D&D 5E An idea for improving weaker warlock invocations

[Davinshe]

I've always felt the spell once per day invocations ('Bewitching Whispers', 'Dreadful Word', 'Minions of Chaos', 'Mire the Mind', 'Sculptor of Flesh', 'Sign of Ill Omen', and 'Thief of Five Fates') are all very weak. A single free casting of a single spell doesn't feel worthwhile, and many of the class guides for warlock appear to agree.

My proposed house rule is this: For each of these invocations, your warlock patron automatically maintains concentration on your behalf. This means that you do not need to concentrate on the spell, but your patron only maintains one such spell for you at a time. I know several players would probably consider these invocations if it meant they could pair the spell with "hex" or other spell. Moreover, I think it's a great way for the mechanics to support the story. The fact that the warlock can occasionally maintain two spells at once is a good reminder of the fact that the warlock draws its power from someone else.

Thoughts?

 

[Ganymede81]

I'd go the other direction and condense all of those invocations into a single invocation that lets you learn a single spell from any spell list.

Regarding your proposal, can the patron's concentration be disrupted under all the same circumstances as the warlock's concentration?

 

[Davinshe]

I had thought no, that from the warlocks perspective, it becomes concentration free. I also agree that having a spell that lets them add one spell from any other spell list is cool, and something I thought of adding.

 

[mellored]

I simply added those spells to the warlock spell list. I don't see why they wouldn't be.
Except for polymorph, which I give a free 1/day casting (no slot expended). That can be abused by casting, resting, casting, resting, ect....

Not having to concentrate isn't a bad idea though.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

For some of those spells, I have the spell counted as a Warlock spell and added to the Warlock's spells known without counting towards their limit of spells known.

For others (such as Sculptor of Flesh) the invocation allows the Warlock to cast it once per long rest without using a spell slot.

 

[Mephista]

Just eliminate them as invocations and make them part of the warlock spell list. No need to waste an invocation over these. There's already lots of competition for Invocation slots, and a once a day effect is going to be struggling to remain relevant/competative in the first place, even without Concentration. Hells, we're going to be getting a book with MORE invocations to choose from soon, and that's just going to make those limited invocation slots even more competative. Meanwhile, I find that warlocks are often left just picking up whatever for their spellchoice - two spell slots per battle (if lucky with rests) for the majority of one's adventuring career means that many warlocks end up with more spells known than they can cast.

Now, having an Invocation that lets the patron maintain a spell concentration would be pretty cool, and give more flexibility as to what you have maintained (*cough*Hex*cough*). But I wouldn't put a lot of effort into making the spell-invocations relevant when they exist to limit the warlock's power. The only reason these spells exist as once-a-day invocations is because the devs were scared it would make warlocks too powerful; nothing of the sort actually happens.

 

[Kryx]

I simply added those spells to the warlock spell list. I don't see why they wouldn't be.
Except for polymorph, which I give a free 1/day casting (no slot expended). That can be abused by casting, resting, casting, resting, ect....

Exactly. They are all within the flavor of a warlock and are utterly worthless as invocations.

 

[Davinshe]

Now, having an Invocation that lets the patron maintain a spell concentration would be pretty cool, and give more flexibility as to what you have maintained (*cough*Hex*cough*). But I wouldn't put a lot of effort into making the spell-invocations relevant when they exist to limit the warlock's power.

If I did make an invocation that lets the patron maintain concentration, do you think it should be limited to 1/day? I could see it getting out of control in multiclassing situations otherwise.

 

[Kryx]

If I did make an invocation that lets the patron maintain concentration, do you think it should be limited to 1/day? I could see it getting out of control in multiclassing situations otherwise.

Allow it on warlock spells only if you're concerned about MC. Totally within reason imo.

 

[Mephista]

Or make it something at level 5+. Multiclassing with Warlock is done by a two level dip, then leaving. Multiclass shinanigans are mostly dealt with by making it a bit level gated.