I was wondering if anyone would be able to critique an option for the path of the totem warrior that I have created. I'm looking for balance issues, wondering if the attack boost is too strong for the level 3 ability. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Path of the Totem Warrior: Shark
Totem Spirit (3rd level): While you're raging and not wearing any armor, when you make a melee weapon attack using Strength against a creature that is below its hit point maximum, you gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to your rage damage bonus. The spirit of the shark makes you frenzy at the sight of blood.
Aspect of the Beast (6th level): Your shark spirit helps you navigate through water. You gain a swim speed equal to your current walking speed. Additionally, you gain the ability to breath underwater.
Totemic Attunement (14th level): While raging, after successfully hitting a creature with a melee weapon attack this turn, you may use a bonus action to attempt to grapple the creature.
*This is a complete rework, made to try and stay true to the pattern in the manuals*
I think this is a cool idea, but, as you are asking for critique, there are a few things.
For the Level 3, it sounds good, except I'm a bit skeptic on the Rage mechanics incorporated here. Expending a use of Rage, then receiving a Rage if that target dies seems kind of unnecessary, as the chances are, the creature you're fighting will die. Maybe if it was something along the lines of being able to Bite once per Rage or something, because I do see the idea of you not wanting the player to use the Bite an infinite amount of times. I just feel that could use some work.
The level 6 looks fine, no gripes there.
The Totemic Attunement needs to not directly involve the Bite feature. There could be something optional about the Bite, IF the player chose the level 3 shark feature, but a big thing with Totem Barbarians is that they can mix and match the animal they choose - so for example, I could take Level 3 Bear feature, Level 6 Eagle feature, and Level 14 Shark feature. But the Shark feature isn't an option whatsoever if I do that, because I don't have the bite. Maybe if it was that advantage tracking creatures that the Barbarian injured in any way? Could maybe work, I dunno.
These are all just my two cents, of course, and I do think it is a cool concept.
So for the level 3 thing, I originally had it as once per rage, but in game we were having the issue of missing the attack and it feeling kind of like a flop. And just to be clear, you only gain rage back if the creature dies while it is wounded, not after it was wounded. If that makes sense? I'm still playing around with the idea and I need to test it.
As for totemic attunement, I agree with what you're saying and have thought of that issue myself. I might change it around at some point to being generic like it should be. Still working on it.
Thanks though for taking a look at it, I appreciate the input
*Edit*
How about this for totemic attunement: While raging, when you make a melee weapon attack using Strength against a creature that is below its hit point maximum, you gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to your rage bonus.
I also worded totem spirit a little differently now to make it a bit more clear on when you gain back a rage. - If a creature dies while it is wounded by the effects of your Bite attack, you regain one use of Rage.
The bite can just be limited to only one wound on a creature you use the bite on. As its a totemic spirit, you can easily say using the bite on another creature ends the wound on the first target as the shark spirit moves on to new prey.
Then you don't need to limit the bite and let the barbarian rage chew all their foes.
So the way that wound will work is that it is a class specific condition, similar to being paralyzed or stunned. That way the damage can't be stacked. I dont think biting multiple creatures will be a big deal because you still have to expend a rage. So that hopefully shouldn't be an issue.
We'll see if this ends up working. I'm hopeful haha, thanks for the input!
So for the level 3 thing, I originally had it as once per rage, but in game we were having the issue of missing the attack and it feeling kind of like a flop.
Disintigrate can miss, sneak attack can miss, basically every powerful spell has a save DC. I can think of a lot of abilities that are big shots but have the chance to do nothing. It's just my opinion, but taking the chance for failure away takes away from the game as a whole.
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I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
Taking a rage gimps the barbarian. At low levels, when they get this ability, will only be able to rage and use this ability once a day. The average game has more than one combat encounter a day.
Tie it to an ability modifier per long rest. It's a cool idea, but wasting precious rages at a low level to do a single bite attack when I could go any other totem and keep my rages for raging and get their bonus's makes this lackluster.
This is not necessarily the case. You have the opportunity to regain your rage if a creature is killed while wounded, meaning in a horde, you could theoretically have as many bites as needed so long as the creatures you are biting die
I am quite late to the party, but what if the Totemic Attunement were something like Zealot's Battlecry?
During a rage, as a bonus action, you may channel the spirit of the shark to cause allies to frenzy at the sight of blood. Until the end of your next turn, up to ten creatures of your choice have advantage on attack rolls against creatures whose health is below their maximum. You can do this a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier before a long rest.
