I was thinking of ideas for a living plant people, and was wondering if you would have any ideas. I want them to be effective druids, but not super firbolg-y. I want them to be very customizable (small or medium size?). Please help!
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“Magic is distilled laziness. Put that on my gravestone.”
Fourth Edition had a hamadryad playable race which might be useful as a starting point. They leaned into the idea of being like a tree - slower metabolism and less need for resources (not needing to eat or drink as often feat) and their oaken-like resistances, making them harder to effect with a number of different effects. Overall, it was a fairly solid and flexible race - defensive abilities are welcome regardless of what style of play one might be interested in.
I was thinking to give them resistance to bludgeoning damage, and I wanted to do something with the sun… maybe if they rest in the sun they can expend hit dice for free?
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“Magic is distilled laziness. Put that on my gravestone.”
I would probably not make it free - you could do something like the first hit dice spent ie free or (and I think this is a better option) whenever they spend one or more hit dice in sunlight they get a bonus to HP equal to proficiency modifier.
I would probably not make it free - you could do something like the first hit dice spent ie free or (and I think this is a better option) whenever they spend one or more hit dice in sunlight they get a bonus to HP equal to proficiency modifier.
I like that bonus to HP equal to PB. We’re you thinking that would be per hit die? Or just flat on top of whatever they rolled total?
Also giving them the ability to cast Speak with plants once per long rest and with spell slots afterwards would be nice as a racial trait. Maybe when they reach 5th level for that and they can choose INT, WIS, or CHA as the casting stat. I think that’s kind of how they are leaning in Monsters of the Multiverse.
I would probably not make it free - you could do something like the first hit dice spent ie free or (and I think this is a better option) whenever they spend one or more hit dice in sunlight they get a bonus to HP equal to proficiency modifier.
I like that bonus to HP equal to PB. We’re you thinking that would be per hit die? Or just flat on top of whatever they rolled total?
Neither of those are good options. If it's just a flat bonus, it becomes irrelevant by level three. If it's per level, it balloons into an absurd HP pool. If you want them to have extra HP, giving them +1 HP/level like a hill dwarf is really the balanced way to do it.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I would probably not make it free - you could do something like the first hit dice spent ie free or (and I think this is a better option) whenever they spend one or more hit dice in sunlight they get a bonus to HP equal to proficiency modifier.
I like that bonus to HP equal to PB. We’re you thinking that would be per hit die? Or just flat on top of whatever they rolled total?
Neither of those are good options. If it's just a flat bonus, it becomes irrelevant by level three. If it's per level, it balloons into an absurd HP pool. If you want them to have extra HP, giving them +1 HP/level like a hill dwarf is really the balanced way to do it.
I dunno, PB additional HP regenerated whenever they spend hit dice…. Assuming 2 short rests per adventuring day, for a 17th level character that’s 12 hit points. That’s like 3 free hit dice at the end of the day for a 17th level character with a d8 Hit Die, 4 extra for a Wiz or a sorcerer, and a little over 2 free hit dice for Fighters, Rangers & Paladins. Heck, even for a Barbarian that’s still the equivalent of 2 free Hit Dice. It’s roughly on par with Song of Rest as a comparison. And at lower levels, even just 2 additional HP is better than nothing. If you wanted something just a step up from a ribbon it should do. Don’t ya think? Or, for something with a little more substance maybe PB + Con mod per Short Rest. Then it’s at least roughly on par with 1/level, but still unique and original.
It's PB if there is direct access to sunlight...in my experience, when you're on a quest, you spend most of your time (as in more than 50%) when you'd want HD healing indoors, in caves, etc. It might be a semi decent ability...that <50% of the time that you can actually use it. It's usefulness also tapers off as you come to the end of each tier of PB, and overall tapers as the increases in PB gets marginalised by the increase.
Let's take a 20th level Fighter with +3 Con. Assuming they take the average for each level (or happen to roll average), they'll have 184 HP, plus 20d10 HD which gives them on average 170 HP, so in total, 354 HP, what's 6 extra HP gonna do? Even 12 if you do two short rests?
Even taking the same at L4, that's 38HP average, plus 34 HP from HD on average, giving 72HP total...and you want to give them 2HP? Even 4 if you do two short rests?
Yeah, it scales up somewhat...but it's not particularly well scaled beyond the first level or so, and doesn't scale fast enough after that. It could be useful for weaker classes especially Wizards. Anyone with a semi focus on Con probably wouldn't see much difference - it would be swamped by Con +3 by L2.
