I've been tossing around the idea of a School of Disease subclass for a while, and I've finally got it to where I'm happy with it and I feel like it's not overpowered or too weak, but this is the first subclass homebrew I've made so I'd like some feedback. Thank you!
Just from a quick skimmed, is there a particular reason you want access to the entire cleric spell list? I'm asking because one of the main things that keeps the wizard balanced is that they do not have access to healing. Also to help simplify the level 14 just make the DC equal to your spell dc. Other than the rest of the class is either under powered, not sure where to start since I'm not 100% sure what you're trying to do with this subclass other than making it disease based subclass.
This is the closest thing I've made to what it seems like you're trying to do would be my school of entropy subclass. Hopefully this helps you a bit.
Yeah, having access to the Cleric spell list is just... way too much of a change. If you wanted to pick and choose a few key spells that really play well with the them you're going for I think that would be okay.
My idea, though, is to trade it for some kind of unique class feature that isn't just a recreation of a healing spell. Maybe something where you can attempt to transfer negative status effects from one creature to another... so if an enemy poisons one of your allies you can attempt to move the poison from your ally to the enemy.
For the Plaguebringer's Shroud, I agree it would make sense to just assign it your spell save DC. At higher levels instead I would say either increase the amount of damage it deals. Although I would decrease the initial damage to just 1d8, so at level 18 it does 3d8. Although honestly I'm still not sure how useful the ability will prove to be... it seems extremely useful for a character that runs headlong into battle, but for a Wizard who's most likely going to try to stay as far away from combat as possible it doesn't seem as useful. Maybe instead of dealing damage it focuses on stunning nearby enemies, so it can be used as a way to get out of danger safely when surrounded.
I had a concept for a scholar who was fascinated with diseases and worked it into her magic, but none of the wizard subclasses I found really fit what I wanted so I decided to try and make it. So honestly just a disease based subclass. I thought that the cleric spell list would be helpful, since dealing with diseases you'd probably want that option available, but that's probably trying to do too much with one subclass, good point. I'll focus it back in on studying and using disease. Maybe an expanded spell list would work better?
1st level - detect poison + disease
2nd level - protection from poison
3rd level - speak with dead
4th level - death ward
5th level - contagion
I'll have to dig into spells a bit more if I go with this. Considering how big the wizard spell list is already, maybe just one spell per casting level?
Moving a condition around is an interesting idea, it fits with the wanting to control ailments aspect. I'd have to figure the limitations of it, I'll think about it.
Spell save DC is a lot simpler, yeah. When I play caster I do try to keep out of close-combat but it does happen, the Shroud would be a 'keep back or suffer the consequences'. Stunning might be interesting, I'll have to play with that a bit. Or maybe have the aura radius expand eventually?
I was going to suggest picking one or two of those spells then implementing them in the subclass, similar to how some wizard subclasses have like school of necromancy or transmutation empowers a single spell. BUT since none of those spells are in the wizard spell list, I would say that an expanded spell list would be the best way to go. Unless you're wanting to pick a few of those spells and integrate them as part of the class features, which if you go that route. Be careful because you don't want all the class features to just be learning none wizard spells.
I've been tossing around the idea of a School of Disease subclass for a while, and I've finally got it to where I'm happy with it and I feel like it's not overpowered or too weak, but this is the first subclass homebrew I've made so I'd like some feedback. Thank you!
School of Disease
Just from a quick skimmed, is there a particular reason you want access to the entire cleric spell list? I'm asking because one of the main things that keeps the wizard balanced is that they do not have access to healing. Also to help simplify the level 14 just make the DC equal to your spell dc. Other than the rest of the class is either under powered, not sure where to start since I'm not 100% sure what you're trying to do with this subclass other than making it disease based subclass.
This is the closest thing I've made to what it seems like you're trying to do would be my school of entropy subclass. Hopefully this helps you a bit.
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To see my more recent homebrew creations, please check out my content on Hombrewery.
Yeah, having access to the Cleric spell list is just... way too much of a change. If you wanted to pick and choose a few key spells that really play well with the them you're going for I think that would be okay.
My idea, though, is to trade it for some kind of unique class feature that isn't just a recreation of a healing spell. Maybe something where you can attempt to transfer negative status effects from one creature to another... so if an enemy poisons one of your allies you can attempt to move the poison from your ally to the enemy.
For the Plaguebringer's Shroud, I agree it would make sense to just assign it your spell save DC. At higher levels instead I would say either increase the amount of damage it deals. Although I would decrease the initial damage to just 1d8, so at level 18 it does 3d8. Although honestly I'm still not sure how useful the ability will prove to be... it seems extremely useful for a character that runs headlong into battle, but for a Wizard who's most likely going to try to stay as far away from combat as possible it doesn't seem as useful. Maybe instead of dealing damage it focuses on stunning nearby enemies, so it can be used as a way to get out of danger safely when surrounded.
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I was going to suggest picking one or two of those spells then implementing them in the subclass, similar to how some wizard subclasses have like school of necromancy or transmutation empowers a single spell. BUT since none of those spells are in the wizard spell list, I would say that an expanded spell list would be the best way to go. Unless you're wanting to pick a few of those spells and integrate them as part of the class features, which if you go that route. Be careful because you don't want all the class features to just be learning none wizard spells.
My Homebrew | Background | Feats | Magic Items | Races | Spells | Subclass | Homebrewery
To see my more recent homebrew creations, please check out my content on Hombrewery.