Homebrew Skill W.I.P. please help P.E.A.C.H.

[Gotterdammerung]

I am playing a homebrew character in a seafaring campaign. It is meant to be an adaption of the warlock/dragon fire adept style classes, but made with a wind heritage theme instead of a fiendish blood or dragon blood theme. It is named Scion of House Borasco (ScHB for short). Currently the class has a pretty much copy paste version of eldritch blast (except that it does bludgeoning dmg). I was hoping to create a more unique representation for its eldritch blast/ breath weapon mechanic. Having a almost perfect copy of eldritch blast isn't fitting very well, and a lot of the shape and essences don't make sense when applied to a wind theme. Here is a rough draft of my attempt. My GM has approved the ability. So now I just mainly need help coming up with new essences and shapes to fill out the choices per level.

Any critique is welcomed, but I am looking for some specific help.

1. help with my atrocious formatting. I feel I described everything about the ability. It is all in there somewhere. But my formatting is so bad, I think it could be cleaned up so the information appears in a more intuitive order, making it easier to understand.

2. More ideas for Gale Shapes and Gale Essences (I intentionally didn't include ways to change the energy type, but if you want to write up a energy swapping one, then sonic and electricity make the most sense).

3. Help assigning appropriate levels to Gale Shapes and Gale Essences.

4. Glaring balance problems that might stick out to someone.

5. and glaring loopholes or confusion from poor wording.


Thank you so much everyone. The ability is described below.

Howling Gale (Su):
Howling Gale starts at 1d6 bludgeoning magic dmg and increases by 1d6 at every odd Scion of House Borasco level. Any +1 spellcasting prestige class also raises the effects of howling gale exactly like eldritch blast. The DC for Howling gale saves = 10+1/2 Borasco lvl+charisma mod. Flying creatures get a +4 to all opposed rolls and saves versus Howling Gale. For every size above medium creatures get a +2 to resist and for every size below medium creatures get a -2 to resist.

As a standard action, a howling gale may be placed in any unoccupied square within short range of the Scion of House Borasco. Howling gale must be set on some sort of tangible surface. When a howling gale is placed its course must be preset. At any point for up to 3 rounds the Howling gale can be activated as a free action. Once activated, the gale will travel 60 feet in a line on its predetermined course. Any creature it passes will be subject to damage and potentially a save, depending on which gale essence is applied. At the end of each round a gale charges up the force of its winds, raising the dmg, dc and height of the gale. At the end of the 3rd round the gale automatically triggers.

Round 1 = normal dmg, normal DC, and 5x5x5 space
End of round 1 = damage x2, +2 DC and 5x5x10 space
End of round 2 = damage x3, +4 DC and 5x5x15 space
End of round 3 = damage x4, +6 DC and 5x5x20 space

While charging the gale will block mundane ranged weapons. Any creature moving into a square occupied by a gale immediately takes the appropriate damage and effects as if they were hit by the gale, and the gale dissipates. However, a scion of house borasco can choose to trigger the ability before the creatures finishes moving into the square if he is able.

Triggering the gale is a free action that can be taken at anytime even on an enemies turn. It requires line of effect and line of sight to trigger an active howling gale. Triggering a howling gale is a purely mental action and therefore can be performed even while under physically prohibiting statuses, however it can not be performed while unconscious or under effects that restrict free thought. Regardless of whether or not it is actively triggered, the howling gale will automatically trigger on its own at the end of the 3rd round. A scion of house borasco may only have 1 howling gale active at any given time. Activating a new howling gale while an original is active will cause the original to dissipate immediately.



The rules of howling gale may be modified by the Gale shape and Gale essence class features.


Least Gale Shapes

Reaching Winds- Change to medium range

Lesser Gale Shapes
Sustaining Winds- This essence removes the charge mechanic from howling gale. When sustaining winds is applied, a howling gale can no longer be triggered. The howling gale no longer dissipates when a creature moves into the square it occupies and it can form in an occupied square. It will stay in its original square for its full duration and then dissipate. Howling Gale will do normal damage when first activated and then again at the beginning of the Scion of house borasco's turn. Anyone moving into the same square as the Sustaining winds howling gale will immediately take damage. A Sustaining winds howling gale does not count towards the 1 howling gale limit, however, you can only have 1 sustaining winds howling gale active at any given time.

Perfect Storm- Allow gale to be set in any square within range regardless of surface. If placed in the air the predetermined course can not be vertical in any degree. It must travel horizontally or at a downward angle.

Greater Gale Shapes

Mira’s Wind- Change to long range

Supercell- Change gale starting size to 10x10x10 (charging still increases height only by 5 per round). Size modifiers to resist are set of off large instead of medium.

