Any opinions on 5e homebrew port from shadowcaster?

[Cryomancer]

Link < https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/BkaciQ1L

"Shadowcasters are practicioners of alien magic, which in some unremembered realms is known as the shadow weave. Jealously coveted by secret factions and cults, shadow magic is a rare form of magic based on the echoes and reflections of magical energies. Devoting themselves to the shadowfell and various powers of darkness, Shadowcasters, also known as shadow adepts, strive to expand their abilities and further attune themselves to the powers of shadow."

 

[Mortmal]

My opinion is .. meh .Lot of flavor and certainly show work although the presentation is confusing , apprentice, initiate path then levels , very cumbersome and clunky . Its not fitting any role better than existing template , bring nothing really new on the table . No outstanding dps, , cant blast like a warlock or strike like a paladin either. Nothing better than a controller wizard and portent . I am not seeing a good combo when mixing melee and magic with the shadowblade .So they can give advantage to allies at level 2, problem is the ally most likely already have it or will soon , be it by use of rage , high ground, cunning action etc...Everything is lackluster in a melee path .
The mage archetype is probably the best , eldritch disruption is interisting, still the best mechanics are high level .
Playable for sure but not outshining anything already in .

 

[Thac0]

Is this made by you?

Feels very very similar to the warlock, to the point where I think the same could be accomplished by just making a new subclass. Gameplay will result in using that one 2d4 cantrip as an autohit and casting some stronger abilities rarely, while benefiting from a wide range of modal passive bonusses.

A lot of the rules are written badly, but due to being so close the the lock in design it is neither over nor underpowered probably. That can only be said for sure by playtesting, since path interactions might become dangerous to balance.
If this is yours I can add some advice on specific rule wordings later.

Overall I do not like it. Too similar to Warlock, mana based casting is clunky and rarely used and should not be used in conjunction with multiple modal spell lists which constantly change in the forms of paths. Also the flavour is very limited, this boy can only ever be a shadowcaster. Compare that to another class with limited flavor like the Druid, which still has much much more possible creative variations in the different land druids and animals.

If this is only for personal use however I am inclined to say go ahead. It is relatively unlikely to break something due to similarities to the Warlock. It will definitly not fall behind in power noticably compared to other classes if built well, due to the modal swiss knife nature of it. Since your DM keeps the last word on buffing/nerfing it on the fly it should be workable.
If you want to publish it more it needs touchups.

 

[Cryomancer]

Is this made by you?

Nope. Picked from here > https://www.reddit.com/r/UnearthedArcana/comments/5hbivb/5e_class_the_shadowcaster_v22/

The shadow weave on 5e is very important and we should get more feats and classes which uses it IMO.

 

[Thac0]

>> And honestly, it's hard to continue past this. It's a really, really cool idea, but it's bogged down with so much poor wording and things to keep track of, it's ridiculous. I want to like this, it's an awesome idea, but this is a bit of a mess. I can't even tell if this is overpowered or not because of all the things to keep track of and poor wording.

Good summary by this dude.

Spoiler

I miss old reddit. Quality comments were twice as long, thrice as common and four times as good compared to today. That place went to shit fast in the last 7 years or so.

 

[Mortmal]

Warlock is better, this shadowcaster does not get eldritch blast, thats a huge drawback. so you already have to put one level of warlock in.

 

[Cryomancer]

I can't even tell if this is overpowered or not because of all the things to keep track of and poor wording.

Some stuff are and some aren't IMO.

The class is heavily based on 3.5e shadow caster but has a lot of adaptations to fit the lower lethality and lower level gameplay of 5e. Requiring lv 5 instead of 7 to learn initiate paths, cantrips fundamentals got buffed and receive a buff and so on. The "tome of magic" has that class. The way that it handles nonlethal damage, for from eg arrow o dusk needs to be changed and hence the automatically stabilization of the enemy and damage boost on 5/11/17 as any "cantrip". Shadow skin for eg is extremely more powerful on the original iteration of the class but since there are no DR, the way tht 5e homebrew handled it is interesting.

page 138 - Tome of Magic - Shadow skin DR table

The 5e adaptation of that skill gives temporary hp to "simulate" the DR.

this shadowcaster does not get eldritch blast,

The capstone of shadowcaster is IMO much better. And the high level spells too. Army of Shadow, Ephemeral storm, Consume Essence,

 

[Thac0]

Warlock is better, this shadowcaster does not get eldritch blast, thats a huge drawback. so you already have to put one level of warlock in.

