Alright, so another homebrew subclass. This was the first one I ever made (the druid subclass was my second) and it was originally a Warlock subclass but the more I looked at it, the more I felt it would make a better Barbarian subclass. Just like with the Circle of the Living Machines Druid, this is still rough around the edges and I'm still new to actually making balanced homebrew. I would appreciate any feedback and thank you in advance for reading this.
Path of the Dragon Soul
Few creatures can match the sheer physical might and primal fury of a mighty dragon, and you have been granted a portion of that power. You are bonded by the spirit of an ancient dragon who’s spirit still lingers on, infused into the natural world where it may continue to protect and destroy. You channel this spirit's power through yourself, harnessing their natural weapons and elemental powers. This dragon holds no agency over you however, and will lend its power willingly…...if you can master it.
Spirit of the Dragon
At 3st level, you choose one type of dragon as your draconic spirit. The damage type associated with each dragon is used by features you gain later. You can speak, read, and write Draconic.
Dragon
Damage Type
Breath Weapon
Black
Acid
5 by 40 ft. line (Dex. save)
Blue
Lightning
5 by 40 ft. line (Dex. save)
Brass
Fire
5 by 40 ft. line (Dex. save)
Bronze
Lightning
5 by 40 ft. line (Dex. save)
Copper
Acid
5 by 40 ft. line (Dex. save)
Gold
Fire
30 ft. cone (Dex. save)
Green
Poison
30 ft. cone (Con. save)
Red
Fire
30 ft. cone (Dex. save)
Silver
Cold
30 ft. cone (Con. save)
White
Cold
30 ft. cone (Con. save)
Fury of the Dragon
Starting at 3rd level, you gain the natural weapons common to dragons. Your teeth sharpen and your saliva becomes subtly imbued with elemental power. Claws grow from your fingertips, sharp and strong. A long and sinewy dragon tail grows, ready to knock down unsuspecting opponents.
Your bite deals 1d8 piercing damage on a hit. Once on each of your turns when you damage a creature with your bite, you can deal extra damage equal to your Con modifier. The damage is of the type associated with your dragon patron.
Your claws deal 1d6 slashing damage on a hit, and are treated as finesse weapons that can be dual wielded. When you take the Attack action on your turn and make an attack with your claws, you can make one additional attack using your claws as part of the same action.
Your tail deals 1d12 bludgeoning damage on a hit. It has the reach property.
Form of the Great Wyrm
Starting at 6th level, you become more resilient. You gain resistance to a damage type associated with your dragon patron. You also gain the ability to become more dragon-like in appearance. While raging, you change the dragon soul within you to gain the following benefits.
If you are smaller than Large, you become Large, along with anything you are wearing. If you lack the room to become Large, your size doesn't change.
Your reach with each of your natural weapons increases by 5 feet.
You gain darkvision up to 60 ft. If you already have darkvision, it increases another 60 ft (up to 120 ft).
You gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your Barbarian level + twice your Con modifier.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Deadly Predator
Starting at level 10, your draconic attacks become more deadly. Your natural attacks gain the following improvements.
Your bite now deals 2d8 piercing damage on a hit. The extra elemental damage done by this attack is now equal to 2x your Con modifier.
Your claws now deal 2d6 slashing damage on a hit and can now make two more claw attack as a bonus action if you use your claws during you attack action.
Your tail now deals 2d10 bludgeoning damage on a hit. The target must make a Strength save against your spell DC or be knocked prone.
Draconic Apotheosis
Starting at 14th level, you gain the ability to sprout a pair of dragon wings from your back, gaining a flying speed equal to your land speed. You can create these wings as a bonus action last until you dismiss them as a bonus action. You can't manifest your wings while wearing armor unless the armor is made to accommodate them, and clothing not made to accommodate your wings might be destroyed when you manifest them.
You have gained control of the draconic fury within you, and can channel it to become even more powerful. You gain the following improvements when you rage:
Your fly speed doubles
Your resistance granted by your dragon patron becomes an immunity instead.
You gain blindsight up to 20 ft.
You gain a powerful breath weapon that can be used as an action, dictated by the chart above. Each creature in that line or cone must make a saving throw (the type determined by the chart) against DC of 8 + proficiency + Con Modifier. They take (8d6) of the breath’s damage type on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Your breath weapon recharges on a 6 when rolling a d6.
only one word describes this adequately: AWESOME! I see influence from Draconic Bloodline sorcerer and Path of the Beast Barbarian. Like the mashup of the two.
only one word describes this adequately: AWESOME! I see influence from Draconic Bloodline sorcerer and Path of the Beast Barbarian. Like the mashup of the two.
