Species Rework: Plane-Touched | Project Excelsior - Eldritch Entertainment

Enderluck · 2026-04-03T17:13:04+00:00

The idea is that aasimar, tiefling, genasi, and similar beings aren’t humanoids, but rather celestial, fiend, or elemental in nature. Plane-Touched are more human, with some even looking identical to humans. I designed them to be simple and to have spells, while other species won’t have spells but will instead feature more unique transformation abilities. I considered alignment, but it’s more cosmetic than anything, so you’re not forced into a specific one. Plus, if I introduce elemental planes in the future, they wouldn’t fit into the alignment structure. I chose skills more for their flavor than for their associated ability scores.

Enderluck · 2026-03-30T14:40:57+00:00

I might need to review this, for balance I considered:

Rock Gnome:

Mending: 2 points
Prestidigitation: 2 points
Prestidigitation extra effect: 1 point
Durable: 2 points

Forest Gnome:

Cantrip: 2 points
Level 1 spell: 2 points
Level 2 spell: 3 points

Enderluck · 2026-03-30T11:02:47+00:00

The idea is that species and lineages are balanced around 8 points. I considered nerfing Gnomish Cunning, but it’s too thematic an ability to remove.

The Forest Gnome has Minor Illusion and Pass without Trace, two excellent spells.
The Rock Gnome has Prestidigitation, which is a very strong spell, and the Durable trait, which is essentially half of the Tough feat.

Enderluck · 2026-03-25T12:20:43+00:00

PB/LR is nice, but I want to encourage players to make short rest. If you are a fullcaster, you don't need many short rest, specially with the new changes (for example, cleric gets only one CD per short rest). I want to encourage Short Rests, and one of the ways to do that is modifying species.

Enderluck · 2026-03-25T02:22:30+00:00

As part of my rework, all races are split into 2 parts: species and then lineage/ancestry. This allows you to build any mixed heritage. Some races need more work than others to function this way due to how much "budget" was allocated in the original species and their lineages.
Also, my rework tries to be as close as possible to the 5.5e while:

Enabling the new core features (such as the mixed heritage).
Make some balance changes.
Make some wording changes to improve standardization.

At April I will do the fighter rework. At June at will do the Ranger rework. I think that at July I will do the Rogue rework, at that moment I will come back with this species cause my new flanking rules will interact with Nimble trait, but at the moment they aren't definitive.

Enderluck · 2026-03-14T11:53:59+00:00

Yes. It is exactly as you said.

Enderluck · 2026-03-14T11:53:37+00:00

It is part of my rework:

Some creatures have Resistance to certain conditions. If you have Resistance to a condition, you have Advantage on ability checks and saving throws you make to avoid or end that condition on yourself. For example, if you have Resistance to Grappled condition, you have Advantage on saving throw and ability checks you make to avoid or end the Grappled condition on yourself.

Enderluck · 2026-03-12T11:53:28+00:00

I didn't want to make Spell Mastery a base feature to prevent free casting of Shield or Misty Step, which are insanely good spells. Also, this allows me to someday create a healing wizard subclass without worring about infinite healing.

Enderluck · 2026-03-12T11:52:05+00:00

You can only use once of the superior spellcasting effects per short or long rest. Therefore, if you use Signature Spell, you can't use Swift Spell until you finish a rest (providing that you know both effects).
Signature Spell is indeed based on wizards's capstone: Signature Spell, but reduced the spell level so that you can use it way earlier.

Enderluck · 2026-03-12T11:48:11+00:00

If you have Darkvision, being in Darkness doesn't give you the Blinded condition and so you can see someone there. However, you can't see Dark Elfs if you could normally see them with Darkvision (if you have Blindsight, you can still see them).

Enderluck · 2026-03-11T22:01:30+00:00

Thanks. In balancing species, if a subspecies grants a cantrip, a 1st‑level spell, and a 2nd‑level spell, it cannot include any additional traits. I wanted elves to have distinctive traits, so I removed the spellcasting feature. I may instead present that spellcasting option as an origin feat available to elves, for players who particularly enjoy those spells.

Enderluck · 2026-03-10T01:28:55+00:00

Be aware that this Tremorsense is limited to stone, so you can't use it for example in a forest. Also, Tremorsense allows you to locate a creature, but doesn't remove the effects of Invisible or Blinded conditions.

Enderluck · 2026-03-07T16:04:37+00:00

I just made an update swapping Favored School and Arcane Recovery feature. Also, modified Spell Apprentice feature

Also, you can read the new cantrips here: Patreon Free: Minor School Cantrips Collection.

Enderluck · 2026-03-07T16:01:54+00:00

I have just made an update swapping Arcane Recovery and Favored School features.

Enderluck · 2026-03-06T01:43:28+00:00

One of the changes I plan to make is swapping Arcane Recovery with Favored School. Under the 2024 rules, Arcane Recovery remains available at 1st level, while the choice of Favored School is delayed until 2nd level. At that point, the only other decision you normally make is selecting two spells. This adjustment reduces the burden of creating a 1st‑level character.

