I created this homebrew subclass a while ago. I don't have much experience creating homebrew, actually this my first homebrew subclass, so I have no idea how balanced it is. I was inspired by the Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer but instead of gaining physical attributes from of a dragon you gain more dragon like abilities. The idea behind this subclass is you study under a dragon and learn to channel your ki into what I call draconic ki or draconic spell craft/magic, I don't know which one is better so you can see I jump between them throughout the subclass. This subclass is also kind of a caster subclass too which could pose some problems. I would love to hear your opinions!
The Way of the Inner Dragon teaches its students to channel their ki into ancient draconic magic. Each monks dedicates themselves to studying under a single type of dragon and while they do not become draconic they use their ancient teaching to alter their martial arts.
Draconic Mastery
. Type of dragon is determined by your alignment, (though you can pick any if you wish to). The damage type associated with each dragon is used by features you gain later.
Draconic Masters
At 3rd level, you choose one type of dragon as your master
Dragon
Damage type
Alignment
Black
Acid
Evil
Blue
Lightning
Evil
Brass
Fire
Good
Bronze
Lightning
Good
Copper
Acid
Good
Gold
Fire
Good
Green
Poison
Evil
Red
Fire
Evil
Silver
Ice
Good
White
Ice
Evil
You also gain proficiency in the Arcana skill if you don't already have it. You can now also speak, read, and write Draconic if you don't already know it.
Elemental Fists
You learn to channel your ki and wrap your fists with draconic magic. At 3rd level, you can spend one ki point to add one extra martial art die to your unarmed strikes. The type of damage is determined based on your Draconic Mastery.
Draconic Spell Craft
At 6th level, you gain the ability to channel your ki into a massive breath weapon. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 2 ki points to cast [spell]Dragon's breath[/spell as a bonus action. The damage type is determined by your Draconic Mastery.
You can spend additional ki points to cast Dragon's breath as a higher-level spell. Each additional ki point you spend increases the spell's level by 1. The maximum number of ki points (2 plus any additional points) that you can spend on the spell equals half your monk level.
Additionally, you learn one cantrip based on your Draconic Mastery.
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your spells. The power of your spells comes from your Draconic ki. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Specialised Breath Weapon
By channelling different types of ki, you can change the effect of your breath weapon. Beginning at 11th level you can choose one specialised breath weapon as shown below each have different effects. When cast dragon breath you can spend an additional ki point to change what the breath weapon does.
Sleep Breath. You exhale sleep gas in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell dc or fall unconscious for 10 minutes. This effect ends for a creature if the creature takes damage or someone uses an action to wake it.
Repulsion Breath. You exhale repulsion energy in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell dc. On a failed save, the creature is pushed 30 feet away from You.
Slowing Breath. You exhale gas in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell dc. On a failed save, the creature can't use reactions, its speed is halved, and it can't make more than one attack on its turn. In addition, the creature can use either an action or a bonus action on its turn, but not both. These effects last for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a successful save.
Weakening Breath. You exhale gas in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell dc or have disadvantage on Strength-based attack rolls, Strength checks, and Strength saving throws for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Paralyzing Breath. You exhale paralyzing gas in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
You gain an additional Specialised Breath Weapon at 17th level.
Unleashing the Inner Dragon
At 17th level, you gain the ability call upon the dragon within and unleash it. You can spend 6 ki points to gain the ability to cast Illusory Dragon . Instead of being made from shadow magic it is made by your draconic ki. Also the damage type is based on your Draconic Mastery.
Elemental fists - How many strikes do you get from this? One? For each hit on your turn? If it's only one then it's weaker than the flurry of blows and will not be used often, only when the attacked creature is vulnerable to the damage type. If it's for each hit on your turn then you can deal, at level 3, 6d4 damage costing 2 ki points. You need to clear this point.
Specialized Breath Weapon - IMO, way too strong. Maybe I'm wrong, but Weakening, Slowing and Paralyzing Breaths feel way too strong for just 1 mere ki point. Repulsion Breath is strong but not too much. Compared to the other options, I'd only use it to force a creature to fall off a cliff. Sleep Breath also feels very powerful, but maybe if you make it work the same way Sleep works it will be more balanced.
Other than that I think it's a good start for a subclass. (Just a small tip: use [ spell]Spell Name[ /spell] but without the spaces inside the [] to make it easy for others to understand what spell you refer to, the same way I did with Sleep)
Thanks for the feedback! I also think that certain features were too OP. By the way the specialised breath weapon is 3 ki points, 2 ki points for casting dragons breath and an additional ki point to change it to specialised breath weapon, sorry if that wasn't clear. Also the specialised breath weapons were taken straight from certain dragon stat blocks with miner tweaks, but yeah I also think it needs changing. I think that I might change the elemental fist so that its a bonus action to activate so it takes away from flurry of blows and then maybe no ki cost but I don't know just yet. Also thanks for the tip.
