This is my attempt to make a subclass for a melee druid for an upcoming campaign, and any and all suggestions for balance would be appreciated. I am simultaneously worried that the class might be too powerful and too poor, given that the druid is the best area control caster and I am adding melee capabilities to a full caster, but they also have a d8 hit die and usually 16 AC (Hide +2 Dex +2 Shield). In addition, I mostly looked at the Wildfire and Stars druid subclasses and the Valour and Hexblade non-druid fullcaster melee subclasses while attempting to balance it, which are known for their above-average power.
All criticism, commentary and awareness of loopholes is much obliged!
Martial magic.shillelagh is just an essential cantrip for a "melee druid" and I'm glad it's there, but I am curious on your reasoning for deciding to choose false life as a free casting spell instead of doing a spell list, or another alternate (since druids can't settle on a bonus spell format).
Forest forms. At first reading, I noticed there's a few things missing, such as the duration of the form and the ability to dismiss it early. With bramble, this could be reworded as "when you cast a spell of 1st level or higher as an action, you can make one weapon attack as bonus action," I'm assuming this is what you were going for. Also for a subclass that is supposed to be melee, I would've hoped that the form would've granted temp hit points or some type of defensive feature to help with the durability (see Spores druid for example). I'm going to assume this wasn't included because of your decision to include false life as a free casting. As a final note for this feature, currently what you have for this feature to me it feels underwhelming, especially because you are having to spend your action to start it.
Extra Attack. No issue here.
Careful Protector. I understand what you were going for here, but to me this feature doesn't make sense. I'd suggest something that would boost your forest form instead. Maybe something like, "while in your forest form you gain resistance again bludgeon, piecing and slashing damage."
Wilderness Warrior. I currently don't have an issue with this feature.
Overall, I do like what you're doing here but there's some things that you are missing. I'm also working on a martial druid subclass of my own and it's interesting to see how different people's take can be for similar ideas.
1. My reasoning for false life as a free spell was based off the Circle of Stars' starry map feature, which grants Guiding Bolt. This also was to avoid copying the Circle of Spores' feature, though it is of course a great feature. I also thought about shield, though you'd burn through that quite quickly, and the Bramble form grants increased AC (it's rather like Shield on a Forge Cleric in my highly biased opinion).
2. The duration for Forest Form is now ten minutes, same as Stars and Spores, and you can now dismiss it early. I'm not really sure what the best way to set it up is, since shillelagh also takes a bonus action. My reasoning was that if you're about to enter a new room of a dungeon, you will probably be able to choose your form earlier, but I am considering changing it to a bonus action.
I was originally going for the "cast a spell of 1st level or higher" for the "Bramble" form, but then I worried that it might be underwhelming since you get precisely 3 of those per day at second level (5 if you cast false life from the first feature), and you're sort of stuck in it for the rest of the fight or until you waste an action. As currently written, you could make one weapon attack and take the Dodge action, for example; I am also worried about the power level of that.
On the subject of "some type of defensive feature", you can choose to increase your AC by your Wisdom modifier with the "Oak" form, which gives you a potential AC of 19 (Hide + 2 Dex + 2 Shield + 3 Wis, or Leather + 3 Dex), one lower than a Cleric or Paladin using Shield of Faith and the same as a Defensive fighter at that level, and maxing out at a highly respectable 21. Of course, you cannot use this and the "Bramble" form, which might be a problem.
3. Resistance vs nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage is on the Druid list as stoneskin if you want it, and resistance vs magical is a 14th level feature for the Stars druid, and I've already got a feature for that level. I thought it might be a good idea to grant close melee allies the ability to move through spike growths or walls of fire, since they are completely unaffected by the spell; in fact they just have to be within 10ft of you when the spell is cast.
Alternate 10th level features, which have not been thought through for quite so long:
Restoration and Protection. When you cast a spell which heals an ally, you can also grant them resistance to one of the following damage types: acid, poison, cold, fire, lightning, thunder, bludgeoning, piercing or slashing. This resistance lasts for one minute, and does not require you to maintain concentration. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, and regain all uses upon completing a long rest.
Fey Fortitude. You gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws, as your connection to the fey forest bolsters your vitality.
Lightning Reflexes. You are always alert, ready to enter combat on the slightest threat. You gain a bonus to initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier.
1. My reasoning for false life as a free spell was based off the Circle of Stars' starry map feature, which grants Guiding Bolt. This also was to avoid copying the Circle of Spores' feature, though it is of course a great feature. I also thought about shield, though you'd burn through that quite quickly, and the Bramble form grants increased AC (it's rather like Shield on a Forge Cleric in my highly biased opinion).
That's what I figured, I was just curious because from my experience with false life, granted it was from the Warlock's Fiendish Vigor invocation, that it's a fairly underwhelming spell. Although I did notice after rereading the subclass, you did have a snippet about false life scaling with the player, which I'd have to say is a good call because that's one of the reasons why I dropped the invocation on my warlock.
2. The duration for Forest Form is now ten minutes, same as Stars and Spores, and you can now dismiss it early. I'm not really sure what the best way to set it up is, since shillelagh also takes a bonus action. My reasoning was that if you're about to enter a new room of a dungeon, you will probably be able to choose your form earlier, but I am considering changing it to a bonus action.
I was originally going for the "cast a spell of 1st level or higher" for the "Bramble" form, but then I worried that it might be underwhelming since you get precisely 3 of those per day at second level (5 if you cast false life from the first feature), and you're sort of stuck in it for the rest of the fight or until you waste an action. As currently written, you could make one weapon attack and take the Dodge action, for example; I am also worried about the power level of that.
