Daily Punch 10-15-14 Snake Speed alternative Monk class feature for DnD Next

How about a different class feature for the monk?

 

Snake Speed

Immediately after you are hit with an attack and the attacker is in reach, you may spend one ki point make an unarmed attacks as a reaction.  If you spend two ki points, you may make the attack before the attacker hits you with an attack as a reaction.  If the attacker is still able to make the attacks after these attack, the attack occurs as normal.  Any effects, powers, feats, or abilities that require or use Flurry of Blows allow apply to this ability instead unless specifically stated different.  This ability is taken instead of Flurry of Blows.

 

Thoughts?

Blurbs from the Booth-What I want in the DnD Adventure League

First off, I love the Dungeons and Dragons Adventure League.  I’ve run a crap load of games and loved every minute of it.  I think I’m at least a decent GM who knows a ton of Forgotten Realms lore.  But, I need some help.  Here are I few things I think would make the Adventure League better:

 

1) Small change to the format of the adventures I know its space, but I would really love it you could give me an itemized list of the major stuff in the room/location at the top of each location right after the name and place on the map.  Like this:

Genera Features:

Mossy Cave full of gold

Traps:

None

Monsters:

1-Party one- 6 Kobolds

1 Wizard

2-Party two- Giant Dragon of death

Items:

Awesome sword of Awesomeness

All the gold ever

Why?  Well I read my adventures before every game, but when you’re going through the adventures and you have limited time like the 3.5 hours at GenCon, it’s hard to remember all the stuff that’s in a place or you have to take time and skim read the entire passage.  All the adventures WotC has put out including the Hoard of the Dragon Queen have all the important information buried in the text.  I hate having to reread a half page of text and explain to my players everything in the room that I just read and make it interesting.  Again, this isn’t hard, but a small change will really help me make sure I hit all the high notes in every adventures.

 

2) NPC mentors  My players are getting high enough to get mentors.  It might be time to consider providing NPCs who can mentor the players either through letters or items.  I don’t think these should be anywhere near as cool as real, honest to Amaunator PC mentors, but if my players don’t have one, then they won’t know how awesome one can be.  And, most likely won’t mentor other PCs in the future.

 

3) Starting above 1st level  Let’s start something really controversial!  I’d like the option to start above 1st level.  I’d like generic PCs to give players at 1st, 5th, 10th, and 15th level with items and such that they could/world have gotten had they played the previous adventures but not the awesome renowned points.  The first level five and up adventures are going to roll out soon, and new players are going to come to the store and be turned away as the two groups I have at my store won’t be able to keep a level one wizard alive during a CR eight encounter.  Giving me pregens for several levels will really help.  Pathfinder does that, and it’s amazingly helpful!

 

4)World Guide Even more controversy!  Everybody I know wants a world guide.  What the heck is up with the Realms?  Who’s still a god?  Who isn’t?  Who’s pretending?  What the hell is a Phlan?  Right now, we have the old 3.5/4e stuff.  But, there was a whole Sundering book series that people didn’t read that told them about the new 5e realms.  But, none of those books really talked about Phlan.  Heck the Sword Coast got a book, but only tangentially.  My players don’t really know the state of things.  Things are up to 110 years out of date, so imagine using a 110 year old map to understand European politics today!  Don’t give me hints.  Right now my players need firm answers to what the heck is going on.  And I think most GMs do too.

 

Those are my ideas.  I love the game, but give me the proper tools and layouts and I can make my games even better!

Daily Punch Chosen Background for DnD Next

Chosen

You are chosen of a god or goddess and are now a pawn in a much bigger game.  Some gods care for their chosen, while some gods let their chosen survive or die on their own wits and strength.  Chosen are chosen from several backgrounds as street rats to nobles are all called to some purpose.  Who has chosen you changes who and what you are or could become.

 

Customization

Choose a god/goddess of your campaign.  You are a chosen of this god.

 

Skill Proficiences:

Religion, one other skill of choice

 

Feature:

Chosen power

Choose an arcane or divine cantrip.  This represents your god infusing you with power.  If a save or attack roll is needed for that cantrip, you are considered proficient with the spell and must chose a class that gives that spell as a cantrip to determine save DC and attack attribute.

 

Equipment:

Choose an equipment package from another background.  This reflects your former life before you realized you were chosen.

 

Personality Trait:

1-Arrogent- YOU were chosen by the god, why WOULDN’T others bow to you too?

2-Blue collar-You might have been chosen by the god, but you’re just here to do a job.

3-Mousy-You have been controlled all your life, now you just are quite and follow out of habit.

