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Legend
An old friend and I are going to pick up our old Planescape game by correspondence (much of which was played one-on-one). I've roughly converted his PC to a 14th level fighter, but none of the martial archetypes felt quite right... Battle Master was close, as my friend loves detailed combat and is into European martial arts, but we have a much more fluid/improvisational style...
So I'm homebrewing my own "Sensate Planewalker Warrior" martial archetype - an exploration focused kind of fighter belonging to the Society of Sensation faction who is skilled at traversing the planes, learning as they go / adapting to changing circumstances, acquiring a breadth of knowledge, and staying alert to danger. I'll edit after feedback here, then send him the draft for his thoughts.
I'm OK with it being a little more powerful, since we will likely play one-on-one for long stretches, but a few questions I'd love to get feedback on...
Here is my design so far...
Sensate Planewalker Warrior (martial archetype)
Savvy fighters among the Society of Sensation know that bashing something into submission isn’t always the best answer. They’ve heard tales and seen what the planes hold firsthand, and know they can’t defeat everything that comes their way. There’s always someone, or something, out there that’s tougher. Nevertheless, they have the skills and the knowledge to go where angels fear to tred and to escape through a portal in the nick of time.
Sensate Namer (1st level) >> adapted from AD&D Planescape Campaign Setting
At 1st level, gain darkvision 60 feet if you don’t have it already, and gain proficiency in one skill of your choice: Insight, Investigation, or Perception.
As a member of the Sensate faction, you gain Inspiration by adhering to the Sensate philosophy despite challenges. However, if you reject a potential new experience that is not clearly harmful, then you cannot gain Inspiration until you atone or otherwise prove yourself to your faction’s cause. At 3rd, 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th levels you gain new uses for spending Inspiration to power special Sensate abilities.
Notes: I'm breaking usual structure of martial archetypes since in Planescape you could choose a faction at 1st level. The benefits are meant to be kind of offset by the Inspiration restriction.
Planar Weapon (3rd level) >> adapted from Horizon Walker / UA Brute
At 3rd level, you can draw on mystical energies of the planes, channeling them into the weapon you wield as a bonus action. Until the end of your turn, your attacks made with that weapon ignore a creature’s damage resistances and you deal an extra +1d4 force damage. This damage increases to +1d6 at 10th level, +1d8 at 16th level, and +1d10 at 20th level.
Notes: Instead of targeting a creature within 30 feet and dealing +1d6 once per turn, like the Horizon Walker, this imbues your weapon and deals scaling damage on all attacks with that weapon until end of your turn. So, at 14th level the fighter could deal and extra 3d6 if all three of the fighter's attacks hit, instead of an extra 1d6 like the Horizon Walker. However, the weak point is the fighter's weapon – if it were disarmed, damaged, teleported, or disenchanted as a reaction, then they wouldn't get all the bonus damage. It also wouldn't work while unarmed. Not a big weak point, but it's something. It's comparable to the UA Brute's feature, but requires a bonus action to activate (competing with Second Wind, and later with Planar Senses) and bypasses resistance.
Portal Lore (3rd level) >> borrowed from Horizon Walker
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to detect the presence of planar portals. As an action, you detect the distance and direction to the nearest planar portal within a mile of you. You also sense which plane of existence each portal leads to. However, if magic obscures any details of a portal, this feature doesn’t reveal them. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. Alternatively, you can expend Inspiration to gain use of this feature again.
Notes: Borrowed wholesale from XGtE's Horizon Walker. It just fits.
Sensory Touch (3rd level) >> adapted from AD&D Factol’s Manifesto
At 3rd level, you can use Inspiration during a minute of quiet reflection to touch a willing creature. You briefly relive the creature’s recent experiences, and transfer any conditions the creature suffers to yourself. Also, you may transfer a number of your Hit Dice to the creature equal to your proficiency bonus (i.e. 2 HD at 3rd level, 3 HD at 5th level, 4 HD at 9th level, 5 HD at 13th level, or 6 HD at 17th level); roll the dice, expend those hit dice, and the creature regains that number of hit points.
