#subclasseptember 2024

[homebrew-a-la-traumaverse]

Subclasseptember Day 30

Let's say you could make a wish to change one thing about Dungeons and Dragons.

Not the culture surrounding it, not the business practices of the company that owns it, not the various tweets that have become immortalized over the years. The game itself. The rules and mechanics that define the game you're playing.

For myself, a few years ago, it would have been that there was no way to really unify the things I wanted out of a character. You can cast a spell, or you can hit the enemy with a sword; those are two separate actions, Smites and Scagtrips notwithstanding.

If you're a Paladin, you can choose to smite your enemies, or you can choose to heal your friends. Your support abilities and your martial abilities are contained away in neat little boxes that never mix.

What if you supported your allies in the process of attacking?

Well. You might get something a lot like the Magical Girl.

(featuring: Like 10 more pages of material that didn't fit here, 4 subclasses, a level of customization similar to the Warlock, and ethically-sourced Creative Commons art with absolutely zero AI input.)

Link below in the reblogs.

[homebrew-a-la-traumaverse]

Subclasseptember Day 29: Lore

You know, this day probably could have been better spent loredumping about the Monsters and Myths setting I've been working on and off for about a year on rather than on a silly Mechquest reference that I came up with. But hindsight is 20/20, and my eyes are very much not.

[homebrew-a-la-traumaverse]

Subclasseptember Day 24: Dinosaur

"Its vision is based on movement. Needless to say, you should not attempt to get on the floor and do the dinosaur."

With today's prompt, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to call back to another one of last year's works in the Wildheart. A class based on transforming into an animal form and using natural weapons, basically if Wildshape was its own class, the Wildheart is a lot like the Barbarian at first glance. On second glance, though, the Wildheart differentiates itself with options, complexity, and a connection to nature that isn't nearly so pronounced in the Barbarian.

Naturally, primarily focusing on natural weapons does come with some growing pains, like how your build doesn't really work with most magic items. But where there's a problem, there's also an opportunity for a solution.

... honestly, Monks often end up with the same problem, so it's not like needing to customize magic items is anything new.

[homebrew-a-la-traumaverse]

Subclasseptember Day 20: Giant

Now's your chance to fire a big shot!

... What do you mean that's not how the saying goes?

The Giant's Crossbow. Because why not carry around a ballista for personal defense.

Memes aside, I don't agree with a lot of the design decisions of D&D 2024 edition. But that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to experiment with design within it. Much like most DMs, I steal whatever's useful and throw out the rest.

[homebrew-a-la-traumaverse]

Subclasseptember Day 20: Dragon

Last year's Subclasseptember also had a Dragon day. I thought it might be fun to call back to that with the Path of the Dragonstone.

As fun a concept as subclass-specific items are, its scope is kinda limited if you don't have someone playing that subclass. So we have general buffs for any barbarian on top of the specific subclass buffs.

[homebrew-a-la-traumaverse]

Subclasseptember Day 19: Undead

"Be still, thy heart."

A simple spell, a simple pun. Sometimes that's all you need to make an idea work.

Kind of an in-between of Entangle and Flaming Sphere, trading area denial for better single-target cc. Hold Person exists at the same level, but this spell is a bit more general, being able to work on non-humanoids. Plus, no V components means you could give someone the mother of all heart attacks without so much as a whisper to give you away.

[homebrew-a-la-traumaverse]

Subclasseptember Day 18: Fiend

"Tonight, we dine in hell!" "Can you please stop saying that every time I invite you for dinner?"

The Hellbound race - once dwarves, now something quite different. Mechanically and physically, they're very similar to tieflings. In terms of culture, though? Not only is their nation the result of a faustian bargain, but each individual within that nation is forced to make a faustian bargain of their own.

You're not required to be a Warlock to take a pact, of course. There's plenty of stories about legendary scholars, warriors, and marksmen that start off with selling your soul. But why not go for the trifecta anyways? It's pacts all the way down.

[homebrew-a-la-traumaverse]

Subclasseptember 2024 Day 17: Ooze

Slime HRT in one convenient package.

Slightly inspired by Terraria.