How to Homebrew a Subclass on D&D Beyond

DaddyWagsSep 27, 2024

When You Want to Specialize in Uncharted Territory

Dungeons & Dragons subclasses give characters a virtually unlimited array of options to customize their characters’ abilities, but, what if you want to create something that hasn’t been done before?

D&D Beyond is the official repository for all things D&D, including the 14 official classes for characters in the game. It also allows you to create and share Homebrew items. There were over 45,000 subclasses in the Homebrew Subclasses section of the website last time I looked, and you can add your own and share them with your own an account.

I recently had a situation come up where I needed to recreate an existing feat and thought it would be a good opportunity to show you how it can be done. In my Voxels & Valor campaign we converted our characters to the 2024 ruleset when the characters reached level 4. It was the week after the new Player’s Handbook (PHB) came out (you can check out my review here) and, at my son’s suggestion, I tossed the idea out at the group. They agreed and they spent the next week creating 2024 versions of their existing characters.

We quickly found out that my Wizard, who chose the Chronurgy Arcane Tradition at 2^nd level was not available when creating the 2024 version. In an effort to keep all of the abilities that the characters had before conversion, I delved into the D&D Beyond Homebrew options to create the Chronurgy Magic Subclass.

Creating a New School of Magic

Choose the Base Class to Add to

First, navigate to D&D Beyond and open the Collections menu. In the Homebrew section there is an option for Create a Subclass. Clicking on the link will open the Create Homebrew Subclass page, where you’ll be asked to choose an existing base class to add your Subclass to. I chose Wizard as a base class and Abjurer as a template and clicked the Create button.

Filling out the required basic information is straightforward. I named it “Chronurgy Magic 2024” and copied the information from the original Legacy Chronurgy Magic Subclass into the Short Description and Description fields:

Focusing on the manipulation of time, those who follow the Chronurgy tradition learn to alter the pace of reality to their liking. Using the ramping of anticipatory dunamis energy, these mages can bend the flow of time as adroitly as a skilled musician plays an instrument, lending themselves and their allies an advantage in the blink of an eye.

Next, I chose Wisdom as the Spell Casting Ability because that’s the Wizard’s Spell Casting Ability and it should line up. I also made sure that Can Cast Spells was set to Yes.

Finally, I clicked the Save button to create my new Subclass

Add or Edit Class Features

Using the features granted for the Legacy Chronal Shift subclass as a template, I updated the items listed in my new creation by clicking edit on the line item in the Class Features section of the editor. I edited the items as outlined below.

For the level 3 item, Abjuration Savant, I changed only the following fields:

Name:	Chronal Shift
Snippet:	You can magically exert limited control over the flow of time around a creature. As a reaction, after you or a creature you can see within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can force the creature to reroll. You make this decision after you see whether the roll succeeds or fails. The target must use the result of the second roll. You can use this ability twice, and you regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Description:	You can magically exert limited control over the flow of time around a creature. As a reaction, after you or a creature you can see within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can force the creature to reroll. You make this decision after you see whether the roll succeeds or fails. The target must use the result of the second roll. You can use this ability twice, and you regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

I removed the two spells in the feature list below and added an Action to the Actions section. Note that you must save the Action before being allowed to add the Limited Use item to the Action.

Type	General
Name:	Chronal Shift
Snippet:	As a reaction, after you or a creature you can see within 30 ft. of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can force the creature to reroll. You make this decision after you see whether the roll succeeds or fails. The target must use the result of the second roll. You can use this ability twice, and you regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Description:	As a reaction, after you or a creature you can see within 30 ft. of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can force the creature to reroll. You make this decision after you see whether the roll succeeds or fails. The target must use the result of the second roll. You can use this ability twice, and you regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Activation Type:	Reaction
Reset Type:	Long Rest
Limited Use:	Number of Uses: 2 Stat Modifier Operator: + (Addition) Proficiency Bonus Operator + (Addition)

For the second level 3 item, Arcane Ward, I changed the following fields:

Name:	Temporal Awareness
Snippet:	3rd-level Chronurgy Magic feature You can add your Intelligence modifier ({{modifier:int}}) to your initiative rolls.
Description:	3rd-level Chronurgy Magic feature You can add your Intelligence modifier to your initiative rolls

I removed the two Actions in the feature list below and added a Modifier to the Modifiers section.

Modifier Type:	Bonus
Modifier Subtype:	Initiative
Ability Score:	INT

For the level 6 item, Projected Ward, I changed the following fields:

Name:	Momentary Stasis
Snippet:	<em>6th-level Chronurgy Magic feature</em> As an action, you can magically force a Large or smaller creature you can see within 60 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. Unless the saving throw is a success, the creature is encased in a field of magical energy until the end of your next turn or until the creature takes any damage. While encased in this way, the creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Description:	6th-level Chronurgy Magic feature As an action, you can magically force a Large or smaller creature you can see within 60 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. Unless the saving throw is a success, the creature is encased in a field of magical energy until the end of your next turn or until the creature takes any damage. While encased in this way, the creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

I updated the Action in the feature list below. Note you must save the entry before you are allowed to add the Limited Use restriction.

