Well, it does indeed look like they are cramming this lineage system down our throats. It might be time to consider if this is the beginning of the end of 5e for me, or if the end already happened and I can stop paying attention to new content.
To be fair, calling it a "Lineage" instead of "Race" isn't really doing that much. The biggest change is that it lacks ability score increases, but those could be mocked up pretty easily.
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A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
Well, it does indeed look like they are cramming this lineage system down our throats. It might be time to consider if this is the beginning of the end of 5e for me, or if the end already happened and I can stop paying attention to new content.
To be fair, calling it a "Lineage" instead of "Race" isn't really doing that much. The biggest change is that it lacks ability score increases, but those could be mocked up pretty easily.
It doesn't lack ability score increases - you get a +1 and a +2 to distribute as you like.
Is it just me, or does the Dhampir read as very powerful by RAW. 35 foot speed, spider climb, and a bite that makes some martial weapons look bad. (By the RAW, it sounds like the Con to attack and damage is a bonus, not replacing the strength mod). This on top of all the other things. Stacking a smite or something onto the bite and empowering seems like an insane combo.
No. By RAW, it replaces the typical STR bonus. Minotaurs specify that their natural weapon (horns) adds Strength to the attack and damage modifiers. So do Tortle Claws, Tabaxi Claws, Leonin Claws, Lizardfolk Bites, Aarakocra Talons, and so on.
The lineage lists CON as being added to attack and damage rolls. It doesn't mention Strength or Dexterity, and it doesn't need to. If it doesn't say that it uses Strength, it doesn't use Strength.
Natural weapons do what they're written to do. The bite as a base is CON mod + PB to hit, dealing 1d4 + CON mod piercing damage on a hit. There's no Dexterity modifier and no Strength modifier added to either roll.
thank you for explaining this to me
As for the smite thing, you can regain so much hp on a dhampir paladin, or just auto-hit/success on your next check, which is insane
Well, it does indeed look like they are cramming this lineage system down our throats. It might be time to consider if this is the beginning of the end of 5e for me, or if the end already happened and I can stop paying attention to new content.
To be fair, calling it a "Lineage" instead of "Race" isn't really doing that much. The biggest change is that it lacks ability score increases, but those could be mocked up pretty easily.
It doesn't lack ability score increases - you get a +1 and a +2 to distribute as you like.
I'm aware of that, but they aren't set like in races.
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A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
The bite attack on dhampir adds just Constitution, not Strength and Constitution. Playtest woes - they didn't add the "instead of Strength" sentence, but it's assumed in playtest.
Anyways. First-blush Impressions:
This document is splendidly flavorful and makes a phenomenal case for a step forward in character creation. Choosing a lineage instead of a species makes much more sense (for the dense, "species" can also be a lineage, but this new system expands options beyond just species), and these three are an excellent example of why a Lineage system is better. the dhampir feels extremely strong, yes, but I don't think it's any more potent than warforged, tortles, or anything else with fighty species traits. And remember - a dhampir is supposed to be haunted by a compulsive, predatory hunger. There's no mechanical system in place for that, but any DM who allows a dhampir in his game without finding a way to make the dhampir really feel that Horror Hunger is a DM who is not doing their job.
Work is exploding so I'll have to touch on the rest later, but this is definitely a good start. Thank GOD it's not more shitting subclasses.
Seems like an easy mechanical way to force the compulsive hunger aspect on the player is to say they gain a level of exhaustion for each day they don't use their bite.
Sure. How do you enforce the feeding aspect of feeding?
Say "you gain exhausting if you don't bite something", and a dhampir who isn't on board in the first place will just say "I bite Steve's arm. Five piercing damage. Then I cast Healing Word. I'm clear."
The act of feeding should inflict a lasting penalty on the creature being fed from, when it does not mean the death of the creature outright. That would be something to discuss with the DM well before playing such a character in one's campaign.
Also the way I read they are kind of....vampire adjacent? So not fully vampire but vampire like. Kind of like Blade.
I've just read the current UA's writing on the Bite.
