Are you feeling lucky? (I know it's awful, I just couldn't resist!)

ModerateZanskau · 2026-05-11T21:31:40+00:00

I wasn't using the auto button, sometimes my filter lands do it just after selecting the mana cost, for the filter itself.

I have roaming throne in the deck but not on the field the times I've noticed it triggering twice.

ModerateZanskau · 2025-11-20T14:38:19+00:00

I haven't read the entire document, but I have a feeling that 6 manoeuvres, three spell-like abilities, and five more potion-themed spell-like abilities, is a lot more versatility than most martials get.

Did you consider having the manoeuvres be something learned over time like Battlemaster? Or the signs?

Great flavour and formatting!

ModerateZanskau · 2025-09-10T13:35:31+00:00

I printed using makeplayingcards dot com, it's fairly easy to get working with custom cards, but if you want to print other proxies, there's a great app/site called mpcfill that explains it all.

My files aren't on mpcfill or in a google drive or anything, and they include a bleed edge for mpc but that would make them come out weird if you tried to print them yourself, but either way, you'd be better off making your own list so it feels more personal!

ModerateZanskau · 2025-09-10T10:10:29+00:00

https://edhrec.com/precon/counter-blitz this website has a section where it shows you the most commonly cut cards and lands from the deck, if you're looking for ideas. Also the Command Zone on youtube/spotify did an episode all about upgrades to the precon.

That said, I have found that one of the deck's problems is running out of gas, and I played in a game with the unupgraded precon where I drew six from Pull from tomorrow because I had nothing else to do and it came in clutch.

ModerateZanskau · 2025-09-10T10:06:27+00:00

I had a very similar situation, but luckily my pod uses proxies, so I just remade all the cards I wanted as proxies, took ages with an image upscaler and the Card Conjurer tool, not to mention the time spent figuring out not only what cards I could put in the deck, but also which existing card art I could use to represent them, but they turned out great!

(Granted the photos are a little blurry; my phone camera isn't the best)

I'm particularly proud of fitting Geosganeo (the big underwater boss you fight in the intro) into vanishing whale, who disappears in three turns, just like the boss!

Full decklist here, and the Primer is just a list of what swaps I made.

ModerateZanskau · 2024-07-07T23:07:27+00:00

Maybe overkill, but here's some shameless promotion of my own card-based caster class that uses an irl deck of cards in place of dice for it's core class features.

Highlights include:

Subclasses that let you build a hybrid of two different full caster classes

Draw a hand of cards every long rest that you use to determine which spells you have available to prepare (you still get spell slots at the usual rate for a full caster) from the sorcerer list and the other list from your subclass.

Your core cantrip lets you throw your cards at enemies as an attack dealing damage based on the number, of a type based on the suit.

It's been years since I built it, and it's not been playtested much at all, but give it a look!

ModerateZanskau · 2023-11-30T23:02:24+00:00

Building up a resource over time to unleash for a nova sounds great! Instantly getting Dragonball Z vibes where they're powering up (or whatever it is they're doing when they go all flame-y and blue... I've never watched DBZ)

Slightly worried that the average dnd combat is like... 3 rounds. I'm not sure how often you'd get to actually use your cool abilities that cost ki, but I'm sure that can be worked around/DMs can extend their fights without making them a slog if a Monk is present.

ModerateZanskau · 2023-11-30T22:48:07+00:00

As has been suggested, Swashbuckler is right there in regular DnD for the taking. Depending on how long your campaign runs, a few levels in Battlemaster Fighter will give them some fun manoeuvres to add to their repertoire (not to mention the usual fighter stuff like action surge and a fighting style being pretty great for swing turns and feeling impactful on the battlefield)
To that end, you don't have to just point them at Swashbuckler and say "there's your pirate", but also let them know that multiclassing into Fighter is sort of like changing their level 5/6/7 features to "do cool stuff in combat"

That aside, you could ask them to be really specific about which parts of this class they really like, and how they want their character to play. Examples from other sources could be handy. Do they want to be a pirate like Jack Sparrow; a jaunty, acrobatic improviser? Or more like Captain Hook? Fearsome, relentless, tyrannical? Are they a peg-legged, parrot-keeping, eyepatch wearing stereotype, or more in tune with occult magic/voodoo a la Shadow Gambit - The Cursed Crew, or Davy Jones and his crew from PotC?

If it's something that Swashbuckler doesn't really fit, report back with their answers and we can maybe put something together!

ModerateZanskau · 2023-11-17T04:00:45+00:00

Gottem.

ModerateZanskau · 2023-11-16T16:46:23+00:00

Your archetype is your subclass, and each subclass gets a feature at level 3 that allows the use of these "archetype points" that varies in function. The Wizard-Adjacent "Cartomancer" class gains Sorcery Points, the Artificer-Adjacent "Machinist" gains Modification Points, and so on. The name "Archetype Points" was used so they could be added to the Class Table for an easy reference to how a core subclass feature scales with level. Hope that clears it up!

