Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Xeviat-DM Aug 19, 2015 19:19:20	Hello everyone! I just finished looking over the PHB again, this time seeking out things that I think could use a spit shine or simply things I want to house rule; it's what I do. Rather than post a full list, as I don't think a big "here's everything I don't like about the system" is a very helpful thread, I'm going to tackle things one by one as I come up with my ideal solutions.   In my first campaign, one of my players played a Warlock. He really liked it. I agree that they play a lot like a spell-using warrior than a spell caster. The player often held his spells back and really relied upon his cantrips, primarily eldritch blast. He had went with Pact of the Tome, but he had first considered Pack of the Blade.   I know here the Pact of the Blade is looked at as a weak option. Looking deep at the various Pacts, I'm not sure how powerful they were meant to be. Pact of the Tome gives you some cantrips; this is a boost in options, not exactly a boost in power. Pact of the Chain gives you a beefy familiar, whose attack is definitely stronger than yours and is even better than your eldritch blast at first; this is a power up. The blade is a slight damage boost if your Str or Dex is good at 1st level, but Eldritch Blast would catch up to it at 2nd level with agonizing blast. So they are marginal combat boosts (tome because increased options will make it easier to prey upon weak saves or weaknesses).   People don't seem to like Pact of the Blade because you have to take 2 invocations for it to keep up with the damage potential of eldritch blast and 1 invocation; even then, it won't exactly keep up.   Level 2: EB 1d10+3 (8.5); Blade 1d8+3 (7.5) Level 5: EB (1d10+4)x2 (19); Blade (1d8+4)x2 (17) Level 12: EB (1d10+5)x3 (31.5); Blade (1d8+9)x2 (27) (dex 20, cha 18) Level 17: EB (1d10+5)x4 (42); Blade (1d8+10)x2 (29) (dex 20, cha 20)   You can get your damage higher by going for Str and a Greatsword, but that also means your AC will suffer (and mage armor + Dex 20 is some of the best AC you can get). You also had to jump through the hoops of taking 2 invocations instead of the 1 "standard".   So, here's my oh so simple fix: why not have the Pact Blade scale like Eldritch Blast? Done, poof, simple; the blade then gives a slight damage boost at 1st level, and maybe let it scale with agonizing blast. Lifedrinker and Thirsting Blade can go away, though I'd want to replace them with one or two utility oriented invocations to match chain and tome's utility.   This then got me looking at the Invocations themselves: aside from 4 (chains of carceri, lifedrinker, agonizing blast, and thirrstig blade), they are all utility oriented or are focused on options (some allow you to burn spell slots for other spells, which is an option, others give an at-will or limited utility ability). I can't imagine a warlock not picking up agonizing blast; even my player who tends towards roleplaying focused things took it.   So, here are my thoughts on changes to the warlock:   1) Make Eldritch Blast and Hex class abilities rather than spells. Hex still burns spell slots, and scales when they're able to cast high enough level spells. 2) Remove 1 invocation known from the list and bake Agonizing Blast into Eldritch Blast, maybe even at 1st level; if this makes it too attractive for multiclass dipping, make it's extra attack scaling part of the Warlock class and not part of the "cantrip". 3) Make the Pact Blade scale with Eldritch Blast. In effect, it becomes a way of using Eldritch Blast in melee. I don't see a huge problem with allowing it to be Weapon die +Str/Dex+Cha, when looking at the Rogue's damage output. 4) Remove thirsting blade and lifedrinker. Not sure what to replace them with.   Thoughts?
#2 DeathMutantLives Aug 19, 2015 19:41:46	Bladelock is fine, imo, especially if you take a level of Fighter so you can wear heavy armor, gain a Fighting Style and Second Wind; two levels is even better since you can gain Action Surge. Taking the War Caster feat as soon as you can is very important too. That said, I agree that Hex should be a class ability (usable 1/Short Rest and duration scales with level) and not a spell; Hunter's Mark should work the same for Rangers too.
#3 Xeviat-DM Aug 19, 2015 21:02:24	I was thinking of still having Hex/Hunter's Quarry cost a spell slot, so I'm not unbalancing anything. I'd have to tweek them to once per round if it wasn't going to use a spell slot.
