Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 AncientManBeast Dec 05, 2014 19:16:54	Hello All, Just played my first PnP game ever [Encounters] at my local game store, [ although I've played a lot of crpgs including nwn and nwn 2] and wanted some opinions on my warlock build. After reading the players guide, I loved the fluff of the warlock and since I am new to pnps I thought it would be more manageable for me than one of the other casters. I'm starting to see that the limited spell slots just leads to me casting hex followed by endless EBs and was looking to maybe multiclass. I was looking at a lore bard but there are a couple of different options, not sure which way to go. 1. Just go straight lock [archfey] 2. i'm at level 2 so switch to bard at 3 but i miss out on an awesome familiar 3. go war3[GOO]/bard4+ so i can get an awesome familiar, although I realize i won't be getting my attribute improvement for a long time. 4. Go war4/bard5+, as far as adv league, will I be mostly playing a low levels so i'm just gimping my char at the end of his adventuring career? Sorry for the wall of text, just don't know how adv league plays out and wanted to have the most fun with my char since I don't think there are any open groups in my area this will be my only way to play. Thanks!
#2 Dyndrilliac Dec 05, 2014 21:30:36	Since you're playing Encounters, I assume you're playing either LMoP (Lost Mines of Phandelver), HotDQ (Hoard of the Dragon Queen), or RoT (Rise of Tiamat). I'm currently playing a Min-Maxed Dragonborn Fighter/Warlock with a Fiend patron and Pact of the Blade in a private Tyranny of Dragons campaign. We have completed Hoard, and have just begun Rise. So far my character has only been knocked unconcious twice, despite being on the front-line of every encounter. I prefer to fight up-close with my pact weapon (a Greatsword) shrouded in a cloud of darkness. If an enemy flees, I use Hex+Eldritch Blast to continue attacking. I have on a few special occasions used a utility spell out of combat or pre-emptively nuked a group of low-level mooks with Fireball, but in most cases your spell slots are best used for 1 of 3 spells: Hellish Rebuke, Hex, or Darkness. This is one of the reasons I picked Dragonborn. The breath weapon is nice for clearing out minions without using a spell slot. Also, given the number of timed events in Hoard of the Dragon Queen, you should be getting way more short rests than long rests so you should be comparable to any of the other casters early on. It's only around level 6 that you really start feeling the limit of having 2 spell slots.   I give a detailed explanation of the build I'm using and why everything is the way it is here: http://rpg.stackexchange.com/a/50327/10443
#3 Elfcrusher Dec 05, 2014 23:42:25	I'd advise sticking with the single-class for a while.  There's a 'lock in my AL group and he's having a blast.  Sure, at level 2 you barely have any spell slots but neither does anybody else.  Get that familiar (are you going for pseudodragon?), start adding your CHA modifier to EB, and you'll be into it.   Also remember that in AL rules you can rebuild your character at any point up to level 5.  You keep your XP, your gold, and your items, but you can reconfigure everything else.
#4 Mephi1234 Dec 06, 2014 4:54:22	AncientManBeast wrote:
#5 AncientManBeast Dec 06, 2014 8:07:55	Thanks for all the replies! Mephi1234 wrote:
#6 jaappleton Dec 06, 2014 8:10:54	From what I understand about Hex, and from Mike Mearls' clarification on Twitter, is that when you can cast Hex at an appropriate level for it to last a longer duration is when it's capable of carrying over from one encounter to another.
#7 Mephi1234 Dec 06, 2014 9:25:40	AncientManBeast wrote:
#8 AncientManBeast Dec 06, 2014 10:13:07	Mephi1234 wrote:
#9 jaappleton Dec 06, 2014 10:24:40	I'd bring it up to him before the game next time. Try to talk to him alone before everyone sits at the table. Otherwise he may feel defensive.    No DM knows each and every rule and every single spell and ability by memory. Nobody. Not even Mearls and Crawford, the lead designers of 5E. Sometimes people get stuff wrong.    Of course, if your DM is a real jerk and it's his way or the highway, no matter what the rules say and whatever he does is based on his whims... Find a new table. There are both players and DMs that are like that, unfortunately. But don't let it deter you from how awesome the game can be.