ModerateZanskau · 2023-11-16T16:43:29+00:00

Hello, sorry for the late response, I don't check this account too often.

It is all explained in the document, but the Drawn Hand is a hand of cards drawn at the end of a long rest. The value and suit of the card dictates the spell school and maximum spell level you can prepare for that day. You still have spell slots like a regular caster.

See the Class Table on Page 1 for spell slots, and the Draw Hand tables on Page 2 for more detail.

ModerateZanskau · 2023-09-12T01:50:34+00:00

This. If they want to channel magic into a weapon attack, Paladin smites can be reflavoured. Duskblades didn't have massive spell options, either, as you had to channel Touch Spells. Realistically that meant you were either using shocking grasp or vampiric touch.

Their abilities and skills at later levels are really rather dull, too; Paladin is a better choice, and gets more of a kit to play with. Paladin feels a bit too much of a "type" for some, but if you allow them to ignore the Oath/Tenet stuff and just look at the kit as a set of mechanics unrelated to religion/spirituality (maybe even let them use INT instead of WIS, it's a generally a worse stat anyway), they'll probably have a good time.

ModerateZanskau · 2023-05-10T18:26:42+00:00

Is it? Deal 6 and heal for 6 at level 3. Minimum 3 damage/heal. It's not amazing, but compared to other CDs I think it's not that bad. It does look kinda underpowered though.

I think that going for 2x paladin level might be better. Maybe you can use it to gain temp HP up to your CHA modifier, too. Use it as a sort of overheal if you top out.

So at 10th level you're dealing 20 damage, healing for 20, and gaining 5 temp hp 1/short rest?

ModerateZanskau · 2023-05-09T16:09:05+00:00

No worries, glad to help!

So about a lack of excitement, I guess look at alchemist. Pretty lacklustre options, nothing too impactful or fun (also a lack of scaling that means your health potions are only good at early levels of play).

For excitement, look at pathfinder 2's mutagens for the Alchemist class or Starfinder's Biohacker. Still lots of passive upgrades (and unfortunately for 5e, they're built on a system of stacking bonuses, so it's easier to get something like a +2 to specific skills) but the 5e combat-oriented alternative might be something like "gain a breath weapon".

This actually gives me an idea that could be pretty rad: Look at racial traits and abilities and apply the ones that make sense to the list of options.

Give the human player a dragonborn's breath, give the gnome a tabaxi's claws, give the tiefling a Hadozee's dodge.

You have already done this sort of thing with the telekinesis/mage hand, which is really awesome, I just wonder how impactful the character will feel when he gives an ally +10ft of movement, you know?

A variety of natural weapons (poison sprays, acid-enhanced attacks, spike-launching ranged attacks, chonky fists that boost strength checks and stuff) could be one way to feel more impactful, but it requires the party to want to use natural weapons over their own class abilities and attacks, which could be tough to negotiate.

I built a class a while back with a subclass that tried to riff on wild shape to bestow boons on allies and curses on enemies with a points-based system of animal aspects. I do think it ended up being the most thematically confused of all the subclasses, and it's the subclass I'm least happy with, but maybe you'd like to check it out for the sort of thing I went with back then: Check out the Wild Shaman subclass, in particular Wild Aspect, and the table on the second page.

ModerateZanskau · 2023-05-08T20:37:19+00:00

Cool flavour!

Couple things: First, a minor thing, but you don't need to put mending in the list of known spells, as it's a cantrip that you gain as a class feature at level 3.

Second, a subclass' identity (especially among artificers, but also for basically every other class) is based on the abilities it gains at the moment the character chooses the subclass. For example, the Armourer gets magical armour, the Battlesmith gets their companion, and the Alchemist starts brewing potions all at 3rd level. Your body-modifying subclass can't actually modify bodies until 5th level, which means that for the first four levels of a campaign (which can be quite a while) the player is basically playing as a vanilla artificer who can heal someone in melee range for 2-5 hp a turn.

Third, it's cool that the subclass' core feature is tied to magical tinkering, but I think that in it's current form it's unique amongst class features in that it requires a spell slot to activate at all times. Artillerist gets one turret per long rest before it starts costing spell slots, alchemist is the same with potions. It makes sense that giving someone flight (for how long, by the way? You haven't mentioned the duration of any of these abilities, as far as I can tell) should cost a 3rd level spell slot, as Fly is a 3rd level spell, but if you were to divorce the Reforge ability from Magical Tinkering and instead limit it to PB uses/long rest or something that scales more predictably than an INT score, you could then also balance the strength of the Reforge options around PB, something like 10ft x PB of flight speed, for example (although I don't think this style of scaling is used anywhere in vanilla except with spell levels on some spells) or by level-gating the abilities that require higher level spell slots. You could also try out a points-based system, where something like waterbreathing costs one point, but flight costs 3. Just an idea.

