Twitter Archetypes - Beauty, Darkness, Destruction Clerics, Llolth Warlock

Duncehack Edition

So who are you?

Just some tosser with an over inflated sense of self importance.

Send verbal abuse via Minds.com

What is the Duncehack?

It emerged from a place of frustration. There's quite a number of areas where 5e could be improved but... it's not going to happen for various reasons.

The Duncehack is my attempt to fix these problems I have. Plan is to go through the whole game - all of it - and homebrew it into the game I think is should have been.

Feel free to disagree with me, but ultimately I think there's no harm in putting my thoughts out there, at the very least if even one DM decides to adopt these rules, then my job is done.

No DM Guild? No OGL Release?

I chafe under binding contracts and both of these are exactly that.

The DM Guild gives you more room to mess with established rules, but basically demands that all be under the service of flagship settings.

The SRD on the other hand gives more room for interesting settings but clamps down extremely hard on what established rules you're allowed to use. Their biggest contention is that they don't want someone to sell a sourcebook that removes the need for core books. Translation: they don't want Pathfinder to happen all over again.

More to the point, both assume money will change hands. I don't want money, I just want Wizards to fix their game.

Groundrules

Groundrules for the Duncehack are as follows:

• No Nerfs: the goal is to bring weaker archetypes on the level of the stronger ones.

• Remove Traps: incentives built into classes and archetypes should provide an active payoff, rather than be the suboptimal choice.

• Frontload Agency, Backend Power: Generally speaking, people like having more options to do things, rather than more raw power. As a design rule: things that feel like core class features, or are defining class mechanics, should happen in the first ten levels, sheer numeric increases in power should come after that.

No money changed hands here

This is a passion project. I want to keep it that way.

I also want to avoid legal issues for self-evident reasons.

Obligatory Natural Crit Plug

http://www.naturalcrit.com/

Someone else made a thing that lets me make homebrews without having to post them on pastebin or something. They deserve a lot of credit for that.

Obligatory /tg/ Plug

The feedback I got from various Anons on this helped me build this into something that wasn't bad and stupid.

I love you all in a way only abused spouse can possibly understand.

No Images?

I originally wanted to, but I was encountering problems with the sheer size of these PDFs. I have to break these into parts to upload them anywhere as it is.

What is this?

These came from a twitter source that will likely never be revisited.

Beauty Domain Cleric

Beauty can both bend minds and inspire hearts. It is the force that compels others to lose control and give in to their impulses, but it can also awaken strength and determination to steel a forlorn heart.

Clerics of Beauty bring joy and hope to the world. They are the beacon of light that reminds us that some things are worth fighting for. They seek to bring peace and amity among the world's folk. They fight only when they must, and prefer to use their magic to end fights with as little bloodshed as possible.

At each indicated cleric level, you add the listed spells to your spells prepared.

Beauty Domain Spells

Beauty's Refuge

Starting at 1st level, your mere presence is enough to inspire hope and determination in others.

When you complete a short or long rest, up to 12 allies of your choice gain temporary hit points equal to twice your Wisdom modifier (minimum 2).

Rebuke the Defiler

When you select this domain at 1st level, you gain the ability to rebuke those who lash out at you in violence.

As a reaction when a creature you can see within 30 feet of you inflicts damage, you force that creature to make a Wisdom save. On a failed saving throw, it takes psychic damage equal to the damage dealt. On a successful save, it takes half that damage.

If the creature made multiple attacks, select one attack to determine the damage dealt. If the creature used one or more effects that damaged multiple targets, choose the damage take by one of those targets from one of the effects.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Channel Divinity: Beauty's Truce

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to quell the flame of violence.

As a bonus action, you force all creatures within 100 feet of you to make Charisma saving throws. Each creature that fails this save is charmed by every other creature that also failed the saving throw. This benefit lasts for one hour. While charmed by this ability, creatures consider all other creatures charmed by it to be their allies. They fight to defend them from attackers.

While this ability persists, absent any threat creatures charmed by it will rest, talk among themselves, share stories of their lives, create a communal feast using food and drink they carry, and generally act as if they are old friends, long separated and brought together again for a joyous reunion.

Channel Divinity: Transcendent Beauty

Starting at 5th level, you can use your bonus action to enact your Channel Divinity, manifesting divine beauty in your interactions.

For the next hour, all Charisma skill checks add your Wisdom modifier to the roll.

This power is a subtle one, and other creatures are unaware of your usage of it.

Potent Cantrip

Starting at 7th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip.

Soul of Beauty

Starting at 17th level, you become an avatar of unearthly beauty. Your enemies attack with uncertainty, fearful of damaging the wondrous being they behold, while your magic draws upon your presence to augment its power.

