first off.. Hope everyone is having a great day (and not too hot / humid ---like it is here)
So a quick backstory. I will starting a campaign in a few weeks, and due to the lore of the campaign and one element of my characters backstory (dm created) she will be creating a homebrewed subclass for my character to start --we will be starting at Level 5 and may level up . The DM is giving me some liberty to have some flexibility with certain aspects of my character (I asked if I could submit something prior to session 0 that would remain "sealed" she would not look at it unless it made narrative sense to make this change and she agreed.
My idea is that I would like to create a sort of Homebrewed subclass that would sort of thematically be a blend of the Oathbreaker subclass (as I would be breaking my Homebrewed oath (to my family lineage) and the Oath of Redemption (as I would if my character chooses to go down that role) acting in a way that would be trying to redeeming the actions of my family for generations...
I don't want to just sandwich those two classes together and try to "pick what's good" from both. I kind of what to have something new thats not overpowered but works mechanically and narratively (def hoping for it to be cool too) ... This subclass may only actually be used in the final session or sessions of the campaign, so there isn't an immediate rush to get this finalized. and if our characters level up between the start and when / if I the change is needed change will need to be made to account for that.
I welcome input and creativity especially those who have experience playing as paladins -- which I never have --- actually would love advice on that races work best... Please feel free to create mulitiple options, work with each other (and me) to try and fine tune things and figure out what might work.
Ok, some clarifications needed, because Oathbreaker is the unrepentent paladin, whereas Redemption is the repentent one. So I'm not sure I understand what the "drive" is that this subclass is supposed to represent. Because Oathbraker and Redemption could have identical backstories with simply the response of the character to those events being different.
1) What is the narrative reason that would cause your character to swap to this subclass? what subclass will they be before this switch?
2) Why is it necessary for them to swap subclass?
3) What is the drive of the character when they swap to this subclass? Do they want to protect someone/something? Do they want to defeat an enemy? Do they want to give up on why they originally wanted to be a paladin? Do they want to be defiant and follow their ideal despite being betrayed or reality not living up to their ideal? Do they want to blaze their own trail and build something new? Do they want to tear something down and let it all burn?
My characters subclass is going to be more or less homebrewed by the DM... The gist of the backstory is my characters family has been sacrificing people for generations, and I as the heir to the family and the pact with the entity (not even we (my family know exactly what it is) and I am tasked with choosing someone to sacrifice among the party members --- they do not know this -- Note this is all DM provided -- also I have very good assumptions the other players were all given secret knowledge of their own --so I dont believe im unique in that regard
So since I will be having a unique subclass dedicated to this family tradition . I was thinking if I chose to Not Sacrificare a party member (Id be breaking my oath -- hence oath breaker and trying to redeem myself / my family ,.. Pact of Redemption.. so I was going with something thematic if that helps explain the narrative reasons
Ok so that's mostly redemption, the mechanics of oathbreaker don't have anything to do with breaking your oath, they are about embracing darkness/evil. Maybe with some protector-y abilities.
To Take from Redemption Paladin:
CD: Rebuke the Violent - this is very appropriate should the "entity" try to take its sacrifice despite your character refusing to. 7th Level: Aura of the Guardian - again very thematic for a "Take me instead" type redemption arc.
Oath Spells : 3rd: Sanctuary, 5th: 9th: Counterspell, 13th: Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, 17th: Hold Monster, Wall of Force
Watcher's also has some abilities that might fit as a sort of "turn against this extraplanar being that demands these sacrifices."
Oath Spells : 3rd: Protection from Good and Evil 5th: Zone of Truth 9th: 13th: 17th:
15th level: Purity of Spirit
That mismash looks pretty on brand and balanced, you might want to swap some of these abilities / spells with something from the subclass your DM makes for you to gives more feeling of being mid-transition from their past self to their new position.
What youve given seems to work thematically with that I was hoping for. Ill need to play around and see how they work in a build. ( do not have beyond with any books so Ill have to wry and pen and paper it lol.
What race would you recommend? Im thinking maybe half elf (I honestly just googled "what races make the best paladins) and one of the ones on the list was an half elf -- which could work from a narrative point (as the entity was known to take the form of a sea elf) so I could write it that my ancestor who very much agreed to the pact would wanted his children / descendants to resemble the form it took .... (Does a "half-elf have to be part human? the dm said my ancestor was an Aaracokra.. can a half elf just be a any mix race with elf? (guesing thats a if the dm allows it type of deal)
But back to the question... what races work ?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Hi all,
first off.. Hope everyone is having a great day (and not too hot / humid ---like it is here)
So a quick backstory. I will starting a campaign in a few weeks, and due to the lore of the campaign and one element of my characters backstory (dm created) she will be creating a homebrewed subclass for my character to start --we will be starting at Level 5 and may level up . The DM is giving me some liberty to have some flexibility with certain aspects of my character (I asked if I could submit something prior to session 0 that would remain "sealed" she would not look at it unless it made narrative sense to make this change and she agreed.