Divine Smite adds to the damage that the bite does. This means, whenever you Divine Smite with your Bite, you can either regain HP equal to 1d4 + your Constitution modifier + Divine Smite dice, or add this total to the next ability check or attack roll you make.
Assuming you're a level 10 paladin or lower with a 14 CON, you're going to be able to either regain an average of 13.5 hit points or add an average of 13.5 to the next attack roll or ability check, just using a 1st-level divine smite.
To absolutely abuse this to the max, you're going to want to be at least a Level 13 Paladin (any subclass works) and at least level 1 Hexblade as a level 17+ character. Using Spirit Shroud, Hexblade's Curse, Improved Divine Smite, and a 5d8 Divine Smite, you're going to deal 1d4 + CON mod. + 6 piercing damage + 6d8 radiant damage + 1d8 necrotic/radiant/cold damage.
(Assuming a CON of 20) That's an average of 51 damage, which you get to either regain in HP or add to your next Ability Check or Attack Roll. +51 to hit the Tarrasque? Yes, please!
At most with a normal hit, that's going to be 71 damage. If it's a critical hit, that's an average of 79 damage. If it's a critical hit with maximum damage, that's going to be 131 damage.
There are other ways to increase this damage, too. An ally Grave Cleric could use their Channel Divinity to double this damage to 262. You could replace Spirit Shroud with a smite spell to crank up the one attack's damage even more.
RAW, this is crazy broken. They need to fix this. I'm going to give this feedback once the survey is out.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Is it just me, or does the Dhampir read as very powerful by RAW. 35 foot speed, spider climb, and a bite that makes some martial weapons look bad. (By the RAW, it sounds like the Con to attack and damage is a bonus, not replacing the strength mod). This on top of all the other things. Stacking a smite or something onto the bite and empowering seems like an insane combo.
No. By RAW, it replaces the typical STR bonus. Minotaurs specify that their natural weapon (horns) adds Strength to the attack and damage modifiers. So do Tortle Claws, Tabaxi Claws, Leonin Claws, Lizardfolk Bites, Aarakocra Talons, and so on.
The lineage lists CON as being added to attack and damage rolls. It doesn't mention Strength or Dexterity, and it doesn't need to. If it doesn't say that it uses Strength, it doesn't use Strength.
Natural weapons do what they're written to do. The bite as a base is CON mod + PB to hit, dealing 1d4 + CON mod piercing damage on a hit. There's no Dexterity modifier and no Strength modifier added to either roll.
Also, Divine Smite on top of a bite as an Oathbreaker/Conquest Paladin seems amazing. It's allowed by RAW. (I would personally change the damage to Necrotic instead of Radiant, though. Not many monsters do holy bite damage.)
Actually all melee attacks use STR unless otherwise noted. Only by adding the finesse trait to things like the rapier allows you to use DEX. The wording in this UA is poor as it should state that it replaces STR as the ability score as that is the general rule. As is it definately just "adds" the CON to the damage and attack.
"Ability Modifier.The ability modifier used for a melee weapon attack is Strength, and the ability modifier used for a ranged weapon attack is Dexterity. Weapons that have the finesse or thrown property break this rule.
Some spells also require an attack roll. The ability modifier used for a spell attack depends on the spellcasting ability of the spellcaster."
Because this is stated to be simple melee weapon in which you are proficent the general rule states you would use STR. Then they state that it "adds" the CON modifier to the damage and attack.
Now thats VERY unlikely to be RAI but its pretty clear it just "adds" CON to the attack/damage currently. Its poor wording for sure.
Is it just me, or does the Dhampir read as very powerful by RAW. 35 foot speed, spider climb, and a bite that makes some martial weapons look bad. (By the RAW, it sounds like the Con to attack and damage is a bonus, not replacing the strength mod). This on top of all the other things. Stacking a smite or something onto the bite and empowering seems like an insane combo.
No. By RAW, it replaces the typical STR bonus. Minotaurs specify that their natural weapon (horns) adds Strength to the attack and damage modifiers. So do Tortle Claws, Tabaxi Claws, Leonin Claws, Lizardfolk Bites, Aarakocra Talons, and so on.