Action Type:	General
Name:	Momentary Stasis
Save Type:	CON
Effect on Save Fail:	Unless the saving throw is a success, the creature is encased in a field of magical energy until the end of your next turn or until the creature takes any damage. While encased in this way, the creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0.
Range:	60
Activation Type:	Action
Reset Type:	Long Rest
Snippet:	As an action, you can magically force a Large or smaller creature you can see within 60 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. Unless the saving throw is a success, the creature is encased in a field of magical energy until the end of your next turn or until the creature takes any damage. While encased in this way, the creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Description:	As an action, you can magically force a Large or smaller creature you can see within 60 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. Unless the saving throw is a success, the creature is encased in a field of magical energy until the end of your next turn or until the creature takes any damage. While encased in this way, the creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Limited Use:	Number of Uses: 0 Stat Modifier Operation: + (Addition) Stat Modifier: INT Proficiency Bonus Operator: + (Addition)

For the level 10 item, Spell Breaker, I changed the following fields:

Name:	Arcane Abeyance
Snippet:	<em>10th-level Chronurgy Magic feature</em> When you cast a spell using a spell slot of 4th level or lower, you can condense the spell’s magic into a mote. The spell is frozen in time at the moment of casting and held within a gray bead for 1 hour. This bead is a Tiny object with AC 15 and 1 hit point, and it is immune to poison and psychic damage. When the duration ends, or if the bead is destroyed, it vanishes in a flash of light, and the spell is lost. A creature holding the bead can use its action to release the spell within, whereupon the bead disappears. The spell uses your spell attack bonus and save DC, and the spell treats the creature who released it as the caster for all other purposes. Once you create a bead with this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Description:	10th-level Chronurgy Magic feature When you cast a spell using a spell slot of 4th level or lower, you can condense the spell’s magic into a mote. The spell is frozen in time at the moment of casting and held within a gray bead for 1 hour. This bead is a Tiny object with AC 15 and 1 hit point, and it is immune to poison and psychic damage. When the duration ends, or if the bead is destroyed, it vanishes in a flash of light, and the spell is lost. A creature holding the bead can use its action to release the spell within, whereupon the bead disappears. The spell uses your spell attack bonus and save DC, and the spell treats the creature who released it as the caster for all other purposes. Once you create a bead with this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

I removed the three Spells in the feature list below and added an Action. Note you must save the entry before you are allowed to add the Limited Use restriction.

Action Type:	General
Name:	Arcane Abeyance
Activation Type:	Action
Reset Type:	Short Rest
Snippet:	When you cast a spell using a spell slot of 4th level or lower, you can condense the spell’s magic into a mote. The spell is frozen in time at the moment of casting and held within a gray bead for 1 hour. This bead is a Tiny object with AC 15 and 1 hit point, and it is immune to poison and psychic damage. When the duration ends, or if the bead is destroyed, it vanishes in a flash of light, and the spell is lost. A creature holding the bead can use its action to release the spell within, whereupon the bead disappears. The spell uses your spell attack bonus and save DC, and the spell treats the creature who released it as the caster for all other purposes. Once you create a bead with this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Description:	When you cast a spell using a spell slot of 4th level or lower, you can condense the spell’s magic into a mote. The spell is frozen in time at the moment of casting and held within a gray bead for 1 hour. This bead is a Tiny object with AC 15 and 1 hit point, and it is immune to poison and psychic damage. When the duration ends, or if the bead is destroyed, it vanishes in a flash of light, and the spell is lost. A creature holding the bead can use its action to release the spell within, whereupon the bead disappears. The spell uses your spell attack bonus and save DC, and the spell treats the creature who released it as the caster for all other purposes. Once you create a bead with this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Limited Use:	Number of Uses: 1 Stat Modifier Operation: + (Addition) Proficiency Bonus Operator: + (Addition)

For the level 14 item, Spell Resistance, I changed the following fields:

Name:	Convergent Future
Snippet:	<em>14th-level Chronurgy Magic feature</em> You can peer through possible futures and magically pull one of them into events around you, ensuring a particular outcome. When you or a creature you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to ignore the die roll and decide whether the number rolled is the minimum needed to succeed or one less than that number (your choice). When you use this feature, you gain one level of exhaustion. Only by finishing a long rest can you remove a level of exhaustion gained in this way.
Description:	14th-level Chronurgy Magic feature You can peer through possible futures and magically pull one of them into events around you, ensuring a particular outcome. When you or a creature you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to ignore the die roll and decide whether the number rolled is the minimum needed to succeed or one less than that number (your choice). When you use this feature, you gain one level of [rules]Exhaustion[/rules]. Only by finishing a long rest can you remove a level of [rules]Exhaustion[/rules] gained in this way.

I removed the two Modifiers in the feature list below and added an Action. Note you must save the entry before you are allowed to add the Limited Use restriction.

Action Type:	General
Name:	Convergent Future
Activation Type:	Bonus Action
Reset Type:	Long Rest
Snippet:	You can peer through possible futures and magically pull one of them into events around you, ensuring a particular outcome. When you or a creature you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to ignore the die roll and decide whether the number rolled is the minimum needed to succeed or one less than that number (your choice). When you use this feature, you gain one level of exhaustion. Only by finishing a long rest can you remove a level of exhaustion gained in this way.
Description:	14th-level Chronurgy Magic feature You can peer through possible futures and magically pull one of them into events around you, ensuring a particular outcome. When you or a creature you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to ignore the die roll and decide whether the number rolled is the minimum needed to succeed or one less than that number (your choice). When you use this feature, you gain one level of [rules]Exhaustion[/rules]. Only by finishing a long rest can you remove a level of [rules]Exhaustion[/rules] gained in this way.
Limited Use:	Number of Uses: 1 Stat Modifier Operation: + (Addition) Proficiency Bonus Operator: + (Addition)

That was a lot! Congratulations! You created your first Subclass.