I'm brewing a Sorcerer based version of the Eldritch Knight and would really appreciate some feedback on the below feature. I wanted to make it unique rather than just a charisma based copy, so I thought about adding sorcery points and Metamagic.
Now with this being a fighter subclass that has the same spell slot progression as an Eldritch Knight I figured that the existing Metamagic options from the Sorcerer wouldn't be a good fit so I created more martial orientated ones based on a combination of my own ideas and some homebrew sorcerer ones that I found and reworded to be martial based.
The feedback I'm mainly after is regarding the cost of these Metamagic options and their potential overpowered-ness/underpowered-ness, however feedback about other parts of this that you may identify is also appreciated.
The subclass has access to the create spell slots and create sorcery points mechanics that the Sorcerer has and gains sorcery points at half the speed of a Sorcerer i.e. starts with 3 points at 3rd level and increases to 4 points at 5th level. It currently selects 3 Metamagic options at 3rd level and then an additional one at 10th and 17th level. Some of the options are currently worded so that they can work with a ranged weapons too.
Metamagic options:
Distant Strike
You can spend 1 sorcery point and give a melee weapon you are wielding the thrown property and make a melee weapon attack. In addition to any normal damage dealt, the attack deals force damage equal to your CHA modifier + your proficiency bonus if it hits. The chosen weapon then magically reappears in your hand after the thrown attack is made.
Empowered Strike
As a bonus action, you can spend 2 sorcery points and empower your weapon to do additional magical damage. For 1 minute, your weapon attacks deal additional damage equal to your CHA modifier + your proficiency bonus. You choose the damage type from the following; acid, fire, cold, poison, psychic, thunder, or lightning. Each weapon you wield can only benefit from Empowered Strike once per attack action and bonus attack action.
Forceful Strike
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can spend 2 sorcery points to cause the target to make a strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pushed 10 feet away from you. If the creature is large or smaller, then it is also knocked prone.
Heightened Strike
When you take the attack action, you can spend 3 sorcery points to give yourself advantage for all weapon attacks made on your current turn.
Quickened Strike
When you take the attack action, you can spend 2 sorcery points to change a spell that has a casting time of 1 action to 1 bonus action for this casting.
Siphoning Strike
When you make a weapon attack that deals damage, you can spend 2 sorcery points to heal yourself by an amount equal to the damage dealt to a single target, rounded down.
Smiting Strike
When you hit with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 3 sorcery points to expend a spell slot and add the damage and/or effect of one of your spells capable of targeting a single creature cast at the level of the expended slot to the weapon attack's damage. Any attack throw for the chosen spell is considered an automatic success due to the successful weapon attack, and any saving throw for the chosen spell is made with disadvantage.
Twinned Strike
When you the attack action against a creature, you can spend a number of sorcery points to target additional creatures within range of your weapon with the same attack (1 sorcery point per additional target).
The subclass has access to the create spell slots and create sorcery points mechanics that the Sorcerer has and gains sorcery points at half the speed of a Sorcerer i.e. starts with 3 points at 3rd level and increases to 4 points at 5th level. It currently selects 3 Metamagic options at 3rd level and then an additional one at 10th and 17th level. Some of the options are currently worded so that they can work with a ranged weapons too.
Let's start here. That seems like entirely too many of each thing to start. Compare this to both the EK and the BM. I'm assuming you meant for the class to have spellcasting as well, which gives this class 2 spell slots, plus 3 "sorcery points," which isn't half as much as the sorcerer, but the same amount. Also, having 3 "metamagic" options to start with is also more than the sorcerer, and this is meant to be a hybrid class, with full armor. I think you should start with 1 or 2 points at level 3 and increase when you would gain a spellcasting level (i.e. +1 at level 4, +1 at level 7, +1 at level 10, etc.). 2 "metamagic" options might be fine for level 3, but traditionally you'd follow the fighter progression (3, 7, 10, 15, 18) and not the sorcerer's one.
