D&D 5E Shaman as a Warlock Subclass

Laura Henson

Villager
I am writing a homebrewed setting for 5th Edition d&d and have created a shaman subclass for the Warlock. I need feedback on any possible balance issues there may be with the subclass or totems before I make the final version.

The PDF of version 1 can be found on Google Drive here...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-MKFLtzHs7WNTlmQjYwTXpYTE0/view?usp=sharing

Here you will also find the current version of the OGL I am going to use which may give one an idea of where this project is going (don't worry there will be no "My Little Ponies", I am merely using some of the feats from those sources.

Thank You for any feedback.
 

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Rellott

Explorer
Paradigm Concept's Arcanis setting also went the warlocks = shamans route. Their free Primer reflavors fey pact as nature/spirits, while their Forged in Magic book offers a new shaman-esque subclass and their upcoming full setting book will have a number of options, I believe.
 

Kobold Stew

Last Guy in the Airlock
Supporter
First off, welcome to the Boards! I hope you get some good feedback.

There's a lot here, and (to me at least) it's not clear how it will all interact in play. You're essentially adding 21 patrons (okay, 1 patron, with a selection of 21 choices within it, each of which governs the character's behaviour and offers three unique invocations).

But I'll say this:
1. I like the resigning of tome as the fetish.
2. The level 1 ability (Detect Spirits) seems powerful, but pulls together a neat assortment of oponents/allies.
3. The DC for dispel seems really high. It will be hard for creatures to resist this.
4. Greater Familiar is not clear as written.
5. Tattoo Magic is a fun idea.
6. Sometimes the connection of the animal invocation is not clear. Why can buffalo fabricate?
7. Finally, I'll ask if maybe you want to make this the only Patron available in your setting? It occurs to me that hat you have is robust enough that all Warlocks could be shamed (and possibly all have Fetish, rather than Chain or Blade). That would justify the range of animals available. It would also really mark the class as distinct. If not, then consider narrowing the field of animals, so that it's less of a grocery list -- pick the 4-5 "best" ones. Since you have rules for adding more anyways, it might make it less overwhelming.

I hope this helps.
 

Satyrn

First Post
?*
7. Finally, I'll ask if maybe you want to make this the only Patron available in your setting? It occurs to me that hat you have is robust enough that all Warlocks could be shamed (and possibly all have Fetish, rather than Chain or Blade). That would justify the range of animals available. It would also really mark the class as distinct. If not, then consider narrowing the field of animals, so that it's less of a grocery list -- pick the 4-5 "best" ones. Since you have rules for adding more anyways, it might make it less overwhelming.
I would agree with this. You could essentially combine things like Tiger and Panther and such into "Hunter Spirit" or other title. Buffalo and Dog and the like into "Community Spirit." Etc. And while describing them say something like "The Hunter Spirit could be a tiger, panther, or similar animal . . . "

But with better names than my suggestions probably.

This gives your players lots of leeway in picking the right spirit for them without needing to choose from dozens of options.
 

Laura Henson

Villager
Response to Feedback

First off, welcome to the Boards! I hope you get some good feedback.

Thanks though I am not exactly new. I am the Tamara Henson that formatted Dragons: The Scorching quite a while back.
http://www.enworld.org/forum/rpgdownloads.php?do=download&downloadid=355

Thank you very much for the feedback. I am going to address the feedback a little out of order to retain context.

Finally, I'll ask if maybe you want to make this the only Patron available in your setting? It occurs to me that hat you have is robust enough that all Warlocks could be shamed (and possibly all have Fetish, rather than Chain or Blade). That would justify the range of animals available. It would also really mark the class as distinct. If not, then consider narrowing the field of animals, so that it's less of a grocery list -- pick the 4-5 "best" ones. Since you have rules for adding more anyways, it might make it less overwhelming.

Pretty much Yes. In this setting the Shaman is the only culturally approved way to be a warlock. In Ionia the Fae were the original inhabitants of the land and they pretty much played god with their subjects, making animals into humanoid servants (how the world got its gnolls, tabaxi, and stuff) and eventually mutating their own subjects into monstrous soldiers of war (how it got goblins and similar things). They then got theirs by the gods and Sidhe nobles fled into the feywild. Those commoners left behind became the elves, gnomes, etc. As a result no one would trust an Archfey warlock any more than one would trust one with a pact of the fiend. Those with either Fae of Fiend pacts will immediately be considered "up to no good" no matter their actual motives. On the other hand those who pick those pacts will have some good roleplaying to do.

There is also no Great Old One pact as I really can't think of a way to justify Lovecraft in this setting. Note: There will be no Tieflings either as there was never any ancient devil-worshiping cult, I am going to make a fey variant for that race instead.

The paper given here is actually cobbled together from two chapters, one on the Shaman itself (for players) and one from an appendix giving the laundry list of spirits. The final version will give a 'quick build shaman' write-up that will narrow the choice down to just a few totems. I included the 'laundry list' as I needed to know if any of their invocations were unbalanced.

Sometimes the connection of the animal invocation is not clear. Why can buffalo fabricate?

This is linked to the Buffalo/Cows connection with feeding/clothing the whole tribe. Originally every part of a cow was used - meat for food. hair for cloth, hide for leather, bones for musical instruments, hooves for glue, etc. This can also be found in Buffalo's taboo. Fabricate seemed the closest 5th edition spell to this concept. If anyone can think of a better SRD spell to replace it I am willing to change.