As a reaction, you can impose a penalty on a creature's attacks against you or on its saving throws against your spells and abilities. This benefit lasts until the end of the current turn. The penalty equals your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).

The MAD Issue

Every single feature provided by this archetype was Charisma based.

Yeah.

I figure though that Wisdom can be a justified replacement in context however, as Beauty itself is the thing worshipped, thus the cleric would be granted beauty as a boon for their devotion, no?

On the other hand, Charisma saves however make a hell of a lot of sense, and that needs to be kept.

Bonus action channel divinity?

I did it with every single other Cleric CD (but not Paladin). This is no different.

Transcendent Beauty

It's supposed to be a Cha based Cleric, but that's not going to work out too well.

This is here to bring that functionality in, but at a tradeoff.

Beauty's Refuge/Superior Refuge

In the original writeup it was Temp. HP = Cha. Mod and the 6th level feature was 'this now gives 5 + Cha. Mod.'

I know this came off Twitter, but it was kind of lazy.

I rolled them into the same feature, to make room for something more thematically appropriate.

Soul of Beauty

Changed it from Charisma to Wisdom. Initially thought of moving it earlier, but it is kind of just a straight numeric upgrade with an opportunity cost.

Darkness Domain Cleric

Darkness as an abstract is a strange concept - it is absence made tangible, and freedom for those willing to take upon risk. While a more common domain among evil gods, such as Bhaal, Zehir, Vhaeraun, Shar and Lolth, there are the occasional gods who represent it as a liberating force, such as Eilistraee, or merely as a necessary part of their wider portfolio, such as Mask.

Darkness Domain Spells

Child of Night

When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain the chill touch cantrip.

You gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision from your race, its range increases by 30 feet.

Shadowguard

Starting at 1st level, you can invoke the power of darkness to obscure yourself from harm. As a reaction when a creature you can see makes a weapon attack against you, you cause that creature to become blinded until the end of your next turn.

You may also use this feature against creatures who successfully damage you via some other means (Such as an ability resisted with a saving throw).

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Channel Divinity: Shadow Spawn

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to fade into the darkness.

As a bonus action, you become a creature of darkness that can blend into the shadows. You gain advantage on all Dexterity (Stealth) checks. If a creature cannot see you, your spells and attacks deal maximum damage to them. The shadows draw around, as they seek to protect you. This benefit lasts for one minute.

The Hungering Murk

Starting at 5th level, your Shadowguard becomes more powerful.

You have a number of charges of your Shadowguard ability equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).

When you use it, you may spend additional charges of your Shadowguard ability, blinding additional hostile creatures you can see within 30 feet of you until the end of your next turn.

Potent Cantrip

Starting at 7th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip.

Soul of Darkness

Starting at 17th level, you gain strength from darkness itself. As a bonus action, you fade into the shadows, regaining hit points equal to your cleric level.

For the next minute you gain resistance to all damage for one minute so long as you remain in dim light or darkness. You can use a bonus action to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is in dim light or darkness.

You must take a short or a long rest before using this feature again.

Description

One wasn't provided, so I made do.

Child of Night

The original writeup was just 'if you don't have darkvision, you get 30 foot of darkvision'. What I've got here is a copy/paste of the Gloom Stalker feature.

Shadowguard

Was originally named 'Shield of Ineffable Darkness'. Yeah.

It also, in the original writeup was one round of blindness after they successfully damaged you, but switching it to 'before an incoming attack' limits certain edge uses that the old version provided.

So I added that extra line about being damaged in.

Just... I buffed it, alright?

The Hungering Murk

The original name was 'Hungry Shadows' which to me evoked the edgiest possible version of hungry, hungry hippos.

Original writeup was just 'when you use it, you can hit three additional creatures'. Which seemed... not as great in practice as in theory to me, even if it is a short rest ability.

This is a straight buff.

Soul of Darkness

Uhh...

So the original writeup didn't have any rest/usages lines.

It was also written in such as way as to imply that you're just regaining HP over the course of the duration.

Also, the global resistance din't have the 'while in darkness' stipulation (even if that seemed to be RAI). But given this is global resistance with zero downsides AND a spammable misty step, it seemed an appropriate place to trim.

While I technically nerfed it into the ground with this 'clarification', I'm pretty sure we're all good with 'potentially limitless HP' being cut?

Destruction Domain Cleric

Some god revel in violence and destruction. Gruumsh, Tiamat, Talos, Bane, Umberlee and Talos all show favour to those who would destroy in their name.

Rarely however, a more noble god will embrace the domain, as sometimes upheaval is needed to correct what's broken. Lendys is one such example.

Destruction Domain Spells

Armed for Destruction

When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons.

