D&D 5E Warlock trading hit dice/hit points for spell slots?

[Cap'n Kobold]

I'm not a fan of the suggestion. Most characters need their HD for regaining hit points, so having the ability to burn them to get advantages further transfers the burden of managing your resources onto another character (the healer.)

 

[MechaTarrasque]

...and this is why the Warlock should have been relegated to the DMG along with the Death Cleric. If "sacrificing the blood of their victims" is thematically appropriate to the class, then it really has no business adventuring alongside the other classes.

It might have saved a lot of issues if the spam blaster got grafted onto the sorcerer, and doubled down on the creepy factor for the warlock in the DMG. I don't think they were ready for a whole class to be in the DMG, though, so the tomelock could have been the evil wizard subclass, the bladelock could have been the evil fighter subclass, and the chainlock could have been the evil ranger subclass.

 

[Tonguez]

...and this is why the Warlock should have been relegated to the DMG along with the Death Cleric. If "sacrificing the blood of their victims" is thematically appropriate to the class, then it really has no business adventuring alongside the other classes.

Um, so making bargains with eldritch powers and slaughtering various sentients is okay - but sacrificing the blood of victims isnt?

 

[Charlaquin]

So, thematically, the Warlock is a caster who has made some kind of bargain for their magic. But the "cost" aspect of the class is mostly left to the DM to decide and act on, or not act on. Maybe your patron asks you to do little side quests or something, which is fine, but there isn't any mechanical benefit for doing them nor is there a consequence for ignoring them (beyond passing up a role-playing opportunity.)

This all sounds like I am advocating some kind of paladin-like behavioral stipulation for the warlock, but I don't think that is a good idea, and I would rather not get into that topic here. I only bring it up because I feel like it shows how mechanically, the warlock kind of fails to live up to its purpose as the magic-from-a-bargain class. In fact they seem to specialize in getting free stuff, which is decidedly un-bargain-like.

So my thought was to simply give the warlock a new ability that allows them to sacrifice hit dice to their patron in exchange for spell slots. In essence they are giving their patron a portion of their life force in exchange for more power. I think putting a limit on the number of transactions they are allowed in a day would be necessary, maybe something like 1 transaction per 5 levels.

I am also of the opinion that the Warlock is perhaps a little underpowered and giving them this ability wouldn't unduly unbalance the class.

Just kind of spitballing, here, wondering what you folks think.

Sounds like a really cool feature for a custom patron to me.

 

[Prakriti]

Um, so making bargains with eldritch powers and slaughtering various sentients is okay - but sacrificing the blood of victims isnt?

No, it's definitely not okay. Hence why Warlock should not be a playable class.

But that's a discussion for another thread.

 

[Xeviat]

Since Cure Wounds heals Xd8+Stat, where X is spell level, and since warlock slots scale up to 5th, a warlock's HD is worth less than a spell slot really quickly. I'd look there when determining a conversion.

 

[Krachek]

If a DM run adventuring day with few or no short rest, it may be an elegant way to help warlock, but also other short rest classes to nova more efficiently.
personally I would give that through magic item. You’re note changing the game, simply readjust the game locally for your need.

 

[Raduin711]

If this were something for general consumption, I think I would stick with framing it as "offering life force" rather than making overt references to blood, and let players/groups decide what that might look like. Some groups might feel uncomfortable with overt descriptions of self harm. The same goes for sacrificing the blood of victims...

When this kind of thing goes on at tables it tends to make players squirm a little in their seats, and I wouldn't want mechanics to encourage that. I don't like sitting at tables where players mutilate or torture their foes, and sacrificing the blood of your foes comes a little too close to that, maybe.

 

[Kurotowa]

Speaking strictly from a game mechanics point of view, you can't frame this as the Warlock trading one resource (health) for another resource (spell slots). This is the Warlock trading the party healer's resource (available healing) for their own. Understanding that this is the true exchange in play in vital for gauging both the power of the ability and the potential impact on player psychology.

Of the two, the latter is actually the more potentially disruptive. I've seen this come up repeatedly in my MMO days. Some healers love the feeling of enabling others; when the Warlock goes nova because they know their healer can cover them, it makes the healer feel valued and like a key member of the party. Other times the relationship is less positive, though. If the Warlock constantly cuts loose without considering the healer's resources, it can leave the healer feeling abused and drained; they're having to feed all their spell slots into keeping the Warlock alive while the Warlock is the one who gets to show off.

This is why, even aside from balance considerations, I highly caution anyone considering opening this door. Making one character's performance come at the expense of another's only works when there's trust and reciprocity between them. It's very, very easy for things to turn toxic.

 

[DND_Reborn]

@Kurotowa makes a good point. For the OP's idea, maybe a drain on the HP maximum to restore spells slots? This way it won't be recovered until a long rest or using strong magics at higher levels.