4-Out of this world-You see and hear what the god shows you, but that doesn’t mean that it’s something others can see.

5-Demanding-You have been give order to follow all your life.  When you give a command, you expect obedience too!

6- Driven-You have a mission, and you will do it!

 

Ideal:

1-Follower-You follow your gods wisdom.

2-Contrary-You hate your divine patron, and will do anything to fight against him/her.

3-Prove yourself-You’re not sure you’re worthy, but you will prove to everyone you are!

4-Money-Being chosen doesn’t pay well, but adventuring does.

5-Larger plans-Something grander is in motion, and you’re driven to be are part of it.

6-Nonconfrontational-You’ve been a cog in a machine all your life.  Now you just want to be left out of everything.

 

Bond:

1-You’re chosen, but you don’t have to be a pawn, and these others are fighting for the same cause you are.

2-You see your god’s hands in these people fates.

3-One of these people follows your god, and you will help that person.  They have a purpose that only you can help with.

4-You know another in this group is chosen and will help that person realize it.

5-Another person here doubts your commitment to the faith.  You’ll prove them wrong.

6-There’s a whole bunch of people here who are out to make a whole bunch of money.  As long as the gold keeps flowing, you’ll stay with these people

 

Flaw:

1-Domineering-You expect the world to listen to you, because you have a gods interests at heart.

2-Out of it-all too often you get instructions from your god that move you in ways that make no sense, but it makes complete sense if they only could see the complete picture!

3-Contrary-You spend more time fighting your friends than the monsters.

4-Paranoid-You’ve lived on the run so long, you suspect everyone is out to get you.

5-Quite-You just want to be left alone, but you know you can’t be.

6-Mean-Not all gods are nice, and that goes for their chosen.

Daily Punch 9-15-14 Quick Spell Ring for DnD Next

Well the last thing I designed was a helm, how about an item that is a bit more serious for DnD Next?

 

Quick Spell Ring

Ring, rare (requires attunment)

This simple white gold ring is marked with an etching of a spellbook.

When you prepare spells, you my spend two spell slots.  One of these spellslots much be higher then or equal to the other.  As a free action, once per day, you may cast a spell with a level equal to the lower of the two spell slots.

 

 

Thoughts?

Daily Punch 9-11-14 Increased Training feat for DnD Next

How about some love for the monks out there?

 

 

Increased Training

You are a weapon, and you’ve trained yourself to be better then most others!

Prerequisite: Martial Arts Class Feature

Benefits-Gain the following:

  • Increase your martial arts die by five levels.  If you ever go above the highest level on your class, your die becomes 2d6
  • Increase your dexterity by +1 to a maximum of 20.

Thoughts?

Daily Punch 9-10-14 Inspired Spellcasting feat for DnD Next

A feat my wife came up with that I think will help a lot of bards out there.

 

Inspired Spellcasting

You inspired not only feats of strength, but also efforts of will
Prerequisite: You must be a bard with the ability to give inspiration dice to other characters.

Benefit-Gain the following:

  • Gain a +1 bonus to charisma
  • Any spell casters may apply  an inspiration die you give them as a bonus to the spell save DC for one spell.

 

 

Thoughts?

Daily Punch 9-8-14 Prehensile Tail feat for DnD Next

How about some love for the stranger base races for DnD?

 

Prehensile Tail

Prerequisite: Tefling, dragonborn, race born with a tail

Benefit:  Gain the following:

  • Gain a +1 to str, dex, or con to a maximum of 20
  • You gain an extra hand.  This can be used for any activity, but if you make an attack with the tail holding a weapon the attack, you do not get to add your statistic bonus to damage from the attack.

 

Thoughts?

Daily Punch 8-21-14 Ranger Hunter Archetype Favored Terrain Benefit for DnD Next

How about favored terrain for the Ranger?

 

Defensive Tactics

Favored Terrain.  Choose one-aquatic, desert(cold or temperate) forest, Jungle, hills, marsh, mountain, plains, urban, or underground.  While in that area gain the following benefits:

  • You have advantage on all perceptions checks
  • You have advantage on all stealth checks
  • You have advantage on all survival checks
  • You may not be surprised

 

Thoughts?

Daily Punch Ready for the Strike Feat for DnD Next

A lot of powers give you disadvantage in DnD Next.  How about a feat to help counter that….

 

Ready for the Strike

you know that your blade is about to be knocked aside, so you stop your opponent from doing just that.

Benefit:  Gains the following:

  • Gain a +1 to strength or dexterity to a maximum of 20
  • When you make a melee attack and an opponent imposes disadvantage on your strike, once per round you are not considered disadvantaged for that one strike.

 

Thoughts?