Hey guys. just started playing dnd and decided to make a feat. sadly after thinking about my character it isn't something he would use thematically. at least I haven't thought up a reason for him to yet.
For that reason I'd like feedback on how it works from players like you. here's the link. let me know what you think. I'd ask my dm but she just says yes to anything I suggest so I'd like a more.. impartial judgment. just don't be to harsh okay? ^-^'
Hi Danny! Welcome to homebrewing! It's very fun, but definitely requires a lot of nitpicking.
Here are the two biggest issues I have with this.
I would remove the 'can't be broken by damage' part of the concentration. I feel that defeats a lot of the purpose of concentration. What was your intent behind that choice, out of curiosity?
Additionally I think that the last feature is broken. You're giving auto-success on maintaining concentration in many cases, which is too much for something that already has a handful of other features imo - even if those features aren't active all the time. I also don't think that you've worded the end correctly '21 minus monk level'? So if you have this feat as early as possible, as a level 4 Monk, you would get an automatic 17, but as you level up this will scale down? While I think this whole piece of the feature should be scrapped in favour of the other pieces, if you are intent on it this needs to be worked out, since I don't think it was your intent.
Side note: Is the ability bonus while in Zen State? If it is I think you can drop the exhaustion bit, I don't think that adding your WIS mod (max of +5) to an ability check you're proficient in as a bonus action, while using something that requires concentration, is too powerful. But I would add a note to Zen State as a whole and say "As an action during combat" to prevent this from being spammed outside of combat.
There are some general spelling/grammar/phrasing items (saving through instead of saving throw, like that), but I think it's more important to figure out the mechanics first.
What I was going for with Perfect focus is that you are channeling mind over matter to ignore pain. you can still loose concentration due to being stunned or knocked on unconscious or such but a monk can ignore distractions to continue to do what he has to do. It's concentration so it doesn't stack with other concentration effects as well. also the auto success only applies to Zen State concentration ability if you were Wo4E and were concentrating on something else or multiclass you would use the formula if it was advantageous to you. so if you were concentrating on something else you could still lose concentration just with the formula.
how the formula works is at level 4 monk you would have to beat a 17 con sav dc to maintain concentration. and as you gain more levels in monk you would have an easier save maxing out at 10. or if you multiclassed in as 2 levels in monk and 4 in something else the formulae would start you at 19 dc
on your side note the wisdom bonus is the concentration effect I give with this feat. that is a 1 per short rest feature.
the exhaustion applies to a use ability that is not related to zen state. +wis to checks at cost of exhaustion.
and yeah I need to edit the grammar/sp ^_^ thanks.
Feats are supposed to represent training/experience that isn't tied to a class; making a class-specific feat works against that design. It's also too complicated. I think there's some interesting ideas here, but this'd work better as a new subclass, or a replacement for one of an existing subclass's features.
Also before I log for the day I thought I'd clarify a few things in case they aren't explained well as written in the feat. or at least explain them thematically
The feat gives you a concentration effect "Zen State" and a few other bonuses. some are tied to being in zen state some aren't. I tried to be sure to say which are clearly.
What "Zen State" is is essentially a heightened state of awareness. you use your whole action to enter this state. and since flurry of blows can only be used along the attack action that means you are basically using your first turn to just enter the state (though you can still dodge or dash as a bonus + your normal movement) Once you're in that state you are not easily knocked out of it. you can essentially ignore pain. (you still take damage and if something blasts your brain to stun you, you still drop it)
by entering that state you are able to hit harder (but not more accurately as the bonus only applies to the damage rolls not the attack rolls) by choosing the perfect spot/moment to hit.
the heightened awareness of being in Zen State also makes your reaction time faster meaning you add wis bonus to saving throws (you are proficient in) at the cost of your reaction and 1 ki. and as monks have a lot of uses of reactions that means you have to weigh the + and - of using that part.
along those lines you can force a moment of clarity during times of intense need (ability checks you are proficient in) but doing so exhausts you. (does not require you being in zen state before hand or use your 1 charge of zen state)
lastly as a result of mastering zen state you are able to apply some of that focus to other concentration effects to a lesser extent. so whenever you take a hit while concentrating on something OTHER THAN zen state... you can try to ignore the pain. and the better monk you are the more likely you are to succeed. admittedly this is the part I am most worried about being OP. how I have it now is that instead of the Con save dc being 10 or half the damage taken (whichever is higher), you can instead have the con save dc be 10 or 21 minus your monk level (whichever is higher) 21 might be a bit low I was debating 25 or even 30 but that was something I wanted to experiment with.
