We checked out 4 of the Twilight Accord subclasses final time round. Let’s climb again into these playtests and check out one other 4. As I stated final time round, I’m not these in launch order, I’m them in school order, since I gathered all of them into my very own PDF for my private reference. This time round we’ll be The Commander (Fighter), The Method of Serenity (Monk), Oath of the Beacon (Paladin), and the Delver (Ranger).
Disclaimer
As I discussed final time round, I’ve had the chance to have anybody check out these subclasses in any of my video games. I’m evaluating these primarily based on my time operating and enjoying D&D 5e to this point. It’s positively doable to overlook one thing that might come out on the desk or to underestimate one thing that ended up being a star potential within the session.
The Commander (Fighter)
If the Battlemaster is a grasp of ways, a few of which profit their allies, the Commander is the opposite aspect of the coin, a frontrunner whose management potential typically consists of ways that may profit those who they command.
- third Degree–Inspiring Presence, Instructions, Scholar of Struggle
- seventh Degree–Battle Captain
- tenth Degree–Elevated Presence
- fifteenth Degree–Commander’s Steering
Inspiring Presence offers you a variety of Inspiration Cube equal to your proficiency bonus that you just get again on a brief or lengthy relaxation. These work just like the Bard’s Inspiration Cube, and the outline notes which you can solely have one Inspiration Die at a time. I really feel like this deliberately means you may’t have an Inspiration Die from a Bard and a Commander on the identical time, however within the Bard description, each occasion of Inspiration Die is preceded by “Bardic,” so this may occasionally must be clarified. The Commander additionally will get their complement of cube again on a brief or lengthy relaxation from third degree, which the Bard has to attend for till they attain fifth degree. Which may be extra of a flaw with the Bard than with the Commander, however ought to a fighter be extra environment friendly at regaining makes use of earlier than a Bard is? It seems like no?
Instructions are a listing of particular talents which you can be taught, beginning with two, and gaining two extra at seventh, tenth, or fifteenth degree. Scholar of Struggle stipulates that as an alternative of studying instructions, you possibly can acquire proficiency in a ability as an alternative. Some instructions set off if you do one thing else and spend a use of your Inspiring Presence, some are triggered with a bonus motion, and a few give somebody with an Inspiration Die an extra means to make use of that die.
Battle Captain offers your allies a bonus to wreck equal to your Charisma bonus if they’re inside your Inspiring Presence vary. Elevated Presence widens your Inspiring Presence vary. Commander’s Steering means that you can take the Assist motion as a bonus motion, and you may add a kicker to your Assist motion that removes the Charmed or Frightened situation, provides short-term hit factors, or brings an ally at 0 hit factors to 1 hit level. The Commander is barely behind the Bard within the dimension of their Inspiration die up till seventh degree, and from then on, the Inspiration die stays the identical because the Bard’s at an analogous degree.
I’ve talked about previously that I’m a fan of Robert Schwalb’s third-party Warlord, however I additionally assume which you can argue that the Warlord archetype is dealt with simply as properly with a subclass that doesn’t require you to design a number of subclasses for various command kinds. I don’t really need this subclass to get higher Inspiration die restoration than the Bard, however a part of the problem with that’s subclass ranges. In the event that they don’t get that potential at third, they don’t get it till seventh, and I really feel like fifth is the newest that ought to kick in. I type of want Commander’s Steering had barely extra highly effective kickers, with a proficiency per day restrict, as an alternative of smaller limitless kickers, however I just like the Assist motion as a bonus motion characteristic. It most likely goes with out saying, however having so many talents that improve the remainder of the occasion positively reinforces the story of the subclass.
Method of Serenity (Monk)
This Monk subclass is all about discovering peace and concord, which I really feel is an underlying secondary story of loads of Monk subclasses, and to a lesser extent, the category itself. Alternatively, Monk themes are exhausting, as a result of they are often metaphysical, martial arts primarily based, or much more historically non secular in nature.
- third Degree–Yielding Movement Method
- sixth Degree–Serenity of Physique
- eleventh Degree–Serenity of Spirit
- seventeenth Degree–Serene Stillness Meditation
Yielding Movement Method allows you to deflect melee weapons the identical means you deflect ranged weapons. If you happen to scale back the injury to 0, as an alternative of throwing the weapon again at them, you’ve an opportunity to knock them inclined. This method additionally offers you a brand new Ki spend to disregard pressured motion, or to take the Dodge motion as a response.
Serenity of Physique means that you can use an motion to finish the Poisoned, Blinded, Deafened, or Paralyzed situations or you may take Wholeness of Physique from Method of the Open Hand. Serenity of Spirit means that you can spend Ki factors to successfully Counterspell, besides that that is famous as working towards “magical results,” and in addition find out how to adjudicate the impact “if” it’s a spell, which implies this potential could possibly be actually versatile, but additionally could run headlong into the truth that 5e isn’t fairly as strict in defining magical results as earlier editions. As a substitute of taking Serenity of Spirit, you may select to take Tranquility from the Method of the Open Hand.
Serene Stillness Meditation you may create a mixed magic Circle/Tiny Hut impact as long as you stay immobile, as soon as per lengthy relaxation, if you spend 3 ki factors. Along with the opposite results, you might be immune to wreck, have benefit on Int, Wis, and Cha saves, and get again 1 hit level per spherical.