The lineage lists CON as being added to attack and damage rolls. It doesn't mention Strength or Dexterity, and it doesn't need to. If it doesn't say that it uses Strength, it doesn't use Strength.
Natural weapons do what they're written to do. The bite as a base is CON mod + PB to hit, dealing 1d4 + CON mod piercing damage on a hit. There's no Dexterity modifier and no Strength modifier added to either roll.
Also, Divine Smite on top of a bite as an Oathbreaker/Conquest Paladin seems amazing. It's allowed by RAW. (I would personally change the damage to Necrotic instead of Radiant, though. Not many monsters do holy bite damage.)
Actually all melee attacks use STR unless otherwise noted. Only by adding the finesse trait to things like the rapier allows you to use DEX. The wording in this UA is poor as it should state that it replaces STR as the ability score as that is the general rule. As is it definately just "adds" the CON to the damage and attack.
"Ability Modifier.The ability modifier used for a melee weapon attack is Strength, and the ability modifier used for a ranged weapon attack is Dexterity. Weapons that have the finesse or thrown property break this rule.
Some spells also require an attack roll. The ability modifier used for a spell attack depends on the spellcasting ability of the spellcaster."
Because this is stated to be simple melee weapon in which you are proficent the general rule states you would use STR. Then they state that it "adds" the CON modifier to the damage and attack.
Now thats VERY unlikely to be RAI but its pretty clear it just "adds" CON to the attack/damage currently. Its poor wording for sure.
Being able to use both would make my feral Berserker Barbarian idea even better. Pick up Unarmed Combat fighting style for a little bit more of a bonus to boot.
Yeah. They could have easily just copied and pasted the writing from those other sources and have none of these issues.
Exactly! I know its UA but come on...
I mean, I do that for my homebrew for free! These are official game designers who literally can't be bothered to look up the previous writings of their own features.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
A Dhampir Kensei can choose their bite to be a Kensei Weapon. This means you can use Sharpen the Blade to make your bite be a +3 magic weapon and Deft Strike to increase its damage dice by another Martial Art die. Unerring Strike also lets you basically have super-advantage if you are at half your HP or less.
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The whole dual creature type thing is very interesting. You can heal a Dhampir PC with cure wounds but you can also send them running with Turn Undead, or give them disadvantage (against you) on top of shutting down their healing through their bite with Chill Touch.
The whole dual creature type thing is very interesting. You can heal a Dhampir PC with cure wounds but you can also send them running with Turn Undead, or give them disadvantage (against you) on top of shutting down their healing through their bite with Chill Touch.
I like it a lot. They need to do this with Aasimar, Tieflings, Genasi, and a lot of other races that are currently just "planar humans" when they could be a planetouched template for other races.
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All I know is that I want to play a Hexblood Hexblade that is constantly spamming Hex.
But seriously, I'm excited to make characters with these races. My current PC for Curse of Strahd is already a Reborn in all but the page, and I have an upcoming Fey Wanderer that is literally a Changeling swapped in by a hag coven.
Well, it does indeed look like they are cramming this lineage system down our throats. It might be time to consider if this is the beginning of the end of 5e for me, or if the end already happened and I can stop paying attention to new content.
To be fair, calling it a "Lineage" instead of "Race" isn't really doing that much. The biggest change is that it lacks ability score increases, but those could be mocked up pretty easily.
No. The biggest change is how everything will be published from now on. **** Tasha’s Cauldron of horseshit.
To be fair, calling it a "Lineage" instead of "Race" isn't really doing that much. The biggest change is that it lacks ability score increases, but those could be mocked up pretty easily.
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
My Improved Lineage System
It doesn't lack ability score increases - you get a +1 and a +2 to distribute as you like.
thank you for explaining this to me
As for the smite thing, you can regain so much hp on a dhampir paladin, or just auto-hit/success on your next check, which is insane
I exist, and I guess so does this
I'm aware of that, but they aren't set like in races.
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
My Improved Lineage System
I read "equals the damage dealt by the bite" as only the damage actually dealt by the BITE - in other words, whatever you rolled on the d4.