Hope that clarifies. and I appreciate your feed back. ^_^
So it's kind of like a Barbarian's Rage, but for Monks?
as an action you can enter a "Zen State" for 1 minute. This requires concentration but you cannot lose concentration on this effect due to damage. You cannot enter a Zen State again until you finish a short or long rest.
So basically the point of this part is that while you're in Zen State you can't concentrate on anything else? Why don't you just say something like "While in Zen State, you can't concentrate on spells or other abilities."
While in Zen State you may add your Wisdom modifier to your monk weapon and unarmed damage rolls.
Perhaps specify a minimum bonus damage of 0? Balance-wise, it's noticeable that you probably get more damage per attack from Zen State than a Barbarian does from Raging, and you also make more attacks and have damage scaling from Martial Arts. This really needs to do less damage or be removed.
While in Zen State you can use your reaction to spend 1 ki to add your Wisdom modifier to any saving throws you are proficient in.
Does this boost all your saving throws at once, or do you have to choose one? How long does this effect last? Do you choose to use this ability before or after you roll?
You can as bonus action add your Wisdom modifier to any ability check you are proficient in. after doing so you gain one level of exhaustion.
This ability doesn't say that you have to be in Zen State to use it, is that correct? Does this boost all your ability checks at once, or do you have to choose one? How long does this effect last? Exhaustion is a pretty hefty penalty here, especially since you get disadvantage on all ability checks after you use this ability once. As is, this part of the feat will probably almost never be used.
if concentrating on an effect other than Zen State and you make a Constitution saving through to maintain it, instead of using the normal calculation to maintain concentration due to damage use this substitute. the check equals 10 or 21 minus your monk level whichever is higher.
This part is more comparable to the War Caster feat, which gives you advantage on Con saves to maintain concentration. I don't think Monks really use concentration, so this is probably only useful for multiclassing.
Here, you can actually have WORSE saving throws at lower levels. For example, if you would normally have to make a DC 12 check after taking 24 damage, a level 4 monk has to try to make a DC 17 check instead.
If you want this to scale based on Monk level, perhaps "The maximum DC of a Constitution saving throw you make to maintain your concentration is equal to 20 minus half your monk level." or "Reduce the DC of Constitution saving throws you make to maintain your concentration by an amount equal to your monk level to a minimum of 10." or even "You gain a bonus to Constitution saving throws you make to maintain your concentration equal to half your Monk level."
For reading comprehension, you should probably put Zen State and its effects last so that people can't get confused about whether or not abilities apply only while you're in Zen State.
Perfect Focus
Prerequisite: Monk, at least 1 ki point
Your training and discipline have uncovered the secrets of mind over matter, allowing you to push your body beyond its natural limits.
You gain a bonus to Constitution saving throws you make to maintain your concentration equal to half your Monk level, rounded down.
You can enter a Zen State as an action. While in a zen state, you gain the following benefits if you aren't wearing armor:
When you make an attack using a monk weapon or your unarmed strike, you gain a bonus to the damage roll equal to half your proficiency bonus, rounded down.
When you make a saving throw you are proficient in, you can spend 1 ki point as a reaction to add your Wisdom modifier to the roll.
You can spend 1 ki point as a bonus action to add your Wisdom modifier to the next ability check you make this turn with a skill you are proficient in.
While in Zen State, you can't concentrate on spells or other abilities, and you can't use abilities that prevent you from concentrating (such as the Barbarian's Rage).
Your zen state lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious. You can also end your zen state on your turn as a bonus action.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
This should probably still be vetted for balance, but it should at least work better.
