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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Tsukumomimi: Thing-People (WIP, PEACH)



Ezekiel Moon
2016-05-16, 03:10 PM
One thing I absolutely love in fantasy settings is things that are other things. I like rooms that are also monsters. I like castles that are also airships, or vice-versa. I like fire trucks that are also giant robots. And I like weapons that are also people.

I've been feeling inspired lately to begin working on a set of 5e homebrews along this general theme. I have very limited knowledge of 5e, however, so it's been going very slowly and I have no idea what I'm doing in terms of balance. I recently completed the first player race, to submit for your consideration. I have plans for three more races and a class, and may add to that over time.

COMPLETED:
Steelblood race
Lorelei race

IN PROGRESS:
Genius Loci race

PLANNED:
Vault Gargoyle race
Half-Golem subrace

Ezekiel Moon
2016-05-16, 03:14 PM
Steelblood

Long ago, the great dwarven clans were engaged in a fierce war. The gods each favored one clan over the others according to the number of their followers, and many used the war for petty intrigues among themselves.
Desiring a quick victory, each god besought the god of the forge to craft weapons that would win the war for their preferred clan. But the forge god was displeased with the request. He saw the other gods treating their followers as pawns, and resolved that this should not be so.
He consented to make weapons for each clan, and each weapon was as his child, imbued with a spark of will. Armed with these new weapons, the clans gathered to engage in their bloodiest battle yet.
The fighting raged on. However, with each passing day, the bloodshed lessened. The mightiest of warriors found that they were having trouble even swinging their weapons. Seeing this, the dwarves abandoned their war, deciding that if even their weapons refused to fight, it had gone on too long.
The gods, amazed by this, decided to grant the weapons the gift of bodies so that they could lift themselves up and live independently of the wills of their wielders. Thus began the race of steelblood.

Appearance: A steelblood's body has a humanoid shape, but retains features of the weapons from which they originated. A shortsword steelblood will be short and gnomelike, while a greatsword will be huge and broad. A steelblood typically has metallic skin that resembles steel or brass. Other materials are possible, but rare; some members of steelblood society use polishes to make their skin appear different colors, especially nobility, who favor light tones and bluish hues. Their features are highly angular, with long pointed or hooked noses, finlike ears, and pointed chins. Their eyes somewhat resemble large pearls embedded in their face. Their hair has the approximate texture and flexibility of metal wire.

Age: A steelblood ages as well-maintained metal, having a useful adulthood of 30 years before decay begins, and can live to a maximum age of 150 years.

Size: Your size is Medium.

Ability score increase: +2 Con

Soulblade. Every steelblood has a masterwork item called a soulblade. This item typically takes the form of a weapon or farm implement. You are always proficient in the use of your soulblade as a weapon.
The soulblade is the steelblood's true self. Any attack against the soulblade is resolved as an attack on you. When held or carried by you, the soulblade has no weight.
A soulblade can be recast into a new form, but doing so requires a specialized procedure to avoid causing damage to you in the process. While reforging, the soulblade can be combined with a different weapon of the type it is being made into. This causes the soulblade to take on any magical properties of the weapon. If it is combined again with another weapon, its previous properties are lost.
Indivisible Being. A soulblade wants to be in your hands. If you are separated from your soulblade, you can spend your movement to bring it closer to you. It moves 10 feet for every 5 feet of movement you spend, provoking opportunity attacks. If it is within 5 feet of you, spending 5 feet of movement will cause it to jump to your hand instantly. If it is being held by a hostile creature, you must roll to escape a grapple, with advantage. If it is unattended and you choose not to move it, it is pulled toward you at a rate of 5 feet per turn. It can navigate around obstacles, but if you can't see it, it is effectively blinded.

Languages. You know Common and Dwarven.

Subrace. Pick one of the two subraces below.

Swords Steelblood
Steelbloods were born of a long war, forged as weapons. Some, when their culture found peace, reforged themselves, but Swords steelbloods take pride in their roots. Swords typically make up Steelblood nobility and royalty. A Sword's soulblade usually takes the shape of any martial weapon.

