Hybrid Class Ideas

[R.Shackleford]

So, there's some core class features that I don't like using. I love the rest of the class, sure, but some features are either not all that fun or they don't fit my ideology.

I don't like martial characters having short or long rest features recently, the Thug getting rid of rage is just the thing I needed for a Barbarian/Rogue ...

So, I'm thinking of other options for what I call non-math martials.

Barbarian/Monk

Hybrid Name: Cage Fighter/Prize Fighter

Basically an MMA fighter.

Class features to change

Unarmored Defense: 13 + Con. This allows the Cage Fighter to be Str or Dex without being mad.

HD: d10
Armor: None
Weapons: Specific list

Monk Class Features to keep
1: Martial Arts (All 3 points)
5: Extra Attack
7: Evasion
10: Purity of Body (change fluff)

Barbarian Class Features
2: Reckless Attack, Danger Sense
5: Extra Attack, Fast Movement
9: Brutal Critical

Subclass Options

Hell Heel: Arcane short rest caster that is based around Incineroar from Smash U.

Budokai Tenkaichi DBZ inspired abilities. Probably going to have options based on race, Krillen for human and Half Orc can be Saiyan based, maybe Elf for whatever the hell freeza's race is called. Idk yet but Krillen and Tien totally gonna be a thing. I'm gonna make this inspired by Goku, Kaio-ken is gonna be a thing.

Prize Fighter: Basic "cage fighter" sub class that improves on being a martial charcter.

3:
6:
10:

ASI
4
8

Potentially could remove the 6th level subclass feature and add in an ASI, the word "Fighter" is in the name of the hybrid class :p.

Spoiler: Son Goku ramblimgs

Show

Level 3: Kaio-Ken x1. Action (concentration). By expending a hit dice you may increase your power level. Red energy can be seen around you and sheds bright light up to 15' away and dim light 15' away for the first round, you then shed dim like 15' away until this feature ends.

While in this state your martial arts dice increases by one step. Your speed increases by 10'.

You can keep this form for up to 1 minute.


Ki blast

You create a beam of crackling energy that streaks toward a creature or object within range. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 force damage. This is a str or dex attack roll versus the target's AC (might change to Con attack).

This ability creates more than one beam when you reach higher levels: two beams at 5th level, three beams at 11th level, and four beams at 17th level. You can direct the beams at the same target or at different ones. Make seperate attack rolls for each beam.

Ka...me....ha...me...HAAAAAA: Starting at 6th level you, you totally learn the kamehameha. You may use a bonus action to concentrate your ki blast into one single beam before using your action to fire it toward a target. This ability is more potent than that of a normal ki blast. The damage is equal to the number of beams you normally have plus your constitution modifier.

Example: At 6th level you normally would have two beams. Using Kamehameha would allow you to deal 2d8 + Con mod damage.

Level 6 Kaio-Ken x4
You: Kaio...
Enemy: Wait... What are...
You: Ken.....
Enemy: No, no, no!
You: times...4!!!!
Enemy: Son of a ... You got to be kidding me!

Your Kaio-Ken becomes stronger, but your body isn't Reggie ready. Your martial arts die increases by 2 steps from your base form, your boost to speed is improved to +20', and you're always considered disengaging while under its effects

When you use this feature you expend 3 hit dice. If you don't have 3 hit dice, you take damage 15 necrotic damage and this feature only last for 3 rounds. When you use Kaio-ken you may select to use this version or the level 3 version.


Level 10: If you are under the effects of Kaio-Ken you may decide to put that energy into your ki blast or kamehameha. The Kaio-Ken ends when you use this concentrated attack. You fire one beam that deals damage equal to the number of beams you normally have +1. You deal additional damage equal to your martial arts die.

At 6th level this would be 3d12 + con mod damage, 4d12 + con mod at 11th, and 5d12 + con mod at 17th.


Side Note: I really want to make a DBZ inspired system.

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Other hybrid ideas so far...

Cleric/Monk: Half caster with spell points and monk abilities.

Druid/Rogue: Wildshape-less nature caster that isn't wearing heavy armor.

Druid/Warlock: The Witch. Short rest caster with invocations that give access to wildshaping, debuffing, and trap spells.

Fighter/Rogue: Give the option between power attack (sneak attack progression) or using extra attack. This way you could burst or spread out your damage. Would also be usable during a OA... Hmmm

Fighter/Bard: Skald

Bard/Warlock: Eldritch Herald

****

[Arkhios]

Druid/Rogue: Wildshape-less nature caster that isn't wearing heavy armor.

