Available on the DM's Guild (pay what you want) at this link!
So here's what I've been working on all this time!
It's been very hard to get perfect, but I finally got it into a state that I'm happy with. New classes are always tough (half-casters most of all), and building a technology-based class in a mostly non-technological game is additionally tricky!
But enough of my woes, I'm sure you want to hear what the Augmented has to offer!
FEATURES:
- 3 subclasses, ranging from protecting your allies with conjured barriers to hacking into the minds of your foes!
- 34 augments, allowing you to customize your augmented and create something truly unique.
- A progressive system for upgrading your body as you level, allowing you to build new augments into your newly-upgraded parts.
- Battlestrikes that deal additional damage, and allow you to control the flow of battle.
- Personal shielding, to give you that much additional survivability!
CONCERNS:
- Augments are varied, and hard to balance. So far, they seem acceptable.
- This class dabbles in a lot of kits that may belong to other classes, but with enough caveats that hopefully that shouldn't matter too much.
WHAT I LEARNED:
- Yep, this is DEFINITELY the hardest thing I've worked on so far. Balancing half-casters is no joke!
Hm. I was able to open it initially, but before I bought it the page switched to 'unavailable'.
ReplyDeleteNever mind! It reappeared, and showed up in my cart, no less.
DeleteNice! Seems to have been removed, though? Link says "the title is not available."
ReplyDeleteYeah, seems like it got removed for a violation with the D&D logo. I fixed it, and it should be back online now.
DeleteThe Augment class has promise but is obviously a rough draft, the Battlestrike option as currently written does too much damage, especially with the riders it can inflict.
ReplyDeleteCompare how it scales to a cantrip... and then realize you can get one or two further attacks each round in addition (if using two weapon fighting or crossbow expert with hand crossbows) while only the Eldritch Knight can pull off a cantrip + attack combo and even then it doesn't match this 'autoattack/at will' damage especially since the Augment can pull this stunt with a sling or a hand crossbow and attack at range (unlike the Eldritch Knight)
At level 1 through 4 it's doing 1d6+physical bonus (str/dex)+int bonus with a rider effect. A weapon attack could do as much as 2d6+strength bonus (for an at will attack) and it won't have a rider effect. A cantrip can have as much as 1d10 or 1d12 but typically they are 1d6 or 1d8 with a rider effect and rarely do they get to add a stat modifier damage bonus.
But by level 17 it's doing 5d6+those bonuses which will likely be +5 each at this point that is 5d6+10 damage (assuming the weapon does a 1d6 and not a 1d8 weapon)...plus a rider effect... each round. Comparitively the greatsword is doing 2d6+5. And the cantrips are doing 4d6 to 4d10 and may or may not have a rider effect.
At level 20 when EVERY attack can be a battlestrike that becomes 3 attacks of 5d6+10 which if all three hit is 15d6+30 damage And you can get a fourth attack if you have haste or are using swift quiver with a sling or a hand crossbow. Plus each battle strike will also add a rider effect on hit and at level 20 they could mix and match to stack rider effects.
This needs to be toned down as right now it's rather overpowered. I'd look at the weapon cantrips Booming Blade and Green Flame Blade and have the damage scale like those cantrips which would be start with just the rider effect at 1st level, add in 1d6 at 5th, increase to 2d6 at 11th and then 3d6 at 17th. Could allow the Battlestrike to replace the Strength or Dexterity mod with their Int mod but don't allow them to stack both stat modifiers.
I'd still be weary of the Trandscendent ability to make every battlefist or integrated weapon attack into a Battlestrike all day long. Perhaps if that was tied to only while Overdrive was active, could also let Overdrive refresh on a short rest at level 20. It wouldn't be as game breaking since Overdrive is a limited use ability and the Augment will suffer 1d6 lightning damage each round that overdrive is active... can overdrive be ended before the 1 minute duration ends since otherwise it if a fight ends after say the 6th round, that is 4 more rounds of eating damage after the fight ends?
Also adaptive camouflage for the Directive Infiltrate should probably take an action or at least a move action as it could be abused in combat as a bonus action ability that does not cost a spell slot, since it can last up to a minute to maneuver, aid another, or other things that won't break invisibility like setting/triggering traps or manipulating the environment without casting a spell or using the attack action.
