D&D General Vanity Frankenstein 5E: My homebrew D&D project [+]

Quick update, the crazy excel spell spreadsheet is basically done (I need to go back and add a category for spells that were revised or renamed and where to find the new version) but currently I am going through each class's chapter and making edits and adding some tables in place to clarify things.

The thing I am doing as part of this that I was dreading, but am actually quite enjoying, is writing the class description portion for each class as it exists in the setting. Each classes "alignment" portion is also fun to write now that I know I am gonna steal Mike Mearls's approach to alignment to a large degree (at least how he describes it on his current patreon project).

So finishing up the spreadsheet is taking a lot longer than expected. Adding a row regarding where to find spells has morphed into me rereading everyone of these spells and deciding if they need to be tweaked for my rules/flavor or if I can simply direct a player to the PHB14. Spells from other sources are automatically rewritten for inclusion, and all damage dealing cantrips needed to be re-written.

Since I am using an alignment system, I also had to re-add some references to alignment in some spells - and I re-created the "Outsider" designation from 3E - getting rid of Protect, Detect, and Dispel Good and Evil spells for versions that either specifically target outsiders OR those of a particular alignment along the Law and Chaos axis (called cosmic alignment).
 

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So here is the conundrum I am working on right now.

I don't want to have to literally rewrite every single 5E D&D spell, however, every single spell is changed if only because I removed all material components that aren't the kind you have to pay for (so the vast majority) and replaced them with whatever the caster uses as a focus. So, even if a spell is otherwise exactly as written in PHB2014, there has been a minor change. Some other spells also have minor differences (like there is no ethereal plane in the setting so references to it in spells have to be changed). This is what the spreadsheet was for, keeping track of all that.

So do I include these small changes spells in my chapter of spell revisions/descriptions and just point back to the PHB for the rest?

Obviously, I can just share the spreadsheet with players, but the last thing I want to do is have to hand a player a spreadsheet to play their character. I guess I could create spreadsheets for each spell list for easy reference and not overwhelm with all 500+ spells at once.
 

One little consequence of changing a rule that I hadn't considered until today was that by making detect magic a cantrip (which I felt comfortable doing and removing as a ritual b/c now cantrips aren't guaranteed) I inadvertently removed it from the paladin list, since they get no cantrips!

What to do?

Easy. I just added detecting magic as an option to their divine sense, which make sense since I divided magic back into arcane and divine forms and they will be able to tell which it is. (the regular spell also does that).
I misread that as read magic, and as I've been going through my own revisions I've been thinking about bringing read magic back to decipher scrolls, command words and other magical writings (including safely detecting and analyzing things like glyphs of warding without setting them off). Have you put any thought into bringing read magic back to the game?
 

I misread that as read magic, and as I've been going through my own revisions I've been thinking about bringing read magic back to decipher scrolls, command words and other magical writings (including safely detecting and analyzing things like glyphs of warding without setting them off). Have you put any thought into bringing read magic back to the game?

I haven't, but a spell that does what you describe is not a bad idea.
 

Anyone interested in my sharing the class descriptions/in-setting context for classes? I’d love to hear what people think and if I am missing anything that might be important.
 

Anyone interested in my sharing the class descriptions/in-setting context for classes? I’d love to hear what people think and if I am missing anything that might be important.
Hit me.

So here is the conundrum I am working on right now.

I don't want to have to literally rewrite every single 5E D&D spell, however, every single spell is changed if only because I removed all material components that aren't the kind you have to pay for (so the vast majority) and replaced them with whatever the caster uses as a focus. So, even if a spell is otherwise exactly as written in PHB2014, there has been a minor change. Some other spells also have minor differences (like there is no ethereal plane in the setting so references to it in spells have to be changed). This is what the spreadsheet was for, keeping track of all that.

So do I include these small changes spells in my chapter of spell revisions/descriptions and just point back to the PHB for the rest?

