D&D 5E What makes a "full" spellcaster? [Warlock discussion]

[ccs]

Also, don't play a Warlock if you feel it is "boring" to go pew-pew with Eldritch Blast.

That's much like statting up an archer and then complaining you don't get to do much more than shoot arrows into people.

If going pew-pew with EB sounds boring.... Just choose other cantrips & invocations. EB is not mandatory to make a fun warlock.

 

[Mephista]

Perhaps a paticular chain was less spammy, and a paticular tome was more spammy, but in general, chain locks the spammier of the 2.

That's only if you assume chain is supposed to get eldritch blast in the first place. I don't.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I still find it odd that people consider attacking with eldritch blast to be spammy, but doing the exact same thing with a bow or sword somehow isn't...

Playing devil's advocate for a second...

(1) If you can spam attacks with a bow, you can also switch to a rapier + shield (or dual wielding), and you probably (?) do so on a semi-regular basis. This is similar to the Shillelagh + Booming Blade combo you mention above, except that it's built in, not something you need to take a special pact boon + invocations for.

(2) Using a bow (or rapier), you can also spend your attacks on other maneuvers like DMG Disarm or grappling/shoving.

If you do neither #1 nor #2, then you ARE just spamming arrows, and are therefore boring. But with Eldritch Blast, you don't have options #1 or #2 in the first place. Ergo, more spammy.

 

[Mephista]

You should start listening to some new people then.

Nope, I'm good, thanks. I'm firmly against the all warlocks = Eldritch Blast crowd.

 

[ccs]

Fey gives you an area Charm or Frighten once per rest. But it only lasts a single round. You also get a Misty Step-ish once per rest, but it doesn't work unless you take damage(!).

Hey, don't trash talk that Misty Step ability!
Like any other ability, how useful it is depends upon how you use it. More than once my Warlock has dashed in, grabbed the McGuffin, willingly taken the AoO (not likely to KO me) & "BAMFed" out of there to safety.
I've used it to get me to the top of trees/walls/etc far faster than I could ever climb them. And out of cells/manacles/the grip of various monsters.....
I've even used it to survive a base jump off the cliff that Castle Ravenloft sits on. DM said it would take several rounds to hit bottom. OK. An Intelligence check to gauge the distance et, several rounds of free fall, & had my own familiar bite me just before we went splat. (good thing he made his initiative roll vs gravity - those last 6 seconds were pretty tense )

 

[ccs]

I still find it odd that people consider attacking with eldritch blast to be spammy, but doing the exact same thing with a bow or sword somehow isn't...

Eh. Spammy wasn't the problem for me. EB itself just didn't fit the character I had in mind when I made my 1/2ling warlock. Worse, using the invocations that support it would've denied me some really cool stuff. That just struck me as a really boring way to make a character.
And on top of that were all the people who thought (and still think) EB is the core concept of the whole class. Especially at the shop. They needed to see something different succeed.

 

[mellored]

That's only if you assume chain is supposed to get eldritch blast in the first place. I don't.

I see nothing even close to implying that the chain should not get Eldritch Blast. How did you concluded that?

 

[mellored]

EB itself just didn't fit the character I had in mind when I made my 1/2ling warlock.

That's fair.
I guess when you say you want to make an archer, or sword fighter, you expect to spam bow and sword attacks.
But when you take "warlock", you probably think hexes, curses, and magical bargains, rather than magic gatling gun.

And on top of that were all the people who thought (and still think) EB is the core concept of the whole class.

EB was the core of the class in 3e. 5e relies a bit more on spells.

 

[cmad1977]

A healthy breakfast.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mephista]

I see nothing even close to implying that the chain should not get Eldritch Blast. How did you concluded that?

I didn't say it should not, I said that its not supposed to, which I suppose is not the best way to convey my thoughts. Intended is probably a better word to use.