UA Archetypes - Part 1 - Twilight Druid, Tranquility Monk, Treachery Paladin
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
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?
An overhaul of the three UA archetypes.
First is the Twilight Druid writeup Unearthed Arcana. Given that writeup also has Shepherd and Dreams, which have since been published, it's probably safe to say Twilight's orphaned.
Second is Tranquility Monk, Kensei got its official release so this one's dead too.
Last is the Treachery Paladin and here Conquest has seen official release.
Circle of Twilight
The Circle of Twilight seeks to exterminate undead creatures and preserve the natural cycle of life and death that rules over the cosmos. Their magic allows them to manipulate the boundary between life and death, sending their foes to their final rest while keeping their allies from that fate.
These druids seek out lands that have been tainted by undeath. Such places are grim and foreboding. Once vibrant forests become gloomy, haunted places devoid of animals and filled with plants dying a slow, lingering death. The Circle of Twilight goes to such places to banish undeath and restore life.
Harvest's Scythe
Starting at 2nd level, you learn to unravel and harvest the life energy of other creatures. You can augment your spells to drain the life force from creatures. You have a pool of energy represented by a number of d10s equal to your druid level.
When you roll damage for a spell, you can increase that damage by spending dice from the pool. You can spend a number of dice equal to half your druid level or less. Roll the spent dice and add them to the damage as necrotic damage. If you kill one or more hostile creatures with a spell augmented in this way, you or an ally of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you regains hit points equal to your Wisdom Modifier per die spent to increase the spell's damage. If at least one of the slain creatures was undead, you also add your Proficiency Modifier to the healing.
You regain the expended dice when you finish a long rest.
Ammends to the Dead
At 2nd level, you gain the ceremony spell. If you use the Funeral Rite option provided by this spell, it does not require any material components.
At 3rd level, you also gain the gentle repose spell.
Speech Beyond the Grave
At 6th level, you gain the ability to reach beyond death's veil in search of knowledge. Using this feature, you can cast speak with dead without material components, and you understand what the target of this casting says. It can understand your questions, even if you don't share a language or it is not intelligent enough to speak.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Spiritwalking
At 6th level, your connection to the spirit world intensifies. You learn the spell blink.
Using this feature, you can cast it without expending a spell slot. You must finish a short or long rest to use the spell in this way again.
Watcher at the Threshold
At 10th level, you gain resistance to necrotic and radiant damage.
In addition, while you aren't incapacitated, any ally within 30 feet of you has advantage on death saving throws.
Paths of the Dead
At 14th level, your mastery of death allows you to tread the paths used by ghosts and other spirits. Using this feature, you learn the spell etherealness
Using this feature, you can cast it without expending a spell slot. You must finish a short or long rest to use the spell in this way again.
Thresher's Finesse
At 14th level, your Harvest's Scythe feature uses d12s instead of d10s.
In addition, you recover up your your Wisdom modifier of Harvest's Scythe dice on a short rest.
Harvest's Scythe
Changed the healing values to scale with Wisdom/Proficiency modifiers (the original was simply "Restores 2/5hp") so that it scales better into the late game.
Ammends to the Dead
To actually give roleplay insentive to the Druid being a kind of gravetender.
Spiritwalking
Blink seems like it should be in here at some point just so that etherealness doesn't just spring up out of nowhere.
Thresher's Finesse
The d12 things is just a late game bump to Harvest's Scythe as the Wisdom Modifier Scaling would have hit it's maximum before this point.
Added the line about restoring Wisdom Modifier dice coming back on a short rest to discourage holding onto them for 'that one crucial spell' as you go up the levels. In the early level, the main restriction is the limited number of spell slots and the half-druid level maximum of Harvest's Scythe dice per spell, and this workds to force the druid to spread them around. The later levels however end up encouraging blowing all the dice on a couple of well placed, high impact spells instead. Having some kind of short rest refund should allow the druid a little more freedom in how they distribute them.
Way of Tranquility
Monks of the Way of Tranquility see violence as a last resort. They use diplomacy, mercy, and understanding to resolve conflicts. If pushed, though, they are capable warriors who can bring an end to the unjust or cruel folk who refuse to listen to reason. When adventuring, these monks make excellent diplomats. They are also skilled in the healing arts, and can preserve their allies in the face of daunting foes.
Path of Tranquility
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can become an island of calm in even the most chaotic of situations. With this feature, you can cast the sanctuary spell on yourself, no material component required, and it lasts up to 8 hours. Its saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. A creature that succeeds on the save is immune to this effect for 1 hour.
Once you cast the spell in this way, you can't do so again until your next short or long rest.
