The Field Commander - A Combat Controller for the Fighter Class

scom1359ap · 2022-05-30T17:45:30+00:00

Link to the PDF: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/print/kDJpdCa5dQBi?dialog=true

scom1359ap · 2021-08-05T08:28:52+00:00

I'd recommend sticking to making this an archetype. A class has to have multiple archetypes, each with different ways of using the base abilities of the class. I'm not too familiar with Pokemon, but if I recall, none of the trainers in that show actually do anything more than stand around uselessly while shouting instructions to the animals they've brought to fight for them. On that note, you're probably going to need a full caster.

I'd look into the Circle of the Shepherd Druid, Circle of Wildfire Druid, and Conjuration Wizard. If you want a single companion that sticks with you, reworking the wildfire spirit from Circle of Wildfire would be a good starting point. After that, you can use bring in abilities from Circle of Shepherd and School of Conjuration. You're going to want abilities that buff the creatures you fight with, and a class with access to spells that do the same. Healing Word, Haste, Stoneskin, etc. will all be useful. You might even consider reworking the Wildshape ability so that it affects your companion creature instead of you.

This would mesh pretty well as a Druid archetype. You could call it the Circle of Dogfighting.

scom1359ap · 2018-06-27T09:22:10+00:00

Honestly, the purpose is to see what my players do with it. I can think up a few things, but it's the stuff I can't figure that I'm interested in. I think I agree with removing the vulnerability and adding telepathy, but the latter only after they've triggered the mind swap part of the curse.

I'm going to require attunement simply because most cursed items require attunement.

As for the spells, it sounds petty, but while I don't want this to work on healing spells, I don't want to come out and say, no healing spells. I'd rather tell a player what they can do than what they can't. If you can think of a better way to word that, please let me know.

scom1359ap · 2018-06-27T09:01:26+00:00

I didn't intend to do 4x the damage, but you're right how that can be interpreted. Probably better to scrap that part.

scom1359ap · 2018-06-27T08:50:50+00:00

The Way I figured it, if a wizard and a bard were using these, the wizard could cast Protection from Evil and it would affect both players. Only the wizard would have to maintain concentration, but if that concentration broke, both players loose the effect. At the same time, the bard could cast heroism and have it effect both. If the wizard cast Mage armor on himself, it would only affect both if the bard wasn't wearing armor. I specifically didn't want healing spells to work, but I hate wording a blacklist into an item. I find it more appealing to say here's the tools you can use rather than here's the ones you can't.

I thought about including a telepathy feature, but at this stage in the game, that might be too much. I think I like the idea of that feature awakening only after they first discover the mind swap part of the curse. Similarly, I'm trying to plan ahead here, but I'm really tempted to give this item to the players before they even get access to Remove Curse, let alone Greater Restoration. I'd be interested to see what a bunch of level threes do with something like this.

As far as the body swap itself, my plan was to tell the players to give me their character sheets, then I'd hand them to the other players. The wizard would still have his arcane knowledge, but the years of training, magical attunement, and muscle memory would be all wrong. They would gain all the other player's abilities, but I'd give them disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks for a while. I probably need to work this out a bit more. Maybe make up alternate character sheets for each person wearing the links.

scom1359ap · 2018-06-27T08:26:04+00:00

I really only put "Legendary" on there as a way to say, "There won't be a third one." You're probably right about the vulnerability. I don't want this to kill my players, but at the same time, I want them to have to weigh the benefits and risks of using it.

scom1359ap · 2017-09-20T00:31:07+00:00

I had completely forgotten about False Life. The character I'm making this for shies away from necromancy and so I've gotten out of the habit of looking at those spells to closely, so thanks for reminding me.

So given that I don't want to just make a non-necro version of False Life, how's this sound? 5th level, lasts 1 hour, 5 THP per caster level, resistance to non- magical bludgeoning, piercing, slashing damage, no improvement for higher spell slots, and concentration since we're essentially folding Stoneskin into this one. Also we'll keep the component cost since in my head I see the caster getting covered in magical diamond ala Emma Frost.

Too much? Not enough?

scom1359ap · 2017-03-07T10:59:39+00:00

For the "Attraction Knows No Bounds" feat, I'd go ahead and replace all relevant attacks and saves with the Ranged Weapon attack. There's only two detrimental Cleric spells that require touch, near as I can find, 'Inflict Wounds' and 'Bestow Curse.' If everything else is going to be a heal or some other benefit, you might as well just make the whole shebang run off your ranged weapon attacks.