To inquisitive Coder. I don't think that a class specific feat is that odd. after all they just introduced a lot of race specific feats and the UA stuff had a lot of skill/tool based ones. a class specific feat to enhance your class fantasy across archetypes seems a logical next step. so instead of being an even dwarfy dwarf because of Dwarven Fortitude you're an even more monkish monk thanks to Perfect focus. any monk can take it but not all do.
To Sir Black Axe
as for the first point. I want it to be a concentration effect because I don't want it to stack but I do want the monk to be able to cast spells also unlike barbarian rage it can be broken by things like being stunned. also a barbarian has multiple uses of rage per long rest (eventually unlimited) while this is 1 per short. that and the whole theme behind this is focus and concentration. it kind of breaks the theme for it to not be a concentration effect. While I don't think the 0 minimum is needed cause I say "may add" not just add. so if it was a negative or 0 then you just wouldn't use it.
the second point is valid though. it might do too much damage. while barbarian rage they get for free while this is a feat. maybe the bonus doesn't apply to monk weapons. only unarmed attacks. that way at lower levels 1-2 hits as apposed to 3-4. I was kind of comparing the typical "Great Weapon Master" amount of damage a barbarian could potentially add to his stuff for +30 damage to a turn if you hit with all 3. while a monk would get +20 if you used a ki for flurry and have max wis. so not sure.
the third point. the intent was you can add your Wis to 1 saving throw you take using your reaction. so wouldn't work on multiple saving throws. 4th. as with the previous this is kind of oh sheet thing. you can add your wis mod to 1 ability check but you then gain 1 stack of exhaustion. you don't need to be in zen state to use it and while you can use it repeatedly adding multiple stacks of exhaustion quickly is probably a bad idea. though I could see a monk ko-ing himself trying to make that one check to save the party. it is kind of my intent that it not be used except under the most dire of circumstances.
5th. truth be told I did add this effect mostly to appeal to multiclassing and for flavor. It is also the effect I am most interested in feedback about. I had meant it to be that you could use either option whichever was most advantageous. so 10, 1/2 the damage, or 21 - your monk level. so I like your suggestions for a rewording. Will have to think on which I like more or if I want to reword mine. as for monk concentrations in general Wo4E does have concentration effects if you went pure monk and I think way of shadow had like 1? I'd have to double check. also if you had a magic item or something that needed concentration it would apply to that as well.
I didn't really like your redo but I liked your re-phrasing/formatting to make it easier to read,. Again really appreciate your time and analysis, especially of the con save dc part. Regardless of how my version ends up, feel free to use it or your version in any campaigns you use :) I don't mind you adding your own version on here if you like the concept but not the execution.
well... it's only been a few days but most people seem to think this feat is either weird or too op. kind of sad. If people liked it I wanted to go through all the classes and make 1-2 class fantasy enhancing feats for all of them.. but alas it seems I'm not there yet. I like my feat but I did make a few changes.
I made it so Zen state's bonus only applies to melee. one thing no one noticed is that the new kensei monk could take Sharpshooter and then their damage would stack. Didn't want that.
I reformatted it so the non zen state effects are before zen state is mentioned and only the zen state effects were bullet pointed. used the wording sir black axe suggested to make the effects clearer (hopefully)
Here are some changes I'm debating based on your feedback.
1. instead of the con save cap, any of the ideas black axe mentioned or you could spend ki to gain a bonus to concentration checks up to your wis modifier (min. 1) so any concentration check you could pay to give yourself that much of a bonus. (I don't really like this cause it doesn't scale with level though)
2. zen state would double the above bonus. instead of being not being able to be broken by damage. (if I did that I feel I would need to do something to improve zen to make it worth the risk of using your action to enter it. maybe a + to ac or a 2nd reaction.. or you can use step of the wind or patient defense for free... something...) I really don't think it does to much damage since again.. this is a feat. with GWM or SS you get not only potential for +10 damage every time, very powerful passives, and isn't stat dependent. a monk can't use either of those feats effectively, and as stated you have to either pre activate or give up your entire first turn of damage to use zen so I think that aspect is right where it needs to be. and I don't feel like keeping the effect and making it a bonus would be as fun fantasy enhancement.