Thank you!
Yes I did use those two classes for inspiration, as I felt that using official (more or less as Beast Barbarian isn’t official quite yet) subclass concepts would be easier to balance and work with then trying to come up with whole new mechanics. I’m still new to Homebrewing, so this subclass isn’t quite as daring as the Druid one.
What druid one? That also sounds interesting (I am messing around with some subclass idea; one is an "apostate" cleric; don't have all the details solidified yet)
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Rogue Shadow, the DM (and occasional) PC with schemes of inventive thinking
What druid one? That also sounds interesting (I am messing around with some subclass idea; one is an "apostate" cleric; don't have all the details solidified yet)
at 14th level, your flying speed doubles despite you never having a flying speed, and gives you immunity despite you never having resistance
all the natural weapons are just dangerously buffed versions of the beast barbarians, for the claws the finesse proprerty is redundant becuase the barbarian class relies heavily on attacks made using strength rather than dexterity for class features, and being able to at 5th level make up to 4 attacks with your claws, each one adding your rage bonus to damage? it gets out of hand fast, especially since you can also make 1 tail attack and then 3 claw attacks
at 10th level your natural weapons completely outclass everything and deal more damage than any other class or subclass, **** this
at 10th level you refer to your spell save DC, something you do not have
be weary of the temporary hit points and how they interact with the other defensive features of the barbarian, as you gain a lot of them
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
I like the idea, but as some above have pointed out, there are issues.
First, the "dragon patron" is something I find problematic for Barbarians. That's a Warlock thing, not a barbarian thing. I understand that it's bonding to the spirits of the dragons, but I don't think it should be type-specific. I personally would have dragon color/type be completely unrelated to the mechanics of the subclass.
Second, it's a bit too similar to the Beast Barbarian at early levels. I like the idea of growing natural weapons, but these are way too similar/identical to the ones in the Beast Barbarian subclass. In my version of a "draconic barbarian" subclass, in order to keep it different from the Beast Barbarian, I had them partially shapechange while in their rage, growing either scales and a maw (Drake form), a tail, fins, and gills (Leviathan form), wings and talons (Wyvern form), or burrowing claws (Wyrm form).
Third, your attacks with the natural weapons need to become magical at level 6, in order to keep up with Beast Barbarians and Monks.
Fourth, I would move the benefits of Deadly Predator to level 14, and even then, they're too good. An extra damage dice is really, really, crazy good, and all the other benefits are way too massively good, especially for the tails and claws. The Claws basically gives you free Flurry of Blows every turn, dealing more damage than a Monk will ever do. The Tail lets you knock any sizeof creature within 15 feet of you prone on every attack you hit with (you also need to specify the DC of the saving throw). I would limit this to once a turn and only on creatures at least the same size as you or smaller.
Fifth, Draconic Apotheosis (you're a dragon god, now?) is also way too good. You get permanent, costless flying speed, which doubles while you're raging (also, "land speed" should be "walking speed). Immunity to a damage type is also really, really good, especially when combined with blindsight and a recharging fireball ability.
I like the idea, the theme is awesome, but it needs a bit of changing in order to be balanced and unique.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Wow, quite a few replies in the last day or so. Thank you everyone for your comment! I don’t have time at the moment to quote each comment and reply to them so I’m sorry for not directly addressing everyone’s comments, but I did want to reply.
Yes, this is rather OP, rather poorly written and I need to work on this. I wanted too sooner but life has gotten in the way recently.
Some of the weird wording is due to the fact that this was originally conceived as a Warlock Subclass, but after seeing how much I was focusing on attacking vs spell casting I switched it to a Barbarian subclass (rather sloppily too as I’m realizing now). I can also see that I overturned quite a bit to get the feeling I wanted for a subclass that fights like a dragon. However, seeing others and how they homebrew subclasses and learning by their example, I think I have a better understanding of how to better balance things.
Once again, thank you for your time replying to this. I appreciate it! ☺️
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"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
first, the "dragon patron" is something I find problematic for Barbarians. That's a Warlock thing, not a barbarian thing. I understand that it's bonding to the spirits of the dragons, but I don't think it should be type-specific. I personally would have dragon color/type be completely unrelated to the mechanics of the subclass.
i mean you can get help and tutorage from a powerful creature without necessarily being a warlock, just look at the fluff in the "creating a bard" section: "Perhaps you stumbled into the clutches of a hag, making a bargain for a musical gift in addition to your life and freedom, but at what cost?" and both the totem warrior and ancestral guardian have spirits that help them in any number of ways, becuase what makes an warlock a warlock is not just making a pact but what you got out of it, they are arcanists and scholars, not the raging warrior
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
You need to chill. Any one can have a Patron even if it's not of a class that usually uses one and it's a great subclass. I've seen far worse. DM's are already weary enough of homebrew material as is. People are free to create.