My idea is that I would like to create a sort of Homebrewed subclass that would sort of thematically be a blend of the Oathbreaker subclass (as I would be breaking my Homebrewed oath (to my family lineage) and the Oath of Redemption (as I would if my character chooses to go down that role) acting in a way that would be trying to redeeming the actions of my family for generations...
I don't want to just sandwich those two classes together and try to "pick what's good" from both. I kind of what to have something new thats not overpowered but works mechanically and narratively (def hoping for it to be cool too) ... This subclass may only actually be used in the final session or sessions of the campaign, so there isn't an immediate rush to get this finalized. and if our characters level up between the start and when / if I the change is needed change will need to be made to account for that.
I welcome input and creativity especially those who have experience playing as paladins -- which I never have --- actually would love advice on that races work best...
Please feel free to create mulitiple options, work with each other (and me) to try and fine tune things and figure out what might work.
Thanks in advance
Ok, some clarifications needed, because Oathbreaker is the unrepentent paladin, whereas Redemption is the repentent one. So I'm not sure I understand what the "drive" is that this subclass is supposed to represent. Because Oathbraker and Redemption could have identical backstories with simply the response of the character to those events being different.
1) What is the narrative reason that would cause your character to swap to this subclass? what subclass will they be before this switch?
2) Why is it necessary for them to swap subclass?
3) What is the drive of the character when they swap to this subclass? Do they want to protect someone/something? Do they want to defeat an enemy? Do they want to give up on why they originally wanted to be a paladin? Do they want to be defiant and follow their ideal despite being betrayed or reality not living up to their ideal? Do they want to blaze their own trail and build something new? Do they want to tear something down and let it all burn?
Agilemind
My characters subclass is going to be more or less homebrewed by the DM... The gist of the backstory is my characters family has been sacrificing people for generations, and I as the heir to the family and the pact with the entity (not even we (my family know exactly what it is) and I am tasked with choosing someone to sacrifice among the party members --- they do not know this -- Note this is all DM provided -- also I have very good assumptions the other players were all given secret knowledge of their own --so I dont believe im unique in that regard
So since I will be having a unique subclass dedicated to this family tradition . I was thinking if I chose to Not Sacrificare a party member (Id be breaking my oath -- hence oath breaker and trying to redeem myself / my family ,.. Pact of Redemption.. so I was going with something thematic if that helps explain the narrative reasons
Ok so that's mostly redemption, the mechanics of oathbreaker don't have anything to do with breaking your oath, they are about embracing darkness/evil. Maybe with some protector-y abilities.
To Take from Redemption Paladin:
CD: Rebuke the Violent - this is very appropriate should the "entity" try to take its sacrifice despite your character refusing to.
7th Level: Aura of the Guardian - again very thematic for a "Take me instead" type redemption arc.
Oath Spells :
3rd: Sanctuary,
5th:
9th: Counterspell,
13th: Otiluke's Resilient Sphere,
17th: Hold Monster, Wall of Force
Watcher's also has some abilities that might fit as a sort of "turn against this extraplanar being that demands these sacrifices."
Oath Spells :
3rd:
5th: Moonbeam,
9th: Nondetection,
13th: Banishment,
17th:
CD: Watcher's Will
20th level : Mortal Bulwark
Lastly you might want to steal from Devotion:
Oath Spells :
3rd: Protection from Good and Evil
5th: Zone of Truth
9th:
13th:
17th:
15th level: Purity of Spirit
That mismash looks pretty on brand and balanced, you might want to swap some of these abilities / spells with something from the subclass your DM makes for you to gives more feeling of being mid-transition from their past self to their new position.
Hey,
Thanks for this.
What youve given seems to work thematically with that I was hoping for. Ill need to play around and see how they work in a build. ( do not have beyond with any books so Ill have to wry and pen and paper it lol.
What race would you recommend? Im thinking maybe half elf (I honestly just googled "what races make the best paladins) and one of the ones on the list was an half elf -- which could work from a narrative point (as the entity was known to take the form of a sea elf) so I could write it that my ancestor who very much agreed to the pact would wanted his children / descendants to resemble the form it took .... (Does a "half-elf have to be part human? the dm said my ancestor was an Aaracokra.. can a half elf just be a any mix race with elf? (guesing thats a if the dm allows it type of deal)
But back to the question... what races work ?