Questions tagged [homebrew]
For questions about homebrewing new content for an existing system. This tag should be used when locally-created, non-published content is at the heart of the question. (Note that soliciting ideas for creating homebrew is off topic for the site.) Not to be confused with the [house-rules] tag. For creating entire new games, use [game-design]. This tag is not for reviewing already created content; for that use [homebrew-review].
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What is stronger: an ability that can be used proficiency bonus times, or one that can be used once per short rest?
A lot of races and classes have abilities that can either be used proficiency bonus times per long rest, or that can be used once per short or long rest.
For evaluating homebrew races, you often need ...
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How to fairly add a homebrew skill?
tl;dr
I want to add some extra skills to D&D 5e but can't figure out how to do it fairly in terms of awarding proficiency.
How do I add additional homebrew skills to D&D 5e?
Why I want to add ...
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2
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Does a reaction count as "[taking] another action"? [duplicate]
I recently created a homebrew spell which, among its other language, lasts
until the start or your next turn or until you take another action or are incapacitated.
My question is, would the caster ...
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4
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How can I create a mechanic for players to evolve the relationship with their deity?
For context: recently one of my players asked me if a mechanic could be created to evolve his relationship with his deity (Eldath), like he had seen in another game.
I suspect this request was made ...
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On D&D Beyond, as a DM, how can I make custom weapons available to all of my players in a specific Campaign?
From what I've found online, it looks like it may not be possible to add homebrew nonmagical weapons. I could not, however, find information that was more recent that 2020, nor do I know the homebrew ...
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2
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What is the wording to determine whether extra damage is or is not multiplied on a critical hit?
I am trying to figure out some hard and fast, or at least unambiguous ways to specify how extra damage interacts with a critical hit. Consider the following effect:
When you hit a marked creature ...
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4
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What is Detect Balance?
In a lot of homebrew reviews and discussions, I keep seeing something called Detect Balance employed. Often with little to no context despite it and its points being the core of the response. So I'd ...
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How could you balance a Druid transforming into an owlbear and other monstrosities?
The buzz around the new trailer for the Dungeons & Dragons movie includes much discussion of a scene in which the druid character transforms into an owlbear.
As far as I know there’s no RAW way ...
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1
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Banker class long-term viability [closed]
I find home-brewing a banker class kind of fun. The gist is he/she can fast-track funds for the group, start a subscription ledger and have the local affluent commit funds for the next adventure. The ...
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Trouble determining CR or difficulty for homebrew creatures
My dnd campaign is completely homebrew, to the setting, gods, storyline, and even creatures. I did this so I could have more creative freedom, and in creating this world I enjoyed doing so.
My problem ...
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Is it a good idea to implement illegal drugs in my campaign? [closed]
I'm thinking about making a campaign where players with high enough intelligence can make a drug called "Metaphtamine" which can be used to buff yourself with a chance of negative side ...
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Are there any classes across the d20 systems with really good crafting abilities? [closed]
Long story short, my DM is giving us access to class abilities outside of D20 modern/future and D&D 3.5. Are there any other systems with futuristic tech crafting abilities that would mesh well ...
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How do I make a non-permanent death more impactful?
One of my players is going to be playing the homebrew Felis race for the campaign I'm going to be running. In the race description, it states that they have nine lives, and they typically die once ...
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Why shouldn't one make changes to concentration in homebrew?
It's not hard to find homebrew-review questions on this site that propose changes to how concentration works. Every time I have proposed such a homebrew, regardless of how limited the change to ...
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How can I add castable magic spells to Mouse Guard?
In How can we add magic to the game? Glazius comprehensively covers most magic systems and how to add them to Mouse Guard, at the end they give the option
Not A Dodge: Actual Magic Systems
..but this ...
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What deals more damage on a weapon, +1 to hit or +1 to damage?
Background: I'm introducing masterwork items for 5e as a homebrew rule, both to help players spend surplus gold on something useful when they cannot buy magic items, and to make shopping a bit more ...
