So I whipped up this little number and am looking for a bit of feedback.
I wanted to lean into the sorcerous flavour and went for the whole sorcery point thing. The abilities are powerful, but given the limited point resource I think it should balance out. I'm interested in getting some constructive feedback and see if any tweaks/reworks may be needed.
Arcane Weaponmasters are of sorcerous origin. Whilst most sorcerers discover their inborn power as the innate ability to cast spells, Arcane Weaponmasters discover theirs when wielding weapons. The raw magic flowing in their veins allows them focus their arcane energies through their weapons. Be it a razor sharp sword or a crushing warhammer, these weapons become arcane foci for spellcasting and, by harnessing Metamagic, can even be temporarily infused with elemental energies to become magic weapons. The Arcane Weaponmaster's focus on martial prowess limits their ability to cast spells beyond a certain level, but this is counterbalanced by their versatility and sheer effectiveness in battle.
Spellcasting
When you reach 3rd level, you channel your innate magical energies through your weapon to cast spells. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the sorcerer spell list.
Cantrips
You learn two cantrips of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. You learn an additional sorcerer cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Spell Slots
The Arcane Weaponmaster Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your sorcerer spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell shield and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast shield using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher
You know three 1st-level sorcerer spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the abjuration and evocation spells on the sorcerer spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Arcane Weaponmaster Spellcasting table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an abjuration or evocation spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the sorcerer spells you know with another spell of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an abjuration or evocation spell, unless you’re replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level from any school of magic.
Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your sorcerer spells, since the power of your magic relies on your ability to project your will into the world. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a sorcerer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spellcasting Focus
You can use a weapon (see the Weapons section) as a spellcasting focus for your sorcerer spells.
Arcane Weaponmaster Spellcasting
Fighter Level
Sorcery Points
Cantrips
Known
Spells
Known
— Spell Slots per Spell Level —
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
3rd
2
2
3
2
—
—
—
4th
3
2
4
3
—
—
—
5th
3
2
4
3
—
—
—
6th
3
2
4
3
—
—
—
7th
4
2
5
4
2
—
—
8th
4
2
6
4
2
—
—
9th
4
2
6
4
2
—
—
10th
5
3
7
4
3
—
—
11th
5
3
8
4
3
—
—
12th
5
3
8
4
3
—
—
13th
6
3
9
4
3
2
—
14th
6
3
10
4
3
2
—
15th
6
3
10
4
3
2
—
16th
7
3
11
4
3
3
—
17th
7
3
11
4
3
3
—
18th
7
3
11
4
3
3
—
19th
8
3
12
4
3
3
1
20th
9
3
13
4
3
3
1
Martial Metamagic
At 3rd level, you tap into a deep wellspring of magic within yourself. This wellspring is represented by sorcery points, which allow you to create a variety of magical effects. However, you are a fighter first, sorcerer second. You gain fewer sorcery points than a full sorcerer.
Sorcery Points
You have 2 sorcery points, and you gain more as you reach higher levels, as shown in the Sorcery Points column of the Sorcerer table. You can never have more sorcery points than shown on the table for your level. Your martial stamina allows you to regain 1 sorcery point per short rest. You regain all spent sorcery points when you finish a long rest.
Flexible Casting
You can use your sorcery points to gain additional spell slots, or sacrifice spell slots to gain additional sorcery points. You learn other ways to use your sorcery points as you reach higher levels.
Creating Spell Slots. You can transform unexpended sorcery points into one spell slot as a bonus action on your turn. The Creating Spell Slots table shows the cost of creating a spell slot of a given level. You can create spell slots no higher in level than 4th.
Any spell slot you create with this feature vanishes when you finish a long rest.
Creating Spell Slots
SPELL SLOT LEVEL
SORCERY POINT COST
1st
2
2nd
3
3rd
5
4th
6
Converting a Spell Slot to Sorcery Points. As a bonus action on your turn, you can expend one spell slot and gain a number of sorcery points equal to the slot’s level.
Martial Metamagic Options
You gain the ability to twist magic to enhance your attacks. You gain the following Martial Metamagic options at the specified levels.
Elemental Infusion - 3rd level
You can spend 2 sorcery points to focus your arcane power into your weapon, infusing it with a temporary elemental enchantment. Any melee weapon you're holding becomes a magic weapon, if it's not already. Choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. For the next hour, the weapon deals an extra 1d6 damage of the chosen type.
Any already magic weapon that does not apply extra damage will now do so with the chosen damage type. For example, Weapon of Warning or Acheron Blade will benefit from the extra damage, but Flame Tongue or Dragon Slayer will not.
You may only infuse one weapon at a time.
The effect ends after 1 hour.
At Higher Levels. At 7th level, elemental damage rolls increase by 1d6 to the target on a hit (2d6), and again at 10th level (3d6).
