D&D 5E [GUIDE] Pacts, Patrons, and Power, a Warlock guide

[mellored]

Arcane trickster(shortbow) and Eldritch Knight(Sword and Board)

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Darkness will screw up the rogue. He will have both advantage (target can't see him) and disavantage (can't see the target) which cancel out, but the disavantage will stop his sneak attack.

More notably, you lack any AoE (rogues being extra bad at groups). So i'd suggest shatter. Not something to cast every battle, but great against a pack of kobolds. Upgrade to destructive wave at 9.
And consider some utility like fly, or dispell magic.

 

[mellored]

EB seems really hard to exceed, and it's ranged.

If I'm playing a single-classed warlock (point buy, can't count on specific magic items), are any of the weapon builds superior then just spamming EB? Even including the UA articles. I'm talking a build played from 1st through 10th or 12th.

Blade with polearm master, great weapon master, and spells for advantage (darkness + devils sight, greater invisibilty, foresight) will out damage EB. Not sure i'd call it "superior" since it's cost a lot, but you'll be comepeting with the barbarian while still having at-will disguise self.

Also tank-locks can be good. Advantage + sentinel = very hard to escape. Add AC (hex, feat, or Dex), THP (inspiring leader, fiend, armor of agathys), and possibly warcaster with booming blade. Of course, you need a party that can take advantage of it.


Though both should still take EB for ranged backup. No reason to avoid it.

 

[mellored]

New stuff.

Aspect of the Moon (tome): Good utility if your not an elf.

Cloak of Flies: ???

??? (blade): ???

???

???

??? (chain): ???

Improved Pact Weapon (blade pact): This helps blades out damage eldrich blast. If just a little. Worth much less if you have a magic weapon.

Grasp of Hadar (eldritch blast): Nice at-will control, but warlocks generally don't want to pull enemies closer. Can be combined with repelling blast and a zone (cloud of daggers, wall of fire) to push someone out, and pull back in, forcing them to take the zone damage a second time.

Lance of Lethargy (eldritch blast): Yet another control option for eldritch blast. Combines nicely with repelling blast, to keep enemies away.

Maddening Hex: Nice damage when you get it, but fades pretty quick. And given that hex also uses bonus actions, you won't get a lot of use out of it. You also probably won't be using hex as your spell against hordes. Ok for hexblades, but still not great.

Relentless Hex: ???

???

Tomb of Levistus: ???

Tricksters Escape: Generally not needed unless your DM really likes grappling monsters and capturing you. At least it doesn't take a spell slot.

Maybe more on the next page.

 

[pdegan2814]

New stuff.

Aspect of the Moon (tome): Good utility if your not an elf.

My Strahd DM disallowed Aspect Of The Moon when it was UA, pretty sure she's still going to disallow it, she has too much fun messing with us in our sleep

 

[Saurdaux]

Darkness will screw up the rogue. He will have both advantage (target can't see him) and disavantage (can't see the target) which cancel out, but the disavantage will stop his sneak attack.

Should still be OK, per PHB pg. 173:

If circumstances cause a roll to have both advantage and disadvantage, you are considered to have neither of them, and you roll one d20. This is true even if multiple circumstances impose disadvantage and only one grants advantage or vice versa. In such a situation, you have neither advantage nor disadvantage.

So if you have both, you end up with neither and can still sneak attack if you have a buddy nearby. Makes the Darkness trick a bit less selfish.

 

[mellored]

Should still be OK, per PHB pg. 173:



So if you have both, you end up with neither and can still sneak attack if you have a buddy nearby. Makes the Darkness trick a bit less selfish.

You are correct.

 

[mellored]

Updated with Xanathar's.

 

[ppaladin123]

You probably want to update the stats section too since a hexblade with blade pact is not going to treat strength as primary.

 

[mellored]

You probably want to update the stats section too since a hexblade with blade pact is not going to treat strength as primary.

Done.

Also, I misread shadows of moil. You are "heavily obscured to others."
Meaning advantage on all attacks, disadvantage to be hit, and proction from many spells. It even against true sight and blindsight.

 

[ppaladin123]

Done.

Also, I misread shadows of moil. You are "heavily obscured to others."
Meaning advantage on all attacks, disadvantage to be hit, and proction from many spells. It even against true sight and blindsight.

