D&D 5E Request for Warlock feature suggestions!

[Baron Opal II]

Sorry for the confusion then, but I think that is part of the problem.

Apart from the patron, what is the core fantasy of being a warlock?

For me, warlocks take the short-cut to power.

• They don't / won't train their bodies to peak performance (Fighter, Monk, Rogue)
• They don't / won't develop their minds to harness magical power (Wizard)
• They don't / won't merge their spirit / psyche with a greater being / power (Cleric, Druid)
• They don't have inborn talents, or have the discipline to manage their talents (Barbarian, Bard, Sorcerer)

They make a bargain with something so they get power for "free". So, again for me, such abilities that they have should bring out the aspects of the pact that are unobvious or special clauses. This plays up there is a pact, rather than highlighting a pact with a specific entity.

(I realize you answered your own question, but I thought I would throw mine in there, too.)

 

[aco175]

You could play on weapon mastery from the fighter(s). Hitting someone with your eldritch blast and giving advantage or disadvantage on top of the d10 damage and likely +4 from your ability modifier might be a bit more powerful though. Maybe they grant an ally something though and make them a bit more of a team player.

These could be tied to patron, but the OP seems to want to stay from this.

I also like the idea of some sort of spirit/shadow being able to burst forth and do something a few times per day. Maybe it allows you or an ally advantage by distracting (flanking) the bad guy. Maybe it can act a bit like a wizard familiar and allow you to cast a spell from its point instead of yours. Maybe it steals information from other's minds and gives you a bonus to a skill check.

The form could be tied to the patron, but this can be left to player to describe how it looks.

 

[FrogReaver]

Another idea might be to give a pool of dice that can empower cantrips or pact weapons. Something similar to Battlemaster manuevers but maybe with some scaling effects, along with more distinctly magical effects.

 

[FrogReaver]

Other cool idea might be that warlock pacts bestow the ability to infuse yourself with supernatural power. You transform. Gaining generic power ups. Possibly your pact choice can add some abilities to this transformation.

 

[FrogReaver]

Mechanically there’s only so many kinds of abilities present. The rest is flavor.

Ability Types
Passive
Per rest
Duration
Zone
Aura
Triggered

Ability Effects
Hp
Ac
Attack bonus
Damage bonus
Advantage
Disadvantage
Resistance
Conditions
Skills
Exhaustion
Hit dice
Save dc
Save bonus
Movement

Possibly a few things I missed. But there’s only so much a mechanic can do. There’s going to be overlap.

 

[mellored]

I thought I did that. Core class gets a pet or aura's or magic items. Pact enhances those things with some additional flavor, much like the barbarian subclasses enhance their rages.

But if even that bit of subclass expanded flavor on class basic abilities is off limits then maybe there isn't any feature that every warlock regardless of patron should have.

And you can have a curse, that gets expanded by Patron and invocations.

 

[FrogReaver]

And you can have a curse, that gets expanded by Patron and invocations.

That’s not the issue with curses.
1. Some patrons shouldn’t be handing out curses
2. Curses might as well be spells and we don’t want spells.

 

[mellored]

Other cool idea might be that warlock pacts bestow the ability to infuse yourself with supernatural power. You transform. Gaining generic power ups. Possibly your pact choice can add some abilities to this transformation.

Transformation seems more like a Barbarian thing IMO.

Werewolf Barbarian sounds fun.

 

[FrogReaver]

Transformation seems more like a Barbarian thing IMO.

Werewolf Barbarian sounds fun.

Most Barbarians aren’t transforming though…

 

[mellored]

That’s not the issue with curses.
1. Some patrons shouldn’t be handing out curses
2. Curses might as well be spells and we don’t want spells.

1: he said Patron agnostic. But Celestial can make it a blessing instead.
2: no more than rage is a spell. Which takes concentration and is buffed by subclass options. And the curse can also use Invocations to customize.