5e Balance Tweaks

[mellored]

but rangers dont prepare spells...
do you mean spells known?

Yes.

Though letting them prepare would also help.
Or maybe get some spells by attuning to the land or something.

Either way, they could use a versatility boost.

 

[Kithas]

Not having enough/variety of spells was never my issue as a ranger. It could help I suppose, generally though for me I only really want to cast 2 or 3 different spells any given day.
I like the idea of ambuscade but I think giving a whole nother turn is waay too strong. What if at lvl 1 you can add your Wis score to your initiative rolls? They probably need more than that but not sure what.

honestly I would say at present rangers are too versatile. They can track people and survive well in the wilds, have specific features/spells for combat against single targets and groups, can lock people down in combat and create traps(spells), they can even heal and provide food for the party.
It seems like they're trying to do too much and not being great at any one of them.

 

[mellored]

honestly I would say at present rangers are too versatile. They can track people and survive well in the wilds, have specific features/spells for combat against single targets and groups, can lock people down in combat and create traps(spells), they can even heal and provide food for the party.
It seems like they're trying to do too much and not being great at any one of them.

They can't actually. The spells exist, but they only get to know 4 spells at level 5, and 11 spells max (or 2 per spell level). And they don't get to switch until they level.

So a level 5 ranger would take hunter's mark, ensnaring strike, spiked growth and pass without a trace. There's no room for the nature utility that ranger's are traditionally known for, like "animal friendship", "locate animal or plants" or "detect poison". They are simply too niche to ever be used.

Add a few extra spells will help.

 

[Ahrimon]

Just collecting the balance things i've seen or found that could use tweaks, or rewording.

(broken)

• Simulacrum+Wish = infinite clones. Also some classes can innately regain HP, like fighters: Simulacrums cannot cast simulacrum, wish, or regain hit points outside the lab. (can't cast level 7+ spells? Maybe change wish to not remove costs?)
• Temperate (minor magic effect): "Suffered no harm in from temperatures...". Being cold shouldn't protect you from everything.

No comment since I haven't experienced these or researched them.

(big ones)

• Conjure X: Creatures do not have any 1/day spells or spell like effects. (not necessarily the best fix..). Most notably summoning 8 pixies gives you 8 casts of polymorph for a level 4 spell
• Illusory Reality/Minor Conjuration: Cannot be used for material components. Otherwise free resurrections and infinite glyph of warding.
• Polearm Master: Make an Opportunity Attack with the polearm. (and not warcaster). The dev's have already said this was the intent, but it can be clarified.

Conjure X - One of the recent errata (or sage advice) explained that the DM controls what is summoned for the various summon spells, so this shouldn't be an issue unless the DM wants it to be.
Illusions - I can't see where this would be a problem. The spells call for diamonds not illusions. Illusionary diamonds are not real diamonds.
Polearm Master - cleared up by the devs

(moderate ones)

• Charger: Deal extra damage equal to 2x your proficiency. This needs to scale to be useful at high level.
• Sharpshooter: -3 to hit, +6 damage. When combined with archery style+bless+forsight+percision strike+ect..., you can easily overcome the -5 to hit, and end up with extreme damage. This makes it more reasonable, while still leaving it a good combo.
• Martial Adept: 2 dice. Too weak otherwise.
• Beastmaster's biggest weakness is losing his pet to a stray fireball and being weak for the rest of a day, if not longer. Give beast hit dice, and more importantly a way to get his pet back though not too cheaply. It also allows you to keep the same pet, instead of having to replace dear fluffy all the time. i.e.
  Level 2: revivify beast spell.
  1 action: touch
  Component: A scrap of fur, fang, or tooth belonging to the creature. 10GP worth of powerded diamond.
  If a beast died in the last minute, it comes back to life with 1 HP. At higher level: At level 3, the beast could of died in the past day. At level 4, the beasts regenerates missing body parts. At level 5, you don't need the beasts body, it regenerates from the fur.
• Grappler: Can grapple creatures 2 sizes larger. As an attack, you can try and pin someone. One bullet point is wasted, and grapple+prone is on par with restrained, and doesn't require a feat. So this needs buffed, or perhaps just removed.
• Savage Attacker: +1 Str and... This feat is just too weak.
• Greatweapon Master: -3 to hit, +6 damage. Same reason as sharpshooter, though without archery style, and bigger innate damage dice, it's not as big of a deal.
• Mordenkain's sword: Duration: 8 hours. Way too weak otherwise.
• Pact Blade: Can use Cha for melee attacks with the pact weapon. Bladelocks can use a bump, reducing MAD seems to be a good way.

