I like warlocks a lot. I definitely lean on EB, but I've yet to run out of flavor. Throw an eldritch curveball, blow them an eldritch kiss, or shotgun pump your fingerguns, this is a game about making our own fun, right? But what I like most is the freedom FROM spell slots. You can disguise yourself as anybody, fifty times per short rest if you want to. Wizards can't do that. Or you can take the Silent Image invocation and alternate between an illusion of a Hill Giant and a 15 foot sphere of solid black that would be pretty indistinguishable from a darkness spell, (if you hadn't already told your party you were going to do it, so they could see through it), every round if you want to. Sorcerers can't do that. And once you start getting up towards higher levels, your big hits don't even come from your spell list. Oh, did you learn magical mansion at level 12? That's a cool spell, I started the game with a genie bottle that I sleep in, it's nice in there. I just hand it to my familiar, who's an imp that can shapeshift and turn invisible and grants me max dice whenever I heal, and he guards it while I catnap. You can start every day casting waterbreathing on your party, just in case, because it doesn't cost you anything. So sure, I can only cast Blight four times a day, but there's a lot of flexibility too.
I like warlocks a lot. I definitely lean on EB, but I've yet to run out of flavor. Throw an eldritch curveball, blow them an eldritch kiss, or shotgun pump your fingerguns, this is a game about making our own fun, right? But what I like most is the freedom FROM spell slots. You can disguise yourself as anybody, fifty times per short rest if you want to. Wizards can't do that. Or you can take the Silent Image invocation and alternate between an illusion of a Hill Giant and a 15 foot sphere of solid black that would be pretty indistinguishable from a darkness spell, (if you hadn't already told your party you were going to do it, so they could see through it), every round if you want to. Sorcerers can't do that. And once you start getting up towards higher levels, your big hits don't even come from your spell list. Oh, did you learn magical mansion at level 12? That's a cool spell, I started the game with a genie bottle that I sleep in, it's nice in there. I just hand it to my familiar, who's an imp that can shapeshift and turn invisible and grants me max dice whenever I heal, and he guards it while I catnap. You can start every day casting waterbreathing on your party, just in case, because it doesn't cost you anything. So sure, I can only cast Blight four times a day, but there's a lot of flexibility too.
YEah i can agree. I ******* love warlocks i really-REALLY do. I just do not like how situational a lot of their invocations and spells are/become. And most of your invocation spells YOU DONT EVENT GET BACK ON A SHORT REST >_< like you've given me this unique ability and most of my resources don't even UTILIZE IT. I think warlock would have made more sense with sorc points. You have 2 spell slots you can then burn this random mystical resource to get MORE back OR use them for these THINGS that can then be buffed by INVOCATIONS. I made a "Doomsayer" Warlock. 2 levels divination for portent the rest into Fiend. The point of this character was they divined an end times and that thing (whatever your pact is) accidently leeched their power onto him. And i soon realize how dependent i became on things like shield/mage armor from the wizard spell list and with that one wizard rule i could get those spell slots back (can't remember) and i was like "Why doesn't warlock get that?".
An easy solution is the Rod of the Pact Keeper. My Warlock has one and surprisingly never needed the extra slot, but I got Fey Touched (Misty Step and Hex) as well. But it‘s nice to know that in case you have something in reserve.
#1 - We just disagree here. Having solid charisma based skills means you don't need to resort to spells to talk your way through a non-combat encounter. If the roll fails, resort to bribing your way to a success or another resource. Why would casting a spell be your only backup option?
#2 There have been many threads on which warlock pact is better and that's a whole different discussion. But don't marginalize the chainpact special familiar. No, the Wizard cannot get the same result as Find Familiar. Not even close. Invisibility, a talking familiar, and one with a special attack and skill proficiencies? This is why people barter for a special familiar in their background. Just using the imp as an example; dude has hands, Devil Sight, and can give the Help action on Persuasion (which helps on those rills for point #1). Wizards cannot get this result.
#3 Take Mage Hand. You will be the party door-opener, and trap tester. With that and the special familiar, your group is viable without a rogue. And using magic to be sneaky is the flavor of a Warlock.
#4 This just comes down to what people enjoy playing. Me, I love blasting stuff with EB just as much as the party ranger loves firing arrows into critters. I do disagree on the frequency of short rests though. If the other PC's have abilities that also recharge on short rests, they will look to take a couple per day. Can only speak to the table I'm at; two per day is a given, and three has happened in some circumstances.
#5 Burning Hands when you are 2nd level is a game changer. What other AoE damage spell at first level is better for Warlocks? Or any class for that matter? 3d6 was dropping goblins, skeletons, twig blights, and just about anything else we fought.
#6 The party Barbarian has to rely on a magic weapon to hit creatures, same for the party ranger. Does that make them broken because they are unable to damage certain monsters without a magic item? When everyone is chasing magic weapons, magic armor, and ways of getting healing; the Warlock doesn't need to put a priority on acquiring such items. When people gobble up attunement slots on their weapons and armor, a Warlock has them open for other needs.
You say that the limit of two spells means they are limited outside of combat, and then say you are defaulted to EB in combat. There are people who play a Warlock and don't take the EB cantrip. Instead they free up invocations for utility. Want a Warlock with flavor? Play a Tomelock without EB. Every turn you can spam Vicious Mockery, Guidance, and other fun cantrips. Be a Celestial pact, and now you have healing. You also can ritual cast, so do that as often as possible since its a free resource. Warlocks are about the most flexible class in the game. Make a build that does fit your playstyle. Clearly myself and others have found the class fine on its own.
It is the common custom of the internet that anything which is in all capital letters is "shouting' and it is very clear the the original poster is aware of this. They continue to shout, and shout and shout because they are unhappy with a class. When people point out what Warlocks do well, they complain. They want to do something other than Eldritch Blast, well, that's fine, they have lots of options, and running away doesn't take a spell slot. It does require the Dash action, and if they are in the middle of melee at the time, they will need to use Disengage first or the give their opponents an Attack of Opportunity. I believe they can't Dash after that, so they would have to walk away. At that point, the question that comes up is if there are any other people involved and what everyone is doing. That's too complicated to go into.