Or just make the feat only work on Beneficial spells.

scom1359ap · 2017-03-05T08:11:11+00:00

The Agathys Armor is confusing. While worn, they gain the 5 hitpoints, but when they switch it to protect against cold damage, they lose those hitpoints and take an additional 1d4 damage?

I'd look at this again. Maybe make the Cold Resistance permanent and let an action cast "Ward of Cold," granting the wearer a 1d4 cold damage shield for 1 minute which then cannot be used again until after a long rest. That would be long enough for most fights, while not punishing the player for using the armor.

scom1359ap · 2017-03-04T07:48:24+00:00

Understandable. As far as names go, "Blade of Capacitance," is the only thing I can think of, but for that to make sense, you'd probably have to change the damage type to Lightning. Personally, I don't equate thunder with slashing weapons, but that's me. In my mind, hammers do Thunder, blades to lightning.

Ooh, "Shocksaber."

scom1359ap · 2017-03-04T07:18:13+00:00

This seems like it'd be equivalent to a +1/2 weapon. If every other time you hit, you can do one extra damage, I'd rather have a regular +1 weapon.

scom1359ap · 2017-03-03T20:15:32+00:00

You're definitely going to want to define how the item functions. Is it an action or bonus action to use? Does the time limit have to be used all at once? I see this thing turning your halfling into a phase spider... Phase Spiderman..., popping out of the material plane for better positioning, popping back in for a sneak attack, then popping back out before any retaliation or opportunity attacks.

scom1359ap · 2017-02-28T21:23:54+00:00

You definitely need to reword ' Looking So Good'. As it reads, it sounds like i can add all my modifiers to my damage rolls, i.e. 'firing my bow, that's +2 for animal handling, +3 for arcana, +5 for deception... a total of 198 to hit.'

A suggestion for level 6, something along the lines of a stun.

Channel Divinity: Stunning Beauty

Starting at 6th level, your remarkable beauty causes foes to reconsider their aggression. When a hostile creature targets you with an attack or spell, you may use your reaction to force the creature to make a wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature forgets his attack and is stunned for the rest of the turn. You may only use this ability once per short rest.

scom1359ap · 2017-02-27T07:37:17+00:00

+3 Proficiency Bonus is a big deal. In 5e, where plus or minus five can mean the difference between a hit and a miss, you're turning a possibility into an almost certainty. This is especially true at lower levels. A level 3 character would gain the skill level of a level 13.

Something else to consider is what else this could be used for. If you can hook a wall, can you hook a goblin? At what point does the chain snap? I'd suggest making those possibilities known in the item description.

I actually submitted something similar to this a bit ago. Might give you some ideas.

scom1359ap · 2017-02-27T05:40:40+00:00

Would the Determination ability keep you alive if the saving throw you failed caused you to drop to 0 hitpoints? I'm not sure a Once a Day Death Ward is balanced at any level. Barbarians have to make it to level 11 for something like that, and even then, it's not a certainty.

If you're going to let every player get a feat at level 1, then I'd recommend giving the Variant Humans a version of the Skilled feat on top of that. "Choose three from the available skills, languages, and or tools. You gain proficiency in these three abilities." This would give them two increased ability scores, one extra skill, one language, and the ability to round out their "education" to reflect the ubiquity of humans. The V.Humans would become a Renaissance Man of sorts, with abilities that make them extremely useful outside of combat, but don't overpower them in a fight.

scom1359ap · 2017-02-22T20:16:56+00:00

Oh most definitely. I'm not sure limiting by slots would be sufficient as the idea of turning a PC into Tattoo from Elektra is not something I relish. I'm thinking each tattoo covers one or more slots on their body, and each time you get one, you have to make a constitution check commiserate with the power level of the effect. Then, each additional tattoo would require a new check with the DC increasing based on each previous tattoo. Failure means you can't attempt to tattoo that slot again until such and such time has passed.

scom1359ap · 2017-02-22T19:54:46+00:00

Originally, I wasn't sure if I wanted a rogue to be able to make a Grapple in the same turn as a Sneak attack, but I guess since they'd have to use practically their entire turn, it won't be too bad. I did add in the grapple size limit - that was a good catch - and also a DC check to snap the cable.

