D&D (2024) Warlock spell poll.

[mamba]

Keep pact magic.

you can keep using the 5e Warlock, no reason not to fix it for 1DD

 

[Shardstone]

you can keep using the 5e Warlock, no reason not to fix it for 1DD

This is the big thing. Now that we've seen like 11/12 classes, I'm confident I can run a table of 2014 and 2023 classes with little issues. Can probably fit A5E and Kobold Press in there too!

 

[the Jester]

you can keep using the 5e Warlock, no reason not to fix it for 1DD

I wouldn't mind a fix that keeps pact magic. I don't like putting everything under the same resource management mechanic. I know that the issue is that many groups don't use short rests, but I think the way to solve that isn't to move away from short rest related stuff, it's to lean into it, making each class have at least some abilities that recharge on a short rest and having more mechanics that interact with short rests.

 

[Gorck]

I don’t get how so many groups don’t use Short Rests. Do the characters get out of their bedrolls in the morning and just go go go until they climb back into their bedrolls again at night? Does nobody stop to take a breather and, I don’t know, have a bite to eat? How does that kind of rigorous lifestyle not lead to exhaustion mechanics kicking in?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

. It's not an Invocation tax, really, since a Warlock who avoided Mystic Arcanum entirely gets lots of cool toys that peobavly fit some concept better.

it is. That warlock has used at least half of their invocations just to keep what the original 5e warlock had, and still has less of it for level 3-5 spells.

Being able to play the same character you could before the revision shouldn’t cost half your invocations. That’s a tax.

 

[Remathilis]

I don’t get how so many groups don’t use Short Rests. Do the characters get out of their bedrolls in the morning and just go go go until they climb back into their bedrolls again at night? Does nobody stop to take a breather and, I don’t know, have a bite to eat? How does that kind of rigorous lifestyle not lead to exhaustion mechanics kicking in?

You're assuming the PCs enter into the dungeon at 8am and leave 8 to 12 hours later. That works when you have a large dungeon or similar, but it breaks down when your encounters are in a more condensed situation. For example, the PCs might spend a large part of the day getting the location of a Thieves Hideout, much of that time being skill checks or role-playing. During that time, they can take a short rest whenever they wish. But once they find the hideout, Much of the adventuring day is spent and if time is remotely of the essence, they might venture into the hideout that same day (or that night). Once there, they may not have time to rest between encounters. So the warlock might have to get through a handful of combats (plus traps and hazards) with only his two spell slots. If they reach what they are looking for in the hideout, there is a good chance that the group will opt for a long rest at that point.

I'm speaking from experience, I just ran that scenario and that is exactly how it played out. For a short rest to be desirable, you have to have your adventure be structured so that the PCs can rest between events, but not able to long rest. For me, that works fine on location based adventures where the PCs are expected to spend a day or more exploring, but are under no time pressure to get it done quickly and no easy access to retreat. That is a very specific play style and it's tied to the failure of the 6-8 encounter per day structure that also fails in anything but the classic dungeon.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Wow. Thank you for doing this, it really says it all IMO.

Def think this alone is a strong enough argument for Pact Magic to go!

When the problem is the recharge and even on two full short rests how is this a strong enough argument to throw the baby out with the bathwater?

 

[cbwjm]

One thing I like about the new warlock and mystic arcanum, is that as you level in the warlock class, you shift that mystic arcanum up a level (I'm assuming you're able to swap them on level up). Get to 9th level and you can replace that fireball with a 5th level spell, learning fireball as one of your regular spells (or keep fireball for an extra cast of it, I do wonder if mystic arcanum will change to allow you to cast spells with appropriate level spell slots).

 

[Remathilis]

One thing I like about the new warlock and mystic arcanum, is that as you level in the warlock class, you shift that mystic arcanum up a level (I'm assuming you're able to swap them on level up). Get to 9th level and you can replace that fireball with a 5th level spell, learning fireball as one of your regular spells (or keep fireball for an extra cast of it, I do wonder if mystic arcanum will change to allow you to cast spells with appropriate level spell slots).

MA doesn't scale. Ergo, it's always worth it to just have your highest level (or maybe highest two levels) of MA just. I guess if there is a signature spell you really like, an extra MA of it isn't bad either. You'll trade up your 3rd level MA boom spell for a 5th level one, and so on.

 

[mamba]

I wouldn't mind a fix that keeps pact magic. I don't like putting everything under the same resource management mechanic. I know that the issue is that many groups don't use short rests, but I think the way to solve that isn't to move away from short rest related stuff, it's to lean into it, making each class have at least some abilities that recharge on a short rest and having more mechanics that interact with short rests.

I lean the other way, get rid of short rests (except for healing). I agree that technically either one works, I just prefer fewer rests / more flexibility when using resources.