Level Up (A5E) Draft of the Bladesworn Warlock: an A5e Hexblade and 1/3 Martial

[xiphumor]

Bladesworn Warlock

No description.

homebrewery.naturalcrit.com

My first attempt at a Bladesworn Warlock, and also my first subclass specifically designed for A5e. I'm looking for feedback, as I'm not convinced this is the final draft.

Design goals included not making it an obvious go-to multiclass for min-maxers, integrating maneuvers, making weapon damage a viable strategy for damage at high levels of play, and avoiding broken interactions with invocations.

 

[Faolyn]

Can you use your eldritch ray with Biting Zephyr maneuvers? Or at least those maneuvers where it makes sense you don't have physical ammo?

 

[xiphumor]

Can you use your eldritch ray with Biting Zephyr maneuvers? Or at least those maneuvers where it makes sense you don't have physical ammo?

That’s the idea! You just don’t have to expend ammo.

 

[Faolyn]

That’s the idea! You just don’t have to expend ammo.

Awesome! You might want to specify it, though, or possibly specify which ones can't be used, like Doubleshot.

 

[xiphumor]

Oh no, it can be used with Doubleshot, you just don't have to spend ammunition. I imagine it like conjuring up a bow and arrow.

 

[Faolyn]

Oh no, it can be used with Doubleshot, you just don't have to spend ammunition. I imagine it like conjuring up a bow and arrow.

Mmm, that might be too OP because you're not spending ammo. I realize not everyone tracks ammo, but it's a thing.

 

[VenerableBede]

I like it! Looks like a lot of fun!

First of all, love that you give several options for features at two different levels. In my opinion, regular choices (even nested within other choices) are one of the best parts of A5e, and I love it when people lean into that.

Requiring Pact of the Blade—how necessary is it? You grant proficiency with martial weapons and you allow Eldritch Blast to be used in place of weapon attacks for maneuvers. Removing that restriction could allow for many more theoretical builds and character ideas.

Mortal Mark: Love this feature! In my opinion, giving a creature disadvantage to your combat maneuvers for one minute period might be a little strong. (Just going off of my gut.) Maybe have the effect end after the target creature fails a save against X number of maneuvers, rather than having disadvantage against every maneuver you do for a minute?
Since warlocks tend to have low Strength and rarely focus Dexterity, their maneuver save DCs will probably be lower than the average martial, so this feature might make Eldritch Disturbance the go-to for Bladesworn warlocks even with a small nerf.

Unearthly Vigor: Now that you can use your spell save DC in place of your maneuver DC, I definitely think Mortal Mark needs a little limitation, since most warlocks will have this DC at the highest they can get it just by focusing on being a warlock.

Blasting Blade: Now that's fun! Fighters might be jealous that you eventually get more melee attacks than them, but you also have worse AC and HP, so I think the trade-off is fair.

Foretell Doom: Possible rewording, "You may cast Eldritch Disturbance as a bonus action on your turn. You may not do this and cast a spell (including a cantrip) or Eldritch Blast using your action on the same turn. When you cast Eldritch Disturbance as a bonus action, you deal half damage, rounded down."

Overstep: Does this feature intentionally allow you to learn a maneuver of any tradition, or is it intended to just work with the traditions you know?

 

[VenerableBede]

Here's a fun combination with Unending Wheel: Throwing Stance + Dreadful Wield — you can now throw your eldritch blast! I think that's hilarious.

 

[xiphumor]

Mmm, that might be too OP because you're not spending ammo. I realize not everyone tracks ammo, but it's a thing.

The cost is what? 5 cp for an arrow? I’m comfortable letting an exertion point cover that cost, especially as features like Eldritch Riposte allow Warlocks to add damage dice to their EB at a small cost. But I’ll take your feedback into consideration.

 

[xiphumor]

I like it! Looks like a lot of fun!

First of all, love that you give several options for features at two different levels. In my opinion, regular choices (even nested within other choices) are one of the best parts of A5e, and I love it when people lean into that.

Requiring Pact of the Blade—how necessary is it? You grant proficiency with martial weapons and you allow Eldritch Blast to be used in place of weapon attacks for maneuvers. Removing that restriction could allow for many more theoretical builds and character ideas.

Mortal Mark: Love this feature! In my opinion, giving a creature disadvantage to your combat maneuvers for one minute period might be a little strong. (Just going off of my gut.) Maybe have the effect end after the target creature fails a save against X number of maneuvers, rather than having disadvantage against every maneuver you do for a minute?
Since warlocks tend to have low Strength and rarely focus Dexterity, their maneuver save DCs will probably be lower than the average martial, so this feature might make Eldritch Disturbance the go-to for Bladesworn warlocks even with a small nerf.

Unearthly Vigor: Now that you can use your spell save DC in place of your maneuver DC, I definitely think Mortal Mark needs a little limitation, since most warlocks will have this DC at the highest they can get it just by focusing on being a warlock.

Blasting Blade: Now that's fun! Fighters might be jealous that you eventually get more melee attacks than them, but you also have worse AC and HP, so I think the trade-off is fair.

Foretell Doom: Possible rewording, "You may cast Eldritch Disturbance as a bonus action on your turn. You may not do this and cast a spell (including a cantrip) or Eldritch Blast using your action on the same turn. When you cast Eldritch Disturbance as a bonus action, you deal half damage, rounded down."

Overstep: Does this feature intentionally allow you to learn a maneuver of any tradition, or is it intended to just work with the traditions you know?

Wow, thanks for all the feedback! Let me respond in kind:

1. Requiring Pact Blade was more necessary before I hit on the device of Blasting Blade where I could actually give Warlocks extra weapon attacks at the appropriate levels. My big problem is making sure that using weapons remains at least as effective in terms of DPR as using EB, so finding a way to do extra attacks or up the damage somehow was key. I actually think I'll turn Bellicose Syncretism into a Level 6 feature instead.

2. Yeah... I wasn't quite sure how to balance Mortal Mark against the other options when I wrote it, and I even considered forbidding Eldritch Disturbance from the subclass, but I definitely leave it in now! My concern here is that while the other options get to use their maneuvers on the same turn as EB, the ED requires one extra turn, and in the intervening time the target might die.

3. In fairness, you would have gotten four attacks anyway as a Warlock.

4. Thanks. I'll likely cut "rounded down" as that's assumed in A5e and O5e, but beyond that, much cleaner.

5. It was intended to be any tradition, but honestly... I'm not in love with the feature. I've yet to find a good capstone that really makes me say "Awwww Yeah! NOW we're talkin'!"