#10 Coredump00 Dec 06, 2014 10:55:57	The fact that Hex/Hunters Mark last for an hour, and at higher levels for 8 or 24 hours....  sure makes it seem pretty obvious that it is meant to last more than the <2 minutes of a single fight.   There are rules for what breaks concentration, stopping fighting isn't one of them. You can concentrate just fine outside of combat.   As suggested, talk to him one on one before the session.   As for the variant familiar rules in the MM, I am not even sure if they are AL Legal. (I don't think so) You can ask over on the AL board if you want.
#11 Mephi1234 Dec 06, 2014 11:02:02	AncientManBeast wrote:
#12 AncientManBeast Dec 06, 2014 11:07:52	Again thanks alot guys, you've been very helpful. I had a lot of fun playing for the first time, I can't believe i've waited 20+ years of my gaming life to try a pnp. The only other question I have is in regards to Detect Magic. What kind of uses does it have? If I go tome can I use it to learn new ritual spells?
#13 jaappleton Dec 06, 2014 11:39:42	Detect Magic? Never used it, myself, as my only 5E character has been a Barbarian and Detect Magic didn't really exist in 4E. But I imagine it's rather similar to "Is there some sort of magical enhancement in this area?"
#14 Mephi1234 Dec 06, 2014 12:21:43	AncientManBeast wrote:
#15 Dyndrilliac Dec 06, 2014 14:29:25	Hex requires that there be a target creature that you can see within the spell's range (90 feet) for you to initially cast it. So you would not be able to activate it when Wizards are activating their Mage Armor for the day, unless they are doing so within visual range of an enemy (which seems a bit late to me). It should last longer than a typical encounter though, regardless of spell level (it starts out with an hour's duration at spell level 1, a typical encounter will last 1-2 minutes, so it would be a lot of wasted time if it didn't stay up between fights).
#16 spanglemaker Dec 06, 2014 15:20:58	The Tome Pact, by itself gives you 3 cantrips- Guidance anyone? Shilelagh- my virtual pact staff/cudgel?   Now combined with Book of Ancient Secrets Invocation- you get 2 Rituals and you can then beg, borrow and steal scrolls, spell books, teaching- so that you can learn and write up in your Book of Shadows (Ancient Secrets) that and any ritual from any class (of a level you could cast (if you were in that class) using CHA).   I personally reccomend Find Familiar (you may lack the potency of a Chain Familiar- but your spirit snake/owl is not limited by that form- you can perform the ritual expending components though and your familiar is now a fish, a cat etc.   My human warlock character has better night vision than her Owl familiar (courtesay of her Fey Pacts (Devils Sight-Invocation).   Hex lasts an hour, it lasts longer at later levels. There are a few spells and cantrips which require concentration, so tactics and strategy are required. as a warlocks spell slots are precious (unless your team and DM are generous with Short Rests). During play I have cast EB with and without Hex being up, its all about circumstances- sometimes you just have to blast the minion kobold, rather than Hex, then blast next turn. I have laid a Hex, then my EB missed alternately I have critted without a Hex being up.   I am loving playing a Variant Human Fey Pact Warlock of the Tome, just reached Level 4 and I have chosen to take a Bard (Lore) level, rather than take a further Feat or Ability Score Improvement.   I also love the AL rules, as I have experimented with Feats- Magic Initiate (Bard) Cure Wounds, Mending and Message at Level 1. Level 2 I gained my Invocations- Devils Sight and Agonising Blast, was fun. Level 3- I sacrificed Magic Initiate for Dungeon Delver (that saved the party's bacon., we have no Rogue). Now at Level 4- I'm taking War Caster instead of Dungeon Delver, which I am definitely taking at later levels).   Why do I want to add Bard Lore, it fits my characters concept- she's a spy, who claims to be a librarian. Not the most intelligent, but perusasive and enchanting (deceptive) to get away with things. Plus the Book of Shadows (may or may not have been borrowed or liberated from a library, it may not even be an actual book. More spell slots, Bardic Rituals- potentially makes it easier to get rituals from Bards, Bardic Inspiration- Expertise in a few levels. Still Warlock levels are useful- more invocations, higher level Pact Slots and Features.   Detect Magic, is a ritual (requires Concentration) can be gained as an Invocation (at will) or in Book of Ancient Secrets   There are some great Invocations and there are a few, ahem thanksgiving specials.   Agreed with open dialogue with your DM, also what can you offer him/her and your party?  Who is your Warlocks Pact made with? What links do you have to the Encounters campaign?