Dark Gale Shapes

Howling Purge-This shape removes the charge mechanic from Howling gale. When applied, Howling gale immediately releases a rush of wind outward from the scion of house borasco in a 20 ft radius spread applying dmg to all within the radius. Every creature in the radius must make an opposed bull rush attempt or be moved directly outward from the source. The distance moved depends on the bull rush attempt as per the normal bulrush rules. The scion of house borasco’s bull rush modifier is equal to a large creature with str score equal to the save DC of the howling gale.


Least Gale Essences

Soft Winds- removes the damage of Howling Gale unlike other Gale essences, Soft Winds may be used simultaneously with any other gale essence.

Displacing Wind- When a howling gale is augmented by Displacing Wind, targets that take damage from the howling gale are also moved 5 feet in a random direction. Determine the direction as with splash weapon misses, re-rolling if the target would be moved into an occupied or impassable square.
For creatures larger than medium, choose a single 5 foot square of their model to determine which direction they move.

Lesser Gale Essence

Jet Stream- On a failed reflex save the gale will scoop up and carry any creature it encounters and carry them to the end of the line and then throw them out in a random unoccupied viable square. The creature must make a second reflex save at this time to avoid ending prone.
This essence reduces the line to a 30 ft line instead of a 60 foot line. This essence can not be used with Howling Gale if the charge mechanic is removed.

Greater Gale Essence
???????????????????


Dark Gale Essence

Multiple Vortex- Create 2 howling gales at once. These gales must share the same pre-plotted course but originate in their own squares within range. They can not overlap areas at any point. They trigger at the same time. Once triggered, no creature can take damage from more than 1 gale although multiple saves may be forced.

[Gotterdammerung]

Bump for edits.

[unbeliever536]

A couple of things:
-I am not really experienced with Warlocks, so I might not be able to help you too much. I definitely have no idea where to go on the essences front.
-I'd like to see a table, just to get an idea of what the class looks like over 20 levels.




Howling Gale (Su):
Howling Gale starts at 1d6 bludgeoning magic dmg and increases by 1d6 at every odd Scion of House Borasco level. Any +1 spellcasting prestige class also raises the effects of howling gale exactly like eldritch blast. The DC for Howling gale saves = 10+1/2 Borasco lvl+charisma. Flying creatures get a +4 to all opposed rolls and saves versus Howling Gale. For every size above medium creatures get a +2 to resist and for every size below medium creatures get a -2 to resist.

As a standard action, a howling gale may be placed in any unoccupied square within short range of the Scion of House Borasco. Howling gale must be set on some sort of tangible surface. When a howling gale is placed its course must be preset. At any point for up to 3 rounds the Howling gale can be activated as a free action. Once activated, the gale will travel 60 feet in a line on its predetermined course. Any creature it passes will be subject to damage and potentially a save, depending on which gale essence is applied. At the end of each round a gale charges up the force of its winds, raising the dmg, dc and height of the gale. At the end of the 3rd round the gale automatically triggers.

Round 1 = normal dmg, normal DC, and 5x5x5 space
End of round 1 = damage x2, +2 DC and 5x5x10 space
End of round 2 = damage x3, +4 DC and 5x5x15 space
End of round 3 = damage x4, +6 DC and 5x5x20 space

While charging the gale will block mundane ranged weapons. Any creature moving into a square occupied by a gale immediately takes the appropriate damage and effects as if they were hit by the gale, and the gale dissipates. However, a scion of house borasco can choose to trigger the ability before the creatures finishes moving into the square if he is able.

Triggering the gale is a free action that can be taken at anytime even on an enemies turn. It requires line of effect and line of sight to trigger an active howling gale. Triggering a howling gale is a purely mental action and therefore can be performed even while under physically prohibiting statuses, however it can not be performed while unconscious or under effects that restrict free thought. Regardless of whether or not it is actively triggered, the howling gale will automatically trigger on its own at the end of the 3rd round. A scion of house borasco may only have 1 howling gale active at any given time. Activating a new howling gale while an original is active will cause the original to dissipate immediately.


The rules of howling gale may be modified by the Gale shape and Gale essence class features.



How long does the Gale last? Is it a one-round effect once triggered? How long can the "set path" be?

Also, the DC should be 10 + 1/2 class level + Cha modifier. I'm sure that's what you meant, but it should be clear in the ability description.



Supercell- Change gale starting size to 10x10x10 (charging still increases height only by 5 per round). Size modifiers to resist are set of off large instead of medium.


Just give all opponents a -2 penalty on their save. It has the same effect and is simpler to read.



