D&D 5E On capstone class features

[Bawylie]

personally, I hate 20th level capstone abilities,

1st; they are completely imbalanced when comparing class to class,

2nd; characters should not wait 19 levels to get their abilities and then use them once before being retired to oblivion as story line is over.

11th level is perfect for capstone/new abilities, anything after should just be improvement of existing abilities or more usages per short/long rest.

Totally agree. “Capstones” needs to be reimagined to something more like a defining feature a class uses and is known for rather than a cool feature they may get to use once at the culmination of a campaign. And it should come substantially earlier. Either 11th level (the gateway to high level play and the end of mid level play) or 16th (the gateway to epic level play).

further, I agree re other posters’ comments on Epic Destinies. Great idea - expanding beyond the traditional & worldly confines of the basic class into something transcendental is perfect for epic level play. Because when it’s time to fistfight deities and wrestle Titans into new continents, “you can attack 4 times” doesn’t quite stack up.

I don’t know exactly what form Epic Destinies should take, and I’m not suggesting they should come back in the same form as 4E - just commenting on the relationships between capstones, tiers of play, class identity, and the interaction between that identity and a character’s epic level experiences.

 

[NotAYakk]

Here are a bunch of capstone replacements:

Spoiler

Font of Inspiration (Alternative to Superior Inspiration)

Starting at level 20, whenever you cast a Bard spell using a spell slot, you recover one use of Bardic Inspiration.


One with Ki (Additional class feature)

Starting at 11th level, you have one point of Ki you can spend each turn on a feature that does not restore HP. In addition, once per turn when you spend Ki as a bonus action, you can do another bonus action.


Eternal Meditation (Replacement for Perfect Self)

Starting at 20th level, your One with Ki now has two points of Ki you can spend instead of one, and you can spend them on any feature.


Eldritch Master (Improvement)

Your power has grown so far that you can fuel your own pact magic. Starting at 20th level, you can spend an action to regain all of your expended spell slots from your Pact Magic feature. Once you regain spell slots with this feature, you must finish a short rest before you can do so again.


Magic Incarnate (Alternative to Sorcerous Restoration)

Starting at 20th level, whenever you cast a spell, you can apply 1 metamagic effect to it without expending metamagic points. You may also apply a 2nd metamagic effect to your spells, but must pay for the second with metamagic points.


Signature Spells (Enhancement)

When you reach 20th level, you gain mastery over two powerful Spells and can cast them with little effort. Choose two 3rd-level or lower Wizard Spells in your Spellbook as your Signature Spells. You always have these Spells prepared, they don't count against the number of Spells you have prepared, and you can cast each of them once at 6th Level without expending a spell slot. When you do so, you can't do so again until you finish a short or Long Rest.


If you cast them using a spell slot of 5th level or below, you use the “at higher level” feature of the spell as if you had used a 6th level slot.


Perfect Hunter (Foe Slayer replacement)

When you attack a creature you can apply the effects of the Hunter’s Mark spell without using concentration; this Hunter’s Mark cannot be transferred to another creature. When you deal Hunter’s Mark damage, you deal extra damage equal to your Wisdom modifier. If you have an animal companion from a ranger class feature, your companion also deals extra damage from your Hunter’s Mark.


Stroke of Luck (Enhancement)

At 20th level, you have an uncanny knack for succeeding when you need to. If your Attack misses a target within range, you can turn the miss into a hit. If you fail an ability check, you can treat The D20 roll as a 20. If you are hit by an attack, you can turn the hit into a miss. If you fail a saving throw, you can turn the failure into a success. If a creature makes a saving throw against an effect you imposed, you can turn the success into a failure.


Once you use a specific aspect of this feature, you can't use that specific aspect again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.


Primal Champion (Enhancement)

At 20th level, you embody the power of the wilds. Your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 4. Your maximum for those scores is increased by 4 (to 24 by default). If you have an item that grants a specific Strength score, increase the score you gain from it by 1.

For Druid, I gave every druid access to Moon Druid tier wildshapes (but not elemental forms, healing, or bonus action transformation). So the capstone doesn't suck for non-moon druids.

