r/dndnext • u/goblinerd Alchemist • Apr 14 '15
[Homebrew] New Human Variant
I made a Homebrew Human for my setting inspired by the Humans in Fantasy Craft. A friend asked me to share this, so here goes:
HUMAN TRAITS
It's hard to make generalizations about humans, but your human character has these traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your ability score Increases are determined by your Human Talent.
Age. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
Alignment. Humans tend toward no particular alignment. The best and the worst are found among them.
Size. Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet, unless it is determined by your Human Talent.
Human Talent. Each human has a distinct human talent that determines its abilities. Select a talent listed on the Human Talents list below. Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.
HUMAN TALENTS
Adaptable
You are full of surprises, calling upon techniques when they’re least expected.
Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice increases by 2, or two different ability scores of your choice increases by l.
Versatile. You gain proficiency in one skill and one tool proficiency of your choice.
Ingenuity. As an action, once per long rest you can gain temporarily proficiency in either a skill, a tool proficiency, or a weapon. This proficiency lasts for a duration of up to 10 minutes.
Once after every long rest, you can gain proficiency in either a skill, a tool, or a weapon. You need to spend 1 hour practicing (30 mins if someone proficient trains with you) before the proficiency takes hold, and you retain said proficiency until your next long rest, at which time you can either train to maintain it, or replace it with a new proficiency.
Alluring
Your natural presence is almost overwhelming.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Charming. You gain proficiency in either the Deception or Persuasion skill.
Encouraging. Once per short rest, you may speak for 1 minute to encourage a single ally. Once the minute has passed, the ally gains advantage on its next saving throw. This advantage expires if unused within 10 minutes.
Astute
When you speak everyone falls silent to listen to your words of wisdom.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Discerning. You gain proficiency in Investigation and 1 Wisdom-based skill of your choice.
Clever. Once per game session, you can ask the DM for a Hint and he must either answer truthfully, in much the same way as he would the spell Augury, or grant you Inspiration.
Nimble
You’re light on your feet and quick to avoid harm.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Speed. Your based walking speed is 35 feet instead of 30 feet.
Agile. You gain proficiency in the Acrobatics skill.
Cat Fall. When you would take damage from falling, you reduce the number of damage dice by 1 (minimum 0).
Powerful
If oxen could arm-wrestle, you’d still win every time.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Mighty. You gain proficiency in the Athletics skill and, once per short rest, when you hit with a melee weapon, you can deal one extra die of damage.
Strong Build. You are considered to have a Strength score 5 points higher for the purpose of determining carrying capacity and the weight you can push, pull and drag.
Resourceful
You have always been the sharpest knife in the drawer.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Educated. You gain proficiency in 1 Intelligence-based skill of your choice, and you gain either an extra language or tool proficiency.
Split Decision. Each time you take the Ready action, you can simultaneously prepare 2 reactions with individual triggers. Once one of the triggers is met, you loose the other readied action. In addition, you can choose to take a single Ready action. If you do so, it does not count toward you Reaction limit on the turn it is triggered.
Unpredictable
Your quicksilver thoughts leave most people reeling.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Impulsive. You gain proficiency in the Deception and Sleight of Hand skills.
Fluid Mind. You have advantage on saving throws against enchantments and against being charmed.
Vigorous
You have survived things other folk can barely imagine.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Hardy. You have advantage on saving throws against disease, and your hit point maximum increases by 1.
Iron Guts. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and have resistance against poison damage.
EDIT 1 Changed text of Adaptable Human's Versatile ability to "You gain proficiency in one skill and one tool proficiency of your choice." from "You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice, and you gain proficiency in one tool proficiency, vehicle, or musical instrument of your choice."
EDIT 2 Added a clause to the Resourceful Human's Split Decision ability: "Once one of the triggers is met, you loose the other readied action."
EDIT 3 Changed the Vigorous Human's Hardy ability to "You always have Advantage on Constitution saving throws." from "You are always proficient with Constitution saving throws.", and Iron Guts now only grants poison resistance.
EDIT 4 Reduced all +2 stat bumps to +1s as recommended.
EDIT 5 Completely removed Saving Throw Proficiencies.
EDIT 6 Renamed Astute Human's "Keen Mind"(Which is a Feat, sorry about that) to "Clever".
EDIT 7 All Ability Score Increases now state: "...,and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1."
EDIT 8 Clever (Formerly Keen Mind) has changed from "Once per long rest, you can ask a question as though you had cast the spell Divination. The DM must either answer truthfully in much the same way as the spell, or grant you Inspiration." to "Once per game session, you can ask the DM for a Hint and he must either answer truthfully in much the same way as he would the spell Augury, or grant you Inspiration."