If someone doesn't want to use their Eldritch Blast, there are too many things to list in this post that they can do, most of which don't require an action, an that is exactly the point people have been trying to make. There are so many things a Warlock is able to do that none of us can possibly list all of them in a reasonable length post. Why bother quoting the entire Warlock entry when someone can use the Game Rules menu and pick Warlock?
I suggest to the OP that they stop shouting at us, listen to people who have made excellent points and move on. You can freely use the drop-down from the name of the person who posted what you don't want to hear and hit "Ignore User". Feel free to use this on me, and anyone else you choose. If you end up with an entire thread that has no replies, you will have learned something. I leave it to you to figure out what that might mean.
It is the common custom of the internet that anything which is in all capital letters is "shouting' and it is very clear the the original poster is aware of this. They continue to shout, and shout and shout because they are unhappy with a class. When people point out what Warlocks do well, they complain. They want to do something other than Eldritch Blast, well, that's fine, they have lots of options, and running away doesn't take a spell slot. It does require the Dash action, and if they are in the middle of melee at the time, they will need to use Disengage first or the give their opponents an Attack of Opportunity. I believe they can't Dash after that, so they would have to walk away. At that point, the question that comes up is if there are any other people involved and what everyone is doing. That's too complicated to go into.
If someone doesn't want to use their Eldritch Blast, there are too many things to list in this post that they can do, most of which don't require an action, an that is exactly the point people have been trying to make. There are so many things a Warlock is able to do that none of us can possibly list all of them in a reasonable length post. Why bother quoting the entire Warlock entry when someone can use the Game Rules menu and pick Warlock?
I suggest to the OP that they stop shouting at us, listen to people who have made excellent points and move on. You can freely use the drop-down from the name of the person who posted what you don't want to hear and hit "Ignore User". Feel free to use this on me, and anyone else you choose. If you end up with an entire thread that has no replies, you will have learned something. I leave it to you to figure out what that might mean.
I've stated that i am not shouting directly in a previous post. I am using this as constructive criticism to form a better opinion...please read previous posts to get informed or don't post. I am 100% just trying to debate and see what people think so that i may make or form a better more informed idea or change their perceptions.
I WANT < This is EMPHASIS something to GAIN your attention to the POINT of the sentence. It is me drawing attention toward something so that you may better understand or derive meaning. YOU FUICKING **** YOU DISAGREE WITH ME AND I WANT YOU DEADDDDDDDD < that is shouting/angry/non sensible. I am reading what others are putting out and responding to better derive meaning/structure so that I/we may gain a better insight into what others are thinking to grasp a better understanding of what is happening and why. I love warlocks and I think they would benefit from MORE spell slots, clearly i've seen that its not a problem others seem to have and that they disagree - I accept that, i've gone and put into my opinions and statements against their posts so that THEY can gain a better idea of what i'm thinking and then from there we can find a middle ground or at least have an understanding and disagree. Me disagreeing with you isn't me saying YOU'RE WRONG STFU its me saying "I disagree becausue X, you a re still allowed to have that thought, but i don't agree with it." And then i state why and try to defend my statement while attacking your statement(attack might not be the right word) in the hopes of either changing or coming to an understanding - this is called DEBATE.
#1 - Yes again their great with social work (sometimes) it depends on roleplay/dice roll, but yes on average...but if you fail that roll what do you have to fall back on?
Socially? Usually Intimidate.
Lets cast suggestion - Oh it failed - COMBAT - You're now down a spell slot and are 50% less useful.
That doesn't track at all. Warlocks use the same state for Charisma checks and spell save DCs. Why are you assuming suggestion failed? And why are you assuming the Lock is 50% less useful with 1 slot burned? Locks can function quite well on 0 slots, let alone 1 slot.
You burn that last spell slot helping someone in combat - you beat combat - Guards show up - Now all you can do is eldritch blast and maybe use a spell that requires a LONG REST to get back. Ya know LONG REST the thing everyone else gets their spell slots back on ...to be more useful.
I'm just plain lost here, but if guards show up, I recommend Mask of Many Faces so you, too, can be a guard.
#2 - Yes now we get into the PACTS - Pact of the Blade is just better then familiar damage wise and will out perform it in every regard possible
This is simply false. Pact of the Blade is hot garbage unless you're specifically a Hexblade (where it becomes great) or a Tortle (where it becomes mediocre).
- Pact of the Tome allows you to get a bajillion ritual spells (YES THANKS) and can do everything a familiar lock can...but better. BUT I LOVE THIS you have flavor you get to do things and thinking MATTERS - using your "CLASS RESOURCES" as you mention YES this is what is suppose to happen....but a wizard can also just cast find familiar and do exactly as you're doing and if their dude dies they're not down an entire CLASS RESOURCE and get jack -ribbed for playing.
Wizards can't ritual-cast non-wizard spells, and their familiar is a lot worse than a Chainlock's familiar.
#3 - Yes, but a ranger gets to do things that are useful like find food,
Rangers have an L1 spell that makes food. If you desperately need food, starting at level 1 a Genielock can provide all the food a party needs. Their lamp can hold many rations.
lead the party through traps ,
Rangers are about as good at leading the party through traps as a Warlock is at leading the party through social encounters.
track and hunt down monsters
Rangers have massive synergy with the Survival skill, yes. That's hardly a reason to consider them less situational than Warlocks.
#4 - Nothing is more limiting then 2 spells...nothing.
Barbarians and Monks get 0 slots, and most Fighters and Rogues get 0.
The wizard can PREPARE AND USE 8+ spells
Not until level 3, at which point you're comparing 6 L1 and 2 L2 spells for the day to 6 L2 spells for the day.
and in MOST cases taking a short rest - might as well just shore up and take a long rest making your short rest gimmick - useless.
Not true in most campaigns.
And all you et out of that long rest is -- wait for it - 2 spell slots and some invocations. And again...this game isn't all combat - yes a wizard might have to cast scorching ray to MATCH Eldritch blast - and thats the problem they've given warlock such an OP cantrip that its all they rely on for ANYTHING and default to. That is boring and flavorless.
This is a fair complaint. Warlocks should have invocations letting another combat cantrip compete with Eldritch Blast.
