D&D (2024) They butchered the warlock in the new packet

[TwoSix]

I've often remarked that the thing that bugged me the most about 5e was that the design currency appeared to be measured in "spell units."

That they are making this even more explicit is not, IMO, a good thing. That said, this is my preference, and I tend to prefer magic to be rare and spectacular, not common and boring.

That's a fine desire, but it's way outside the scope of a 5e revision. Ideally, you'd want to detach magic from class progression to do that. Or at least make spells rare but powerful, like Worlds without Number or Beyond the Wall, the D&D-like games I know that fit the bill the best.

 

[Charlaquin]

why not make them a 2/3rd casters?

7 levels of spells.

new spell levels at class levels: 1,4,7,10,13,16,19.

While we are at it, make Bards, Druids and Sorcerers also 2/3rd casters.
That will leave only Clerics and Wizards as full casters.

Or, how about this wild idea: give them just a few spell slots, but they’re always automatically the highest level possible for the warlock’s level, and they recover on a short rest instead of a long rest.

 

[OldSchoolGamerGirl]

Or, how about this wild idea: give them just a few spell slots, but they’re always automatically the highest level possible for the warlock’s level, and they recover on a short rest instead of a long rest.

great idea

 

[Charlaquin]

if your single most distinguishing feature is breaking your class, then that needs fixing, even if it reduces uniqueness overall

The class wasn’t broken. On the contrary, it was easily the best-designed class in the game, so much so that everyone and their mother based all their homebrew classes’ progression structures on it.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

That's a fine desire, but it's way outside the scope of a 5e revision. Ideally, you'd want to detach magic from class progression to do that. Or at least make spells rare but powerful, like Worlds without Number or Beyond the Wall, the D&D-like games I know that fit the bill the best.

Oh, I know that my preferences will never be fully explored in a modern version of D&D.

That said, I still was hoping that they would at least move away from the spell-equivalency system, and more toward "spells are for casters (FULL CASTERS), and other classes and species get abilities and other things ... not spells."

But if wishes were horses .... um, well, I'd avoid ordering the meatballs at Ikea, that's for sure.

 

[Charlaquin]

Does it, though? You'll actually be able to cast spells more often instead of just spamming Eldritch Blast every round!

2014 Warlock can reliably cast one leveled spell every combat, and it would reliably be impactful because it was always max level. They also had a lot of at-will options other than Eldritch Blast from Invocations. Now they still only get about one spell per encounter, but most of them are under-leveled, and unlike the Paladin you don’t get anything more useful to spend your low-level slots on.

 

[Parmandur]

Oh, I know that my preferences will never be fully explored in a modern version of D&D.

That said, I still was hoping that they would at least move away from the spell-equivalency system, and more toward "spells are for casters (FULL CASTERS), and other classes and species get abilities and other things ... not spells."

But if wishes were horses .... um, well, I'd avoid ordering the meatballs at Ikea, that's for sure.

It's measured in HP, Spell Slots/Points are based on hit dice.

 

[Charlaquin]

Short rest classes were never something I liked.

And I'm a warlock fan in general.

…Huh?

 

[Mephista]

…Huh?

Its almost like there's more to the class than pact magic, yah? Or someone likes the themes more than the mechanics.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

2014 Warlock can reliably cast one leveled spell every combat, and it would reliably be impactful because it was always max level. They also had a lot of at-will options other than Eldritch Blast from Invocations. Now they still only get about one spell per encounter, but most of them are under-leveled, and unlike the Paladin you don’t get anything more useful to spend your low-level slots on.

I know they can. But, I swear, when I DM for people playing Warlocks, if feels like all they ever do is Eldritch Blast! And people complain about a Fighter and his sword!