As far as the "metamagic" options themselves, I think forceful, heightened, quickened are all fine. Maybe heightened is too expensive, but so is heightened spell, so that tracks. Siphoning doesn't seem broken or anything, but most similar abilities usually heal half the damage dealt. I like the idea of smiting, but it's really messy. Twinned seems fine, but calling it "twinned" implies two targets, and also you should make it more clear if you're meant to be able to do it more than once per attack action. Maybe call it "cleaving" or or like "multistrike" or something.
Those aside, I think distant and empowered are kind of rough. Adding both CHA AND proficiency to damage is way too much. Adding 5 damage at level 3 with nearly no downside is kind of too much. You can add as much as 9 points of damage per turn for 2 sorcery points by level 12, which you can do up to twice if you're using TWF or GWM, in addition to having equivalent spellcasting to the EK/AT. Making it concentration would kind of suck, but might make it more palatable. 9 points of damage is the equivalent of 2d8, and being able to keep it up without concentration for 1 minute just seems broken. I think pick either CHA or proficiency, or make it concentration.
Overall, just remember that it's a subclass. It should roughly be equivalent to EK or BM or the other fighter subs. I think the idea is cool, and I've done some similar ones myself, but you just have to be careful and consider the rest of the class's features.
The subclass has access to the create spell slots and create sorcery points mechanics that the Sorcerer has and gains sorcery points at half the speed of a Sorcerer i.e. starts with 3 points at 3rd level and increases to 4 points at 5th level. It currently selects 3 Metamagic options at 3rd level and then an additional one at 10th and 17th level. Some of the options are currently worded so that they can work with a ranged weapons too.
Let's start here. That seems like entirely too many of each thing to start. Compare this to both the EK and the BM. I'm assuming you meant for the class to have spellcasting as well, which gives this class 2 spell slots, plus 3 "sorcery points," which isn't half as much as the sorcerer, but the same amount.
I wasn't too sure how to handle the sorcery points and whilst it does start with the same number at level, it does gain sorcery points at half the rate of the sorcerer. When you compare the two tables the Sorcerer has 20 points at 20th level, this subclass would only have 10/11 at 20th level. I will concede though after comparing with BM and that subclass only getting 4 superiority die it would be more appropriate to start with 2 points.
I've opted to go with just the CHA modifier for any extra damage gained from the options, changed siphoning strike to heal for half the damage dealt, and renamed twinned strike. Updated options are below. I agree that the smite option is messy but I do really like the idea of it and will keep it for now until I can think of a better way of doing it that isn't just a carbon copy of the Paladin's smite and changing the cost to sorcery points instead of spell slots.
I've also changed it so that one new option is gained at 7th, 10th, 15th and 18th level.
Metamagic
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to imbue your weapon attacks with magic from your sorcery points. You gain two of the following Metamagic options of your choice. You gain one additional Metamagic option at 7th, 10th, 15th and 18th level.
The save DC for Metamagic options that require one= 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
You can use only one Metamagic option on a weapon attack, unless otherwise noted.
Distant Strike
You can spend 1 sorcery point and give a melee weapon you are wielding the thrown property. In addition to its normal damage, the attack deals force damage equal to your CHA modifier if it hits. The chosen weapon then magically reappears in your hand after the thrown attack is made and you can continue to make any remaining melee attacks that were a part of your action.
Empowered Strike
As a bonus action, you can spend 2 sorcery points and empower your weapon to do additional magical damage. For 1 minute, the first weapon attack you make with each weapon that you wield deals additional damage equal to your CHA modifier. You choose the damage type from the following; acid, fire, cold, poison, psychic, thunder, or lightning.
Other Metamagic options can be used whilst Empowered Strike is active.
Forceful Strike
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can spend 2 sorcery points to cause the target to make a strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is knocked prone. If a creature is large or smaller, then it is also pushed 10 feet away from you.
Heightened Strike
When you make a weapon attack, you can spend 3 sorcery points to give yourself advantage for all weapon attacks made on your current turn.
Quickened Strike
When you make a weapon attack, you can spend 2 sorcery points to change a spell that has a casting time of 1 action to 1 bonus action for this casting.
Siphoning Strike
When you make a weapon attack that deals damage, you can spend 2 sorcery points to heal yourself by an amount equal to half of the damage dealt to a single target, rounded down.
