D&D 5E Altered barbarian help

[Dorthorus]

Is this OP or not halfdragon Barbarian with these changes:
No weapon proficiency(nat 1 if used) can use random things like a chair or rock without the penalty or armor proficiency
Can't own anything
Can't use magic(outside of 1 ritual, but flavorwise its a gift from a God) and always unwilling for friendly spells and if somehow affected by a positive spell have to overcome a dc30 will save

• LEVEL 1 Path of the Beast
  • gain these for my weapons(Bold/Italicized parts apply only while raging:
    • Bite. Your mouth transforms into a bestial muzzle or great mandibles (your choice). It deals 1d8 piercing damage on a hit. Once on each of your turns when you damage a creature with this bite, you regain a number of hit points equal to your proficiency bonus, provided you have less than half your hit points when you hit.
    • Claws. Each of your hands transforms into a claw, which you can use as a weapon if it’s empty. It deals 1d6 slashing damage on a hit. Once on each of your turns when you attack with a claw using the Attack action, you can make one additional claw attack as part of the same action.
    • Tail. You grow a lashing, spiny tail, which deals 1d8 piercing damage on a hit and has the reach property. If a creature you can see within 10 feet of you hits you with an attack roll, you can use your reaction to swipe your tail and roll a d8, applying a bonus to your AC equal to the number rolled, potentially causing the attack to miss you.
    • Wings: You have a flying speed of 20 feet if you aren’t wearing heavy armor and aren’t exceeding your carrying capacity
• Level 3 Totem Warrior:
  • Spirit Seeker: Ability to cast Speak with Animals as ritual
  • Totem Spirt (Bear): While raging you have a resistance to all damage except psychic
• Level 6 Totem Warrior/Beast:
  • Aspect of the Beast (Bear): Your carrying capacity is doubled, and you have advantage on Strength checks made to push, pull, lift, or break objects.
  • Bestial Soul: Natural weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
• Level 10 Dragon Fear Feat instead of Intimidating Presence and Relentless Rage:
  • Increase your Strength or Charisma score by 1, up to a maximum of 20.
  • Instead of exhaling destructive energy, you can roar and expend a use of your breath weapon to force each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier). A target automatically succeeds if it can’t hear or see you. On a failed save, a target becomes frightened for 1 minute. If the frightened target takes any damage, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.
• Level 14 Berserker:
  • Retaliation: When you take damage from a creature within 5feet of you, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature.

 

[Clint_L]

Sure, it's super OP at level 1, but it looks fun. Your level 1 dude can make 2 attacks with claws, presumably adding rage and str bonus to each for an average of 8.5 per, can fly, has an AC of 19.5 on average using the tail defence, and has a small self-heal on tap. That's pretty busted, but great for solo adventures. In a party it would make everyone else jealous.

Edit: Conversely, at higher levels the inability to own things or use magic items is going to make them an underpowered one trick pony. I dunno how fun it would be for an entire campaign.

 

[Dorthorus]

Sure, it's super OP at level 1, but it looks fun. Your level 1 dude can make 2 attacks with claws, presumably adding rage and str bonus to each for an average of 8.5 per, can fly, has an AC of 19.5 on average using the tail defence, and has a small self-heal on tap. That's pretty busted, but great for solo adventures. In a party it would make everyone else jealous.

Edit: Conversely, at higher levels the inability to own things or use magic items is going to make them an underpowered one trick pony. I dunno how fun it would be for an entire campaign.

So then is it balanced in terms of an entire campaign? OP to start but the difficulty snowballs by level 3

 

[Ruin Explorer]

So then is it balanced in terms of an entire campaign?

Not really, I'm afraid. It looks like you just picked and chose the best abilities from all Barbarian subclasses at each level.

The restrictions seem largely meaningless - you say the PC is a "half-dragon", which is a homebrew race, and we don't know what that means, but we can guess - does it have natural weapons and natural AC? Even if it doesn't, the Barbarian abilities provide them.

So "can't own anything" is meaningless. Anything that's vital another PC can just hold on to, and what does "own" even mean? Do I "own" everything I'm carrying? That's not a real restriction at all, plus it's trying to balance a

"No weapon/armour proficiencies" is meaningless because they're not going to be using weapons or armour, are they? They're going to be using claws, teeth, and natural armour. Also "nat 1 when used" is absolutely NOT how being non-proficient works. That's a bad and unnecessary house-rule that should be deleted. Non-proficient means no proficiency bonus is applied with weapons and has other impacts with armour. The game already covers these.

"Can't use magic" - What is the "1 ritual" here? Speak to animals? Unwilling isn't a thing for most 5E spells. For example, Cure Wounds doesn't require a willing target. Nor do most buffs. It's stuff like Polymorph, which can be used offensively, which does. As for the "DC 30 Will save", this is 5E, there's no such thing as a Will save. Nor is 30 an appropriate DC in 5E. Is this a hold-over from something in Pathfinder 1E or 3E D&D? And what are the consequences if the save is failed? Also what is a "positive spell"? That's also not really a thing in 5E.