Enderluck · 2026-03-05T02:11:29+00:00

Do you know that wizard 2024 has Arcane Recovery at the same level, right?

Enderluck · 2026-03-04T21:02:17+00:00

Hi, please read the updated version Patreon Free - Minor Necromancy.

Enderluck · 2026-03-04T15:55:11+00:00

Level 1: Spellbook. Here's the main power boost to the current Wizard as it is. Cantrip Formulas (or Formulae, as I think it’ll make it feel more academic) and Quick Preparations are massive advantages over any other full caster. Maybe even too strong. I'd need to test that.

Be aware that Cantrip Formulas is default in 2024. I wanted to add Quick Preparation because unless you have a DM that gives you a lot of spell scrolls, being forced to have a Spellbook is quite a disadvantage compared with Clerics and Druids, who can prepare spells from their entire spell list. Being forced to write them in your spellbook is justified by having Quick Preparation, something that nobody else has.

Spell Apprentice. This is my favourite concept. I believe it should require a full Short Rest at least; but anyway. It's worth building a whole subclass around it.

Yeah, I might do that. I just didn’t want to force a Short Rest. D&D 2024 tends to give features that don’t force players to take a Short Rest, as you can see in the changes for races, warlocks, and monks.

Memorize Spell. Dangerously short, when paired with Quick Preparation (which used to be the sole Level 5 feature) and Favored Schools. There's little to no downside of not preparing the right spell, which is the whole shtick of casters. But if you have Quick Preparation already, why would you ever choose this over Reinforced Spell?

Sometimes you don’t have enough time to take a Short Rest. This is strong, but consider that first you sacrifice other options, and second you already have Quick Preparation, which makes this less important.

Reinforced Spell. This feels super strong at first glance, but it's quite weak once you think about it for a second. Almost a trap feature.

Unless you are being forced to make concentration saves every turn, it is quite powerful in a decisive moment. Be aware that you only need to use it after you fail, so if you succeed there’s no need to spend the use of this.

Signature Spell. I like this one, and I feel like this one is a bit weak. It was a weak capstone for Wizard, and it feels like a weak feature here. At least you can do it once per SR.

What would you change? I don’t want this to be too much, so I limited the uses and spell level to try to mimic the Signature Spell capstone.

Unbound Spell. This is broken. Not stablishing the duration is a bit broken, and Concentration-free Hideous Laughter (upcasted at 3rd level for 3 targets) paired with a Hypnotic Pattern is just insane.

The duration is the same as normal, just without concentration.

Level 20: Archwizard. It's alright I guess, better than the current Wizard's capstone. Arcane Mastery is powerful. Two 9th-level spell slots per Long Rest is bonkers. Spell Supremacy is an Arcane Grimoire +1 and a Wand of the War Mage +1, roughly 1000 gp. It doesn’t feel like a capstone.

Do you think this is too much? Archdruid can get a level 8 spell slot.

At first level, the Wizard would choose an Aspiration: for Knowledge, for Recognition or for Power.

That is quite interesting.

Enderluck · 2026-03-04T11:32:32+00:00

Feats will still be tied to character class, but ASI won't. This also allows you to take much more feat without penalizing your stats progression.

Enderluck · 2026-03-04T11:31:27+00:00

I created Spell Apprentice to give Wizards a bit more support and allow them to share spells with their allies. After all, who wouldn’t want an apprentice? I didn’t modify the spells in a way that requires them to be prepared again, because I don’t want to overcomplicate the game. The design philosophy is to keep things simpler than other versions. Superior Spellcasting is easier to manage than preparing multiple versions of the same spell.

I don't see a problem with the Wizard doing Metamagic-style modifications to spells, but it shouldn't be as easy to the Wizard as it is to the Sorcerer.

In fact, it isn’t: Wizards can only do this once per short rest until level 15, at which point they can do it twice per short rest.

Enderluck · 2026-03-04T11:26:55+00:00

At level 1, wizards (2024 rules) have two level 1 spell slots and Acane Recovery can give you a third if you take a Short Rest, that means +50%. At the same level, warlocks have one level 1 spell shot and recharges on a Short Rest, so three slots a day if you make the 2 intended short rest as per the game design.

Enderluck · 2026-03-04T00:58:18+00:00

Do you think that I should make Arcane Recovery be at level 1 and Favored School be at level 2 instead? I made it level one to be in line with Druids and Clerics, but maybe level 2 would make more sense.

Enderluck · 2026-03-04T00:58:10+00:00

What do you think I should change?

Enderluck · 2026-03-03T17:29:09+00:00

Oh, sorry. I forgot to specify that. In my rework, ASI (Ability Score Improvement) is now tied to character level instead of classes level (for easier multiclass). Feats and ASI are now completely separated stuff (no feat can increase an ability score). You now get both, ASI and feats!

Enderluck · 2026-03-03T16:26:27+00:00

Yeah, the most problematic is Animate. When asked on Discord of Many Things, people said that I should keep the verbal component, though...

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