One of my players is wanting to make a homebrew wizard subclass that bends and alters his spells. Its meta magic. A wizard subclass that revolves around a wizard themed meta magic. Which I don't mind because I do like the idea of this subclass, my issue is trying to make it a direct copy paste version meta magic, and unsure if certain options should be weaker and stronger than their meta-magic counter part. My stance is that they should be stronger because it is the main component of the subclass, but not by too much.
This is what I have so far, School of Infusion. Now the class as a whole I like, but there are definitely some issues that I am still trying to overcome. The listed ones are only the issues that I have with the class, but if you find anything else that needs to be changed, rebalanced, or edited just let me know (I know about a few typos such as with the imitate infusion, but just let me know if you find any others)
I'm unsure if the level 14 is too powerful for a subclass capstone for this class. At the moment I'm debating on keeping it as is, changing to increasing the bonus to the saving throw (ex. INT Saving Throw + Prof bonus or INT Mod haven't decided), or changing it to "if you fail the Intelligence Saving throw to use a a spell infusion, you can choose to succeed instead" but I'm not sure if this should be able to be used once or twice per short rest, or X number of times a long rest.
The Alter infusion can be extremely potent and can make no sense for some spells, like a spells that restrains creature should not be a CHA saving throw. I do like the idea of having spells change, like a spell that restrains instead of being a STR save could be a CON save due to it changing thematically from lets say constricting vines to vines that are freezing the individual. One solution that I think should work for this is to separate spells from physical saves (STR, DEX, CON) and mental spells (INT, WIS, CHA) and have them choose but with a more limited range. Any other suggestions, I'm even open to completely changing it if its gone too far to fix.
With the Focused infusion, this one was one that went through multiple iterations and just ended up as the hinder meta magic option. Now I would like to keep it to something similar but not 100% sure how I can change it. One way I have come up with was to choose a target (or multiple depending on how this ends up) but they can increase or decrease their saving throw of the chosen target(s).
Honestly, I feel that this class does have potential to be really fun, but I'm just trying to find a good balance of keeping the thematics of meta-magic and its own subclass. Like my best examples for what I'm trying to do to each of them is what I did to the Imitate and Sustained infusion. Imitate is intended to replace Subtle spell which can cast a spell without verbal or somatic to replacing a material component (but not to a absurd point). With the Sustained infusion, we couldn't find a way to change the meta-magic extended spell that would make it too powerful or too weak, so we added concentration as a negative, but its a negative that isn't too much of a hindrance.
Yeah, its kinda obvious that this homebrew is our groups answer to make a better school of invention subclass, the player didn't care for the thematic wildmagic feature (and I don't blame him i don't care for it either) but he really liked the theme of an experimental wizard. I'll run that idea by him for multiclassing (which I'll doubt he'll do since my group is pretty single class purist), my guess is he'll likely switch to the school of transmutation with a focus in tinkering and animation or switch/start multiclassing into artificer. If we don't get this subclass to a point where we're happy with.
After doing some more tinkering with this subclass I have changed some parts or at least in consideration of changing parts of the subclass that I feel would make it more balanced and overal just better. So here's what changes and considerations that I'm thinking about (if you want to see the previous version then see the link of the original post):
Alter: Deleted
After looking at this infusion again and trying it out with other variants; I've just reached the conclusion that it just needed to be scrapped and replaced by another infusion. Though I currently don't have a certain replacement in mind as of yet. I still do like this infusion thematically, it is just too strong in the iterations that I came up with.
Focused: When you cast a spell with an area of effect that requires a creature(s) to make a saving throw, you can choose up four creatures in the affected area, and give the creature a bonus equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one) on the spells first saving throw. Alternatively, you can reduce a creature’s saving throw bonus equal to your intelligence modifier on the spell’s first saving throw.
By changing it to this version, it makes this infusion not just a copy pasted (although accidental) version of the Sorcerer's meta-magic option Heightened spell. These changes it turns this infusion into a combined version of Careful Spell and the Heightened Spell meta-magic options. The infusion now affects more targets with a fix numbers of creatures, more than a sorc with point buy (which is my groups preferred character making method), but less than a sorc with a Cha mod of +5. Then it also turns it from an advantage/disadvantage to creatures, to a bonus/reduction to the saving throw to the affected creatures.
With this change, I feel that this infusion covers too much and would be too powerful. So, I'm thinking of either splitting this into two separate infusions, (one to increase effected creatures and the other to decrease effected creatures) or to make it so that it can only increase or decrease creatures, but it cannot lets say buff PCs, but hinder enemies at the same casting. If I were to go with the separate this infusion into two separate infusions route, I would use it as the replacement for the Alter infusion.
Simplify: If the spell has a casting time of 1 action, it can be cast as a bonus action. Alternately, if the spell has a casting a cast time of 10 minutes or less, it can be cast as an action. Spells cast with this infusion must be cast at their lowest level.
I added the nerf to this infusion because of I felt that this infusion could definitely be abused especially with the "10 minute or less" cast time to 1 action. So thought by adding this nerf was both thematic and fair since, if a caster was to simplify the casting of a spell to hasten the casting speed then it wouldn't be able to gain additional power, but that's just my thinking.
Transmute: (see notes)
With this infusion, I'm currently debating on leaving it as is, or to change it to "the first damage type of the spell can ignore resistances. If the creature is immune to the damage type treat the damage as resistant." If I went with the change, it would allow the spell to still avoid resistances and partially overcoming immunities, but it would still keep the ability for spells to keep their thematic effects to stay, such as some fire spells catching objects on fire. Though how I looked at it with the previous version is those effects happened as an aftereffect. An example would be a cold damage fireball blasts someone with a freezing flame to resume to a burning misc objects with fire after the impact but that's just how I thought about it.