#4 LuisCarlos17f Aug 20, 2015 5:29:50	In my setting the warlocks are from modest origin, too poor to buy a sword or to play a wizardry academy. That is the reason I imagine them with a scythe, or even a simple snaith without a blade, because this is created by arcane power, something like mind blande by psionic soulknife class. Why do I imagine warlocks with scythes instead of swords? Because sword is symbol of noble status, and scythes is a symbol of the village people.    What if a player wants a weapon like the swords with chains by Kratos, god of war?
#5 Xeviat-DM Aug 20, 2015 11:14:11	Cool ... the Pact Weapon can be any kind of melee weapon. Long ranged chain swords doesn't seem like something this edition really supports (ah, I miss you spiked chain). They could use whips.
#6 Coredump00 Aug 20, 2015 15:02:26	I'm still not seeing the 'problem' that you are trying to fix. A bladelock can take EB+AB and be good at range *and* be good in melee.
#7 Nozareem Aug 20, 2015 17:01:04	I play AL and use a blade pact drow.  I'm hoping at some point WOTC Will come out with a invocation that allows your warlock to use dual pact blades.  My current pact blade is a pact blade assassin which he uses Dex base and attacks with 1d8+3d6+4 once he gets to 8 lvl he will be doing 2d8+4d6+8 with a possiable alpha strike of 4d8+8d6+8 once per incounter.   This is why I want do dual weopon if not by invocation then multiclass again into fighter to pick up dual weapon fighting. Let's say I go for dual scimitar with the extra attack without the invocation of dual weapon with multiclass dual weapon fighter at  9th lvl it will be 8d6+12 per turn with a alpha strike of 16d8+12 once per encounter.  With dual weapon invocation at 8th lvl it would be 10d6+12 and would go to a astounding alpha strike of 20d6+12 once per encounter.  All this could be done either at 8th or 9th lvl depending on invocation or multiclassing.
#8 Mirtek Aug 21, 2015 0:10:27	Nozareem wrote:
#9 Xeviat-DM Aug 21, 2015 0:38:22	See, all I'm hearing is how people use the pact blade for multiclassing. The problem I'm trying to fix is that the pact blade taxes you 2 invocations and still isn't any better than 1 invocation and eldritch blast (which can be used in melee with iimpunity with Crossbow Expert). I'd like the subclass to reliably use their main ability without multiclassing (and why, when it's just as good as any other weapon minus its magic status).
#10 Nozareem Aug 21, 2015 4:20:17	Mirtek wrote:
#11 Endarrion Aug 21, 2015 6:46:54	Here's a simple fix I just thought of: have the pact weapon scale almost like a normal cantrip. The base damage will increase similarly to cantrips like Firebolt, but not quite. Double the base weapon damage at level 11, leave everything else the same. Now, you'll get 2 attacks (with the level 5 invocation) at say 2d8+10 for 2 longsword hits and 20 STR. Very competitive with other weapon users. At 11, rather than clone the fighter shtick of extra attacks, you get a boost in base weapon damage. Now with 2 longsword attacks and 20 STR, you're dealing 4d8+10. You stay competitive, but a bit behind the other warrior classes. Of course, this does favor a crit heavy build, so instead of making it simply scale as part of the class ability, you could make it an invocation you have to be 11th level (pr maybe 13?) to take, if that makes more sense. Either way, I'd require 11 WARLOCK levels to get the feature, so that way you can't just dip and get it. I think this would make the feature a lot more fun and useful. It sucks not getting heavy armor, etc, but you get spells, so I think that's a fair trade. You could even create a couple of fun invocations that alter the pact weapon, like giving it reach for a limited time, or allowing you to throw it and automatically return to your hand (maybe with a short range if it isn't already thrown). EDIT: Just thought of this too. Instead of the above, you could just create an invocation that allows the warlock to spend spell slots to 'smite' just like the paladin. Maybe putting a limit of 4th level slots (like the paladin ability) as well.
#12 Mechatarrasque Aug 21, 2015 14:00:25	I always figure you could use a Porsche to haul firewood, but you have no grounds for complaining that it does a worse job than a 1 ton Ford F350 at doing so.  In this case, the paladin is the F350 in that it is built to do the high charisma, magic using, two handed weapon using, heavily armored front line fighting stuff.  The bladelock is the Porsche.  If you work hard, you can make it a mediocre paladin.  Or you can use it for what it is well designed for--a magical assassin.