There may be other issues but those are the two big ones my friends and I have noticed. As this is still listed as a rough draft I expected a few things would need to be balanced but the class has promise if it can be balanced out properly... which I think everyone realizes isn't easy.
These are all really reasonable. I've edited Battlestrike to follow the SCAG cantrip damage progression, and modified Transcendent to only work while Overdrive is active.
DeleteHowever, I decided to leave Adaptive Camouflage as-is, for now. Manipulating the environment while in stealth sounds very in-keeping with the theme of that subclass, and I'm not sure it'd be consistently overpowered enough to merit a change.
It might be situationally strong, but it strikes me as something that needs more direct testing first. Time will tell.
Thanks for the input! The version modified on your feedback should be available shortly.
Looking over the changes to the modified version and with what others have suggested I think the class is starting to shape up nicely. I agree Adaptive camouflage may need more testing to truly determine how overpowered it can be, but a question came up about the Microthruster array and the optics so it should also be asked about Adaptive Camouflage... should it require concentration? That would at least prevent it from being stacked with something else that relies on concentration since the Invisibility spell the class ability is based on is a concentration spell which would cut down on possible overpowered combinations that you can't pull with Invisibility and something else due to concentration limits. (Example, if a single wizard isn't allowed to fly around being invisible why should an Augment be allowed to do so?)
DeleteMore testing has brought up these issues with the combat usage of Adaptive Camouflage and it being one to three times per short or long rest based on level. As it currently stands it seems like a combat buff rather than a short term stealth ability since it seems to be an on demand round to bonus action go invisible move action to get into place without drawing Attacks of opportunity from movement and then action to battlefist or spell nuke with advantage from being invisible.
DeleteInfiltration is more spy/espionage but this ability as worded is more assassination pure and simple with bonus action activate and a one minute duration which nudges use towards combat since not long enough for much out of combat, no concentration required and 1 to 3 times per SHORT rest. And it can be currently combined with quadruped or flight or something that requires concentration to maintain and is triggered in a previous round... but the on demand go where you want and get advantage up to 3 times every short rest is rather frequently and nothing currently prevents chaining it back to back at 5th level and beyond. Another option is attack then bonus action to go invisible to avoid retaliation and then move. Following round attack with advantage.
The frequency that can be pulled off is concerning as it makes the Infiltrator augmented a ninja wizard that makes wizards look puny...all without casting a single daily spell slot.
I recommend that it recharges only on a long rest, or ditch the multiple uses per short rest as both is just insane for a refreshing class ability that doesn't require a spell slot, and that it requires concentration. Could increase the duration or if you wanted to keep it simple just make it be once to three times a day you can use the Invisibility spell without spending a spell slot. Being able to stealth for up to an hour provides a lot more out of combat use than a one minute limit which makes people think, how can I use this in combat since it is too short a duration for most non-combat activities. Could also have it grant expertise with stealth and able to hide as a bonus action when you have at least cover or light concealment instead of outright invisibility if you want something always active.
Good point you make about the ability carrying more thematic weight with an hour duration.
DeleteI think I'll up it to an hour, but remove the multiple uses until very late in the game. At 17th level 2 uses / SR should be acceptable, but not at 5th.
I am guessing that you will also be adding concentration to maintain it based on what else you've added concentration to.
DeleteAt this point Adaptive Camo is a bonus action (instead of an action) Invisibility spell that doesn't require components or concentration. Not even a warlock get's that action economy efficiency and they can use Invisibility multiple times per short rest assuming it is one of their known spells. A sorcerer could pull it off with Quicken Invisibility but that shifts to a long rest recharge (ignoring Sorc/warlock sorc point regaining on short rest shenanigans) instead of a short rest recharge.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI left a comment that was too long winded. The following are my current concerns. That being said, I hope to playtest this soon, it looks awesome!
ReplyDeleteHammerblow. The wording leaves me confused. Is it a direct pushback like eldritch blast, or can I choose which direction they go? If so, can they be pulled, because that seems to contradict the name but match the wording sort of? How do I imagine a ranged weapon applying pushback in any direction and not just straight back?