On of their "It's a cantrip but not really" things gives an 2d4 per missile dex save multiple missiles at level 6+ thing with slight upside.

That is pretty much Eldritch Blast since 1d10 = 5.5, 2d4 = 5.

I have not seen anything like Agonizing Blast but the way this guy formats his text it might be hidden somewhere.

 

[Mortmal]

Ok the capstone isnt so inferior , but everything is still clunky and against 5E spirit tbh. The spells viktor mentions are good but at level 9 they better be, thats where you see stuff like wish. Nothing out of line . At the level you are using that you are tickling gods already.Army of shadow might not scale well. Consume essence is ok powerword kill/finger of death hybrid no hp limit .. with the huge drawback that is touch, it doesnt specify the kind of creature you raise. Ephemeral storm an higher chain lightning with flavor . Nothing op.

 

[Cryomancer]

I have not seen anything like Agonizing Blast but the way this guy formats his text it might be hidden somewhere.

What makes eldritch blast great is the invocations which you can put to use with it. For eg, a lv 17 warlock casting pure EB deals just 22 damage on average(4 * D10). With agonizing blast, it deals 4 * (D10 + 4 * CHA MOD) and with CHA mod = 5, you can deal 20 + 22 = 44 damage. Repealilng blasts and other invocations also make EB amazing. Without invocations, EB is just like firebolt

Also, I have heard that necrotic damage reduces enemy max hp on 5e.

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Would be cool to see the opinion of someone who played 3.5e as a shadowcaster since I honestly din't played. Only read the book(8 hour travel = nothing better to do than read random things). The greatest advantage of shadowcasters over other casters is the fact that higher level mysteries later become spell like abilities and then, supernatural abilities, which provoke no attack of opportunity, can't be dispelled, counter spelled, ignore SR and require no somatic component. The trade off is that their spell usage and selection is more limited.

Is just can't be translated to 5e.

Flood of shadow also can't be translated since there are no empower spell on 5e and metamagic is restricted to sorc. So it is completely different on 5e.

And some spells "mysteries" deals ability damage which also can't be translated into 5e. So got adapted into making the next save with that attribute at disadvantage

Ok the capstone isnt so inferior , but everything is still clunky and against 5E spirit tbh.

The homebrew class is a "try" to make a 3.5e complex class fit into 5e class. Of course, is clunky.

At the level you are using that you are tickling gods already.Army of shadow might not scale well.

I disagree, this spells was only some examples, Prison cage is like a force cage which damages the prisoner, sharp shadows is like Hellish Rebuke. Curtain of shadow is like wall of fire + darkness and so on. But you are right, high tier magic on 5e is far rarer than on previous editions. Only a like 0,001% of the shadowcasters would even attain mastery over his shadowy magic...

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I have heard that PRC has shadowcasters. I will play with then once I an at home with a better PC http://nwnprc.com/manual/english/content/base_classes/136.html

 

[deuxhero]

It's terrible because it's for an inherently bad system.

 

[Cryomancer]

It's terrible because it's for an inherently bad system.

LOL. Each D&D edition has a focus

• 1e/2e = Immersion
• 3/3.5e = Variety
• 4e = Balance
• 5e = Accessibility

Certain thing just can't translate among the first to later editions. Is far easier to port a more complex class from 3e to 2e and vice versa than to 5e. BTW, there are a mod who adapts shadow weave based magic to BG1/2. It is juts not much "rule friendly". You can see a lot of problems with that homebrew class.

The background for the shadow mage bhaalspawn is quite interesting and believe or not, lore friendly.