Notes: Adapted from AD&D The Factol's Manifesto, this also gives his solo PC an option to heal NPCs, "lift" curses, and can serve as a story device for relaying information.
Know Your Enemy (7th level) >> borrowed from Battle Master
At 7th level, if you spend a minute observing or interacting with a creature outside of combat, you learn if the creature is your equal, inferior, or better in regards to two characteristics of your choice (e.g. Strength, AC, current hit points, class levels or hit dice).
Notes: Borrowed wholesale from the Battle Master. It fits the concept well.
Sensate Lore (7th level) >> adapted from AD&D Factol’s Manifesto
At 7th level, you can use Inspiration as an action to recall lore about a legendary person, item, or place. Make an Intelligence check adding +10 to your roll, against a Difficulty determined by the DM. If the item is magical, this allows you to identify it. This can also be used to activate a sensory crystal faster than normal (usually it requires a few minutes).
Notes: Also adapted from AD&D The Factol's Manifesto, this allows his solo fighter PC to at least make a few knowledge checks to compensate for the lack of diverse knowledge skills in the typical party, plus it lets him identify in lieu of having a wizard PC.
Additional Fighting Style (10th level) >> borrowed from Champion
At 10th level, you can choose a second option from the Fighting Style feature.
Notes: Borrowed wholesale from the Champion. It fits the concept well, as Sensates avoid over-specializing, and their fighters train in as many styles as possible.
Aegis of the Senses (10th level) >> adapted from 3e Sensate prestige class
At 10th level, when you use your Indomitable feature against an effect that would blind or deafen you, cause you to be stricken mute, paralyze you, lose your sense of taste, or lose your memory (e.g. due to contact with the River Styx or the modify memory spell), you automatically succeed your saving throw against it. Alternately, you may use Inspiration to automatically succeed your saving throw against such an effect.
Notes: Lots of folks agree Indomitable is under-powered, and argue it should grant auto-success instead of advantage. This is a very moderate upgrade to it that reflects the Sensate theme.
Planewalker Senses (15th level) >> adapted from Rogue’s Blindsense
At 15th level, if you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet of you. Additionally, you can make an Intelligence (Investigation), Wisdom (Insight), or Wisdom (Perception) check as a bonus action.
Notes: The first part is taken right from the Rogue's 14th level Blindsense feature. The second part allows his fighter to, in the midst of combat and without losing combat efficacy, see through illusions, gauge an opponent's intent, or locate a hidden creature.
Sensory Link (15th level) >> adapted from 3e Sensate prestige class
At 15th level, you can use Inspiration as an action to establish a sensory link with a target you can see within 60 feet, gaining the ability to perceive through its senses. While doing so, you are unaware of your own body’s surroundings. Unwilling targets may make a Charisma saving throw against a Difficulty equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier to resist this effect. Once established, distance has no effect on the link, but the you must stay on the same plane as the creature you’ve established the sensory link with. The sensory link requires Concentration and can last for up to 1 hour.
Notes: I adapted Sensory Link from the old Dragon magazine Sensate prestige class / 3.5e Ardent Dilettante prestige class.
Adaptive Awareness (18th level) >> inspired by XGtE Cavalier’s Vigilant Defender (still under construction)
At 18th level, in combat you get a special reaction that you can take once on every creature’s turn – except your own – when you are hit by an attack or fail a saving throw. You can use this special reaction to gain one of the following benefits:
Sixth Sense (18th level) >> (still under construction)
At 18th level, when you roll initiative you may use Inspiration to gain awareness of the course of action that enemies you are aware of will take on their first turn; and, if you would be surprised, enemies that surprise you do not gain advantage on their attacks against you.
Notes: This one could be helpful for when he rolls a high initiative and wants to gauge what the enemy is planning. Feels apropos of a Sensate, but definitely requires DM discretion. The second part...only later did I realize it's irrelevant because his PC has the Alert feat preventing him from being surprised.
So I'm homebrewing my own "Sensate Planewalker Warrior" martial archetype - an exploration focused kind of fighter belonging to the Society of Sensation faction who is skilled at traversing the planes, learning as they go / adapting to changing circumstances, acquiring a breadth of knowledge, and staying alert to danger. I'll edit after feedback here, then send him the draft for his thoughts.
