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.

 

[Scribe]

I don't have the original discussion, you'd have to go digging into it from playtest 7. I do still have the playtest 7 packet though, so I'll run a fresh set of numbers.

Pact of the Blade allowed you to summon any melee weapon, gain proficieny in it, and use the mastery property. Let us go with a Greatsword for 2d6+cha mod damage, and the graze property. They could also cause the weapon to deal necrotic, radiant or psychic damage, bypassing resistance.

Thirsting Blade allowed for two, then three attacks at levels 5 and 11 respectively.

Lifedrinker added +1d6 per hit, and allowed you to roll HD whenever you hit.

Hex allowed for +1d6 damage per hit.

At this point, the Warlock at level 11 is swinging for 4d6+4d6+4d6+15 or an average of 57 damage per round, with hex lasting 8 hours or more.

The Fighter with PAM is going to deal 1d10+1d10+1d10+1d4+20 or 39, add in the charger feat for another 4.5 and GWM for an additional +4 and you can get to 47.5 damage on average, with three feats. And even if you took out the Hex spell from the Warlock, they are only dropping down to 46.5. And they can also take GWM, Charger and other damage boosting feats. Also, the fighter is potentially not ignoring or bypassing damage resistance, like the warlock is.

A fighter might eke out ahead if you count various subclass abilities, but that could potentially bring in subclass abilities in from the warlock, who could regain the lead.

Edit: fixing fighter damage a third time. sigh. I need to stop rushing.

Busted.

 

[g00se99994]

I don't have the original discussion, you'd have to go digging into it from playtest 7. I do still have the playtest 7 packet though, so I'll run a fresh set of numbers.

Pact of the Blade allowed you to summon any melee weapon, gain proficieny in it, and use the mastery property. Let us go with a Greatsword for 2d6+cha mod damage, and the graze property. They could also cause the weapon to deal necrotic, radiant or psychic damage, bypassing resistance.

Thirsting Blade allowed for two, then three attacks at levels 5 and 11 respectively.

Lifedrinker added +1d6 per hit, and allowed you to roll HD whenever you hit.

Hex allowed for +1d6 damage per hit.

At this point, the Warlock at level 11 is swinging for 4d6+4d6+4d6+15 or an average of 57 damage per round, with hex lasting 8 hours or more.

The Fighter with PAM is going to deal 1d10+1d10+1d10+1d4+20 or 39, add in the charger feat for another 4.5 and GWM for an additional +4 and you can get to 47.5 damage on average, with three feats. And even if you took out the Hex spell from the Warlock, they are only dropping down to 46.5. And they can also take GWM, Charger and other damage boosting feats. Also, the fighter is potentially not ignoring or bypassing damage resistance, like the warlock is.

A fighter might eke out ahead if you count various subclass abilities, but that could potentially bring in subclass abilities in from the warlock, who could regain the lead.

Edit: fixing fighter damage a third time. sigh. I need to

I don't have the original discussion, you'd have to go digging into it from playtest 7. I do still have the playtest 7 packet though, so I'll run a fresh set of numbers.

Pact of the Blade allowed you to summon any melee weapon, gain proficieny in it, and use the mastery property. Let us go with a Greatsword for 2d6+cha mod damage, and the graze property. They could also cause the weapon to deal necrotic, radiant or psychic damage, bypassing resistance.

Thirsting Blade allowed for two, then three attacks at levels 5 and 11 respectively.

Lifedrinker added +1d6 per hit, and allowed you to roll HD whenever you hit.

Hex allowed for +1d6 damage per hit.

At this point, the Warlock at level 11 is swinging for 4d6+4d6+4d6+15 or an average of 57 damage per round, with hex lasting 8 hours or more.

The Fighter with PAM is going to deal 1d10+1d10+1d10+1d4+20 or 39, add in the charger feat for another 4.5 and GWM for an additional +4 and you can get to 47.5 damage on average, with three feats. And even if you took out the Hex spell from the Warlock, they are only dropping down to 46.5. And they can also take GWM, Charger and other damage boosting feats. Also, the fighter is potentially not ignoring or bypassing damage resistance, like the warlock is.

A fighter might eke out ahead if you count various subclass abilities, but that could potentially bring in subclass abilities in from the warlock, who could regain the lead.

Edit: fixing fighter damage a third time. sigh. I need to stop rushing.

Warlock would need to be level 12 to start taking feats if you want your +5 ability score in there.

 

[Yaarel]

I was pleasantly surprised that damage cantrip boosting invocations can be applied to more than Eldritch Blast.

I hope chain familiar options will continue to be expanded in the Everything books. Some more Fey and Celestials would be nice. I'd really like to see the return of the Eyeball Beholder-kin, and if they revisit the Genie patron, the elemental Gens.

Because Eldritch Blast is force the best damage, and heavy damage, and at great distance, it is strictly better than any other cantrip. Options to enhance any other cantrips is a nonchoice.

Perhaps the best design would be to make Eldritch Blast more balanced, more comparable to other cantrips.

Or, if Eldritch Blast is intended to be a strictly better class feature, then do more interesting things with it, like combine it with illusion or whatever.

 

[Yaarel]

I'm starting to think they're intentionally holding back on some of the most popular subclasses (hexblade, bladesinger, swashbuckler) to intentionally load up the next Everything book.

Heh, hopefully the other subclasses will publish when the Psion class is ready.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Heh, hopefully the other subclasses will publish when the Psion class is ready.

Why would you wish ill on so many of your fellow players that way?

 

[Stalker0]

Because Eldritch Blast is force the best damage, and heavy damage, and at great distance, it is strictly better than any other cantrip. Options to enhance any other cantrips is a nonchoice.

If your goal is a pure damage cantrip you are correct. fortunately this is not always the case. the example they brought up was ray of frost, which has its own slow effect and therefore offers an alternative to eldritch blast (damage vs control, your choice).

 

[Yaarel]

Regarding the Warlock, emphasizing the creepy spooky flavor is a good move. The Undead familiar is perfect. I would like to see the Warlock as the go-to for Necromancy generally, including the wider sense of Undead, Fiend, and Aberration, including "unwholesome magic" generally. My impression is, the Warlock needs more spells relating to Undead and deathliness − pretty much access to all the Necromancy spells − to make the necromantic theme work well. Meanwhile, I prefer the Wizard and Cleric deemphasize Undead and focus more on the themes that they resonate well. The Wizard is best when focusing on the flavor of creation magic, and the Cleric on Astral magic.

 

[Yaarel]

If choice of subclass defers to level 3, then I am glad there are options at level 1 that can foreshadow the subclass choice. Crawford mentioned how the choice of Warlock Familiar correlates with the later choice of Patron. Players can choose whatever they want. For players who care about a consistent theme, and a sensical narrative character development, can choose the options that further the character concept.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

If your goal is a pure damage cantrip you are correct. fortunately this is not always the case. the example they brought up was ray of frost, which has its own slow effect and therefore offers an alternative to eldritch blast (damage vs control, your choice).

Which is a silly example of them to make. You could Ray of Frost them once... or push them back however many times you shoot with your Repelling Blast (giving you much more control power because you can use it to free your own people or put enemies into Web etc).

 

[Stalker0]

Which is a silly example of them to make. You could Ray of Frost them once... or push them back however many times you shoot with your Repelling Blast (giving you much more control power because you can use it to free your own people or put enemies into Web etc).

one of the million dollar questions with the warlock is whether EB will recieve some of the nerfs discussed in the playtest (the biggest one being only a single attack).