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| #1OrionNo9Dec 31, 2014 8:53:53 | Since the release of the Player’s Handbook, I have been reviewing this newest edition of D&D, and while I am really liking the ruleset, however I am disliking the classes. I was wanting to create a Hexablade, a regular fellow who after a close encounter with a powerful fey creature, woke to find his mysterious lover left him with a beautiful sword, a weapon that felt like a part of his soul and new found power. This seems like a straight forward Archfey Patorn, Pact of the Blade Warlock. But building the character that way just feel weak, especially when I could just stay at range and attack with the Eldritch Blast cantrip and be more effective then fighting in melee with my pact weapon. I feel like I would be better off taking just a level or two of warlock to get the hex spell then spend the rest of my career as a Fighter to be better at attacking with my blade then blasting with my spells. Of course multicasting does delay my extra attacks and ASB\Feats, which is quite painful if you never make it to high levels of play.
After reading the Dungeon Master’s Guide… I through maybe the best way to make this character to edit the Warlock class, to be just as effective with the Pact Weapon as blasting from safety of being far away. To that end I created a single new cantrip (Eldritch Strike) and 3 new Invocations and edited one Invocation. Of course when making changes or adding to a class, I would want to get community feedback to make sure I have not unbalanced the game or created un-need junk. Below are my homebrew additions to the Warlock class, and I would appreciate any feedback you have.
Thank you in advance.
Eldritch Strike Evocation cantrip Casting time: 1 action Range: Special Components: V, M (your pact weapon) Duration: Instantaneous
You may make a melee spell attack against a creature within range of your pact weapon. On a hit the target takes force damage equal to pact weapon base damage die. The spell allows more than one strike when you reach higher levels: two at 5th level, three at 11th level, and four strikes at 17th level. You can direct the strikes at the same target or at different ones. Make a separate attack roll for each strike.
Eldritch Invocations
Agonizing Strike Prerequisite: eldritch strike cantrip When you cast eldritch strike add your Charisma modifier to the damage it deals on a hit.
Lifedrinker[Edit] Prerequisite: 12th level, Pact of the Blade feature, Fiend patron When you hit a creature with your pact weapon, the creature takes extra necrotic damage equal to your constitution modifier (minimum 1).
Moonfire Blade Prerequisite: 12th level, Pact of the Blade feature, Archfey patron When you hit a creature with your pact weapon, the creature takes extra radiant damage equal to your dexterity modifier (minimum 1).
Touch of Madness Prerequisite: 12th level, Pact of the Blade feature, The Great Old One patron When you hit a creature with your pact weapon, the creature takes extra physic damage equal to your intelligence modifier (minimum 1). |
| #2transcendantviewerDec 31, 2014 14:03:58 | The cantrip shouldn't allow more attacks with melee at a faster rate than a Fighter. If possible, edit it to grant the final attack at 20th level. And the invocations shouldn't allow you to add so much damage to a melee weapon attack. It sounds to me like you're trying to turn this Warlock into an Oathbreaker Paladin, which would probably do exactly what you're trying to do with the help of some homebrew spells and some Character Fluff. I guess I'd need to see this character in action, but it sounds more potent than it should be as a melee combatant. |
| #3AshrymDec 31, 2014 14:59:01 |
Yes, I agree this walks all over fighter melee attacks. There are too many stacking bonuses on top of too many attacks available. Blade pact already out-performs eldritch blast in damage with thirsty blade and life drinker and feat options, and only takes more system mastery. More invocations is a great idea but extra attack progression and more damage bonuses multiply out fast. |
| #4OrionNo9Dec 31, 2014 15:11:54 | |
| (Reply to #3)OrionNo9 |
