D&D 5E Any thoughts on what we will be getting with the Warlock UA coming up?

[pukunui]

I would love more decent invocations.

 

[Dualazi]

While I would like them as well, I doubt we'll be seeing more invocations. Pretty much all the other caster classes that have been previewed so far have simply had new ways to expend spell slots or curated spell lists, and I can't remember any new spells being released, which I think invocations would fall under.

Patrons seem like the more likely go-to option, but they're just tied to high tier magical threats, and that's a pretty wide crap shoot. I think genies are a decent contender, and I would not be surprised at all if a vampire themed patron came about, which would actually be a decent way for PCs to live out that fantasy without being overly disruptive. I hope they avoid dragon patrons, it's too low-hanging fruit for my tastes, and steps on the toes of the dragon sorcerer, who is also a charisma based caster.

What I'd really like to see though are new pact options, which could give more leeway in bending the class. I think a swarm-focused option could be cool, as a different front-line option to blade pact, and it wouldn't be too hard to thematically link to the patrons imo. I'd also like an option for dedicated summoners, it's weird to me that the class with the strongest thematic ties to dangerous, otherworldly magical entities isn't very good at calling them to their aid.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Reading "Tattoo" makes me think of Monk first and foremost, and I would love a monk-ish warlock. That, combined with the celestial patron (another one on my wishlist) would make an excellent Disciple style Warlock.

Dip like subclasses have been pretty common in the UA's, and a monk-like warlock would be cool. On further thought, I could also see a bard-like musical instrument pact implement: selling your soul to the devil for musical skill is a common story, satyrs bring the fey music, and every other Lovecraft story had weird music in it.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

While I would like them as well, I doubt we'll be seeing more invocations. Pretty much all the other caster classes that have been previewed so far have simply had new ways to expend spell slots or curated spell lists, and I can't remember any new spells being released, which I think invocations would fall under.

Patrons seem like the more likely go-to option, but they're just tied to high tier magical threats, and that's a pretty wide crap shoot. I think genies are a decent contender, and I would not be surprised at all if a vampire themed patron came about, which would actually be a decent way for PCs to live out that fantasy without being overly disruptive. I hope they avoid dragon patrons, it's too low-hanging fruit for my tastes, and steps on the toes of the dragon sorcerer, who is also a charisma based caster.

What I'd really like to see though are new pact options, which could give more leeway in bending the class. I think a swarm-focused option could be cool, as a different front-line option to blade pact, and it wouldn't be too hard to thematically link to the patrons imo. I'd also like an option for dedicated summoners, it's weird to me that the class with the strongest thematic ties to dangerous, otherworldly magical entities isn't very good at calling them to their aid.

When 5e started, I really expected that the chainlock was going to be the big summoner, and I was pretty disappointed with what we got. Last week someone asked Mike Mearls on twitter about why so few spells like summoning or animate dead in 5e, and he said they were too powerful (http://www.sageadvice.eu/2017/02/03/why-fewer-spells-like-summon-monster-and-animate-dead-in-5e/). That makes me think it is unlikely that the warlock is getting a summoning boost.

 

[Lanliss]

When 5e started, I really expected that the chainlock was going to be the big summoner, and I was pretty disappointed with what we got. Last week someone asked Mike Mearls on twitter about why so few spells like summoning or animate dead in 5e, and he said they were too powerful (http://www.sageadvice.eu/2017/02/03/why-fewer-spells-like-summon-monster-and-animate-dead-in-5e/). That makes me think it is unlikely that the warlock is getting a summoning boost.

I wasn't here when 5E started, but I have never been interested in any of the Warlocks except Blade. It is purely a preference thing, but the book is a very optimization heavy boon, and the chain gets fiddly with having two characters to handle, and becomes pretty plain if that familiar dies. A blade though, a blade is always there, or only an action away. Feels much more thematic, IMO. That is one of the reasons I am hoping for new boons, because maybe then I would play a Warlock other than Blade.

 

[Werebat]

Personally, I would love a couple more Invocations.

Warlocks need some way to create undead minions IMO, and/or summon things.

I am running a 5E update of Gates of Firestorm Peak, and Madreus is so clearly a Warlock (as opposed to being a Wizard) that it isn't funny. The original module specifically mentions a patron from the Far Realm and the fact that while Madreus is the more powerful caster of the two, Nigel (who has more typical wizardly training) is really more knowledgeable about the arcane mechanics of the Vast Gate.

But, Madreus is also clearly a summoner who calls forth creatures from the Far Realm. I got around it IMG by ruling that his Great Old One patron had alternate pact spells that resembled the existing wizard ones but summoned aberrations instead of elementals.

 

[JPL]

The 3E binder / 4E vestige pact is ripe for revisiting.

I'd also be interested in seeing some riff on the Athar / ur-priest idea . . . warlocks siphoning divine energy from the husks of dead gods.

A celestial pact warlock . . . instead of receiving spells directly from the gods, they go through angelic / saintly patrons.

Witch pact is a tough one, just because it's hard to nail down exactly what the essence of witchiness is . . . is is a pact with nature spirits of some kind? The moon? Hags?

Come to think of it, every plane of existence could support a warlock pact.

 

[JPL]

Building on the idea that a warlock patron is any massively powerful non-deity (because deities normally grant power via divine magic) . . . who are the other heavy hitters? Kaiju? Great wyrms? Ki-ren?

 

[Cyvris]

What if Vestiges were a pact option? Each of the current Patrons could have some really interesting interplay there.

I'd like to see something like the Sun/Star Phase Sorcerer from 4e show up as a Warlock pact as well. There is something very eldritch about a Warlock having to watch the movements of the heavens in order to wield their power.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

A new boon could be something like a ''true name'' boon, based on summoning the reality of your Patron on the prime material plane, like creating an hellish zone on the battlefield.

For new patrons, I'd go for:
Archmage -» cover sorcerer-kings, but also other ultra-powerful spellcasters.
Leviathan -» Bind yourself to the Kraken or the Tarasque or cool dinosaurs!
Ur-Priest -» Leech the powers from a live or dead god, devour divine magic.
Moon Phase -» like the Cosmic sorcerer of 4e, binding yourself to the different moon phases, each giving you different effects when you cast.