Knight Vision Creative
Paths of Power
Paths of Power
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14 New Subclasses for Your D&D 5E Campaign
What's Inside:
- 14 Subclasses, one for each class (including summoner and psion)
- Full-page illustration for each subclass
- No AI Illustrations
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This is, as always, a well-written and thought-out addition to the Knight Vision Creative (KVC) library. The new sub-classes are nicely developed and certainly broaden play options in many campaign settings. Of course, there are exceptions: Psion: Mindweave, Fighter: Guardian, and Bard: College of Command being the ones that leap first to mind; though others also have interesting twists that might or might not fit a given setting.
Taking the Psion: Mindweaver first of all. Clearly this has a very strong, nay virtually mandatory, need to be utilizing the Psion class as a whole which has its own campaign implications. Assuming that you have adopted that class in full or near-full manner, this is an excellent addition.
The Fighter: Guardian is described as being cyberpunk oriented. Assuming you wish to tackle that campaign road it works fine but with very little additional work will fit a more standard fantasy setting as well. This gives the subclass excellent flexibility with minor rework.
The Bard: College of Command and to a lesser extent Cleric: Story Domain both require the introduction of a divinity-level power which is “fallen” in some manner. My first issue here is that the Cleric really seems more a Bard than the Bard is: it is the Bard that tells the tales, sings the songs, chants the odes that inspire their hearers and certainly it is not inconceivable that they could actually alter reality if of sufficient power. The power of the cleric, on the one hand, lies in the power of their deity and the creation story tied thereto and on the other hand, commanding the faithful in a divine mandate. And this same thing is what can drive their believers—and even non-believers—to extraordinary achievements. It seems to me that these two titles could be swapped with little issue and create a better fit. Plus, the need for a “fallen angel”, while interesting, would seem to give the celestial far more power than even some full reigning deities have. The other issue I see in the Bad, is that this overlaps with certain fighter subclasses or feats. This, I think, is one of the most serious issues as creating that sort of overlap (Bard: College of Command and Fighter: Battle Master; especially with the optimal selection of feats for the campaign world. But, clearly, YMMV.
The Barbarian: Path of the Alley-Born is by far and away one of the best additions: awhile being street-born is not what one typically thinks of when picturing a barbarian; there is no questions that from the lower strata of society in cities where great inequality reigns, there will be those born which define this sub-class. And while that hot, blood-red, blind rage of the barbarian is most often associated with distant, poor, uncivilized, hard-scrabble tribes in the wilderness, that sort of berserker rage is certainly known and even cultivated in the troops of established civilized courts and cities for use in their petty wars.
Whilst the use of the curse of lycanthropy for the Druid: Circle of the Hunt and Ranger: Hexwarden is interesting and a novel “feature” it fits more for the Druid, I think, than the Ranger. For the Druid given their innate shifting abilities, taking the form and powers of a were-creature makes perfect sense—especially in a world where lycanthropy is not just a disease or a mundane curse. On the gripping hand given the generally evil character of the curse of lycanthropy, this has to be played very carefully to remain with the true neutral character of druids and not over-power the subclass.
I see no reason that lycanthropy is a requirement to be a Ranger: Hexwarden concerned with supernatural dangers. That said, it works albeit I think not as universally as it could; especially it the ranger is hit with a remove curse! I can, however, see where having been cursed the ranger could try to benefit from the supernal talents that this provides to hunt other creatures of supernatural ilk.
But, still, yet, and even, a very nicely done set of subclasses.
Thanks!
Both the extremely well playtested and balanced content plus the amazing artwork (so stunning) makes for a resource well worth its value.
We put a ton of effort into this, so glad the final product reflects it! Thanks for the kind words and sharing your thoughts!
-Brendan
Subclasses are always appreciated, and full-art is what every subclass needs that not every creator is capable of doing. this goes for races and classes too!
Yes! I always wished the subclasses received full page art, and now they do!
-Brendan
KVC has done it again! Despite the countless D&D material out in the world, this book of subclasses has fresh ideas and killer art, both coming from real people. Another must have for your collection!
Helps to have a killer community giving me feedback every step of the way!
-Brendan