I’m building a beginner friendly D&D learning app and would love some early feedback.

What is something you would want to see in an app like this, or expect it to help you learn?

I started working on it today, Im excited. I'm reworking classes, races, and even factions. Idk what else to say, Ive been playing D&D for about 2 years now, I've DM'd two games, and am working on my third in the near future, and love worldbuilding. I guess I posted this looking for advice, words of encouragement, Idk, I just am so excited rn. OK, thanks!

I feel like I've seen a few great weapon fighting style alternatives on the subreddit over the last day or so, so I figured I'd throw my own version in the ring as well.

Great Weapon Fighting (Fighting Style)

When you roll weapon damage on an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, the minimum amount of damage done is equal to the average damage that weapon does, rounded up. For example, a great axe has an average damage of 6.5; therefore, if you roll a 3 on the weapon damage roll, you would instead do 7 points of damage before any modifiers from ability scores, magical effects, and so on.

So what exactly does this mean mathematically? On average, this increases the damage of a greataxe by 1.75, which is pretty close to what dueling gives, but more importantly it stops the bad feeling of using a greataxe, and rolling a 1 or 2, something that the original fighting style was supposed to help with, except you could always roll that again.

This works for 5e, but it should be the same for 5.5e.

Great Weapon Fighting Style runs behind Dueling in it's damage adding only +0.8333 for a d12, +0.8 on a d10, and +1.3 on 2d6 vs Dueling's +2. '24 isn't better at +0.25 for a d12, +0.3 on a d10, and +1 on 2d6. Great weapons should have great damage.

> Great Weapon Fighting Style > When you are wielding a melee weapon that has the two-handed or versatile property in two hands your weapon attacks deal an extra 1d4 damage of the weapon's type.

Bard - College of Change

To change the world, one must first change themselves... And just like how things that can't bend are bound to break... those unwilling to adapt... will eventually fade away...

Flavors

Ever-changing... Nothing Lasts

Abilities

Flexible Mind

3rd-level college of change feature

• You gain proficiency in a skill of your choosing, this skill can be changed on a short rest.
• You Learn the Spell Alter Self, it doesn't count towards your learned spells, and You may cast it without consuming a spell slot once per long rest

Sigils of Change

3rd-level college of change feature Change is inevitable... whether you bend with it... or break denying it

• You have adapted your art to be everchanging, and it always leaves shifting marks whose shape doesn't remain...
• Whenever you use Bardic inspiration, one of the sigils on your body will move toward your target and mark them, it would look like a shapeless symbol shifting around their body. You may use your Reaction to choose one of the following effect to occur:
  • You can force the sigil to Bend and adapt to its target, turning into a symbol of something close to their heart, when they use the inspiration they can add your charisma modifier to the roll.
  • You can use it to Break the sigil, splitting it into two lower tier dies, one die remains with the initial target of inspiration while the second one can be given to another creature within 30 feet of the target, making the sigil without a shape and unfitting for any one person to use to its full potential (1d6 -> two 1d4s, 1d8 -> two 1d6s, 1d10 -> two 1d8s, 1d12 -> two 1d10s)

Improvise, Adapt, Overcome

6th-level college of change feature Nature has made us intolerant to change, so... let's change our nature.

• Whenever you take damage, you may use your reaction to adapt to it.
• You gain resistance to that damage type for 1 minute. You can use this feature a number of times per long rest equal to half your proficiency modifier.
• You cannot gain resistance to multiple damage types at the same time. Once you’ve used this feature to gain resistance to one damage type, You must wait until the effect expires or take damage from a different type before you can activate it again.

Pandæmonium

14th-level college of change feature Out of Discord Comes the Fairest Harmony... Unless the Change is Rejected, Then Only Chaos Prevails

This is the feature I am struggling most to implement, I was thinking as part of it that the sigils no longer require a reaction to alter by bend or break, but other than that i got no idea what to do with it

What are your thoughts on it balance wise and concept wise?

So I'm playing in a 5e14 campaign at the moment and my character is an artificer/druid multiclass. She's currently artificer level 2 and her story is at a point where she's likely to be taking her third level and getting her subclass soon. But none of the established subclasses really fit her. I've considered before asking to use the Archivist UA, or maybe the Cartographer class from the 2024 version. But it also could be cool to do a homebrew option, and my DM seems potentially open to it. .