(Reply to #16) AncientManBeast	spanglemaker wrote:
#18 spanglemaker Dec 06, 2014 16:28:40	By links- I was referring to a story reason, why your character is there, a bond or a requirement from your Patron?   Warlocks are good at Stealth and make excellent face characters as well.My character saved a Fighter from a major faux pax (ie Death) whilst dealing with Dragon Cultist Wearers of the Purple.   I like your Patron ideas: How could you make the Witch of Fates more interesting? What about all 3?  Obviously you would have to either choose 1 for mechanic effects or roll for it.   By that I mean- your Patron could be really the Witch of Fates, but has disguised herself as Nathair and the Beast that Gnaws- or any possibility as the true face of your patron. Patron could appear to be seriously scary, become kinder, then appear less scary (or more if its Fate or a GOO). Alternately appears sweet, tempting and vague, becomes friendly, evasive and a possible threat and at the heart is an amoral monster/alien intelligence- (Check out the True Fae in Changeling the Lost, most are real nightmares). Not all Fae are benevolent, not all Fiends are Malevolent and not all GOOs are super scary, some just want to play.   Levels 1-4 you could play with your Pact in AL   Level 1- Fiend Level 2- GOO Chain Level 3-Fiend Blade Level 4- ArchFey Tomelock   Gives you a feel of what you can do with the Warlock Class- play with the invocations as well.     Another thing- Magic Items, are seriously scarce in Encounters- there are a few, but I don't think there are any mahor items like Ring of Spell Storing and the Rod of the Pact Bearer. Both are really nice,  but are not in the current Encounters (to the best of my knowledge), hopefully I am wrong.   Anyroad- good luck with your adventures, Warlocks can be great fun to play (I traditionally preferred the Wizard, then Sorcerer- but now the Warlock is my No 1)
#19 Mephi1234 Dec 07, 2014 7:20:41	Dyndrilliac wrote:
#20 spanglemaker Dec 07, 2014 13:15:36	I had considered Friends as a Cantrip, its usefulness under Disguise Self- but Devils Sight and Book of Ancient Secrets have me, so I have not taken that cantrip, preferring Minor Illusion, Eldritch Blast.  Took Mending (which I will swap out later), Message (very useful in scouting)   Mask of Many Faces (swap for Master of Myriad Forms at 15th Level), Misty Visions are so attractive, along with Repelling Blast and Agonising Blast Invocations.   Still its the beauty of the warlock, that it has so much versatility and variety of styles and builds.
#21 Yunru Dec 07, 2014 13:38:21	Really it's the beauty of Agonizing Eldritch Blast, it by its lonesome guarantees acceptable DPR, freeing up literally everything else for anything else.
#22 AncientManBeast Dec 07, 2014 15:05:42	Mephi1234 wrote:
(Reply to #16) Danny_Montanny	spanglemaker wrote:
(Reply to #22) Danny_Montanny	AncientManBeast wrote:
#25 Mephi1234 Dec 07, 2014 18:01:29	AncientManBeast wrote: