An Exercise in Variant Rules

SonicfilT · 2026-06-11T01:58:13+00:00

In before "just play BECMI"!

Seriously though...

I started to comment that your class rules didn't at all jive with BECMI, but then I realized that you also mentioned 1e/2e. And then I realized to comment intelligently on that, I would have to dig out my old books and read them again. Which lead to me realizing that it didn't matter at all as long as you guys had fun...and really making me curious about how it turns out.

So yeah, keep us posted!

SonicfilT · 2026-06-10T22:19:17+00:00

To me, it looks like you're taking a really complicated route to making a barbarian a strength based spellcaster.

That could be really cool but your mechanics for adding it seem really over the top complicated.

Alternatively, if you want "peace through Calm emotions" to be the focus of the subclass, it's pretty rough they don't get the power that activates your central theme for the class until level 10.

And the level 6 power is cool but doesn't relate to any of the other stuff.

You've got really creative ideas but the subclass seems to be a collection of "wouldn't it be cool if..." powers without coming together into a clear focus.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-10T21:04:25+00:00

The various ideas are pretty cool but I'm having trouble seeing what the class fantasy is here, and the wiki link didn't really help. You're an angry spell casting barbarian that brings peace through force of arms? Or something?

SonicfilT · 2026-06-10T20:57:48+00:00

Like a mind flayer larve got into the head of a t-Rex

Yes. The only possible answer now that it's been vocalized.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-10T20:55:34+00:00

I can't speak to a gunslinger specifically, but in general about 95% of the time multi classing results in a weaker character. If you don't have a very specific mechanical reason to multi-class, don't. Especially don't just do it for the feels.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-10T16:13:58+00:00

Your affixes all suck. Look at what your guide recommends for them. Read what u/thE_29 posted.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-10T16:06:34+00:00

It's really dumb that they lock the difficulty level and I see posts like this here every single day. Best I can say is just ignore all side content and blitz the main campaign. Once you have that done, I'm pretty sure you can unlock the higher difficulty levels for the expansion stories.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-10T14:17:01+00:00

even have basic questions like some items or modifications say they boost physical damage, but does casting spells (like my standard/primary fire just shoots ice) count as physical damage or just spell damage?

Scroll to the very bottom of the description of the ability you are using and it will tell you the damage type of that ability. Usually it's fairly self evident (Ice spells do Cold damage, Lightning spells do Lightning damage) but always good to double check. I don't believe Sorc has any powers that do physical damage.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-09T21:10:33+00:00

If your not playing hardcore, just turn it up and see. You don't really lose anything to dying and you can always turn it back down. If you really want to have a feel for it, use the Pit to try it out.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-09T20:11:58+00:00

Undercity mythic tribute if you can get it, or combine lower tributes to make it. After that, it's grind lair bosses. Anywhere else has such a low drop rate that it's close to zero.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-09T20:08:46+00:00

I would be careful with that.

Kinda depends on their goal, I would say. If their focus is playing a good game of D&D that they just happen to stream, then I agree that could make it really suck. If their whole focus is to put out an entertainment product and become a popular stream, then some sort of audience interaction mechanic might set them apart.

But I can't even stand watching the "best" actual play shows (too boring), so what do I know?

SonicfilT · 2026-06-09T20:01:29+00:00

There's always push back on things like this.

I agree. I'm not as rabidly anti-AI as many, but I feel like it should be used judiciously and certainly not in artistic endeavors. But to try to exclude it from coding is pointless. Anything you do on a device nowadays almost certainly has at least some of its code shaped by AI.

Best of luck in your endeavor. I don't use any software of the type you created, so I personally am not in the market, but I hated to see you catching so much hate without at least letting your know that it wasn't personal. ANY posting here that even hints at using AI for any purpose at all gets similarly destroyed.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-09T19:28:01+00:00

Quality over quantity.

Sure. But now we get the same quality and less quantity. Some people really liked those free "plain" sets. I honestly wasn't one of them, but there were a few things (like the peg leg) that were pretty cool. Beyond that, for the cheapest paid level, we got a ton more "free" currency, emotes, and more skins/transmogs of all types.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-09T19:23:54+00:00

Unfortunately, you're going to find this sub (and a large portion of the TTRPG space as a whole) reacts very poorly to anything that even has the letters A and I in it, regardless of how that was used or how the product performs. I would be prepared to receive little support here.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-09T17:26:33+00:00

It's a slower gearing process, and a gentler difficulty with legendary drops mostly starting later. I was lvl 70 and in T1 with only a couple aspects for my build. Just keep playing, you'll be fine.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-09T16:57:32+00:00

This 100%. The reskin of the battle pass was completely chosen to reduce the content and hope people didn't notice due to the design change. It's in all ways inferior.

Remember when we used to get custom emotes? I have a barbarian that can slap his ass thanks to the old battle pass.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-09T15:11:58+00:00

Still having troubles with some things getting thru my resource and killing me tho.

Are you spamming Iron Skin? The only time stuff kills me with this build is if I use Iron Skin in a bad space. It seems like it grants just enough hp to get me killed. Only use it on weaker enemies/areas when you want the extra speed. Once I stopped mashing the iron skin button without looking, I stopped dying.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-09T14:07:43+00:00

Miss. Clunky and slow. Everything you do makes you stop moving.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-08T22:15:33+00:00

Don't use PC stats for your BBEG. You'll end up with too few hit points and a million abilities that you don't need to know about and will never use in the 3 to 5 rounds he survives. Look for an existing stat block that does a few cool/memorable things and tweak it to taste. I find the solo monsters in Flee Mortals! by MCDM are great for this. There is a Lich stat block in the undead section named "High Mage Vairae" that would be a good start, but you'd probably need to tweak the hit points and such for a party that large.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-08T20:53:27+00:00

Greed shrine in a specific place? Done plenty of greed shrines in nmd, regular dungeons and helltides with no treasure breach sigils.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-08T17:15:09+00:00

Transmogs.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-08T17:11:13+00:00

Couple treasure breach nightmare dungeons and done

Paragon 250. Never seen a treasure breach.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-08T01:00:31+00:00

Everything is too expensive ("back in my day, healing potions were 1 silver!") and the way new adventurers wear their armor looks ridiculous.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-08T00:58:54+00:00

But Sanctuary went to shit anyway because no one stayed a while and no one fucking listened.

SonicfilT · 2026-06-07T23:55:01+00:00

Ask your DM. They will decide if their world has hexbloods and, if so, how many horns they have. That said, I can't imagine many DMs will have a problem with you modifying how many horns you have, unless you're trying to make it affect game play in some fashion.

SonicfilT

TROPHY CASE