Howling Purge-This shape removes the charge mechanic from Howling gale. When applied, Howling gale immediately releases a rush of wind outward from the scion of house borasco in a 20 ft radius spread applying dmg to all within the radius. Every creature in the radius must make an opposed bull rush attempt or be moved directly outward from the source. The distance moved depends on the bull rush attempt as per the normal bulrush rules. The scion of house borasco’s bull rush modifier is equal to a large creature with str score equal to the save DC of the howling gale.


This seems a little powerful, given that it hits everyone in the circle. Especially given that this campaign is supposed to take place at sea, I could easily see large numbers of enemies getting tossed off of boats a little too easily.



Displacing Wind- When a howling gale augmented by Displacing wind gale essence does damage to a target, the target is randomly moved 5 feet. This ability will not move a target into an occupied or ineligible square. Choose a square adjacent to the target and assign it the number one. Then moving clock-wise assign the remaining adjacent squares numbers. Then roll 1d8 to determine which square the creature is moved into, re-roll if that square is blocked or occupied. For creatures larger than medium, choose a single 5 foot square of their model to determine which direction they move.


Rewrite as: When a howling gale is augmented by Displacing Wind, targets that take damage from the howling gale are also moved 5 feet in a random direction. Determine the direction as with splash weapon misses, rerolling if the target would be moved into an occupied or impassable square.



Multiple Vortex- Create 2 howling gales at once. These gales must share the same pre-plotted course but originate in their own squares within range. They can not overlap areas at any point. They trigger at the same time. Once triggered, no creature can take damage from more than 1 gale although multiple saves may be forced.

How can multiple saves be forced if the gales can never overlap and trigger simultaneously?

[Gotterdammerung]

A couple of things:
-I am not really experienced with Warlocks, so I might not be able to help you too much. I definitely have no idea where to go on the essences front.
-I'd like to see a table, just to get an idea of what the class looks like over 20 levels.
Don't be modest. Some of your suggestions were very helpful, thank you.

Don't be shy about essence and shape suggestions. I could use the help and the worst that could happen is I don't use it. Catching up only requires reading a warlocks shapes and essences, a Dragon Fire adepts breath shapes and essences, and this classes current shapes and essences. It isn't a very large block of content as the 2 real classes were not given much book support.

I am not so good with tables, but warlock is in the complete arcane and this classes progression mirrors it for the most part.
Least only until lvl 6

Least and lesser only from lvl 6-10

Least,lesser and greater only from 11-15

Least, lesser, greater, and dark from 16 onward

Gale damage increases on the odd lvls just like sneak attack for a rogue. Caps at 10d6 at lvl 19.


How long does the Gale last? Is it a one-round effect once triggered? How long can the "set path" be?

Question 1: The gale will automatically trigger after 3 rounds. The round is checked right before the Scion's turn begins.

Question 2: No, once triggered the effect is instantaneous and ends the howling gale.

Question 3: The set path equals the distance of the line plus the starting square or squares. The base distance is a 60 ft line. Some shapes and essences might shorten the line.

It might be easier to think of the little tornado as a creature that will move out in a set direction 60 ft in a straight line. When you set the gale you must decide right then and there where it will move when it is triggered.


Also, the DC should be 10 + 1/2 class level + Cha modifier. I'm sure that's what you meant, but it should be clear in the ability description. Yes, that is what I meant. Good catch.




Just give all opponents a -2 penalty on their save. It has the same effect and is simpler to read.
Hmmm, interesting way of looking at it but I would rather keep it set in it's size mechanic. I might do a parenthesis note with your suggestion tho, thanks.



This seems a little powerful, given that it hits everyone in the circle. Especially given that this campaign is supposed to take place at sea, I could easily see large numbers of enemies getting tossed off of boats a little too easily. It is balanced for the level you get it at. Dark invocations come much later in the game, and an equivalent warlock dark shape or dfa breath shape does much scarier things at this lvl. Plus blowing people off a boat is an entirely reasonable high level achievement for a lord of the wind style character. In fact, someone might laugh at a ships "Windsinger" if he couldn't knock some people overboard by that level.




Rewrite as: When a howling gale is augmented by Displacing Wind, targets that take damage from the howling gale are also moved 5 feet in a random direction. Determine the direction as with splash weapon misses, rerolling if the target would be moved into an occupied or impassable square.
Good idea, thanks for cleaning that up.



How can multiple saves be forced if the gales can never overlap and trigger simultaneously?

Creatures larger than medium. For instance, if the 2 gales were set side by side and both shot out parallel they would never cross, but they could both blow over a large creature. This creature would not take damage twice, but if there were any rider effects on the gale he would need to make saves for each.