D&D (2024) 2024 Player's Handbook reveal: "New Warlock"

"The character builder's paradise".

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We last saw the Warlock in Playtest 7, with a lot of features from 2014 restored from the previous version. Still, a lot of questions (for me) remain: here's my list from before the video ran:

Spoiler

• Will the three pacts still be invocations, and will it be possible to get all of them by level 2? (I hope not). Yes.
• If they are invocations, will people still believe they are getting more invocations than thry had in 2014? Yes.
• What will the Pact of the Chain special creature options be? (We've seen the Sphinx of Wonder previewed already.) Is there still going to be a (M-sized) skeleton option? YES!
• Will Pact of the Tome still have the lame rewritten Ritual Caster rules, of only two 1st level rituals, and never any more? (I hope not). No answer, but I doubt it's been changed.
• Is it conceivable that anyone would not take Pact of the Blade as one of their Invocations? (Doubt it.) No answer. They did not talk about whether later invocations will give Extra attack, or other concerns here.
• Will anyone be able to take Eldritch Blast? "Warlock Specific"

(Happily, many of these questions were indeed answered in the video!).
I think warlock really benefits from having the subclasses come at level 3: you can "dabble" in the occult without selling your soul until level 3 (though admittedly, the wording of the fluff text does not require you to sell your soul).

OVERVIEW

• Invocations at 1, Magical Cunning at 2 (as in PT7)
• Crawford claims we will get more eldritch invocations. Assuming the table's as in PT7, this is a bit of a fudge: there's one for a pact at level 5 (no gain) and one extra, at level 5, and for most it will go, I feel, to another pact). Yes there's more flexibility.
• Main choices are Pact Boons. "This is a big deal" -- "it is a juicy choice" they say, and Crawford makes it clear you can get them all "over time". "Over time", though, is by level 2. To me this is too much too early.
• NEW: all pact boons at level 1 now.
• NEW: "More Spooky critter options" for Pact of the Chain, speaking to Patron types. Complete list: Slaad tadpole. Skeleton, Imp, Pseudodragon, Quasit, Sprite (Fey), Sphinx of Wonder (Celestial), Venomous Snake. All will be in the PHB.
• Spellcasting has been enhanced: more invocations work with warlock spells. Now they don't just affect Eldritch Blast (which is warlock-specific -- not clear how that's mechanized, though). You can have Ray of Frost with Repelling Blast.
• NEW: Lessons of the First Ones only lets you take an Origin Feat.
• Contact Patron at 9, Mystic Arcanum at 11+, expanded spell list (though not as big as sorcerer).
• All subclasses get an expanded spell list.

SUBCLASSES

ARCHFEY - "a teleportation fantasia"

• Gameplay was not living up to the flavour. Going "all-in" on Teleportation.
• Additional effects occur whenever you cast the spell, not just the free casting from Steps of the Fey. (Refreshing step and Taunting Step confirmed, as in PT7 apparently).
• Beguiling Defenses, causing psychic damage
• Bewitching magic at 14 as in PT7 -- "ridiculous in all the best ways".

CELESTIAL

• NEW: from expanded class spell list. Summon Celestial on spell list.
• NEW: Guiding Bolt, Cure wounds and Aid (Aid was not on PT7 list) on subclass list
• You can be "a hired hitman from the gods"
• NEW: Searing Radiance at 14 now can apply to an ally.

FIEND

• Magical weapons no longer pass your damage resitance (in reference to Fiendish Resilience at 10?)
• "tankiness" seen in BG3 is also here: Dark One's Blessing seems completely rewritten, as it was described in the Design Note of the PT7.

GREAT OLD ONE

• NEW: Summon Aberration might be a version of the Mind Flayer (an option in the Summon Abberation spell)
• when you do damage, you can do psychic.
• Psychic Spells for enchantment/illusion without Verbal/Somatic (but you still need Material); damage may be Psychic. Clairvoyant Combatant can be a battle of wills (focusing damage to one target -- a nod to AD&D psionic battles). Eldritch Hex also as in PT7.

 

[Yaarel]

Obviously, your milage may vary, but my views on it go like this:

The defining aspect of the cleric is their faith - they believe in their deity's teachings and through their faith they are granted power to help advance their deity's cause in the world.

A celestial warlock wields power granted to them by a patron, but faith is not a necessary component - it doesn't matter whether they believe or not, merely that they do what their patron needs of them.