3. make it so you can use the check bonus anytime you make a check after the roll instead of before. (would still have to use before you knew if it was a success or not but at least you wouldn't waste it on a low roll) [this is the change I am most likely to do so far]
4. related to the ability check bit, instead of wis bonus to checks could treat any roll as your wis score. would at least be worth the level of exhaustion. for when you absolutely have to make an ability check.
5. also related I could make the exhaustion from this special and it would clear after a short rest... not fond of that idea though. just kind of brainstorming possible improvements for feedback.
those are all the changes I could think of that I would be happy(ish) with right now and it still feel like my feat. Will stew on them and wait for more feedback.
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Hey guys. just started playing dnd and decided to make a feat. sadly after thinking about my character it isn't something he would use thematically. at least I haven't thought up a reason for him to yet.
For that reason I'd like feedback on how it works from players like you. here's the link. let me know what you think. I'd ask my dm but she just says yes to anything I suggest so I'd like a more.. impartial judgment. just don't be to harsh okay? ^-^'
https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/feats/2660-perfect-focus
Hi Danny! Welcome to homebrewing! It's very fun, but definitely requires a lot of nitpicking.
Here are the two biggest issues I have with this.
I would remove the 'can't be broken by damage' part of the concentration. I feel that defeats a lot of the purpose of concentration. What was your intent behind that choice, out of curiosity?
Additionally I think that the last feature is broken. You're giving auto-success on maintaining concentration in many cases, which is too much for something that already has a handful of other features imo - even if those features aren't active all the time. I also don't think that you've worded the end correctly '21 minus monk level'? So if you have this feat as early as possible, as a level 4 Monk, you would get an automatic 17, but as you level up this will scale down? While I think this whole piece of the feature should be scrapped in favour of the other pieces, if you are intent on it this needs to be worked out, since I don't think it was your intent.
Side note: Is the ability bonus while in Zen State? If it is I think you can drop the exhaustion bit, I don't think that adding your WIS mod (max of +5) to an ability check you're proficient in as a bonus action, while using something that requires concentration, is too powerful. But I would add a note to Zen State as a whole and say "As an action during combat" to prevent this from being spammed outside of combat.
There are some general spelling/grammar/phrasing items (saving through instead of saving throw, like that), but I think it's more important to figure out the mechanics first.
Hopefully this helps as a starting point!
Okay I'll try to answer as completely as I can
What I was going for with Perfect focus is that you are channeling mind over matter to ignore pain. you can still loose concentration due to being stunned or knocked on unconscious or such but a monk can ignore distractions to continue to do what he has to do. It's concentration so it doesn't stack with other concentration effects as well. also the auto success only applies to Zen State concentration ability if you were Wo4E and were concentrating on something else or multiclass you would use the formula if it was advantageous to you. so if you were concentrating on something else you could still lose concentration just with the formula.
how the formula works is at level 4 monk you would have to beat a 17 con sav dc to maintain concentration. and as you gain more levels in monk you would have an easier save maxing out at 10. or if you multiclassed in as 2 levels in monk and 4 in something else the formulae would start you at 19 dc
on your side note the wisdom bonus is the concentration effect I give with this feat. that is a 1 per short rest feature.
the exhaustion applies to a use ability that is not related to zen state. +wis to checks at cost of exhaustion.
and yeah I need to edit the grammar/sp ^_^ thanks.
Feats are supposed to represent training/experience that isn't tied to a class; making a class-specific feat works against that design. It's also too complicated. I think there's some interesting ideas here, but this'd work better as a new subclass, or a replacement for one of an existing subclass's features.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
Also before I log for the day I thought I'd clarify a few things in case they aren't explained well as written in the feat. or at least explain them thematically
The feat gives you a concentration effect "Zen State" and a few other bonuses. some are tied to being in zen state some aren't. I tried to be sure to say which are clearly.
What "Zen State" is is essentially a heightened state of awareness. you use your whole action to enter this state. and since flurry of blows can only be used along the attack action that means you are basically using your first turn to just enter the state (though you can still dodge or dash as a bonus + your normal movement) Once you're in that state you are not easily knocked out of it. you can essentially ignore pain. (you still take damage and if something blasts your brain to stun you, you still drop it)
by entering that state you are able to hit harder (but not more accurately as the bonus only applies to the damage rolls not the attack rolls) by choosing the perfect spot/moment to hit.
the heightened awareness of being in Zen State also makes your reaction time faster meaning you add wis bonus to saving throws (you are proficient in) at the cost of your reaction and 1 ki. and as monks have a lot of uses of reactions that means you have to weigh the + and - of using that part.
along those lines you can force a moment of clarity during times of intense need (ability checks you are proficient in) but doing so exhausts you. (does not require you being in zen state before hand or use your 1 charge of zen state)
lastly as a result of mastering zen state you are able to apply some of that focus to other concentration effects to a lesser extent. so whenever you take a hit while concentrating on something OTHER THAN zen state... you can try to ignore the pain. and the better monk you are the more likely you are to succeed. admittedly this is the part I am most worried about being OP. how I have it now is that instead of the Con save dc being 10 or half the damage taken (whichever is higher), you can instead have the con save dc be 10 or 21 minus your monk level (whichever is higher) 21 might be a bit low I was debating 25 or even 30 but that was something I wanted to experiment with.
Hope that clarifies. and I appreciate your feed back. ^_^
So it's kind of like a Barbarian's Rage, but for Monks?
So basically the point of this part is that while you're in Zen State you can't concentrate on anything else? Why don't you just say something like "While in Zen State, you can't concentrate on spells or other abilities."
Perhaps specify a minimum bonus damage of 0? Balance-wise, it's noticeable that you probably get more damage per attack from Zen State than a Barbarian does from Raging, and you also make more attacks and have damage scaling from Martial Arts. This really needs to do less damage or be removed.
Does this boost all your saving throws at once, or do you have to choose one? How long does this effect last? Do you choose to use this ability before or after you roll?
This ability doesn't say that you have to be in Zen State to use it, is that correct? Does this boost all your ability checks at once, or do you have to choose one? How long does this effect last? Exhaustion is a pretty hefty penalty here, especially since you get disadvantage on all ability checks after you use this ability once. As is, this part of the feat will probably almost never be used.
This part is more comparable to the War Caster feat, which gives you advantage on Con saves to maintain concentration. I don't think Monks really use concentration, so this is probably only useful for multiclassing.
Here, you can actually have WORSE saving throws at lower levels. For example, if you would normally have to make a DC 12 check after taking 24 damage, a level 4 monk has to try to make a DC 17 check instead.
If you want this to scale based on Monk level, perhaps "The maximum DC of a Constitution saving throw you make to maintain your concentration is equal to 20 minus half your monk level." or "Reduce the DC of Constitution saving throws you make to maintain your concentration by an amount equal to your monk level to a minimum of 10." or even "You gain a bonus to Constitution saving throws you make to maintain your concentration equal to half your Monk level."
For reading comprehension, you should probably put Zen State and its effects last so that people can't get confused about whether or not abilities apply only while you're in Zen State.
This should probably still be vetted for balance, but it should at least work better.
Lot of good points. I appreciate the feedback.
To inquisitive Coder.
I don't think that a class specific feat is that odd. after all they just introduced a lot of race specific feats and the UA stuff had a lot of skill/tool based ones. a class specific feat to enhance your class fantasy across archetypes seems a logical next step. so instead of being an even dwarfy dwarf because of Dwarven Fortitude you're an even more monkish monk thanks to Perfect focus. any monk can take it but not all do.
To Sir Black Axe
as for the first point. I want it to be a concentration effect because I don't want it to stack but I do want the monk to be able to cast spells also unlike barbarian rage it can be broken by things like being stunned. also a barbarian has multiple uses of rage per long rest (eventually unlimited) while this is 1 per short. that and the whole theme behind this is focus and concentration. it kind of breaks the theme for it to not be a concentration effect.