Destructive Fury

Starting at 1st level, you can channel divine energy to enter a destructive frenzy. As a bonus action, you gain 5 temporary hit points and a +1 bonus to weapon damage rolls. This benefit lasts for one minute. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

When you use this ability, you can expend a spell slot to augment its effects, gaining additional temporary hit points equal to three times the slot's level.

For the duration, you gain a bonus to weapon damage rolls equal to the spell slot level used.

Channel Divinity: Sundering Invocation

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to channel destructive energy.

As an action, you touch a creature or a an unattended object within reach. A creature must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 5 times your cleric level thunder damage on a failed saving throw and half as much on a successful one. An unattended object takes 5 times your cleric level thunder damage.

Appetite for Destruction

Starting at 5th level, your destructive acts fuel further expressions of devastation. If you kill a creature or destroy an object with a weapon attack, you can use your reaction to immediately make one additional weapon attack.

You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). You regain all expended uses when you complete a short or long rest.

Divine Strike

Starting at 7th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 thunder damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Hand of Devastation

Starting at 17th level, your spells deliver exceptional power. When you roll damage for a spell, roll twice the listed number of dice. You then choose from among the rolled dice the results you wish to use to determine the spell's damage. You must select dice that match the quantity and type normally rolled to determine the spell's damage.

Destructive Fury

It wasn't bad, just inelegent in a way that seemed like it was designed for paladins rather than clerics.

For reference, the old version gave you 1/2 the spells slot level used as + damage. Thing is, we're talking about a full caster here so...

Appetite for Destruction

Changed it to refresh on a short rest - it already has a restriction that you have to be the one doing the killing for it to work.

Also means it eases off some MAD (as this cleric is clearly meant to be more of a martial and that Wisdom isn't actually their core attribute).

Llolth Patron Warlock

Your patron is Lolth, queen of the dark fey. She rules over the drow that dwell within the Feywild, and commands the loyalty of all hags. Evil fey pay her respect, though not all obey her edicts. She is a sworn enemy of Torog, due to the constant threat he and his minions pose to her Underdark domains.

Expanded Spell List

Lolth lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.

Lolth Expanded Spells

Dark Queen's Servitor

Starting at 1st level, you gain the ability to transform into Lolth's most beloved servitor, a giant spider. As a bonus action you turn into a spider.

You gain a +2 bonus to AC. You gain 3 temporary hit points per warlock level. You gain a climb speed equal to your normal speed and you can climb difficult surfaces, such as along a ceiling, without needing to make a check. You also gain a bite attack with which you are proficient and it inflicts poison damage based on your warlock level. You can use your choice of Strength or Dexterity to modify your bite attack's attack and damage rolls, and attacks you make in this form inflict the poison condition for 1 minute (DC based on your Warlock casting DC).

While in this form, you lack hands and cannot do anything that normally requires them. However, you can cast warlock spells you know while in this form.

Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Spider Form Bite Damage

Poisoned Beauty

At 6th level, you gain the ability to use a shard of Lolth's alien beauty, causing other creatures to become enraptured by your appearance. As a bonus action, pick a creature you can see. That creature must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or become charmed by you.

While charmed, it also gains vulnerability to poison damage. If it has resistance, the resistance is suppressed for the duration of the charm. If it is immune, the immunity instead becomes resistance for the duration of the charm. This benefit lasts for one minute or until you or your allies damages the creature.

Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Spider Queen's Chosen

At 10th level, Lolth extends her protection to you while you are in her favored form. You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical sources while in your spider form.

Kiss of the Spider Queen

Starting at 14th level, you can channel Lolth's malevolence into a deadly kiss. As an action, you touch a creature within your reach. The target takes 12d10 poison or psychic damage (your choice), or half as much on a successful Constitution save. A creature charmed by you has disadvantage on its saving throw. After you use this ability, you cannot cast it again until you complete a long rest.

Dark Queen's Servitor

Specified that this feature functions per warlock level.

The poison damage was originally 1d10-4d10. But as Poison damage is universally resisted (or just outright nullified because immunity), I thought I'd buff it. Significantly. And give it the ability to inflict the poison condition.

"But" you might say, "Why did you match the scaling to the way proficiency modifier scales when the original writeup was clearly a match to cantrip damage?"

Well, that's an oddly specific thing for you to notice, but let me ask you this: Why not just stick to eldritch blast? Same damage dice, get more instances of your ability score modifier out of it, is based on your casting stat and not Str/Dex and is ranged as opposed to melee.

Yeah...

Also changed the casting restriction in that from from 'expanded spell list only' to 'warlock spell list only' because warlocks don't automatically get their expanded spell list, they're just extra options they can potentially take.

Poisoned Beauty

Added the stuff about resistance and immunity