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.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The video did say that each subclass would have a distinctive enhanced familiar option -- that strongly suggests that they intend to add one in future books for each new subclass (and that they have ideas for doing so already).

Hexblades get a sentient whetstone familiar.

 

[Remathilis]

Hexblades get a sentient whetstone familiar.

Dancing sword, mein freund.

 

[TwoSix]

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

It depends on how it's implemented. If it's just +Cha to damage for one cantrip, then EB is still the right choice at 5th level, OR EB has been majorly nerfed.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Dancing sword, mein freund.

The rough part is teaching them to dance. A whole lot of low level warlocks lose toes that way.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

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.

I don't know about "intentionally holding back", but they were always going to have to follow the '24 core rules up with a new "Everything"-style book relatively quickly, if only to finish updating all the baseline cleric domains and wizard schools they cut to get the PHB subclass counts down to four per class.

 

[TwoSix]

The rough part is teaching them to dance. A whole lot of low level warlocks lose toes that way.

Dancing warlocks? They ARE stealing from BG3!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I don't know about "intentionally holding back", but they were always going to have to follow the '24 core rules up with a new "Everything"-style book relatively quickly, if only to finish updating all the baseline cleric domains and wizard schools they cut to get the subclass count down to four.

When a number of the most popular subclasses aren't in the PHB in favor of also-rans (illusionist, as much as I hate to say it, as I love playing them), I think it's at least partly due to wanting to create a must-have Everything book.

 

[overgeeked]

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.

From the sounds of the video they’ve folded a lot of the hexblade into the blade pact.

 

[Kurotowa]

In the last playtest, did Pact of the Blade grant charisma to attack rolls?

Yes, as well as weapon proficiency and access to the Mastery trait.

Charisma to Attack, always having an unresisted damage type, mastery property on any weapon. That's substantial, even without extra attack.

D&D is not a game that rewards half measures. Why get up into melee and make a single weapon attack when you can stand back at a safe distance and spam empowered Eldritch Blasts? Blade Pact only keeps up with EB spam if you're investing in all the upgrades. And resistance to Force damage is almost unheard of.

I'm all for Blade Pact being fixed so it's a good option for every subclass, but there's not really any point in dipping for just the first invocation. At least, not for a single classed Warlock. Maybe Bards and Paladins will want to dip like they did into Hexblade. But I try to steer clear of crazy multiclass builds.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

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.

Or:
1. Swashbuckler does not have a lot to offer anymore. Two weapon fighting and still move: Weapon Mastery nick. Attacking without help from others or advantage: steady aim.

2. Hexblade:
Pact of the blade + origin feat: light armor mastery will have the main functionality of this patron.

3. Bladesinger:
Eldritch knight ate some of their cake, probanly the abjurer will keep defensive features. Probably the most missed one of the 3 though. On the other hand, the bladesinger of tasha will probably stay a balanced option.