Not certain but I think part of it may be issues with the licensing since Hex was slipped in from being mentioned in Adventures in Zeitgeist, which while made with some A5e elements and design intent I feel is more O5e with an A5e veneer since it was made before A5e was fully released.
Generally depends on the campaign for Clerics but I certainly agree in regards to Warlocks. And while thoroughly enjoy the changes that were done to EB, I feel it made having any other offensive cantrip cast by Warlocks to be utterly redundant. Or pigeonholing them into being some form of...
Main reason that I don't quite like it as class feature is that many old items and feats that helped give bonuses or at least were useable with EB no longer function due to their wording specifying spells cast rather than spell attacks, as well as having a degree anti-synergy with a class like...
Not sure what you're missing either. Or why you used the smallest example of spell slot. If you use a 4th level slot then in your example the damage reduction would be 4, reducing that fire damage to 8, which would then be halved to 4. So an incoming 12 damage was reduced by 8 to only be 4.
Can...
Yes, but remember the Metal Skin feature from Bronze Protector reduces damage other than Electric and Psychic based on the level of the spell slot used before Resistances are applied. So the reduction of damage is in effect doubled thanks to Resistance (as long as it fits the conditions).
Then...
My take would have actually been to go in the opposite reaction and have better wording to mix and match better, or have extra wording to allow mix and match with pact-bound weapons.
Or alternatively not have had the change to make Eldritch Blast a class feature and keep it as a cantrip but...
I've personally done a little bit of theory crafting for the Protector synergy feat line and it is one of those weird ones that based on existing material published at the time you couldn't actually get the most mileage going purely Herald/Fighter given Fighter didn't have any tertiary casting...
I'm gonna assume the Fiend Summoning is gonna be similar Magic of the Weary Tower article. Organization plus new spells, possibly with rules on what services a summoner can actually ask for.
Depends on the splats you're using. The game I'm in has just that sort of option available.
I feel like half the fun that winds up happening in each group is finding what rules that they want to use or ignore to create the sort of game they want to personally play.
I'll admit, I'm not sure what you're cooking with being a 'Ranged Striker' and have most of the levels be Warlock yet not be a 'Warlock' but you do you.
No disagreement that Combat Maneuvers are severely lacking for ranged attacks, but that's why you'd be using them for combat utility and...
Well I think the first problem you have is thinking about the Warlock as a platform for marital damage in the first place. It is primarily a caster, martial capabilities will always be second fiddle for it. Also doesn't help that of the two 1st level options for Dread Armaments, you picked the...
As I personally view it, it's actually the opposite: you don't have much reason to go into anything other than Warlock, given your archetype is Dread Knight. Maybe two more levels in Fighter to pick up an archetype that'll help your specialization or round you out. Your martial damage isn't...