Allomancer (Mistborn Series by Brandon Sanderson) Homebrew Class - PEACH

[Zyn]

Hi Guys,

The Allomancer (Mistborn Adaptation)


This is my first attempt at a Homebrew class for 5e. As per usual I probably bit off more than I could chew but I gave it a go.

Its semi-improvised in order to try and streamline the different sub classes, and the Rioter has a slight twist else I wasn't sure how to make it competitive without creating an entire list of new spells to go along with it.

Its brand new and hasn't been play tested, however I tried to roughly balance it. The main balance being every couple of turns actions/bonus actions have to be spent re-ingesting the metals, which theoretically would balance the damage out. The aim was to make a class which had a fairly large number of possible actions that could be taken each turn. Just a note, its fairly heavy on both DM and Player participation and tracking.

Anyway its a big read but I'd love to get you guys' feedback on it and who knows, maybe even find a game to play test it in!

Thanks,
Zyn

[Zyn]

Updated so that it's hopefully easier to read, and reads closer to the PHB style.

[bloodshed343]

This class is very, very complicated. It also requires a lot of DM fiat. This means that both the player and the DM need to be very familiar with the class. I'd give it an editing pass to simplify it.

[Toothless]

Agreed with above! This class could use some simplification. xD Not only would it make it easier on players and DMs to play it, but it would also make it a ton easier on you balancing it. xP

You've got a good start here though, awesome work! I'd recommend referencing the Druid class and work on the core first before doing archetypes. This is the best and the easiest way you can make this class.
- An Allomancer has a defined number of spell slots and levels, as every other class
- By consuming vials, the Allomancer gains additional spells he/she can cast, much like the different locations for Druids and their different spell slot levels.
- When a vial is consumed, the effects last for 1 minute, when it is then burned away.

You could then perhaps make different archetypes for different focuses or metals, which grant extra effects along with the additional spell slots. Just think, simple is better.

I'll come back with more specific corrections later such as errata and mechanics later. ^^

[Landis963]

The problem (well, problems, plural) with making a Mistborn a class is a) the genetics thing (which can be easily fudged with backstory providing both background and activation), b) the ties to the Mistborn series (esp. the use of Atium as an epic-level resource, which I will expound upon in the spoiler), and c) the physical baggage in general. I know most players gloss over physical components of spells (I'm guilty of this myself), but when recharging the abilities takes an action you can't exactly fake that.

Spoiler: The problems with using Atium

Show

It's the inert fragments of the body of a malevolent, deity-like force that is actively searching for ways to suborn those who consider themselves on the side of good, and by the end of the first trilogy is completely gone. There's too much story baggage. And that is without anyone getting their hands on it to burn it, which brings in all sorts of DM work and combat complexity.

In addition, it seems too complicated even after limiting players to 8 of the 16 base and alloyed metals (each of which bestows a separate SLA that cannot coexist with any of the others), and adding Atium on top of that only amps up the complexity. Rust and Ruin, man, you're giving them a line-of-sight based combat system at level 1!

[Zyn]

Thanks for everyone's advice, and yeah I do agree that it is over complicated but the issue I had when starting out, is that if I were to give an Allomancer the ability to do everything it would be way too overpowered, which is why I went down the route of having the basic class being utility/support based, and the subclass giving combat capability aka. melee dps, ranged dps or spellcaster.

So if I'm understanding what you're saying Toothless

You've got a good start here though, awesome work! I'd recommend referencing the Druid class and work on the core first before doing archetypes. This is the best and the easiest way you can make this class.
- An Allomancer has a defined number of spell slots and levels, as every other class
- By consuming vials, the Allomancer gains additional spells he/she can cast, much like the different locations for Druids and their different spell slot levels.
- When a vial is consumed, the effects last for 1 minute, when it is then burned away.

You would have a generic list of spells for the class, and then they pick a metal as a "domain" which then grants them an additional set of spells once the metal is consumed? Or Each individual metal is "Domain-like" granting them access to different spells dependent on which metal is consumed?

Using your method, is the metal consumed via the casting of the spell, or simply grants the ability to cast spells for the duration using standard spell slots?

The only feeling I have for the 1 minute duration, is the utility aspect of the class was intended to be small a balancing aspect of it. For example while the party was venturing through some caves the Allomancer might be burning for Tin for perception to keep the party safe. From here, say they have to avoid some falling rocks or get ambushed, the Allomancer doesn't instantly have the additional +dex/str from Pewterarm, or the ability to effectively fly from Coinshot. Although their damage is high, it could potentially take 2 turns to change to a combat aspect (If they don't have any of their metals consumed).

I'm not as experienced in creating classes as you guys, so I would welcome your take on it, but that was my thought process while having the longer duration's on the metals. So the metals could be pre-prepared before venturing into dangerous places, however if you don't encounter anything within the day (I suppose this mechanic would depend how keen your DM is on random encounters) then you've just wasted the gold for those metals.

To reply to Landis693
A) Sadly its always going to be an issue if you're porting alternative fantasy worlds into D&D. If your DM is generous though there are ways around it.
B) Atium Question

Spoiler

Show

I suppose again you would have to take this with a pinch of salt. As this isn't a Mistborn RPG and it's unlikely your DM is creating a Mistborn based world within the D&D universe. So its the DM's choice how loyal he wants to keep it to the series itself, and I suppose it is also up to you as a player if you could live with this or not. Having said that this is a rich deity-based fantasy system, where they do die. So it wouldn't be entirely far fetched for Atium to be present from deceased deities within your campaign. Or alternatively it could just be an incredibly rare metal present in the world. I'll be honest, when I created this class, although I wanted it fairly true to the books, it was obvious that there would have to be quite a few compromises made.