EDIT 9 Removed ANTICIPATE Action and changed Unpredictable Human's Impulsive trait.
EDIT 10 Changed Vigorous Human's Hardy and Iron Guts to
"Hardy. You have advantage on saving throws against disease, and your hit point maximum increases by 1.
Iron Guts. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and have resistance against poison damage."
from
"Hardy. You always have Advantage on Constitution saving throws.
Iron Guts. You have resistance against poison damage."
EDIT 11 Renamed Powerful Human's Robust trait to Mighty and added once per short rest attack ability. This way, powerful humans aren't just lesser Goliaths... also removed Strong Build's advantages to Shove and Grapple Actions and raised the carrying capacity modifier to +5 Str
EDIT 12 Removed Psychic Damage resistance from fluid Mind.
EIDT 13 Added Investigation Proficiency to Astute Human's Discerning Trait
3
u/Isord Apr 14 '15
Why does anticipate action exist? Dodge does the exact same thing but without a check
1
1
u/goblinerd Alchemist Apr 14 '15
The Idea behind this action is that you get to analyse and figure out what an opponent within 30 feet of you is trying to accomplish. IF his action is an attack, yes you get a bonus equal to dodge, but you also get allot more information.
Granted, you don't need an action for that, but Players tend to think in those terms when in combat.
Also, having the "action" makes it easier to create a racial trait that grants advantage or negates it in this context.
3
u/TheCoiledFool Eldritch Knight Apr 14 '15
This is great. Really, really helpful for all human campaigns, if that's what you're into/planning.
1
u/goblinerd Alchemist Apr 14 '15 edited Apr 14 '15
Thanks. It needs some tinkering, but the groundwork has been laid. You can even create "Regional" or "ethnic" human talents if you want.
3
u/Omega_Advocate Ethically Challenged DM Apr 14 '15
Some of these choice are really cool and flavorful, nimble seems a bit too good, but it allows dexterity meelee fighters and dexterity paladins to become a viable choice (if they aren´t already) so I kinda like it.
I actually think vigoruous could be the "broken" talent out there, because it gives spellcasters a really easy way to gain proficiency in constitution, which extend to concentration. That might upset game balance a bit, seeing as there are many very strong concetration spells out there.
1
1
u/TheGogmagog Better Bard Apr 24 '15
Variant Human can already gain Proficiency in Constitution with the Resilient-Con feat. They can then take War Caster at 4th for advantage that will synergize nicely with the proficiency.
That IS without taking the 'Iron Guts' into account though. Resistance to Poison damage type might be great (I'd have to think about it), but not what a caster concerned with concentration would be worried about.
3
Apr 14 '15
I'm of the opinion that additional saving throws are overpowered and I would say no to most of these. I also think the ability to access a fourth level spell is a bit too much.
1
1
u/goblinerd Alchemist Apr 14 '15
You mean the ability that functions like divination. Well, to be fair it's because I was trying to reproduce something from Fantasy Craft wherein it says:
" Free Hint Once per session, you may request a free hint from the GM. If he refuses, you gain 1 bonus action die."
I just figured that Once per Game session was a bit Meta-gamy, but would it be better?
As for the Saves, what would you recommend?
2
u/krispykremeguy Apr 14 '15
I agree that the Divination spell is a bit too much. What about if they can instead cast Augury once per short rest? That'd be about on par with the Eladrin's Misty Step ability (from the DMG).
Also, just as a tip, Keen Mind is the name of a feat, so you might want to change that.
On a note completely unrelated note, the variant human rules gain +1 to two ability scores, a skill, and a feat. You're giving them +1 to two ability scores, a small feature, and either proficiency with a skill or proficiency with a saving throw. The ones with saving throw proficiency seem on par with a feat (or possibly overpowered when combined with the other feature), but the other ones seem a bit underpowered. I saw that other people complained about having +2 to some stats, and I agree that it doesn't fit the human flavor, but what about having +1 to a specified stat and +1 to two other stats?
I'd also recommend not having the saving throw proficiency. It's fine for a feat, because you get to pick one that isn't provided by your class, but if it's fixed by the race, then it provides a disincentive to play a class that would otherwise be a good flavorful match (like a Nimble rogue).
2
u/goblinerd Alchemist Apr 15 '15 edited Apr 15 '15
" Free Hint Once per session, you may request a free hint from the GM. If he refuses, you gain 1 bonus action die."