Personally, I prefer the idea of a free HD (certainly not all, that would be OP). Although, I could see that being OP at the beginning and pretty tame by the later levels. The latter problem could be resolve by having it be that the number of free HD would be equal to half the PB rounded down. 3 free HD at L20 wouldn't be OP but it would still be a nice boon. You'd get a second at L9. It would also refrain from encouraging lots of short rests if the goodies are based on long rests like this could be.
So, I'd say, they can, if they're in sunlight during a short rest, they can use a number of HD equal to half the PB rounded down but with a minimum of one for free. This ability can be used once a day and is refreshed on a long rest.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
I would probably not make it free - you could do something like the first hit dice spent ie free or (and I think this is a better option) whenever they spend one or more hit dice in sunlight they get a bonus to HP equal to proficiency modifier.
I like that bonus to HP equal to PB. We’re you thinking that would be per hit die? Or just flat on top of whatever they rolled total?
Neither of those are good options. If it's just a flat bonus, it becomes irrelevant by level three. If it's per level, it balloons into an absurd HP pool. If you want them to have extra HP, giving them +1 HP/level like a hill dwarf is really the balanced way to do it.
I dunno, PB additional HO regenerated whenever they spend hit dice…. Assuming 2 short rests per adventuring day, for a 17th level character that’s 12 hit points. That’s like 3 free hit dice at the end of the day for a 17th level character with a d8 Hit Die, 4 extra for a Wiz or a sorcerer, and a little over 2 free hit dice for Fighters, Rangers & Paladins. Heck, even for a Barbarian that’s still the equivalent of 2 free Hit Dice. It’s roughly on par with Song of Rest as a comparison. And at lower levels, even just 2 additional HP is better than nothing. If you wanted something just a step up from a ribbon it should do. Don’t ya think? Or, for something with a little more substance maybe PB + Con mod per Short Rest. Then it’s at least roughly on par with 1/level, but still unique and original.
My mistake. I misread the ability and thought it was talking about a boost to the character's HP, not increased healing while spending HD during a short rest.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
+CON modifier per hit die? Limit ot to using this once per long rest? Or maybe not. Plus it’s only when you can rest in the sun so completely useless indoors, underground, etc.
If we're looking for means of boosting the ability to heal with hit dice, how about simply making it so that they treat a die roll that's below half as if it were half? So if the character expends a D8, a roll of 1-3 gets treated as a 4?
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
If we're looking for means of boosting the ability to heal with hit dice, how about simply making it so that they treat a die roll that's below half as if it were half? So if the character expends a D8, a roll of 1-3 gets treated as a 4?
I was thinking I could make them really versatile, with a lot of options/feats to choose from. I’m definitely going with a choice between small or medium, and a +1 bonus to wisdom and +1 to any other score. I like the idea that if they take a short rest in direct sunlight, they can get extra hp equal to prof. Bonus + CON modifier. Maybe that could be temporary hp instead of regaining hp? I definitely want them to have Druidcraft cantrip, and maybe entangle at 5th level? Maybe they could have a firbolgs speak to plants thing, so that it isn’t too op. (So the plants can’t talk back). Just a cool idea I came up with.
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“Magic is distilled laziness. Put that on my gravestone.”
Ability Score bonuses: Whatever you deem appropriate.
Darkvision: 60ft.
Natural Healing: "EDIT: as an action". When in direct sunlight they can expend a Hit Dice to regenerate 'x' hp per turn for 1 minute. This can be done a number of times per long rest equal to their Proficiency bonus and a max of 1 hit dice can be expended on each use. 'x' = Cons bonus. Damage dealt by Cold, Fire or Necrotic damage cannot be healed through this ability. This is basically poached from the Vegepygmy monster.
Barkskin: AC can be calculated as 13+ Cons bonus, with skin becoming more treebark like in appearance the higher the AC is.
Plant Camouflage: Gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made in an area of obscuring vegetation.
Spell Casting: Can cast Druidcraft @ Will. If they become a spellcaster then the spells Spike Growth and Plant Growth are added to their spell list and are always considered known/prepared and do not count against any limit to spells known.
Natural Healing: When in direct sunlight they can expend a Hit Dice to regenerate 'x' hp per turn for 1 minute. This can be done a number of times per long rest equal to their Proficiency bonus and a max of 1 hit dice can be expended on each use. 'x' = Cons bonus. Damage dealt by Cold, Fire or Necrotic damage cannot be healed through this ability. This is basically poached from the Vegepygmy monster.