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3
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Creating a low level ability to "talk" to other party members while in wildshaped form as druid
I play a druid, and more often than not, I just get out of wildshape to "talk with the party again". Not even because it's necessary, but because it gets boring trying to talk in sign ...
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2
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Can I introduce a monster or race as a pet?
I was reading a homebrew Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos for 5e and in this issue he adds a breed called Dreamlands Cat, but this breed looks more like a pet than a player.
Deeper in this same ...
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2
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Are there any official guidelines or examples of items that have a fail state?
I'm looking to homebrew some custom artifacts for a D&D 5e campaign. I want something high risk/high reward that requires the player to make a skill check whenever they try to use it. I also want ...
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Vryloka Race for 5e v2 [duplicate]
So after getting responses and suggestions about the previous version of my vryloka homebrew race, I decided to rework it. So here's version two!
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases ...
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2
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Is there an issue with making a Medium-sized monster use d10 Hit Dice?
I've been a long time DM for Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition, but I'm only now getting a solid grasp of designing monsters and monster encounters. There's a lot of hullabaloo about CR and how ...
3
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1
answer
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Homebrew Weapon skill in Savage Worlds?
I’m planning to run an adventure with Savage Worlds coming from DND 5e. My players and I feel 5e is a bit too simple on certain areas and we believe the exploding dice and the overall system of Savage ...
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Level 3 Fighter archer subclass suggestions? Homebrew allowed [closed]
About to start a very combat and min/max heavy campaign that goes up to level 10.
I'm planning to go 7 levels of Revised Ranger Homebrew Archer subclass and 3 levels fighter.
I'm looking for a ...
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1
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What is the standard wording for a teleportation ability?
I am attempting to create a homebrew ability to teleport as part of your movement, while still reducing your movement speed as if you walked and allowing you to split up your movement between normal ...
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1
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On D&D Beyond or Roll20, how do you make a homebrew spell that crits on a 19 & 20?
I'm trying to create a custom version of the spell Scorching Ray for a warlock player. We create and maintain our characters on D&D Beyond, play on the Roll20 virtual tabletop platform, and use ...
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3
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Which is better for new players of D&D 5e, starting them on a module or homebrew? [closed]
Almost all my experience in table top RPG's involves the same group of people. When a newcomer joined our table, we all coached them and taught them the sandbox approach to playing using our homebrew ...
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0
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How to balance magic item that utilizes gems? [closed]
I have a really cool idea for a magic item but I am trying to figure out how to balance it. The premise of it is that it is a hilt that changes form when a gem is inserted in the pommel. The type of ...
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Ilithid-like player character - best practices, inspirations?
Background:
I am starting to play a certainly chaotic, not necessarily evil (depending on your viewpoint) character, which is looking for a reason to go adventuring with a group of magic-using, but ...
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Would clawed gauntlets be considered simple weapons?
A few sessions ago, my group killed a T-Rex and made its claws into gauntlets which they forced upon my monk. I was trying to figure out what kind of weapon they’d be classed as (simple or martial, ...
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Homebrew world: What sort of events would keep gods from interacting in a world? [closed]
I have a dnd world I am working on creating at the moment. It is a spinoff of the original dnd concepts. However, I have run into an issue. My big bad guy of this campaign is trying to become a lich. ...
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Selecting Hit Die for Half Casters
I'm in the process of homebrewing an arcane half-caster for one of the players in my next campaign. One point that concerns me is whether I should give a d10 or a d8 hit dice. I want it to be ...
- 28.1k
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Mini-dash as a general bonus action: what value would be balanced?
I'm considering adding the following homebrew bonus action. It's a general action, so it would be available for free to all players (not enemies):
Stride. You gain extra movement for the current turn....
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2
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How is the flavor text at the beginning of class descriptions in PH organized?
At the beginning of each class description, before getting to the class features, are four sections of flavor text, the first of which is a depiction of three possible class members and a closing ...
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How do I handle my possession mechanic fairly?
In my campaign, the goal is to find ten major god-level artifacts, each linked to a specific god in the setting. Each artifact has a part of the soul of the god it’s linked to, and that soul has the ...