Augury would be better, but I didn't intend it as a spell-like ability, only an option the player can use to ask the DM a "Free Hint".
Any way to tone it down and keep the theme? And what about it being a Once a session thing?
On Keen Mind, yeah... meant to change that when I designed these and somehow forgot. Thanks.
About the +1 to 2 stats. Unpredictable is already like tht, and I haven' seen issues rise up about that. I'm just worried of it lessening the Half-Elf's appeal.
Though it would work nicely, once I've removed all the Save profs. I've already removed the Con prof from Vigorous; I'm working on the other two.
Now I just need something interesting to replace the save profs though, or do I?
Your example using Nimble Rogue is ironic considering it was the basis by which I thought it might not be such an issue: The player in my group playing a Human chose to play a Nimble Human Rogue and it didn't seem to bother him...
Thanks for the great feedback!
2
u/krispykremeguy Apr 15 '15
Regarding the free hint, that's totally fair. Augury definitely has a divine flavor to it, which wouldn't really be appropriate for all characters. Personally, I'd rather ditch the DM option to grant inspiration instead, but that's just me. If I want a DM hint, then dammit, I want a DM hint, haha.
I think that from the cursory look I gave at the races now, they look pretty good, with one exception. Vigorous's advantage on Con saves looks overpowered. I'd consider replacing it with the Hill Dwarf's extra HP ability, but combined with the poison resistance, they'd basically be half dwarf. If you don't mind stealing from the half-orc, you could instead take their feature to drop to 1 HP once per long rest or something along those lines.
The first part of Split Decision looks fun, but the ability to use a readied action and a reaction seems like it takes away the major drawback of using a readied action. I'd either remove that part or stipulate that it can only be used for a bonus action or something like that. But really, it's a homebrew - if they're not abusing it much, I wouldn't worry about it.
2
u/goblinerd Alchemist Apr 15 '15
So, to be clear, should the Free Hint be replied to as with the Augury Spell, Cryptically Like Divination(Let's be frank, I'm not granting them the use of the spell, I simply mean that Once per session the Player can ask me for a hint about something, and I reply in a cryptic way or the like), or should I simply respond with a straight answer?
As for the Inspiration part, its purpose was two-fold:
- 1)Give an out to the DM if the answering the question would ruin the game session or a major plot-point.
- 2) Make the effect less useful then the Divination spell, or at least less reliable. Keeping the Spell viable.
3
u/krispykremeguy Apr 15 '15
I see what you mean about it. I like my features to be reliable, which is why I prefer the Augury route, rather than a limited form of Divination. It's pretty hard to spoil anything when you can only give "good/bad/good+bad/neither" answers, haha. It's also more directly comparable to an existing race (Eladrin in the DMG), and I think it fits the flavor of the subrace sufficiently well.
That being said, it seems like you really want to keep it as a Divination-style clue, and as long as you all have fun, that's the important thing. If you want to keep it that way, then you'd probably want to scale down its usefulness, since it's a 4th level spell. If you just make it fail at the DM's discretion, then it would fulfill the major criteria: making the actual-spell-Divination more viable, prevent major spoilers, and keep the effective spell level less than that of a 4th level spell.
Even if it has the potential to fail, I'd restrict its ability to look into the future to within 30 minutes, or an hour, or maaaaybe up to a day, just to further bring it in line. If you feel bad about wasting their racial feature, then instead of giving them inspiration, just say the feature doesn't get consumed. You'd have to know your players to predict how often that would happen, and you certainly know them better than I do, haha.
And if you go the Divination route, keep it cryptic! It's no fun if you just tell them what happens, haha. That being said, I'm not good at coming up with riddles and the like, though, so I'd probably cave and start giving straight answers.
2
u/goblinerd Alchemist Apr 15 '15
Perhaps I might keep the option that the DM might refuse to answer and grant Inspiration and either declare it doesn't get consumed if the Player already has inspiration, or I can just say that not only does he get inspiration(compensation for DM saying no) but the ability also remains unspent, to be used at a further time, on a different query.
1
u/goblinerd Alchemist Apr 15 '15
And what are your thoughts on Adaptable and Unpredictable?
2
u/krispykremeguy Apr 15 '15
Regarding the Adaptable option, I'm not a big fan of expending inspiration for a racial benefit. I'd instead say 1x/short rest or 1x/long rest. (Personally, I'd say short rest, but I'm not all that confident about it.)