What druid one? That also sounds interesting (I am messing around with some subclass idea; one is an "apostate" cleric; don't have all the details solidified yet)
at 14th level, your flying speed doubles despite you never having a flying speed, and gives you immunity despite you never having resistance
all the natural weapons are just dangerously buffed versions of the beast barbarians, for the claws the finesse proprerty is redundant becuase the barbarian class relies heavily on attacks made using strength rather than dexterity for class features, and being able to at 5th level make up to 4 attacks with your claws, each one adding your rage bonus to damage? it gets out of hand fast, especially since you can also make 1 tail attack and then 3 claw attacks
at 10th level your natural weapons completely outclass everything and deal more damage than any other class or subclass, **** this
at 10th level you refer to your spell save DC, something you do not have
be weary of the temporary hit points and how they interact with the other defensive features of the barbarian, as you gain a lot of them
at 14th level, your flying speed doubles despite you never having a flying speed, and gives you immunity despite you never having resistance
all the natural weapons are just dangerously buffed versions of the beast barbarians, for the claws the finesse proprerty is redundant becuase the barbarian class relies heavily on attacks made using strength rather than dexterity for class features, and being able to at 5th level make up to 4 attacks with your claws, each one adding your rage bonus to damage? it gets out of hand fast, especially since you can also make 1 tail attack and then 3 claw attacks
at 10th level your natural weapons completely outclass everything and deal more damage than any other class or subclass, **** this
at 10th level you refer to your spell save DC, something you do not have
be weary of the temporary hit points and how they interact with the other defensive features of the barbarian, as you gain a lot of them
at 14th level you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed and it doubles while your raging, and at 6th level you gain resistance to the damage type that you choose
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Alright, so another homebrew subclass. This was the first one I ever made (the druid subclass was my second) and it was originally a Warlock subclass but the more I looked at it, the more I felt it would make a better Barbarian subclass. Just like with the Circle of the Living Machines Druid, this is still rough around the edges and I'm still new to actually making balanced homebrew. I would appreciate any feedback and thank you in advance for reading this.
Path of the Dragon Soul
Few creatures can match the sheer physical might and primal fury of a mighty dragon, and you have been granted a portion of that power. You are bonded by the spirit of an ancient dragon who’s spirit still lingers on, infused into the natural world where it may continue to protect and destroy. You channel this spirit's power through yourself, harnessing their natural weapons and elemental powers. This dragon holds no agency over you however, and will lend its power willingly…...if you can master it.
Spirit of the Dragon
At 3st level, you choose one type of dragon as your draconic spirit. The damage type associated with each dragon is used by features you gain later. You can speak, read, and write Draconic.
Fury of the Dragon
Starting at 3rd level, you gain the natural weapons common to dragons. Your teeth sharpen and your saliva becomes subtly imbued with elemental power. Claws grow from your fingertips, sharp and strong. A long and sinewy dragon tail grows, ready to knock down unsuspecting opponents.
Form of the Great Wyrm
Starting at 6th level, you become more resilient. You gain resistance to a damage type associated with your dragon patron. You also gain the ability to become more dragon-like in appearance. While raging, you change the dragon soul within you to gain the following benefits.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Deadly Predator
Starting at level 10, your draconic attacks become more deadly. Your natural attacks gain the following improvements.
Draconic Apotheosis
Starting at 14th level, you gain the ability to sprout a pair of dragon wings from your back, gaining a flying speed equal to your land speed. You can create these wings as a bonus action last until you dismiss them as a bonus action. You can't manifest your wings while wearing armor unless the armor is made to accommodate them, and clothing not made to accommodate your wings might be destroyed when you manifest them.
You have gained control of the draconic fury within you, and can channel it to become even more powerful. You gain the following improvements when you rage:
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
My Greater Will Google Doc
Proud member of the DragonClub! cult.
only one word describes this adequately: AWESOME! I see influence from Draconic Bloodline sorcerer and Path of the Beast Barbarian. Like the mashup of the two.
Rogue Shadow, the DM (and occasional) PC with schemes of inventive thinking
Thank you!
Yes I did use those two classes for inspiration, as I felt that using official (more or less as Beast Barbarian isn’t official quite yet) subclass concepts would be easier to balance and work with then trying to come up with whole new mechanics. I’m still new to Homebrewing, so this subclass isn’t quite as daring as the Druid one.
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
My Greater Will Google Doc
Proud member of the DragonClub! cult.
