So, I've seen a few other's attempts to make similar Feats for the whip, but they seem pretty boring or uninspired. I haven't seen anything that would make the whip stand out. I've been brainstorming and reading through other Feats and spells for the past day or so. Here a list of that I've come up with (I wouldn't use all of them, of course). Any other unique ideas, tweaks or constructive critiques are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
You can keep your enemies at bay with whips. You gain the following benefits:
When you use a whip, its damage die changes from a d4 to a d6.
While you are wielding a whip, other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter your reach.
On your turn, when you score a critical hit with a whip, the target must make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use) contested by your Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If the target fails the save, it is either disarmed or knocked prone (you choose).
As a bonus action on your turn, you can increase your reach with a whip by 5 feet for the rest of your turn. This cannot be used in conjunction with the Tether Attack action.
As a bonus action on your turn, you can crack your whip to manipulate your target's movement. The target must be within your reach. You make a Charisma (Deception) check contested by the target's Wisdom (Insight) check. If you win the contest, you can move the target up to 10 feet in any direction.
As an Attack action or reaction, you can attempt to tether one creature with your whip.
TETHER When you want to bind a creature, you can use an Attack action or reaction to make a special melee attack, a tether. If you're able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them.
The target of your tether must be no more than one size larger than you. You try to seize the target by making a tether check: a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the target's Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you succeed, you subject the target to the restrained condition. The condition specifies the things that end it. You can release the target whenever you like (no action required), and you cannot use the whip to attack again until doing so.
OR
The target of your tether must be no more than one size larger than you. You try to seize the target by making a tether check: a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the target's Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you succeed, you subject the target to the incapacitated condition and its movement is restricted to your whip's reach. The condition specifies the things that end it. You can release the target whenever you like (no action required), and you cannot use the whip to attack again until doing so.
Escaping a Tether. A tethered creature can use its action to escape. To do so, it must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by your Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
Moving a Tethered Creature. When you move, you can drag the tethered creature with you, but your speed is halved unless the creature is two or more sizes smaller than you.
Sounds good, but you should just make the tether restrain what you tether.
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This seems like too many abilities for 1 feat. Let's compare to the Polearm Master feat, which allows the player to bonus-action attack with the dull end of their spear, and provokes opportunity attacks when the target enters into range. Just the first three abilities you included with this feat decently exceeds the power of Polearm Master.
Honestly, I think these ideas sound more like the basis for a Homebrew Fighter Subclass. Something like "The Beast Tamer" or something. Here's the features I would focus on...
I think it would be good to give the player the option to make a ranged grapple with a whip. The grapple action can already naturally replace one of the attacks in a multi attack. Then from there I would say after grappling a creature, you can then use a bonus action to attempt to either restrain them (which prevents the player from using their whip during the restraint), or to knock them prone... with the player needing to choose tactically whether it's worth the effort to lose the use of their whip for the full restraint, or if they can just take advantage of a prone enemy for one round.
I also really like the idea of automatically grappling an opponent on a critical hit. That could lead to a ton of fun with a character with multi-attack, who could potentially land a critical hit on the first attack, use a bonus action to yank their target to the ground, then get in another whip attack at advantage.
I'm not sure how balanced it would be to increase the damage die of the whip as well... I feel like for balance sake it would either get the critical hit auto-grapple or damage die increase, but not both.
Please read the OP again, "Here a list of that I've come up with (I wouldn't use all of them, of course)." This is simply a list of different ideas that I've come up with. I would probably narrow it down to 3.
Please read the OP again, "Here a list of that I've come up with (I wouldn't use all of them, of course)." This is simply a list of different ideas that I've come up with. I would probably narrow it down to 3.
Ah sorry, I got caught up reading and rereading all the ideas and forgot that part of your first paragraph. Anyway, I guess my suggestion is to focus on grappling and restraining features, since I feel like those are the things I think most people would feel the core Whip is lacking. But still... I think the other features are still a really solid basis to build a subclass around as well.
Ah sorry, I got caught up reading and rereading all the ideas and forgot that part of your first paragraph. Anyway, I guess my suggestion is to focus on grappling and restraining features, since I feel like those are the things I think most people would feel the core Whip is lacking. But still... I think the other features are still a really solid basis to build a subclass around as well.
I did like your idea of using a bonus action after a crit/restrain to knock a target prone. Very creative.
I'm currently working on a Bard subclass (Art of Seduction) for a Succubus/Incubus style character. I want it to focus on whip use and Enchantment spell casting with a touch of Necromancy (Vampiric Touch, for example).
Love the ideas. I am working on a duel whip wielding fighter character, and been looking for ideas to work with my DM on how to enhance the whips a bit, as the flavor is so much fun, but whips are a bit lack-luster...
I like a lot of these ideas, but I might choose two of these instead of three for the final version. Further, you might consider making the tether ability a Battlemaster maneuver rather than a part of the feat. That way, a character can either be a Battlemaster to use it or take the feat that grants a Battlemaster maneuver--or the fighting style that does so--to use it.
I also have a player whose character is a sort of a dungeon delver knowledge cleric and uses whips to make their character feel a bit more Indiana Jones like. I designed a cantrip that fills out some of the functionality you outline here for her (though I am considering breaking it up into a cantrip and a level 1 spell). For the wrong character it might be slightly OP, but it isn't for her design. If the character you're thinking about is a caster you might consider doing using something like this cantrip as an alternative. https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/523228-sassafrass-whipper-snapper
After reviewing the feats Spear Mastery (UA) & Polearm Master, and comparing your critical effect with the corresponding fighting maneuvers. I think I have a decent proposal to what a Whip Mastery feat could be:
•You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls you make with a whip.