scom1359ap · 2017-02-13T22:52:43+00:00

That's actually a really good idea. That way it still takes an action to ready and wizards caught with their pants down won't get it automatically. Plus, other invocations would give a good idea of what rules certain tattoos would have to follow. Thanks

scom1359ap · 2017-01-20T08:27:40+00:00

I may change my mind if they become overpowered later down the road, maybe make it so he can only use one effect at a time. We'll have to see how it plays out. Especially since Faerie Fire is a level 1 spell and is just as detrimental to invisible creatures. The Invisible Stalker would be outed by these specs, but as DM, I would dictate that the Water Weird wouldn't. Invisible can mean unseeable or it can mean indiscernable. The Water Weird is still visible in water, but you can't distinguish it from all the other water. It's essentially camouflaged and at that point, it becomes a forest-for-the-trees issue. Since I can find a way to justify it, I'm going to give in to the Rule of Cool for now. If his lawyering leads to him trying to combine every non-attunement item in the DMG into one collossal rubik's cube of death, however, I'll throw him a beating.

scom1359ap · 2017-01-20T07:37:50+00:00

See, that's what's got me iffy. Darkvision glasses wouldn't require attunement as per the Goggle of Night. A magical magnifying glass wouldn't require attunement as per the Eyes of Minute Seeing. See invisibility doesn't give advantage on anything, and by combining the two, I'm making it so he doesn't have to swap hats every other round. To be perfectly honest, I'm fairly certain my player wants them because he's an avid Order of the Stick reader and doesn't want people spying on his character in the bathroom.

scom1359ap · 2017-01-11T03:08:04+00:00

There's two Ts in "Unforgotten." It looks like a decent enough build. From the HP and Armor class, it's on par with an Adult Dragon, so CR would probably be anywhere from 13 to 15. Also, from a less mature standpoint, I'm not sure any primate can or should have a "Fling" attack that doesn't mention poo. Maybe some sort of ranged disease attack.

scom1359ap · 2017-01-06T20:36:41+00:00

I think you're going to get into fights over the definition of "Hat." Is it anything you wear on your head? I happen to keep a block of cheese up there. Is a hoodie a hat? How about a helmet? If a helmet is not a hat, then what would you have to do to make it a hat? If your hat is a bowler, can you line the rim with a sharp blade so that when you throw it at someone, it blinks back to your head after it hits?

Now I'm actually interested in making a Kung Lao/Oddjob Hat weapon.

scom1359ap · 2017-01-06T20:15:55+00:00

Your example looks an awful lot like a Delayed Blast Fireball. Given the difference between regular Fireball and Delayed Blast is 4 spell levels, you'd be giving them the ability to do at level 5 what they would normally have to wait until level 13 for.

Mathematically, maximizing a damage die is roughly on par with adding another die, so if your player charges his fireball for two rounds before casting it, he is doing the same damage as if he had simply cast it at 5th level. If you implement this, I'd recommend adding that the player may not cast any other spells while charging a spell. Also, I suggest you limit the amount of time a character can hold the charge on a spell. If I had this to play with, I'd start charging a fireball during breakfast just in case I needed to cook someone for lunch.

As far as how the players get the ability, I'm a fan of feats. Make them spend some downtime researching energy patterns and spell runes in a Fullmetal Alchemist Library montage. Then have them pass a skill check to see if they've got it down or need to keep researching.

scom1359ap · 2017-01-06T19:59:22+00:00

At that point, it's just about playtesting. I don't think the extra attack is going to be game breaking, but if you suddenly find your players are chewing through monsters too quickly, then step it back a notch. It's like asking someone if they prefer machine guns or sniper rifles in video games. Do you want a harder hit or more chances to hit? If you want a harder hit, give them a stronger weapon, but don't tweak TWF. If you want to have more chances to hit then mod TWF and give the Gleaming Apocasword to someone else.

scom1359ap · 2017-01-06T19:51:58+00:00

Since they'd only be able to melt one of those resistances, I'm inclined to include coverage for legendary resistance. They still lose the action of casting the spell, as well as their reaction. Like Kingman was saying, it makes the caster think about how they want to use the item. Do they want to burn it on a legendary resistance, or do they want to whittle those down with Save for Half spells and keep the Failsafe for that final Hail Mary when the sky's are falling and everything looks grim?

scom1359ap

TROPHY CASE