#5 - Burning Hands is okay, but theres 20 other spells better to use in almost any given circumstance where burning hands is good - another spell is better. And no - that wizard can use defensive spells like misty step - shield - mage armor etc etc etc etc multiple times...you get to use those spells...twice MAYBE. His odds are MUCH MUCH greater then yours.
Warlock spell slots aren't for bread and butter. You use them for a strong opener or a strong closer, and operate the rest of the fight without spell slots. That's core to how they operate. You're right about Warlock total slot balance in a vacuum - starting at Warlock 6 they fall behind - but that's supposed to be made for with invocations. I think your core complaint is better addressed with more generic invocations - just as Sorcerers get metamagic which has generic rules for applying to any suitable spell, invocations generically giving Warlocks more spammable spells would be a good idea. For example, if Armor of Shadows worked on any 8 hour or greater duration spell from any list the Warlock was a high enough level to cast that was capable of targeting exactly 1 creature but it changed the Range to Self and only worked on the Warlock, it would be a lot better. You could use it to cast Nondetection, for example (you'd just reword the invocation to only remove the need for costless material components).
#6 - If your class has to rely on magic items to COMPETE with other classes - don't you see how thats a problem? You have to rely on this MAGIC ITEM that is somewhere in the world to HELP OR BE USEFUL. You have 2 spell slots to be useful with and because there is only 2 and they are POWERFUL spells you want to save them for when YOU can get the most use out of them - yes? K you are now defaulted to ONLY A FLAVORLESS ELDRITCH BLAST. MORE spell slots allows you to DO MORE and adds more flavor and adds more THINGS and more OPTIONS - not just default to PEW PEW.
I want to also say that i love this and see all of this as a debate and am in no way ANGRY i like to emphasize points and it might come off as rude or angry and i want it to be known that i am taking all of this as constructive critism and would love for more people to give insight/debate this point to help me change my mind or help me sway others.
#1 - Yes again their great with social work (sometimes) it depends on roleplay/dice roll, but yes on average...but if you fail that roll what do you have to fall back on?
Socially? Usually Intimidate.
Lets cast suggestion - Oh it failed - COMBAT - You're now down a spell slot and are 50% less useful.
That doesn't track at all. Warlocks use the same state for Charisma checks and spell save DCs. Why are you assuming suggestion failed? And why are you assuming the Lock is 50% less useful with 1 slot burned? Locks can function quite well on 0 slots, let alone 1 slot.
You burn that last spell slot helping someone in combat - you beat combat - Guards show up - Now all you can do is eldritch blast and maybe use a spell that requires a LONG REST to get back. Ya know LONG REST the thing everyone else gets their spell slots back on ...to be more useful.
I'm just plain lost here, but if guards show up, I recommend Mask of Many Faces so you, too, can be a guard.
#2 - Yes now we get into the PACTS - Pact of the Blade is just better then familiar damage wise and will out perform it in every regard possible
This is simply false. Pact of the Blade is hot garbage unless you're specifically a Hexblade (where it becomes great) or a Tortle (where it becomes mediocre).
- Pact of the Tome allows you to get a bajillion ritual spells (YES THANKS) and can do everything a familiar lock can...but better. BUT I LOVE THIS you have flavor you get to do things and thinking MATTERS - using your "CLASS RESOURCES" as you mention YES this is what is suppose to happen....but a wizard can also just cast find familiar and do exactly as you're doing and if their dude dies they're not down an entire CLASS RESOURCE and get jack -ribbed for playing.
Wizards can't ritual-cast non-wizard spells, and their familiar is a lot worse than a Chainlock's familiar.
#3 - Yes, but a ranger gets to do things that are useful like find food,
Rangers have an L1 spell that makes food. If you desperately need food, starting at level 1 a Genielock can provide all the food a party needs. Their lamp can hold many rations.
lead the party through traps ,
Rangers are about as good at leading the party through traps as a Warlock is at leading the party through social encounters.
track and hunt down monsters
Rangers have massive synergy with the Survival skill, yes. That's hardly a reason to consider them less situational than Warlocks.
#4 - Nothing is more limiting then 2 spells...nothing.
Barbarians and Monks get 0 slots, and most Fighters and Rogues get 0.
The wizard can PREPARE AND USE 8+ spells
Not until level 3, at which point you're comparing 6 L1 and 2 L2 spells for the day to 6 L2 spells for the day.
and in MOST cases taking a short rest - might as well just shore up and take a long rest making your short rest gimmick - useless.
Not true in most campaigns.
And all you et out of that long rest is -- wait for it - 2 spell slots and some invocations. And again...this game isn't all combat - yes a wizard might have to cast scorching ray to MATCH Eldritch blast - and thats the problem they've given warlock such an OP cantrip that its all they rely on for ANYTHING and default to. That is boring and flavorless.
This is a fair complaint. Warlocks should have invocations letting another combat cantrip compete with Eldritch Blast.
#5 - Burning Hands is okay, but theres 20 other spells better to use in almost any given circumstance where burning hands is good - another spell is better. And no - that wizard can use defensive spells like misty step - shield - mage armor etc etc etc etc multiple times...you get to use those spells...twice MAYBE. His odds are MUCH MUCH greater then yours.
Warlock spell slots aren't for bread and butter. You use them for a strong opener or a strong closer, and operate the rest of the fight without spell slots. That's core to how they operate. You're right about Warlock total slot balance in a vacuum - starting at Warlock 6 they fall behind - but that's supposed to be made for with invocations. I think your core complaint is better addressed with more generic invocations - just as Sorcerers get metamagic which has generic rules for applying to any suitable spell, invocations generically giving Warlocks more spammable spells would be a good idea. For example, if Armor of Shadows worked on any 8 hour or greater duration spell from any list the Warlock was a high enough level to cast that was capable of targeting exactly 1 creature but it changed the Range to Self and only worked on the Warlock, it would be a lot better. You could use it to cast Nondetection, for example (you'd just reword the invocation to only remove the need for costless material components).