Swords Steelblood Traits:
Ability score increase. +1 Str
Two As One. Changes made to the soulblade are incorporated into the steelblood's self. If magic or treatment with any substance would allow the soulblade to deal fire, cold, lightning, thunder, acid, poison, necrotic, or radiant damage, you gain resistance to that type of damage. This resistance only applies to one damage type at a time, chosen when the weapon gains that property.
Poisoned Steel. When you successfully save against an effect that deals poison damage or inflicts the poisoned condition, you can secrete the poison out to apply it to a single attack made with your soulblade, dealing 1d6 additional poison damage. The poison is applied at the time of the attack. This attack must be made before you complete a long rest, and you cannot have more than one "dose" stored in this way.

Plowshares Steelblood
Some steelbloods, when settling down after the war for which they were forged, found they needed to change themselves for times of peace. They reforged their soulblades and used them to make a new life. A Plowshares steelblood's soulblade usually takes the form of a farm implement, which is equivalent to a simple weapon.

Plowshares Steelblood Traits:
Ability score increase. +1 Wis
Natural Farmer. You have advantage on all saves to resist exhaustion.
Strike the Earth. By touching any natural earth with her soulblade, a Plowshares steelblood can establish a connection. You know the Mold Earth cantrip, and can cast it as an action.

Ezekiel Moon
2016-05-16, 03:15 PM
Lorelei

There was once a human musician of legendary skill. She was besought by every nation on the continent to play for their royal courts.
One day, she received a message from a faerie court, asking her to perform for their queen. Others warned her about this, that faeries are hard to impress, and failure to please the queen could invite catastrophe.
Despite the warnings, she accepted the invitation.
All was quiet in the faerie court as she readied her instrument. They were astounded as she began to play with a passion and skill even their finest could not match.
The queen was enraptured, and felt this music must be a sacred thing. She decided to visit the musician at night. However, certain members of her court were displeased that the queen would show favor to a human. Distrustful and envious, they sent an assassin to strike down the musician.
The queen arrived to find the human already dead, her body ripped apart by the assassin's blade. Shocked and outraged, she cradled the body to her, and began to sing.
She sang without words, the song that the human had played. With her faerie magic, she bound together the song, the memory of the passion with which it was performed, what lingered of the human's soul, her own fey blood, and the physical form of the instrument still clutched in one of the woman's hands. Through this act, the musician was reborn as a new type of being.

Medium Fey

Appearance: The basic form of a lorelei is very much like a normal human, with softer, more rounded features. However, lorelei also have physical features based on musical instruments. This may take many forms; for instance, a lorelei may have a violin's neck or oboe's mouthpiece protruding from her back behind her own neck, or may have metallic cups near her wrists or ankles that resemble bells or trumpets. Woodwinds tend to be darker-skinned and slimmer, while percussions tend to be stouter; violins and brass both exhibit a wider range of body types.

Age: Lorelei are extremely long-lived. They typically mature at about half the rate of humans, and can live up to 500 years.

Ability score increase: +1 Cha/+1 Dex

Soulsong: A lorelei can use her action to begin playing an otherworldly song, which lasts for one minute.
A lorelei knows one cantrip from the bard spell list. Charisma is her spellcasting ability for this cantrip. She can cast it only while performing soulsong, as a bonus action.
It isn't possible to play quietly; soulsong is clearly audible at a distance of 60 feet, and is not affected by barriers. The song ends if the lorelei is silenced. She does not need to use actions to maintain the song, but if she is unable to take an action, the song ends. She can end the song voluntarily, but if she does, she cannot resume until she completes a short or long rest. A lorelei bard can use this song for her spellcasting focus.
Fey Ancestry. A lorelei has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put her to sleep.

Langauges. You know Common and Sylvan.

Subraces. Choose one of the following four subraces.

Strings subrace
Lorelei with strings are naturally quick. When the faeries gather and dance, there is almost always a Strings lorelei about.

Strings Lorelei Traits:
Ability score increase: +1 Dex
Waltz: While performing soulsong, a Strings lorelei can use a bonus action to move up to 10 feet. Any attack of opportunity provoked by this movement has disadvantage.

Percussion subrace
Percussions are hardy, and tend to have a stouter build than other lorelei.

Percussion Lorelei Traits:
Ability score increase: +1 Con
Invigorating Drums: While performing soulsong, a Percussion lorelei can use a bonus action to gain temporary hitpoints equal to her character level plus her Constitution modifier. She cannot do so again until she begins a new soulsong.

Woodwind subrace
Woodwinds have a tendency to be darker-skinned and have slimmer builds than other lorelei.

