D&D Young Justice: M'gann M'orzz

Making Kaldur'ahm was extremely fun. Like exceedingly. And satisfying too. It was like finally playing with a PC you created and seeing them work perfectly. Like planning your main months before the MMO comes out and then when you play it's perfect. I want more of this feeling. I'm going to create the rest of the animated young justice main crew.

No one else is quite as standard fantasy as Kaldur, but that just means I'm going to have to be more creative. I might even have to give up trying to not change the flavor of the classes from that presented in the PHB. That's a long way off however because Wizards just released a perfect race for my challenge this week. 

First, who is the character I'm creating? Hello, Megan! It's M'gann M'orzz a.k.a. Ms. Martian. Another Young Justice character, she gets most of her powers from simply being a Martian. She and her uncle are similar to superman in that way. However, instead of being weak to kryptonite she is weak to heat. A little more common. Most martian powers boil down to telepathy, telekinesis, shape shifting, and its cooler cousin density shifting. 

Like I said earlier, Wizards made my job easier by releasing the Changeling class last week. Officially M'gann can also shift her clothes, but this works so well, that I don't really see an issue. So the race covers the cosmetic shape shifting, but what about the rest? Well to get telekinesis and telepathy and better shape shifting we are going to need to go arcane caster. M'gann doesn't study anything and she is extremely charismatic, so probably Sorcerer or Warlock. Looking at both options I really like the Warlock pact for all the telepathy and stuff, but the sorcerer chassis as a whole for being more powerful and having that innate feel to it. Her background is oh jeez this is hard, I want to say charlatan although see if your DM will let you switch sleight of hand for insight. She is good at reading people, not so much at stealing. 

Alright, since this is Homebrew Monday (I need a better name for this still), I'll cave and homebrew an Outsider origin for the Sorcerer class. I think it will give most of the easier telepathy stuff, and we'll leave the shape shifting to spells. Will this character be as powerful as the real M'gann? Heck no, but that's okay because this is D&D; we're lower on the power scale.

New Sorcerous Origin: Outsider Influence

Your innate magic comes from the influence of beings outside reality mingling with you or your bloodline. You might have been rescued from an assault by psychic aberrations and their warped magic warped you on accident. Instead, you may have sought out rituals and favors from these beings to not just borrow their power, but to change you forever. Some sorcerers with this origin are aliens themselves, or have the blood of aliens running through them.  No matter how you got this power, it strengthens your mind and your will. It runs through you, altering your physiology and psychology, for good or ill. In Eberron, I'm thinking influence for Xoriat or Dal'Quor could both work well to cause this bloodline. 

Cerebral Transmission

At 1st level, when you choose this origin, the alien influence allows your mind to connect with others. You gain telepathy out to 60 feet of you. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic communication; however, if the creature doesn't speak a language, you only gain a feeling of its general emotions. 

Alien Form

The magic that flows through your body allows it to shift and bend in unforeseen ways. Your melee reach is extended by 5 feet, and you gain advantage on Dexterity checks to escape grapples or bonds. 

Mental Backlash

At 6th level, your experience fending off others thoughts has strengthened your will; you gain proficiency with Wisdom saving throws. In addition, whenever you succeed on a Wisdom or Charisma saving throw, you can spend 1 sorcery point as a reaction to either deal 2d10+sorcerer level damage to whatever creature forced you to make that save, or to instead make it take psychic damage equal to the damage inflicted upon you.

Perfect Adaptation

At 14th level, you no longer need to breathe and you have immunity to the poisoned condition and to poison damage. You also learn to survive in different environments. As an action, you can spend 1 sorcery point to gain a swim speed or 2 sorcery points to gain a fly speed. Whichever you choose, the new speed equals twice your current speed and lasts for 1 hour. 

Psychic Superiority

At 18th level whenever you cast a spell of 1st-level or higher that requires the creature to make a Wisdom or Charisma save, you can also make that creature take 1d10 psychic damage per spell level on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. This is in addition to any damage the spell already deals. 

What I'm thinking: Alright, this might be crazy overpowered, but I don't care, because I think the sorcerer origins are a bit under-powered. Mental Link gives her telepathy and DM fiat can make it group telepathy with her facilitation. At one point, it also gave her access to vicious mockery, but she doesn't like using telepathy for fighting in the show, so I scrapped it; well at least not always, so I figure we leave psychic damage for the real spells. Alien form gives her some more shifting, as does perfect adaptation. Mental strength and psychic superiority are likely super unbalanced, but I think super flavorful and the first one won't come up very much and the second is 18th level so should be a pretty big deal. 

Alright, I decided she needs a good force telekinetic cantrip. 

New Spell for Sorcerers and Wizards

Mage Slap

Evocation cantrip

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

You quickly summon a hand of force to slap a creature. Make a ranged spell attack against a creature in range; on a hit, you deal 1d6 force damage to that creature and it cannot take reactions until the start of your next turn.  

   This spell's damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

Alright, it's time to bring out M'gann.

M'gann M'orzz

Level 1 Changeling Sorcerer
Background: Charlatan
Str 8 (-1), Dex 11 (0), Con 14 (+2)
Int 12(+1), Wis 13(+1), Cha 16(+3)
HP 8, AC 10, HD 1d6
Saves: Con +4, Cha +5
Speed: 30 feet.
Languages: Common, Undercommon, Elvish, Telepathy to 60 feet
Skills: Arcana +3, Deception +5, Insight +3, Persuasion +5, Stealth +2

Reach of 10 feet with melee
Quarterstaff  +1, 1d6-1 bludgeoning, versatile d8
Dagger +2, 1d4 piercing, range 20/60
Mage Slap +5, 1d6 force, 60 ft. opponent can't make reactions

Sorcerous Origin: Outsider Influence (Cerebral Transmission, Alien Form)
Cantrips: blade ward, friends, mage hand, mage slap
1st-level spells: shield, sleep

Gear: Quarterstaff, component pouch, explorer's pack, two daggers, a set of fine clothes, a disguise kit, papers for Megan Morse.