C) My intention when making this class was that it wasn't overtly a magic user. The spells that the class can cast are internal copies of the "Arcane/Divine" counterparts and thus don't actually need components. The traditional component cost is instead traded for that of the metal's to burn in order to cast the spells. If your question was instead about most people not enjoying tracking the components of spells and then glossing over vials, well sadly it's what this class kind of revolves around. If you weren't to track this vial charges the class would be incredibly overpowered.
The whole charge mechanic was put in to try and balance the class, although it makes it significantly harder to track, it also means that the player has to spend bonus/full actions restoring their metals which is the very essence of the class itself. In my head at least, this helps to balance the damage output of the class (Which I believe would tend towards the high side?)

[Amechra]

If I were to make a suggestion?

Make Mistlings a race, and write a Feat that boosts their Allomancy.

[Landis963]

If I were to make a suggestion?

Make Mistlings a race, and write a Feat that boosts their Allomancy.

Mistings are a subset of humans. Maybe they could get a minor penalty to WIS (It's a well-known phenomenon that Allomantic powers tend to foster feelings of invincibility).

[Amechra]

I haven't read Mistborn in a while - give me a bit of a break.

Penalties aren't 5e's thing, though - just go Dwarf-like, where the core race gives a +1 and the subraces give a +2.

[Mith]

I would treat the vials as ammunition. I think that would help with the idea of tracking vials, instead of treating them as spell components.

[Landis963]

I haven't read Mistborn in a while - give me a bit of a break.

Penalties aren't 5e's thing, though - just go Dwarf-like, where the core race gives a +1 and the subraces give a +2.

Humans are a bit more free-form, though - can't they grab a feat, like, immediately?

Maybe the secret to nerfing D&D Mistings and Mistborn is to force potential players to choose the Allomancy feat at level 1.

[Zyn]

I would treat the vials as ammunition. I think that would help with the idea of tracking vials, instead of treating them as spell components.

As in each spell/effect/melee attack consumes 1 vial?

[Amechra]

Maybe take a look at this? It's a clever way to handle resource tracking, if I've ever seen one.

[Mith]

As in each spell/effect/melee attack consumes 1 vial?

A quiver is likely a more accurate description.

I could see a class feature being that the Allomancer's body adapts to storing metals and stop losing charges throughout the day. They can consume metals at the beginning of the day, with each vial giving so many Power points (charges) to spend on each metal, and they can top it off as they see fit throughout the day. There should also be a class feature that allows Mistborn to burn more then one metal, but only have one dominate aspect, the rest passive (so one could burn Tin to increase passive Perception, while keeping Pewter as the dominant aspect) which both stays more true to the books and I think it doesn't break faith with the limit imposed by Concentration in 5e.

[Zyn]

I could see a class feature being that the Allomancer's body adapts to storing metals and stop losing charges throughout the day. They can consume metals at the beginning of the day, with each vial giving so many Power points (charges) to spend on each metal, and they can top it off as they see fit throughout the day.

Yeah this seems like it could definitely be a good addition, which would make it easier to track resources.

It isn't quite so true to the books, but what would you guys think about just a generic metal resource.
So when you consume a vial, it is a vial of all of the metals and you gain x charges, and from there each ability uses up a set number of charges, and each hour 1 charge is expended for each metal that you are burning.
With this resource each of the respective spells would have a per s/l rest limit as opposed to consuming charges every time period.

It isn't as true to the books but with just 1 resource would make it easier to track?

There should also be a class feature that allows Mistborn to burn more then one metal, but only have one dominate aspect, the rest passive (so one could burn Tin to increase passive Perception, while keeping Pewter as the dominant aspect) which both stays more true to the books and I think it doesn't break faith with the limit imposed by Concentration in 5e.

It might not have been clear, but I intended you to be able to burn as many metals as you wanted, however only 1 of the 4 aspects could be burnt at any given time. So you could burn bronze, copper and 1 of the aspects 100% of the time if you chose to. I just felt it relevant to restrict the aspects as each one grants unique bonuses however stacking them could potentially make them a little overpowered, at least in my head. (Stacking +dex mod with Pewterarm with Coinshot abilities for example.)

The reason I added tin to the aspect list; as opposed to just leaving it as a generic resource you can use whenever, is the initiative bonus (And with stealthed/invisible enemies the perception bonus too). Imagine you are a Pewterarm burning both tin and Pewter at level 11 with a baseline Dex of 16 (+3 mod). At this stage, all of your initiative rolls would have a +10 modifier without the alert feat.

I kind of intended tin to be used to keep the party safe during travelling and to essentially give the Allomancer a high chance of being the first to act in combat, but they do this knowing that (at a minimum) their bonus action would have to be spent changing their aspect. So they kind of sacrifice some options in order to act first.


I like all the Misting race/Allomancy feat things and I will definitely look into creating them. First I would quite like to get the class sorted out though. I have a DM allowing me to playtest a Pewterarm which is hopefully starting soon.

Amechra

Maybe take a look at this? It's a clever way to handle resource tracking, if I've ever seen one.

Definitely viable for in person games, not so viable for roll20 games.

As for the tracking sheet I included at the end of the class I imagined using little markers (like meeples or small movable tokens) which you could just slide up or down the dots on the page to track the resources.


Also how do you guys feel about the Movement ability the Coinshot class has, would you all prefer for it to be a generic class thing? I feel like it could be a little strong? But I suppose it is dependent on the environment you are in until later levels.

[sephorth]

Love it! Great class can't wait to try