Potent: (see notes)
For this infusion, I'm starting to become unsure about the rerolling damage dice option, but I also don't just want it to be the typical just add your mod/prof bonus to damage for leveled spells. I'm thought a decent replacement would be to spend an infusion point to increase the spell level by 1, but I feel that this can get out of hand, even if it was limited to no higher than 5th level spells. the original intent for this was a way to increase the damage of any damaging spell and not just 5th level and below.
So these are just some ramblings of what I have done so far. If you have any suggestions or recommendation feel free to ask or say.
One of my players is wanting to make a homebrew wizard subclass that bends and alters his spells. Its meta magic. A wizard subclass that revolves around a wizard themed meta magic. Which I don't mind because I do like the idea of this subclass, my issue is trying to make it a direct copy paste version meta magic, and unsure if certain options should be weaker and stronger than their meta-magic counter part. My stance is that they should be stronger because it is the main component of the subclass, but not by too much.
This is what I have so far, School of Infusion. Now the class as a whole I like, but there are definitely some issues that I am still trying to overcome. The listed ones are only the issues that I have with the class, but if you find anything else that needs to be changed, rebalanced, or edited just let me know (I know about a few typos such as with the imitate infusion, but just let me know if you find any others)
Honestly, I feel that this class does have potential to be really fun, but I'm just trying to find a good balance of keeping the thematics of meta-magic and its own subclass. Like my best examples for what I'm trying to do to each of them is what I did to the Imitate and Sustained infusion. Imitate is intended to replace Subtle spell which can cast a spell without verbal or somatic to replacing a material component (but not to a absurd point). With the Sustained infusion, we couldn't find a way to change the meta-magic extended spell that would make it too powerful or too weak, so we added concentration as a negative, but its a negative that isn't too much of a hindrance.
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So school of invention but with meta magic. Probably too powerful. The player should just multiclass sorcerer.
Yeah, its kinda obvious that this homebrew is our groups answer to make a better school of invention subclass, the player didn't care for the thematic wildmagic feature (and I don't blame him i don't care for it either) but he really liked the theme of an experimental wizard. I'll run that idea by him for multiclassing (which I'll doubt he'll do since my group is pretty single class purist), my guess is he'll likely switch to the school of transmutation with a focus in tinkering and animation or switch/start multiclassing into artificer. If we don't get this subclass to a point where we're happy with.
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To see my more recent homebrew creations, please check out my content on Hombrewery.
After doing some more tinkering with this subclass I have changed some parts or at least in consideration of changing parts of the subclass that I feel would make it more balanced and overal just better. So here's what changes and considerations that I'm thinking about (if you want to see the previous version then see the link of the original post):
After looking at this infusion again and trying it out with other variants; I've just reached the conclusion that it just needed to be scrapped and replaced by another infusion. Though I currently don't have a certain replacement in mind as of yet. I still do like this infusion thematically, it is just too strong in the iterations that I came up with.
By changing it to this version, it makes this infusion not just a copy pasted (although accidental) version of the Sorcerer's meta-magic option Heightened spell. These changes it turns this infusion into a combined version of Careful Spell and the Heightened Spell meta-magic options. The infusion now affects more targets with a fix numbers of creatures, more than a sorc with point buy (which is my groups preferred character making method), but less than a sorc with a Cha mod of +5. Then it also turns it from an advantage/disadvantage to creatures, to a bonus/reduction to the saving throw to the affected creatures.
With this change, I feel that this infusion covers too much and would be too powerful. So, I'm thinking of either splitting this into two separate infusions, (one to increase effected creatures and the other to decrease effected creatures) or to make it so that it can only increase or decrease creatures, but it cannot lets say buff PCs, but hinder enemies at the same casting. If I were to go with the separate this infusion into two separate infusions route, I would use it as the replacement for the Alter infusion.
I added the nerf to this infusion because of I felt that this infusion could definitely be abused especially with the "10 minute or less" cast time to 1 action. So thought by adding this nerf was both thematic and fair since, if a caster was to simplify the casting of a spell to hasten the casting speed then it wouldn't be able to gain additional power, but that's just my thinking.
With this infusion, I'm currently debating on leaving it as is, or to change it to "the first damage type of the spell can ignore resistances. If the creature is immune to the damage type treat the damage as resistant." If I went with the change, it would allow the spell to still avoid resistances and partially overcoming immunities, but it would still keep the ability for spells to keep their thematic effects to stay, such as some fire spells catching objects on fire. Though how I looked at it with the previous version is those effects happened as an aftereffect. An example would be a cold damage fireball blasts someone with a freezing flame to resume to a burning misc objects with fire after the impact but that's just how I thought about it.
For this infusion, I'm starting to become unsure about the rerolling damage dice option, but I also don't just want it to be the typical just add your mod/prof bonus to damage for leveled spells. I'm thought a decent replacement would be to spend an infusion point to increase the spell level by 1, but I feel that this can get out of hand, even if it was limited to no higher than 5th level spells. the original intent for this was a way to increase the damage of any damaging spell and not just 5th level and below.
So these are just some ramblings of what I have done so far. If you have any suggestions or recommendation feel free to ask or say.
My Homebrew | Background | Feats | Magic Items | Races | Spells | Subclass | Homebrewery
To see my more recent homebrew creations, please check out my content on Hombrewery.