Guided Weapon - 7th level
Your currently equipped weapon gains the thrown property (range: 20ft./60ft.).
When making a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, you can spend 1 sorcery point to target a second creature that you can see within range. You make separate attack rolls for each target. Regardless of whether the first attack hits or misses your weapon will travel directly from the first target to the second. When the attack ends your weapon returns to your hand.
If you have made a ranged attack with a thrown weapon against a single target or you have been disarmed, you can use a Bonus Action to telekenetically summon your weapon to your hand from a range of up to 60ft. Your weapon cannot be intercepted as it returns to you.
Empowered Infusion - 7th level
You can spend 2 sorcery points to enchance your weapon for 1 hour. Your weapon becomes a magic weapon, if it is not already. Your weapon gains +1 to attack and damage rolls. You may spend more points to enhance your weapon further. For each additional point you spend, your weapon gains an additional +1 bonus, up to a maximum of +3.
If your weapon already has a bonus to attack and damage rolls, you must spend a number sorcery points greater than the bonus in order to enhance it. For example, to enhance a +1 weapon to +2 you must spend 3 sorcery points. Weapons with a bonus of +3 cannot be enhanced any further.
Twinned Infusion - 10th level
You may spend 1 sorcery point to add a second damage type to Elemental Infusion for your next attack. Choose acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder. Your infused weapon deals an additional 3d6 of the chosen type.
Arcane Critical - 15th level
Starting at 15th level, attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19–20.
Upon a successful attack roll, you can spend 3 sorcery points to inflict max damage on all dice in the roll.
Exalted Elements - 17th level
You can spend 3 sorcery points for your attacks to ignore resistance to one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder. This effect lasts until you take a long rest.
The whole Sorcerous Metamagic thing is formatted kinda weird. You have each option listed twice -- once under Sorcerous Metamagic, and again, bigger, under it. Maybe remove the smaller text, so that it only appears once, because it looks to me like you're trying to show options when really there are none.
Elemental Infusion is awfully powerful. At level 11 you're getting an extra 9d6 damage if all three of your attacks hit (up to 15d6 before crits if you're using PAM for a BA and Reaction), and you can do it for 2 hours. Turning in your 2nd-level spell slots - which seems absolutely worth it - you can extend it by 3 more hours, which is going to cover every combat for the day in most games. And that doesn't take short rests into account.
I'd take a look at the maximum offensive bonuses that other subclasses give, even those with limited uses don't come close to this. Assuming the default day the DMG uses (6 encounters and 2 short rests), and assuming an encounter lasts 3 rounds, a Battlemaster gets a total of 15d10 (82.5) extra damage, while this would get 162d6 (567) extra damage over the same time period (given a non-PAM rate of 9d6 per round). Even if you assume a 60% hit rate you're still doing like 4x more.
At the other end of the adventuring day spectrum, in a one-encounter, 3-round day a Battlemaster will be doing a max of 5d10 (27.5) extra damage while this is doing 27d6 (94.5) from Elemental Infusion and another 9d6 (31.5) from Twinned Infusion and it doesn't even need to convert spell slots. Again with a 60% hit rate it still does roughly 90 extra damage.
And although Battlemaster maneuvers do other things as well, you likewise still have spell slots for stuff like shield, misty step, spider climb, web, etc. that give you great utility and versatility.
The whole Sorcerous Metamagic thing is formatted kinda weird. You have each option listed twice -- once under Sorcerous Metamagic, and again, bigger, under it. Maybe remove the smaller text, so that it only appears once, because it looks to me like you're trying to show options when really there are none.
I agree, it does look a bit wierd. I'll trim the smaller text out.
Elemental Infusion is awfully powerful. At level 11 you're getting an extra 9d6 damage if all three of your attacks hit (up to 15d6 before crits if you're using PAM for a BA and Reaction), and you can do it for 2 hours. Turning in your 2nd-level spell slots - which seems absolutely worth it - you can extend it by 3 more hours, which is going to cover every combat for the day in most games. And that doesn't take short rests into account.
I'd take a look at the maximum offensive bonuses that other subclasses give, even those with limited uses don't come close to this. Assuming the default day the DMG uses (6 encounters and 2 short rests), and assuming an encounter lasts 3 rounds, a Battlemaster gets a total of 15d10 (82.5) extra damage, while this would get 162d6 (567) extra damage over the same time period (given a non-PAM rate of 9d6 per round). Even if you assume a 60% hit rate you're still doing like 4x more.
At the other end of the adventuring day spectrum, in a one-encounter, 3-round day a Battlemaster will be doing a max of 5d10 (27.5) extra damage while this is doing 27d6 (94.5) from Elemental Infusion and another 9d6 (31.5) from Twinned Infusion and it doesn't even need to convert spell slots. Again with a 60% hit rate it still does roughly 90 extra damage.