Thanks. BTW, You missed the "gift of the ever living ones" invocation for chain pact.

 

[mellored]

Thanks. BTW, You missed the "gift of the ever living ones" invocation for chain pact.

I put the pact specific invocations up with their pact.

 

[ppaladin123]

I put the pact specific invocations up with their pact.

Sorry didn't see it there.

 

[Θ]

Sorry if I missed it, but have you had any opinion on the concept of the Coffeelock?

 

[FullCaster]

This is a very well written guide. Thank you for making it.

 

[mellored]

Sorry if I missed it, but have you had any opinion on the concept of the Coffeelock?

???
You mean using aspect of the moon to avoid long rests and flexible casting to make spell slots?

It works by RAW, but I'm not sure how much it's worth.

For instance, a sorcerer 6/warlock 3.

8 hours * 2 slots * level 2 slots = 32 SP gained.
minus 4*2 (level 1) + 3*3 (level 2) + 3*5 (levle 3) + 6 (base SP) = 38 SP to rebuild your spell slots.

So you lose 6 SP worth of spell slots, and as a full heal.



Unless you mean something else by coffee.

 

[Θ]

???
You mean using aspect of the moon to avoid long rests and flexible casting to make spell slots?

It works by RAW, but I'm not sure how much it's worth.

For instance, a sorcerer 6/warlock 3.

8 hours * 2 slots * level 2 slots = 32 SP gained.
minus 4*2 (level 1) + 3*3 (level 2) + 3*5 (levle 3) + 6 (base SP) = 38 SP to rebuild your spell slots.

So you lose 6 SP worth of spell slots, and as a full heal.



Unless you mean something else by coffee.

More so the aspect of the build that builds up additional spell slots until you need your hit dice back, as you could heal with your unused HD during the short rests. Basically, short rests while the party long rests, building up additional spell slots. Then long rest when you run out of HD and lose all the spell slots.

 

[mellored]

More so the aspect of the build that builds up additional spell slots until you need your hit dice back, as you could heal with your unused HD during the short rests. Basically, short rests while the party long rests, building up additional spell slots. Then long rest when you run out of HD and lose all the spell slots.

8 short rests builds up less spell slots than 1 long rest.

You only get a benifit if your DM lets you sit around for days charging up slots.

If he allows that, then might as well take the hermit background and claim that you spend the 12 hours each day for the last 20 years building up spell slots, and now you have 87,600 level 4 spell slots.
See how that goes.

 

[Θ]

8 short rests builds up less spell slots than 1 long rest.

Yeah, but you might not need to refresh spell slots on your sorcerer side if you didn't find the need to cast anything. Otherwise it might just be a build up of additional spell slots.

You only get a benifit if your DM lets you sit around for days charging up slots.

As above, you'd get the benefit if you just didn't use up all your spell slots and spent time channeling your pact magic into your internal magic reserves.

If he allows that, then might as well take the hermit background and claim that you spend the 12 hours each day for the last 20 years building up spell slots, and now you have 87,600 level 4 spell slots.
See how that goes.

I dunno how sarcasm is the accepted response to bad rules writing... I mean, it is my fault for asking what you thought about it, sure. I playtest games for an indie dev and I know you have spent a long time (I used to talk to you on the WotC forums for 4e) optimizing characters based on the given rules. So I find it hard to see the backlash people have over using RAW for things like this.

 

[mellored]

As above, you'd get the benefit if you just didn't use up all your spell slots and spent time channeling your pact magic into your internal magic reserves.

I understand the premise.
But if your on a time pressured campaign, it's not going to work in your favor.

i dunno how sarcasm is the accepted response to bad rules writing...

It wasn't sarcasm. It was optimizing the exploit. That was a calculate number under reasonably assumptions.

Though maybe 43,800, if you assume you has to spend half your slots on day to day stuff.


Also, I'm not sure if having at-will 4th level spells breaks anything. You mostly have enough to last the day as is, and you can't stack concentration.

 

[Arryn]

Does anyone else think it's odd that the Hexblade's weapon can't act as an Arcane Focus? The College of Swords get this and Bards don't even have access to shields. The Hexblade has proficiency in them, but the only way they can actually use a shield is to take Warcaster. It kind of seems like a Feat Tax to get the full AC benefits of the class. Seems like an oversight. Has there been any errata regarding this?