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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sword of Spirit" data-source="post: 7360808" data-attributes="member: 6677017">I'm not going to defend warlock as the best class ever, but I am going to clear up some misconceptions.3e warlock was its own thing. 4e warlock was a spellcaster (though spellcaster wasn't so much of its own thing, so that doesn't exactly translate). 5e warlock is a hybrid of both. There are three elements of its basic class power (not counting subclass): full spellcasting (ie, 9th level spells), invocations, and eldritch blast.One must assimilate those facts in order to understand the 5e warlock.Eldritch Knight's spellcasting should never be compared to classes with spells off of 9th level lists.Yeah, it was a pretty cool concept. I always wanted to play one.Which is a big difference from current design, which means we have to assume their total invocation power will be less to accommodate the massive increase in spellcasting power (from none to 9th level).The warlock is supposed to take Agonizing Blast*, and only the warlock can take it. The power of eldritch blast with Agonizing Blast is much, much higher than eldritch blast without.Also, eldritch blast is the best attack cantrip in the game because it has high damage, long range, can make multiple attacks (and benefit from anything that can benefit multiple attacks, like hex and Agonizing Blast obviously), and is of a damage type that virtually nothing has resistance or immunity to. (Only Rakshasa off the top of my head.) Anyone can take it with the price of a single feat, of course, although they won't get Agonizing Blast.It's true that there isn't much in this department yet in 5e. Three total invocations (four if you count the range increase) that tack an effect on to eldritch blast from the PHB and Xanathar's Guide to Everything. There isn't any design reason why there couldn't be more though, as long as they kept within the same power level as the examples.I'm not sure if you are referring to the addition of spellcasting, or referring to the spells that cast invocations, but in either case this seems like a misguided focus to me. The spellcasting addition is something different, though you are correct that it does reduce the class's focus on invocations. As far as the invocations that grant limited use spellcasting, most of those are the crap invocations. I understand why they work they way they do, but it would have been nice if they had included perhaps two spells in one invocation with that mechanic. Rather, the best invocations are the at-will ones, just like in 3e. Most invocations in 5e are at-will. Those are the ones you want to focus on taking. They are a major part of customizing the warlock to do what you want it to. You can almost build your own class by your selection of invocations.Yes, but Agonizing Blast doesn't come with the feat.</blockquote>5e warlocks who wish to remain optimum HAVE to pick certain  Invocations.[/quote]This is true, and is a major failure of the class design.I think that utility is pretty useful (heh). Lots of cool ways to put together an interesting character. Granted, I'd like it if there were several more cool invocation options, but I felt exactly the same way about the 3e warlock. WotC always seems to skimp on the invocations.I guess that's just a matter of preference. Even though I liked the 3e version, I actually like the 5e version better. I think the addition of spellcasting really expands their repertoire, and their eldritch blast with Agonizing Blast does really good damage by 5e standards. I don't see that 5e warlock is more prone for just blasting in combat than 3e warlock was. They both mostly used eldritch blam as their standard attack option, with some occasional supplements. 5e's supplements are as likely to come from spells as from invocations, and that's the main difference from what I can see.*It is poor design that this is made optional. One way they could have prevented the Bladelock underperformance problems and the mandatory Agonizing Blast invocation tax would have been to make the function of Agonizing Blast as Pact of the Tome basic feature. They could have given different damage buffs to Chain and Blade, and both problems evaporate.[/QUOTE]

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