Playtest (A5E) Level Up Playtest Document #14: Warlock

NotAYakk · Mar 27, 2021

Faolyn said:
I don't think I understand what you mean here.

An opposite bard mockery.

If they fail the save, the next attack on them has advantage, and this stacks until the end of your next turn.

The spasm makes it hard for them to defend themselves.

Faolyn · Mar 27, 2021

So I decided to make a character, an 8th-level warlock. Tomatha was raised by the fey from a young age to be their liaison to the mortal realms. While she's not a priest per se, her purpose is to perform the rituals needed to keep the gates between the Fae Realms and the Mortal World open, and to keep the faeries mollified so they don't harm humans. I cheated a bit with the Origin, reskinning Forest Gnome as "Fey Forest Dweller." I

Now, this might be an issue. With a spell point system and no requirement to cast spells at the highest possible level, I can cast six 1st-level spells or four second-level spells between rests. That's a lot more than the standard two slots per rest and it can outpace most other casters. For those of you who are more mathematically inclined, how (un)balanced is this?

Would it be better to say you get back a die roll's worth of SP at each short rest, and all of them at a long rest?

Also, since you wrote that a Pact of the Chain individual can have any tiny creature of CR 1/2 or lower as a familiar, I took a chwinga. Because they are utterly adorable and I love them.

Tomátha Balényth

Lineage: Elf
Gift: Preternatural Awareness
Origin: “Fey Forest” (Forest Gnome)
Background: Acolyte
Class: Warlock 8 (Archfey)
Str 10 (+0), Dex 14 (+1), Con 11 (+0), Int 11 (+1), Wis 18 (+4), Cha 14 (+2)
Hit Points: 43 (8d8)
Speed: 30 ft.
Skills: Arcana +4, Deception +5, History +4, Religion +6, Persuasion +5
Weapons and Armor: light armor, simple weapons
Saves: Wis +6, Cha +4
Weapons: Sling 1d4+1 bludgeoning, or 1d6+4 w/magic stone, range 30/120. Spear 1d6+1 piercing, 1d8+1 if wielded in two hands, range 20/60.

Traits
Darkvision 60 ft. (Lineage)

Languages: Common, Gnome, Elven, Sylvan

Eldritch Spasm: 1 or 2 creatures within 60 feet must make a Wis save or take 1d10 force damage. (Class)

Fey Ancestry. I have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put me to sleep. (Lineage)

Fey Presence (1/rest): As an action, I can cause each creature in a 10-foot cube centered on me to make a Wisd save or are either charmed or frightened by me (my choice) until the end of my next turn. (Archetype)

Invocations: Courts of the Outer Realms. I am familiar with fey society and politics. I have advantage on checks made to interact with them or recall lore about them. I am proficient in History. Eldritch Ingot (1/rest or until I spend 5 SP). I can use my EB against all creatures in 20-foot diameter cube originating at a point within 60 feet. Each creature in the area takes 1d10 × 3 force damage. Mire the Mind. Misty Visions (Class)

Knacks: Mirror, Mirror. I can commune with my patron via a reflective surface during a short or long rest. I can also cast augury 1/rest through a reflective surface. Portants & Portals. I can sense whenever I am within 1 mile of a portal or gateway to another plane. I have advantage on checks made to locate this portal, and gain an expertise die on any checks made to stabilize, activate, or open it. (Class)

Misty Escape (1/rest). When I take damage, I can use my reaction to turn invisible until the end of my next turn or until attack or cast a spell. and teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space I can see. (Archetype)

Ordination. I am expected to perform the rituals of the fey. In exchange, my companions and I will be provided with food, lodging, and a modest lifestyle. (Background)

Pact of the Chain: I have a chwinga as a familiar.

Prophetic Instincts. I add my Wisdom modifier to Initiative rolls, and can’t be surprised while conscious, including during my Trance. (Gift)

Small Beast Speech: I can communicate simple thoughts and ideas with Small or smaller beasts.

Trance. I don’t sleep, but must meditate for four hours. (Lineage)

Spells
Spell Save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks (Wis)

Spell Points: 12. I regain all expended SP after a short or long rest.

At will: infestation, magic stone, minor illusion (Int; Origin), prestidigitation,

1/day: augury (Knack), entangle (Int; Origin; save DC 13), barksin (Int; Origin), silent image (Wis, Invoc), slow 5 SP (Wis, Invoc).