Healing Hands
Your mystical touch can heal wounds. Starting at 3rd level, you have a pool of magical healing power that replenishes when you take a long rest. With that pool, you can restore a total number of hit points equal to your monk level × 10.
As an action, you can touch a creature and draw power from the pool to restore a number of hit points to that creature, up to the maximum amount remaining in the pool.
Instead of healing the creature, you can expend 5 hit points from your pool of healing to cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it. You can cure multiple diseases and neutralize multiple poisons with a single use of Healing Hands, expending hit points separately for each one.
When you use your Flurry of Blows, you can replace one of the unarmed strikes with a use of this feature.
This feature has no effect on undead and constructs.
Emissary of Peace
At 6th level, you gain the ability to diffuse violent situations. Whenever you make a Charisma check to calm violent emotions or to counsel peace, you have advantage on the roll. You must make this entreaty in good faith; it doesn't apply if proficiency in the Deception or Intimidation skill applies to your check.
You also gain proficiency in the Performance or Persuasion skill (choose one).
Douse the Flames of War
At 6th level, you gain the ability to temporarily extinguish a creature's violent impulses. As an action, you can touch a creature, and it must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. The target automatically succeeds if it's missing any of its hit points. If the target fails the save, it can't attack for 1 minute. During that time, it also can't cast spells that deal damage or that force someone to make a saving throw.
This effect ends if the target is attacked, takes damage, or is forced to make a saving throw, or if the target witnesses any of those things happening to its allies.
Anger of a Gentle Soul
At 11th level, you gain the ability to visit vengeance on someone who fells others. If you see a creature reduce another creature to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to grant yourself a bonus to all damage rolls against the aggressor until the end of your next turn. The bonus equals your monk level.
Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Pacification
At 17th level, if you begin your turn under the effects of your sanctuary, your Flurry of Blows, Steel Focus and Stunning Strike features do not cost ki points.
Douse the Flames of War
Moved it from 11th to 6th level to lean more into 'Tranquility Monk as Peacemaker'.
Anger of a Gentle Soul
Moved it down to 11th for two reasons: First, it scales with level to begin with and only lasts for a round on a very restrictive condition. Second, it's the only damage output feature present in the archetype (also why is the capstone of an archetype all about playing peacemaker to flip out and beat face?).
To be quite honest I wanted to move it to 3rd, but that might overload the kit too early.
Re: Path of Tranquility Nerf
It wasn't that the 1 minute between casts stipulation was too strong, its more that it was unclear. 1 minute between casts? or 1 minute after the feature ends?
If you feel the nerf is unneeded, feel free to switch it back, just be clear which interpretation of the one minute thing you're following. If you do however, make the Pacification feature a short or long rest one, because it's written with that in mind.
Pacification
Essentially, you open combat with a Flurry of Blows where every attack is a Stunning Strike where the targets make the saving throw at Disadvantage.
I can't force the DM to create a situation where combat immediately ends with such a show of force, nor can I give proper incentive for turning combat into the Monk becoming the single most intimidating thing in the game without building a proper framework for non-violent resolutions to combat (I plan to get there, don't worry), but that's more what I had in mind with this feature - the Tranquility Monk ends the fight before it begins, and puts the enemy in a position where they can be captured (or just intimidated) instead of killed.
Oath of Treachery
The Oath of Treachery is the path followed by paladins who have forsworn other oaths or who care only for their own power and survival. Commonly known as blackguards, these profane warriors are faithful only to themselves. Anyone desperate enough to follow one of these paladins does so because, while deceitful, these paladins command great power. Those who follow them without falling prey to their treachery hope to indulge in wanton violence and accumulate great treasure. Many of these paladins pay homage to demon lords, especially Grazz't and Orcus. Even the Lords of Hell are loath to ally with these champions of chaos, but sometimes Baalzebul and Glasya find a kindred spirit in a blackguard's penchant for double dealing and treachery.
Tenets of Treachery
A paladin who embraces the Oath of Treachery owes allegiance to no one. There are no tenets of this oath, for it lacks any substance. Those who are unfortunate enough to have close contact with blackguards have observed that a blackguard's overwhelming concern is power and safety, especially if both can be obtained at the expense of others.
Oath Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
Oath of Treachery Spells
| Paladin Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | charm person, expeditious retreat |
| 5th | invisibility, mirror image |
| 9th | gaseous form, haste |
| 13th | confusion, greater invisibility |
| 17th | dominate person, passwall |
Channel Divinity: Conjure Duplicate
As an action, you create a visual illusion of yourself that lasts for 1 minute, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). The illusion appears in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you. The illusion looks exactly like you; it is silent; it is your size, is insubstantial, doesn't occupy its space; and it is unaffected by attacks and damage. As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the illusion up to 30 feet to a space you can see, but the illusion must remain within 120 feet of you.
