Vince's Alternate Class Feature dump

[Tales and Chronicles]

Hey guys, here's my list of class modifications I wish to use for for futures games. Its not really a matter of balance; I want to changes to change the feel of some features. So, as always, if some of you would like to give it a look and comment, feel free to do so.

Thanks a lot.

Barbarian

Alternate Feature: Rage

The sting from your foes' attacks fuel the mighty fury that burns within you. Each time an hostile creature hit you for 5 damage (after resistances, immunities or damage reduction) or more, mark a level of rage. You can also use your reaction to mark a level of rage when you fail a saving throw or a skill check. The levels of rage are cumulative. Your rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends and reset to 0 level of rage early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven't attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can also end your rage on your turn as a bonus action.
1. You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
2. Your melee attacks using your Strength deals +2 damage
3. You have resistance to Bludgeoning, Slashing and Piercing damage
4. Your melee attacks using your Strength deals +4 damage
5. After a hit from a melee attack using your Strength, the target's speed is reduced by 15 feet until the end of its next turn
6. After you hit an hostile creature with a melee attack using your Strength, you deal damage equals to half the damage you did on your damage roll to every creature within 5 feet.

Bard

Alternate Feature: Class Proficiency
At 1st level, bards gain proficiency with Medium armors.

Alternate Feature: Bonus Proficiency (Valor)
At 3rd level, the bard gain proficiency with Heavy armors, shields and martial weapons, which can be used as spellcasting focus.

Alternate Feature: Bonus Proficiency (Sword)
At 3rd level, the bard gain proficiency with martial weapons, which can be used as spellcasting focus.

Alternate Feature: Fighting Style (Sword)
The bard can select Great Weapon Fighting Style instead of the listed ones.

Cleric

Alternate Feature: Divine Might
At level 8, the cleric can choose to gain either the Divine Strike or Potent Spellcasting. The extra damage from the Divine Strike feature use the element type as shown on the table.

Divine Strike Elemental Type

[TABLE="width: 324"]
[TR]
[TH="align: center"]Domain[/TH]
[TH="align: left"]Damage Type[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]Knowledge[/TD]
[TD]Psychic[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Life[/TD]
[TD]Radiant[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]Light[/TD]
[TD]Radiant or Fire[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Nature[/TD]
[TD]Cold, Fire or Lightning[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]Tempest[/TD]
[TD]Thunder or Cold[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Trickery[/TD]
[TD]Poison or Psychic[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]War[/TD]
[TD]Same as weapon[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Death[/TD]
[TD]Necrotic[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]Forge[/TD]
[TD]Fire[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Grave[/TD]
[TD]Radiant or Necrotic[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]Order[/TD]
[TD]Psychic[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Druid

New feature: Druid Circle Feature (level 20)

Archdruid (Land):
At the end of a long rest, you automatically add the Circle spells of the land where you finished the rest. You lose those extra spells when you take a long rest in another land.

Master Shifter (Moon):
You can use Wildshape a unlimited number of time.

Night Watcher (Dream)
You add the spells Find the Path, Forbiddance and Heroe's Feast to the available spells for your Walker in Dream feature. Those spell can be used at the end of a long rest only but follow the same rules otherwise.

Spirit Friend (Shepherd)
Your summoned creatures have resistance against non-magical attacks.

Death Bloom (Spore)
When your zombie die because of damage from an attack, it deals 3d6 Poison damage to every creature within 5 feet. Creatures that dies because of this damage are automaically raised as a Zombie with 1 hit point.

New feature: Extra Attack (Land)
At 6th level, the druid can make a second attack when using the Attack action.

Alternate Feature: Nature's Sanctuary (Land)
This features also affect fey creatures and elementals of CR 2 or less.

Fighter

New Fighting Styles
At first level, you can choose these fighting styles.

Artisan of War You gain two Skill proficiencies and two Tool proficiencies. You are also proficient in the use of improvised weapons.

Warder You only require 4 hours of sleep to gain the benefit of a long rest. You can see in dim light within 30 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.

Shielding When you take the Attack action while using a shield, you can sacrifice one attack to rise your shield, granting you 3/4 cover against ranged attacks. You lose this benefit the next time you make an attack.

Skirmisher Attacks made with thrown weapons deal +2 damage on a hit. When you use thrown weapon to make an attack, you can automatically draw another thrown weapon as part of the attack.

Well-traveled Your speed increases by 10 feet and non-magical difficult terrain does not require extra movement from you. You also gain proficiency in 2 languages and have advantage on Intelligence (History) checks.

