D&D 5E Making a 5E invoker

[Remathilis]

Wasn't the Light Domain in the Playtest* pretty close to an Invoker? Use that.


* Can we talk about the Playtest at least?

 

[ccooke]

I think sorceror subclass is definitely the way to go.
That gets you access to most of the Wizard spells, which is a good start... for a more divine theme, we'd need to wait for the PHB to be sure how the various features look, but enough has been mentioned about Sorcery points to infer that they can be used to buy metamagic, and there are probably enough of them to do this several times a day. So, as a feature of the invoker subclass, I'd work out a cost in sorcery points to learn a spell from the Cleric spell list for the rest of the day - a greater cost for higher level spells, of course.

 

[Baumi]

Since the Invoker was all about Destruction and blocking Spells and could not heal, I would base him either on the Wizard or the Sorcerer. Just make a custom Sub-Class that give him medium Armor Proficiency and other thematic Features like some form of Channel Divinity.

 

[tuxgeo]

I would make the Invoker parallel to the Cleric: WIS-based caster with a Deity and a Domain, but getting all spells through the Domain from the Wizard list. That is, you could have each Domain say, "Even if this spell is not on the Invoker spell list, it is an Invoker spell for you."

Damage types: Lightning, Psychic, Radiant, and Thunder would parallel the 4E Invoker best. You might have to create a whole new set of spells, though. There is much precedent for that: WotC has been creating new 5E spells since they announced the game -- Fire Bolt and Witch Bolt are new ones, for examples.

Transmutation and Conjuration would be flavorful if you get around to creating dedicated Invoker spells.

 

[Joe Liker]

The divine sorcerer ideas are interesting, but I think I'd stick with cleric. Wizard, with its spellbook and all, is right out. So modifications to cleric:

• Remove all access to healing spells.
• Remove domains, to be replaced with invoker-appropriate subclasses.
• Add access to any wizard evocation involving thunder, lightning, fire, or radiance. Possibly force, if re-fluffed.
• Add access to a subset of wizard summoning spells, heavily re-fluffed.
• Proficiencies, Hit Dice and channel divinity are fine as they are.

I feel like that pretty much captures the essence of the class.

 

[maransreth]

Multi-class wizard/cleric using the new multi-class spellcaster rules.

 

[Herobizkit]

If you can find it, check out the 3.x Favored Soul class from the Miniatures' Handbook: a divine caster that casts spells like a sorcerer and slowly gains Outsider-like ("angelic") abilities and resistances.

Take cleric, use Sorcerer spell obtainment and progression, give light armor and simple weapons only.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Depends on your goals, I suppose.

If the goal is to just have a divine character who can serve as a party controller, I'd say "be a cleric, take control-y spells."

If the goal is to have a character who fits the Invoker fluff from 4e, I'd say go Bard ("words of creation" is a big part of 4e invoker fluff) or maybe Warlock (homebrew divine-pact warlocks in have a precedent of filling the story role of a "shard of raw divinity"), maybe with some new spells.

If the goal is to match the summons-and-area-effects spell list of the invoker, you'd probably just need to add some cleric spells or new a cleric domain.

You could probably combine all of those to varying degrees.

Not much in the 4e invoker's mechanics and identity that just adding some new spells won't get to, regardless of if it's a cleric or a bard or a warlock.