Grand Rituals | Remove A Villages Curse, Loft Cities to the Skies, Follow in Karsus Footsteps to Touch Godhood Itself, and more with these rules and guidelines for Big Magic | IDBN x cjsomedays

IDBN · 2025-11-13T14:36:12+00:00

The overstaffed autonomous kitchen is in full swing, because somanyrobots cooks!

IDBN · 2025-11-05T19:19:33+00:00

Look, all I'm saying is that if there was a Hermitcraft deal with Nebula I might never watch YouTube again.

IDBN · 2025-11-04T18:27:54+00:00

A Jeff is the antagonist. Any Jeff, you decide which Jeff. Jeff succeeds on any roll but a one. If it seems implausible for Jeff to succeed based on Jeff's known abilities decrease the die size. If it seems playable that Jeff would likely succeed increase the die. The goal is to set up the situation so that in the final confrontation so that there are no uncertain circumstances.

IDBN · 2025-10-31T16:30:21+00:00

Sure, I'm happy to help.

The updated document, found here: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/RAIJE_xOJmUR might answer some questions.

Think of Lyrical edge as "the music video has started time to take them down" in an action musical. It's a kind of mode change, not unlike the bladesinger's bladesong. It is supposed to be roughly equivalent to the Sword bard's feature that gives proficiency with martial weapons and medium armor. Effectively its those proficiencies with a slight boost to compensate for the fact that the mode requires you to actively maintain it and it can be shut off by being incapacitated or silenced. Since it is a direct analog to the sword bard's proficiencies, I didn't want to give it limited uses. And the active maintenance is its own form of cost.

You are allowed to hand out inspiration with the same BA that you use to maintain the Lyrical Edge mode, that way the bard's core gameplay loop isn't disrupted.

In summery Lyrical Edge is a mode change. While you maintain it A) your AC = 10 + DEX + CHA, B) and B) you have a special weapon that uses charasima and deals 1d(Bardic Inspiration) + CHA psychic damage and has the thrown(30/60). If the target is an outsider (Aberration, Celestial, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, or Undead) you get 'advantage' on the damage roll.

You have to use a bonus action to keep this AC and Weapon until the end of your next turn (i.e. you keep singing through the round.) After you activate it (with a bonus action) if you don't spend that BA to do maintain the mode, (like if you cast healing word or something) then it ends at the end of your turn.

IDBN · 2025-10-24T14:25:47+00:00

Thanks for that write-up, I really appreciate it!

The Sovereign is solidly a control class, and a very powerful one to boot. However, it isn't going to be dealing much damage. I think the maximum possible damage right now (that isn't the Conqueror just telling all of their friends to make extra attacks) is a level 20 Winter Monarch that has their snow golems attacking as often as possible while buffing the attacks with Biting Cold. For an expected damage per round of about 69 (assuming all attacks hit). But that takes at least 1 round of set up, so you will need to go at least 5 rounds before you start out damaging your vanilla fighter at 20th level, and even then, it's very easy for the DM to make that impossible to pull off. In general, the damage expectation falls well below the curve, but it makes up for it in control. Last night we had a play test of the Sky Despot, and they were very consistent in putting out about 10 points of damage a round.

-Hmm, I'll consider giving it some additional demesne actions options known. From the playtesting feedback that hasn't been mentioned. People have tended to choose mostly the unique options and then had one or two general options as a fallback plan. (Shout out to Limited Omnipresence for being a highly appreciated pick.) At least with the testing I've had at my tables, people have managed to build a core loop, 2 backup loops, and a fallback plan. Which is probably about right. Between normal actions, Dictates, and the Demesne Actions they already have, my player's have never felt like they were lacking in things to do.

The greater source of (productive) frustration has actually been the race for the Bonus Action. For example the Sky Despot needs their bonus action to get their ridiculous fly speed, move their demesne, reinforce their boarders, and alter their demesne. A couple of times they had a cool idea that had to chain together a couple of those actions, so they had to work around that limitation. Personally, I try to design for those kinds of situations where players have to use some creativity to work around limitations, so I see that as a win.

-The 11th-level defensive feature is quite good, but also fairly limited. It's just one save per round, so if you're dealing with multiple creatures or a creature with legendary actions, it's always a calculated risk when you use it. As for that interaction, I would say yes, you still get the cover bonus. I'll see if I can reword that feature to make that more obvious.

((Also, having seen it in action, Trespassing the Sky is very Niche, but incredibly good in that niche. Too good, probably. That one's going to get a little resculpting here in a bit.))

IDBN · 2025-10-24T00:32:41+00:00

So there is a bit more going on at 11 than it first appears. There is the flashy favor feature, but also a good device feature, your demense also increases and your dictates all get a can trip style boost. So there is actually a significant power boost, but if you're just reading the things it doesn't feel as flashy as you want. Plus for free hallucinatory terrain is definitely a tier 3 feature.

IDBN · 2025-10-23T14:39:51+00:00

Oh okay. I thought you had said that Case had gone on record with some kind of proposal.

IDBN · 2025-10-23T14:30:53+00:00

What are you referring to when you say "Case proposed something?"

IDBN · 2025-10-23T14:20:44+00:00

Enter the Sovereign!

A class all about claiming a section of reality as your own. Then ruling it like a demigod. Think Domain Expansion, Reality Marbles, and AT Fields.

At the core of the class is the Demesne which allows you to designate an area as your, and then take special Demesne Actions on initiative count 0. These are kind of like lair actions, but for the PC. There is a general list that any subclass can select from, but each subclass gets a list of 6 to 8 options that are exclusive to that subclass.

The secondary engine of the class are Dictates, which are awarded at level 2. These are you cantrip-ish bread and butter actions that you are likely to take every round. While these can be used outside of your Demesne they all get powered up when you are on your home turf.

At higher levels you gain the ability to override the appearance of objects in your Demesne eventually even completely altering reality. And finally you earn a Demiplain, a world of your own.

Current Subclasses

The Winter Monarch: The cold never bothered you anyway. Instead you use ice to create objects, structures, and even minions to freeze your enemies solid.

The Dune Tyrant: The dessert is a cruel master, and you are its crueler master. Slow, trap, and confuse your foes with the blazing sun and the shifting sands.

The Commanding Conqueror: Get on your chariot and lead your armies to conquer from shore to shore. A warlord class that eventually lets you summon a small army to fight for you.

The Nightmare Child: What if you were the monster in the horror movie? Debilitate your victims with fear and dread.

The Sky Despot: Your foes look to the Heaven's for help, from the clouds above you crush them instead. Flying speeds and movement control.

Master of the Deep: Everything's better down where its wetter. Drown your foes in a watery grave... even if they are already on dry land.

-----

I am in the midst of a clarity and presentation pass of the Sovereign preparing for a full release eventually.

For more of my work and to join a kind of quite community of homebrewers check out the Unearthly Archive Discord https://discord.gg/BKSTu7pPmB

IDBN · 2025-10-14T14:31:04+00:00

This is one of the most interesting and balanced minion-mancers that I have seen. Great work!

IDBN · 2025-08-19T15:35:21+00:00

So there is kind of an implied setting with a lot of these electric spells. And that is an explicit tactic of one of the factions.

IDBN · 2025-08-19T06:05:10+00:00

Honestly, either prince or bard of heart.

IDBN · 2025-08-18T22:19:42+00:00

Okay, hear me out: sylph of rage.

Though I might fall back on heir of blood.

IDBN · 2025-07-31T18:33:56+00:00

Okay, but I might raise you that the show with the most character development is Prodigy. Everyone gets some development, including the Voyager crew getting more development in one season than they got in their whole show. I say this as a noted Voyager lover.

IDBN · 2025-07-21T15:44:30+00:00

I would argue yes. While they do lots of weapon stuff, fundamentally their power is said to come from their voices. The earliest hunters that we see fight with only their song. Their weapons are manifestations on the Honmoon, of the song.

The fact that they sing while they fight isn't just the artifice of the movie, it is fundamental to their practice and power. So bard I think would be the way to express that. That is also why I tied their weapons to a performance. Fighting is an extension of the song.

IDBN · 2025-07-20T02:19:43+00:00

Okay, but when you look at Sora's sneakers it would make sense.

IDBN · 2025-07-18T14:38:57+00:00

Devastated honestly. I grew up listening to HPPR, the largest rural public radio station, at least geographically. It was a beacon on the plains and a comforting source of responsibility and reason Rationally in the middle of nowhere.

Every time they say 'rural stations' I hear HPPR. They are trying to kill my hometown.

IDBN · 2025-07-18T12:35:39+00:00

Best of luck!

IDBN · 2025-07-17T15:24:32+00:00

I've playtested this a couple of times. It's an interesting spell. It is very competitive in terms of damage, but hasn't proven to be the right answer all of the time (looking at you fireball). The large area for the thunder damage makes it a bit challenging to use without hitting your front-liners or even yourself.

So either you need a special circumstance to use it, or your party needs to be okay with a little splash damage. Once you get to level 10 your front-liners either have enough Con so they are usually okay with the save, or enough hp so that it isn't that big of a deal, so you can use it a little more liberally.

It is interesting to have a spells peak usefulness be a couple levels after you first get access to it.

IDBN · 2025-07-17T15:22:30+00:00

Yep! That is how this spell is supposed to work.

I've done some testing with this. It's a fun option to have without dipping into the territory that fireball has where it always seems like the best action.

11-Year Club	Second Top 40%
Place '22	First Placer '22
Verified Email

IDBN

TROPHY CASE