A divine sorcerer wields power that is in some way innate to them, with the involvement of a patron not being necessary.

Not all religions are about "faith in Jesus". This focus on "faith" and on a "person", is an especially ethnocentric approach to religion. The Cleric class needs to be about something more inclusive.

 

[tglassy]

Not all religions are about "faith in Jesus". This focus on "faith" and on a "person", is an especially ethnocentric approach to religion. The Cleric class needs to be about something more inclusive.

But...that's what the Cleric is. If you wanna play a panthiest who gets their power from spirits of nature, that's a Druid. If you wanna play an athiest who gets their power from hard work and learning, that's a wizard. If you wanna play someone who gets their power because it's in their blood, that's a Sorcerer. If you want someone searching out inner peace and nirvana, that's a Monk.

And if you want a character with connection to the divine, furthering their goals in the world, that's a cleric.

 

[Remathilis]

The spookiness of the Good Celestial Warlock, is also part of the overall − what is the difference between Celestial Warlock and Cleric? By extension, what is the difference between a Celestial Warlock and a Divine Sorcerer?

Mechanics. I might want to play a divine character, but I prefer using the warlock invocations or the sorcerer's "white mage" rules over the cleric's priest or templar ones. It's already kinda disappointing that the spooky stuff all got funneled into warlock (I blame Kendrick for that).

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Obviously, your milage may vary, but my views on it go like this:

The defining aspect of the cleric is their faith - they believe in their deity's teachings and through their faith they are granted power to help advance their deity's cause in the world.

A celestial warlock wields power granted to them by a patron, but faith is not a necessary component - it doesn't matter whether they believe or not, merely that they do what their patron needs of them.

A divine sorcerer wields power that is in some way innate to them, with the involvement of a patron not being necessary.

It's like asking, "What's the difference between Green Lantern, (DC) Captain Marvel, and Superman??? They're all superheroes who fight using superpowers!"

Green Lantern follows a code, with actual beings who head an organization, call the shots, and send out orders, occasionally calling for a gathering or group operations, with commanders and subordinates and all the rest. They even teach new recruits how to use their powers. All Green Lanterns do this; there are many of them. They're expected to work with that hierarchy, even though any specific comic's GL often acts as the only representative of that organization in any given story. GL's relationship to, and reputation with, said organization varies quite a lot from one telling to another, but whatever that relationship and reputation is, it almost always matters at some point.

Captain Marvel got his superpowers through a pact with a power-granting entity. He's supposed to keep that entity happy, but beyond "do good things for good reasons," he's got pretty much free rein to use the powers as he likes. There is no hierarchy, no real structure--and, importantly, the wizard who granted those powers in the first place can't just take them back, because it was a gifted boon. This is demonstrated by the treachery of Black Adam. Captain Marvel doesn't really have to learn to use his powers, he just gets them every time he says "Shazam."

And then there's Superman. Last son of Krypton. He just...has powers. Well, he has them as long as he's exposed to yellow sunlight often enough. Anyone who shares his physiology has those powers too. Nobody gave them, nobody bestowed them. They're just what he physically is. His greatest superpower, however, is the morality that his human parents instilled in him. He wants to do the right thing, for the right reason, because he can, because his Kryptonian physiology makes him capable of helping, saving, protecting in ways nobody else can match.

If you think GL, Captain Marvel, and Supes are different enough superheroes, then there's no reason Clerics, celestial Warlocks, and Divine Sorcerers can't coexist.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Not all religions are about "faith in Jesus". This focus on "faith" and on a "person", is an especially ethnocentric approach to religion. The Cleric class needs to be about something more inclusive.

It wouldn't have to be like this, if 5e hadn't made the extremely annoying decision to never, ever print new classes once Artificer was out.

If we had things like Shaman, Avenger, Invoker, and even (potentially) Summoner, we wouldn't have to shoehorn ALL POSSIBLE belief systems into such a tiny, confining, cramped space.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Eldritch Knight can replace an attack with a cantrip. Make that Cantrip Green flame Blade and that's that's another 4d8+5 damage at lvl 13, assuming they have another person nearby. And at lvl 13, they ALSO can cast Spirit Shroud.