New feature: Destiny in Steel
At level 3, your favored piece of equipment becomes infused with a spark of your spectacular fate. Choose one non-magical weapon or armor you own. This item is now your destined item. Roll once on the magic item minor properties table and once one the quirk table (DMG p.143). At fighter level 7, you roll once on the artifact minor properties table (DMG p.289). At fighter level 14, you can roll on the major properties table (DMG p.290). You can spend a week of downtime to transfer your item's properties to a magic weapon or armor in your possession. The item lose all properties in the hands of another bearer.

Monk

Alternate Feature: Elemental Disciplines (Way of the Four Elements)
The monk can select two elemental disciplines, instead of a single one at level 3, 6, 11 and 17.

Ranger

Alternate Feature: Ranger's Hit Points
Rangers gain 2d6 hit points instead of 1d10 at 1st level and on level up.

New Fighting Styles
At second level, you can choose these fighting styles.

Beast Handler Beasts and familiar under your care gain 2d6 temporary hit points at the end of a long rest. They also gain +2 to AC, attack and damage rolls and saving throws. If you spend Hit Dice during a short rest, beasts under your care regain the same amount of healing.

Warder You only require 4 hours of sleep to gain the benefit of a long rest. You can see in dim light within 30 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.

Skirmisher Attacks made with thrown weapons deal +2 damage on a hit. When you use thrown weapon to make an attack, you can automatically draw another thrown weapon as part of the attack.

Well-traveled Your speed increases by 10 feet and non-magical difficult terrain does not require extra movement from you. You also gain proficiency in 2 languages and have advantage on Intelligence (History) checks.

Alternate Feature: Bonus Spells
At 2nd level, the ranger' archetypes from the Player Handbook gain bonus spells.

Hunter's Bonus Spells

[TABLE="width: 324"]
[TR]
[TH="align: center"]Ranger level[/TH]
[TH="align: left"]Spells[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]3[/TD]
[TD]Heroism[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]5[/TD]
[TD]See Invisibility[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]9[/TD]
[TD]Crusader's Mantle[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]13[/TD]
[TD]Faithful Hound[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]17[/TD]
[TD]Mislead[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Beastmaster's Bonus Spells

[TABLE="width: 324"]
[TR]
[TH="align: center"]Ranger level[/TH]
[TH="align: left"]Spells[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]3[/TD]
[TD]Find Familiar[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]5[/TD]
[TD]Enhance Ability[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]9[/TD]
[TD]Conjure Animals[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]13[/TD]
[TD]Dominate Beast[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]17[/TD]
[TD]Awaken[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Sorcerer

Alternate Feature: Spellcasting
The Sorcerer use the Spell Point rules. The Spell Point Cost table summarizes the cost spell points of slots from 1st to 9th level. Cantrips dont require slots and therefore don't require spell points. Instead of gaining a number of spell slots to cast your spells from the Spellcasting feature, you gain a pool of spell points instead. You expend a number of spell points to create a spell slot of a given level, and then use that slot to cast a spell. You can't reduce your spell points total to less than 0, and you regain all spent spell points when you finish a long rest. Spells of 6th level and higher are particularly taxing to cast. You can use spell points to create one slot of each level of 6th or higher. You can't create another slot of the same level until you finish a long rest. The number of spell points you have to spend is based on your level as a sorcerer, as shown in the Spell Points by Level table. Your level also determines the maximum level spell slot you can create.

Sorcerer's Spell Points Cost

[TABLE="width: 324"]
[TR]
[TH="align: center"]Spell Level[/TH]
[TH="align: left"]Spell Points Cost[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]1st[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]2nd[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]3rd[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]4th[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]5th[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]6th[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]7th[/TD]
[TD]10[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]8th[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]9th[/TD]
[TD]13[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Spell Points per Level

[TABLE="width: 324"]
[TR]
[TH="align: center"]Level[/TH]
[TH="align: center"]Spell Points[/TH]
[TH="align: left"]Maxiumum Spell Level[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]1st[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]4[/TD]
[TD]1st[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]2nd[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]6[/TD]
[TD]1st[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]3rd[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]14[/TD]
[TD]2nd[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]4th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]17[/TD]
[TD]2nd[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]5th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]27[/TD]
[TD]3rd[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]6th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]32[/TD]
[TD]3rd[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]7th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]38[/TD]
[TD]4th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]8th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]44[/TD]
[TD]4th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]9th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]57[/TD]
[TD]5th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]10th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]64[/TD]
[TD]5th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]11th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]73[/TD]
[TD]6th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]12th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]73[/TD]
[TD]6th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]13th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]83[/TD]
[TD]7th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]14th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]83[/TD]
[TD]7th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]15th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]94[/TD]
[TD]8th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]16th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]94[/TD]
[TD]8th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]17th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]107[/TD]
[TD]9th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]18th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]114[/TD]
[TD]9th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="bgcolor: #E0E5C1"]
[TD="align: center"]19th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]123[/TD]
[TD]9th[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]20th[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]133[/TD]
[TD]9th[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Alternate Feature: Font of Magic
At 2nd level, you gain access to an deeper well of arcane powers deep within you. You add your Sorcerer level to your maximum number of Spell Points.

