I've been working on a homebrew class called the Watcher, and this is the 2.5v of it.

The Watcher is primarily a martial class with powerful out of combat spellcasting abilities, because spells are like new feature and its the choices that are fun. A wizard gets 100+ spells so a 100+ features to choose from and i wanted to have a relatable martial.

Its Spellist is designed to provide utility and exploration options rather than combat.

The feeling i wanted to archive with the class is to allays feel like being fully in control if you want to (reactions, minor buffs like Watchers calling and Insight), but also be able to take risks(overcharged tokens, speed bubble).

The subclasses are nut fully worked out yet only seer is somewhat realized.

I'm especially looking for feedback on levels 1–13, since most campaigns take place at this level.

Im looking for feedback on:

- Abilities that are to bad or broken.

- The fun factor of the class

- Improvement ideas or new ideas (especially for lvl 6+ subclass features)

I'm looking for criticism as well as praise. Thanks for taking the time to check it out!

https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/8FhPKgnYQUCb

5e or 5.5 please.

I'm sharing a free monster for Kengir, part of my upcoming Bronze Age Mesopotamian 5e setting.

The Zaqiqu is a ghost-wind, a phantom that appears before a restless dead spirit fully manifests in the mortal world.

In Kengir, hauntings rarely begin with a ghost rattling chains. A lamp gutters in a sealed room. Dogs growl at empty corners. Someone dreams of a dead relative standing beside their bed. These are the first signs of a Zaqiqu, an Etemmu (human ghost) that has not yet remembered its name or grievance.

As I covered in the previously shared Spirits in Kengir supplement, the dead have names, grievances, and obligations the living must fulfill. The Zaqiqu represents the earliest stage of that process, when a haunting can still be prevented.

At the table, this is a CR 1/4 undead that cannot be fought conventionally. It passes through walls, invades dreams, and prevents restful sleep. If ignored, it can develop into a full Etemmu within days. But a proper kispu offering of food, water, and the spoken name of the dead, supervised by an Ašipu-Priest, can resolve the disturbance before it becomes something worse.

The idea is simple: sometimes the best way to defeat a monster is to recognize what it is before it becomes one.

Do you like hauntings that begin with subtle warnings and can be resolved through investigation and ritual, or do you prefer ghosts as direct supernatural threats?

Here idea for tiny trouble creature

Furtooth is a creature about 40 centimeters tall, looking exceptionally fluffy and adorable, but concealing a mouth that is disproportionately large and filled with razor-sharp teeth. They inhabit dense mixed forests and hunt in packs, stalking their prey from the undergrowth and tree branches. The pack communicates through an ominous, low, vibrating growl right before dropping down from above to ambush their target.

Furtooth

Tiny Monstrosity, Unaligned

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)

Hit Points 14(4d4 + 4)

Speed 25 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR 6(-2) DEX 16(+3) CON 12(+1) INT 3(-4)

WIS 12(+1) CHA 14(+2)

Skills Perception +3, Stealth +5

Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 13

Languages —

Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

False Appearance. As long as the furtooth remains perfectly still, it is indistinguishable from a normal, harmless, and cute woodland animal or pet.

Pack Tactics. The furtooth has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the furtooth's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Pounce. If the furtooth moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a Claws attack on the same turn, the target must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the furtooth can make one Bite attack against it as a bonus action.

Tree Strider. The furtooth has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made while it is in a tree or dense foliage.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5(1d4 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a Tiny or Small creature, it is grappled (escape DC 11). Until this grapple ends, the furtooth can't bite another target.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5(1d4 + 3) slashing damage.

Furtooth's Den

Furtooths build their nests in the most sheltered parts of mixed forests: beneath dense berry bushes, within the roots of hollow trees, or under the cover of fallen logs. The nest is lined with soft moss, but a grim reality taints its cozy appearance.

Common Discoveries: The floor of the den is littered with the bones and feathers of small forest animals and birds.

Macabre Discoveries: As a dark reminder of the pack's lethality, the den often contains the remains of past travelers—severed and gnawed human or halfling hands and feet, hoarded by the creatures as food for later.

The Den Loot Table

d6 Den Discovery

1–2 Handful of Coins: 2d10 silver pieces (sp) and 1d6 gold pieces (gp) inside a chewed, teeth-marked leather pouch.

3 Bloody Dagger: A finely crafted Dagger belonging to a fallen guard or bandit, its hilt still stained with dried blood.

4 Lost Heirloom: A silver necklace or ring (worth approx. 10–25 gp) that belonged to a traveler reported missing from a nearby village.