The level 1 ability (Detect Spirits) seems powerful, but pulls together a neat assortment of oponents/allies

I will specify in the description that the warlock must state that he is using this power and must concentrate to do so. It is not automatic. That should help with the power creep.

The DC for dispel seems really high. It will be hard for creatures to resist this.

The DC was from a 3rd edition book. Would lowering it to 8 plus Proficiency and Charisma (or possibly Wisdom) bonus work better?

Greater Familiar is not clear as written.

Seems clear enough to me. You can add the Celestial, Fey, or Fiendish template to your familiar. If you already have a familiar you have already (as per the core rules) specied whether it is a fiend, fae, or celestial so can only add the template that matches your animal's type. So if your cat is of the fey type you can only add the Fae Creature Template. The templates themselves will be in the Bestiary chapter. The Templates by the way give your familiar such neat things as demon (or angelic/faerie) wings, divine/unholy attacks, and other things to make your familiar stand out but without raising CR.

5. Tattoo Magic is a fun idea.

Oddly enough the feedback I have gotten elsewhere has indicated that this is the most broken of the abilities. I am thinking of re-wording it and making it into a feat.
 

Kobold Stew

Last Guy in the Airlock
Supporter
Glad to help. I'll respond to specifics briefly.

The paper given here is actually cobbled together from two chapters, one on the Shaman itself (for players) and one from an appendix giving the laundry list of spirits. The final version will give a 'quick build shaman' write-up that will narrow the choice down to just a few totems. I included the 'laundry list' as I needed to know if any of their invocations were unbalanced.
Well, it's hard to tell just reading it -- too many moving parts. I still feel a more narrow choice is desirable.

This is linked to the Buffalo/Cows connection with feeding/clothing the whole tribe. Originally every part of a cow was used - meat for food. hair for cloth, hide for leather, bones for musical instruments, hooves for glue, etc. This can also be found in Buffalo's taboo. Fabricate seemed the closest 5th edition spell to this concept. If anyone can think of a better SRD spell to replace it I am willing to change.
Perhaps something that's not a spell?
Advantage on constitution saves, perhaps, would fit the hardiness of the bison.

I will specify in the description that the warlock must state that he is using this power and must concentrate to do so. It is not automatic. That should help with the power creep.
The corresponding spell requires concentration, and has a duration of ten minutes. Perhaps keep that, and allow it to be case a number of times = to the Wis bonus (min. 1).

The DC was from a 3rd edition book. Would lowering it to 8 plus Proficiency and Charisma (or possibly Wisdom) bonus work better?
I misread this the first time. It may be okay -- the DC for Dispel magic is 10+level.

Seems clear enough to me. You can add the Celestial, Fey, or Fiendish template to your familiar. If you already have a familiar you have already (as per the core rules) specied whether it is a fiend, fae, or celestial so can only add the template that matches your animal's type. So if your cat is of the fey type you can only add the Fae Creature Template. The templates themselves will be in the Bestiary chapter. The Templates by the way give your familiar such neat things as demon (or angelic/faerie) wings, divine/unholy attacks, and other things to make your familiar stand out but without raising CR.
Well, I've not seen the templates, and that modular-building scheme was used in 3.x, but isn't (I think?) part of 5e.

Oddly enough the feedback I have gotten elsewhere has indicated that this is the most broken of the abilities. I am thinking of re-wording it and making it into a feat.
That's interesting. What specific abuses have been suggested for the ability to cast a specific ritual with a shortened casting time? I suspect the idea is sound, but may need tweaking.
 

Laura Henson

Villager
Kobold Stew;7203494]Glad to help. I'll respond to specifics briefly.
Well, it's hard to tell just reading it -- too many moving parts. I still feel a more narrow choice is desirable.

Sorry about that. This will eventually be part of a entire Campaign setting that I have been working on since 2nd edition. I kind of put it on the back burner with 3rd edition as the rules for making new monsters for that game made my head hurt, plus rules for EVERYTHING made that edition unduly complicated for me. 5th edition is perfect for it, though.

Perhaps something that's not a spell?
Advantage on constitution saves, perhaps, would fit the hardiness of the bison.

I like that. Thanks for the idea.

Well, I've not seen the templates, and that modular-building scheme was used in 3.x, but isn't (I think?) part of 5e.
If not I am adding it ;) Actually there are a few in the MM such as the Half-Dragon and Shadow Dragon which are templates. The templates are a bit wordy which is why I omitted them but I have used them on a few animals and CR stayed the same. The result is mostly to make all familiars Special not just pseudodragons, imps, and quasits. With the Fiendish template (for example) your cat is just just a cat with the fiend type, its a bat-winged cat that can do necrotic damage (equal to the creatures HD so a cat would just do 1 point of slashing damage + 1 point of necrotic damage) with its claws once per long rest. It also gains +3 to intelligence, has darkvision, immunity to necrotic damage, resistance to fire damage, and can now speak Abyssal and Infernal. Thus making the familiar a bit more fun to role play and more likely to survive certain encounters.

That's interesting. What specific abuses have been suggested for the ability to cast a specific ritual with a shortened casting time? I suspect the idea is sound, but may need tweaking.

According to the feedback at Homebrewery
Tattoo magic subverts the thing that makes a warlock balanced: a limited number of spells / short rest.
It seems about the same power-wise to me as Pact of the Tome, perhaps making it more limited - only one tattoo per every five levels would make it more balanced? What do you think?
 

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