What druid one? That also sounds interesting (I am messing around with some subclass idea; one is an "apostate" cleric; don't have all the details solidified yet)
Rogue Shadow, the DM (and occasional) PC with schemes of inventive thinking
Circle of the Living Machines
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
My Greater Will Google Doc
Proud member of the DragonClub! cult.
It's a bit powerful.
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
20-foot blindsight is really powerful, might be better to make it 10 feet.
at 14th level, your flying speed doubles despite you never having a flying speed, and gives you immunity despite you never having resistance
all the natural weapons are just dangerously buffed versions of the beast barbarians, for the claws the finesse proprerty is redundant becuase the barbarian class relies heavily on attacks made using strength rather than dexterity for class features, and being able to at 5th level make up to 4 attacks with your claws, each one adding your rage bonus to damage? it gets out of hand fast, especially since you can also make 1 tail attack and then 3 claw attacks
at 10th level your natural weapons completely outclass everything and deal more damage than any other class or subclass, **** this
at 10th level you refer to your spell save DC, something you do not have
be weary of the temporary hit points and how they interact with the other defensive features of the barbarian, as you gain a lot of them
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
I like the idea, but as some above have pointed out, there are issues.
First, the "dragon patron" is something I find problematic for Barbarians. That's a Warlock thing, not a barbarian thing. I understand that it's bonding to the spirits of the dragons, but I don't think it should be type-specific. I personally would have dragon color/type be completely unrelated to the mechanics of the subclass.
Second, it's a bit too similar to the Beast Barbarian at early levels. I like the idea of growing natural weapons, but these are way too similar/identical to the ones in the Beast Barbarian subclass. In my version of a "draconic barbarian" subclass, in order to keep it different from the Beast Barbarian, I had them partially shapechange while in their rage, growing either scales and a maw (Drake form), a tail, fins, and gills (Leviathan form), wings and talons (Wyvern form), or burrowing claws (Wyrm form).
Third, your attacks with the natural weapons need to become magical at level 6, in order to keep up with Beast Barbarians and Monks.
Fourth, I would move the benefits of Deadly Predator to level 14, and even then, they're too good. An extra damage dice is really, really, crazy good, and all the other benefits are way too massively good, especially for the tails and claws. The Claws basically gives you free Flurry of Blows every turn, dealing more damage than a Monk will ever do. The Tail lets you knock any size of creature within 15 feet of you prone on every attack you hit with (you also need to specify the DC of the saving throw). I would limit this to once a turn and only on creatures at least the same size as you or smaller.
Fifth, Draconic Apotheosis (you're a dragon god, now?) is also way too good. You get permanent, costless flying speed, which doubles while you're raging (also, "land speed" should be "walking speed). Immunity to a damage type is also really, really good, especially when combined with blindsight and a recharging fireball ability.
I like the idea, the theme is awesome, but it needs a bit of changing in order to be balanced and unique.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Wow, quite a few replies in the last day or so. Thank you everyone for your comment! I don’t have time at the moment to quote each comment and reply to them so I’m sorry for not directly addressing everyone’s comments, but I did want to reply.
Yes, this is rather OP, rather poorly written and I need to work on this. I wanted too sooner but life has gotten in the way recently.
Some of the weird wording is due to the fact that this was originally conceived as a Warlock Subclass, but after seeing how much I was focusing on attacking vs spell casting I switched it to a Barbarian subclass (rather sloppily too as I’m realizing now). I can also see that I overturned quite a bit to get the feeling I wanted for a subclass that fights like a dragon. However, seeing others and how they homebrew subclasses and learning by their example, I think I have a better understanding of how to better balance things.
Once again, thank you for your time replying to this. I appreciate it! ☺️
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
My Greater Will Google Doc
Proud member of the DragonClub! cult.
i mean you can get help and tutorage from a powerful creature without necessarily being a warlock, just look at the fluff in the "creating a bard" section: "Perhaps you stumbled into the clutches of a hag, making a bargain for a musical gift in addition to your life and freedom, but at what cost?" and both the totem warrior and ancestral guardian have spirits that help them in any number of ways, becuase what makes an warlock a warlock is not just making a pact but what you got out of it, they are arcanists and scholars, not the raging warrior
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
You need to chill. Any one can have a Patron even if it's not of a class that usually uses one and it's a great subclass. I've seen far worse.
DM's are already weary enough of homebrew material as is. People are free to create.
If you actually read the abilities they do gain resistance to the damage type at 6th level.
the druid is way to overpowered don't use it
at 14th level you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed and it doubles while your raging, and at 6th level you gain resistance to the damage type that you choose