Bells Hells have successfully ventured outside of Jrusar, and with that experience, have hit level 6! From a set of new subclass features, to ability improvements, to a pair of unexpected multiclassers, this collection of upgrades is one of the most eclectic. Needless to say, we have lots of new things to talk about.
Ashton Greymore (Barbarian 6)
HP: 65
Path Feature
Ashton’s Path of Fundamental Chaos is completely homebrewed, so we don’t know anything about what their level 6 upgrade is. WWe didn’t receive any hints in episode 3-022, but we did in episode 3-023! Ashton’s four rage types (Time, Space, Possibility, Gravity) will each gain new features. We got a glimpse into the Space Rage’s awesome upgrade: the portal.
By spending a Chaos Burst point, Ashton can create a portal up to 60 feet away and attack through it. That’s clutch for a barbarian. Barbarians are melee-based fighters (to the point that they can only add their Rage damage on melee attacks), which makes fighting anything airborne, for example, tricky and frustrating. This portal creation ability will allow Ashton to continue making melee attacks while remaining at range, a huge boon to Bells Hells in particular, whose only current physical, ranged attack abilities are FCG’s bolt thrower and grappling hook.
Fearne Calloway (Druid 5, Rogue 1)
HP: 46
Rogue Multiclass features:
Additional skill proficiency from the rogue class
Proficiency in Light Armor
Proficiency in Thieves' tools
Expertise
Sneak Attack
Thieves’ Cant
Y’all thought Chetney would be the only rogue multiclass this time around, huh? Well, we did, too, but Fearne has surprised us by leaning into those sticky fingers to take a level in rogue this time as well. Thankfully, we don’t have to deal with spellcasting weirdness this time around, so this should be a faster explanation than previous multiclassing.
With this multiclass, Fearne gains proficiency in all light armor, not just leather, along with proficiency in thieves’ tools to level up those sticky fingers. She also gains an additional skill proficiency and expertise in her choice of two skills or one skill and thieves’ tools, doubling her proficiency bonus in those two things.
Sneak attack is a bit of a tricky bonus for her, as she doesn’t often hit things. However, if she does smack something with, say, a quarterstaff, she’ll gain an additional 1d6 damage under the right circ*mstances. Finally, Fearne learns Thieves’ Cant, which makes two secret languages for her to play with (the other being Druidic).
Fresh Cut Grass (Cleric 6)
HP: 56
Additional Channel Divinity per short rest (total 2)
Additional 3rd level spell (total 3)
Additional prepared spell per day (total 9)
Divine Domain feature
Like Ashton’s Path, FCG’s a completely homebrew cleric domain, so we have actually no idea what his level 6 upgrade will look like! We didn’t get any hints in the last episode (we have confirmation from Matt that their ability to Calm Emotions once per day is a racial trait, not a domain trait), so we’ll just have to wait and see!
Imogen Temult (Sorcerer 6)
HP: 38
Additional 3rd level spell (total 3)
Additional spell known (total 7)
Sorcerous Origin Feature: Psionic Sorcery
Can cast Psionic Spells using sorcery points instead of spell slots
Spells cast this way require no components except for consumed materials
Sorcerous Origin Feature: Psychic Defenses
Resistance to psychic damage
Advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened
Aberrant Mind sorcerers gain two extremely useful mental bonuses at this level. First, Imogen now has Psionic Sorcery, which enables her to cast her Psionic Spells using either spell slots as normal or sorcery points equal to the spell’s level. Currently, Imogen has seven of these spells; Shock Flare, Dissonant Whispers, and Mind Sliver at 1st level, Calm Emotions and Detect Thoughts at 3rd level, and Seething Storm and Sending at 5th level. (As a reminder, Shock Flare and Seething Storm are Imogen-specific reskins of Arms of Hadar and Hunger of Hadar, respectively.)
When she uses sorcery points to cast any of these spells (including those she will gain at higher levels), they require no verbal, somatic, or material components, except material components that are consumed by the spell. For example, if Imogen were to cast Calm Emotions with this feature, it would cost 2 sorcery points, and she could do it completely silently with no outward indication that she was casting a spell. Effectively, Imogen now has the capability to be a completely stealth caster with a variety of damage and utility spells at her disposal.
Imogen also gains a significant bonus to her mental defenses. With the Psychic Defenses feature, she now has resistance to all psychic damage, and has advantage on all saving throws against being charmed or frightened.
Laudna (Sorcerer 4, Warlock 2)
HP: 42
Additional 2nd level spell (total 3)
Additional spell known (total 8)
Additional cantrip known (total 7)
ASI: +2 Charisma (now 18)
+1 to all charisma ability modifiers
+1 to spell save DC (now 16)
+1 to spell attack modifier (now 8)
Unlike most of the rest of the Hells, Laudna doesn’t receive a subclass bonus this level. Instead, since she’s hit level 4 sorcerer, she gets both spell improvements and an ASI or feat. This time around, Marisha has very wisely made the choice to give Laudna a much-needed charisma bump. As a sorcerer and a warlock, all of Laudna’s spell abilities are charisma-based, so this increases all of her spell save DCs and all of her spell attack modifiers, in addition to increasing all charisma-based skill modifiers.
As a reminder, she has the bloodwell vial granting her +1 to both her spell save DC and her spell attack modifier, so even with a +4 charisma modifier, she’s at 16 for her spell DC and +7 for her spell attack modifier.
Orym (Fighter 6)
HP: 53
Observant
+1 to Wisdom score (now 16)
+1 to all Wisdom ability checks and saving throws
Can read lips and understand what is being said if understand the language used
+5 bonus to passive perception and investigation checks
Fighters are the exception to the level 6 subclass bonus rule. Instead, Orym gets an additional ASI or feat this time around. We’re unsure what he’s taken, but his +1 bump to his wisdom score narrows things down a bit. There are several feats that might grant him this bump, and of these, we think Observant, Resilient, Skill Expert, and Fey Touched might be potentially interesting choices for Orym, but as always, we’ll have to wait and see what Liam has picked.
The bump to his wisdom score also hits an even number, so he gets a nice little boost to all wisdom-based ability checks and saving throws along with all the bonuses from his feat. As of episode 3-023, we know that Orym took the Observant feat, taken in previous campaigns by Beauregard and Vex’ahlia. In addition to the wisdom stat boost, Observant additionally increases Orym’s passive perception and investigation checks by +5, and allows him to read lips.
Chetney Pock O’Pea (Blood Hunter 5, Rogue 1)
HP: 50
Rogue Multiclass features:
Additional skill proficiency from the rogue class
Expertise
Sneak Attack
Thieves’ Cant
After the massive fake-out for the first few levels of the campaign, Travis has elected to actually give Chetney at least one level in rogue! Like Fearne, we don’t have to deal with spellcasting multiclass weirdness, so this should be much simpler than usual.
First off, Chetney gains a few extra proficiencies. He already has proficiency in light armor from being a blood hunter and in thieves’ tools from his criminal background, so no changes there. However, he does gain an additional skill proficiency from the rogue class list. Additionally, he gains expertise in two skills or one skill and thieves’ tools, doubling his proficiency bonus for those specific skills.
His criminal background didn’t grant Chetney knowledge of Thieves’ Cant, but his first level in rogue does! With Fearne’s newfound knowledge of this language as well, they’ll be able to plot (or more likely, flirt) without the rest of the party knowing anything about it.
Finally, Chetney gains a potentially major damage increase: Sneak Attack. From now on, once per turn, Chetney can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature he hits with an attack with a finesse or ranged weapon. He only gains this damage if he has advantage on the roll or if there is another enemy of the target within 5 ft of the creature that isn’t incapacitated. If Chetney takes more levels in rogue, this damage will increase.