Woodwind Lorelei Traits:
Ability score increase: +1 Wis
Musical Sense: While performing soulsong, a Woodwind lorelei may use a bonus action to gain blindsight at a distance of 30 feet for one round. This ability will not function if the Woodwind is deafened, and cannot detect creatures or objects with resistance to thundering damage.

Brass subrace
Brass lorelei are usually bolder than other kinds. They work well in groups, and are often desired as leaders.

Brass Lorelei Traits:
Ability Score Increase: +1 Cha
Battle Trumpet: While performing soulsong, a Brass lorelei may use the Help action in combat as a bonus action. To do so, a creature being helped or hindered must be able to hear her.

Ezekiel Moon
2016-05-16, 03:18 PM
Genius Loci

Mortals sometimes forget what the world around them means. Where someone makes their home or their livelihood, where they conduct their worship, where fond memories are formed, and other locations can become very important to people.
This sense of importance, a sort of loyalty to a location, is very similar in nature to the faith that powers divine magic. So, it stands to reason that if a location becomes important enough to the mortals nearby, it can develop a mind of its own, and even a little bit of a god.
The process happens in stages. First, the location gains a kind of sentience, able to feel people walking around in it. Soon it becomes aware of the position of every creature and object within. It eventually develops feelings about those creatures. With more time, when the place decides that it needs to make its feelings known, a humanoid avatar gradually develops, coalescing from planar energy much as elementals and outsiders do.
This avatar, once created, retains a certain link to the location, as a representation of its will, but is distinct. It does not share a perfect awareness of the location's condition and contents, although damage to the location is reflected as visible scarring to the avatar. The avatar has a complete sapience that the location itself lacks. The term "genius locus" can be used to describe the avatar and the location collectively, or the avatar by itself.

Appearance. Genius loci typically resemble the locations from which they are derived. A genius locus is best described as a building or piece of landscape sculpted into humanoid form, having flesh that looks like brick and mortar, wood, or loamy soil. They are often broadly built.
Names. A genius locus will usually answer to the name assigned to its location of origin, such as "Church of Pelor", "Main Street", "Mount Speartop", or "Tanglefork Woods". Often, it will shorten this name to "Church", "Street", "Mount", or "Woods".
Age. A genius locus lives as long as the area in which it was born. If the location is destroyed, the avatar will die. Civilization genius loci are effectively immortal if properly cared for, but if completely and permanently abandoned, one can only live up to 25 years before lack of maintenance causes its structure to fail. Wilderness genius loci tend to die when their environment changes, which can take hundreds of years. If the avatar of a genius locus is killed, its home location will quickly fall into abandonment and disrepair; disasters may occur, or people may simply lose the ability to care.
Size. Your size as a creature is Medium. The location from which you are spawned can be of any size.
Ability Score Increase. You have +2 Constitution.
Lay of the Land. You can always discern which direction is north.

Languages. You know Common and one other language of your choice.

Subraces. Choose one of the following subraces.

Civilization subrace
A Civilization genius locus is the embodiment of a civilized area, anything from a small building to a large city. These are the more common type of genius loci in most settings. Vehicles can also become genius loci of this type, but this is less common.
Ability Score Increase. You have +1 Intelligence.
Treasure Chest. You have double the normal carrying capacity, up to 30 times your Strength score in pounds; you are encumbered when the amount of weight you are carrying is 10 times your Strength score, and heavily encumbered when the weight you are carrying is 20 times your Strength score. Any attempt to steal anything you are carrying that isn't held or worn openly is made with disadvantage.
Proficiency. You have proficiency with Intelligence (History) checks.
Innate Spellcasting. You can cast Mending at will. At third level, you can cast Knock once. At fifth level, you can cast Leomund's Tiny Hut once. You regain these spells when you complete a long rest.

Wilderness subrace
A Wilderness genius locus is the embodiment of a natural area. These are often mistaken for elementals or fey, because their bodies usually have the appearance of earth, water, and plants. Many of this type arise from battlefields, and seek to carry out the dying wishes of soldiers. Others may spawn from misty forests where children are lost, or a mountain worshiped as a holy site.
Ability Score Increase. You have +1 Wisdom.
Renewable Resources. When you spend hit dice to regain hit points during a short rest, you regain 1 additional hit point for each die spent.
Proficiency. You have proficiency with Intelligence (Nature) checks.
Innate Spellcasting. You can cast Druidcraft at will. At third level, you can cast Locate Animals or Plants once. At fifth level, you can cast Speak With Plants once. You regain these spells when you complete a long rest.

