Excal-heim
A lone man stands upon the battlefield, his allies lie bloody and bruised around him. he raises his hand, pointing at the demon lord who had slain his friends. A bolt of arcane power races from his hand, delivering a blow so powerful that it could, not just wound, but incapacitate the very gods. His foe lay slain before him, the man departs, only to trip on a spear and land on some rather sharp gravel. He dies on contact.
A Glass Cannon is exactly what it sounds like. Someone who has the power to slay gods, yet will die to an aggressive fist bump. They gain their magic from a mixture of book lore, natural arcane talent, Blood magic, and/or creating a pact with an otherworldly being. Not every Glass cannon does all of these to gain their power but all of them have atrophied because of their pursuit of power.
Before you chose this class, Please note:
- Your hit die is a d4
- Your total hit points do not increase after 10th level.
Multiclassing with Glass Cannon.
You can't
Creating a Glass Cannon
How did you become a Glass Cannon? Did you earn your power through training and diligence or did you buy it from some Eldridge entity? What caused your body to atrophy, Long bouts of studying with no sleep and very little food or blood sacrifice to satiate an arcane binding? Why did you choose to become a Glass Cannon? A simple drive for power to avenge someone, an unquenchable curiosity, or is it something else? These are by no means the only options, just some examples.
Quick Build
You can make a Glass Cannon quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the sage background.
Quick links: Spellcasting Section, Subclasses, Fast spell list.
LvL | Proficiency Bonus | Features | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th |
1st | 2 | Spell casting, Ritual Casting | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
2nd | 2 | Elemental Duality | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
3rd | 2 | Mastery of casting | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
4th | 2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
5th | 3 | Arcane Recovery | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
6th | 3 | | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
7th | 3 | Arcane Expertise | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
8th | 3 | Ability Score Improvement, Elemental Duality | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
9th | 4 | Mastery of casting | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - |
10th | 4 | | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - |
11th | 4 | | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
12th | 4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
13th | 5 | Mastery of casting | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
14th | 5 | Elemental Duality | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
15th | 5 | Arcane Expertise Improvement | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
16th | 5 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
17th | 6 | Mastery of casting | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
18th | 6 | | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
19th | 6 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
20th | 6 | Elemental Duality | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
hit dice:
1d4
hit points at 1st level:
6 + your Constitution modifier
hit points at higher levels:
1d4 (or 2) + your Constitution modifier per level, up to 10th level. You're total hit points don't increase after 10th level.
armor proficiencies:
None. You can't gain proficiency with any armor.
weapon proficiencies:
None. You can't gain proficiency with any weapon.
tools:
None. You can't gain proficiency with any tool.
saving throws:
Intelligence, Wisdom
skills:
Pick two from Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, Medicine, Perception, Persuasion, Religion, and Stealth.
starting equipment:
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a dagger or (b) a quarterstaff
(a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
(a) a scholar's pack (b) an explorer's pack or (c) a dungeoneer's pack
6d4*10 Gold Pieces
Your Magic tome/book. This holds all of your spells.
spellcasting:
Cantrips.
At 1st level, you know 5 cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. Choose wisely, as you can't learn additional cantrips from this class or change the cantrips you currently know. As such, your known cantrip total will not be listed in the Glass Cannon table above.
Spellbook
At 1st level, you have a spellbook containing six spells of your choice from any spell list. Your spellbook is the repository of the spells you know, except your cantrips, which are fixed in your mind.
Spell Slots.
The Glass Cannon table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast a spell, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You do not need to have a spell slot of the spell's minimum level to cast it. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
Learning New Spells of 1st Level and Higher.
You learn 2 new spells each level. The level of these spells must be less than or equal to a level for which you have at least one spell slot. You can learn any spell of 1st level or higher, no matter the class requirement. You can only change your spell list when you gain or lose a level.
On your adventures, you might find a spellbook or a spell scroll. You can choose to learn the new spell if it is less than or equal to the level of one of your spell slots and you can spare the time to decipher it.
For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 25 GP. Once you have spent this time and money, you can cast the spell just like your other spells.
You cannot learn cantrips in this way. Spells learned this way don't count towards your maximum number of spells known.
Spellcasting Ability.
At 1st level, Intelligence is the spellcasting ability for your spells
Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.
Spell Attack Modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.
At 7th level it becomes:
Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your INT modifier + 1/2 your WIS modifier.
Spell Attack Modifier = your proficiency bonus + your INT modifier + 1/2 your WIS modifier.
At 15th level it becomes:
Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your INT modifier + your WIS modifier.
Spell Attack Modifier = your proficiency bonus + your INT modifier + your WIS modifier.
See Arcane Expertise bellow.
class features:
Ritual Casting.