I'm OK with it being a little more powerful, since we will likely play one-on-one for long stretches, but a few questions I'd love to get feedback on...
- I gave a first level faction bonus that is offset by a restriction that can limit Inspiration. Does that seem fair?
- Structurally, it provides more options than most martial archetypes, but these often require Inspiration, which is meant to act as a built-in limit. Does that feel balanced to you?
- Does Planar Weapon (3rd level) look about balanced?
- What would be a good 18th-level "always on" feature? Other martial archetypes seem to make 18th level about either boosting an existing subclass feature or survivability. Ideally this would blend the Sensate & Planewalker Warrior themes together.
Here is my design so far...
Sensate Planewalker Warrior (martial archetype)
Savvy fighters among the Society of Sensation know that bashing something into submission isn’t always the best answer. They’ve heard tales and seen what the planes hold firsthand, and know they can’t defeat everything that comes their way. There’s always someone, or something, out there that’s tougher. Nevertheless, they have the skills and the knowledge to go where angels fear to tred and to escape through a portal in the nick of time.
Sensate Namer (1st level) >> adapted from AD&D Planescape Campaign Setting
At 1st level, gain darkvision 60 feet if you don’t have it already, and gain proficiency in one skill of your choice: Insight, Investigation, or Perception.
As a member of the Sensate faction, you gain Inspiration by adhering to the Sensate philosophy despite challenges. However, if you reject a potential new experience that is not clearly harmful, then you cannot gain Inspiration until you atone or otherwise prove yourself to your faction’s cause. At 3rd, 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th levels you gain new uses for spending Inspiration to power special Sensate abilities.
Notes: I'm breaking usual structure of martial archetypes since in Planescape you could choose a faction at 1st level. The benefits are meant to be kind of offset by the Inspiration restriction.
Planar Weapon (3rd level) >> adapted from Horizon Walker / UA Brute
At 3rd level, you can draw on mystical energies of the planes, channeling them into the weapon you wield as a bonus action. Until the end of your turn, your attacks made with that weapon ignore a creature’s damage resistances and you deal an extra +1d4 force damage. This damage increases to +1d6 at 10th level, +1d8 at 16th level, and +1d10 at 20th level.
Notes: Instead of targeting a creature within 30 feet and dealing +1d6 once per turn, like the Horizon Walker, this imbues your weapon and deals scaling damage on all attacks with that weapon until end of your turn. So, at 14th level the fighter could deal and extra 3d6 if all three of the fighter's attacks hit, instead of an extra 1d6 like the Horizon Walker. However, the weak point is the fighter's weapon – if it were disarmed, damaged, teleported, or disenchanted as a reaction, then they wouldn't get all the bonus damage. It also wouldn't work while unarmed. Not a big weak point, but it's something. It's comparable to the UA Brute's feature, but requires a bonus action to activate (competing with Second Wind, and later with Planar Senses) and bypasses resistance.
Portal Lore (3rd level) >> borrowed from Horizon Walker
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to detect the presence of planar portals. As an action, you detect the distance and direction to the nearest planar portal within a mile of you. You also sense which plane of existence each portal leads to. However, if magic obscures any details of a portal, this feature doesn’t reveal them. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. Alternatively, you can expend Inspiration to gain use of this feature again.
Notes: Borrowed wholesale from XGtE's Horizon Walker. It just fits.
Sensory Touch (3rd level) >> adapted from AD&D Factol’s Manifesto
At 3rd level, you can use Inspiration during a minute of quiet reflection to touch a willing creature. You briefly relive the creature’s recent experiences, and transfer any conditions the creature suffers to yourself. Also, you may transfer a number of your Hit Dice to the creature equal to your proficiency bonus (i.e. 2 HD at 3rd level, 3 HD at 5th level, 4 HD at 9th level, 5 HD at 13th level, or 6 HD at 17th level); roll the dice, expend those hit dice, and the creature regains that number of hit points.