And although Battlemaster maneuvers do other things as well, you likewise still have spell slots for stuff like shield, misty step, spider climb, web, etc. that give you great utility and versatility.
I had completely forgot to factor in the effects of PAM. Yeah, that is excessively high.
I'll cut Elemental Infusion's duration by half to 30 mins and reduce the extra damage of both it and Twinned infusion to 1d4.
EDIT: I crunched some numbers. Since this subclass is built around magic weapon damage, I think it stands. If you gave a Battlemaster Flame Tongue, you'd be adding an extra 6d6 per round, equating to 108d6 (388.8) on top of the 15d10 (82.5) on a 6 encounter, 3 round per encounter day.
So with the revised numbers (d4s instead of d6s), at 11th level Elemental Infusion deals 9d4 per round. 162d6 (388.8) on a 6 encounter, 3 round per encounter day.
So I whipped up this little number and am looking for a bit of feedback.
I wanted to lean into the sorcerous flavour and went for the whole sorcery point thing. The abilities are powerful, but given the limited point resource I think it should balance out. I'm interested in getting some constructive feedback and see if any tweaks/reworks may be needed.
Arcane Weaponmasters are of sorcerous origin. Whilst most sorcerers discover their inborn power as the innate ability to cast spells, Arcane Weaponmasters discover theirs when wielding weapons. The raw magic flowing in their veins allows them focus their arcane energies through their weapons. Be it a razor sharp sword or a crushing warhammer, these weapons become arcane foci for spellcasting and, by harnessing Metamagic, can even be temporarily infused with elemental energies to become magic weapons. The Arcane Weaponmaster's focus on martial prowess limits their ability to cast spells beyond a certain level, but this is counterbalanced by their versatility and sheer effectiveness in battle.
Spellcasting
When you reach 3rd level, you channel your innate magical energies through your weapon to cast spells. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the sorcerer spell list.
Cantrips
You learn two cantrips of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. You learn an additional sorcerer cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Spell Slots
The Arcane Weaponmaster Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your sorcerer spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell shield and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast shield using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher
You know three 1st-level sorcerer spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the abjuration and evocation spells on the sorcerer spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Arcane Weaponmaster Spellcasting table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an abjuration or evocation spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the sorcerer spells you know with another spell of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an abjuration or evocation spell, unless you’re replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level from any school of magic.
Spellcasting Ability
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your sorcerer spells, since the power of your magic relies on your ability to project your will into the world. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a sorcerer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spellcasting Focus
You can use a weapon (see the Weapons section) as a spellcasting focus for your sorcerer spells.
Arcane Weaponmaster Spellcasting
Fighter Level
Sorcery
Points
Cantrips
Known
Spells
Known
— Spell Slots per Spell Level —
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
3rd
2
2
3
2
—
—
—
4th
3
2
4
3
—
—
—
5th
3
2
4
3
—
—
—
6th
3
2
4
3
—
—
—
7th
4
2
5
4
2
—
—
8th
4
2
6
4
2
—
—
9th
4
2
6
4
2
—
—
10th
5
3
7
4
3
—
—
11th
5
3
8
4
3
—
—
12th
5
3
8
4
3
—
—
13th
6
3
9
4
3
2
—
14th
6
3
10
4
3
2
—
15th
6
3
10
4
3
2
—
16th
7
3
11
4
3
3
—
17th
7
3
11
4
3
3
—
18th
7
3
11
4
3
3
—
19th
8
3
12
4
3
3
1
20th
9
3
13
4
3
3
1
Martial Metamagic
At 3rd level, you tap into a deep wellspring of magic within yourself. This wellspring is represented by sorcery points, which allow you to create a variety of magical effects. However, you are a fighter first, sorcerer second. You gain fewer sorcery points than a full sorcerer.
Sorcery Points
You have 2 sorcery points, and you gain more as you reach higher levels, as shown in the Sorcery Points column of the Sorcerer table. You can never have more sorcery points than shown on the table for your level. Your martial stamina allows you to regain 1 sorcery point per short rest. You regain all spent sorcery points when you finish a long rest.
Flexible Casting
You can use your sorcery points to gain additional spell slots, or sacrifice spell slots to gain additional sorcery points. You learn other ways to use your sorcery points as you reach higher levels.
Creating Spell Slots. You can transform unexpended sorcery points into one spell slot as a bonus action on your turn. The Creating Spell Slots table shows the cost of creating a spell slot of a given level. You can create spell slots no higher in level than 4th.
Any spell slot you create with this feature vanishes when you finish a long rest.
Creating Spell Slots
SPELL SLOT LEVEL
SORCERY POINT COST
1st
2
2nd
3
3rd
5
4th
6
Converting a Spell Slot to Sorcery Points. As a bonus action on your turn, you can expend one spell slot and gain a number of sorcery points equal to the slot’s level.
