D&D 5E Subclasses impact on class value

[gyor]

The subclasses are very fun, some are quite interesting. One thing to remember is they are NOT balanced. The game designers straight up admit what is posted in UA is not balanced in regards to multiclassing. So there are several parts of UA subclasses that allow some pretty gamebreaking things with a level dip or two.

Hexblade comes to mind.

 

[gyor]

Well, yes, as a meta-game concern to avoid melee it makes perfect sense. But I'm not talking about the meta game. I'm talking about the visualization and feeling the subclass lends to the character.

Why exactly casting comprehend languages blows me away like a slingshot, I have no idea. "Got some documents for me a translate? Great, I needed an excuse to fly up that tree here. Didn't want to spend a spell slot to do it earlier in case I run into some orcs later."

What? *shakes head in confusion*

Because it's not actually caused by the spell itself, it's caused the leaked of storm magic from your magic spark.

Picture it like this, you spark is a resevior of water. To cast a spell you open up a temporary hole in the wall of the reserve, so access the water (magic).

The spell is the bucket/shoe/helmet/pool that you capture that water in, which shapes the water.

The 10' of flight is the water in it's unshaped form, leaking out of the resevior before you can close the hole, that you didn't catch in your container.

So the spell is that storm magic forced by the spell into a form of your choosing, the 10' feet of flight is a small amount of raw storm magic that leaked out when you unleashed your spell, not an enhancement of the spell.

 

[gyor]

Another way to put it, the Storm Sorceror has a magical storm in their soul, which they use to power their spells like wind turbine draws power from the wind to power your home, but when they do so, some of that magical storm in their soul leaks out.

 

[gyor]

Expanding on the idea, I picture the magical spark in Favoured Souls as a pillar of burning white, gray, or black light.

A Phoenix Sorceror's Spark would look like a burning Phoenix Egg, a Dragon Sorceror's would look like a Dragon's Heart if you could see their soul, a Sea Sorceror's Spark looks like a tiny Sea, a stone Sorceror a perfect gem or blade, and a wild sorceror the spark looks like utter chaos always shifting form.

Of course not visible the naked eye and maybe not even literally, just on an essence level.

 

[MoonSong]

@WayOfTheFourElements, don't worry, soon -hopefully- the Favored Soul will be out in Xanthar's, and it actually has a pretty neutral flavor in comparison. No scales, no blowing up or away when you cast, and it isn't limited to "you are the servant of a god", instead it can also be "you are divine yourself"

Oh, and just for the record, I swear WayOfTheFourElements is not related to me in any way and isn't a sockpuppet of mine...

 

[gyor]

@WayOfTheFourElements, don't worry, soon -hopefully- the Favored Soul will be out in Xanthar's, and it actually has a pretty neutral flavor in comparison. No scales, no blowing up or away when you cast, and it isn't limited to "you are the servant of a god", instead it can also be "you are divine yourself"

Oh, and just for the record, I swear WayOfTheFourElements is not related to me in any way and isn't a sockpuppet of mine...

WTF, no one thought way of the four elements was you, at least until said that.

Hint, don't refute things until you are actually accused, it makes you look guilty, not saying you are, just that is the appearance it creates.

Anyway Favoured Soul is no more generic then Dragon Sorceror, less even. Unlike other Sorcerors you cast divine magic, not arcane, you have so much celestial energy running through you it empowers you healing spells, and you literally have an Angel Form where your appearance changes and you gain spectral wings. I mean the parties Celestial Pact Warlocks Patron COULD BE THE FAVOURED SOUL! The Favoured Soul has it's own celestial spark, filling it with Celestial/Divine energy.

So no the Favoured Soul is not the generic sorceror. The idea of the Generic Sorceror is antiethical to the classes very fluff, it's not like the wizard where a generalists wizard fits the fluff, or a cleric's semi universal domain of life.

The Sorceror's magical spark has personality, it warps it's barer.

 

[MoonSong]

WTF, no one thought way of the four elements was you, at least until said that.