•When you use a whip, its damage die changes from a d4 to a d6. (This benefit has no effect if another feature has already improved the weapon’s die.)
•While you are wielding a whip, other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter the reach you have with the whip.
•On your turn, when you score a critical hit with a whip, you can use a bonus action to force the target to roll a Strength save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice). If the target fails the save, it is either disarmed or knocked prone (your choice).
So, I've seen a few other's attempts to make similar Feats for the whip, but they seem pretty boring or uninspired. I haven't seen anything that would make the whip stand out. I've been brainstorming and reading through other Feats and spells for the past day or so. Here a list of that I've come up with (I wouldn't use all of them, of course). Any other unique ideas, tweaks or constructive critiques are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
You can keep your enemies at bay with whips. You gain the following benefits:
TETHER
When you want to bind a creature, you can use an Attack action or reaction to make a special melee attack, a tether. If you're able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them.
The target of your tether must be no more than one size larger than you. You try to seize the target by making a tether check: a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the target's Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you succeed, you subject the target to the restrained condition. The condition specifies the things that end it. You can release the target whenever you like (no action required), and you cannot use the whip to attack again until doing so.
OR
The target of your tether must be no more than one size larger than you. You try to seize the target by making a tether check: a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the target's Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you succeed, you subject the target to the incapacitated condition and its movement is restricted to your whip's reach. The condition specifies the things that end it. You can release the target whenever you like (no action required), and you cannot use the whip to attack again until doing so.
Escaping a Tether. A tethered creature can use its action to escape. To do so, it must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by your Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
Moving a Tethered Creature. When you move, you can drag the tethered creature with you, but your speed is halved unless the creature is two or more sizes smaller than you.
Sounds good, but you should just make the tether restrain what you tether.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
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Homebrew: Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, Subclasses
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If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
This seems like too many abilities for 1 feat. Let's compare to the Polearm Master feat, which allows the player to bonus-action attack with the dull end of their spear, and provokes opportunity attacks when the target enters into range. Just the first three abilities you included with this feat decently exceeds the power of Polearm Master.
Honestly, I think these ideas sound more like the basis for a Homebrew Fighter Subclass. Something like "The Beast Tamer" or something. Here's the features I would focus on...
I think it would be good to give the player the option to make a ranged grapple with a whip. The grapple action can already naturally replace one of the attacks in a multi attack. Then from there I would say after grappling a creature, you can then use a bonus action to attempt to either restrain them (which prevents the player from using their whip during the restraint), or to knock them prone... with the player needing to choose tactically whether it's worth the effort to lose the use of their whip for the full restraint, or if they can just take advantage of a prone enemy for one round.
I also really like the idea of automatically grappling an opponent on a critical hit. That could lead to a ton of fun with a character with multi-attack, who could potentially land a critical hit on the first attack, use a bonus action to yank their target to the ground, then get in another whip attack at advantage.
I'm not sure how balanced it would be to increase the damage die of the whip as well... I feel like for balance sake it would either get the critical hit auto-grapple or damage die increase, but not both.
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Please read the OP again, "Here a list of that I've come up with (I wouldn't use all of them, of course)." This is simply a list of different ideas that I've come up with. I would probably narrow it down to 3.
Ah sorry, I got caught up reading and rereading all the ideas and forgot that part of your first paragraph. Anyway, I guess my suggestion is to focus on grappling and restraining features, since I feel like those are the things I think most people would feel the core Whip is lacking. But still... I think the other features are still a really solid basis to build a subclass around as well.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
I did like your idea of using a bonus action after a crit/restrain to knock a target prone. Very creative.
I'm currently working on a Bard subclass (Art of Seduction) for a Succubus/Incubus style character. I want it to focus on whip use and Enchantment spell casting with a touch of Necromancy (Vampiric Touch, for example).
Love the ideas. I am working on a duel whip wielding fighter character, and been looking for ideas to work with my DM on how to enhance the whips a bit, as the flavor is so much fun, but whips are a bit lack-luster...
I like a lot of these ideas, but I might choose two of these instead of three for the final version. Further, you might consider making the tether ability a Battlemaster maneuver rather than a part of the feat. That way, a character can either be a Battlemaster to use it or take the feat that grants a Battlemaster maneuver--or the fighting style that does so--to use it.
I also have a player whose character is a sort of a dungeon delver knowledge cleric and uses whips to make their character feel a bit more Indiana Jones like. I designed a cantrip that fills out some of the functionality you outline here for her (though I am considering breaking it up into a cantrip and a level 1 spell). For the wrong character it might be slightly OP, but it isn't for her design. If the character you're thinking about is a caster you might consider doing using something like this cantrip as an alternative. https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/523228-sassafrass-whipper-snapper
Sassafras's Whipper Snapper
After reviewing the feats Spear Mastery (UA) & Polearm Master, and comparing your critical effect with the corresponding fighting maneuvers. I think I have a decent proposal to what a Whip Mastery feat could be:
•You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls you make with a whip.
•When you use a whip, its damage die changes from a d4 to a d6. (This benefit has no effect if another feature has already improved the weapon’s die.)
•While you are wielding a whip, other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter the reach you have with the whip.
•On your turn, when you score a critical hit with a whip, you can use a bonus action to force the target to roll a Strength save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice). If the target fails the save, it is either disarmed or knocked prone (your choice).