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| #6melloredJan 01, 2015 12:11:40 | eldrich blast = 4d10+20 = 42 polearm lock = 2d10+20+1d4+10=43.5 and if you add anything like magic weapons, polearm get's even further ahead. of course, you need Str/Cha and a feat. so it's pretty strapped, while eldrich blast only needs Cha. |
| #7YunruJan 01, 2015 12:16:25 | Hex tips it back towards Eldritch Blast though (4 hits vs 3), but only after level 17. |
| #8melloredJan 01, 2015 13:38:21 | There's more weapon buffing spells and effect then cantrip ones. |
| (Reply to #8)Ashrym |
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| (Reply to #6)OrionNo9 |
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| (Reply to #8)OrionNo9 |
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| (Reply to #11)Ashrym |
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| #13melloredJan 01, 2015 20:46:12 | You can't use crossbow expertise bonus attack with Eldrich blast. But yes, blade locks tend to be a bit weaker.. Though, IMO, it's Eldrich blast that needs toned down a notch, like 1d8 damage per beam. |
| #14Ganymede425Jan 01, 2015 20:52:07 |
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| #15UndrhilJan 01, 2015 22:04:32 | Make a new Invocation called Eldritch Blade or Eldritch Strike. You can make a melee spell attack with your Eldritch Blast spell, instead of a ranged spell attack, and the range of Eldritch Blast becomes 'Touch'.
Basically, have it modify Eldritch Blast, the way Eldrtitch Spear modified its range. This also harkens back to the 3.x Warlock which used Invocations as the only way to make Eldritch Blast better. This means they are having to juggle the other really good invocations with this one, in order to use Eldritch Blast in melee effectively.
I don't understand why everyone says not to make this match the Fighter. Why not? The Warlock is a 'striker' .. it's supposed to deal damage. |
| #16dafrcaJan 02, 2015 0:20:42 |
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| #17AshrymJan 02, 2015 1:32:15 | 20 STR and 16 CHA, pole arm master, great weapon master, advantage, hex, and both blade pact invocations, and no magic weapon out-damages 20 CHA with agonizing blast plus hex. The build pattern for weapons from level 1 to level 20 out-damages eldritch blast consistently except at level 11 when the 3rd blast comes in a level before the second invocation. As long as both feats are taken and eventually used with foresight, and attack spells are avoided to remove the need for CHA the blade pact is ahead. It's also not that hard to have a higher CHA.
Human Variant, standard points with pole arm master as the bonus feat gives us these ability scores:
STR: 16 DEX: 14 CON: 12 INT: 8 WIS: 10 CHA: 14
The character runs with a staff and pole arm master until blade pact at 3rd level and upgrades to a halberd. Levels 4 and 8 go to STR for 20 STR. Level 12 grabs great weapon master. Level 16 adds CHA. Level 19 would be better spent on more CHA or another feat, possibly CON but tough is probably better. Save DC's are a bit low but the class is primarily melee and spell attack / save spells can be avoided as much as possible. Taking tough gets us:
STR: 20 DEX: 14 CON: 12 INT: 8 WIS: 10 CHA: 16
Final hp: 163
Eldritch Blast (with agonizing and hex, 20 CHA, foresight for advantage, vs AC16):
These are really close in comparison with a bit of an advantage for weapon use. It takes investment, but it can be higher with magic items, particularly a magical pole arm, and even a 1 level dip into fighter for the fighting style to allow rerolling of 1's increases the damage, or 18 CHA. The fighter dip is a good idea for the boost, but also to remove DEX for AC and give heavy armor. The issue is that there isn't room for offensive and defensive feat options or armor.
If I were to suggest new invocations for warlocks it wouldn't necessarily be for more damage. The subclass uses melee weapons but doesn't do anything to help with better AC. Fiendish patron is almost required for the pact just for the damage resistance and temp hit point benefits. I would likely look at defensive options instead of offensive, or ways to alleviate the investment requirements (which are steep) to even it out more. Stacking benefits with existing options or the best attack progression available with additional bonuses isn't the way to go. |
| #18melloredJan 02, 2015 8:55:12 |
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