I'm running a high level pirate campaign, so I'm just looking for HB I like.
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I was wondering if anyone would be able to critique an option for the path of the totem warrior that I have created. I'm looking for balance issues, wondering if the attack boost is too strong for the level 3 ability. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Path of the Totem Warrior: Shark
Totem Spirit (3rd level): While you're raging and not wearing any armor, when you make a melee weapon attack using Strength against a creature that is below its hit point maximum, you gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to your rage damage bonus. The spirit of the shark makes you frenzy at the sight of blood.
Aspect of the Beast (6th level): Your shark spirit helps you navigate through water. You gain a swim speed equal to your current walking speed. Additionally, you gain the ability to breath underwater.
Totemic Attunement (14th level): While raging, after successfully hitting a creature with a melee weapon attack this turn, you may use a bonus action to attempt to grapple the creature.
*This is a complete rework, made to try and stay true to the pattern in the manuals*
I think this is a cool idea, but, as you are asking for critique, there are a few things.
For the Level 3, it sounds good, except I'm a bit skeptic on the Rage mechanics incorporated here. Expending a use of Rage, then receiving a Rage if that target dies seems kind of unnecessary, as the chances are, the creature you're fighting will die. Maybe if it was something along the lines of being able to Bite once per Rage or something, because I do see the idea of you not wanting the player to use the Bite an infinite amount of times. I just feel that could use some work.
The level 6 looks fine, no gripes there.
The Totemic Attunement needs to not directly involve the Bite feature. There could be something optional about the Bite, IF the player chose the level 3 shark feature, but a big thing with Totem Barbarians is that they can mix and match the animal they choose - so for example, I could take Level 3 Bear feature, Level 6 Eagle feature, and Level 14 Shark feature. But the Shark feature isn't an option whatsoever if I do that, because I don't have the bite. Maybe if it was that advantage tracking creatures that the Barbarian injured in any way? Could maybe work, I dunno.
These are all just my two cents, of course, and I do think it is a cool concept.
So for the level 3 thing, I originally had it as once per rage, but in game we were having the issue of missing the attack and it feeling kind of like a flop. And just to be clear, you only gain rage back if the creature dies while it is wounded, not after it was wounded. If that makes sense? I'm still playing around with the idea and I need to test it.
As for totemic attunement, I agree with what you're saying and have thought of that issue myself. I might change it around at some point to being generic like it should be. Still working on it.
Thanks though for taking a look at it, I appreciate the input
*Edit*
How about this for totemic attunement: While raging, when you make a melee weapon attack using Strength against a creature that is below its hit point maximum, you gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to your rage bonus.
I also worded totem spirit a little differently now to make it a bit more clear on when you gain back a rage. - If a creature dies while it is wounded by the effects of your Bite attack, you regain one use of Rage.
The bite can just be limited to only one wound on a creature you use the bite on. As its a totemic spirit, you can easily say using the bite on another creature ends the wound on the first target as the shark spirit moves on to new prey.
Then you don't need to limit the bite and let the barbarian rage chew all their foes.
So the way that wound will work is that it is a class specific condition, similar to being paralyzed or stunned. That way the damage can't be stacked. I dont think biting multiple creatures will be a big deal because you still have to expend a rage. So that hopefully shouldn't be an issue.
We'll see if this ends up working. I'm hopeful haha, thanks for the input!
Disintigrate can miss, sneak attack can miss, basically every powerful spell has a save DC. I can think of a lot of abilities that are big shots but have the chance to do nothing. It's just my opinion, but taking the chance for failure away takes away from the game as a whole.
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
Taking a rage gimps the barbarian. At low levels, when they get this ability, will only be able to rage and use this ability once a day. The average game has more than one combat encounter a day.
Tie it to an ability modifier per long rest. It's a cool idea, but wasting precious rages at a low level to do a single bite attack when I could go any other totem and keep my rages for raging and get their bonus's makes this lackluster.
This is not necessarily the case. You have the opportunity to regain your rage if a creature is killed while wounded, meaning in a horde, you could theoretically have as many bites as needed so long as the creatures you are biting die
I am quite late to the party, but what if the Totemic Attunement were something like Zealot's Battlecry?
During a rage, as a bonus action, you may channel the spirit of the shark to cause allies to frenzy at the sight of blood. Until the end of your next turn, up to ten creatures of your choice have advantage on attack rolls against creatures whose health is below their maximum. You can do this a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier before a long rest.
I'm running a high level pirate campaign, so I'm just looking for HB I like.