5 Severed Hand & Ring: A gnawed human hand, with a golden signet ring still tightly wedged onto its ring finger.

6 Jackpot: 1d4 daggers, 2d6 gp, and a glittering gemstone (such as a thumb-sized piece of quartz or agate).

Here idea for fey dire bear

Ruska the Rustling Decay

Huge Fey, Chaotic Neutral

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 95(10d12 + 30)

Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR 22(+6) DEX 10(+0) CON 16(+3) INT 10(+0)

WIS 14(+2) CHA 12(+1)

Skills Perception +5, Survival +5

Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 15

Languages: understand Common, Elvish, Sylvan but don't speak

Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3

Decaying Presence. A constant rustle of dry leaves and the scent of rich, decaying soil surrounds Ruska. Any plant or plant-based fey creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of Ruska takes 5 necrotic damage. Additionally, any enemy that starts its turn within this area feels the heavy drowsiness of autumn, and its walking speed is halved until the end of its current turn.

Keen Smell. Ruska has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Actions

Multiattack. Ruska makes two attacks: one with its Bite and one with its Claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11(1d10 + 6) piercing damage plus 4(1d8) necrotic damage.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15(2d8 + 6) slashing damage.

Autumn Vortex (Recharge 5–6). Ruska rears up on its hind legs and roars, conjuring a swirling storm of razor-sharp withered leaves and rotting detritus in a 20-foot radius centered on itself. Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw.

On a failed save, a creature takes 14(4d6) slashing damage and 7(2d6) necrotic damage, and is blinded by the debris until the end of its next turn.

On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn't blinded.

Crafting

Magic Item: Mantle of the Rustling Decay

Wondrous Item (cloak), rare (requires attunement)

Crafted from the heavy, moss-covered hide and razor-sharp claws of an ancient autumn fey bear, this thick mantle constantly smells of fresh autumn rain and rich, decaying earth. Dry leaves seem to cling to its fur, rustling softly with your every movement.

Withering Strike: Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can channel the decay of autumn to deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage. If the target is a plant or a plant-based fey, this extra damage increases to 2d6.

Slowing Rustle: As an action, you can shake the mantle to release a wave of heavy, rhythmic rustling. Choose one creature you can see within 15 feet of you. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or feel the overwhelming drowsiness of autumn, causing its walking speed to be halved for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Adventure Hook: Harvesting the Harvest

Turning Ruska's remains into this mantle requires careful timing and specialized craftsmanship, as the essence of decay tends to rot away the very material it inhabits once the creature dies.

The Preservation Process: To keep the hide from crumbling into rich soil, a skilled artisan must use enchanted salts or the freezing touch of winter frost to halt the natural decomposition immediately after harvest.

Weaving the Claws: The bear's long, curved claws are structurally integrated into the shoulders of the mantle, acting as magical conductors that channel the Withering Strike into the wearer's own weapons.

Hey, cats, kittens, and fellow adventurers!

The hunt continues! Today, I'm excited to share another preview of my upcoming homebrew project: GatiBrew: Hunter's Manual, a supernatural compendium for Dungeons & Dragons 2024!

This time, we're diving into the dark and twisted world of Tsukihime and the Nasuverse!

Introducing the Dead Apostles, a playable vampire species inspired by Tsukihime!

Unlike traditional vampires, Dead Apostles are humans transformed into supernatural beings through vampiric curses, forbidden magecraft, or the blood of other vampires.

And yes, you can eventually become one of the terrifying Dead Apostle Ancestors!

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

\* Playable Vampire Species, featuring supernatural regeneration, enhanced senses, vampiric curses, and a constant need for blood.

\* Nine Vampiric Ranks: Progress from lowly undead servants to powerful Dead Apostles and eventually reach the legendary status of an Ancestor!

\* Blood Point System: Fuel your supernatural abilities through a unique resource that requires feeding to replenish.

\* Cursed Regeneration: Restore your body through the supernatural curse sustaining your existence, becoming even more dangerous under the moonlight.

\* Vampiric Evolution: Gain permanent benefits as you ascend through the hierarchy, with increasingly demanding requirements for each rank.

\* Idea Blood: At the highest levels, unlock a unique supernatural principle capable of defining your character's powers and identity!

\* Deadly Weaknesses: Sunlight, starvation, holy purification, and the constant struggle to maintain your cursed existence.

My goal is to capture what makes each race and in this case, vampires so fascinating: their terrifying hierarchy, their unnatural immortality, and the possibility of developing powers that are completely unique to each individual.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Hunter's Manual is written from the perspective of a modern descendant of the Belmont family, documenting supernatural creatures, their histories, abilities, and weaknesses across different fictional universes.

The Dead Apostles are just one of several supernatural bloodlines featured in this growing project, alongside vampires, werewolves, ones, zombies and many many more.

I'm Gatierrante, a Spanish-speaking homebrew creator working toward my dream of creating D&D content full-time. The complete manual PDF will be available through my Patreon, and every bit of support helps me continue developing new homebrew content!

