I was trying to create a plant/animal hybrid species and came up with this. Could someone tell me how I could improve it to make it more 'balanced' in comparison with other players. thanks!
Well there is a lot to read and unpack.....I get the image of a Groot like individual from an initial read through.
Here's m thoughts:
Alignment, Age, Size: all ok.
Ability Scores: +2 Dex, ok
Languages/Lip Reading: Maybe do it more like the Observant feat/lip reading ability so you can only lip read languages you can understand or maybe give them speak with plants as per the spell.
Speed: ok but not sure on the burrow speed.
Pressure Sense: Reads like the tremor sense ability but it does need a radius, maybe 30ft but even so its more than any other race would get, it effectively means you are immune to invisibility, darkness and blindness so as a DM I would likely say no to that as a racial ability. Giving Perception proficiency is not big thing so ok there.
Vine Weapon: Oh boy, I wouldn't allow it, the ability gives you multiple attacks and a d6 roll to hit and 50% to 100% chance of hitting for d8 damage. I'm not too sure what you were going for on the "gathering plant matter to form a vine" bit at the end, Sounds like it is being used to make a bridge? or a long whip? Again it says hits using a d6 roll and has a 50% chance of hitting for d20 damage, that's a lot of damage. I'd switch it to they start with the Thorn Whip Cantrip and they can cast Spike Growth once per long rest.
Toxin Touch: This is pretty ambiguous on the details, it needs to be stream lined a little. Maybe give something like shooting a poisonous thorn as per the Ray of Sickness spell once per long rest.
Toxin Immunity: Easier just to say they have resistance to Poison and immunity to the poisoned condition.
Even taking those changes into account you start off with one attack cantrip, a 1st level spell once per long rest, a 2nd level spell once per long rest and a resistance/immunity so may need some more tweaking, although it is more inline with other racial abilities such as Drow Magic and Tiefling Infernal Legacy abilities.
EDIT: also need to confirm these are plant based creatures so spells like blight will have more effect on them.
This is definitely too powerful and complicated. Having an attack with reach that deals a minimum guaranteed d8 damage is insane. The Toxin touch seems ill-defined and potentially overpowered. If i'm reading it right, essentially the intent is to inflict the paralyze status on anyone hit by any unarmed melee strike that isn't wearing armor.
I think just giving the character an unarmed reach attack is really useful, even if it's just a d4 damage. It's like having a whip equipped at all times. I think to make the ability more fun than just, y'know... spending 2GP on a whip, I would attach the toxin touch to it. Applying a proper status effect to an attack that can be used repeatedly would be too much, but maybe something like... when hit by a vine attack, the target makes a DC10 CON save, and on a fail they lose 10 feet of movement speed until the start of your next turn. That way you get the effect of slowing down the opponent and maybe pinning them in place, but without being so broken and overpowered.
I think it would also be kind of fun to give the vinestruct the ability to reach their vines over long distances, but not fast enough to perform an attack. Like... if you come across a 30 foot chasm you can reach across it, although you might have to make a STR check to be able to carry party members (or yourself) across it after making the reach.
Anyway, I like the idea of this race a lot, but it's just really overpowered in ways that aren't really obvious at first glance.
Thanks for the feedback! I've replaced the link with one to the updated version, if you could check over it again to see if I missed/misinterpreted anything you said I would appreciate it (want to get this thing prefect!)
I still feel the various aspects of this need some work and I'd still not allow Toxin Touch (still feels to ambiguous to me) or Vine Weapons (still wouldn't allow an attack on a d6 roll, should be in line with normal d20 attack rolls) as currently written.
my build for it would be along these lines:
Alignment, Age, Size: As Human
Speed: 30ft, Burrow 20ft (soft earth/soil only, this speed is prevented by stone etc)
Ability Score Increases: Increase Strength, Dexterity or Constitution by +2 and also Increase Strength, Dexterity or Constitution by +1, you cannot choose the same ability for both increases.
Special Abilities:
Creature Type: Vine-structs are Humanoid and Plants (meaning they may take additional effects form some spells).