Obviously, I can just share the spreadsheet with players, but the last thing I want to do is have to hand a player a spreadsheet to play their character. I guess I could create spreadsheets for each spell list for easy reference and not overwhelm with all 500+ spells at once.
Do not rewrite the spells if all you removed was components. Costly components aren't that big of a balancing tool unless its very low level or a very costly component (10K+). Likewise, spells that don't go into the ethereal plane also don't need to be written. Instead, just have a boxed text like:

In <insert setting/game here>, spells are cast purely from focuses, and some planes referenced in D&D don't exist. If your spell has a costly component, or if it mentions one of the following planes, remove those items from the spell's description while allowing the spell to otherwise function as normal. For example, Chromatic Orb can be cast without a 50gp diamond, and a spell like Blink doesn't take you to the Ethereal Plane but instead just allows you to vanish.
 

Do not rewrite the spells if all you removed was components. Costly components aren't that big of a balancing tool unless its very low level or a very costly component (10K+). Likewise, spells that don't go into the ethereal plane also don't need to be written.

I think you misunderstood me. I am keeping any material component that doesn’t cost money. Components that don’t are replaced with a focus and I added a focus to some spells that were previously just V, S (and now some spells require a material component AND a focus).

I have started just adding a note to some higher level spells that briefly explains the change or simply says “TK” (editorspeak for “to come”) since coming up with a new version of the spell isn’t required for play (or even playtesting) l at the moment.

Speaking of TK, the class descriptions are TK in this thread soon.
 

I think you misunderstood me. I am keeping any material component that doesn’t cost money. Components that don’t are replaced with a focus and I added a focus to some spells that were previously just V, S (and now some spells require a material component AND a focus).

I have started just adding a note to some higher level spells that briefly explains the change or simply says “TK” (editorspeak for “to come”) since coming up with a new version of the spell isn’t required for play (or even playtesting) l at the moment.

Speaking of TK, the class descriptions are TK in this thread soon.
Ah I did misunderstand, sorry.

Is it possible for you to slightly change your design model here and just make all spells require either: a focus, a costly component, V/S, or nothing? Or maybe even further to: Focus, Costly Component, V/S.

Every spell that currently has a Costly component now only has a Costly component.

Every spell that has a non-costly component now just requires a Focus.

Every other spell, even if it had no components, requires a V/S component.
 

So a couple of contextual things that need clarifying, reiterating for the class descriptions to make sense.

The setting's main location is a Republic. This is where campaigns (for the foreseeable future) begin and where a replacement character might be from. Starting characters come from the distance Inchoate Empires (called "The Empires" for short) in the west, a place where there is very little magic and if all fantastic beasts and monsters haven't been wiped out, they are very near extinction. Players are welcome to create nearly any kind of place or location within the Inchoate Empires to give their character an appropriate backstory, but the game will never take place there. Even if a character's long term goal is to return there to accomplish X, Y, Z that s a story that takes place outside of the perimeter of the campaign (and a great segue to PC retirement).

As such, class descriptions (like peoples and backgrounds) include ". . . in the Inchoate Empires" and ". . . in the Republic of Makrinos" sections.

As for alignment, I am stealing Mike Mearls recent take on alignment. Alignment has two components, an ethical element and a cosmic element. The cosmic alignment is where you fall in the eternal struggle of Law vs. Chaos. Spells have different effect based on this element of your alignment and it can be detected. Ethical alignment is the good vs. evil dichotomy. It is how you behave in the world and what you think is right in your pursuit (or denial) of the cosmic. Cosmic alignment is always upper case, Law, Chaos, Neutrality, and ethical alignment is lower case (as to not confuse the neutral neutral ;) )

As such, each class has an Alignment section in its description as well.

Sometimes a class description will also include some reference to rules stuff about a class when it is significantly different from other classes or base 5E (as with the bardic magic).
 