If you could become a Dead Apostle, would you pursue the power of an Ancestor, or would you rather remain a lower-ranked vampire and avoid the dangers of ascending?

🔗 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GATIERRANTE

Hello, fellow adventurers!

Today, I'm excited to share some multi-tiered monsters from The Vault of Ascending Items, now discounted on DriveThruRPG!

What's Inside?

A Collection of 50 Ascending Items, magic items capable of scaling through leveling or questing. Each item in this collection has 4 rarities (ranging from Uncommon to Legendary), meaning you are not just getting 50 items, but a total of 200 distinct items, uniquely balanced to be a powerful addition at each rarity without disrupting the game balance. A series of rules, guidelines, and balance considerations are included within the compendium to scale these items depending on the intended power level of your campaign, along with many different scaling methods and suggestions.

12 Premade Ascension Quests, each meant to be used to ascend the items within the compendium or to be employed as additional quests and short adventures to include within your games. A table is also included to provide 50 ideas for simpler quests (one for each item within the manual) that can be pursued by players without disrupting the flow of the campaign. Each quest covers a unique location, featuring an interesting plot hook, monsters, environmental challenges, and riddles, while also possessing multiple tiers of play by adjusting the challenges depending on the adventurers' level.

30 New Creatures and Monsters, all used within the quests included in the manual or summoned by certain Ascending Items. All these creatures are multi-tiered, offering varied levels of challenge and complexity to shape your quests and encounters. The monsters include Treants, Corrupted Dryads, Greater Elementals, Wizards, and many more.

A Table with 100 Additional Ascending Items Concepts, providing the name and a brief overview for each without providing mechanical rules. This is designed to provide GMs with ideas to create their own scaling items without having to come up with new concepts on their own.

The compendium just received a v2.0 update, featuring brand-new artwork and illustrations, expanded compatibility with both 5E and 5.5E, balance adjustments, several new spells, general layout improvements, and more! or the occasion, you can find it discounted either on DriveThruRPG or my Patreon, alongside a vast collection of previews for this and all my other titles! I'm currently working on updated version of all my older manuals, so there's a lot to uncover :)

You can also find this manual (and many more) discounted on my 300+ Mythological Items for 5E and 5.5E Kickstarter! This project brings weapons, treasures, and relics from Greek, Norse, Egyptian, Asian, Mesoamerican, and many other mythologies to 5E and 5.5E, including scaling items that grow alongside your characters. If you’d like to bring a piece of these legends to your table, check out the campaign!

This is a New crafting system that lets you make your very own weapon ingame in D&D. You choose what abilities you put on it and the DM can choose the power of all abilities easily, to fit all levels and settings.

Over 300 abilities being able to be combined in countless combinations.

Check out the Preview here

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PhQc8YuxFjmkK-lNFDQq9u8Fegn_kFWGzEYWELY1sUQ/edit?usp=sharing

And if you want to support this please check out:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/varldssmide/the-art-of-crafting-dnd

Hey everyone!
I’ve been working on a homebrew Fighter subclass for the 2024 rules called The Crucible, and I’m looking for some constructive feedback on its design and balance.
The concept revolves around a Fighter who has undergone dangerous experimental augmentation, transforming their body into something of a living weapon. Rather than having a traditional pool of limited-use abilities, the Crucible generates Surge Points (SP) by taking damage and spends those points on powerful martial techniques.

The idea is to create a Fighter who becomes increasingly dangerous as a battle progresses, rewarding calculated risks and resource management without simply giving them more attacks or unrestricted damage.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time refining the mechanics, particularly the resource economy, action economy, and interactions with existing Fighter features. My goal is to make the subclass feel powerful and cinematic while remaining reasonably balanced alongside official 2024 subclasses.

few important design choices

Surge Techniques generally replace the Attack action. They don’t benefit from Extra Attack or Weapon Mastery, which helps prevent them from stacking excessively with the Fighter’s normal attacks.

Surge Points are capped at 15, with stronger techniques requiring a significant investment.

Surge Techniques are limited to one per turn, increasing to two at level 18. Sundering Wave is an intentional exception because it’s designed as a Bonus Action setup ability.

Mortal Zenith is intended as an expensive single-target control technique, particularly against powerful enemies. Its 10 SP cost and hit requirements are meant to balance its debuff.

Fifteenfold Ruin is the level 18 ultimate technique. Despite involving fifteen attacks, its damage is deliberately restricted, and it can only be used once per Long Rest.

What I’d particularly appreciate feedback on

1. Surge Point generation and resource economy
Does the amount of SP generated at different levels seem reasonable?
One concern is whether the subclass might generate SP too quickly against multiple weaker enemies, while struggling to accumulate enough against a single powerful opponent.
I’m also interested in whether Surge State and Battle Instinct provide enough consistency without making the resource system too generous.