That's incorrect. The bite is the attack. That includes all of the damage dealt by the bite, so Divine Smite could add to it.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Also the way I read they are kind of....vampire adjacent? So not fully vampire but vampire like. Kind of like Blade.
[insertTwilightreference]
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I've just read the current UA's writing on the Bite.
Divine Smite adds to the damage that the bite does. This means, whenever you Divine Smite with your Bite, you can either regain HP equal to 1d4 + your Constitution modifier + Divine Smite dice, or add this total to the next ability check or attack roll you make.
Assuming you're a level 10 paladin or lower with a 14 CON, you're going to be able to either regain an average of 13.5 hit points or add an average of 13.5 to the next attack roll or ability check, just using a 1st-level divine smite.
To absolutely abuse this to the max, you're going to want to be at least a Level 13 Paladin (any subclass works) and at least level 1 Hexblade as a level 17+ character. Using Spirit Shroud, Hexblade's Curse, Improved Divine Smite, and a 5d8 Divine Smite, you're going to deal 1d4 + CON mod. + 6 piercing damage + 6d8 radiant damage + 1d8 necrotic/radiant/cold damage.
(Assuming a CON of 20) That's an average of 51 damage, which you get to either regain in HP or add to your next Ability Check or Attack Roll. +51 to hit the Tarrasque? Yes, please!
At most with a normal hit, that's going to be 71 damage. If it's a critical hit, that's an average of 79 damage. If it's a critical hit with maximum damage, that's going to be 131 damage.
There are other ways to increase this damage, too. An ally Grave Cleric could use their Channel Divinity to double this damage to 262. You could replace Spirit Shroud with a smite spell to crank up the one attack's damage even more.
RAW, this is crazy broken. They need to fix this. I'm going to give this feedback once the survey is out.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Actually all melee attacks use STR unless otherwise noted. Only by adding the finesse trait to things like the rapier allows you to use DEX. The wording in this UA is poor as it should state that it replaces STR as the ability score as that is the general rule. As is it definately just "adds" the CON to the damage and attack.
"Ability Modifier. The ability modifier used for a melee weapon attack is Strength, and the ability modifier used for a ranged weapon attack is Dexterity. Weapons that have the finesse or thrown property break this rule.
Some spells also require an attack roll. The ability modifier used for a spell attack depends on the spellcasting ability of the spellcaster."
Because this is stated to be simple melee weapon in which you are proficent the general rule states you would use STR. Then they state that it "adds" the CON modifier to the damage and attack.
Now thats VERY unlikely to be RAI but its pretty clear it just "adds" CON to the attack/damage currently. Its poor wording for sure.
Being able to use both would make my feral Berserker Barbarian idea even better. Pick up Unarmed Combat fighting style for a little bit more of a bonus to boot.
She/Her Player and Dungeon Master
Yeah its an odd error as they have used standard language for this for several features but whoever wrote it couldn't be bothered to reference those.
Yeah. They could have easily just copied and pasted the writing from those other sources and have none of these issues.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Exactly! I know its UA but come on...
I mean, I do that for my homebrew for free! These are official game designers who literally can't be bothered to look up the previous writings of their own features.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
A Dhampir Kensei can choose their bite to be a Kensei Weapon. This means you can use Sharpen the Blade to make your bite be a +3 magic weapon and Deft Strike to increase its damage dice by another Martial Art die. Unerring Strike also lets you basically have super-advantage if you are at half your HP or less.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
The whole dual creature type thing is very interesting. You can heal a Dhampir PC with cure wounds but you can also send them running with Turn Undead, or give them disadvantage (against you) on top of shutting down their healing through their bite with Chill Touch.
I like it a lot. They need to do this with Aasimar, Tieflings, Genasi, and a lot of other races that are currently just "planar humans" when they could be a planetouched template for other races.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
All I know is that I want to play a Hexblood Hexblade that is constantly spamming Hex.
But seriously, I'm excited to make characters with these races. My current PC for Curse of Strahd is already a Reborn in all but the page, and I have an upcoming Fey Wanderer that is literally a Changeling swapped in by a hag coven.
No. The biggest change is how everything will be published from now on. **** Tasha’s Cauldron of horseshit.
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