So to clarify, you double your Con modifier when you add it to your HD roll while using this ability?
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Natural Healing: When in direct sunlight they can expend a Hit Dice to regenerate 'x' hp per turn for 1 minute. This can be done a number of times per long rest equal to their Proficiency bonus and a max of 1 hit dice can be expended on each use. 'x' = Cons bonus. Damage dealt by Cold, Fire or Necrotic damage cannot be healed through this ability. This is basically poached from the Vegepygmy monster.
So to clarify, you double your Con modifier when you add it to your HD roll while using this ability?
So in game terms if Weedy the plantfolk druid had cons 14, they could use their action to expend a Hit Dice to activate their regeneration ability and then start to heal 2hp per turn for the next minute.
Natural Healing: When in direct sunlight they can expend a Hit Dice to regenerate 'x' hp per turn for 1 minute. This can be done a number of times per long rest equal to their Proficiency bonus and a max of 1 hit dice can be expended on each use. 'x' = Cons bonus. Damage dealt by Cold, Fire or Necrotic damage cannot be healed through this ability. This is basically poached from the Vegepygmy monster.
So to clarify, you double your Con modifier when you add it to your HD roll while using this ability?
So in game terms if Weedy the plantfolk druid had cons 14, they could use their action to expend a Hit Dice to activate their regeneration ability and then start to heal 2hp per turn for the next minute.
That’s a spread of 10-50 HP over 10 rounds, 20-30 for most PCs. While I like the idea in principle, that seems like the kind of thing that will end up forgotten after a couple of turns. Maybe better if it regenerated PB HP × turns = Con modifier. That’s a spread of 2-30 HP over 1-5 rounds depending on level and Constitution. Since most characters have a Con of 14-16, that’s likely gonna be only 2-3 rounds. It’s less HP total, but more per round and it only has to be remembered for a few rounds.
I was thinking of ideas for a living plant people, and was wondering if you would have any ideas. I want them to be effective druids, but not super firbolg-y. I want them to be very customizable (small or medium size?). Please help!
“Magic is distilled laziness. Put that on my gravestone.”
Fourth Edition had a hamadryad playable race which might be useful as a starting point. They leaned into the idea of being like a tree - slower metabolism and less need for resources (not needing to eat or drink as often feat) and their oaken-like resistances, making them harder to effect with a number of different effects. Overall, it was a fairly solid and flexible race - defensive abilities are welcome regardless of what style of play one might be interested in.
I was thinking to give them resistance to bludgeoning damage, and I wanted to do something with the sun… maybe if they rest in the sun they can expend hit dice for free?
“Magic is distilled laziness. Put that on my gravestone.”
I would probably not make it free - you could do something like the first hit dice spent ie free or (and I think this is a better option) whenever they spend one or more hit dice in sunlight they get a bonus to HP equal to proficiency modifier.
I like that bonus to HP equal to PB. We’re you thinking that would be per hit die? Or just flat on top of whatever they rolled total?
Also giving them the ability to cast Speak with plants once per long rest and with spell slots afterwards would be nice as a racial trait. Maybe when they reach 5th level for that and they can choose INT, WIS, or CHA as the casting stat. I think that’s kind of how they are leaning in Monsters of the Multiverse.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
Neither of those are good options. If it's just a flat bonus, it becomes irrelevant by level three. If it's per level, it balloons into an absurd HP pool. If you want them to have extra HP, giving them +1 HP/level like a hill dwarf is really the balanced way to do it.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I dunno, PB additional HP regenerated whenever they spend hit dice…. Assuming 2 short rests per adventuring day, for a 17th level character that’s 12 hit points. That’s like 3 free hit dice at the end of the day for a 17th level character with a d8 Hit Die, 4 extra for a Wiz or a sorcerer, and a little over 2 free hit dice for Fighters, Rangers & Paladins. Heck, even for a Barbarian that’s still the equivalent of 2 free Hit Dice. It’s roughly on par with Song of Rest as a comparison. And at lower levels, even just 2 additional HP is better than nothing. If you wanted something just a step up from a ribbon it should do. Don’t ya think? Or, for something with a little more substance maybe PB + Con mod per Short Rest. Then it’s at least roughly on par with 1/level, but still unique and original.