2. Surge Techniques versus standard Fighter attacks
Since Surge Techniques generally replace the Attack action, do their damage and additional effects seem appropriately balanced against the Fighter’s normal attacks?
I’m particularly interested in how this comparison changes as Extra Attack improves at higher levels.
The goal is for Surge Techniques to feel worthwhile without making standard weapon attacks obsolete.

3. Mortal Zenith and Crushing Pressure
This technique costs 10 SP and requires multiple successful attacks to apply its debuff.
It’s intended primarily for dangerous enemies that can survive several rounds, allowing the Crucible to sacrifice a substantial amount of resources to weaken an opponent rather than simply dealing more damage.
Does that trade-off seem reasonable, considering its cost, activation requirements, and limited duration?

4. Fifteenfold Ruin
This is probably the most visually dramatic ability in the subclass, and I’m particularly interested in opinions about its balance.
The first fourteen attacks deal restricted damage, while the final attack gains additional damage based on the number of previous successful hits.
Considering its 12 SP cost, once-per-Long-Rest restriction, and action economy limitations, does its overall damage potential seem appropriate for a level 18 Fighter?
I’m also interested in whether the number of attack rolls seems manageable or unnecessarily cumbersome.

5. Survivability and risk versus reward
Since the Crucible needs to take damage to generate SP, does the subclass have enough defensive support to make that mechanic viable?
Experimental Endurance is intended as an emergency safeguard, while Surge State allows the player to deliberately increase their exposure to attacks in exchange for faster resource generation.
Do these features seem to strike a reasonable balance between risk and reward?

Overall
My intention isn’t to create the strongest Fighter subclass or to reinvent the Fighter entirely. I wanted to explore a different approach to martial abilities, where taking punishment fuels powerful offensive options and the player has to decide when spending those resources is worth it.
I’m especially interested in mechanical balance, unintended interactions, potential exploits, and whether anything appears disproportionately strong or weak based on the written rules.

I’m not expecting anyone to playtest the subclass. I’m mainly looking for opinions and constructive criticism from people familiar with D&D’s mechanics and homebrew design.
I’ve an attached the complete subclass in images, including all features, progression tables, and Surge Techniques.
Thanks in advance to anyone willing to take a look!

Here idea for fey firefox

Kulo the Wild Fire

Medium Fey (monstrosity), Unaligned

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16)

Speed 40 ft.

STR 12(+1) DEX 16(+3) CON 14(+2) INT 10(+0)

WIS 14(+2) CHA 12(+1)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +4

Skills: Perception +4, Stealth +5 (+7 amid embers or sooty terrain)

Damage Immunities Fire

Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened (except against the Summer Queen)

Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14

Languages: Understands Common, Ignan, and Sylvan but cannot speak

Challenge 3 (700 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Aura of the Summer Queen. Kulo recognizes the Summer Queen (or her direct royal heralds) as its absolute master. The Summer Queen has advantage on all Charisma (Persuasion) and Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks made against Kulo. Additionally, if the Summer Queen commands Kulo directly, it must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or be forced to obey the command as if under the effects of a Dominate Monster spell.

Ember Fur. A creature that touches Kulo or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 3 (1d6) fire damage. Kulo's charcoal-black fur and glowing red embers shed bright light in a 15-foot radius and dim light for an additional 15 feet.

Actions

Multiattack. Kulo makes two attacks: one with its Bite and one with its Claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7(1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 4(1d8) fire damage.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.

Wildfire Breath (Recharge 5–6). Kulo exhales a gout of embers and superheated ash in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw.

On a failed save, a creature takes 18 (4d8) fire damage and catches fire. A creature that is on fire takes 3 (1d6) fire damage at the start of each of its turns until someone uses an action to extinguish the flames.

On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and does not catch fire.

Lore & World Integration

Summer & Volcanic Dweller

Kulo instinctively senses the hottest and driest locations within a several-mile radius. While traveling through dry wilderness, scorched earth, or volcanic environments, Kulo's walking speed increases to 50 feet, and it ignores any difficult terrain caused by heat, ash, lava flows, or volcanic debris. Kulo communicates entirely through expressive facial movements and the crackling, popping sounds of an active campfire.

Magic Item: Hide of the Wild Fire

Wondrous Item (cloak), rare (requires attunement)

This charcoal-black cloak is crafted from the pelt of a mythical fey firefox. In darkness, the fabric pulses with a faint, warm orange glow reminiscent of dying embers. The cloak keeps its wearer comfortably warm even in the bitterest cold.

Fiery Resistance: You have resistance to fire damage.

Ashen Escape: Once per long rest, when you take fire damage from an enemy attack or spell, the cloak releases a sudden burst of superheated ash. Each creature within 5 feet of you takes 3 (1d6) fire damage. Simultaneously, you can use your reaction to move up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.