Her druid circle is the Circle of Stars, and her theme is very strongly associated with the stars and the night sky, so I think some kind of Astronomer would be fitting, and so I've been considering what kind of features a subclass like that could have. A lot of what I've been thinking about is centered around navigation, since historically, that's been one of the main uses of astronomy. So proficiency with navigator's tools seems natural, and maybe some kind of feature similar to Keen Mind, about always knowing which way North is, it being hard for them to get lost, so on. I don't think that'll necessarily provide a ton of actual gameplay utility though.

Another idea I had was a feature like the Divination Wizard's portent, but for knowledge rolls. So some kind of ability to study the stars and lock in a roll, that you can use later for a knowledge check if you fail. Not sure about the exact details, but that seems flavorful and useful as well.

I also thought it might be cool to be able to cast Bless as an artificer spell, as a mechanical representation of you and your allies being guided by the stars. This would also make sense for the character I'm playing, since she's very support-oriented.

I wanted to get some second opinions on the concept though. What are some actually useful features you would associate with a magic astronomer? The character probably won't go to level 20 or anything, and since she's a multiclass, the most important features to me are at level 3 and potentially at level 5, but I do still want the subclass to feel "real", in the sense of actually being something that could be printed, even if it's just gonna be a private thing for our home game.

I'm currently working on a magic item (a kind of weapon) and I want to know how to tell what rarity it should be.

Is there a way to tell without feedback from others, or would that be the only way

Good evening!

I'm a DM and am hosting a variety of characters. For one of them, I just can't seem to get down for a subclass. They are playing as a monk, and I have helped them create a race, but I cannot figure out how their subclass should go. They want something to do with electricity, as their race involves that. Their race is a dragonborn that is the descendent of an electric-eel dragon. So figuring out a fluid- yet electrifying monk subclass has been difficult. I've made many homebrew things before, but they have almost all been Races, as my friend is often the one to make classes and subclasses. I am looking for advice on how to properly make this subclass, without going to AI for answers.

One thing I was thinking was to utilize the slick nature of their race. As an (basically) eel descendent- they produce a natural, slime-like substance that allows them to slip through a space one size smaller than them, as well as making enemies have disadvantage on grapple checks. Are there ways I can use this in a subclass for monks. The player uses a quarterstaff as a weapon. We are currently using 2014 5e.

(Any feedback would be appreciated! Thanks for reading!)

Edit: I just finished a rough draft of the subclass, it is called 'Way of the Abyssal Spark'.

Level 3: Depth’s Grasp

The deepest parts of the ocean, the abyssal zone, has become a part of you. You can feel the way that electricity flows through the air, allowing you to alter its flow. Whenever you grapple, or are grappled, you can spend 2 ki points to use a reaction that releases a wave of lightning into the other creature. The damage is equal to your martial die + Wis modifier, dealing either lightning or thunder damage (chosen on use). The creature must roll a constitution check- with a dc of 12, or else be paralyzed for one turn. At level 6 the DC changes to 14, level 11 DC 15, and at level 17, the DC becomes 18.

Level 6: Electric Slide

At 6th level, you gain the ability to slide through the battlefield. You gain the cantrip Electric Slide. You can produce a slime-like substance under you, and flow your lightning through it. This allows you to slide over any terrestrial or aquatic terrain for 15ft. This does not spark a reaction if you slide by an enemy. This counts as your attack action. At level 6 it’s 20ft, level 11 is 25ft, and level 17 is 30ft.

Level 11: Paralyzing Wave

Using three ki points, you can launch a paralyzing wave of thunder around you, in a 10ft radius- if in water, the range is 15ft.. Any creature in that radius has to roll a constitution saving throw, DC 15, or take 2d6 thunder damage, and be paralyzed for two turns. On a success, the creature takes half damage and is not paralyzed. At level 17, the DC becomes 18 and does 2d8 instead.

Level 17: Abyssal Threat

Immunity: You gain immunity to Lightning and Thunder damage.
Abyssal Sight: In water, you gain the effects of Blindsight.

Oceanic Threat: Using 5 ki points, you condense the water in the air and launch an explosive web of water and lightning in a 30ft radius around you. It does 4d8 lightning damage, and forces all creatures in the range to make a constitution saving throw with a DC of 19. On a fail, they are paralyzed for 3 turns. On a success, they take half damage and are paralyzed for one turn.

Are there any ways that I can improve/balance this better? Again, this is my first ever attempt at making a monk subclass. Any advice would be appreciated!