Alternate Feature: Metamagic
At 3rd level, you choose two Metamagic options. You get gain another one at level 6, 10, 14 and 17.

Alternate Feature: Wild Magic Bloodline

Spell Bombardment
This features can be applied a number of dice equals to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) per turn.

Alternate Feature: Divine Soul Origin

Favored by the Gods
Upon gaining this feature, you can choose instead to gain proficiency with Light and Medium armor, shield and one martial weapon of your choice.

Empowered Healing
At level 6, you can decide to replace this feature with Extra Attack, allowing you to make a second attack when you take the Attack action.

Warlock

Alternate Feature: Invocations
Spells granted by Bewitching Whisper, Dreadful Word, Minion of Chaos, Mire the Mind, Sculptor of Flesh, Sign of Ill-Omen, Thief of Five Fates can be cast once per long rest but do not require spell slots.

New Invocations

Baleful Utterance
As an action, you can destroy an unattended, non-magical object weighting 2 lbs or less within 15 feet instantly. You learn one language from Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal or Sylvan then choose 4 spells from your spell list. You can cast those spells in the language you selected, making them impossible to Counterspell.

Beshadowed Blast (Requires Eldritch Blast, Warlock level 9) Once per turn, one creature hit by a blast is unable to see beyond 15 feet away until the start of your next turn.

Breath of Night (Requires Warlock level 5)
You can cast Fog Cloud at-will.

Brimstone Blast (Requires Eldritch Blast)
You can change the force damage from your Eldritch Blastto fire damage. If you do so, the damage increases to 2d6.

Eldritch Chain (Requires Eldritch Blast, Warlock level 7) When you roll a critical hit with Eldritch Blast, you can deal the spell damage to another creature within 15 feet of the initial target.

Eldritch Line (Require Eldritch Blast, Warlock level 9)
As an action, a line 30 feet long and 10 feet wide blasts out from you in a direction you choose. Each creature in the line must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 2d10 force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The spell still benefits from the effects of other invocations if the saving throw is failed.

Eldritch Doom (Requires Eldritch Blast, Warlock level 15) As an action, you can cast Eldritch Blast targeting all creatures in a 10 feet radius sphere within 60 feet. All creatures in the sphere must succeed at a Dexterity saving throw or take 4d10 force damage. The spell still benefits from the effects of other invocations if the saving throw is failed.

Flee the Scene (Requires Warlock level 7)
You can cast Mislead and Misty Step as part of the same action once per long rest without expending a spell slot.

Hellrime Blast (Requires Eldritch Blast)
Your Eldritch Blast deals cold damage instead of force damage. Once per turn, one creature hit by a blast can't take reactions until the start of its next turn.

Hideous Blow (Requires Eldritch Blast)
You can cast Eldritch Blast as a melee spell attack.

Ignore the Pyre (Requires Warlock level 7)
As an action, you can grant yourself resistance to Fire, Cold, Acid or Necrotic damage until your next rest. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you take a short rest.

Miasmic Cloud (Requires Warlock level 15)
You can cast Cloudkill and Stinking Cloud as part of the same action without using a spell slot. You are considered as concentrating on both of them at the same time and a failed concentration check lose both spells. You can use this feature again until you take a long rest.

Wizard

Alternate Feature: Potent Cantrip
At 6th level, you deal half-damage with your cantrips, even on a missed attack or successful save.



;

 

[GlassJaw]

Some pretty good stuff! A good chunk I probably wouldn't use but I'm definitely scavenging it for my own game.

I especially like some your Fighter options, although I wouldn't put them all under Fighting Style. It would make the Fighting Style choice very crowded. My own idea has to be create a new category alongside Fighting Style that provides the Fighter a choice in the social and exploration pillars.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Some pretty good stuff! A good chunk I probably wouldn't use but I'm definitely scavenging it for my own game.

I especially like some your Fighter options, although I wouldn't put them all under Fighting Style. It would make the Fighting Style choice very crowded. My own idea has to be create a new category alongside Fighting Style that provides the Fighter a choice in the social and exploration pillars.