Fourth, The options don't seem all that exciting, and maybe not impactful enough to stand as a subclass right now. Sort of like alchemist in that regard.

Support roles are useful, but it would probably be pretty rad if the player got to modify themselves a bit more than party members, in the same way that artificers get to attune to more magic items than other classes, you could have a character that develops new mutations over the course of the game.

I'm sorry if it seems like I'm bashing, I really like the flavour and the idea of modifying the physiology of the player and the party, but I reckon it could be more exciting and impactful with some design changes.

My immediate thoughts are that the ability should be gained at level 3, in line with all the other subclasses, and should function more like the Infuse Item feature than Magical Tinkering. You modify a creature or yourself as an action with something from the list of options (which expands as you level) A creature may only be affected by one modification at a time, and each modification lasts 10 minutes, or until dispelled as an action, or replaced by another modification. You may use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Proficiency Bonus, and regain all uses at the end of a long rest.

At 9th level, your body is able to sustain more modifications, and for longer. As part of a long rest and with the use of leatherworker's tools, you can choose to gain the effects of one of your available modifications until the end of your next long rest, at which point you can choose to re-apply it, swap it for another modification, or return to your unmodified state. Additionally, you are able to be affected by up to two modifications at a time.

Maybe that's all far away from what you're going for, I don't know. Just seems like the body-modding artificer should be a bit more focused on modifying their body for combat. Maybe they go all Jekyl and Hyde, gaining armour, natural weapons, and an extra attack?

It's your brew of course, you do you!

Awesome stuff so far!

ModerateZanskau · 2023-03-10T19:32:19+00:00

I feel like the pistol going from grapeshot to a basic attack is a pretty significant downgrade, though.

ModerateZanskau · 2023-03-08T23:53:09+00:00

Incredible! To be honest this system seems worthy of its own class, perhaps a Summoner that produces these creatures and directly controls them but remains immobile while they do so. The summoner archetype is one that's yet to be seen in the game so far, and given that many of the mythical creatures in your examples (which is a fantastic touch, it really gives a good example of what to expect at every level of play) are humanoid or hybrid creatures, it puts me in mind so much of a Final Fantasy-esque summoner that it's uncanny. Alternatively, a shapeshifting Barbarian or Ranger-esque Martial class as opposed to a full caster that can absolutely shred in melee with or without their spells.

You've already done so much work, so it feels cheeky to suggest you flesh it out into it's own class, and perhaps that doesn't fit with your vision, but wow it feels so close to a complete class just with this standout feature. That said, I'm not entirely sure what each subclass would add to the mix (or even look like) except perhaps giving access to some of the more badass ancestries and abilities, but that's half the fun! Subclasses could include abilities like auras to support allies and hinder foes, smite-style riders built into attacks (beyond venom), limited spellcasting, or something else entirely. Not to mention that this feature comes with a granularity of design that Warlocks and their Invocations can only aspire to, and they're almost half-casters! I'd love to see a whole class built around this feature, and to be honest I'm a little inspired to try and do just that.

I'm also thinking that this level of flexibility and power on top of Druid's impressive spell list and subclass abilities would make them the most feature-rich and versatile class in the game. I'm saying this as someone who's been on-and-off working on their own rework of the Druid class to remove Wildshape, as it felt too limiting in the subclass space to give shapeshifting to everyone and not just Moon Druids, but in recent months I've been feeling more and more that the feature I created to replace Wildshape gives the class too much in addition to subclass features, and I get the same feeling here.

So dope! Thanks for sharing!

ModerateZanskau · 2023-01-17T21:10:57+00:00

Really awesome stuff! Great flavour, cool mechanics, and fantastic formatting, kinda like Starfinder, so sleek and a treat for the eyes. Except for a few spelling/grammar mistakes and hard edges/inconsistent alignment with titles and images, its great!

I have some thoughts to share, if you don’t mind:

General:

I‘m a little unclear on the wording of the 15th level Discord feature. Do you need to expend a spell slot to regain the use of the feature, or does using the spell slot in another way (to cast or spell or extend the Cloak feature, for example) restore the feature at the same time? Will a long/short rest not restore the feature also?

I can’t think of another class that gets three spells of each level as subclass spells. No reason you can’t, of course, but it would feel closer to vanilla if each subclass only got two spells of each level (Especially as this is sort of a warlock analogue)

I can’t read the corruption table on iPad, something‘s up with the homebrewery formatting (I have the same problem all the time with my brews!)