While I don't think the 0 minimum is needed cause I say "may add" not just add. so if it was a negative or 0 then you just wouldn't use it.
the second point is valid though. it might do too much damage. while barbarian rage they get for free while this is a feat. maybe the bonus doesn't apply to monk weapons. only unarmed attacks. that way at lower levels 1-2 hits as apposed to 3-4. I was kind of comparing the typical "Great Weapon Master" amount of damage a barbarian could potentially add to his stuff for +30 damage to a turn if you hit with all 3. while a monk would get +20 if you used a ki for flurry and have max wis. so not sure.
the third point. the intent was you can add your Wis to 1 saving throw you take using your reaction. so wouldn't work on multiple saving throws.
4th. as with the previous this is kind of oh sheet thing. you can add your wis mod to 1 ability check but you then gain 1 stack of exhaustion. you don't need to be in zen state to use it and while you can use it repeatedly adding multiple stacks of exhaustion quickly is probably a bad idea. though I could see a monk ko-ing himself trying to make that one check to save the party. it is kind of my intent that it not be used except under the most dire of circumstances.
5th. truth be told I did add this effect mostly to appeal to multiclassing and for flavor. It is also the effect I am most interested in feedback about. I had meant it to be that you could use either option whichever was most advantageous. so 10, 1/2 the damage, or 21 - your monk level. so I like your suggestions for a rewording. Will have to think on which I like more or if I want to reword mine. as for monk concentrations in general Wo4E does have concentration effects if you went pure monk and I think way of shadow had like 1? I'd have to double check. also if you had a magic item or something that needed concentration it would apply to that as well.
I didn't really like your redo but I liked your re-phrasing/formatting to make it easier to read,. Again really appreciate your time and analysis, especially of the con save dc part. Regardless of how my version ends up, feel free to use it or your version in any campaigns you use :) I don't mind you adding your own version on here if you like the concept but not the execution.
well... it's only been a few days but most people seem to think this feat is either weird or too op. kind of sad. If people liked it I wanted to go through all the classes and make 1-2 class fantasy enhancing feats for all of them.. but alas it seems I'm not there yet. I like my feat but I did make a few changes.
I made it so Zen state's bonus only applies to melee. one thing no one noticed is that the new kensei monk could take Sharpshooter and then their damage would stack. Didn't want that.
I reformatted it so the non zen state effects are before zen state is mentioned and only the zen state effects were bullet pointed. used the wording sir black axe suggested to make the effects clearer (hopefully)
Here are some changes I'm debating based on your feedback.
1. instead of the con save cap, any of the ideas black axe mentioned or you could spend ki to gain a bonus to concentration checks up to your wis modifier (min. 1) so any concentration check you could pay to give yourself that much of a bonus. (I don't really like this cause it doesn't scale with level though)
2. zen state would double the above bonus. instead of being not being able to be broken by damage.
(if I did that I feel I would need to do something to improve zen to make it worth the risk of using your action to enter it. maybe a + to ac or a 2nd reaction.. or you can use step of the wind or patient defense for free... something...) I really don't think it does to much damage since again.. this is a feat. with GWM or SS you get not only potential for +10 damage every time, very powerful passives, and isn't stat dependent. a monk can't use either of those feats effectively, and as stated you have to either pre activate or give up your entire first turn of damage to use zen so I think that aspect is right where it needs to be. and I don't feel like keeping the effect and making it a bonus would be as fun fantasy enhancement.
3. make it so you can use the check bonus anytime you make a check after the roll instead of before. (would still have to use before you knew if it was a success or not but at least you wouldn't waste it on a low roll) [this is the change I am most likely to do so far]
4. related to the ability check bit, instead of wis bonus to checks could treat any roll as your wis score. would at least be worth the level of exhaustion. for when you absolutely have to make an ability check.
5. also related I could make the exhaustion from this special and it would clear after a short rest... not fond of that idea though. just kind of brainstorming possible improvements for feedback.
those are all the changes I could think of that I would be happy(ish) with right now and it still feel like my feat. Will stew on them and wait for more feedback.