D&D 5E Companion thread to 5E Survivor - Subclasses (Part XIII: Warlock)

[Undrave]

Depends on the character! Some characters prefer the subtle approach! My character in our Battletech Hero game is very much the kind to hack into a computer and find out the information we were expected to find by assaulting an enemy stronghold. But I figure so long as we eventually get into a scrap with the big stompy robots it doesn't matter if it's to my character's design instead of the patron's.

Hacking is cool but it also tend to lead to a solo adventure for the hacker while everybody else twiddles their thumbs.

I'm still not convinced on how practical a class who's whole gimmick is effects that play out over a long period of time is, especially if they can easily be removed by enemy casters with like... Remove Curse or what have you.

 

[RealAlHazred]

Hacking is cool but it also tend to lead to a solo adventure for the hacker while everybody else twiddles their thumbs.

I'm still not convinced on how practical a class who's whole gimmick is effects that play out over a long period of time is, especially if they can easily be removed by enemy casters with like... Remove Curse or what have you.

Remove curse is a 3rd level spell, which requires a 5th level caster. In my home game, the NPCs in town don't include any 5th level casters who are willing to do that for just anyone. You could go to Father Nemo of the Church, and he's only likely to do it for one of the Church's major donors.

Also, there are several things witches can do that can't be so easily removed.

 

[CleverNickName]

It's a matter of style.

The warlock class has built-in specialization in eldritch blast. Is it necessary to do a warlock build around eldritch blast? Absolutely not! You can make any kind of character you like! However... several invocations drastically improve eldritch blast, which is a cantrip all warlocks get and is (in its base version) arguably one of the best combat-oriented cantrips: force damage, multiple beams at higher levels, a 1d10 damage die, etc.

So, can you make a witchy warlock? Sure, absolutely! In which case, why bother having a sorcerer class; just make a wizard! Why have a paladin, when you can get the same flavor with fighter/cleric multiclassing?

I have a fairy-tale oriented setting, and wanted a witch class that would fit well with that setting. And I found one!

For me, it's more about choosing the spellcasting mechanics that I want.

If I want to play a classic "Vancian" spellcaster with prepared spells and slots, I roll up a wizard.
If I want to avoid spell prep and use metamagic abilities, I roll up a sorcerer.
If I want my spells to reset on a short rest instead of a long rest, I roll up a warlock.

The spell lists for each aren't that different...at least nothing that a Magic Initiate feat or a chat with my DM wouldn't handle. But the mechanics for each is quite different. I can see room for a Witch in this "arcane caster" list, if the spellcasting mechanics are meaningfully different from the other three.

 

[Undrave]

Remove curse is a 3rd level spell, which requires a 5th level caster. In my home game, the NPCs in town don't include any 5th level casters who are willing to do that for just anyone. You could go to Father Nemo of the Church, and he's only likely to do it for one of the Church's major donors.

That's all well and good if your enemy is below level 5 I guess...

 

[Undrave]

Anybody else misses the 4e Star Pact Warlock? And it's potential 'Patrons' (who probably don't even notice the Warlock?)

Acamar: A corpse star whose motions and behemoth size send celestial objects that draw too close spiraling to their doom.
Caiphon: The dream whisperer, a purple star usually on the horizon. It has the guise of a helpful guide star, but sometimes betrays those who rely upon it.
Delban: An ice-white star often visible only during winter, it might surprise the star-gazer with an impromptu flare during any season.
Gibbeth: The Endless. Better not to write or think overlong on this greenish point in the sky.
Hadar: The Ebon Hunger, the extinguished cinder of a star lurking within the cloaking nebula of Ihbar.
Ihbar: The Hands of Tendrils, a dark nebula between stars, is slowly expanding and eating the light of neighboring constellations.
Khirad: The Burning Flame, a piercing blue star, its radiance sometimes reveals secrets and gruesome insights.
Nihal: The Red Worms, a reddish star that writhes around the position it should hold in the heavens.
Ulban: The messenger, a comet of blue-white fire and the morning glory. Its blue-white light disrupts cognition and the ability to recognize danger.
Thuban: Of the frozen emerald seas.
Zhudun: Dead, and of the blank face. Another corpse star, historically described as shining a baleful light over the Ruined Realm of Cendriane in the Feywild before its fall.

 

[RealAlHazred]

That's all well and good if your enemy is below level 5 I guess...

Level 5 and above are generally the purview of PCs in my D&D games, 5E or otherwise.

 

[TwoSix]

It's a matter of style.

The warlock class has built-in specialization in eldritch blast. Is it necessary to do a warlock build around eldritch blast? Absolutely not! You can make any kind of character you like! However... several invocations drastically improve eldritch blast, which is a cantrip all warlocks get and is (in its base version) arguably one of the best combat-oriented cantrips: force damage, multiple beams at higher levels, a 1d10 damage die, etc.

So, can you make a witchy warlock? Sure, absolutely! In which case, why bother having a sorcerer class; just make a wizard! Why have a paladin, when you can get the same flavor with fighter/cleric multiclassing?

I have a fairy-tale oriented setting, and wanted a witch class that would fit well with that setting. And I found one!

I'm a fan of Mage Hand Press's Witch, but the Walrock one is good too.

My personal favorite homebrew for Warlock is the Compendium of Forgotten Secrets, which has a ton of flavorful warlock patrons (17, I think) and supporting mechanics for each.

The Compendium of Forgotten Secrets | Genuine Fantasy Press

Genuine Fantasy Press: Home of the Compendium of Forgotten Secrets! Get archetypes, patrons, and more 5e content here!

www.genfantasypress.com

 

[DND_Reborn]

I must admit I am surprised warlocks are getting so much love... I think the class is horrible and don't really like any of the subclasses, either. For me, it isn't "they are all sort of good so I can't decide what to downvote", it is "man, I can't downvote all this crap FAST ENOUGH!"

 

[Vaalingrade]

What's not to love? Fun flavor, good, customizable (!!) At-Will, refreshes power on a short rest like a good class should, consistently supported. If the rogue and bard didn't exist, it'd be the best class in 5e.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Let's just say we have very different ideas of what makes a "good class" and leave it at that.

(I will agree Rogue is one of the best classes, however. )