Ezekiel Moon
2016-05-16, 03:21 PM
This post is reserved for the Vault Gargoyle race.

Ezekiel Moon
2016-05-16, 03:23 PM
This post is reserved for the half-golem class.

PotatoGolem
2016-05-16, 11:05 PM
Cool idea, but extremely op in places and not suited to 5e in places. Things that stand out:

OP:
*+1 ac and attack? This is ludicrously strong in bounded accuracy
* great weapon master for free? This is one of the best combat feats in the game. Any 2hander would have to take this race. This is essentially the benefit of vuman (one of the best races), plus all the other strong racial traits
*infinite poison if you make your save. This is so over the top it's ridiculous

Not suited to 5e:
*fiddly +1s to resistance and other little bonuses. 5e did away with all this and replaced it with advantage, disadvantage, resistance

Final Hyena
2016-05-17, 08:43 AM
In a similar vein to Mr Potato it is far too strong (compared to standard races).
This race is focussed on a sword that does lots of things (it count as an unarmed strike! imagine a level 1 monk with a 2d6 unarmed!). Maybe you could make the race and a follow up class for them based around their soulblade?

Ezekiel Moon
2016-05-17, 07:54 PM
Cool idea, but extremely op in places and not suited to 5e in places. Things that stand out:

OP:
*+1 ac and attack? This is ludicrously strong in bounded accuracy

Okay, no issue with removing that.


* great weapon master for free? This is one of the best combat feats in the game. Any 2hander would have to take this race. This is essentially the benefit of vuman (one of the best races), plus all the other strong racial traits

Do you have a suggestion for an alternative? Given that the concept is that you are literally your weapon, I want to keep something for the two-hand option. Based on the sum of things so far, I may just replace Two as One entirely with something simpler.


*infinite poison if you make your save. This is so over the top it's ridiculous

Infinite poison? I'm not sure what that means but chances are it's not even remotely what I meant. You get poisoned, you shrug it off, you get to apply poison to one of your weapons (using the poison that would have been used against you). It's not "infinite", it's a one-time thing for one weapon only (if you were taking advantage of two-weapon fighting, for instance).

EDIT: Okay, I've opted to tone this way down by changing it to allow the soulblade to apply the poison on one attack made within the next minute. I might also swap this with the Swords subrace's "Indivisible Being" trait.


Not suited to 5e:
*fiddly +1s to resistance and other little bonuses. 5e did away with all this and replaced it with advantage, disadvantage, resistance

You mean poison, exhaustion, and disarm? I thought the 5e resistance rule only applied to damage.

I can just straight up remove the disarm resistance—being able to call your weapon is good enough for that. I actually thought advantage would be too powerful for the poison resistance. I could potentially drop that +1 altogether as well. Or maybe allow a bonus action on your turn to make an extra save? Exhaustion I'll give advantage to.

What other little bonuses?


In a similar vein to Mr Potato it is far too strong (compared to standard races).
This race is focussed on a sword that does lots of things (it count as an unarmed strike! imagine a level 1 monk with a 2d6 unarmed!). Maybe you could make the race and a follow up class for them based around their soulblade?

That's an idea, though I'm even less certain about my ability to build a class in 5e than a race. A few things, like the energy resistance, could be spun off into that. I could use fighting styles like the other martial classes and drop the feats from the race. I even had an idea for a feature similar to Defender weapons that I couldn't include because there wasn't a way to make it not ludicrously overpowered for a racial trait. But are racial paragon classes something that's established/that people are asking for in 5e? I know the idea from previous editions was something that interested me, but I've never taken the time to explore.

EDIT: I was going to say something about how the unarmed strike thing was specifically so that this race could still be a monk and it's not like it's that much more powerful than monk weapons... when I realized that this argument relies on monk weapons existing, so if you want to be a monk, you can just make your soulblade a quarterstaff and problem solved. Removed the unarmed strike clause.

Ezekiel Moon
2016-06-07, 01:07 AM
Update: I have now posted the Lorelei race for your perusal.

Final Hyena
2016-06-07, 08:26 AM
Steelblood
+4 stats
1 Feat
Poisoned re roll
2 skills
advantage against exhaustion
A limited move earth.
(ignoring sword as it's a weakness but can be called)
This is still too much. I would drop the feat, change the poisoned steel to "use reaction to gain advantage against a poison save." I would also change Strike the earth to give mold earth for simplicity.