Damage Immunity: Poison
Condition Immunities: blinded, deafened, Poisoned (the Vine-struct lacks the normal physiology of normal humanoids)
Senses: Vine-structs can see normally but can also concentrate (as per concentrating on a spell) to gain Blind-sight 60ft. (reason for this is that you originally have them as being deaf and mute and only using pressure sense...which means they cannot technically differentiate friend from foe)
Languages Common but cannot speak (Should they become spell casters this means they cannot cast a spell requiring Verbal components with out use of the Sorcerer Meta Magic Subtle Spell feature or similar)
False Appearance. While the Vine-struct remains motionless , it is indistinguishable from a tangle of vines.
Natural attacks:
Constricting Vine: Unarmed/Melee Attack, Range 10ft, Roll to hit using Strength or Dexterity bonus, On hit target takes 1d6 Bludgeoning Damage and if the target is Large or smaller, the target must also make a contested Strength check against the Vine-struct or they become grappled. Until this grapple ends the Vine-struct can't constrict another target.
Entangling Plants: Once per long rest a Vine-struct can cause plant life to erupt into life as if they had cast either Entangle or Spike Growth.
Venomous Vine: Once per Short Rest the Vine-struct can secrete a poison from their Vine arms, for one minute if a creature is hit by the Vine-structs Constricting Vine attack they must also make a Constitution Saving Throw (DC 8+ Vine-structs Constitution Bonus + Proficiency Bonus) or take a further 1d6 Poison Damage.
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The wording on all this is too vague. Is there no save against the Toxin Touch? Adding that to a reach attack that guarantees a hit means basically any target that doesn't wear heavy armor is going to be pinned in place each round. Seriously, the vine weapon and toxin touch are just outright broken. Hell, even ignoring the 9 foot reach guaranteed hit, you've got a 50/50 chance to hit from 50 feet away with a melee strike completely regardless of what the target's AC is. Are the vines meant to remain extended after an attack or do they automatically retract? It seems incredibly arbitrary that they have separate HP for that reason.
Seriously, give some kind of DC to the Toxin Touch, and instead of using this D6 to-hit system for the vine attacks, just make it a regular d20 Attack Roll.
I was trying to create a plant/animal hybrid species and came up with this. Could someone tell me how I could improve it to make it more 'balanced' in comparison with other players. thanks!
the link is here >https://www.dndbeyond.com/races/261294-vinestruct<
Well there is a lot to read and unpack.....I get the image of a Groot like individual from an initial read through.
Here's m thoughts:
Alignment, Age, Size: all ok.
Ability Scores: +2 Dex, ok
Languages/Lip Reading: Maybe do it more like the Observant feat/lip reading ability so you can only lip read languages you can understand or maybe give them speak with plants as per the spell.
Speed: ok but not sure on the burrow speed.
Pressure Sense: Reads like the tremor sense ability but it does need a radius, maybe 30ft but even so its more than any other race would get, it effectively means you are immune to invisibility, darkness and blindness so as a DM I would likely say no to that as a racial ability. Giving Perception proficiency is not big thing so ok there.
Vine Weapon: Oh boy, I wouldn't allow it, the ability gives you multiple attacks and a d6 roll to hit and 50% to 100% chance of hitting for d8 damage. I'm not too sure what you were going for on the "gathering plant matter to form a vine" bit at the end, Sounds like it is being used to make a bridge? or a long whip? Again it says hits using a d6 roll and has a 50% chance of hitting for d20 damage, that's a lot of damage. I'd switch it to they start with the Thorn Whip Cantrip and they can cast Spike Growth once per long rest.
Toxin Touch: This is pretty ambiguous on the details, it needs to be stream lined a little. Maybe give something like shooting a poisonous thorn as per the Ray of Sickness spell once per long rest.
Toxin Immunity: Easier just to say they have resistance to Poison and immunity to the poisoned condition.
Even taking those changes into account you start off with one attack cantrip, a 1st level spell once per long rest, a 2nd level spell once per long rest and a resistance/immunity so may need some more tweaking, although it is more inline with other racial abilities such as Drow Magic and Tiefling Infernal Legacy abilities.
EDIT: also need to confirm these are plant based creatures so spells like blight will have more effect on them.