Smiting Strike
When you hit with a weapon attack, you can spend 3 sorcery points to expend a spell slot and add the damage and/or effect of one of your spells capable of targeting a single creature cast at the level of the expended slot to the weapon attack's damage. Any attack throw for the chosen spell is considered an automatic success due to the successful weapon attack, and any saving throw for the chosen spell is made with disadvantage.
Cleaving Strike
When you make a weapon attack against a creature, you can spend a number of sorcery points to target additional creatures within range of your weapon with the same attack (1 sorcery point per additional target).
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I'm brewing a Sorcerer based version of the Eldritch Knight and would really appreciate some feedback on the below feature. I wanted to make it unique rather than just a charisma based copy, so I thought about adding sorcery points and Metamagic.
Now with this being a fighter subclass that has the same spell slot progression as an Eldritch Knight I figured that the existing Metamagic options from the Sorcerer wouldn't be a good fit so I created more martial orientated ones based on a combination of my own ideas and some homebrew sorcerer ones that I found and reworded to be martial based.
The feedback I'm mainly after is regarding the cost of these Metamagic options and their potential overpowered-ness/underpowered-ness, however feedback about other parts of this that you may identify is also appreciated.
The subclass has access to the create spell slots and create sorcery points mechanics that the Sorcerer has and gains sorcery points at half the speed of a Sorcerer i.e. starts with 3 points at 3rd level and increases to 4 points at 5th level. It currently selects 3 Metamagic options at 3rd level and then an additional one at 10th and 17th level. Some of the options are currently worded so that they can work with a ranged weapons too.
Metamagic options:
Distant Strike
You can spend 1 sorcery point and give a melee weapon you are wielding the thrown property and make a melee weapon attack. In addition to any normal damage dealt, the attack deals force damage equal to your CHA modifier + your proficiency bonus if it hits. The chosen weapon then magically reappears in your hand after the thrown attack is made.
Empowered Strike
As a bonus action, you can spend 2 sorcery points and empower your weapon to do additional magical damage. For 1 minute, your weapon attacks deal additional damage equal to your CHA modifier + your proficiency bonus. You choose the damage type from the following; acid, fire, cold, poison, psychic, thunder, or lightning. Each weapon you wield can only benefit from Empowered Strike once per attack action and bonus attack action.
Forceful Strike
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can spend 2 sorcery points to cause the target to make a strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pushed 10 feet away from you. If the creature is large or smaller, then it is also knocked prone.
Heightened Strike
When you take the attack action, you can spend 3 sorcery points to give yourself advantage for all weapon attacks made on your current turn.
Quickened Strike
When you take the attack action, you can spend 2 sorcery points to change a spell that has a casting time of 1 action to 1 bonus action for this casting.
Siphoning Strike
When you make a weapon attack that deals damage, you can spend 2 sorcery points to heal yourself by an amount equal to the damage dealt to a single target, rounded down.
Smiting Strike
When you hit with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 3 sorcery points to expend a spell slot and add the damage and/or effect of one of your spells capable of targeting a single creature cast at the level of the expended slot to the weapon attack's damage. Any attack throw for the chosen spell is considered an automatic success due to the successful weapon attack, and any saving throw for the chosen spell is made with disadvantage.
Twinned Strike
When you the attack action against a creature, you can spend a number of sorcery points to target additional creatures within range of your weapon with the same attack (1 sorcery point per additional target).
Let's start here. That seems like entirely too many of each thing to start. Compare this to both the EK and the BM. I'm assuming you meant for the class to have spellcasting as well, which gives this class 2 spell slots, plus 3 "sorcery points," which isn't half as much as the sorcerer, but the same amount. Also, having 3 "metamagic" options to start with is also more than the sorcerer, and this is meant to be a hybrid class, with full armor. I think you should start with 1 or 2 points at level 3 and increase when you would gain a spellcasting level (i.e. +1 at level 4, +1 at level 7, +1 at level 10, etc.). 2 "metamagic" options might be fine for level 3, but traditionally you'd follow the fighter progression (3, 7, 10, 15, 18) and not the sorcerer's one.
As far as the "metamagic" options themselves, I think forceful, heightened, quickened are all fine. Maybe heightened is too expensive, but so is heightened spell, so that tracks. Siphoning doesn't seem broken or anything, but most similar abilities usually heal half the damage dealt. I like the idea of smiting, but it's really messy. Twinned seems fine, but calling it "twinned" implies two targets, and also you should make it more clear if you're meant to be able to do it more than once per attack action. Maybe call it "cleaving" or or like "multistrike" or something.
Those aside, I think distant and empowered are kind of rough. Adding both CHA AND proficiency to damage is way too much. Adding 5 damage at level 3 with nearly no downside is kind of too much. You can add as much as 9 points of damage per turn for 2 sorcery points by level 12, which you can do up to twice if you're using TWF or GWM, in addition to having equivalent spellcasting to the EK/AT. Making it concentration would kind of suck, but might make it more palatable. 9 points of damage is the equivalent of 2d8, and being able to keep it up without concentration for 1 minute just seems broken. I think pick either CHA or proficiency, or make it concentration.
Overall, just remember that it's a subclass. It should roughly be equivalent to EK or BM or the other fighter subs. I think the idea is cool, and I've done some similar ones myself, but you just have to be careful and consider the rest of the class's features.
Thanks for the feedback. This is exactly what I was looking for.
I wasn't too sure how to handle the sorcery points and whilst it does start with the same number at level, it does gain sorcery points at half the rate of the sorcerer. When you compare the two tables the Sorcerer has 20 points at 20th level, this subclass would only have 10/11 at 20th level. I will concede though after comparing with BM and that subclass only getting 4 superiority die it would be more appropriate to start with 2 points.
I've opted to go with just the CHA modifier for any extra damage gained from the options, changed siphoning strike to heal for half the damage dealt, and renamed twinned strike. Updated options are below. I agree that the smite option is messy but I do really like the idea of it and will keep it for now until I can think of a better way of doing it that isn't just a carbon copy of the Paladin's smite and changing the cost to sorcery points instead of spell slots.
I've also changed it so that one new option is gained at 7th, 10th, 15th and 18th level.
Metamagic
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to imbue your weapon attacks with magic from your sorcery points. You gain two of the following Metamagic options of your choice. You gain one additional Metamagic option at 7th, 10th, 15th and 18th level.
The save DC for Metamagic options that require one = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.
You can use only one Metamagic option on a weapon attack, unless otherwise noted.
Distant Strike
You can spend 1 sorcery point and give a melee weapon you are wielding the thrown property. In addition to its normal damage, the attack deals force damage equal to your CHA modifier if it hits. The chosen weapon then magically reappears in your hand after the thrown attack is made and you can continue to make any remaining melee attacks that were a part of your action.
Empowered Strike
As a bonus action, you can spend 2 sorcery points and empower your weapon to do additional magical damage. For 1 minute, the first weapon attack you make with each weapon that you wield deals additional damage equal to your CHA modifier. You choose the damage type from the following; acid, fire, cold, poison, psychic, thunder, or lightning.
Other Metamagic options can be used whilst Empowered Strike is active.
Forceful Strike
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can spend 2 sorcery points to cause the target to make a strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is knocked prone. If a creature is large or smaller, then it is also pushed 10 feet away from you.
Heightened Strike
When you make a weapon attack, you can spend 3 sorcery points to give yourself advantage for all weapon attacks made on your current turn.
Quickened Strike
When you make a weapon attack, you can spend 2 sorcery points to change a spell that has a casting time of 1 action to 1 bonus action for this casting.
Siphoning Strike
When you make a weapon attack that deals damage, you can spend 2 sorcery points to heal yourself by an amount equal to half of the damage dealt to a single target, rounded down.
Smiting Strike
When you hit with a weapon attack, you can spend 3 sorcery points to expend a spell slot and add the damage and/or effect of one of your spells capable of targeting a single creature cast at the level of the expended slot to the weapon attack's damage. Any attack throw for the chosen spell is considered an automatic success due to the successful weapon attack, and any saving throw for the chosen spell is made with disadvantage.
Cleaving Strike
When you make a weapon attack against a creature, you can spend a number of sorcery points to target additional creatures within range of your weapon with the same attack (1 sorcery point per additional target).