#6 - If your class has to rely on magic items to COMPETE with other classes - don't you see how thats a problem? You have to rely on this MAGIC ITEM that is somewhere in the world to HELP OR BE USEFUL. You have 2 spell slots to be useful with and because there is only 2 and they are POWERFUL spells you want to save them for when YOU can get the most use out of them - yes? K you are now defaulted to ONLY A FLAVORLESS ELDRITCH BLAST. MORE spell slots allows you to DO MORE and adds more flavor and adds more THINGS and more OPTIONS - not just default to PEW PEW.
I want to also say that i love this and see all of this as a debate and am in no way ANGRY i like to emphasize points and it might come off as rude or angry and i want it to be known that i am taking all of this as constructive critism and would love for more people to give insight/debate this point to help me change my mind or help me sway others.
#1. It was an example of an IF scenario - if suggestion fails ur now down a spell slot.
#2. My thought process on ranger is that outside combat they are a thousand times more useful then a warlock, they have so many passive things that MOST people don't even know about or utulize simply because its boring. Rangers are incredibly important in A LOT of campaigns where a lock can simply be skipped for something like a wizard or sorc, they fill the same roles.
#4. You're missing the point - in the terms of SPELLCASTERS 2 spell slots is limiting. Imagine if wizard or sorc had 2 spell slots? That is EXTREMELY LIMITING. That was my point. And the 8+ thing was exaggeration.
#5 - Yes i didn't really think about Warlocks being that sort of BIG opener or closer as they don't get the spells necessary to BE that big opener or closer. Fireball almost everyone gets. Shatter? Common. etc etc. A lot of the spells I see on most of their spells lists aren't big openers or closers, they're good, but maybe im using them wrong?
#1. It was an example of an IF scenario - if suggestion fails ur now down a spell slot.
I wouldn't use Suggestion as my Plan B for a social encounter.
#2. My thought process on ranger is that outside combat they are a thousand times more useful then a warlock, they have so many passive things that MOST people don't even know about or utulize simply because its boring. Rangers are incredibly important in A LOT of campaigns where a lock can simply be skipped for something like a wizard or sorc, they fill the same roles.
Ranger is a thousand times better outside combat?! I know there's some hyperbole there, but that's just patently wrong. Rangers are prone to be bad at social skills, which should be in your average Warlock's wheelhouse. How many adventures involve RP with CHA based skills? Every one I've been in. Can you have a group without a Warlock; yes. Can you have a group without Ranger; again yes. City based adventures (like Dragon Heist) would hardly miss a Ranger in a standard group.
#4. You're missing the point - in the terms of SPELLCASTERS 2 spell slots is limiting. Imagine if wizard or sorc had 2 spell slots? That is EXTREMELY LIMITING. That was my point. And the 8+ thing was exaggeration.
This comes back to the heart of the issue. If you view a Warlock as a full-caster than you find their limited spell slots a major detriment. If you view a Warlock as more of a half-caster, or arcane archer, then its not so bad. Ultimately if you compare Warlocks against Wizards and Sorcerers and the amount of spells they can cast, you are playing the wrong class.
#5 - Yes i didn't really think about Warlocks being that sort of BIG opener or closer as they don't get the spells necessary to BE that big opener or closer. Fireball almost everyone gets. Shatter? Common. etc etc. A lot of the spells I see on most of their spells lists aren't big openers or closers, they're good, but maybe im using them wrong
Almost everyone gets Fireball?? Its not even on the Warlock list unless you are a fiendpact. For a 7th level PC, what do you consider a game changing spell? If 9d6 fire damage is no big deal, I think your expectations are a tad high.
Fire is THE most common resistance in the game. And again thats my point unless you go fiendlock you don't get fireball so you don't have a good opener or closer. For a class that you say is designed to be an opener or closer they sure do LACK OPENERS. And yes they are a full caster - by definition so i will compare them to full casters...because that is what THEY ARE. So yes comparably they lack. THAT IS MY POINT. My whole point is that as a FULL CASTER which let me reiterate they by RULES DEFINITION ARE....they are lacking in spells. And fireball is 8d6 when u first get it and then 9d6 at level 6. And that requires you to go Fiendlock to EVEN get.
Fire is THE most common resistance in the game. And again thats my point unless you go fiendlock you don't get fireball so you don't have a good opener or closer. For a class that you say is designed to be an opener or closer they sure do LACK OPENERS. And yes they are a full caster - by definition so i will compare them to full casters...because that is what THEY ARE. So yes comparably they lack. THAT IS MY POINT. My whole point is that as a FULL CASTER which let me reiterate they by RULES DEFINITION ARE....they are lacking in spells. And fireball is 8d6 when u first get it and then 9d6 at level 6. And that requires you to go Fiendlock to EVEN get.
Well, that's why there's Bards, Clerics, Druids, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards, instead of just one Caster Class. It's okay if you'd like to play or multiclass one of the other ones. I've really enjoyed my warlocks, but to each their own. I tried Bard once, and didn't really care for it.
Fire is THE most common resistance in the game. And again thats my point unless you go fiendlock you don't get fireball so you don't have a good opener or closer. For a class that you say is designed to be an opener or closer they sure do LACK OPENERS. And yes they are a full caster - by definition so i will compare them to full casters...because that is what THEY ARE. So yes comparably they lack. THAT IS MY POINT. My whole point is that as a FULL CASTER which let me reiterate they by RULES DEFINITION ARE....they are lacking in spells. And fireball is 8d6 when u first get it and then 9d6 at level 6. And that requires you to go Fiendlock to EVEN get.
Well, that's why there's Bards, Clerics, Druids, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards, instead of just one Caster Class. It's okay if you'd like to play or multiclass one of the other ones. I've really enjoyed my warlocks, but to each their own. I tried Bard once, and didn't really care for it.
Yeah i'm iffy on bards and monks. Both seem fun, but i just have a hard time WANTING to play them. Monks just don't FEEL like DND to me and idk if that is the right way to put that.
I don't really play my Drow Hexblade as a Warlock. I created the Assassin Cult background for him (Acolyte with proficiency in Stealth, Acrobatics, Thieves'Tools and Poisoner's Kit) and play him more as a Rogue with Warlock powers to fall back on.