Leveling up M'gann
Ability score improvements should up Charisma and Wisdom
Spell choices should focus around shape shifting yourself, telekinesis, and telepathy
(alter self, levitate, fly, detect thoughts, dominate/hold blank, polymorph)

D&D Young Justice: Kaldur'ahm

Usually this is where I would post some homebrew rules and start explaining them, but since I'm not that far into the worldbuilding side of my blog yet, I'm just going to turn some beloved characters into 5e characters. Deal? Deal.

I love Young Justice. Something about it just tickles me, probably because the first comic book I ever owned was Young Justice #3. 12-year-old me loved the fact that they were teenagers (hunky ones at that) and that they kind of ruined everything. The animated show delivered that and more. The characters had depth, the stories engaging. The death of that series is truly a tragedy.

Before its death, that amazing production introduced one of my favorite characters ever, Aqualad a.k.a. Kaldur'ahm. Kaldur was awesome; partly because he was a good but reluctant leader, partly because he made water weapons and had lightning!

Story-wise, he was a student at a magic academy in Atlantis who left to be Aquaman's sidekick. As far as background goes, we'll make him a sage. He was studying before he started adventuring, and he is pretty darn clever; seems appropriate. Now we need to represent his physical prowess and his more limited magical prowess, likely with a class. I want to avoid multiclassing if possible, partly because some DM's don't allow it, and partly because I want you to be able to play Kaldur from level 1. I also want to keep the same flavor for every D&D game so no Tempest cleric despite how easy that would be.

I think the best option is to actually do some homebrew. I'm thinking an Atlantean Sorcery Otherwordly Patron for the warlock class. I could give him electric powers, he could "summon" weapons of water, and...alright, while that fits, wouldn't it just be easier to let him multi-class and do 1 level of sorcerer before going eldritch knight. In fact, wouldn't it be easier to just make him a variant human with a magic initiate feat and instead convert some Pathfinder spells that control water. Good compromise Matt. Thanks, Matt. I should also homebrew an Atlantean race...

New Race

Atlantean

A race of underwater humanoids that look suspiciously human. Atlanteans live in their submerged cities, studying the mystic currents of the ocean, protecting it's creatures, and constructing beautiful feats of architecture.
Ability Score Increase. You Strength score increases by 2, and two of your other scores increase by 1.
Age. Atlanteans mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 18.
Alignment. Atlanteans are almost always good, and usually lawful; however, there are always outspoken rebels.
Size. Atlanteans are about the same size as humans, ranging from 5 to 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet and your base swim speed is 30 feet.
Amphibious. Atlanteans can breathe both air and water.
Darkvision. Accustomed to the dark ocean floor, you have perfect vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Atlantean.

Variant Atlantean
If your campaign uses feats, your dungeon master might allow these variant traits, all of which replace the Atlantean's Ability Score Increase trait.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Feat. You gain one feat of your choice.

What am I thinking?
Atlanteans are supposed to be able to withstand crazy pressure and be super strong. I don't want to get too crazy with bonuses, so +2 is enough. They are also human enough to get the feat variant to show differences. (Maybe I should add this option to all races?) Darkvision is also for living in the depths of the ocean. Hopefully, the swimming and water breathing should be obvious enough.

New Spells for Druids, Sorcerers, and Wizards

Hydraulic Push
1st-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You summon a blast of water that knocks over and soaks one creature or square. Make a ranged spell attack against a creature, if it hits the creature takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone. This spells also extinguishes any normal fire on a creature or object, or in a 5-foot square which it is targeted against. Magical fire is unaffected.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st.

Slipstream
2nd-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes.
You create a low-cresting wave of water that carries the target as they move. The target's land speed improves by 10 feet. In addition, the target's swim speed increases by 20 feet; if the target does not have a swim speed it instead gains a swim speed of 20 feet.

Hydraulic Torrent
3rd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 60 feet.
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You summon a powerful stream of elemental water 60 feet long and 5 feet wide at the base. Everything in the line must make a Strength saving throw. A creature or object in its path takes 6d6 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The water extinguishes normal fires it encounters along its path. Magical fires are unaffected.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd.

Kaldur'ahm
Variant Atlantean Fighter 1
Background: Sage
Str 16 (+3), Dex 12 (+1), Con 12 (+1)
Int 12 (+1), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 12 (+1)
HP 11, AC 16 (chainmail), HD 1d10
Saves: Str +5, Con +3
Speed 30 ft., Swim 30 ft.
Languages: Atlantean, Common, Draconic, Elvish
Skills: Arcana +3, Athletics +5, History +3, Insight +3
Feats: Magic Initiate (Wizard)

Scimitar +5, 1d6 +3, slashing (has two and attacks twice)
Light Hammer +5, 1d4+3, slashing 20 ft./60 ft.
Shocking Grasp: +3 1d8 lightning

Fighting Style: Two-Weapon Fighting
Second Wind
Cantrips: shocking grasp, true strike
Shield once a day

Gear: Chain mail, two scimitars, two handaxes, an explorer's pack, a bottle of black ink, a small knife, a clue to your father's identity, a set of common clothes, a belt pouch containing 10 gp.

Leveling up Kaldur:
I would say get the War Caster feat ASAP.
Choose Eldritch Knight for your Martial Archetype.
Pump up his Str first, then Int and Cha.
Inspiring Leader would be another flavorful choice as well as Battle Master.

Your DM won't let you play with my new race? Just use a Variant Human for the feat, if no feats then Half-Elf to get that half-human feel and some nice bonuses.