Charger - No issue with your change
Sharpshooter - I'm more of a fan of replacing the -5/+10 with +1 dex
Martial Adept - No comment
Beastmaster - I like the revive ability, but I think I'd rather just see the animal be a spirit in animal form so there's no issue with re-summoning it.
Grappler - No comment
Savage Attacker - No comment
Greatweapon Master - I would rather replace the -5/+10 with +1 to strength
Mordenkain's sword - No comment
Pact Blade - I'm good with Str or Dex (Depending on the weapon) but I would like to see something along the lines of the EK's Eldritch Strike.

(Minor ones)

• Magic Secrets: Can be retrained. Possibly can not be retrained, either way but this needs clarified.
• Medium Armor Mastery: +1 AC, no penalty to stealth. So 12 or 14 Dex people see a benefit.
• Elemental Adept: Reroll 1's. Use the new result. Bumps the damage to make it a little more worth while.
• Rangers: Replace Primeval Awareness with extra "domain" spells. Just to give the ranger a little extra.
  Beastmaster:
  3: animal friendship, speak with animals.
  5: Revivify Beast (see above), Warding Bond.
  9: conjure animals, protection from energy
  13: stone skin, dominate beast
  17: Rary’s Telepathic Bond, Awaken
  Hunter:
  3: Hunter's Mark, Primeval Awareness (as a level 1 ranger spell).
  5: Pass without a trace, locate animal or plants
  9: Nondetect, Water Walk
  13: Freedom of Movement, Locate Creature
  17:Tree Stride, Scrying.
• Fighter (Champion): Your hit dice are d12. Or some other kind of buff, crits range just doesn't add enough, particularly for those who want a simple sword & board or archery.
• Which Bolt: At higher level's, increase the initial and ongoing damage by... otherwise it's too weak.
• Lighting Arrow: each creature within 10' of the target (including the target) takes 2d8... Just to clarify it.
• Quicken: Can't use another non-cantrip spell or invocation. Fireball + Eldrich Blast + Agonizing blast is a bit much, particularly at high level. Removing the invocation will leave it at cantrip level.
• Crossbow Expertise: Still has disadvantage in melee. The bonus attack and increased die size is good enough.

Magic Secrets - No comment
Medium Armor Mastery - I like your suggestion
Elemental Adept - I like it
Rangers - I like it. Perhaps add Primeval Awareness back in as a 1/rest ability.
Fighter (Champion) - This is my prefered fighter, but I'll admit sometimes it feels a bit weak. I don't think it needs a d12 HP though. I think any power up should tie into it's crit ability. What about a free attack (similar to the hunter) on a crit. Or advantage on your next attack before the end of your next turn on a crit. What about double weapon crit dice and later triple.
Witch Bolt - Sounds good
Lighting Arrow - No comment
Quicken - I don't think this one is overpowered.
Crossbow Expertise - I like how it is currently. It's good for all ranged characters and is therefore a very versatile feat.

Additionally I would like to see heavy armor mastery reduce the damage done by your proficiency bonus. Damage is the primary scaling portion of 5e so I think that the feat should scale to maintain potency throughout all levels.

 

[mellored]

Conjure X - One of the recent errata (or sage advice) explained that the DM controls what is summoned for the various summon spells, so this shouldn't be an issue unless the DM wants it to be.

Ehh....
can't say i'm satisfied with that either. but i guess it does solve the balance issue.

Illusions - I can't see where this would be a problem. The spells call for diamonds not illusions. Illusionary diamonds are not real diamonds.

The level 14 illusionist let's you make illusions "real".

Pact Blade - I'm good with Str or Dex (Depending on the weapon) but I would like to see something along the lines of the EK's Eldritch Strike.

That would make it too strong.
At least, as it currently stand.

Fighter (Champion) - This is my prefered fighter, but I'll admit sometimes it feels a bit weak. I don't think it needs a d12 HP though. I think any power up should tie into it's crit ability. What about a free attack (similar to the hunter) on a crit. Or advantage on your next attack before the end of your next turn on a crit. What about double weapon crit dice and later triple.

I was trying to keep it simple. Also help the sword&board or archery style, since crits really favor the 2-hander.

Crossbow Expertise - I like how it is currently. It's good for all ranged characters and is therefore a very versatile feat.

I do want an option that let's you use range attacks in melee. But crossbow expertise is pushing it on the power side with it's bonus attack.

I will retract my suggestion though, since it probably overnerfs it.

Additionally I would like to see heavy armor mastery reduce the damage done by your proficiency bonus. Damage is the primary scaling portion of 5e so I think that the feat should scale to maintain potency throughout all levels.

That would be OP.

And multi-attack is also a major scaling of 5e, as does getting hit more often. So it does scale similar to other feats.
If anything, it's edging on broken at low levels.

 

[Xeviat]

Suggestions and comments welcome.