Pact of the Blade and Improved Pact Weapon give him access to a +1 Double-Bladed Scimitar as his main weapon choice and a magical weapon that weaponizes your bonus action is fairly decent. Armor of Shadows means I don't have to worry about buying armour. I did get a Ring of Protection for a bit more defense.
At level 4 I took the Drow High Magic feat to give on demand Detect Magic with once a day Levitate and Dispel Magic.
I hardly ever use Eldritch Blast. It's just more entertaining to hit things.
So, on one hand I understand the limitation thing. I have played in a campaign where no one relied on a short rest save for my fighter, and it felt awful sometimes going through multiple combats a day without ever short resting, and the DM planned the day to be high stakes and on a clock, so we couldn't short rest even if we wanted to. Heck, I sometimes felt scared to ask because I didn't want to be -that guy- who whines for a nap when everyone else is good to go! I would have hated it so hard if I played a warlock because I'd never have more than two slots per adventuring day, effectively.
On the other hand, a warlock has such versatility. Suppose I built a celestial pact of the tome warlock. Well, now I've got a character that can attack pretty darn well from a distance with EB+AB, act as a healer with healing light, fight decently well up close with shillelagh+booming blade (or green flame blade with radiant soul), act as a controller with spells like hypnotic pattern, or do scouting with find familiar. Only one of those things needs a spell slot.
speaking of find familiar, pact of the chain is awesome. Invisible imp + genie warlock= ez infiltration missions. poggies!
Also, I think to get the most out of any warlock, or any spellcaster for that matter, is to make the most out of spell scroll scribing. Not everyone's keen on using a 5th lvl slot for something like hex, but sometimes it's useful. Instead, spend 25g and a downtime day to make it. Do this for a bunch of other spells. Use it, abuse it, love it!
I don't really play my Drow Hexblade as a Warlock. I created the Assassin Cult background for him (Acolyte with proficiency in Stealth, Acrobatics, Thieves'Tools and Poisoner's Kit) and play him more as a Rogue with Warlock powers to fall back on.
Pact of the Blade and Improved Pact Weapon give him access to a +1 Double-Bladed Scimitar as his main weapon choice and a magical weapon that weaponizes your bonus action is fairly decent. Armor of Shadows means I don't have to worry about buying armour. I did get a Ring of Protection for a bit more defense.
At level 4 I took the Drow High Magic feat to give on demand Detect Magic with once a day Levitate and Dispel Magic.
I hardly ever use Eldritch Blast. It's just more entertaining to hit things.
I had never even considered the double bladed scimitar as a hex weapon. That is great!
I think that the number of spell slots is completely sufficient given everything else warlocks have up their sleeve, including at will spells from eldritch invocations and the fact that from level 11 you can use 3 spells per short rest and one mystic arcanum per long rest on top of that. Plus more things that others have mentioned. The limited number of spell slots forces you to strategize a lot which I personally love - will I save that precious spell slot for potential upcoming battles in this dungeon, or will I use it right now on this enemy for some sweet damage and struggle later? Maybe we can take a short rest in the middle of a dungeon and pray that nothing ambushes us. Maybe my bard friend can cast a catnap on me so it only takes 10 minutes to get benefits of the short rest. And so on.
I find it extremely satisfying for example summoning a greater demon and hurling a blight or fireball spell which burns away all of my spell slots for the fight but gives my party a tremendous head start or advantage in battle, after which I am quite OK to just spam eldritch blast. However, just because everyone says that eldritch blast is the best damage cantrip (and they are right), its does not mean you are obliged to spam it on repeat. Depending on the situation, there are other great cantrips like Mind Sliver, Frostbite, Chill Touch, etc. Finally, if you are really that desperate for an extra spell slots, you can try finding Rod of the Pact Keeper - you can use an action to have this staff get a spell slot back for you once a day, which is pretty cool, I have it myself so for example I like casting some buff (like Fly) just before a battle, then using the staff to get that spell slot back and voila, I am heading into battle still with both spell slots remaining.
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Warlock in WoW, warlock in D&D, warlock everywhere.
I don't really play my Drow Hexblade as a Warlock. I created the Assassin Cult background for him (Acolyte with proficiency in Stealth, Acrobatics, Thieves'Tools and Poisoner's Kit) and play him more as a Rogue with Warlock powers to fall back on.
Pact of the Blade and Improved Pact Weapon give him access to a +1 Double-Bladed Scimitar as his main weapon choice and a magical weapon that weaponizes your bonus action is fairly decent. Armor of Shadows means I don't have to worry about buying armour. I did get a Ring of Protection for a bit more defense.
At level 4 I took the Drow High Magic feat to give on demand Detect Magic with once a day Levitate and Dispel Magic.
I hardly ever use Eldritch Blast. It's just more entertaining to hit things.
I had never even considered the double bladed scimitar as a hex weapon. That is great!
I saw it and thought, "That's cool, I have to have it."
Then I actually used it and I was... "Damn, this is a very good weapon." Sure, some might say that 2D4 and 1D4 are not great damage dice, and perhaps they're right (although 2D4 is still better than the D8 of a longsword or rapier). However as we go through the game the actual dice you roll doesn't matter as much and what does matter is volume of attacks and the damage boosts you can add to them. Now sure, a Hexblade with Polearm Master and Great Weapon Master can take a Glaive as their pact weapon, get the D10 from the main attack (two, obviously, with thirsting blade) and D4 from the bonus attack, and hit all of them with the -5 to hit, +10 to damage.
If you take a Variant Human you can take Polearm Master at level 1, then Great Weapon Master at level 4, and once you get Thirsting Blade at level 5 you're in business. However if you take any other character you're waiting till level 8 for the full benefits.
Of course a Pact of the Blade Hexblade can summon any melee weapon with their Pact, so even if you play with a DBS at lower levels, you can always switch to another weapon at a later stage if you have the desire to play a PAM/GWM build.
However, assuming we get to level 12, where the Warlock gets Lifedrinker, and you've used ASIs to max out your Charisma, the DBS is striking with +10 to hit (+4 Prof, +5 Cha, +1 IPW) doing 2D4 + 6 damage, +5 Necrotic, times two, and 1D4 + 6 damage, + 5 Necrotic, times one, each combat phase. Assuming you hit (the odds are pretty good) that's a minimum of 38 damage and a maximum of 53 damage, assuming no Necrotic resistance interrupts your fun.