I think you need to sit down and seriously consider all the elements here. It's really bad to try and balance powers with RP restrictions, and two of the three restrictions aren't even actual restrictions.

 

[Dorthorus]

Not really, I'm afraid. It looks like you just picked and chose the best abilities from all Barbarian subclasses at each level.

The restrictions seem largely meaningless - you say the PC is a "half-dragon", which is a homebrew race, and we don't know what that means, but we can guess - does it have natural weapons and natural AC? Even if it doesn't, the Barbarian abilities provide them.

So "can't own anything" is meaningless. Anything that's vital another PC can just hold on to, and what does "own" even mean? Do I "own" everything I'm carrying? That's not a real restriction at all, plus it's trying to balance a

"No weapon/armour proficiencies" is meaningless because they're not going to be using weapons or armour, are they? They're going to be using claws, teeth, and natural armour. Also "nat 1 when used" is absolutely NOT how being non-proficient works. That's a bad and unnecessary house-rule that should be deleted. Non-proficient means no proficiency bonus is applied with weapons and has other impacts with armour. The game already covers these.

"Can't use magic" - What is the "1 ritual" here? Speak to animals? Unwilling isn't a thing for most 5E spells. For example, Cure Wounds doesn't require a willing target. Nor do most buffs. It's stuff like Polymorph, which can be used offensively, which does. As for the "DC 30 Will save", this is 5E, there's no such thing as a Will save. Nor is 30 an appropriate DC in 5E. Is this a hold-over from something in Pathfinder 1E or 3E D&D? And what are the consequences if the save is failed? Also what is a "positive spell"? That's also not really a thing in 5E.

I think you need to sit down and seriously consider all the elements here. It's really bad to try and balance powers with RP restrictions, and two of the three restrictions aren't even actual restrictions.

This is an attempt to redo a 3.5 halfdragon with vow of poverty fighter/barbarian gestalt to 5e. And while it was OP and could've been broken it was held in check by strict adherence to the "flaws" in the meta game. It was a very meta focused campaign.

As to the abilities, it makes no sense to me to have to take abilities you will never use. And I picked them based on how I played in 3.5 natural attacks or grappling and all of the paths I would only ever be using one of the abilities while the others never get used.

By halfdragon it will be using dragonborne, so only a flavor change no stat difference.

By can't own anything... I still get my share of treasure but it must all be donated to charity and no one can carry things for me. VoP allowed for bare essentials all of which was under 10gp.

Weapons and armor were forbidden by my God. Even if I had to use them it was an automatic 1. So if i tried to use a knife to open a door or cut something id get hurt. It was more for a rare circumstance, and it is true it won't come up often. Claws bite and tail with no way to make them any better is in no way equal to what a higher level barb can do with weapons plus any barb can get them at 3 anyways.


Can't use magic was was no using items or benefit from magic including potions. 3.5 you had to be willing, but even if that doesn't apply if a ally were to cast cure wounds or a buff on me there would be harsh meta repercussions as that would be like blasphemy to the character and would probably not rest until whoever cast it died. But still this could easily be fixed by my patron God forbids it and blocks any effect deemed by the dm to be a benefit or positive. I don't want any help from magic. Without magic recovering HP is much harder and in itself a big hindrance if battles drag on or multiple battles back to back. The one ritual was because I was gifted from my God the ability to talk to my animal friends, but I can go without that.

I'm not trying to break the game I'm trying to play a very specific character all natural religious zealot

 

[Stormonu]

I always love it when someone comes up with a restriction "no magic/magic items!" but then gives the class/race magical abilities.

Also, the bite attack should probably be a bonus action. Though that allows for bite/claw/claw/tail attack in a single round. (and 2 more claws after 5th level).

I'd probably make the wings "no armor or light armor", and can be used with medium armor after around 5th level. Could then up flight speed to 30/40 ft., possibly faster at higher levels (5th, 8th, 10th, 15th?).

 

[Dorthorus]

I always love it when someone comes up with a restriction "no magic/magic items!" but then gives the class/race magical abilities.

Also, the bite attack should probably be a bonus action. Though that allows for bite/claw/claw/tail attack in a single round. (and 2 more claws after 5th level).

I'd probably make the wings "no armor or light armor", and can be used with medium armor after around 5th level. Could then up flight speed to 30/40 ft., possibly faster at higher levels (5th, 8th, 10th, 15th?).

Lol I can give up the ritual

Wouldn't it still be Claw/Claw/Bite or claw/claw/tail at 1 and Claw/Claw/bite/ claw/claw/tail because you can only take 1 bonus action?

The armor for flight doesn't matter character is forbidden from using it.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I'm not trying to break the game I'm trying to play a very specific character all natural religious zealot

It's just funny how that's turned out to give you a particularly strong and synergistic character design there.

You've confirmed two of the restrictions are meaningless.