Awesome list. My favorites are Ranger domain spells (beast master should really have "speak with animals", and I might even argue that they should get it with their companion for free at a certain point), Medium Armor Mastery, and your Champion buff. I have no issues with any of them. I've been looking for a way to buff the champion, and that's nice. When you say Hit Dice are d12s, do you just mean the health regaining hit dice or do you also mean their HP rolling on level up hit dice (so they're getting +1 hp per level)?

Consider all of these added to my growing list of house rules. As you may know from the other boards, the changes I'm working on often go farther, but these are really nice things, things that I would have expected to see during 4E's style of balancing errata.

My own list is 3 pages long (including explanations, that is) without adding these new things. Looking through it, I only have a few that are as simple of changes as these, but here's some of my suggestions:

• Way of the Four Elements Monk Ki Spells: Looking at the baseline spell guidelines in the DMG, Water Whip feels like a sound 2nd level spell for a caster that's more melee oriented. It costs 2 ki points. Thus, in an effort to balance the Elemental Monk, ki costs for spells will be reduced to spell level in ki points (not the spell level+1 that they are now). Additionally, they really need some other features, as all of their features are just extra ways of spending ki (compared to the abilities that the other monks get). A cantrip at level 3, some energy resistances at level 6, some extra ki at level 11, and something else at 17 maybe? I'll have to test just how much oomph their ki spells have compared to just using flurry and attack.
• Fighting Style on Paladin and Ranger: I'm strongly considering moving Fighting Style from 2nd level to 1st level. Having it at 2nd level doesn't really keep people from dipping; non-fighters dip fighter for 1 level, often 2 because Action Surge is nice. I'm not worried about dips. Otherwise, the Paladin and ranger have nothing offensive at 1st level over the baseline, and they otherwise get a big jump at 2nd with spells and fighting style. In the first game I ran, the paladin player questioned this and I was quickly convinced. Most of the styles don't stack anyway, so cross dipping isn't a big deal, I don't think. Maybe change how defensive works?
• Beast Master Ranger: I'm planning on adjusting their stat blocks (making them more balanced with each other, instead of being 100% based on the monsters) and having their HP incorporate their Con mods (so low AC beasts get more HP). Also, I'm going to have them work like warlock familiars; they can take an action on their own right out of the gate, but if you want that action to be "attack" you have to give up your attack. Yes, this means they can help every round right out of the gate, but I've tested it and it seems to balance against the Hunter's Colossus Slayer +1d8 damage once per round.
• Sorcerer's Wild Magic Surge; If a surge roll comes up with a spell that's higher level than the sorcerer could cast, reroll; no fireballs on the party until 5th level at the earliest (they're still really bad then as it is).
• Warlock of the Blade: Your solution is halfway to my solution. I don't like that there are offensive invocations; I think all invocations should be about adding utility and options (yes, some grant attack spells, but they still require you to use your pact magic slots). I'm planning on treating the Pact Blade as a melee eldritch blast, and having it automatically use Cha + Str or Dex for damage and Cha to hit. So it trade's EB's range for more damage. I'll need to make a new blade invocation; maybe one that lets you choose energy types for the blade? Early on, with standard stat arrays, it's comparable to the Duelist Fighting Style; the warlock just gets pact spells instead of Action surge.
• Armor and Weapons: I'm currently trying out a more 3E take on weapons and might be tweaking the armor table a bit. I'd like more granularity and more options (I LOVE your medium armor mastery change, btw).
• Small Size: 3E weapons will bring back small weapons. To make up for the lost damage, small characters will get +1 to hit with weapon attacks (not spells). Also, small characters are going to get advantage on dexterity checks and disadvantage on strength checks (modeled after the Enlarge/Reduce spell), largely because I want small characters to get a bonus on stealth. I may trade this for +2/=2 bonuses instead.
• Critical Hits: I'm changing crits to x2 damage, instead of double dice. It's easier at the table. It prevents crits from ever being only +1 damage on a bad roll. Spell crits and Sneak Attack crits are already basically double damage; combined with your changes to Great Weapon Master and Sharp Shooter, I'm not concerned about repercussions (and the Champion deserves a bump anyway).
• Battlemaster: I'm strongly considering dropping their starting Superiority Dice down to 2, but then ramping up how fast they are gained (so it ends the same). Right now, 3 Fighter is too tempting of a dip, and they gain way more power at 3rd level than the Champion or the Eldritch Knight.