Hint, don't refute things until you are actually accused, it makes you look guilty, not saying you are, just that is the appearance it creates.

Anyway Favoured Soul is no more generic then Dragon Sorceror, less even. Unlike other Sorcerors you cast divine magic, not arcane, you have so much celestial energy running through you it empowers you healing spells, and you literally have an Angel Form where your appearance changes and you gain spectral wings. I mean the parties Celestial Pact Warlocks Patron COULD BE THE FAVOURED SOUL! The Favoured Soul has it's own celestial spark, filling it with Celestial/Divine energy.

So no the Favoured Soul is not the generic sorceror. The idea of the Generic Sorceror is antiethical to the classes very fluff, it's not like the wizard where a generalists wizard fits the fluff, or a cleric's semi universal domain of life.

The Sorceror's magical spark has personality, it warps it's barer.

Well, I tend to do that anytime I see a new poster write anything I that in the surface looks like something I could have easily written, if not something I've written almost word for word. I do it as a defensive measure, not to look innocent, but to protect that poster. Since I'm innocent no accusation will stick, but I draw all possible accusations to me instead of the new poster, and I can take it, well more or less, like maybe I'm too used to post here to stop.

Now of the favored soul, divine or arcane doesn't matter, the distinction is academic at best -and guess which class can afford to be an uneducated ditz?- For most of the game there aren't visible physical changes and not weird stuff happening to you when you cast spells. not to mention that the actual physical changes are easier to control -You get to choose-, unlike scales everywhere.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

Because it's not actually caused by the spell itself, it's caused the leaked of storm magic from your magic spark.

Picture it like this, you spark is a resevior of water. To cast a spell you open up a temporary hole in the wall of the reserve, so access the water (magic).

The spell is the bucket/shoe/helmet/pool that you capture that water in, which shapes the water.

The 10' of flight is the water in it's unshaped form, leaking out of the resevior before you can close the hole, that you didn't catch in your container.

So the spell is that storm magic forced by the spell into a form of your choosing, the 10' feet of flight is a small amount of raw storm magic that leaked out when you unleashed your spell, not an enhancement of the spell.

As I said, I like it with regards to spells related to wind or storms like expeditious retreat, feather fall, jump, thunderbolt, gust of wind, levitate, shatter, gaseous form, lightning bolt, sleet storm, ice storm, and chain lightning.That's a nice bit of flavor in that case.

On the other hand, when casting spells like charm person, disguise self, silent image, detect thoughts, tongues, etc. I'm less of a fan of the Heart of the Storm feature. Those spells have nothing to go with storms or storm magic. How exactly does tapping into the power of the storm, the plane of elemental air, or whatever help me to detect thoughts?

Yes, it's probably possible to come up with an explanation, but it will always be like grasping for straws; it's always going to feel like turtles all the way down to me.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

@WayOfTheFourElements, don't worry, soon -hopefully- the Favored Soul will be out in Xanthar's, and it actually has a pretty neutral flavor in comparison. No scales, no blowing up or away when you cast, and it isn't limited to "you are the servant of a god", instead it can also be "you are divine yourself"

Oh, and just for the record, I swear WayOfTheFourElements is not related to me in any way and isn't a sockpuppet of mine...

Yeah. The favored soul is an improvement, now that I think about it. I will be nice to have an official version of that one.

 

[CapnZapp]

Well, yes, as a meta-game concern to avoid melee it makes perfect sense. But I'm not talking about the meta game. I'm talking about the visualization and feeling the subclass lends to the character.

Why exactly casting comprehend languages blows me away like a slingshot, I have no idea. "Got some documents for me a translate? Great, I needed an excuse to fly up that tree here. Didn't want to spend a spell slot to do it earlier in case I run into some orcs later."

What? *shakes head in confusion*

The only way to not be confused is to realize it is a gamey concept (or "meta-game concern" as you phrase it).

I was trying to help you avoid confusion. D&D is not just a story or a simulator, it is a game too.

If you ignore the obvious answer you want to be confused, and then there's nothing to add.

Have a nice day