Bard

A bard is a jack-of-all-trades who knows a little about a lot and a lot about a little, and who is pretty good at everything, but usually not the best at anything—save for song! Bards practice arcane magic they manifest through music, both through their voices and by playing instruments. This magic allows them to inspire others, soothe hurts, dishearten foes, and create illusions. Song also allows them to absorb and retain lore and legend better than most, using this knowledge both to entertain and inform. Bards can serve as wise sages or impudent jesters. They can earn livings as traveling songsters or well-reputed diplomats. But many bards seek to be the heroes of their own stories and accompany other adventurers to this end, both documenting (or exaggerating) the exploits of their comrades, but also making sure their own role is starring one.

Bardic Magic
While an arcane form, bardic magic is not as reliable or flexible as that of mages or warlocks. Most bardic magic requires the use of bardic focus in the form of a music instrument, with their voice contributing the verbal component with a song or ode. As such, bard spells with focus components and whose duration is maintained through concentration, require the continued use of the focus throughout that time. This means the focus is not free to cast other spells while maintaining concentration. However, they may still cast spells with a verbal component that do not require concentration while playing the focus by weaving in different musical motifs with their voice. Alternatively, a bard can use their voice as the focus, which means they cannot cast other spells with a verbal component while concentrating on a spell cast that way. This limitation of bardic magic is why bards supplement it with some martial skill and a variety of other skills and crafts.

Bardic Colleges
Bards focus their craft into particular fields, calling them colleges. These colleges do not necessarily refer to an actual school building or campus (though these do exist and are not limited to particular kinds of bards) but rather to a school of thought or approach to their musical endeavors and recording of lore. Upon achieving 3rd level, bards in [Heroes of Makrinos] choose a college they will adopt as their own approach. The college of lore, the college of valor, or the college of eloquence. Other potential future bard colleges might include, the college of divinity, and the college of drama.

Bard Alignment
In the cosmic scope of the universe, bards tend towards a neutral viewpoint, understanding the need for Chaos and Law to be in balance (though not always equivalent) in order for sound to have meaning among the cacophony of noise in a disordered world. And yet, raw chaotic sound is also necessary to express emotion or manifest some magics. Nevertheless, they are not beholden to this view personally or in terms of the ethics of their behavior.

Bards in the Inchoate Empires
There are few bard colleges in the Empires, and the few that do exist tend to be traveling bands that seek to escape the upheaval of war and politics while documenting it. In general, however, the bards of the empire are not particularly powerful spellcasters, given the general distaste for magic an its dampened effect in that part of the world, leaving most to cast cantrips and 1st-level spells, but not much beyond that. Bards who use magic to augment their shows are considered “inauthentic” and booed off stage. All that said, bards might be found in the court of a king, emperor, or warlord, or accompanying a band of traveling mercenaries. Those bards who leave the Empires for Makrinos in the east, might be seeking out the legendary creatures and events that are said to still happen in those “hinterlands,” in addition to whatever other motivations might drive them into exile.

Of course, there are bardic traditions among the other peoples of the Empires who attempt to remain uninvolved in the human political and religious tumult. The specifics of those traditions very widely, though most would be marginal and on the verge of cultural extinction.

Bards in Makrinos
Bards are among the most popular type of adventurers among the polis. Their songs and tales are welcome in most pubs, roadhouses, and inns, and even a local minstrel will give up entertaining a crowded tavern to allow a visiting one to play a set or even all night long, especially if they are a bard of repute. During election years, many bards are hired to persuade crowds of voters leading up to and on the day of voting. While there are certainly many people who know better, in general bardic magic here is considered as flashy and for entertainment value, at worse to con some sucker, making it more generally acceptable than that of mages and warlocks or as politically fraught as divine magic.

More than one bard in the republic’s history has leveraged a reputation born of adventure and charm into a political career. For this reason, the wealthier and more established families of Makrinos might chide the “common entertainments” of the hoi polloi.
 

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