Martial Metamagic Options
You gain the ability to twist magic to enhance your attacks. You gain the following Martial Metamagic options at the specified levels.
You can spend 2 sorcery points to focus your arcane power into your weapon, infusing it with a temporary elemental enchantment. Any melee weapon you're holding becomes a magic weapon, if it's not already. Choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. For the next hour, the weapon deals an extra 1d6 damage of the chosen type.
Any already magic weapon that does not apply extra damage will now do so with the chosen damage type. For example, Weapon of Warning or Acheron Blade will benefit from the extra damage, but Flame Tongue or Dragon Slayer will not.
You may only infuse one weapon at a time.
The effect ends after 1 hour.
At Higher Levels. At 7th level, elemental damage rolls increase by 1d6 to the target on a hit (2d6), and again at 10th level (3d6).
Your currently equipped weapon gains the thrown property (range: 20ft./60ft.).
When making a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, you can spend 1 sorcery point to target a second creature that you can see within range. You make separate attack rolls for each target. Regardless of whether the first attack hits or misses your weapon will travel directly from the first target to the second. When the attack ends your weapon returns to your hand.
If you have made a ranged attack with a thrown weapon against a single target or you have been disarmed, you can use a Bonus Action to telekenetically summon your weapon to your hand from a range of up to 60ft. Your weapon cannot be intercepted as it returns to you.
You can spend 2 sorcery points to enchance your weapon for 1 hour. Your weapon becomes a magic weapon, if it is not already. Your weapon gains +1 to attack and damage rolls. You may spend more points to enhance your weapon further. For each additional point you spend, your weapon gains an additional +1 bonus, up to a maximum of +3.
If your weapon already has a bonus to attack and damage rolls, you must spend a number sorcery points greater than the bonus in order to enhance it. For example, to enhance a +1 weapon to +2 you must spend 3 sorcery points. Weapons with a bonus of +3 cannot be enhanced any further.
You may spend 1 sorcery point to add a second damage type to Elemental Infusion for your next attack. Choose acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder. Your infused weapon deals an additional 3d6 of the chosen type.
Starting at 15th level, attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19–20.
Upon a successful attack roll, you can spend 3 sorcery points to inflict max damage on all dice in the roll.
You can spend 3 sorcery points for your attacks to ignore resistance to one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning or thunder. This effect lasts until you take a long rest.
I've updated this a little. Managed to get the spell list working properly. Still looking for feedback.
The whole Sorcerous Metamagic thing is formatted kinda weird. You have each option listed twice -- once under Sorcerous Metamagic, and again, bigger, under it. Maybe remove the smaller text, so that it only appears once, because it looks to me like you're trying to show options when really there are none.
Come participate in the Competition of the Finest Brews, Edition XXVIII?
My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature
Elemental Infusion is awfully powerful. At level 11 you're getting an extra 9d6 damage if all three of your attacks hit (up to 15d6 before crits if you're using PAM for a BA and Reaction), and you can do it for 2 hours. Turning in your 2nd-level spell slots - which seems absolutely worth it - you can extend it by 3 more hours, which is going to cover every combat for the day in most games. And that doesn't take short rests into account.
I'd take a look at the maximum offensive bonuses that other subclasses give, even those with limited uses don't come close to this. Assuming the default day the DMG uses (6 encounters and 2 short rests), and assuming an encounter lasts 3 rounds, a Battlemaster gets a total of 15d10 (82.5) extra damage, while this would get 162d6 (567) extra damage over the same time period (given a non-PAM rate of 9d6 per round). Even if you assume a 60% hit rate you're still doing like 4x more.
At the other end of the adventuring day spectrum, in a one-encounter, 3-round day a Battlemaster will be doing a max of 5d10 (27.5) extra damage while this is doing 27d6 (94.5) from Elemental Infusion and another 9d6 (31.5) from Twinned Infusion and it doesn't even need to convert spell slots. Again with a 60% hit rate it still does roughly 90 extra damage.
And although Battlemaster maneuvers do other things as well, you likewise still have spell slots for stuff like shield, misty step, spider climb, web, etc. that give you great utility and versatility.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
I agree, it does look a bit wierd. I'll trim the smaller text out.
I had completely forgot to factor in the effects of PAM. Yeah, that is excessively high.
I'll cut Elemental Infusion's duration by half to 30 mins and reduce the extra damage of both it and Twinned infusion to 1d4.
EDIT: I crunched some numbers. Since this subclass is built around magic weapon damage, I think it stands. If you gave a Battlemaster Flame Tongue, you'd be adding an extra 6d6 per round, equating to 108d6 (388.8) on top of the 15d10 (82.5) on a 6 encounter, 3 round per encounter day.
So with the revised numbers (d4s instead of d6s), at 11th level Elemental Infusion deals 9d4 per round. 162d6 (388.8) on a 6 encounter, 3 round per encounter day.