D&D 5E Taldorei Subclasses - Experience in Play

5ekyu · Nov 15, 2018

Hi all,

So, Mercer et al have four sub-classes in their Taldorei sourcebook:
Barbarian - Path of Juggernaut
Cleric - Blood Domain
Monk - Way of Cobalt Soul
Sorcerer - Rune Child

Was wondering if anyone has included these in their campaigns and have actual play experience with them that they would like to share - positive or negative.

off hand at cursory glance no major red lights but am just thinking about them (possibly reskinned) for my upcoming campaign.

Thanks for any experience you may share.

Blue · Nov 15, 2018

I'm interested in this as well. Friend is starting a Tal'dorei campaign and it's wide open what to take. Especially want to know if any should be avoided due to bad mechanics or outside the normal power range (either too powerful or too weak).

MostlyHarmless42 · Nov 16, 2018

I took a look at the subclasses listed. I find nothing that seems too powerful or weak from a cursory glance. The only real minor thing I could see offhand is the runechild sorcerer makes no mention of how long "charged runes" remain active (one would assume until the sorcerer long rests), so I could see a potential concern as to a player deliberately blowing through their spell points at the first encounter of every day and then charging up their runes to full between each encounter for a lot of potential damage reduction for themselves or others using runes, though as all of their archetype abilities have a rune cost and they don't get much else it may be unwarranted to be concerned about (no worse than a warlock/ranger concentrating on hex/hunters mark for 8 straight hours between every combat, for example).

More importantly, I feel like all of them do actually feel like true 5e subclasses, something I cant say of all of Mercer's homebrew stuff (looking at you gunslinger and blood hunter class). I like the look of the runechild and path of the juggernaut in particular. Odd point I was considering about the blood domain, I feel it is odd that cure wounds is not a domain spell or some other spells that fit the concept of blood being a lifeforce/good thing, though I know nothing of his setting so I cant comment of if it is supposed to have an "evil" vibe or not.

5ekyu · Nov 16, 2018

MostlyHarmless42 said:
I took a look at the subclasses listed. I find nothing that seems too powerful or weak from a cursory glance. The only real minor thing I could see offhand is the runechild sorcerer makes no mention of how long "charged runes" remain active (one would assume until the sorcerer long rests), so I could see a potential concern as to a player deliberately blowing through their spell points at the first encounter of every day and then charging up their runes to full between each encounter for a lot of potential damage reduction for themselves or others using runes, though as all of their archetype abilities have a rune cost and they don't get much else it may be unwarranted to be concerned about (no worse than a warlock/ranger concentrating on hex/hunters mark for 8 straight hours between every combat, for example).

More importantly, I feel like all of them do actually feel like true 5e subclasses, something I cant say of all of Mercer's homebrew stuff (looking at you gunslinger and blood hunter class). I like the look of the runechild and path of the juggernaut in particular. Odd point I was considering about the blood domain, I feel it is odd that cure wounds is not a domain spell or some other spells that fit the concept of blood being a lifeforce/good thing, though I know nothing of his setting so I cant comment of if it is supposed to have an "evil" vibe or not.

Fyi
Last sentence in the essence runes says explicitly charged runes go inert after a long rest.

So basically between each long rest you get as many charged runes as you spend sorcery points plus you get the "spend action" one(s) minimum after all sorc points are spent and charged runes are gone (giving you for longer days a minimal capability,)

I tend to agree with your assessments.

Blue · Nov 16, 2018

MostlyHarmless42 said:
More importantly, I feel like all of them do actually feel like true 5e subclasses, something I cant say of all of Mercer's homebrew stuff (looking at you gunslinger and blood hunter class).

Thanks for your feedback. My friend who's running is also allowing gunslinger and blood hunter which I haven't seen but your comments lead me to believe might be trouble. Would you share your thoughts on those as well?

Thanks.

Herosmith14 · Nov 17, 2018

Eh, I wouldn't say GS and BH are problematic, just... different to other 5e stuff. I run a taldorei game with both, and while the GS tends to have a high DPR and crit rate, that is more because he managed to minmax his way up therr(via elven accuracy and my bad choice of granting immediate pepperbox access), and BH is just very risk/reward. It's more a danger danger for the player (you'll understand if up to date in critrole) than the DM. I say if they wanna play one, let em, so long as they understand that it is a bit more if a tricky class.

5ekyu · Nov 17, 2018

Herosmith14 said:
Eh, I wouldn't say GS and BH are problematic, just... different to other 5e stuff. I run a taldorei game with both, and while the GS tends to have a high DPR and crit rate, that is more because he managed to minmax his way up therr(via elven accuracy and my bad choice of granting immediate pepperbox access), and BH is just very risk/reward. It's more a danger danger for the player (you'll understand if up to date in critrole) than the DM. I say if they wanna play one, let em, so long as they understand that it is a bit more if a tricky class.

Yeah - I have never seen "burn health to feed normal powers" work for PCs in any system due to the downside of it going badly being so severe - ie getting caught dead. Its doubly true if its random burns.

It can potentially be made to work if the burns are for defenses - trading one safety for another- but the "burn survivability for offense" is too tempting a lure to tempt fate too often.

Decided against guns and went with more magical double down so for me gunslinger was out. The Blood Hunter was a DOA for me.

But the four Taldorei seem a perfect fit.

D&D 5E Taldorei Subclasses - Experience in Play

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