At this point you'll also have Agonizing Blast on your Eldritch Blast (I assume the Invocation progression is, Level 3, Armor of Shadows, Improved Pact Weapon, Level 5, Thirsting Blade, Level 7, Agonizing Blast, Level 9, Eldritch Smite, Level 12, Lifedrinker) you'll be casting 3 rays at +9 to hit doing D10 + 5 Force damage. That's a minimum of 18 damage, and a maximum of 45.
If you manage to Hexblade Curse your target you can add 12 (4 x 3) damage to each of those totals at level 12.
Of course you've stacked all your invocations into doing damage at this point, conceding only one to boost your AC, so you're missing out on more social skills like Beguiling Influence and Mask of Many Faces, but you're still a Warlock. If you're in a game where roleplay and social situations dominate over fighting just drop some militant invocations for social invocations as you level up.
Though of course remember that you're not exactly a tank. If you take Half Plate armour you're AC17, which to be honest I don't regard as a significant step up over Mage Armor's 13+Dex, which would be 16 if you took 16 dexterity at startup, and that's free. You're a D8 class so your HP is just okay. You have access to the Shield spell, but there the limit on Warlock's spell slots really come into play. Unlike better casters, where they have level 1 spells to blow on Shield, you only have three level 5 spell slots at level 12, and you'd rather use them doing an Eldritch Smite, with its very nice 6D8 Force damage.
You are, in the RPG vernacular, a DPS unit. There are likely enemies that you will simply one-shot, but it's quite possible the enemy will do the same to you.
You do have the option of turning your pact weapon into a Longsword and taking a shield for the +2 AC of course.
I like warlocks a lot. I definitely lean on EB, but I've yet to run out of flavor. Throw an eldritch curveball, blow them an eldritch kiss, or shotgun pump your fingerguns, this is a game about making our own fun, right? But what I like most is the freedom FROM spell slots. You can disguise yourself as anybody, fifty times per short rest if you want to. Wizards can't do that. Or you can take the Silent Image invocation and alternate between an illusion of a Hill Giant and a 15 foot sphere of solid black that would be pretty indistinguishable from a darkness spell, (if you hadn't already told your party you were going to do it, so they could see through it), every round if you want to. Sorcerers can't do that. And once you start getting up towards higher levels, your big hits don't even come from your spell list. Oh, did you learn magical mansion at level 12? That's a cool spell, I started the game with a genie bottle that I sleep in, it's nice in there. I just hand it to my familiar, who's an imp that can shapeshift and turn invisible and grants me max dice whenever I heal, and he guards it while I catnap. You can start every day casting waterbreathing on your party, just in case, because it doesn't cost you anything. So sure, I can only cast Blight four times a day, but there's a lot of flexibility too.
YEah i can agree. I ******* love warlocks i really-REALLY do. I just do not like how situational a lot of their invocations and spells are/become. And most of your invocation spells YOU DONT EVENT GET BACK ON A SHORT REST >_< like you've given me this unique ability and most of my resources don't even UTILIZE IT. I think warlock would have made more sense with sorc points. You have 2 spell slots you can then burn this random mystical resource to get MORE back OR use them for these THINGS that can then be buffed by INVOCATIONS. I made a "Doomsayer" Warlock. 2 levels divination for portent the rest into Fiend. The point of this character was they divined an end times and that thing (whatever your pact is) accidently leeched their power onto him. And i soon realize how dependent i became on things like shield/mage armor from the wizard spell list and with that one wizard rule i could get those spell slots back (can't remember) and i was like "Why doesn't warlock get that?".
An easy solution is the Rod of the Pact Keeper. My Warlock has one and surprisingly never needed the extra slot, but I got Fey Touched (Misty Step and Hex) as well. But it‘s nice to know that in case you have something in reserve.
#1 - We just disagree here. Having solid charisma based skills means you don't need to resort to spells to talk your way through a non-combat encounter. If the roll fails, resort to bribing your way to a success or another resource. Why would casting a spell be your only backup option?
#2 There have been many threads on which warlock pact is better and that's a whole different discussion. But don't marginalize the chainpact special familiar. No, the Wizard cannot get the same result as Find Familiar. Not even close. Invisibility, a talking familiar, and one with a special attack and skill proficiencies? This is why people barter for a special familiar in their background. Just using the imp as an example; dude has hands, Devil Sight, and can give the Help action on Persuasion (which helps on those rills for point #1). Wizards cannot get this result.
#3 Take Mage Hand. You will be the party door-opener, and trap tester. With that and the special familiar, your group is viable without a rogue. And using magic to be sneaky is the flavor of a Warlock.
#4 This just comes down to what people enjoy playing. Me, I love blasting stuff with EB just as much as the party ranger loves firing arrows into critters. I do disagree on the frequency of short rests though. If the other PC's have abilities that also recharge on short rests, they will look to take a couple per day. Can only speak to the table I'm at; two per day is a given, and three has happened in some circumstances.
#5 Burning Hands when you are 2nd level is a game changer. What other AoE damage spell at first level is better for Warlocks? Or any class for that matter? 3d6 was dropping goblins, skeletons, twig blights, and just about anything else we fought.
#6 The party Barbarian has to rely on a magic weapon to hit creatures, same for the party ranger. Does that make them broken because they are unable to damage certain monsters without a magic item? When everyone is chasing magic weapons, magic armor, and ways of getting healing; the Warlock doesn't need to put a priority on acquiring such items. When people gobble up attunement slots on their weapons and armor, a Warlock has them open for other needs.
You say that the limit of two spells means they are limited outside of combat, and then say you are defaulted to EB in combat. There are people who play a Warlock and don't take the EB cantrip. Instead they free up invocations for utility. Want a Warlock with flavor? Play a Tomelock without EB. Every turn you can spam Vicious Mockery, Guidance, and other fun cantrips. Be a Celestial pact, and now you have healing. You also can ritual cast, so do that as often as possible since its a free resource. Warlocks are about the most flexible class in the game. Make a build that does fit your playstyle. Clearly myself and others have found the class fine on its own.