For the duration, you can cast spells as though you were in the illusion's space, but you must use your own senses. Additionally, when both you and your illusion are within 5 feet of a creature that can see the illusion, you have advantage on attack rolls against that creature, given how uncanny the illusion is.
Channel Divinity: Poison Strike
You can use your Channel Divinity to make a weapon deadlier. As a bonus action, you touch one weaponand conjure a special poison on it. The poison lasts for 1 minute. The next time you hit a target with an attack using that weapon, the target takes poison damage immediately after the attack. The poison damage equals 2d12 + your paladin level. If you have advantage on the attack roll, the damage dice deal maximum damage. A ranged weapon touched this way will coat any ammunition used with it for the next minute, or until you successfully hit a creature.
Oathsworn Avatar: Icon of Deceit
You gain the ability to emanate feelings of treachery. As an action, you can magically become an avatar of deceit, gaining the following benefits for 1 minute:
- If you have advantage on an attack roll, you gain a bonus to its damage roll equal to your paladin level.
You have advantage to hide actions you take.
At 7th level, you are invisible until you make an attack or cast a spell.
At 15th level, when you lose your invisibility, you retain the advantage your attack rolls, and opponents still suffer disadvantage to their attack rolls against you, normally conveyed by the invisibility condition until this feature expires.
At 20th level, you are invisible for the duration of the feature, even if you make an attack or cast a spell.
When a creature damages you on its turn, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to your spell save DC) or else suffer the affects of the command spell, provided that you aren't incapacitated when it takes the action. A creature automatically succeeds on the save if the creature is immune to being charmed. A creature cannot be affected again this way for 24 hours.
At 7th level, instead of afflicting it with the command spell, you control the creature's next action directly. This action cannot be used to attack another creature, or harm itself.
At 15th level, there is no restriction on how you can control a creature's action - if they fail the saving throw, you may use them to attack another creature or harm themselves.
At 20th level, the 24 hour restriction is removed - you can control its turn as many times as it fails its saving throw.
Aura of Treachery
Starting at 7th level, you emanate an aura of discord, which gives you the following benefits.
- Cull the Herd. You have advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that has one or more of its allies within 5 feet of it.
Treacherous Strike. If a creature within 5 feet of you misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force the attacker to reroll that attack against a creature of your choice that is also within 5 feet of the attacker. The ability fails and is wasted if the attacker is immune to being charmed.
You can use your Treacherous Strike ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum three). You regain expended uses of it when you finish a short or long rest.
Blackguard's Escape
At 15th level, you have the ability to slip away from your foes. Immediately after you are hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to turn invisible and teleport up to 60 feet to a spot you can see. You remain invisible until the end of your next turn or until you attack, deal damage, or force a creature to make a saving throw. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
When you use this feature, you may activate one of your Channel Divinity options without expending your Channel Divinity. If you use Conjure Duplicate, the duplicate is left in the spot you previously occupied before you teleported.
Adversarial Incarnation
At 20th level, even your most benevolent powers can impart a streak of corruption.
Whenever you heal with your Lay on Hands feature, you may inflict that much damage as necrotic damage to a creature within 5 feet of yourself or your duplicate. Whenever you remove an effect with either your Lay on Hands or Cleansing Touch features, you may inflict that same effect upon a creature within 5 feet of yourself or your duplicate.
In addition, your duplicate no longer requires concentration to maintain. Your Poison Strike feature also improves, a successful attack made while under the affects of the feature is always treated as a critical hit.
General
Not much was done here because Treachery was already one of the stronger archetypes.
Poison Strike
Slightly reworded it so that advantage doesn't deal flat 20 + Paladin level (I.e. so the poison damage gets more mileage from critical hits). Also changed it from one piece of ammunition to 'weapon poisons all ammunition until you make the hit' because it might actually look decent compared to Conjure Duplicate otherwise.
Also upped it to 2d12 due to the fact it's poison damage and thus rarely ever useful.
Icon of Deceit
Already one of the stronger capstones, so moving it down required a lot to be staggered. It's 20th level form is unchanged from the original writeup.
Aura of Treachery
Mild Charisma incentive. The minimum 3 thing is because it was simply '3 uses' base in the original writeup.
Blackguard's Escape
Poison Strike stops being useful very quickly. This should help.
Adversarial Incarnation
The idea of Treachery paladins playing support is... weird. If anything their usage of Lay on Hands and Cleansing Touch are, if not self-serving, then at least used because they don't interfere with the resources that a Treachery Paladin needs to do their job.
Used this to improve Poison Strike too which would simply stop seeing use at this level (given how common poison immunity is and how useful in general the duplicate is by comparison).