Enhanced Optics: This ability implies that it's an instantaneous pulse of sight, but it never actually states its duration. You may consider saying what the duration is--whether it's instantaneous, one round, or one minute.
Microthruster Array: Is this intended to be a non concentration skill, or are you meant to be able to be knocked out of the sky as usual?
Quadrupedal Legs: Does this have a duration, or is it infinite? Is this meant to be concentration like the spider climb spell? As it stands, it seems oddly strong to me.
Improved Integrated Arsenal: I would prefer that you could switch weapons in the same bonus action, rather than to take one turn to put a crossbow away and the next to pull out the melee rapier, for example. As it stands, it sounds like it will highten versatility, but costs too many augments and actions to make it very appealing.
Thank you for your awesome work in dreaming up this excellent new class!
>Hammerblow
DeleteThe text reads "10 feet away from you in a direction of your choosing," so yes, you can choose where they go, as long as it is away from you.
>Enhanced Optics
Good catch! The duration should be one minute, or until you use another bonus action to end it.
>Microthruster Array
Maybe this would do well to be a concentration ability. Maybe I should use concentration for Enhanced Optics, as well.
>Quadrupedal Legs
THIS one is intended to be indefinite, however. I'm unsure if I want to make it concentration or not. I'll probably end up making it concentration when I go back for revision.
>Improved Integrated Arsenal
Not a bad plan. I'll add that in.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLove all this. I’m looking at both the full PDF and printer version and they have different AC amounts for the core upgrade. Mind clarifying that?
ReplyDeleteHuh, really? The true value should be 18.
DeleteWhich one says 17?
My printer-safe PDF says 17. I clipped a screenshot of it:
Deletehttps://imgur.com/a/A555iHv
Ah, so it does!
DeleteIt should be fixed in future releases. For now, yes, 18 is the correct AC. It's intended to be the same as full plate.
Cool, thanks.
DeleteAnother difference I noticed is that the Storage Core augment has no prerequisite in the full PDF while the Print-Safe PDF version requires the Core Upgrade.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJust noticed something when I compared Augmented to Ranger and Paladin as half-casters. Augmented has a 'dead' level at 18 where nothing really changes except for an 8th augment, while Ranger and Paladin both gain something.
ReplyDeleteComparatively, while augmented lists the battlefist upgrade at 17th, that is effectively a quasi-cantrip upgrade which is supposed to occur at 17th level. That is effectively nothing new which is on par with Ranger and Paladin with 17th level being when half-casters get 5th level spell access as half-casters.
So if a class ability for Augmented turns out to need to be adjusted something could be moved to 18th level, which might include a tweak to it's strength, or if in play-testing a feature is found to be weak in endgame it could get an upgrade at 18th level. (Core example is that Paladin Auras get the increase in radius from 10ft to 30ft at 18th level)
Not sure what if anything would be adjusted for 18th level since I wouldn't want to make the Augmented class something that is unbalanced and too powerful, but I did notice the 'dead level' at 18th and felt it should be pointed out. If I had to guess, an endgame Prime Directives upgrade/ability might work since most class archtypes typically gain something in the 16-20 level range and Augmented archtypes gain nothing past level 14.
From Overdrive: "-you deal lightning damage equal to half your augmented level (rounded up) to any creature within 10 feet of you-". ANY creature meaning every creature? Or one creature of your choosing?
ReplyDeleteAny creature meaning every creature. I should probably specify further, but if I was going for one creature I'd say "any one creature."
DeleteWatch out for your friends!
Enjoying this class currently, although eradicator seems strange considering battle strike can't apply to a spell attack (making you take almost purely utility spells anyway, other than one or two AoEs).
ReplyDeleteOne question I'm having is: Eye beams. Dex to hit? or just pure proficiency bonus?
Excellent update! The class identity is a lot cleaner as an adaptable utility combatant.
ReplyDeleteSince the update got pushed out earlier than you intended (thanks for making that mistake, I had fun looking through the revisions), did you have any other design goals that you already would like to complete before you are happy with the state of the Augmented class? For example, the location of dead levels are still unusual, but tricky to straighten out. Do you intend to tinker with class feature distribution more until the dead levels make more sense?