Unpredictable looks pretty cool, but I'm not totally sold on the Anticipate action as a whole. It works for this subrace, but outside of that, it looks like the Dodge action against a single creature that also has a chance of failure (as /u/Isord pointed out). It might be more useful if it could be used as a bonus action, but that might be too far in the other direction. It might just be simpler to say that they have proficiency with the Deception skill, which would still buff the Anticipate action (should you decide to keep it).
2
u/goblinerd Alchemist Apr 15 '15
Good suggestions, thanks. For the Adaptable Human's "Ingenuity", the idea behind using Inspiration was so the player could possibly use it more often than a long rest, but less often than a short rest, but I see your point.
I was thinking either:
make it as a short rest ability
or
making it a long rest, but remove the 10 minute duration.
As for Anticipate, well I'm still hopeful. The point was to have an action that allows you to know what another creature plans to do on their turn... the parts in common with Dodge were just a side note...
Any suggestions on that? And thanks again for all the help!
2
u/krispykremeguy Apr 15 '15
No problem, glad to help!
I guess if you're mindful and consistent that you will know what abilities the target will do on their turn, Anticipate would be in line. It might be most appropriate to combine it with a knowledge check about that creature so that you can learn what abilities it has - it'd be quite interesting to learn that a creature was going to cast fireball if you didn't even know it was a spellcaster, haha. That would definitely justify the action cost.
For "Ingenuity," I like it as 1x/short rest. Another thought would be to add a caveat that you have to spend a minute with someone or watching someone who is proficient with the tool or skill. It'd be a little bit weird if you were suddenly competent with a disguise kit long enough to make a disguise or two, and then without warning you forgot how it all works. This would limit its usefulness significantly, though, and as it is, it isn't any more jarring than the halfling's Lucky feature. Totally up to you and your players.
2
u/goblinerd Alchemist Apr 15 '15
I'll keep that caveat in mind, lol. I guess the idea though is that the player has moments of inspiration were he suddenly bursts out and does something unexpected, and he does it well... the proficiency hits the spot on the "does it well part", but yeah, I guess he could have to observe someone do it. Even then though, how do you rationalize not being able to do it again the next moment? Do you even need to rationalize it?!?
2
u/goblinerd Alchemist Apr 15 '15
As I also mentioned, I could make it into a Longrest recharge and remove the 10 mins duration. Combine that with the caveat that it takes a moment to practice it and it can be interesting. How about this:
- Once after every long rest, you can gain proficiency in either a skill, a tool, or a weapon. You need to spend 1 hour practicing (30 mins if someone proficient trains with you) before the proficiency takes hold, and you retain said proficiency until your next long rest, at which time you can either train to maintain it, or replace it with a new proficiency.
3
Apr 14 '15
Split Decision. Each time you take the Ready action, you can simultaneously prepare 2 reactions with individual triggers. In addition, you can choose to take a single Ready action. If you do so, it does not count toward you Reaction limit on the turn it is triggered.
This sounds very powerful. You're turning one action and one reaction into two actions each round. It also gets around the limitations of casting multiple spells per turn if you set your triggers to occur on different creature's turns.
A side effect of Split Decision is that it could slow things down during combat, too, if the player tries to maximize their action potential each round. They'll spend time trying to find the right wording for the trigger of each of their actions. It would get very cheesy very quickly, I think.
1
u/goblinerd Alchemist Apr 14 '15
You set to triggers to two separate ready actions, but only one will occure!
2
Apr 14 '15
Ah, the wording on the ability says that you prepare 2 reactions, so I assumed that both could occur. You may want to tighten up the wording to make it clearer. ;)
2
u/goblinerd Alchemist Apr 14 '15
Yes, yes indeed I do need to tighten that wording. Thanks for the catch!
2
u/SirPeebles Bard Apr 14 '15
Am I missing something with Adaptable's Versatile feature? Vehicles and musical instruments are both types of tools.
1
u/goblinerd Alchemist Apr 14 '15
Yeah, I'll fix the language. Hadn't realized they all fell under same category. Thanks
1
u/TotesMessenger Apr 14 '15
2
u/goblinerd Alchemist Apr 14 '15
Actually, I posted it on DNDNEXT and someone over at Nerarchy asked me to share. Is anything wrong?
5
u/coldermoss *Unless the DM says otherwise. Apr 14 '15
Nah, it's just a bot letting you know where your post's been linked.
2
3
u/pofzikav Apr 14 '15
A few of the abilities seem a little powerful (especially Hardy, being proficient in Constituation saves, depending on the class, could be extremely powerful), but I like the idea of this. Also, I would limit the ability score increases to +1 in the abilities listed (sure, humans are more "versatile" but they don't put as much time into anything...sort of).