Thank you a lot! I dont know of much of it will make it in game, but I had fun going over each class trying to change some things I found personally un-fun. I still have to see with my table if those changes look interesting to them or not. I know the barbarian's alternate Rage will be liked because I spoke to them about it already, and many other little things are simple buff to the class, so nothing to lose there.

As for the fighting style, I (personally) like the idea to have a lot of choices, making Champions more appealing with their bonus FS and giving the martial class different modular features to have more than ''more damage'' choices.

My next step is to see if I want to modify the Monk to be ''resource-less'' or not. I dont like the Ki pool, but so many features use it that removing it requires a lot of work.

 

[GlassJaw]

Thank you a lot! I dont know of much of it will make it in game, but I had fun going over each class trying to change some things I found personally un-fun. I still have to see with my table if those changes look interesting to them or not. I know the barbarian's alternate Rage will be liked because I spoke to them about it already, and many other little things are simple buff to the class, so nothing to lose there.

I liked your idea for rage...if it was a video a game. Having to track the rage level definitely sounds like too much tracking at the table.

As for the fighting style, I (personally) like the idea to have a lot of choices, making Champions more appealing with their bonus FS and giving the martial class different modular features to have more than ''more damage'' choices.

I definitely like more choice too, especially for the fighter. However, I don't think adding more Fighting Styles is the answer. Since the Fighter can only choose 1 style (or 2 if Champion), you will still only see the best options selected so it becomes a false sense of choice. I like your non-combat ideas a lot though.

I've been thinking about adding a new category at level 2 called Versatility or something like that. Like Fighting Style, it would be a list of abilities the fighter can choose from but are strictly non-combat abilities (social and exploration pillars).

My next step is to see if I want to modify the Monk to be ''resource-less'' or not. I dont like the Ki pool, but so many features use it that removing it requires a lot of work.

Hmm, I like the ki pool but I can understand the issues with it. It is a major point of differentiation that makes the monk feel and play differently than the other classes which I like.

My main issue with the monk is that there are a lot of things that use ki but they are definitely not created equal. And that issue mainly lies with the subclasses. Some of the subclasses just suck. Because of the ki pool, the monk has a design challenge that the other classes do not in that the more ki abilities you give the monk, the more that competes for their ki. And if an ability doesn't get used because the player feels they are stretched too thin with their ki, it leaves them underpowered.

That's what makes Way of the Open Hand so good. The first ability - Open Hand Technique - doesn't require you to spend additional ki. It triggers off of an existing ki ability, Flurry of Blows.

This is the main problem with Four Elements - everything in the subclass requires spending ki. I'd also argue that the ability costs are too expensive.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

For the monk, I thought about using a mechanic similar to 13th Age's rogue resource called Momentum;

under different circumstances, the monk gains Momentum (like Advantage, you have it or dont, this is not a cumulative resource). When the monk as Momentum, he can use Flurry of Blows and such, and some features requires you spend or ''sacrifice'' Momentum (Stunning fist, Quivering Palm etc), requiring you regain it somehow.

4E monks would gain the 1/3 spellcasting trait with Evocation and Transmutation and some other features (Shadow and Sun Soul ''casting'') would be X per short rest.

But I would need to find what would give Momentum to the Monk. I think Critical Hits, Hitting a Creature with Advantage would give you Momentum, and taking damage would remove Momentum. I'd need more triggers though.

 

[GlassJaw]

For the monk, I thought about using a mechanic similar to 13th Age's rogue resource called Momentum;

under different circumstances, the monk gains Momentum (like Advantage, you have it or dont, this is not a cumulative resource). When the monk as Momentum, he can use Flurry of Blows and such, and some features requires you spend or ''sacrifice'' Momentum (Stunning fist, Quivering Palm etc), requiring you regain it somehow.

I certainly like the mechanic!

For my purposes, I would create an entire new class around it (hmm, gears turning). Aside from a few tweaks, I'm pretty much ok with the monk as-is.

 

[Eymerald]

I found some of these very interesting. I will be utilizing some myself. Thank you.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I certainly like the mechanic!

For my purposes, I would create an entire new class around it (hmm, gears turning). Aside from a few tweaks, I'm pretty much ok with the monk as-is.

As you can see, I'm really not a fan of martial classes being resource-dependent
I think I'll keep the idea of Momentum but give it to the Battlemaster to fuel its maneuvers instead (once I find what could give Momentum, that is).

I dont really mind the Monk, I think it works well mechanically, but I feel the thematic/narrative is a little too niche. Since I gave up the idea to use the UA Mystic to replace the sorcerer (Spell points + Font of Magic does the trick, in the end), I might use the mystic to replace the monk, once I cleared some of the archetypes and disciplines.

Thanks again for your support.