Warlocks and Xanathar's

[Warpiglet]

Another build I like with the Warlock, without going in min-maxing as I know you prefer concept over build, is the idea of a warlock without charisma. GOO and Undying can work quite well for this. Take Self-buffing spells and invocations.

Variant Human for Moderately Armored, GOO blade-lock, stats in Str/Dex/Con can make you a good 4e Battlemind.

If not, 4e invoker can be replicated with with a Cha/Wis build, Moderately Armored + Magic Initiate: Thaumaturgy, Guidance, Bless with a spell emphasis on curse and radiant attack.

That is cool stuff too. And in fairness I like concept a lot...but I do not ignore the numbers. Note my example above...I don't have to be the best, but I can't stomach ineffectual. I want to be a hero of some sort afterall!

 

[Warpiglet]

I have a lvl 7 tiefling celestial warlocks pact of the time. He uses firebolt and flaming sphere mostly in combat. Secondary would be EB and Hex with Maddening Hex if fighting fire resistant or immune creatures, (or underwater) I gave him the invocation to breathe underwater and plan on giving him the racial feat to give him poison and cold resistance at lol 8.

Also super cool stuff! So much variety with warlocks. Unsurpassed in my estimation among the classes...

I have a thing for firebolt...I know EB is more efficient, but I like being able to just use the damage bonus from the class and preserve the invocations for other fun stuff.

OK full disclosure. Was playing super mario galaxy with the kids and really got a kick out of fire Mario shucking little balls of flame. I like the imagery ported over to a more serious context. I am just burned out on EB (no pun intended) and avoid avoid avoid.

Of course the new invocations in Xanathar's open up so much strategically with EB...I may have to get past my bias. Like the idea of pulling enemy closer and also shooting some others off of bridges! Ooohhh maybe pull some off of bridges now!

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Also super cool stuff! So much variety with warlocks. Unsurpassed in my estimation among the classes...

I have a thing for firebolt...I know EB is more efficient, but I like being able to just use the damage bonus from the class and preserve the invocations for other fun stuff.

OK full disclosure. Was playing super mario galaxy with the kids and really got a kick out of fire Mario shucking little balls of flame. I like the imagery ported over to a more serious context. I am just burned out on EB (no pun intended) and avoid avoid avoid.

Of course the new invocations in Xanathar's open up so much strategically with EB...I may have to get past my bias. Like the idea of pulling enemy closer and also shooting some others off of bridges! Ooohhh maybe pull some off of bridges now!

Then I suggest the Mind General. It used to be a psionic paragon path in 4e that I loved very much. In 5e I'd make it as a GOO warlock who acts like a master of chess that use its mind to mess around the battlefield. He also use his spells to buff the party to make a powerful war machine. Forget about EB as a damage dealing cantrip; its now an at-will forced movement generator.

Pertinent Spells:
-EB + Eldritch Spear, Grasp of Hadar, Lance of Lethargy, Repelling blast.
-Mage Hand
-Minor Illusion

-Exp. Retreat: Always stay mobile
-Mindspike
-Counterspell
- Detect Thoughts, Clairvoyance, Sending, Enemies Abound, Hallucinary Terrain, Scrying, Synaptic Static

Arcanum:
6 - Scatter
7 - Force Cage
8 - Feeblemind
9 - Foresight

Other Invocation:
Misty Vision, Vision of Distant Realms, Witch Sight, Ghostly Gaze, Trickster's Escape

Feat:
Keen Mind, Inspiring Leader, Moderately Armored

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

That is cool stuff too. And in fairness I like concept a lot...but I do not ignore the numbers. Note my example above...I don't have to be the best, but I can't stomach ineffectual. I want to be a hero of some sort afterall!

Honnestly is not really ineffectual. You just need to build your warlock like you would with an Eldritch Knight without much Int: you stay away from Attack/Save spells and instead focus on spells that boost your combat aptitude.

A concept I've built for a player at my table:
-Ghostly Infiltrator: Bow-Based blade-lock, Undying Patron. Played like the character from Shadow of Mordor who share its mind with the ghost of a noble creature. Str/Dex build who took Sharpshooter and GWM, switch between weapons while wearing light armor. Take Invocation that favors mobility and self buff + some of the sight ones. Go to spells are Armor of Agathys + Hex + Mirror Image.

 

[Warpiglet]

Then I suggest the Mind General. It used to be a psionic paragon path in 4e that I loved very much. In 5e I'd make it as a GOO warlock who acts like a master of chess that use its mind to mess around the battlefield. He also use his spells to buff the party to make a powerful war machine. Forget about EB as a damage dealing cantrip; its now an at-will forced movement generator.

Pertinent Spells:
-EB + Eldritch Spear, Grasp of Hadar, Lance of Lethargy, Repelling blast.
-Mage Hand
-Minor Illusion

-Exp. Retreat: Always stay mobile
-Mindspike
-Counterspell
- Detect Thoughts, Clairvoyance, Sending, Enemies Abound, Hallucinary Terrain, Scrying, Synaptic Static

Arcanum:
6 - Scatter
7 - Force Cage
8 - Feeblemind
9 - Foresight

Other Invocation:
Misty Vision, Vision of Distant Realms, Witch Sight, Ghostly Gaze, Trickster's Escape

Feat:
Keen Mind, Inspiring Leader, Moderately Armored

It would be fun! It would be fun too if you could somehow acquire minions...

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

It would be fun! It would be fun too if you could somehow acquire minions...

There's always the Create Thrall that gives you a perma-charmed ally as a GOO. If there's enough free space on the list to get some summon spells and binding ones.

Or you could just recruit a group of henchmen. I personally would take the Noble background on this one for the retainers.

 

[Al2O3]

Since you want to use pact+feat for more than fire damage cantrips + big weapon I would absolutely say go tomelock.

 

[Warpiglet]

There's always the Create Thrall that gives you a perma-charmed ally as a GOO. If there's enough free space on the list to get some summon spells and binding ones.

Or you could just recruit a group of henchmen. I personally would take the Noble background on this one for the retainers.

I actually did something like this with my first warlock! I had three odd elven women work as his attendants so to speak. They set up candles, helped slap on his armor...it had a fun creep factor. They spoke little and had oddly colored eyes.

They did not get into combat or anything...they were just there to add a freaky vibe. I sort of had them come and go seemingly at random...sometimes being at camp and sometimes just gone. The group and DM played along.

Why elves? Why women. Dunno. Could have been anything with a theme. Oddly smiling gnomes, halflings wearing all black, whatever...but fun.

 

[Warpiglet]

Since you want to use pact+feat for more than fire damage cantrips + big weapon I would absolutely say go tomelock.

Yeah...I am thinking some of the ceremonies via rituals might be flavorful. Putting up wards or hallowing grounds seems like a good thing for a witch hunter even if pure game effect is smallish.

 

[77IM]

Tomelock can pick up shillelagh as a warlock cantrip in order to attack+damage with Charisma.

The only problem is it doesn't scale and there's no path to getting Extra Attack.