Background of the bhaalspawn

"

There is a dark secret hidden within the walls of Candlekeep, forbidden to be spoken of among the scribes and monks even in hushed voices. A well of shadow magic, fueled by darkness and loss, shunned by most practitioners of the arcane arts. Such powers originate from the realm of the Shadow Weave, the distorted mockery of Mystra’s Weave created by Shar, the Nightsinger. So obscure is this power that most are unaware of its existence, and those that know of it refuse to acknowledge it due to its dark origins. However, the seductive whispers of this power has called to you, an apprentice mage who had barely mastered your first cantrip, since a young age, deep beneath the great library.

When the voices became too much to resist, you snuck into the depths of Candlekeep in the dead of night, where unwanted and dangerous secrets are left to rot. Inside of a once-sealed chamber stood a strange fountain, an open wound in the Prime Material Plane through which the energies of the Shadow Weave bled. As soon as you touched the eerie yet beautiful strands of magic that flowed from the wound, you felt an awakening as your connection to the Weave was severed and the power of Shar’s dark Weave coursed through you in its place, bestowing upon you a magic that few are gifted with. As you matured, the growing magic within you developed a symbiotic connection until it became one with your very being, and the power of the Shadow Weave became subservient to your will. Gorion and your tutors grew wary of the strange magic that you wielded, though they never learned of the source. Though you knew the dangers of toying with Shar’s domain were great, the temptation of such a little-known power in your hands were a thousand times worth the cost.”

Makes sense that this type of hidden secret could be hidden in the candlekeep.

BTW If was up to me, I would give casting penalty while exposed to the sunlight on 3.5e class and 5e like on the modded class for bg2. Since caster level is irrelevant, maybe a INT check of DC of 8 + ( the mystery level *3 ) or the spell fail to cast while exposed to sunlight and disadvantage on all concentration checks.

 

[Thac0]

Without invocations, EB is just like firebolt

Also, I have heard that necrotic damage reduces enemy max hp on 5e.

It still deals force damage. There is a hierarchy of damage types in 5e, depening on how often enemies resist them. Force is the highest, together with radiant. But necrotic is not bad, it only gets resisted by higher level undead.
The max hp reducing thing is often on moves that deal necrotic, but it is not inherent. Inflict wounds does deal necrotic but does not reduce max.

But after reading the tendril spell again it has a weird advantage that might be planned or come from badly worded rules. You do not have to see the target.
You can stand outside of a house and fire them inside through the window as heat seeking missiles as long as a window is open due to targeting rules lol. This is very rare, the only other spell that comes up often with this funky targeting method is Dissonant Whispers.

 

[Mortmal]

It's terrible because it's for an inherently bad system.

LOL. Each D&D edition has a focus

• 1e/2e = Immersion
• 3/3.5e = Variety
• 4e = Balance
• 5e = Accessibility

Certain thing just can't translate among the first to later editions. Is far easier to port a more complex class from 3e to 2e and vice versa than to 5e. BTW, there are a mod who adapts shadow weave based magic to BG1/2. It is juts not much "rule friendly". You can see a lot of problems with that homebrew class.

The background for the shadow mage bhaalspawn is quite interesting and believe or not, lore friendly.

Background of the bhaalspawn

"

There is a dark secret hidden within the walls of Candlekeep, forbidden to be spoken of among the scribes and monks even in hushed voices. A well of shadow magic, fueled by darkness and loss, shunned by most practitioners of the arcane arts. Such powers originate from the realm of the Shadow Weave, the distorted mockery of Mystra’s Weave created by Shar, the Nightsinger. So obscure is this power that most are unaware of its existence, and those that know of it refuse to acknowledge it due to its dark origins. However, the seductive whispers of this power has called to you, an apprentice mage who had barely mastered your first cantrip, since a young age, deep beneath the great library.