1) No money = doesn't matter, you don't need money. What, is the rest of the group going let you starve? Nah.

2) No weapons/armour = doesn't matter, you weren't planning on using weapons/armour.

So those two, like, just total non-restrictions.

3) Doesn't use magic is an actual restriction, but it's a very problematic one in 5E on a number of levels.

• Barbarians go down a lot, despite damage resistance and no magic means you're going to spend a lot of fights face-down and making death-saves. Unless the DM is pretty generous and/or the party is very aggressive in saving you (which they likely will not be, see later), you'll probably end up dead in the 1-7 level range somewhere.

• In 5E, you can recover HP with HD, which is nice, but you're going to be forcing a lot of extra short rests (so you can spend them) and also causing issues with long rests, because they only recover 50% of your HD in 5E (1D&D they recover 100%). So the likely result is you're going to be walking around quite beaten up a lot of the time, or the party is going to be sitting on its arse a ton.

• At higher levels, travel magic like teleports is very common. If your characters refuses to be involved with this, they're going to be causing a big problem for the other PCs and for the party and even for the DM. At best, it'll be a "BA Baracus" situation, and the other PCs will have to find a way to knock you out then teleport or whatever, then have to deal with how mad your PC is when they wake up.

• In 5E, some stat/HP damage REQUIRES magic to cure - for example, Clay Golems can reduce your Max HP and only Greater Restoration can fix this. You'd be permanently screwed. This means either your DM has to avoid using those, or again if they party wants to fix it, they have to BA Baracus you.

• Also, what is magic in 5E? It's not well-defined, and it's not a matter of being willing. Is a Paladin aura magic, for example? Nobody knows. 5E knows what a spell is, but not what magic is.

Basically what you're doing there is creating a problem that gradually is going to be more and more and more disruptive for the ENTIRE PARTY, without actually reducing your character's power in any meaningful way. So the ENTIRE PARTY will basically be having to work around you, THE STAR, and you weird-ass character design. It's a profoundly selfish choice that's going to make the game about you and your character and how weird they are. I expect the result will be your PC dying sometime around L5 and the rest of the party cheering.

 

[Dorthorus]

It's just funny how that's turned out to give you a particularly strong and synergistic character design there.

You've confirmed two of the restrictions are meaningless.

1) No money = doesn't matter, you don't need money. What, is the rest of the group going let you starve? Nah.

2) No weapons/armour = doesn't matter, you weren't planning on using weapons/armour.

So those two, like, just total non-restrictions.

3) Doesn't use magic is an actual restriction, but it's a very problematic one in 5E on a number of levels.

• Barbarians go down a lot, despite damage resistance and no magic means you're going to spend a lot of fights face-down and making death-saves. Unless the DM is pretty generous and/or the party is very aggressive in saving you (which they likely will not be, see later), you'll probably end up dead in the 1-7 level range somewhere.

• In 5E, you can recover HP with HD, which is nice, but you're going to be forcing a lot of extra short rests (so you can spend them) and also causing issues with long rests, because they only recover 50% of your HD in 5E (1D&D they recover 100%). So the likely result is you're going to be walking around quite beaten up a lot of the time, or the party is going to be sitting on its arse a ton.

• At higher levels, travel magic like teleports is very common. If your characters refuses to be involved with this, they're going to be causing a big problem for the other PCs and for the party and even for the DM. At best, it'll be a "BA Baracus" situation, and the other PCs will have to find a way to knock you out then teleport or whatever, then have to deal with how mad your PC is when they wake up.

• In 5E, some stat/HP damage REQUIRES magic to cure - for example, Clay Golems can reduce your Max HP and only Greater Restoration can fix this. You'd be permanently screwed. This means either your DM has to avoid using those, or again if they party wants to fix it, they have to BA Baracus you.

• Also, what is magic in 5E? It's not well-defined, and it's not a matter of being willing. Is a Paladin aura magic, for example? Nobody knows. 5E knows what a spell is, but not what magic is.

Basically what you're doing there is creating a problem that gradually is going to be more and more and more disruptive for the ENTIRE PARTY, without actually reducing your character's power in any meaningful way. So the ENTIRE PARTY will basically be having to work around you, THE STAR, and you weird-ass character design. It's a profoundly selfish choice that's going to make the game about you and your character and how weird they are. I expect the result will be your PC dying sometime around L5 and the rest of the party

How would you suggest making a halfdragon that only uses its natural abilities and despises magic as an abomination, while also staying relevant as a melee/tank role? Or was I'm a dick your only comment?

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

How would you suggest making a halfdragon that only uses its natural abilities and despises magic as an abomination, while also staying relevant as a melee/tank role? Or was I'm a dick your only comment?

Dragonborn Berserker with the Dragon Hide racial feat or the Fighting Initiate feat with the Unarmed Fighting Style. Then take the Mage Slayer feat.

You could then go all in with the Gift of X Dragon or the Dragon Fear feats.

That should do the trick without being OP.