Lorelei
+2 stats
Fey
Soul Song (action to know 12 bard cantrips ~ bonus to use)

String
+2 stats
Waltz (10 ffet & aoo ~ dis)
bonus ~ level + con temp

Woodwind
+2 stats
bonus ~ 30 blind
bonus ~ help
I would remove Invigorating drums, because it's mental. I would remove either musical sense or Battle Trumpet.
Soul song is crazy because it gives you 12 cantrips! If you want to keep it I would get rid of at least 1 maybe both of the ability score increases from the base race.
Also you should make it clear with the trait that says "pick one of the sub races below."

Ezekiel Moon
2016-06-07, 12:25 PM
Steelblood
+4 stats
1 Feat
Poisoned re roll
2 skills
advantage against exhaustion
A limited move earth.
(ignoring sword as it's a weakness but can be called)
This is still too much. I would drop the feat, change the poisoned steel to "use reaction to gain advantage against a poison save." I would also change Strike the earth to give mold earth for simplicity.

Lorelei
+2 stats
Fey
Soul Song (action to know 12 bard cantrips ~ bonus to use)

String
+2 stats
Waltz (10 ffet & aoo ~ dis)
bonus ~ level + con temp

Woodwind
+2 stats
bonus ~ 30 blind
bonus ~ help
I would remove Invigorating drums, because it's mental. I would remove either musical sense or Battle Trumpet.
Soul song is crazy because it gives you 12 cantrips! If you want to keep it I would get rid of at least 1 maybe both of the ability score increases from the base race.
Also you should make it clear with the trait that says "pick one of the sub races below."

I'm not sure what you mean.

1. I have clearly delineated the distinct subraces with their own headings. You seem to have missed that Steelblood has two subraces—Two As One and Poisoned Steel were the abilities of one subrace, Natural Farmer and Strike The Earth were the other—and that Lorelei has four, you folded Percussion into Strings and Brass into Woodwind.

2. With that in mind, you have an extremely inaccurate impression of both the overall power of the Steelblood and the role that Poisoned Steel plays.

3. Soulsong specifically says "one bard cantrip, chosen at first level". You make the choice once, and can't change it. I believe the wording is fairly standard. I'm not sure how you extracted "you know twelve cantrips" from that.

4. I'm not removing any of those subrace powers, because again, the fact that you didn't pay attention to the subrace headings means that you have a completely inaccurate impression of what they can actually do.

With all that said,

1. Two As One is basically a placeholder—I'm still looking for something to replace it.

2. I'm fine with editing Strike the Earth for simplicity, but I need to retain some sense of balance—just giving Move Earth as-is with no limits seems completely OP, it's a sixth-level spell. At the very least, I need to keep the reduced range.

3. I do want specific feedback on Musical Sense—Blindsight on a player race is as-yet unprecedented so I need some opinions on its approximate power.

4. I've gone ahead and edited the formatting/added text to help clarify exactly how many subraces there are and where each one begins.

Final Hyena
2016-06-07, 01:34 PM
It is a lot easier to read than previously.

Swords Steelblood isn't great, depending on how specific poisons work.
(I don't look into the MM very much so could be wildly mistaken)
I thought most poison damage is a single save for half damage and that's it.
Meaning you are no longer under any conditions and have nothing to save against on your turn when you have the bonus action to spend, which is why I suggested to make it a reaction.
Now there are likely some poisons that linger, but the feature will miss many of them.

A further issue is that swords get +1 dex and +1 strength which is less useful for most classes.
If the base race got +1 con, the Swords get +2 strength and the plow get +1 wis & dex that might help.

On the whole the Lorelei are a lil weak, maybe another +1 stat

Ezekiel Moon
2016-06-07, 11:15 PM
I haven't been through the MM yet, but "poisoned" is in fact a condition in 5e. By itself, it's... actually more a hindrance than a threat, albeit a serious hindrance, disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks. However, the DMG and the PHB do both describe some sources of unique poison, like a poison that knocks you unconscious if you roll low enough on your save, one that paralyzes you, one that causes damage at the start of each round... there are also several class features in the PHB that cure poisons.

I could buff it, but I don't want it to be the only Sword feature. I just haven't come up with another good one yet.

As a side note, I actually just found Mold Earth, and that was a good suggestion, because it fits the concept better than Move Earth and I don't have to require a long rest for it.

