TheCosmicKid
Hero
I call it the HELLION. It started as a pretty straightforward 5E conversion of the 3E warlock -- an unreformed mage-punk who tosses around explosions all day and doesn't bother with any of that "spell" nonsense. Mechanically, it's supposed to fill the niche of the beginner/low-complexity class for players who want to wield magic rather than a sword.
But then I had to start tinkering. Here's what the core class ability currently looks like:
So there are a lot of variables to balance here, but first a couple of conceptual questions:
(1) Is this ability fundamentally too complex for what the class is trying to accomplish? Does having to "build up" your blast add flavor to the original warlock, or is it just a hassle?
(2) Does having to do damage with the blast screw you over too hard if you get a bad roll or two at the beginning of the fight, or is that an acceptable risk? Should you build up whether you hit or miss?
Okay, now, math. Here's my thinking. The most obvious number in this ability is the hex die cap, but it's actually the least important unless it is very low; for most of combat you will be below the cap. There are two other numbers that can be adjusted for a more significant impact on the play experience: the number of dice you start with, and the number of dice you gain when you attack.
Here's a sketch of how I'm thinking it could scale by level:
And this is the math that I really want feedback on. Oh, I can crunch the numbers and figure out how much damage an Xth-level hellion can be expected to do over Y rounds against an opponent of AC Z, but I'm struggling to contextualize it. Compared to other classes, are these numbers too low, or too high? (Keep in mind that this class is all about damage output, so I do want to push the limit -- just not too much.) Do the first couple of rounds feel bad -- should the start numbers be higher? Or can they be lower and allow for a more exciting ramp up? Right now there's only two steps of gain between the start and the cap -- should it be more for longer fights, or would that mean you feel cheated during the shorter ones? Is the cap too low? Could this class conceivably be capable of 20d6 damage per round at 20th level -- a scary prospect, but also an exciting one, and since you have to earn it, perhaps it's acceptable?
But then I had to start tinkering. Here's what the core class ability currently looks like:
Hex Blast
Rather than shape your magic into spells, you simply hurl it as raw destructive energy. If you have a free hand, you can use your action to attack with this hex blast. Choose one creature or object within a range of 60 feet, and make a ranged attack roll with a modifier of your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a hit, the target takes force damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
Your magic feeds on conflict and strife. If you damage an enemy with your hex blast, you gain one hex die, a d6. You can accumulate multiple hex dice, up to [a maximum that is some function of your level]. Whenever you hit with a subsequent hex blast, roll all your hex dice and add the result to the damage. You do not expend your hex dice by dealing damage with them – your power only grows as you keep throwing hex blasts.
If you have not attacked an enemy with your hex blast for 1 minute, you lose all your hex dice.
Rather than shape your magic into spells, you simply hurl it as raw destructive energy. If you have a free hand, you can use your action to attack with this hex blast. Choose one creature or object within a range of 60 feet, and make a ranged attack roll with a modifier of your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a hit, the target takes force damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).
Your magic feeds on conflict and strife. If you damage an enemy with your hex blast, you gain one hex die, a d6. You can accumulate multiple hex dice, up to [a maximum that is some function of your level]. Whenever you hit with a subsequent hex blast, roll all your hex dice and add the result to the damage. You do not expend your hex dice by dealing damage with them – your power only grows as you keep throwing hex blasts.
If you have not attacked an enemy with your hex blast for 1 minute, you lose all your hex dice.
So there are a lot of variables to balance here, but first a couple of conceptual questions:
(1) Is this ability fundamentally too complex for what the class is trying to accomplish? Does having to "build up" your blast add flavor to the original warlock, or is it just a hassle?
(2) Does having to do damage with the blast screw you over too hard if you get a bad roll or two at the beginning of the fight, or is that an acceptable risk? Should you build up whether you hit or miss?
Okay, now, math. Here's my thinking. The most obvious number in this ability is the hex die cap, but it's actually the least important unless it is very low; for most of combat you will be below the cap. There are two other numbers that can be adjusted for a more significant impact on the play experience: the number of dice you start with, and the number of dice you gain when you attack.
Here's a sketch of how I'm thinking it could scale by level:
Code:
Level Start Gain Cap
1 0 1 2
2 0 1 2
3 1 1 3
4 1 1 3
5 2 1 4
6 2 1 4
7 2 2 5
8 2 2 5
9 3 2 6
10 3 2 6
11 3 2 7
12 3 2 7
13 4 2 8
14 4 2 8
15 4 3 9
16 4 3 9
17 5 3 10
18 5 3 10
19 5 3 11
20 5 3 11And this is the math that I really want feedback on. Oh, I can crunch the numbers and figure out how much damage an Xth-level hellion can be expected to do over Y rounds against an opponent of AC Z, but I'm struggling to contextualize it. Compared to other classes, are these numbers too low, or too high? (Keep in mind that this class is all about damage output, so I do want to push the limit -- just not too much.) Do the first couple of rounds feel bad -- should the start numbers be higher? Or can they be lower and allow for a more exciting ramp up? Right now there's only two steps of gain between the start and the cap -- should it be more for longer fights, or would that mean you feel cheated during the shorter ones? Is the cap too low? Could this class conceivably be capable of 20d6 damage per round at 20th level -- a scary prospect, but also an exciting one, and since you have to earn it, perhaps it's acceptable?