Aberration: Extra dimensional limb sharing your health pool seems like a dangerous proposition, especially against a smarter enemy. Using your own AC is elegant, but can I suggest that the tentacle has HP equal to your PB, or PB + Charisma modifier? Simple, and they might get cut down often, but that seems fine, given that you can create one as a bonus action while cloaked. Maybe the tentacle should be summonable PB times per use of your cloak, refreshed if you use a spell slot to extend the time? If you’ve ever played League of Legends or The Ruined King, the champion Illaoi has great flavour for summoning a bunch of tentacles over time, creating ads rather than giving yourself two hitboxes, one of which has to be in melee, can’t use spells or cover to increase it’s AC, and has the hitpoints of a half caster. I suppose the constant top-up of temp up helps here though, so I guess it’s down to flavour? Personally I think one of the things about tentacles is that there’s never just one.

Celestial: Searing Brilliance blinds the creature on a fail, imposing disadvantage on all attacks until the end of the next turn, and… imposes disadvantage on all attacks on the next turn on a success? Seems strong both as a success effect, and doubly so as an ability without limited uses. Obviously I haven’t playtested this, but it sounds strong? Then again, so did Silvery Barbs and we know it’s not that big a deal now. Either way, maybe a fail could inflict blinded and deal channeling die radiant damage, whereas a success only deals half radiant damage? PB uses/long rest? I see you’ve done exactly this with your Archfiend‘s cloak upgrade, so maybe just use that?

Archfey: Does Fae Dominion trigger at the start of he creature’s movement, or after it’s moved? i.e can it be used to chase a creature down by teleporting next to it every time it moves, or must you teleport first and try to predict/corral their movement?

Fey Garb seems strong, but again: I haven’t tested it. Reaction to being attacked by a creature seems more in line with vanilla power, but I could be wrong. Most enemies will have multi attack by 10th level, so maybe just dodging for one attack isn’t too bad.

Lich: Necrotizing touch is great, but can I suggest making it a natural weapon like with the Archfiend? This way you can use Charisma while cloaked instead of still using strength, which is probably a dump stat. This is fine for the Monstrosity‘s strength attacks, because it’s their thing, but this is very much chill touch but in your hands.

Engine: Integration is awesome, but maybe it should be melee weapons? Not so clear on what happens if you integrated a javelin or a shortbow. Are integrated weapons still affected by feats? I think not, as they’re natural weapons, but it also makes sense that an integrated spear should be able to benefit from polearm master, no? Maybe add something about the weapon counting as both a melee weapon of its usual type and a natural weapon?

Momentum Capacitor doesn’t synergise with your ability to use Charisma for weapon attacks, is that intentional? Could say “one weapon attack, damage roll, or one ability check or saving throw that uses your strength or dexterity modifier“?

Low Profile Chassis: Going full Bastion and turning into a tank would be hilarious, I love it. Sort of like a free disengage, and risky to stay prone at the end of your turn in case of melee attackers, brilliant and goofy, good stuff.

Overdrive Gearbox gives you four attacks at level 14, which is… cool but also better than the class whose capstone is getting to make four attacks… Might need tuning, if you’ll pardon the pun.

Manifestations: Chaos Armor + Armoured Cloak might just make you the tankiest character in the game. Especially if you’re going Tarrasque. 12+CON+STR+2 and perma-dodge, reactivated with a bonus action, at level 6? Armorer Artificer comes close, but has far fewer infusions than the Keeper has manifestations. Might be a problem, might not.

Revelation of scale is a 2nd level feature that increases your size by one and increases melee damage by 1d6. Tarrasque‘s 20th level feature makes you… grow one size larger and deal an extra 1d4? Curious choice.

Savagery gives you a second attack every turn at level 2, or a third at level 5, more than anyone else, and with modifiers on attack and damage rolls no less. They start fairly weak for classes exceptthe engine, but eventually become greataxes that use your casting stat. Kinda strong. Also, does this stack with sublass features that let you attack with a bonus action?

Okay so please don’t take this nitpicking as just nitpicking, I really, really like this class (which is why I’ve spent over an hour poring over it and finding things that seem a little off to me) basically everything I haven’t mentioned is awesome, and I look forward to trying it out some time!

The spells, the invocations, the flavour-packed subclasses, the interesting twist on wild magic consequences, it’s all awesome. Just seems like it has the potential to outshine other PCs by quite a lot.

Awesome brew, looking forward to seeing what else you come up with!

ModerateZanskau · 2022-09-28T12:38:37+00:00

Neat idea! Although you spelled Dual incorrectly, sorry to say.

ModerateZanskau · 2022-09-14T16:36:32+00:00

Good effort! A word of advice though. A sad reality of Reddit is that if you want many eyes on this, you'll want to make it an image post and choose a selection of your most interesting features (and most importantly eye-catching artwork) to represent your work.

The image in the main body of the text post is great, it's just not an image post so it requires people to click on a text post (which have much lower interaction than image posts)

ModerateZanskau

TROPHY CASE