Final Hyena
2016-06-08, 09:09 AM
Looking through the MM I found
Continual
37 (par)
40 (par)
43 (unc)
57
60
63
64
65 (inc)
70
71
77
131
148
164
172 (par)
232 (inc)
288 (-5 par)
290


Single Save
73
76
93
94 x2
95
128 ( -5 unc) x2
135
138
163
170
188
197
234 x2
254
255
283
303
313
323
327 x2
328
329
330
334 x2
337 x2
338
343
18 cases where a poison save lingers and 33 where you get one save, but 6 of those lingering saves give conditions that prevent you from taking actions, leaving you with 12 against 39. 12/51 or 23.5% of the poison affects.

Ezekiel Moon
2016-06-09, 10:58 PM
I'd also like to raise the question of how many of the creatures on that list are poison-immune themselves. Being able to apply the poison on your own attack doesn't do much good if the enemy is immune to poison.

Given that, I think it might be a good idea to change it so that you can apply the poison to any single attack made with your soulblade until you complete a long rest, if that wouldn't be too powerful.

Also finally had an idea for the missing trait. Tell me what you think of the new Two As One.

Final Hyena
2016-06-10, 09:20 AM
I would bet that almost all of them had resistance or immunity.
So giving it a duration until you need to use it makes sense.


if she saves with advantage against a different poison, she loses the previous one, regardless of the result of the save.
I would change this to;
if she saves while using her poisoned steel racial trait against a different poison, she loses the previous one, regardless of the result of the save.

It's a minor thing that'll likely not come up, but someone might get screwed by it.

Two As One
this has two side affects a wizard can get a shield or +2 ac, but given how bad the race is for them then so be it, a dwarf is no better. Then again medium armour can be replaced with mage armour which would stack with a shield. It might be too much... Not sure. It would be safer and easier to simply say that while holding your soulblade you get +1 ac.
The other is just a flat +1 ac, which is a strong trait, but the sub/race as a whole isn't OP so why not.

Ezekiel Moon
2016-06-10, 01:31 PM
I feel like the AC is the only reason you'd ever even begin to consider taking Swords for a wizard. Good to have options, you know? Also I'm pretty sure a wizard doesn't want to sword-and-shield under any circumstances. I could go back to my previous draft of this ability, where you're only proficient with the chosen equipment as long as you have your soulblade in hand.

Final Hyena
2016-06-10, 01:52 PM
You would need warcasting, but would combo great with bladesinging, assuming your DM allows it. I've found few who care about race ~ class restrictions.

This be Richard
2016-06-27, 02:54 PM
Soulblade: Every steelblood has a masterwork item called a soulblade. This item typically takes the form of a weapon or farm implement. The steelblood is always proficient in the use of her soulblade as a weapon.
Presumably farm implement soulblades are basically just reskinned weapons? I think it bears keeping in mind that, if people get to choose the form of their soulblade and there are no outside advantages or disadvantages to the selection, people are almost certainly going to go with the best weapons possible. Simple weapon analogues to farm implements aren't going to get picked over martial weapons by anyone who's looking to do a remotely optimized build.
That's not necessarily a problem, but it's something to remember.


The soulblade is the steelblood's true self, and shares its hit points with the steelblood. If the soulblade is ever broken, the steelblood dies, and vice-versa. A soulblade can be recast into a new form, but doing so requires a specialized procedure to avoid causing damage to the steelblood in the process.
What happens if a soulblade is disarmed? Can someone attack the soulblade to do damage to the steelblood? Does the soulblade count as prone?


Changes made to the soulblade are incorporated into the steelblood's self. If the soulblade is capable of dealing energy damage, the steelblood gains resistance against that type of energy.
How does a soulblade become capable of dealing energy damage? Can you just choose to have a soulblade that deals damage of a different type than what's listed on the weapons chart?
And what constitutes "energy damage," exactly?

While the PHB's bladelock isn't perfect, one of the things it did extremely well was giving you a special linked weapon while neither screwing you out of upgrades if your game offers them nor making the actual weapon OP if those upgrades aren't forthcoming for others. I'm wondering if you couldn't borrow from that. Maybe give the soulblade the capacity to absorb the properties of another weapon when it's reforged into a weapon of the same type or something? Have existing weapons forged /into/ them, granting the soulblade that weapon's qualities, but the existing weapon can also be removed and replaced by reforging the soulblade?