 

[Stormonu]

I don't think capstones should be restricted to combat-only uses, it should also be something that is helpful in the other pillars as well. Just piling on a lot of extra damage for the fighter, for example, I think would be bad.

 

[Stalker0]

2nd; characters should not wait 19 levels to get their abilities and then use them once before being retired to oblivion as story line is over.

Something to consider. There is a "second game" within Dnd, some people that never get to play high levels do enjoy "dreaming" about high levels. They enjoy thinking of what their characters will be able to do, or if the game retires at 10th... they may write epilogues about the things there characters goes on to do.

High level abilities aren't just about playing the character, its about shaping the dream of the character.

 

[Stalker0]

I'm a big fan of the capstone being truly epic, like "hell yes!!!". Here are a few ideas I like for various classes:

Fighter

• Weapon of Legend: You gain 1 legendary resistance per short rest. You have a legendary action, which can be any action you can take. If you use this to attack, you get 1 attack.

Monk

• Perfect Self: Gain an additional bonus action and reaction each turn. The first KI spent in every round is free.

Wizard

• Mind of Infinite Arcana: You are considered to have prepared every spell in your spellbook. You can maintain concentration on two spells at once. If your concentration is broken, both spells are lost.

 

[DnD Warlord]

Fun aside. I am in a 20th+ game right now where I started as a 3rd level warlock and am today a 17th level warlock 3rd level sorcerer with 2 epic boons.
When we knew that we had a real chance to going epic I decided to multi class into sorcerer at level 18. The meta magic and the sorcery points were way better then the cap stone. Especially the ability to use scrolls as a sorcerer.

I am a warlock of Baba Yaga. (Fey Tome) and a divine soul Sorcerer. I also have the magic adept for Druid and the meta magic adept feat.

 

[Maxperson]

I wanna talk capstones! My feeling is that every class's 20th-level feature should be something awe-inspiring that players will strive for. I also feel they should narratively be something unique, rather than an increment of a previous class feature or a numerical advancement of some kind. Like a "thing that only 20th level rangers can do". A new, amazing toy.

Controversially, I also feel it's OK if it's a little OP, since players won't be using it for long! Let them have fun with it. It's your reward for sticking wirh a single class for 20 levels! How often does that happen? And how long do you usually get to play that level 20 character?

It's my goal for most of my characters. I'll multiclass if my character concept requires it, but I usually don't. Usually I get to play my level 20 characters for 3-8 sessions. In 3e some of my PCs made it to 21st level, but most campaigns finished while they were 20 or sometimes 18/19.

 

[MoonSong]

"Hmm, do I want a one-level dip of Warlock, or do I want the Sorcerer's capstone ability?"

Right now it is,"Hmm, do I want to gamble that I'll get the Sorcerer's capstone ability, or do I want it right now with a warlock dip?"

 

[Dausuul]

I wanna talk capstones! My feeling is that every class's 20th-level feature should be something awe-inspiring that players will strive for. I also feel they should narratively be something unique, rather than an increment of a previous class feature or a numerical advancement of some kind. Like a "thing that only 20th level rangers can do". A new, amazing toy.

Controversially, I also feel it's OK if it's a little OP, since players won't be using it for long! Let them have fun with it. It's your reward for sticking wirh a single class for 20 levels! How often does that happen? And how long do you usually get to play that level 20 character?

One hundred percent agreement. Capstone features should be aspirational. They are very seldom about actual gameplay; they are about imagining how awesome your character will one day (almost certainly after the campaign ends) become. They should not totally break the game, because people do play to 20 once in a while... but if they break the game a little, that's okay. 20th level is pretty gonzo anyway.

I also think capstones should be granted by subclasses rather than main classes. That lets them be tailored more precisely to the character's theme. For example, a necromancer could get the capstone "When you create undead with animate dead or create undead, you no longer lose control of them after 24 hours," while an evoker might get "Choose an evocation spell of 4th level or less with instantaneous duration. You can cast that spell without expending a spell slot."