Spells Known: blink (5 SP), charm monster (6 SP), crown of madness (3 SP), dominate beast (6 SP), enemies abound (5 SP), faerie fire (2 SP), flock of familiars (3 SP), mind spike (3 SP), phantasmal force (3 SP)

Faolyn · Mar 27, 2021

NotAYakk said:
An opposite bard mockery.

If they fail the save, the next attack on them has advantage, and this stacks until the end of your next turn.

The spasm makes it hard for them to defend themselves.

Ah. You phrased it oddly. Thanks for clearing it up.

Stalker0 · Mar 27, 2021

Chain Warlocks can now have Pixies as their familiars, its the end times!

Stacie GmrGrl · Mar 27, 2021

Can you play a Warlock that doesn't want Eldritch Blast?

Minigiant · Mar 27, 2021

First glances

Stuff I like
Choosable Spellcasting Ability
Putting the utility invocations into their own slot with the knacks.
Court Invocations is a great name.
Spell point is a greatway to add complexity and keep the core idea.

Stuff I don't like
Eldritch Blast options are unbalanced.
Eldritch Blast has no non-damage control option
There is no future proofing displayed for post level 10 warlock invocations

Stuff I've rename or change
Eldritch Spasm is too Warhammery. Eldritch Jinx is better.
Add Constitution as a Spellcasting option.
Too many Eldritches. I'd go Any, Court, Great, and Dark

Xethreau · Mar 27, 2021

Faolyn said:
I cheated a bit with the Origin, reskinning Forest Gnome as "Fey Forest Dweller."

That's a strange way of spelling "I made a basic and commonsense character design choice."

TwoSix · Mar 29, 2021

Faolyn said:
Now, this might be an issue. With a spell point system and no requirement to cast spells at the highest possible level, I can cast six 1st-level spells or four second-level spells between rests. That's a lot more than the standard two slots per rest and it can outpace most other casters. For those of you who are more mathematically inclined, how (un)balanced is this?

It's certainly a buff over the O5E warlock. Having more spell options is always going to be better than having less, after all. It doesn't make them better than the other casters, though; having a larger pool of resources on a longer recharge time is generally better than a small pool of resources on a short recharge time, unless you can really abuse the amount of recharges. And it's pretty hard in 5e to take 4 or more short rests before a long rest (which is where you'd have to be before I'd say a short-rest class is definitely ahead of a long-rest class.)

Faolyn · Mar 29, 2021

TwoSix said:
It's certainly a buff over the O5E warlock. Having more spell options is always going to be better than having less, after all. It doesn't make them better than the other casters, though; having a larger pool of resources on a longer recharge time is generally better than a small pool of resources on a short recharge time, unless you can really abuse the amount of recharges. And it's pretty hard in 5e to take 4 or more short rests before a long rest (which is where you'd have to be before I'd say a short-rest class is definitely ahead of a long-rest class.)

No, it's not spell options, it's spell points. Spell options would be knowing more spells. This is raw casting power.

Imagine that you're limited to a logical two short rests in between long rests. At 8th level and 12 SP, I can cast the second-level (for 3 SP) mind spike 12 times in one day (each time doing 3d8 psychic damage). In o5e, I can cast it 6 times (each time doing 5d8 damage).

I mean, I do get that it's casting at the lowest level, and if you upcast everything to the max allowed it comes out about the same, but if you don't mind not upcasting you get a huge benefit. Is it too much of one?

TwoSix · Mar 29, 2021

Faolyn said:
No, it's not spell options, it's spell points. Spell options would be knowing more spells. This is raw casting power.

Imagine that you're limited to a logical two short rests in between long rests. At 8th level and 12 SP, I can cast the second-level (for 3 SP) mind spike 12 times in one day (each time doing 3d8 psychic damage). In o5e, I can cast it 6 times (each time doing 5d8 damage).

I mean, I do get that it's casting at the lowest level, and if you upcast everything to the max allowed it comes out about the same, but if you don't mind not upcasting you get a huge benefit. Is it too much of one?

No, it's still options. Being able to cast 6 1st level spells is an option, just like being to be able to cast 2 4th level spells is an option. An O5E warlock can do one of those options, a spell points warlock has many options. (2 4th, a 4th and 3 1st, 4 2nd, a 3rd, a 2nd, and 2 1st, etc, etc)

Believe me, I'm not confused about it.

Is it too much of a buff compared to an O5E warlock? Maybe. We'll have to let the surveys sort that out. My gut says probably, spell points generally allow the caster to use too many low level utility spells that really shouldn't be spammed. But it's not as bad with a caster with a smaller point of spell points, like warlock has.