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Cake day: June 24th, 2023

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  • i see, that makes sense. i’d say that it’s on the player playing this cleric to not use the ability in a stupid way, since it obviously has catastrophic consequences for everything nearby, but i could totally see it being used in combat to try (and fail) to shut down the encounter. do you think this could be fixed by allowing combat to continue within the dream, with the added stakes that dying in the dream means dying in real world? and of course taking damage in real world allows you to wake up. this way, even if the ability is used, those who fall unconscious still can fight for their lives against the other unconscious people while simultaneously trying to escape to return to their vulnerable bodies.


  • thanks! this is really helpful.

    you’re correct that the mechanics are overly specific for this setting. this subclass was made for a homebrew setting and fits that lore accordingly, so i don’t expect it to be adaptable to any other world. the subconscious realm as a whole is pretty important in my campaign since i basically use it as a plot device for lore drops and stuff. i think in that context, abilities like Partial Delve make more sense since there’s an actual reason to go there.

    i really appreciate your suggestions and will definitely use them to make the subclass more mechanically sound. thanks again


  • thank you so much for this feedback! i think i know how to fix some of these, but i’m still very unsure

    1. i think i’ll keep Subliminal Affinity unchanged. it’s powerful in social contexts, but i think that’s exactly what i want this cleric to good at

    2. i don’t really know how to fix Repose while keeping it related to making others fall asleep. i have a couple ideas, but i’d like it to be more interesting than just casting sleep. will keep working on

    3. i envision Partial Delve being an alternative to normal long rests. i think it can be made useful by cutting down the time dilation a bit, so 1 hour in subconscious = 8 hours instead of 12 hours. i want it to be distinct from just casting dream because in lore, the subconscious realm isn’t just dreamland. it’s a physical dimension with actual inhabitants. someone who knows this can use it for their advantage, using it for information gathering and such. i’d like to make it more mechanically interesting though

    4. i will keep Memory Palace the same

    5. Dreamcaster is definitely what i’m most concerned about. what you said about the party just killing the unconscious enemy is a great point, and i think i can fix it by making the feature less controllable. most of the overpowered uses of the ability could probably be fixed if you cannot select certain creatures to remain unaffected. so if you use the ability, then ALL creatures within 300 ft. must make the wis save or fall unconscious, including allies. the ability already forced the cleric to also remain unconscious to maintain the dream, so i just clarified this a bit. here’s the new version of Dreamcaster, which i think might still be pretty busted if used correctly but less reliably overpowered:

    At 17th level, you can not only access the Subconscious Realm, but force others to enter it. All living creatures within 300 ft. of you must make a Wisdom saving throw; those who fail immediately fall unconscious unless they are undead or immune to being charmed. You also fall unconscious, and you cannot allow specific creatures to remain unaffected. You, alongside every creature who fails the save, enter a shared dream in the Subconscious Realm for up to six hours (48 real hours), where the targets are unable to move, speak, or take actions unless you allow them.

    During this time, you can shape the environment of the dream, creating landscapes, objects, and other images. You can choose to end the dream at any time, but if you exit the Subconscious Realm this way, then all other creatures immediately wake up. You also suffer one level of exhaustion if the dream is prematurely terminated this way.

    Although the targets cannot take actions, they can repeat their Wisdom save on each of their turns. If a creature escapes the dream by succeeding the Wisdom save, then they jolt awake with little to no recollection of the Subconscious, only remembering fleeting images and fractured memories. If they exit the Subconscious because six hours passed or because you prematurely ended the dream, then they retain all memories.

    You can use this feature again by completing a long rest after exiting the Subconscious.