On the subject of "some type of defensive feature", you can choose to increase your AC by your Wisdom modifier with the "Oak" form, which gives you a potential AC of 19 (Hide + 2 Dex + 2 Shield + 3 Wis, or Leather + 3 Dex), one lower than a Cleric or Paladin using Shield of Faith and the same as a Defensive fighter at that level, and maxing out at a highly respectable 21. Of course, you cannot use this and the "Bramble" form, which might be a problem.
Yeah, I can see that, I forget that shillelagh was also a bonus action. That'll have to be a decision that you make after some play testing. Also that is fair, I didn't take into consideration the other in combat actions. But that could bring of the possibility of have you thought about the idea of allowing the players to gain both features of forest form and balance it like that?
1. I actually quite like false life - as a Wizard it's almost as much HP as gaining a level. Utilising these free False Lives which scale with level actually puts your HP consistently a couple of points above that of a Fighter, though it can be dispelled etc and cannot be healed.
2. Giving them both of those features would give them a 2/long rest Bladesinger feature (at second level) and almost the Eldritch Knight's war magic feature, twice per short rest from level 2, so I think that might increase the power of this subclass by quite a bit. I am however considering allowing you to change between those forms at will as part of the 14th level feature, like the Stars druid.
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This is my attempt to make a subclass for a melee druid for an upcoming campaign, and any and all suggestions for balance would be appreciated. I am simultaneously worried that the class might be too powerful and too poor, given that the druid is the best area control caster and I am adding melee capabilities to a full caster, but they also have a d8 hit die and usually 16 AC (Hide +2 Dex +2 Shield). In addition, I mostly looked at the Wildfire and Stars druid subclasses and the Valour and Hexblade non-druid fullcaster melee subclasses while attempting to balance it, which are known for their above-average power.
All criticism, commentary and awareness of loopholes is much obliged!
Link here.
okay, okay, okay... lets see what we have here.
Overall, I do like what you're doing here but there's some things that you are missing. I'm also working on a martial druid subclass of my own and it's interesting to see how different people's take can be for similar ideas.
My Homebrew | Background | Feats | Magic Items | Races | Spells | Subclass | Homebrewery
To see my more recent homebrew creations, please check out my content on Hombrewery.
1. My reasoning for false life as a free spell was based off the Circle of Stars' starry map feature, which grants Guiding Bolt. This also was to avoid copying the Circle of Spores' feature, though it is of course a great feature. I also thought about shield, though you'd burn through that quite quickly, and the Bramble form grants increased AC (it's rather like Shield on a Forge Cleric in my highly biased opinion).
2. The duration for Forest Form is now ten minutes, same as Stars and Spores, and you can now dismiss it early. I'm not really sure what the best way to set it up is, since shillelagh also takes a bonus action. My reasoning was that if you're about to enter a new room of a dungeon, you will probably be able to choose your form earlier, but I am considering changing it to a bonus action.
I was originally going for the "cast a spell of 1st level or higher" for the "Bramble" form, but then I worried that it might be underwhelming since you get precisely 3 of those per day at second level (5 if you cast false life from the first feature), and you're sort of stuck in it for the rest of the fight or until you waste an action. As currently written, you could make one weapon attack and take the Dodge action, for example; I am also worried about the power level of that.
On the subject of "some type of defensive feature", you can choose to increase your AC by your Wisdom modifier with the "Oak" form, which gives you a potential AC of 19 (Hide + 2 Dex + 2 Shield + 3 Wis, or Leather + 3 Dex), one lower than a Cleric or Paladin using Shield of Faith and the same as a Defensive fighter at that level, and maxing out at a highly respectable 21. Of course, you cannot use this and the "Bramble" form, which might be a problem.
3. Resistance vs nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage is on the Druid list as stoneskin if you want it, and resistance vs magical is a 14th level feature for the Stars druid, and I've already got a feature for that level. I thought it might be a good idea to grant close melee allies the ability to move through spike growths or walls of fire, since they are completely unaffected by the spell; in fact they just have to be within 10ft of you when the spell is cast.
Alternate 10th level features, which have not been thought through for quite so long:
Restoration and Protection. When you cast a spell which heals an ally, you can also grant them resistance to one of the following damage types: acid, poison, cold, fire, lightning, thunder, bludgeoning, piercing or slashing. This resistance lasts for one minute, and does not require you to maintain concentration. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, and regain all uses upon completing a long rest.
Fey Fortitude. You gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws, as your connection to the fey forest bolsters your vitality.
Lightning Reflexes. You are always alert, ready to enter combat on the slightest threat. You gain a bonus to initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier.
That's what I figured, I was just curious because from my experience with false life, granted it was from the Warlock's Fiendish Vigor invocation, that it's a fairly underwhelming spell. Although I did notice after rereading the subclass, you did have a snippet about false life scaling with the player, which I'd have to say is a good call because that's one of the reasons why I dropped the invocation on my warlock.
Yeah, I can see that, I forget that shillelagh was also a bonus action. That'll have to be a decision that you make after some play testing. Also that is fair, I didn't take into consideration the other in combat actions. But that could bring of the possibility of have you thought about the idea of allowing the players to gain both features of forest form and balance it like that?
My Homebrew | Background | Feats | Magic Items | Races | Spells | Subclass | Homebrewery
To see my more recent homebrew creations, please check out my content on Hombrewery.
1. I actually quite like false life - as a Wizard it's almost as much HP as gaining a level. Utilising these free False Lives which scale with level actually puts your HP consistently a couple of points above that of a Fighter, though it can be dispelled etc and cannot be healed.
2. Giving them both of those features would give them a 2/long rest Bladesinger feature (at second level) and almost the Eldritch Knight's war magic feature, twice per short rest from level 2, so I think that might increase the power of this subclass by quite a bit. I am however considering allowing you to change between those forms at will as part of the 14th level feature, like the Stars druid.