It is the common custom of the internet that anything which is in all capital letters is "shouting' and it is very clear the the original poster is aware of this. They continue to shout, and shout and shout because they are unhappy with a class. When people point out what Warlocks do well, they complain. They want to do something other than Eldritch Blast, well, that's fine, they have lots of options, and running away doesn't take a spell slot. It does require the Dash action, and if they are in the middle of melee at the time, they will need to use Disengage first or the give their opponents an Attack of Opportunity. I believe they can't Dash after that, so they would have to walk away. At that point, the question that comes up is if there are any other people involved and what everyone is doing. That's too complicated to go into.
If someone doesn't want to use their Eldritch Blast, there are too many things to list in this post that they can do, most of which don't require an action, an that is exactly the point people have been trying to make. There are so many things a Warlock is able to do that none of us can possibly list all of them in a reasonable length post. Why bother quoting the entire Warlock entry when someone can use the Game Rules menu and pick Warlock?
I suggest to the OP that they stop shouting at us, listen to people who have made excellent points and move on. You can freely use the drop-down from the name of the person who posted what you don't want to hear and hit "Ignore User". Feel free to use this on me, and anyone else you choose. If you end up with an entire thread that has no replies, you will have learned something. I leave it to you to figure out what that might mean.
<Insert clever signature here>
I've stated that i am not shouting directly in a previous post. I am using this as constructive criticism to form a better opinion...please read previous posts to get informed or don't post. I am 100% just trying to debate and see what people think so that i may make or form a better more informed idea or change their perceptions.
I WANT < This is EMPHASIS something to GAIN your attention to the POINT of the sentence. It is me drawing attention toward something so that you may better understand or derive meaning. YOU FUICKING **** YOU DISAGREE WITH ME AND I WANT YOU DEADDDDDDDD < that is shouting/angry/non sensible. I am reading what others are putting out and responding to better derive meaning/structure so that I/we may gain a better insight into what others are thinking to grasp a better understanding of what is happening and why. I love warlocks and I think they would benefit from MORE spell slots, clearly i've seen that its not a problem others seem to have and that they disagree - I accept that, i've gone and put into my opinions and statements against their posts so that THEY can gain a better idea of what i'm thinking and then from there we can find a middle ground or at least have an understanding and disagree. Me disagreeing with you isn't me saying YOU'RE WRONG STFU its me saying "I disagree becausue X, you a re still allowed to have that thought, but i don't agree with it." And then i state why and try to defend my statement while attacking your statement(attack might not be the right word) in the hopes of either changing or coming to an understanding - this is called DEBATE.
Socially? Usually Intimidate.
That doesn't track at all. Warlocks use the same state for Charisma checks and spell save DCs. Why are you assuming suggestion failed? And why are you assuming the Lock is 50% less useful with 1 slot burned? Locks can function quite well on 0 slots, let alone 1 slot.
I'm just plain lost here, but if guards show up, I recommend Mask of Many Faces so you, too, can be a guard.
This is simply false. Pact of the Blade is hot garbage unless you're specifically a Hexblade (where it becomes great) or a Tortle (where it becomes mediocre).
Wizards can't ritual-cast non-wizard spells, and their familiar is a lot worse than a Chainlock's familiar.
Rangers have an L1 spell that makes food. If you desperately need food, starting at level 1 a Genielock can provide all the food a party needs. Their lamp can hold many rations.
Rangers are about as good at leading the party through traps as a Warlock is at leading the party through social encounters.
Rangers have massive synergy with the Survival skill, yes. That's hardly a reason to consider them less situational than Warlocks.
Barbarians and Monks get 0 slots, and most Fighters and Rogues get 0.
Not until level 3, at which point you're comparing 6 L1 and 2 L2 spells for the day to 6 L2 spells for the day.
Not true in most campaigns.
This is a fair complaint. Warlocks should have invocations letting another combat cantrip compete with Eldritch Blast.
Warlock spell slots aren't for bread and butter. You use them for a strong opener or a strong closer, and operate the rest of the fight without spell slots. That's core to how they operate. You're right about Warlock total slot balance in a vacuum - starting at Warlock 6 they fall behind - but that's supposed to be made for with invocations. I think your core complaint is better addressed with more generic invocations - just as Sorcerers get metamagic which has generic rules for applying to any suitable spell, invocations generically giving Warlocks more spammable spells would be a good idea. For example, if Armor of Shadows worked on any 8 hour or greater duration spell from any list the Warlock was a high enough level to cast that was capable of targeting exactly 1 creature but it changed the Range to Self and only worked on the Warlock, it would be a lot better. You could use it to cast Nondetection, for example (you'd just reword the invocation to only remove the need for costless material components).
#1. It was an example of an IF scenario - if suggestion fails ur now down a spell slot.
#2. My thought process on ranger is that outside combat they are a thousand times more useful then a warlock, they have so many passive things that MOST people don't even know about or utulize simply because its boring. Rangers are incredibly important in A LOT of campaigns where a lock can simply be skipped for something like a wizard or sorc, they fill the same roles.
#4. You're missing the point - in the terms of SPELLCASTERS 2 spell slots is limiting. Imagine if wizard or sorc had 2 spell slots? That is EXTREMELY LIMITING. That was my point. And the 8+ thing was exaggeration.
#5 - Yes i didn't really think about Warlocks being that sort of BIG opener or closer as they don't get the spells necessary to BE that big opener or closer. Fireball almost everyone gets. Shatter? Common. etc etc. A lot of the spells I see on most of their spells lists aren't big openers or closers, they're good, but maybe im using them wrong?
#1. It was an example of an IF scenario - if suggestion fails ur now down a spell slot.
I wouldn't use Suggestion as my Plan B for a social encounter.
#2. My thought process on ranger is that outside combat they are a thousand times more useful then a warlock, they have so many passive things that MOST people don't even know about or utulize simply because its boring. Rangers are incredibly important in A LOT of campaigns where a lock can simply be skipped for something like a wizard or sorc, they fill the same roles.
