I am looking for feedback on this homebrew subclass, especially pertaining to balancing the mechanics. I am well aware that I have a tendency to make features far too powerful, and attempting to balance a fighter subclass is especially difficult for me, with the tendency of Fighter features (and archetype features) scaling and stacking with each other (example: The Samurai's Fighting Spirit seems pretty good until you realize that it's even better because you can use it in combination with Action Surge, 1+ Extra Attacks, and that GWM power attack feat that was so easy for you to get because of your many ASIs).
With that in mind, a note on balancing: I don't really consider multiclassing when making homebrew stuff, because, at the table I play at, you are generally not allowed to multiclass when playing a homebrew race/class, (barring some ultra-specific concept you're going for). So I'm not too concerned with the Psionic Warrior's interactions with other classes' features when multiclassing.
I appreciate any feedback!
Thank you,
~Chrominator
And that's all I have to say about that.
I like the subclass but I have a few issues with it.
Psychic Attunement. My understanding of psionics is that they are separate from the Weave and traditional magic. Looking at the githyanki knight, more appropriate spells might include jump, mage hand, and misty step.
Mental Defenses is worded weirdly, I took my own stab at it.
Could Psionic Barrage be a d8 instead of a d6?
Thought Shield should simply end the effect, regardless if it requires a saving throw. Compare it to the monk's Stillness of Mind, an ability that comes in at 7th level.
In Psychic Onslaught, "using your weapon's normal reach or range" should be nixed.
Psychic Retaliation may be too powerful but as it's 18th level it shouldn't be an issue.
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Astromancer's Homebrew Assembly
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
Sort of? According to this, psionics make their own Weave, in a sense. My concept for the Psionic Warrior is that they focus on internal mastery. Since this implies a focus on their personal Weave, it seems reasonable for the Psionic Warrior to have, to quote myself, "unique insight into the workings of the Weave."
Maybe that doesn't really work, but either way, I'm not sure how I would go about giving the Psionic Warrior the spells you mentioned. I definitely don't want to give it spellcasting slots, and casting the spells at will would most likely be far too much, but I'm not sure if "once per rest" or something similar would be good.
I think this is good, but maybe still needs this bolded addition: "The first time you make a weapon attack on your turn, you may take a penalty less than or equal to half your Fighter level, rounded up, to your weapon attack bonus (until the end of your turn). You gain a bonus to your AC equal to this penalty until the start of your next turn."
I know my original text is pretty wordy, but I want to make it clear to the player that this functions basically like a Defender, with a little extra complexity.
I had it as a d8 originally, but since it applies for all of your attacks, with a d6 the feature comes in just barely second to the similar Fighting Spirit feature of the Samurai in terms of damage per round, and the Psionic Barrage also offers some combat utility. So I'm worried that would be too good. But with the Psionic Barrage being use-able in combination with Mental Defenses (which would lower your damage in that round against most foes with your lower chance to hit), I'm not sure. What do you think?
Do you think you could elaborate on this, please?
Stillness of Mind is a 7th level feature, but it also doesn't come in at the same time as proficiency in Wisdom saving throws, nor does it allow the ending of a paralysis or stun effect.
True. Just me being pedantic...
When first writing this feature, I had it written like this:
"Psychic Retaliation
Starting at 18th level, your mental defenses increase, manifesting in a psychic barrier that punishes your foes when they harm you. When a creature hits you with an attack, that creature takes psychic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier. In addition, you may use your reaction to give that creature disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of its turn. If you choose to use your reaction in this way, you may not deal psychic damage to creatures who hit you, until the start of your next turn."
Do you think a change like this (or exactly this change) would help to bring the power level down a bit?
Thank you for all the feedback, so far!
And that's all I have to say about that.
I don't know if it is necessary to tone down the level 18 ability, let it deal the damage back after doing the disadvantage reaction. First, it is simpler, second its not that much damage for an ability at that level. It kind of makes sense to do like a psychic blast to leave an enemy reeling for a round.
I generally like it, I will keep pondering it.
For Psionic barrage the increase in damage is very multiplicative when you have more extra attacks at higher levels, I think d6 is just fine, similar to hunters mark.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
I'm glad you like it. My concern with Psychic Retaliation (as I've begun to think on it a bit more) is that, since the damage activates on any hit, it can start to really add up, despite being a tiny amount of damage, over the course of a round. Of course, your other archetypal features should be making you pretty hard to hit, so it's not certain that it would, in fact, add up in most optimal situations.
And that's all I have to say about that.