Notes: Adapted from AD&D The Factol's Manifesto, this also gives his solo PC an option to heal NPCs, "lift" curses, and can serve as a story device for relaying information.
Know Your Enemy (7th level) >> borrowed from Battle Master
At 7th level, if you spend a minute observing or interacting with a creature outside of combat, you learn if the creature is your equal, inferior, or better in regards to two characteristics of your choice (e.g. Strength, AC, current hit points, class levels or hit dice).
Notes: Borrowed wholesale from the Battle Master. It fits the concept well.
Sensate Lore (7th level) >> adapted from AD&D Factol’s Manifesto
At 7th level, you can use Inspiration as an action to recall lore about a legendary person, item, or place. Make an Intelligence check adding +10 to your roll, against a Difficulty determined by the DM. If the item is magical, this allows you to identify it. This can also be used to activate a sensory crystal faster than normal (usually it requires a few minutes).
Notes: Also adapted from AD&D The Factol's Manifesto, this allows his solo fighter PC to at least make a few knowledge checks to compensate for the lack of diverse knowledge skills in the typical party, plus it lets him identify in lieu of having a wizard PC.
Additional Fighting Style (10th level) >> borrowed from Champion
At 10th level, you can choose a second option from the Fighting Style feature.
Notes: Borrowed wholesale from the Champion. It fits the concept well, as Sensates avoid over-specializing, and their fighters train in as many styles as possible.
Aegis of the Senses (10th level) >> adapted from 3e Sensate prestige class
At 10th level, when you use your Indomitable feature against an effect that would blind or deafen you, cause you to be stricken mute, paralyze you, lose your sense of taste, or lose your memory (e.g. due to contact with the River Styx or the modify memory spell), you automatically succeed your saving throw against it. Alternately, you may use Inspiration to automatically succeed your saving throw against such an effect.
Notes: Lots of folks agree Indomitable is under-powered, and argue it should grant auto-success instead of advantage. This is a very moderate upgrade to it that reflects the Sensate theme.
Planewalker Senses (15th level) >> adapted from Rogue’s Blindsense
At 15th level, if you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet of you. Additionally, you can make an Intelligence (Investigation), Wisdom (Insight), or Wisdom (Perception) check as a bonus action.
Notes: The first part is taken right from the Rogue's 14th level Blindsense feature. The second part allows his fighter to, in the midst of combat and without losing combat efficacy, see through illusions, gauge an opponent's intent, or locate a hidden creature.
Sensory Link (15th level) >> adapted from 3e Sensate prestige class
At 15th level, you can use Inspiration as an action to establish a sensory link with a target you can see within 60 feet, gaining the ability to perceive through its senses. While doing so, you are unaware of your own body’s surroundings. Unwilling targets may make a Charisma saving throw against a Difficulty equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier to resist this effect. Once established, distance has no effect on the link, but the you must stay on the same plane as the creature you’ve established the sensory link with. The sensory link requires Concentration and can last for up to 1 hour.
Notes: I adapted Sensory Link from the old Dragon magazine Sensate prestige class / 3.5e Ardent Dilettante prestige class.
Adaptive Awareness (18th level) >> inspired by XGtE Cavalier’s Vigilant Defender (still under construction)
At 18th level, in combat you get a special reaction that you can take once on every creature’s turn – except your own – when you are hit by an attack or fail a saving throw. You can use this special reaction to gain one of the following benefits:
- Any subsequent attacks made by the same creature against you before the end of its turn have disadvantage on the attack roll.
- Gain Truesight 60 feet until the end of that creature’s turn.
- Move 5 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
Sixth Sense (18th level) >> (still under construction)
At 18th level, when you roll initiative you may use Inspiration to gain awareness of the course of action that enemies you are aware of will take on their first turn; and, if you would be surprised, enemies that surprise you do not gain advantage on their attacks against you.
Notes: This one could be helpful for when he rolls a high initiative and wants to gauge what the enemy is planning. Feels apropos of a Sensate, but definitely requires DM discretion. The second part...only later did I realize it's irrelevant because his PC has the Alert feat preventing him from being surprised.
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