When you become a Glass Cannon at 1st level, You learn to cast any spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have a spellbook containing the spell. This does not let you learn the spell.
Elemental Duality (Subclass)
At 2nd level, you choose an Elemental Duality. The Elemental Duality you choose grants you features at 2nd level and again at 8th, 14th, and 20th levels.
Mastery of casting
As you level up, your spell casting technique becomes fine-tuned.
At 3rd level, you gain one of the following masteries of your choice.
Your skill increases again at 9th, 13th, and 17th levels.
The strength of the mastery you choose is dependent on the level you are at when choosing it.
Range. All spells you cast with a range of 5 feet or greater have said range increased.
10ft if taken at level 3, 30ft if taken at level 9, 60ft if taken at level 13, or 100ft if taken at level 17.
Duration. All spells you cast with a duration longer than instantaneous have said duration increased by
1 turn if taken at level 3, 1 minute if taken at level 9, 1 hour if taken at level 13, or 1 week if taken at level 17.
Damage. The damage of all spells you cast can be re-rolled for a spell slot of
equal level if taken at level 3, 2/3-level if taken at level 9, 1/3-level if taken at level 13, or 1st level if taken at level 17.
Fortitude. You can no longer lose concentration for all spells you cast of a certain spell level or lower.
1st if taken at level 3, 3rd if taken at level 9, 6th if taken at level 13, or 9th if taken at level 17.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Arcane Recovery.
At 5th level, once per day when you finish a short rest, you can choose to recover a number of expended spell slots equal to your Glass Cannon level. None of these slots can be higher than half your highest level of spell slot.
Arcane Expertise
At 7th level, you can use 50% of your wisdom as a secondary spellcasting ability.
At 15th level, you can use 100% of your wisdom as a secondary spellcasting ability.
subclass options:
A Song of Fire and Ice.
Cryo-Shell.
At 2nd level, as an action, you may create a 5ft hollow sphere of Ice centered on yourself, this sphere is known as a cryo-shell.
The cryo-shell has an AC of 12, 60 hit points, and is vulnerable to fire damage.
Upon reaching 0 hit points, the cryo-shell will shatter.
Frostbite Victims Can Have A Little 3rd Degree Burn, As A Treat.
At 8th level, any spell you cast that deals fire or cold damage, now deals an equal amount of the other type of damage.
Icy Hot.
At 14th level, spells you cast ignore resistance to fire and cold damage and you gain resistance to fire and cold damage.
Just Fireball.
At 20th level, every time you cast a spell you may also cast Fireball at 3rd level as a bonus action. This does not use one of your spell slots.
Thunder and Lightning, Very Very Frightening.
Bolt.
At 2nd level, your movement speed increases by 5ft, and you may use the Dodge action as a bonus action.
Become Thor.
At 8th level, any spell you cast that deals thunder or lightning damage, now deals an equal amount of the other type of damage.
Sparky.
At 14th level, spells you cast ignore resistance to thunder and lightning damage and you gain resistance to thunder and lightning damage.
Conga Chain.
At 20th level, any spell you cast that deals lightning damage can leap from one creature to another, becoming stronger with each creature it connects with(ie. 3 jumps and the spell will deal 3 times the original damage to each of them). Creatures must be within 20ft of each other to be affected by this.
Aberrate Psiker.
Warp.
At 2nd level, as a bonus action, you can prepare to cast Misty step as a reaction until the start of your next turn. This does consume a 2nd level spell slot. If you do not know that spell, you do now.
Use The Force Luke.
At 8th level, any spell you cast that deals psychic or force damage, now deals an equal amount of the other type of damage.
Mind Powaas.
At 14th level, spells you cast ignore resistance to psychic and force damage and you gain resistance to psychic and force damage.
Megamind. Work in progress
At 20th level, as a bonus action, you can cast Feeblemind at 8th level without expending a spell slot.
At 20th level, you learn the spells, Genesis and Oblivion Beam.
At 20th level, you take 2 turns each round of combat. When you roll initiative, roll twice.
That Awkward Phase Between Birth and Death.
Vitality.
At 2nd level, you regain 1d6 hit points at the start of your turn if you have at least 1 hit point.
Taijitu.
At 8th level, any spell you cast that deals radiant or necrotic damage, now deals an equal amount of the other type of damage.
I'm A Necromancer, But Better.
At 14th level, spells you cast ignore resistance to radiant and necrotic damage and you gain resistance to radiant and necrotic damage.
Fuck The Gods, I'll Do It Myself, Don't @ Me.
At 20th level, as an action, you may fully resurrect up to 10 creatures on this plane at will as if you had cast the wish spell to bring them back. You must finish a short rest to use this ability again.