However you do it, I like the idea of giving the steelblood resistance to the damage type it inflicts so long as it only includes reasonable damage types. I think you might need to spell out which types you're including, though.


Indivisible Being: A soulblade wants to be in the steelblood's hands. If a steelblood is separated from her soulblade, as long as it is within 100 feet, she may call it to her hand instantly. She may not use a move after doing so in the same turn. If it is being held by a hostile creature, she must roll to escape a grapple, with advantage. If it is unattended and she chooses not to call it, it is pulled toward her at a rate of 5 feet per turn.
Can you take the Dash action to move your speed after calling your soulblade to you? The idea of "a move" isn't as clear as it was in other editions, so you need to be careful with your language. With that said, while I like the flavor of the weapon using your movement because you're the same entity, you might still want to make this cost a bonus action (like the eldritch knight) or a standard action (like the bladelock) instead just for simplicity's sake.
Alternatively, maybe instead of having the weapon come to you instantly, you can divide your movement between your humanoid body and the soulblade? I dunno. It's a thought.


Two As One: A Swords steelblood chooses one of the following: One light weapon, one light armor, or shields. As long as she has her soulblade in hand, she is proficient with the chosen equipment. If she gains proficiency with this equipment from any other source, then as long as she wields her soulblade, the chosen equipment grants +1 AC. This AC does not stack with any magical AC enhancement on the same equipment, or with the Dual Wielder feat.
This is where my biggest objections lie. First of all, it's extremely fiddly to have proficiency in something just while you're holding something else... especially in the case of armor. Then... anything that offers a persistent boost to AC is phenomenally powerful in this game. Remember that magical equipment isn't a given. Also, know that having the AC bonus be incompatible with the dual wielder feat mostly just makes sure that no one will take the dual wielder feat: they've got this special relationship with a light weapon (negating one benefit of Dual Wielder) and they've already got the AC bonus (negating another benefit of Dual Wielder).
But probably the most important problem is that I don't understand the flavor of this. Why does your special link to your soulblade provide you with a special link to something else? Absent a very meaningful answer to that question, I'd argue that you're better off just providing one or more proficiencies and calling it a day.


Poisoned Steel: When a Swords steelblood is subjected to an effect that deals poison damage or inflicts the poisoned condition, she can use her reaction to gain advantage on her saving throw. If she makes this save, she can then secrete the poison out to apply it to a single attack made with her soulblade. This attack must be made before she completes a long rest, and she cannot have more than one "dose" stored in this way; if she uses this trait to gain advantage against a different poison, she loses the previous one, regardless of the result of the save.
I would look to the Absorb Elements spell for inspiration with this feature. For example: "Once per short rest, you may use your reaction to gain resistance to poison damage until the start of your next turn. Also, the first time you hit with a melee attack on your next turn after taking poison damage, the target takes an extra 1d6 poison damage."
Here's another suggestion that's probably even further from the spirit of what you want, but is definitely simpler and easier to implement: You have resistance to poison damage. Done. (Though, if you go this route, you'd probably want to nix the core race's ability to get resistance to an additional damage type.)


Natural Farmer: A Plowshares steelblood gains proficiency with animal handling and survival, and advantage on all checks to resist exhaustion.
I personally dislike the idea of a race giving more than one skill proficiency, but that didn't stop the half-elf, so my opinion only goes so far.


Strike the Earth: By touching any natural earth with her soulblade, a Plowshares steelblood can establish a connection. She knows the Mold Earth cantrip. Constitution is her spellcasting ability for this spell.
I'm not sure you actually need a spellcasting ability here?

Ezekiel Moon
2016-06-27, 08:21 PM
What happens if a soulblade is disarmed? Can someone attack the soulblade to do damage to the steelblood? Does the soulblade count as prone?

I had actually just expected that attacking the soulblade when separated from the steelblood would be the same difficulty as attacking an object of its size. However, in keeping with the idea that it is the character, it would make sense to treat it as a prone character (using your AC, minus armor and shield presumably).


How does a soulblade become capable of dealing energy damage? Can you just choose to have a soulblade that deals damage of a different type than what's listed on the weapons chart?
And what constitutes "energy damage," exactly?

Fire/electric/cold/etc. I wasn't aware "energy damage" wasn't a term in 5e. I could change that to "magic damage", although that would exclude nonmagical fire... and it means exactly what it says, "if" the weapon is capable—if the weapon is affected by Divine Favor or Elemental Weapon or another effect, or if it's enchanted or (I had intended) if you were to have another, possibly mundane way of causing it to deal special types of damage (coating it with animal fat and lighting it like a torch, for instance).