This is definitely too powerful and complicated. Having an attack with reach that deals a minimum guaranteed d8 damage is insane. The Toxin touch seems ill-defined and potentially overpowered. If i'm reading it right, essentially the intent is to inflict the paralyze status on anyone hit by any unarmed melee strike that isn't wearing armor.
I think just giving the character an unarmed reach attack is really useful, even if it's just a d4 damage. It's like having a whip equipped at all times. I think to make the ability more fun than just, y'know... spending 2GP on a whip, I would attach the toxin touch to it. Applying a proper status effect to an attack that can be used repeatedly would be too much, but maybe something like... when hit by a vine attack, the target makes a DC10 CON save, and on a fail they lose 10 feet of movement speed until the start of your next turn. That way you get the effect of slowing down the opponent and maybe pinning them in place, but without being so broken and overpowered.
I think it would also be kind of fun to give the vinestruct the ability to reach their vines over long distances, but not fast enough to perform an attack. Like... if you come across a 30 foot chasm you can reach across it, although you might have to make a STR check to be able to carry party members (or yourself) across it after making the reach.
Anyway, I like the idea of this race a lot, but it's just really overpowered in ways that aren't really obvious at first glance.
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Thanks for the feedback! I've replaced the link with one to the updated version, if you could check over it again to see if I missed/misinterpreted anything you said I would appreciate it (want to get this thing prefect!)
I still feel the various aspects of this need some work and I'd still not allow Toxin Touch (still feels to ambiguous to me) or Vine Weapons (still wouldn't allow an attack on a d6 roll, should be in line with normal d20 attack rolls) as currently written.
my build for it would be along these lines:
Alignment, Age, Size: As Human
Speed: 30ft, Burrow 20ft (soft earth/soil only, this speed is prevented by stone etc)
Ability Score Increases: Increase Strength, Dexterity or Constitution by +2 and also Increase Strength, Dexterity or Constitution by +1, you cannot choose the same ability for both increases.
Special Abilities:
Creature Type: Vine-structs are Humanoid and Plants (meaning they may take additional effects form some spells).
Damage Immunity: Poison
Condition Immunities: blinded, deafened, Poisoned (the Vine-struct lacks the normal physiology of normal humanoids)
Senses: Vine-structs can see normally but can also concentrate (as per concentrating on a spell) to gain Blind-sight 60ft. (reason for this is that you originally have them as being deaf and mute and only using pressure sense...which means they cannot technically differentiate friend from foe)
Languages Common but cannot speak (Should they become spell casters this means they cannot cast a spell requiring Verbal components with out use of the Sorcerer Meta Magic Subtle Spell feature or similar)
False Appearance. While the Vine-struct remains motionless , it is indistinguishable from a tangle of vines.
Natural attacks:
Constricting Vine: Unarmed/Melee Attack, Range 10ft, Roll to hit using Strength or Dexterity bonus, On hit target takes 1d6 Bludgeoning Damage and if the target is Large or smaller, the target must also make a contested Strength check against the Vine-struct or they become grappled. Until this grapple ends the Vine-struct can't constrict another target.
Entangling Plants: Once per long rest a Vine-struct can cause plant life to erupt into life as if they had cast either Entangle or Spike Growth.
Venomous Vine: Once per Short Rest the Vine-struct can secrete a poison from their Vine arms, for one minute if a creature is hit by the Vine-structs Constricting Vine attack they must also make a Constitution Saving Throw (DC 8+ Vine-structs Constitution Bonus + Proficiency Bonus) or take a further 1d6 Poison Damage.
The wording on all this is too vague. Is there no save against the Toxin Touch? Adding that to a reach attack that guarantees a hit means basically any target that doesn't wear heavy armor is going to be pinned in place each round. Seriously, the vine weapon and toxin touch are just outright broken. Hell, even ignoring the 9 foot reach guaranteed hit, you've got a 50/50 chance to hit from 50 feet away with a melee strike completely regardless of what the target's AC is. Are the vines meant to remain extended after an attack or do they automatically retract? It seems incredibly arbitrary that they have separate HP for that reason.
Seriously, give some kind of DC to the Toxin Touch, and instead of using this D6 to-hit system for the vine attacks, just make it a regular d20 Attack Roll.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium