D&D 5E Question regarding warlock expanded spell lists

[BacchusNL]

Hey yall,

So I've been playing a warlock for about 4 levels now and always assumed their patron spell list was like druid circle spells or cleric domains (free spell choices you always have prepared), but then a party member pointed out that it merely expands your spell list, not that it automaticly gives you the spell as prepared. After reading it over I came to the same conclusion, but I did kinda wanted to make sure that was the case before I scrap or replace them.

Tnx!

 

[Ancalagon]

Your friend is correct.

If it makes you feel any better, you are not the first person who's made that mistake, a player of mine did too.

 

[Blue]

I wish they made it a bit clearer, but yes, your friend is correct. Just spells on the Warlock list, not spells known.

 

[Charlaquin]

Hey yall,

So I've been playing a warlock for about 4 levels now and always assumed their patron spell list was like druid circle spells or cleric domains (free spell choices you always have prepared), but then a party member pointed out that it merely expands your spell list, not that it automaticly gives you the spell as prepared. After reading it over I came to the same conclusion, but I did kinda wanted to make sure that was the case before I scrap or replace them.

Tnx!

Warlocks don’t prepare spells. It does add those spells to the list of spells from which you can choose when you learn a new spell.

 

[Harzel]

Warlocks don’t prepare spells. It does add those spells to the list of spells from which you can choose when you learn a new spell.

This.

And just to elaborate: Bards, Fighters (Eldritch Knight), Rangers, Rogues (Arcane Trickster), Sorcerers, and Warlocks have a set of spells that they know, chosen from their class spell list. The set of spells they know changes only when they level up (according to rules specific to the class). If they know a spell and have an appropriate slot available, they can cast it (barring exceptional circumstances such as being silenced, unconscious, or dead, among others).

Clerics, Druids, and Paladins select spells to prepare, chosen from their class spell list. They can change this selection anytime they finish a long rest. If they have a spell prepared and have an appropriate slot available, they can cast it (caveat as above). In essence, they just get to change the spells they have available to cast completely and much more frequently than casters who must "know" spells. Some class features grant spells that are 'always prepared', which makes them more like 'known' spells.

The Wizard is unique in that they must both 'know' a spell (have it in their spell book) and have it prepared in order to cast it.

Monks (Way of the Four Elements) are their own thing.

I've probably missed some magical subclasses, but that covers most of the PH.

@BacchusNL - if you already realized this, sorry, this isn't intended to be condescending.

 

[DEFCON 1]

That all being said, I have not had any "balance issues" by letting my warlock players actually add those their class spells to their "Spells Known" list, rather than just their class list of spells.

 

[Blue]

That all being said, I have not had any "balance issues" by letting my warlock players actually add those their class spells to their "Spells Known" list, rather than just their class list of spells.

At my table, I tend to see single-classed warlocks underperform vs. other casters if they don't get two short rests over the course of the day. Do your players usually get a number of short rests on an average adventuring day?

Not judging, just looking for context.

 

[DEFCON 1]

At my table, I tend to see single-classed warlocks underperform vs. other casters if they don't get two short rests over the course of the day. Do your players usually get a number of short rests on an average adventuring day?

Not judging, just looking for context.

Sometimes, sometimes not. But no one has really cared, because the players at my table who have played warlocks have done so because of the story aspects of being warlocks, not because of any mechanical strengths or weaknesses. No one really compares how everyone is doing against each other in any fights. For my players the stories of their PCs and the stories of the fights they experience as a group matter way more than any DPR-measuring contest.

 

[Blue]

Sometimes, sometimes not. But no one has really cared, because the players at my table who have played warlocks have done so because of the story aspects of being warlocks, not because of any mechanical strengths or weaknesses. No one really compares how everyone is doing against each other in any fights. For my players the stories of their PCs and the stories of the fights they experience as a group matter way more than any DPR-measuring contest.

Easy, I wasn't judging.

And at least you were comparing how they do, since you said there weren't any balance problems with adding the pact spells to spells known. I was just trying to get a feel for how that would work moved over to my table. If you often had fewer short rests but saw no balance problems, they it would probably be a reasonable boost if I wanted to do fewer short rests as well.

Again, was not implying anything about your game or table. Sounds like everyone is having fun and tight on their characters.

 

[Krachek]

At my table, I tend to see single-classed warlocks underperform vs. other casters if they don't get two short rests over the course of the day. Do your players usually get a number of short rests on an average adventuring day?

Not judging, just looking for context.

What about when they got tree or four short rest?
Do they over perform?