Food for thought: What would make it different from Ranger?


Don't get me wrong, I sincerely support the idea of mixing together parts from two different classes. I've made quite a few of them myself: Warlord (hybrid of Valor Bard and Battle Master), Rogue: Inquisitor (hybrid of Arcana Cleric and Rogue), Rogue: Thug (hybrid of Battle Master and Rogue), Barbarian: Rage Mage (hybrid of barbarian and sorcerer).

[R.Shackleford]

Food for thought: What would make it different from Ranger?


Don't get me wrong, I sincerely support the idea of mixing together parts from two different classes. I've made quite a few of them myself: Warlord (hybrid of Valor Bard and Battle Master), Rogue: Inquisitor (hybrid of Arcana Cleric and Rogue), Rogue: Thug (hybrid of Battle Master and Rogue), Barbarian: Rage Mage (hybrid of barbarian and sorcerer).

This is more of a caster. I would bump up it's spell regeneration and perhaps even give it Warlock casting. The ranger forces you to go weapon user, and that's an option, but this would be more of a spellcaster.

I'm not a fan of Wildshape, in it's current form, I prefer at-will wildshape of PHBII 3.5 and 4e. I like the idea that if I'm a weak human, im going to turn into a weak horse, so that each wildshape user is going to have some diversity and you can't just ignore ability scores.

One of my favorite NPCs in the game is the druid. Weirdly enough.

[Arkhios]

The way I see it, current wild shape is a blast from the past. Like everything else in 5th edition, even druids have been brought back to their roots, and redesigned from there with 5th edition in mind.

Not saying this as if you were wrong to dislike it, but I think it's worth considering nevertheless.

For being hybrid between druid and rogue, I'd say it would still need to be combat oriented. What you described, sounds more like a hybrid between druid and warlock, which isn't a bad idea at all.

Such a hybrid could be called a Witch, with strong reference to another thread elsewhere.

As for actual druid|rogue hybrid I might approach it from the previously mentioned ranger perspective. Currently, ranger is a "spontaneous" caster in the way that they must know all spells they can cast.
Change that to being a spell-preparing caster and you're already good way towards different feel of spellcasting.

Maybe you could implement an at-will wildshape^LIGHT into this concept, with a sneak attack -esque feature that works only while in said wildshape^LIGHT forms.

I'm AFB, but IIRC, PHBII 3.5 wild shape made you use your actual ability scores while in the animal form. That should be alright in 5th edition, to be honest. Although, I think the available forms should be limited to small and medium beasts because if you can use it at-will, it should be balanced against your natural form.

[R.Shackleford]

The way I see it, current wild shape is a blast from the past. Like everything else in 5th edition, even druids have been brought back to their roots, and redesigned from there with 5th edition in mind.

Not saying this as if you were wrong to dislike it, but I think it's worth considering nevertheless.

For being hybrid between druid and rogue, I'd say it would still need to be combat oriented. What you described, sounds more like a hybrid between druid and warlock, which isn't a bad idea at all.

Such a hybrid could be called a Witch, with strong reference to another thread elsewhere.

As for actual druid|rogue hybrid I might approach it from the previously mentioned ranger perspective. Currently, ranger is a "spontaneous" caster in the way that they must know all spells they can cast.
Change that to being a spell-preparing caster and you're already good way towards different feel of spellcasting.

Maybe you could implement an at-will wildshape^LIGHT into this concept, with a sneak attack -esque feature that works only while in said wildshape^LIGHT forms.

I'm AFB, but IIRC, PHBII 3.5 wild shape made you use your actual ability scores while in the animal form. That should be alright in 5th edition, to be honest. Although, I think the available forms should be limited to small and medium beasts because if you can use it at-will, it should be balanced against your natural form.

Ugh, I was writing a bunch of stuff down, went to a different page on my phone, and came back and this page refreshed... I lost so much and it me off.

Anyways...

I think the Druid/Rogue wouldn't be direct damage focused. It would be trap focused. Much like spike growth actually. A Drouid (ha) would have spells and abilities based around movement, trapping, and making an enemy make a choice between "this sucks" and "this also sucks".

PHB 2 Druids (3e/4e) were at will and you kept your stats. If I keep wildshape, probably a subclass, I would go this route. The magic should change your shape, not combine shapechanging and stat boosting. The utility is already amaaaazing.

As for the name... I don't really want to call it a witch. That would be Warlock/Druid that I might be cooking up. Short rest nature caster with invocations that give wildshape abilities along with other stuff.