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I created this homebrew subclass a while ago. I don't have much experience creating homebrew, actually this my first homebrew subclass, so I have no idea how balanced it is. I was inspired by the Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer but instead of gaining physical attributes from of a dragon you gain more dragon like abilities. The idea behind this subclass is you study under a dragon and learn to channel your ki into what I call draconic ki or draconic spell craft/magic, I don't know which one is better so you can see I jump between them throughout the subclass. This subclass is also kind of a caster subclass too which could pose some problems. I would love to hear your opinions!
The Way of the Inner Dragon teaches its students to channel their ki into ancient draconic magic. Each monks dedicates themselves to studying under a single type of dragon and while they do not become draconic they use their ancient teaching to alter their martial arts.
Draconic Mastery
. Type of dragon is determined by your alignment, (though you can pick any if you wish to). The damage type associated with each dragon is used by features you gain later.
Draconic Masters
At 3rd level, you choose one type of dragon as your master
Dragon
Damage type
Alignment
Black
Acid
Evil
Blue
Lightning
Evil
Brass
Fire
Good
Bronze
Lightning
Good
Copper
Acid
Good
Gold
Fire
Good
Green
Poison
Evil
Red
Fire
Evil
Silver
Ice
Good
White
Ice
Evil
You also gain proficiency in the Arcana skill if you don't already have it. You can now also speak, read, and write Draconic if you don't already know it.
Elemental Fists
You learn to channel your ki and wrap your fists with draconic magic. At 3rd level, you can spend one ki point to add one extra martial art die to your unarmed strikes. The type of damage is determined based on your Draconic Mastery.
Draconic Spell Craft
At 6th level, you gain the ability to channel your ki into a massive breath weapon. Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 2 ki points to cast [spell]Dragon's breath[/spell as a bonus action. The damage type is determined by your Draconic Mastery.
You can spend additional ki points to cast Dragon's breath as a higher-level spell. Each additional ki point you spend increases the spell's level by 1. The maximum number of ki points (2 plus any additional points) that you can spend on the spell equals half your monk level.
Additionally, you learn one cantrip based on your Draconic Mastery.
Dragon
Cantrip
Black
Primal Savagery
Blue
Lightning Lure
Brass
Create Bonfire
Bronze
Shocking Grasp
Copper
Acid Splash
Gold
Produce Flame
Green
Poison Spray
Red
Fire Bolt
Silver
Ray of Frost
White
Frostbite
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your spells. The power of your spells comes from your Draconic ki. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Specialised Breath Weapon
By channelling different types of ki, you can change the effect of your breath weapon. Beginning at 11th level you can choose one specialised breath weapon as shown below each have different effects. When cast dragon breath you can spend an additional ki point to change what the breath weapon does.
Sleep Breath. You exhale sleep gas in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell dc or fall unconscious for 10 minutes. This effect ends for a creature if the creature takes damage or someone uses an action to wake it.
Repulsion Breath. You exhale repulsion energy in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell dc. On a failed save, the creature is pushed 30 feet away from You.
Slowing Breath. You exhale gas in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell dc. On a failed save, the creature can't use reactions, its speed is halved, and it can't make more than one attack on its turn. In addition, the creature can use either an action or a bonus action on its turn, but not both. These effects last for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a successful save.
Weakening Breath. You exhale gas in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell dc or have disadvantage on Strength-based attack rolls, Strength checks, and Strength saving throws for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Paralyzing Breath. You exhale paralyzing gas in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
You gain an additional Specialised Breath Weapon at 17th level.
Unleashing the Inner Dragon
At 17th level, you gain the ability call upon the dragon within and unleash it. You can spend 6 ki points to gain the ability to cast Illusory Dragon . Instead of being made from shadow magic it is made by your draconic ki. Also the damage type is based on your Draconic Mastery.
You also gain an extra Specialised Breath weapon.
Elemental fists - How many strikes do you get from this? One? For each hit on your turn? If it's only one then it's weaker than the flurry of blows and will not be used often, only when the attacked creature is vulnerable to the damage type. If it's for each hit on your turn then you can deal, at level 3, 6d4 damage costing 2 ki points. You need to clear this point.
Specialized Breath Weapon - IMO, way too strong. Maybe I'm wrong, but Weakening, Slowing and Paralyzing Breaths feel way too strong for just 1 mere ki point. Repulsion Breath is strong but not too much. Compared to the other options, I'd only use it to force a creature to fall off a cliff. Sleep Breath also feels very powerful, but maybe if you make it work the same way Sleep works it will be more balanced.
Other than that I think it's a good start for a subclass.
(Just a small tip: use [ spell]Spell Name[ /spell] but without the spaces inside the [] to make it easy for others to understand what spell you refer to, the same way I did with Sleep)
Varielky
Thanks for the feedback! I also think that certain features were too OP. By the way the specialised breath weapon is 3 ki points, 2 ki points for casting dragons breath and an additional ki point to change it to specialised breath weapon, sorry if that wasn't clear. Also the specialised breath weapons were taken straight from certain dragon stat blocks with miner tweaks, but yeah I also think it needs changing. I think that I might change the elemental fist so that its a bonus action to activate so it takes away from flurry of blows and then maybe no ki cost but I don't know just yet. Also thanks for the tip.