When the voices became too much to resist, you snuck into the depths of Candlekeep in the dead of night, where unwanted and dangerous secrets are left to rot. Inside of a once-sealed chamber stood a strange fountain, an open wound in the Prime Material Plane through which the energies of the Shadow Weave bled. As soon as you touched the eerie yet beautiful strands of magic that flowed from the wound, you felt an awakening as your connection to the Weave was severed and the power of Shar’s dark Weave coursed through you in its place, bestowing upon you a magic that few are gifted with. As you matured, the growing magic within you developed a symbiotic connection until it became one with your very being, and the power of the Shadow Weave became subservient to your will. Gorion and your tutors grew wary of the strange magic that you wielded, though they never learned of the source. Though you knew the dangers of toying with Shar’s domain were great, the temptation of such a little-known power in your hands were a thousand times worth the cost.”

Makes sense that this type of hidden secret could be hidden in the candlekeep.

BTW If was up to me, I would give casting penalty while exposed to the sunlight on 3.5e class and 5e like on the modded class for bg2. Since caster level is irrelevant, maybe a INT check of DC of 8 + ( the mystery level *3 ) or the spell fail to cast while exposed to sunlight and disadvantage on all concentration checks.

Pretty much that but you forgot becmi, focus was also accessibility. Still had deep world design , the world of mystara and was carrying you from village hero to immortal . Thats why 5e is a return to those sources and not an heresy. If you homebrew something it must fall in the 5E template , thats not the case here.

 

[Cryomancer]

, it only gets resisted by higher level undead.

Pretty much that but you forgot becmi, focus was also accessibility.

Yep. The damage type is a little weaker and the damage is a little weaker but more consistent(+1 min damage, -2 max damage)

IMO that book shoud have adapted the 2e class which is more simplistic mechanic wise and maybe as a wizard subkit.

source > https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Shadow_Magic
In Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, the Player's Option: Spells & Magic sourcebook featured, amongst other kits like the Elementalist, Dimensionalist, Alchemist, Artificer and Wild Mage, the Shadow Mage. This philosophical specialist wizard combines elements of necromancy, illusion, and conjuration, drawing its power from then-theoretical Plane of Shadow to produce eerie phantasms and shadow-stuff constructs. Whilst lacking in direct confrontational firepower, they excel at infiltration and spy-work. This kit, restricted to human wizards only, required Intelligence 15 and Wisdom 16 to enter. Its Opposition Schools are Evocation and Abjuration.

On 5e can be something lilke

• You can't learn spells from evokation or abjuration
• Your spellbook is called grimoire and if suffers any damage or is stolen, you can spend half of your spell slots to materialize your grimoire with ALL spells known and written in your original grimoire, it is a ritual which takes an hour.
• Animate dead can create shadows, not only skeletons and zombies.
• Spells of illusion, conjuration and necromancy costs half as much to be learned.
• You get disadvantage while exposed to sunlight on ALL saving throws.
• You get advantage on saving throws against any spell from illusion, necromancy or conjuration as longs you are not in a sunny area,
• Enemies in darker areas takes disadvantage against all illusion, evocation an conjuration spells casted by the shadow mage.
• You can't learn spells with "fire" descriptor. But you can convert a fire spell into a cold spell and inscribing into your grimoire and change the spell name by spending twice the cost of the spell inscribing. For eg, icendiary cloud becomes "freezing cloud" or any name which the PC wanna gives and instead of fire, deals cold damage.
• At lv 5, once per short rest, you can double the damage of any spell dealing necrotic or cold damage. You must take 1d6 necrotic damage per level of the spell. For eg, finger of death could deal twice the damage but the player would take 7d6 necrotic damage since the spell is 7th tier.
• At lv 11, you can use that ability twice per short rest.
• At lv 15 you can create a shadow golem which has stats similar to a iron golem except that he takes 2d10 points of radiant damage whiel exposed to sunlilght, has't immunity to fire and is vulnerable to radiant and fire damage.
• You can gain a shadow creature from shadowell as a familiar, as longs the creature CR is half of your caster level
• At lv 17, you can once per long rest, remove a concentration requirement from any spell from conjuration, necromancy or illusion up to lv 6
• At lv 20, pick one evokation,illusion or necromancy spell up to level 3 and you can uses it at will as a cantrip.