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It's PB if there is direct access to sunlight...in my experience, when you're on a quest, you spend most of your time (as in more than 50%) when you'd want HD healing indoors, in caves, etc. It might be a semi decent ability...that <50% of the time that you can actually use it. It's usefulness also tapers off as you come to the end of each tier of PB, and overall tapers as the increases in PB gets marginalised by the increase.
Let's take a 20th level Fighter with +3 Con. Assuming they take the average for each level (or happen to roll average), they'll have 184 HP, plus 20d10 HD which gives them on average 170 HP, so in total, 354 HP, what's 6 extra HP gonna do? Even 12 if you do two short rests?
Even taking the same at L4, that's 38HP average, plus 34 HP from HD on average, giving 72HP total...and you want to give them 2HP? Even 4 if you do two short rests?
Yeah, it scales up somewhat...but it's not particularly well scaled beyond the first level or so, and doesn't scale fast enough after that. It could be useful for weaker classes especially Wizards. Anyone with a semi focus on Con probably wouldn't see much difference - it would be swamped by Con +3 by L2.
Personally, I prefer the idea of a free HD (certainly not all, that would be OP). Although, I could see that being OP at the beginning and pretty tame by the later levels. The latter problem could be resolve by having it be that the number of free HD would be equal to half the PB rounded down. 3 free HD at L20 wouldn't be OP but it would still be a nice boon. You'd get a second at L9. It would also refrain from encouraging lots of short rests if the goodies are based on long rests like this could be.
So, I'd say, they can, if they're in sunlight during a short rest, they can use a number of HD equal to half the PB rounded down but with a minimum of one for free. This ability can be used once a day and is refreshed on a long rest.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
My mistake. I misread the ability and thought it was talking about a boost to the character's HP, not increased healing while spending HD during a short rest.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
+CON modifier per hit die? Limit ot to using this once per long rest? Or maybe not. Plus it’s only when you can rest in the sun so completely useless indoors, underground, etc.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
If we're looking for means of boosting the ability to heal with hit dice, how about simply making it so that they treat a die roll that's below half as if it were half? So if the character expends a D8, a roll of 1-3 gets treated as a 4?
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I like it.
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I was thinking I could make them really versatile, with a lot of options/feats to choose from. I’m definitely going with a choice between small or medium, and a +1 bonus to wisdom and +1 to any other score. I like the idea that if they take a short rest in direct sunlight, they can get extra hp equal to prof. Bonus + CON modifier. Maybe that could be temporary hp instead of regaining hp? I definitely want them to have Druidcraft cantrip, and maybe entangle at 5th level? Maybe they could have a firbolgs speak to plants thing, so that it isn’t too op. (So the plants can’t talk back). Just a cool idea I came up with.
“Magic is distilled laziness. Put that on my gravestone.”
To throw my 2cp worth in....how about:
Ability Score bonuses: Whatever you deem appropriate.
Darkvision: 60ft.
Natural Healing: "EDIT: as an action". When in direct sunlight they can expend a Hit Dice to regenerate 'x' hp per turn for 1 minute. This can be done a number of times per long rest equal to their Proficiency bonus and a max of 1 hit dice can be expended on each use. 'x' = Cons bonus. Damage dealt by Cold, Fire or Necrotic damage cannot be healed through this ability. This is basically poached from the Vegepygmy monster.
Barkskin: AC can be calculated as 13+ Cons bonus, with skin becoming more treebark like in appearance the higher the AC is.
Plant Camouflage: Gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made in an area of obscuring vegetation.
Spell Casting: Can cast Druidcraft @ Will. If they become a spellcaster then the spells Spike Growth and Plant Growth are added to their spell list and are always considered known/prepared and do not count against any limit to spells known.
So to clarify, you double your Con modifier when you add it to your HD roll while using this ability?
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
So in game terms if Weedy the plantfolk druid had cons 14, they could use their action to expend a Hit Dice to activate their regeneration ability and then start to heal 2hp per turn for the next minute.
That’s a spread of 10-50 HP over 10 rounds, 20-30 for most PCs. While I like the idea in principle, that seems like the kind of thing that will end up forgotten after a couple of turns. Maybe better if it regenerated PB HP × turns = Con modifier. That’s a spread of 2-30 HP over 1-5 rounds depending on level and Constitution. Since most characters have a Con of 14-16, that’s likely gonna be only 2-3 rounds. It’s less HP total, but more per round and it only has to be remembered for a few rounds.
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We'll all my ideas are already out there, good work :3