You’ve manifested some of the power of gem dragons, granting you the following benefits:
Ability Score Increase. Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Telekinetic Reprisal. When you take damage from a creature that is within 10 feet of you, you can use your reaction to emanate telekinetic energy. The creature that dealt damage to you must make a Strength saving throw (DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + the ability modifier of the score increased by this feat). On a failed save, the creature takes 2d8 force damage and is pushed up to 10 feet away from you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t pushed. You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Gift of the Gem Dragon: The Gift that Keeps on Giving
Review by Sam West, Twitter:@CrierKobold
Gift of the Gem Dragon boils down to an Int, Wis, or Cha bump of +1 and a pseudo Hellish Rebuke meets Thunderwave reaction. This isn’t a lot, but it probably can find a home on a handful of sheets. Gem Dragons don’t really do it for me, I tend to prefer the big angry evil chromatics, but for those who do love the psychic, emotional gem dragons, this might be exactly on theme for your what you want your character to be doing.
The ability score bump will be great if you’re ever turning an odd score into an even one to get that bonus +1 to your modifier, especially when it's in a stat you rely on. Full casters are then going to likely be the kinds of characters who want this feat, as it bumps Int, Wis, or Cha, all stats used most by bards, druids, clerics, sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards.
This pairs nicely with telekinetic reprisal. Mechanically, when something damages you, you force it to make a Str save against roughly the chosen abilities spell save DC or take 2d8 damage and be pushed 10 feet from you. Worst case scenario, you still get half the damage. Plus, you get your proficiency bonus uses of this that refresh on a long rest, making it a extra resource you get a few chances to weaponize.
Here’s my main problem with it: a 10 foot shove just isn’t that much. A lot of creatures are going to come in, smack you for some damage, you’ll shove them away for a second, and then they’ll spend the rest of their speed getting back in range of you. It doesn’t do anything against longer ranged creatures, which is kind of a bummer, and will only keep something off you after you’ve taken damage from it. At its best, this is a “free” disengage on creatures that have expended all their movement already. In that instance, you’re very happy with it, and now can dash, hide, or just move and force it to dash to get back in range with you. That can be impactful, it just isn’t going to happen all that often. Still, this is giving you a new reaction that deals free damage. That’s perfectly fine, especially on clerics and druids who tend to have fewer reaction options. If you’re going from no usable reactions to this, it's a giant step up, and one worth considering.
I really wish the 2d8 damage scaled with level or something, as right now, this feat’s damage is only particularly helpful in the lower to mid tier of play. Once you get to the upper tiers, the 2d8 damage can start to feel a bit underwhelming, but when it's only costing you a reaction, still worth using. I think I’d have a hard time taking Gift of the Gem Dragon over feats like Fey Touched or Shadow Touched for the spells and modifier, but if you don’t feel like you want those spells, the reaction here probably justifies trying it.
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