Plus they get Fighting Styles, more HP, more AC, Action Surge, etc

True, but assuming another target is nearby is an assumption, also, we have not gotten any indication the blade cantrips are in the book. Would love them to be, but I'm hesitant to include "maybes" like that. Heck, that is part of the reason I avoid considering Spirit Shroud.

But, even if you disagree and think that the fighter can match this warlock build, it is still concerning to a lot of people that without considering feats for the Warlock at all, they are capable of matching a fighter with three feats dedicated to combat. It feels very excessive to a lot of us.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Not all religions are about "faith in Jesus". This focus on "faith" and on a "person", is an especially ethnocentric approach to religion. The Cleric class needs to be about something more inclusive.

Then let me rephrase:

The defining aspect of the cleric is their faith - they believe in their deity's religion's teachings and through their faith they are granted power to help advance their deity's religion's cause in the world.

 

[Yaarel]

It wouldn't have to be like this, if 5e hadn't made the extremely annoying decision to never, ever print new classes once Artificer was out.

If we had things like Shaman, Avenger, Invoker, and even (potentially) Summoner, we wouldn't have to shoehorn ALL POSSIBLE belief systems into such a tiny, confining, cramped space.

Depending on the specific shamanic tradition, the Bard class is often the best representation of it.


5e needs to think more carefully about godless Clerics − because what is a Cleric per se?

The Cleric should thematically relate to the Astral plane, a realm of thought and paradigms. And should relate to a specific community. The Cleric transmits the ideology of the community to future generations. Xanathars is on the right track with a "cosmic force", some existentially fundamental principle the universe and survival depend on.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Depending on the specific shamanic tradition, the Bard class is often the best representation of it.


5e needs to think more carefully about godless Clerics − because what is a Cleric per se?

The Cleric should thematically relate to the Astral plane, a realm of thought and paradigms. And should relate to a specific community. The Cleric transmits the ideology of the community to future generations. Xanathars is on the right track with a "cosmic force", some existentially fundamental principle the universe and survival depend on.

Well, at least the way I prefer things...what you just described is the technical definition of "a deity." Some existentially-fundamental cosmic force, a principle that the universe and survival depends upon, which is sapient and capable of response. Living concepts, ideas with power and agency of their own.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Well, if we are going to do the "explaining what magic is" game, might as well throw my hat into the ring. This is about how I do it.

Sorcerers draw their power from themselves. Sorcererous magic is raw and unfiltered, either pulled directly from the cosmos or directly from another power source. It can in many ways be considered the first magic, the ability to shape raw energy into forms.

Bardic Magic is also sometimes argued to be the first magic, and it is the magic of repetition and story. A bard might call upon the memory of a great firestorm, and throw sparks of that fire. Bardic magic works because the universe recognizes patterns, and these patterns carve themselves into the universe. The thunderous charge of The 7th Brigade might not be enough to call forth a Thunderwave spell, but the story of a thunderous charge of a heroic cavalry has been told a million times in a thousand tongues, and the universe recognizes that and calls forth its fury as the bard channels that power.

Wizardry is much more academic and structured. Wizards found the power underpinning the multiverse, the chains of magic that bind all things together, the rules that underpin all things, and ways to manipulate those rules to alter the existence you are in by calling upon another. As long as the multiverse exists, so does this power.

Druid Magic is specifically the magic of nature and the spirits that deal within it. The Material World has its own weight, the same as any other plane of existence, and this is what the Druid calls upon, bringing that force and that magic to bear. And, as long as the Material World exists, the Druid has their power.

Clerical magic is the magic of Faith, but also the magic of community. Sentient beings give off faith energy in much the same way they give off heat. But Faith energy can be directed, channeled, and often this is done towards a God. That god then gathers that power and uses it as fuel to send magical effects back down to the faithful. Clerics in particular are channeling the faith of hundreds of individuals, refined and directed by their god's innate power and wisdom. As long as the community of the faithful exist, so does this power.

Warlocks and Paladins are a bit different. The Universe recognizes and empowers oaths, pacts and contracts. Through a contract a deity might take a seed of power and see it bloom a hundred times over, empowered by the very magic of the binding contract itself, enforced by the very nature of the universe. A Paladin's oath is similar, but is entirely with themselves. The seed of strength needed to fuel the contract comes from themselves, and it only grows if they themself empower it. This is another ancient form of magic, perhaps more ancient than the Bardic ur-magic, as an oath is possible as long as sentience and emotion are involved.