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I've been playing with some ideas for a class that is based around an AOE ability like the 3.5 dragonfire adept, but with different flavor due to wanting something a little different. I wound up not quite satisfied with how well I tied the flavor into it, but oh well.
Still unfinished, but I wouldn't mind feedback on the class abilities I've written so far:
Dreamshaper Class
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSZOsywvFbyA1DfbHfzY7nve1UGtSDP kSSqvR_HaL-F0Iltn1ROpIiIfySeKsJljej3Ep7If8D1phU2/pub
Here are the salient bits:
Before they learned to see the morphic nature of reality, Dreamshapers first followed a particular dream into the Dimension of Dreams. This first path forever shapes your connection to that dimension, adding a cantrip to your spell repertoire and granting you a class feat.
Fantastical - You are shaped pleasant day dreams and fancies. You learn the Dancing Light cantrip and gain the Dazzle Effect dreamshaper feat.
Insightful - Whether prophetic or simply presenting a daylight problem in a new form that allows you to solve it, you were shaped by dreams of insight. You learn the Detect Magic cantrip and gain the Finding Effect dreamshaper feat.
Nightmare - Dreams of darkness, madness, or monsters from the furthest realms have shaped your connection. You learn the Daze cantrip and gain the Fear Effect dreamshaper feat.
You can impose the morphic nature of the Dimension of Dreams onto the material plane via unique spells called Figments. A Figment is a type of focus spell. It costs 1 Focus Point to cast a focus spell, and you start with a focus pool of 1 Focus Point. You refill your focus pool during your daily preparations, and you can regain 1 Focus Point by spending 10 minutes using the Refocus activity to daydream, attempt to read signs, or otherwise engage your dimensional connection.
You also gain access to a special figment called Dreamwarp. A Dreamwarp is a cantrip figment that does not require the use of a focus point to cast, and allows you to choose from several options each time you cast it to create just the effect you need, including the choice to spend a focus point to reduce the number of actions to cast. Learning new options for your dreamwarps is done via class feats.
At first level, you know the following options:
Area: Cone 15’, Line 30’
Damage: Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing
Effect: Empower, Hasten
You expand the area of your dreamwarp. At 3rd level, your base area options increase to 30’ cone and 60’ line. At 11th level, they increase again to 60’ cone and 120’ line.
You can achieve seemingly impossible feats with your dreamwarps. The dreamwarp damage die increases to 1d6 (1d8 when empowered) and you can now apply 2 damage options (spell deals 10d6 for each selected option) and 2 effect options to each dreamwarp you cast.
Dreamwarp Cantrip 1
{Uncommon} {Dreamshaper} {Cantrip} {Evocation} {Flourish}
Cast somatic, verbal
Saving Throw basic Reflex
You channel the morphic nature of the Dimension of Dreams to change reality itself before you. Choose from the options available to you to create an area effect. A dreamwarp must have one each of Area, Damage, and Effect options.
All Dreamshapers know the following options:
Area
Cone: 15’ Cone
Line: 30’ Line
Damage
Bludgeoning: 1d4 + your spellcasting modifier bludgeoning This damage is both physical and magical.
Piercing: 1d4 + your spellcasting modifier piercing This damage is both physical and magical.
Slashing: 1d4 + your spellcasting modifier slashing. This damage is both physical and magical.
Effect
Empower: Damage die is increased from 1d4 to 1d6
Hasten: Casting changes to Cast somatic; Cost 1 focus point
Heightened (+1) The damage increases by 1d4.
I still have to write all of the class feats, but it'll be some basic casting ones (reach spell, widen spell, steady spellcasting, overwhelming energy, and magical sense), along with about 10-15 dreamwarp options and as many focus spells as I can find that fit the theme, hopefully at least 4 powers each for the First Dreams.
Class feats added *collapses*
In all seriousness, it wasn't as intimidating to write up a full class as I assumed it would be. Granted, I was not trying for balance on this one, so I suppose the pressure was a little off of me, but as a practice run at homebrewing I'm heartened by the experience.
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I like it! Seems like fun flavor for a class and the options look interesting.
I'm concerned it does look like it could get samey. Since your non-dreamwarp cantrips are all significantly weaker, you'll very easily slip into casting dreamwarps round after round. Its nice that you get some variations by default, but I can imagine you'll have quite the incentive to find an appealing combo of damage, area and effect, and then just use that always.
I haven't looked at the math much, but it seems like you'd be punching under your weight class all the way up until 14th and 16th level, where Greater Hastening, Recurring Dream and Psychosomatic all start multiplying the damage you're putting out. The 30' cone of Xd4+2*X+Con that repeats for free next round for 3*X+Con sounds like a huge leap upward.
Definitely concerns I had as well.
I think in the next draft, I'm going to swap the figments and options, making figments individual feats (with some of them being innate spells, some focus spells) and options just a pool you select from as you learn cantrips. And then I'll move the options off class feats entirely and just let you pick from the pool, with each odd level adding more options. I'll likely leave the stronger ones as class feats, but maybe not too.
That's closer to how the PF1 Kineticist handled things, so it's probably more palatable than I initially judged.
As to damage, I probably do need to tune it. Dreamwarps are stronger than cantrips as long as 2-3 creatures are in the area, but weaker than spells, competing more against 2 strikes than spell slots. I envisioned a Dreamshaper as sort of frontliner; they'll have the HP to pull it off and the acrobatics ability to get into position. A "full round" would be a dreamwarp right to the enemy's face, followed by a Strike (at full attack bonus since dreamwarps are off the MAP).
I haven't looked at the math much, but it seems like you'd be punching under your weight class all the way up until 14th and 16th level, where Greater Hastening, Recurring Dream and Psychosomatic all start multiplying the damage you're putting out. The 30' cone of Xd4+2*X+Con that repeats for free next round for 3*X+Con sounds like a huge leap upward.
Not quite for free, as you do need to spend an action first, but yes. Also, I think Morphic Mastery as written stacks with both Psychosomatic and Greater Hastening. At least, that's how I intended it, so add that damage in too.
New version up. I didn't rebalance the damage, but I did move almost all of the Dreamwarp options off class feats into their own pool, and added appropriate focus spells in their place.