My other changes are more table rules. I extensively use "skills with different abilities", generally calling for an ability check and letting players come up with ways to bring their skills to bear. I've removed the Perception as a passive skill and rolled the remainder of Perception and Investigation together; passive perception has moved over to a Wisdom save. I give proficiency bonus to all saves and changed out save proficiencies for save bonuses (monk's proficient in all saves becomes advantage to all saves; rogue slippery mind becomes save at start of round as well as end of round to end effects). I'm implementing 0 levels on all the classes that must be taken when multiclassing; this combines with allowing Extra Attack to stack to both limit and help multiclassing (so a 5/6/6 fighter/barbarian/ranger gets +3 attacks; I might move the fighter's 3rd attack to 17, their 2nd action surge to 20, and give them a little something else at 20 too).

 

[CapnZapp]

Done.

Done what.

Okay, let me take your list from the beginning.

Just collecting the balance things i've seen or found that could use tweaks, or rewording.

(broken)

• Simulacrum+Wish = infinite clones. Also some classes can innately regain HP, like fighters: Simulacrums cannot cast simulacrum, wish, or regain hit points outside the lab. (can't cast level 7+ spells? Maybe change wish to not remove costs?)
• Temperate (minor magic effect): "Suffered no harm in from temperatures...". Being cold shouldn't protect you from everything.

"Simulacrum+Wish = infinite clones"

If you mean your Simulacrum can cast Wish to create another simulacrum, why not say so? Wouldn't it be easier to insert language in the Simulacrum spell? Or, wouldn't it be even easier to just let it rest since your scenario is patently ludicrous and will not pass any DM worth her salt?

Temperate: Can't find it, and frankly, why should I have to waste my time? Couldn't you at least have given a page number? But I'm starting to suspect you're ruling "suffer no harm from temperatures" as a blanket immunity from pretty much everything. That's not "broken". That's "easily ignored".

Point is, you had your chance at getting feedback from me. That chance has now passed. Look at it on the bright side; judging from what you consider "broken", you wouldn't have liked it much anyway.

A nice day to you too

 

[mellored]

Done what.

Added a brief explanation of why i thought they needed tweaked.

Wouldn't it be easier to insert language in the Simulacrum spell?

You mean add a line like "simulacrums cannot cast simulacrum, wish, or regian hit points outside the labratory"?
That's is my suggestion.

Guess i'm not being verbose enough.

Or, wouldn't it be even easier to just let it rest since your scenario is patently ludicrous and will not pass any DM worth her salt?

Not all DM's are salty.

And it helps if they are aware of the issue before hand.

Temperate: Can't find it, and frankly, why should I have to waste my time? Couldn't you at least have given a page number?

It's probably in the comments of in the WotC forums. This list was a group effort.
I don't have the DMG on me to actually look for it.

I'm starting to suspect you're ruling "suffer no harm from temperatures" as a blanket immunity from pretty much everything. That's not "broken". That's "easily ignored".

That's how it's written.
And yes, it's obviously unintentional and easy to ignore.

A nice day to you too

 

[mellored]

Way of the Four Elements Monk Ki Spells:

I agree elemental monks could use something.
But i'm not familiar enough with them to have a good idea of what would be balanced. But i'll add your suggestion.

Fighting Style on Paladin and Ranger:

I don't see the need.

2 is a fairly big level all classes.
Reckless attack, cunning action, ki, metamagic, invocations, arcane tradition.

So having fighting style + spells fits in nicely.

Beast Master Ranger:

I would prefer a full action beast, but i'm trying to keep the changes as minimal as possible. Adding a spell is easier.

Sorcerer's Wild Magic Surge; If a surge roll comes up with a spell that's higher level than the sorcerer could cast, reroll; no fireballs on the party until 5th level at the earliest (they're still really bad then as it is).

Part of the fun is the risk IMO.
Also, you can fireball the enemy just as easily.
Warlock of the Blade: Your solution is halfway to my solution.[/quote]I think it's enough just to reduce MAD. My other thought was medium armor+shield. They arn't that far behind.

Small Size: 3E weapons will bring back small weapons. To make up for the lost damage, small characters will get +1 to hit with weapon attacks (not spells).

Small characters make up for it by having other powerful features. Also, not every race needs to be good at every class.
Lucky, and advantage on saves are more then enough to offset the smaller damage die.

It's also ok if gnomes don't make great barbarians.

Critical Hits: I'm changing crits to x2 damage, instead of double dice.

That changes things.
i.e. 10d6 rogues crits less vs 1d6+8 TWF barbarian crit.

It doesn't unbalance anything too far, and if you think stronger crits are fun, go ahead.
But, the game is balanced around the current crit rate.

Battlemaster:

Hmm...

It's on the powerful side, yes, but it's ok to reward system mastery a little bit.



Thanks.

 

[Sadrik]

Sharpshooter - I'm more of a fan of replacing the -5/+1dX where X is the die type of the weapon.
Greatweapon Master - I would rather replace the -5/+1X where X is the die type of the weapon. Greatsword 3d6, great axe 2d12...

These make the damage available but can limit it...