I’m undecided this says “Serenity” to me, however with the entire stream approach, and letting detrimental results “stream” out of your physique, and having magic “crash like waves” in your Ki, and many others., I believe you possibly can give this subclass a robust story as relating the custom to water greater than Serenity. I’m not a fan of letting the subclass substitute two options from the Method of the Open Hand, as a result of up till seventeenth degree, you possibly can simply be enjoying a 66% Method of the Open Hand Monk. I additionally assume that this may occasionally want some technique to regain Ki factors between rests, even when it’s simply choosing up 1 right here or there underneath particular circumstances. I like these options, I believe they deserve to hold collectively in a package deal that doesn’t swap something out.
Oath of the Beacon (Paladin)
The title of this subclass is tied to the backstory of the setting, which is nice, however it additionally refers back to the paladin being a beacon to others, so I believe it additionally works if you wish to use it past the setting. You’re a mild within the Gloom, pushing again the darkness, inspiring others, unashamed to be your self, and being merciful within the discharge of your duties.
- third Degree–Oath Spells, Channel Divinity
- seventh Degree–Purifying Flames
- fifteenth Degree–Impressed Soul
- Twentieth Degree–Prismatic Aura
The subclass’ Oath spells all revolve round bolstering others, assuaging struggling, and discovering the misplaced, with one distinctive spell from the setting on the excessive finish. Your Channel Divinity choices can help you grant an ally Inspiration, or to name up the Fires of Inspiration to blind an evil opponent. It’s price noting that there are further makes use of for Inspiration within the setting, so the primary perform of this Channel Divinity is extra on model than it’d in any other case appear, as a result of that Inspiration may be spent to set off a capability primarily based on the Fires of Inspiration.
Purifying Flames allows you to select if you wish to do Radiant or Fireplace injury in case you smite a Fiend or Undead, and in addition forces them to make a save to see if they’re Frightened. If they’re Frightened, proceed to burn till they make a save on the finish of their flip to finish the situation, as much as the variety of rounds equal to the spell slot you used to smite within the first place. I actually like “when you’ve got a situation, this different factor is true” potential.
Impressed Soul offers you benefit on Knowledge and Charisma saves. It additionally allows you to use the perform of Channel Divinity that grants inspiration to grant an ally the identical potential for the subsequent minute if they’re in vary.
Prismatic Aura is the Paladin’s capstone “avatar” potential, on this case protecting you within the colours of the Flames of Creation, and inflicting enemies to make a melee assault towards you to take hearth injury. You’re immune to fireside and radiant injury and immune to chilly and necrotic. As you will have guessed, this recharges on a protracted relaxation.
Inspiring Invocation feels a bit of weak in case you aren’t utilizing the setting’s further guidelines for Inspiration, not less than till you should utilize the alternate potential to grant your allies benefit on saves. Every little thing else feels nice and on level for the theme. You might be actually a beacon with most of those talents. My one little word on the Twentieth-level potential is I want your aura might do your selection of fireplace or radiant injury, to hyperlink it extra carefully to Purifying Flames.
Delver (Ranger)
Delvers are rangers skilled in scouting and looking in misplaced, ruined, and forgotten locations. Successfully, they’re rangers specialised in dungeoneering.
- third degree–Crafty Explorer, Set-Up
- seventh Degree–Evasion
- eleventh Degree–Exploit
- fifteenth Degree–Uncanny Dodge
Crafty Explorer offers you proficiency in thieves’ instruments, and in addition offers you an Intelligence save, with proficiency, to note the entice on the final minute, even in case you don’t detect it. Set-Up offers you a brand new bonus motion that means that you can give your self benefit to assault at any time when you’ve cowl, otherwise you or your opponent are in tough terrain. At seventh degree you decide up Evasion, identical to the Rogue potential, and on the identical degree. At fifteenth degree, you get Uncanny Dodge, a full 10 ranges after Rogues get the power.
At eleventh degree, you get Exploit, which isn’t like an present class potential. You should use a bonus motion or a response to create a 15-foot dice affecting all of the creatures you select. In the event that they fail their save, you may decide two results from a listing together with falling inclined, gaining exhaustion, gaining a situation, or taking injury, however you may solely decide every choice as soon as. I’ve seen different results attempting to emulate a “entice grasp,” and this one might be some of the streamlined. As soon as you employ this, you need to take a brief relaxation earlier than you employ it once more.
I like the thought of the Ranger with the ability to “autopilot” their consciousness of a harmful space by retconning their potential to note a entice or to seek out advantageous terrain. Set-Up additionally performs into this situational consciousness in a harmful location story. Uncanny Dodge is a bit of disappointing as a 15the degree potential, even when it thematically is smart. If there may be anything I’d tweak, it will be giving the Delver the power to disarm traps utilizing an alternate ability or instrument proficiency, like possibly Survival, as an alternative of simply giving them proficiency in thieves’ instruments.
4 Extra Down
Time flies if you’re having enjoyable. Regardless of any tweaks I’d make to those subclasses, they’re loads of enjoyable to learn by way of and are doing a extremely stable job of reinforcing the story they current. I’m wanting ahead to our final 4 subclasses, in addition to extra materials from the Patreon.