D&D 5E The warlock is a "better" wizard than a wizard

[Ancalagon]

Hello

Now before we start, I should state that I don't mean that the warlock is better at being a wizard than the wizard. At the very birth of D&D there were only 2 classes - the fighting man and the magic user. As more and more magic using classes appeared, even today the wizard remains the best D&D magic user, no doubt about it.

However, I'm starting to feel that from a narrative and balance, the warlock - specifically the tome warlock - is a better depiction of a generic "fantasy mage" (which is not the same as a D&D wizard!).

I came to this realization watching the Dungeon Dudes 's game on youtube. In their current campaign, their party mage is a warlock (GOO, tome). This warlock is from a family of wizards, he joined the academy etc and... sucked. He just didn't have the talent, at all. So his parents made some arrangements for him to find a certain ancient text and ... voila, he's now a "mage!". (this is background stuff, not in the actual campaign).

Because of this, the character is really trying his hardest to "be a wizard", but his toolset is limited. Only a few slots available at any given time. A lot of "shenanigans" to compensate. BUT he's still an effective mage, which some really clutch moments.

And I realized, watching him, that apart from the numerous reference to his patron (Bruce, who looks like a cat), a Tome Warlock is much more like a generic fantasy wizard, or how a wizard is in several other games. They can't fix every problem with a spell (because they don't know that many), the tome aspect makes them "bookish" a bit, they have to rely on wits, guile and luck to fix other problems etc... not at all like the swiss army knife, spell for any situation wizard. This makes them more balanced too! The only change you might need is changing the main stat from cha to int and perhaps tweak the skill selection a bit...

Am I on to something? does this make any sense?

 

[Seramus]

Sure! I've often toyed around with Sublcasses that change your casting stat. Like...

Contract - You've discovered an ancient text or contract that holds some fundamental secret of the world. Your spare time is spent deciphering the script, understanding legal clauses, and solving riddles made to keep away those of lesser intellect. Beneath those careful layers of protection you have discovered... a few words. Words from some bygone pact strong enough to shape reality to your desires.

And one of the 1st level abilities is "Use Int instead of Cha for your casting stat."

You can do the same thing for other classes, of course. Way of the Mountain Monk that trades Dex for Con, etc.

 

[tommybahama]

What fantasy characters are you comparing him to? The most famous would be Merlin or Gandalf I suppose. I don't see the Warlock as stacking up next to them.

 

[Yora]

Certainly a way cooler wizard.

 

[Seramus]

What fantasy characters are you comparing him to? The most famous would be Merlin or Gandalf I suppose. I don't see the Warlock as stacking up next to them.

Akiro from Conan!

 

[TwoSix]

I've been kicking around the idea recently of "warlocking" a wizard. Use the wizard base for hit points, skills, proficiencies, and spell list. Use the normal wizard subclasses. Replace the normal full casting with pact magic and invocations, and come up with some new wizard flavored invocations,

 

[Charlaquin]

Hello

Now before we start, I should state that I don't mean that the warlock is better at being a wizard than the wizard. At the very birth of D&D there were only 2 classes - the fighting man and the magic user. As more and more magic using classes appeared, even today the wizard remains the best D&D magic user, no doubt about it.

However, I'm starting to feel that from a narrative and balance, the warlock - specifically the tome warlock - is a better depiction of a generic "fantasy mage" (which is not the same as a D&D wizard!).

I came to this realization watching the Dungeon Dudes 's game on youtube. In their current campaign, their party mage is a warlock (GOO, tome). This warlock is from a family of wizards, he joined the academy etc and... sucked. He just didn't have the talent, at all. So his parents made some arrangements for him to find a certain ancient text and ... voila, he's now a "mage!". (this is background stuff, not in the actual campaign).

Because of this, the character is really trying his hardest to "be a wizard", but his toolset is limited. Only a few slots available at any given time. A lot of "shenanigans" to compensate. BUT he's still an effective mage, which some really clutch moments.

And I realized, watching him, that apart from the numerous reference to his patron (Bruce, who looks like a cat), a Tome Warlock is much more like a generic fantasy wizard, or how a wizard is in several other games. They can't fix every problem with a spell (because they don't know that many), the tome aspect makes them "bookish" a bit, they have to rely on wits, guile and luck to fix other problems etc... not at all like the swiss army knife, spell for any situation wizard. This makes them more balanced too! The only change you might need is changing the main stat from cha to int and perhaps tweak the skill selection a bit...

Am I on to something? does this make any sense?

Absolutely. The warlock is actually the class I recommend to beginners who want to play spellcasters. Simpler to play than wizards, closer to the typical fantasy mage concept they’re probably envisioning, and with lots of room to customize.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I've been kicking around the idea recently of "warlocking" a wizard. Use the wizard base for hit points, skills, proficiencies, and spell list. Use the normal wizard subclasses. Replace the normal full casting with pact magic and invocations, and come up with some new wizard flavored invocations,

This would be awesome.
At 3rd level you choose your arcane specialization: Summoner (chain), Scholar (Tome) or Blade Magic (Blade)

A ''mage'' with the Abjurer archetype and the Blade magic specialty would make a fine 4e swordmage.

Replace the Invocations that enhance Eldritch Blast to improves attack cantrips using a specific focus

Armor of Shadow -> Aegis of Protection
Eyes of the rune keeper -> can stay the same

etc

 

[overgeeked]

Sure! I've often toyed around with Sublcasses that change your casting stat. Like...

Contract - You've discovered an ancient text or contract that holds some fundamental secret of the world. Your spare time is spent deciphering the script, understanding legal clauses, and solving riddles made to keep away those of lesser intellect. Beneath those careful layers of protection you have discovered... a few words. Words from some bygone pact strong enough to shape reality to your desires.

And one of the 1st level abilities is "Use Int instead of Cha for your casting stat."

You can do the same thing for other classes, of course. Way of the Mountain Monk that trades Dex for Con, etc.

That's how we did swordmages coming from 4E to 5E, hexblade warlock with INT swapped for CHA.

 

[Ancalagon]

Absolutely. The warlock is actually the class I recommend to beginners who want to play spellcasters. Simpler to play than wizards, closer to the typical fantasy mage concept they’re probably envisioning, and with lots of room to customize.

I'm a bit hesitant to do that myself, because while the warlock is easier to play than a wizard, it has lots of dials and levers and moving parts. It's easier to make a bad warlock, or a boring one.