I would look to the Absorb Elements spell for inspiration with this feature. For example: "Once per short rest, you may use your reaction to gain resistance to poison damage until the start of your next turn. Also, the first time you hit with a melee attack on your next turn after taking poison damage, the target takes an extra 1d6 poison damage."
Here's another suggestion that's probably even further from the spirit of what you want, but is definitely simpler and easier to implement: You have resistance to poison damage. Done. (Though, if you go this route, you'd probably want to nix the core race's ability to get resistance to an additional damage type.)

You're right, that last one uses exactly the wrong part of the original feature for the concept. But now that you mention it, I could combine the two features.


I'm not sure you actually need a spellcasting ability here?

Okay, see, the thing I've learned from everything you've said is that if I assume I don't need to provide a rule for something, someone will have no idea what to do with it.

Ezekiel Moon
2016-06-28, 11:37 AM
I have now posted the Genius Loci race. It's missing something, though. Any suggestions?

This be Richard
2016-06-28, 12:12 PM
You know, I was thinking that more core features were necessary, but after re-checking the Genasi, I'm no longer convinced that's true. If Genasi can load all their features into subraces, so can you. The simplest thing to do would probably be to just slap History and Nature proficiencies on the Civilization and Wilderness subraces, respectively.

But here are some other thoughts...


Treasure Chest. You have 1.5x the normal carrying capacity for a creature of your size and strength. Any attempt to steal anything you are carrying that isn't held or worn openly is made with disadvantage.
Both to buff this somewhat and to make the math less cumbersome, I'd just double the amount that can be carried before levels of encumbrance set in. So Str x10 before you suffer a reduction in speed, and Str x20 before you suffer disadvantage on all physical rolls.

Also for Civilization, possibly drop one of the ability score increases and instead add Innate Spellcasting: Mending, Knock, and Leomund's Tiny Hut.

Maybe still give Civilization proficiency in History, depending on how big a feature you think Treasure Chest is.

For the Wilderness subrace, I'd consider dropping one of the ability score increases and Speaker for the Trees, trading them in for proficiency in Nature, resistance to poison, and Innate Spellcasting: Druidcraft, Locate Animals or Plants, and Speak with Plants.

Ezekiel Moon
2016-06-29, 12:21 AM
Those are all really good suggestions, thanks. I kind of loaded up on the ability scores because I'm paranoid about a race's ability scores dictating what class they can be, but in retrospect, that was pointless.

This be Richard
2016-06-29, 08:30 AM
What happens when you try to resurrect a steelblood whose soulblade was broken or a genius locus whose associated location is changed/destroyed?
Presumably Reincarnate wouldn't care about the restrictions on their lives because they'd be coming back as something without the same restriction. But what about Revivify, Raise Dead, and Resurrection? True Resurrection is supposed to be the final word on bringing people back, and it makes a lot of sense that it could repair a broken (or even vaporized), but could it restore trees to a logged forest or people to an abandoned town?

On a related note, can Mending repair a broken soulblade?

Absent any ruling on these questions, I'd say that Mending can physically repair a soulblade (though doing so does not restore life to the steelblood), and that the soulblade must be repaired before a steelblood can be brought back to life by Revivify, Raise Dead, or Resurrection (which would basically mean Revivify doesn't work under those circumstances, given Mending's casting time), while Reincarnate and True Resurrection ignore that restriction. But I don't know if that's what you have in mind, and I have very little idea of what I'd do about restoring genius loci.

Ezekiel Moon
2016-06-29, 12:29 PM
What you say is a valid interpretation, but personally I had been thinking that Resurrection would work—although, perhaps, needing to be cast on the soulblade—because the weapon being broken is the same as any other creature being killed. Yes, Mending would repair the soulblade, although, as you say, it doesn't do anything to restore the spark of life.

Genius loci are actually native outsiders, which, if I remember correctly and if the rules haven't changed since 3.5, means that they can't be brought back by anything short of a Wish. If that's not true in 5e, or maybe even if it is, I might offer instead that Revivify and Raise Dead work normally, but Resurrection and True Resurrection have a cumulative 5% failure chance for each week the genius locus has been dead. A Wish can restore a genius locus to life without fail, and its reality-altering properties would also restore any population lost due to the creature's death.