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How can I design a boss that shifts between two dimensions to avoid attacks?
This boss character, Omega, is inspired by
Zhylaw, leader of the Necromongers, in the Riddick film series
Tobi, Akatsuki member from the Naruto anime
This boss, meant for a level 16 boss fight (...
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In homebrewing a subclass on D&D Beyond, how do I add a feature that does extra damage based on an ability score modifier?
I'm adding a version of the UA Phoenix Soul sorcerer to my homebrew stuff, and I'm a little perplexed when it comes to adding damage for Mantle of Flame.
The relevant text of the feature reads:
Any ...
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1
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How can I fold Sorcery Points into Spell Points without over- or underpowering the sorcerer class?
I'm working on a homebrew Sorcerer class and was thrilled to run across @user55434's and @Akixkisu's answers to How does the Variant: Spell Points system from the DMG affect game balance?: if the idea ...
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Are these 5e homebrew Metamagics balanced? [closed]
This is a follow-up to How do I determine appropriate Sorcery Point costs for homebrew Metamagics?, which I asked in preparation for this question.
I'm working on a homebrew version of the Sorcerer ...
- 1,925
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What are good principles for determining whether and at what level a homebrew class feature is balanced?
I'm working on a homebrew revision (and slight buff) of the Sorcerer class in D&D 5e that includes some additional class features. I've read the Unearthed Arcana article about modifying classes, ...
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How do I determine appropriate Sorcery Point costs for homebrew Metamagics?
I'm working on some homebrew Metamagics for the Sorcerer class in D&D 5e and I want to make sure to give them appropriate Sorcery Point costs. I'm having trouble, though, figuring out the logic ...
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Are PC Natural Weapons particularly useful?
At my table, it is generally understood that Dragonborn are mechanically underpowered but flavourwise really cool. For the purpose of this question, I'd like to just take these opinions for granted. ...
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How much damage would a sting from a jellyfish-like creature deal? [closed]
I'm doing some homebrew for a campaign, and theres a jellyfish-like aquatic creature with stinging tentacles, and I'm not sure how much damage it should deal. My players are new to the game, and ...
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Does a hierarchy of specificity exist when using "specific beats general" to resolve rules conflicts? [duplicate]
The Introduction (page 7) of the 5e Player's Handbook states
That said, many racial traits, class features, spells, magic items, monster abilities, and other game elements break the general rules in ...
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What are the implications of this very short stun ability?
In the process of homebrewing, I came up with this rough outline of an ability:
As an action on your turn, you can speak words of rebuke. Creatures [in the area] must make a Constitution saving throw ...
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1
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How much would a weapon cost that grants advantage on damage rolls?
Given the answers to these questions:
Advantage on damage rolls - is it still balanced?
'Advantage' or 'Disadvantage' on damage rolls
What should a weapon cost that grants advantage on damage rolls, ...
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How do you cast Mending on a clockwork character?
I'm playing a DnD campaign (my first real one). My DM is pretty new to it as well and we are unsure of the following rules and how they work together.
I am playing a custom race: Clockwork. I realise ...
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How problematic is this Exhaustion Pulse ability on a ~CR 30 monster?
I'm homebrewing an aberration monster to serve as a major BBEG and endgame threat for the campaign I'm running. The monster theme is "avatar of a sealed elder God". It should be able to, at ...
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2
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Are there any weapon attacks that are not considered to be either melee or ranged?
I'm creating a new cantrip to be used that would allow several targets to be hit in a line, with diminishing damage (half the damage of the target hit before it), and my initial idea was to word it ...
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0
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Homebrew: Divorcing Skills from Attributes in 5e [duplicate]
I was reading this article/post, and wondered about changing the standard 5e attributes to something that makes more sense.
Some hours later, I dug my way out of that rabbit hole with the realization ...
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3
votes
1
answer
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When homebrewing Warforged, is Integrated Protection more of a benefit or a drawback?
Warforged have a lot of cool, useful abilities that would be nice to have for creatures that aren't strictly "warforged". But one thing I've never been a fan of is their Integrated ...
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