D&D (2024) Eldritch Blast as a class feature of the Warlock

[Sir Brennen]

I’m perfectly fine with representing my patron through spell selection and roleplaying, and don’t feel the need to have unique mechanical powers to make that relationship meaningful. Or, expressed more mundanely, I will stick my Patron, and thus my subclass, at 1st level. I just won't get any mechanical benefit until 3rd level. Which, again, is fine with me.

Not saying you can't, but it may not be presented that way in the final official material. Delaying the decision of a PC's patron until 3rd level sounds like a new player friendly step they may take.

 

[MarkB]

Not saying you can't, but it may not be presented that way in the final official material. Delaying the decision of a PC's patron until 3rd level sounds like a new player friendly step they may take.

That would be weird. So at first and second level you've just, like, put your soul and CV up on LinkedIn and are waiting to see which otherworldly employer comes back to you with the best offer?

 

[Incenjucar]

That would be weird. So at first and second level you've just, like, put your soul and CV up on LinkedIn and are waiting to see which otherworldly employer comes back to you with the best offer?

Not an uncommon occurrence in horror stories.

 

[mellored]

That would be weird. So at first and second level you've just, like, put your soul and CV up on LinkedIn and are waiting to see which otherworldly employer comes back to you with the best offer?

I kind of preferred the "you made a pact with something, but you don't know what"

Then roll a d6 and see who your patron is.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I kind of preferred the "you made a pact with something, but you don't know what"

Then roll a d6 and see who your patron is.

Right? There are lots of RP variants where you don't know who your Patron is for the first couple of levels. Kind of like "The Firm" but even darker.

But, like I said upthread, even if you don't like that, you can still know who your Patron is at first level, even if you don't actually get any distinct mechanical powers until 3rd level. I don't understand why people believe they need the distinct power in order to have the Patron.

 

[FireLance]

Why for warlocks and not clerics? Surely a priest's connection with their deity should be at least as unique and personal as a warlock's with their patron.

In my view, the difference between the cleric-deity relationship and the warlock-patron relationship is kind of like the difference between off-the-rack and bespoke.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

The cleric is also a PR thing for the deity. Warlocks not so much for the patron. In fact, I could see devils empowering a warlock (or several warlocks) who would create chaos as a provocation for a kingdom to impose harsher laws. Those warlocks might think they were getting empowered by demons, yugoloths, or night hags, and not even realize they are patsies for the devils.

 

[FireLance]

I thought the simplest solution would be to bring eldritch blast in line with the other attack cantrips. Warlocks can then pick one attack cantrip (or the cantrip can depend on the patron) to be their Pact Malison, and at 1st level, they get some enhancement to the Pact Malison, such as an increased damage die. All invocations that improve eldritch blast improve the Pact Malison instead.

 

[Bolares]

That's part of the general problem with spells becoming abilities. Seems to me a lot of ability descriptions could start with "You cast a spell that..." Or simply:

Eldritch Blast (spell): As an Action....etc.

That could be used in class descriptions and monster stat blocs.

Tormenta20, a brazillian fantasy setting has a rather elegant solution for this problem. Any ability that is considered magicar has a dragon symbol next to it's description, so you now that anything that affects spells also affects that ability. I find this to be a simple and effective solution.

 

[Horwath]

Tormenta20, a brazillian fantasy setting has a rather elegant solution for this problem. Any ability that is considered magicar has a dragon symbol next to it's description, so you now that anything that affects spells also affects that ability. I find this to be a simple and effective solution.

Or 3.5e; Spell-like ability(Sp) that was subjected to all effects that affect spells and Supernatural ability(Su) that was not.