Ranger is a thousand times better outside combat?! I know there's some hyperbole there, but that's just patently wrong. Rangers are prone to be bad at social skills, which should be in your average Warlock's wheelhouse. How many adventures involve RP with CHA based skills? Every one I've been in. Can you have a group without a Warlock; yes. Can you have a group without Ranger; again yes. City based adventures (like Dragon Heist) would hardly miss a Ranger in a standard group.
#4. You're missing the point - in the terms of SPELLCASTERS 2 spell slots is limiting. Imagine if wizard or sorc had 2 spell slots? That is EXTREMELY LIMITING. That was my point. And the 8+ thing was exaggeration.
This comes back to the heart of the issue. If you view a Warlock as a full-caster than you find their limited spell slots a major detriment. If you view a Warlock as more of a half-caster, or arcane archer, then its not so bad. Ultimately if you compare Warlocks against Wizards and Sorcerers and the amount of spells they can cast, you are playing the wrong class.
#5 - Yes i didn't really think about Warlocks being that sort of BIG opener or closer as they don't get the spells necessary to BE that big opener or closer. Fireball almost everyone gets. Shatter? Common. etc etc. A lot of the spells I see on most of their spells lists aren't big openers or closers, they're good, but maybe im using them wrong
Almost everyone gets Fireball?? Its not even on the Warlock list unless you are a fiendpact. For a 7th level PC, what do you consider a game changing spell? If 9d6 fire damage is no big deal, I think your expectations are a tad high.
Fire is THE most common resistance in the game. And again thats my point unless you go fiendlock you don't get fireball so you don't have a good opener or closer. For a class that you say is designed to be an opener or closer they sure do LACK OPENERS. And yes they are a full caster - by definition so i will compare them to full casters...because that is what THEY ARE. So yes comparably they lack. THAT IS MY POINT. My whole point is that as a FULL CASTER which let me reiterate they by RULES DEFINITION ARE....they are lacking in spells. And fireball is 8d6 when u first get it and then 9d6 at level 6. And that requires you to go Fiendlock to EVEN get.
Well, that's why there's Bards, Clerics, Druids, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards, instead of just one Caster Class. It's okay if you'd like to play or multiclass one of the other ones. I've really enjoyed my warlocks, but to each their own. I tried Bard once, and didn't really care for it.
Yeah i'm iffy on bards and monks. Both seem fun, but i just have a hard time WANTING to play them. Monks just don't FEEL like DND to me and idk if that is the right way to put that.
Monks have been in the game since 1e. We remember OG quivering palm.
Bards are fun little skill freaks with some casting that can be hard to play.
I don't really play my Drow Hexblade as a Warlock. I created the Assassin Cult background for him (Acolyte with proficiency in Stealth, Acrobatics, Thieves'Tools and Poisoner's Kit) and play him more as a Rogue with Warlock powers to fall back on.
Pact of the Blade and Improved Pact Weapon give him access to a +1 Double-Bladed Scimitar as his main weapon choice and a magical weapon that weaponizes your bonus action is fairly decent. Armor of Shadows means I don't have to worry about buying armour. I did get a Ring of Protection for a bit more defense.
At level 4 I took the Drow High Magic feat to give on demand Detect Magic with once a day Levitate and Dispel Magic.
I hardly ever use Eldritch Blast. It's just more entertaining to hit things.
So, on one hand I understand the limitation thing. I have played in a campaign where no one relied on a short rest save for my fighter, and it felt awful sometimes going through multiple combats a day without ever short resting, and the DM planned the day to be high stakes and on a clock, so we couldn't short rest even if we wanted to. Heck, I sometimes felt scared to ask because I didn't want to be -that guy- who whines for a nap when everyone else is good to go! I would have hated it so hard if I played a warlock because I'd never have more than two slots per adventuring day, effectively.
On the other hand, a warlock has such versatility. Suppose I built a celestial pact of the tome warlock. Well, now I've got a character that can attack pretty darn well from a distance with EB+AB, act as a healer with healing light, fight decently well up close with shillelagh+booming blade (or green flame blade with radiant soul), act as a controller with spells like hypnotic pattern, or do scouting with find familiar. Only one of those things needs a spell slot.
speaking of find familiar, pact of the chain is awesome. Invisible imp + genie warlock= ez infiltration missions. poggies!
Also, I think to get the most out of any warlock, or any spellcaster for that matter, is to make the most out of spell scroll scribing. Not everyone's keen on using a 5th lvl slot for something like hex, but sometimes it's useful. Instead, spend 25g and a downtime day to make it. Do this for a bunch of other spells. Use it, abuse it, love it!
I had never even considered the double bladed scimitar as a hex weapon. That is great!
I think that the number of spell slots is completely sufficient given everything else warlocks have up their sleeve, including at will spells from eldritch invocations and the fact that from level 11 you can use 3 spells per short rest and one mystic arcanum per long rest on top of that. Plus more things that others have mentioned. The limited number of spell slots forces you to strategize a lot which I personally love - will I save that precious spell slot for potential upcoming battles in this dungeon, or will I use it right now on this enemy for some sweet damage and struggle later? Maybe we can take a short rest in the middle of a dungeon and pray that nothing ambushes us. Maybe my bard friend can cast a catnap on me so it only takes 10 minutes to get benefits of the short rest. And so on.
I find it extremely satisfying for example summoning a greater demon and hurling a blight or fireball spell which burns away all of my spell slots for the fight but gives my party a tremendous head start or advantage in battle, after which I am quite OK to just spam eldritch blast. However, just because everyone says that eldritch blast is the best damage cantrip (and they are right), its does not mean you are obliged to spam it on repeat. Depending on the situation, there are other great cantrips like Mind Sliver, Frostbite, Chill Touch, etc. Finally, if you are really that desperate for an extra spell slots, you can try finding Rod of the Pact Keeper - you can use an action to have this staff get a spell slot back for you once a day, which is pretty cool, I have it myself so for example I like casting some buff (like Fly) just before a battle, then using the staff to get that spell slot back and voila, I am heading into battle still with both spell slots remaining.
Warlock in WoW, warlock in D&D, warlock everywhere.
I saw it and thought, "That's cool, I have to have it."
Then I actually used it and I was... "Damn, this is a very good weapon." Sure, some might say that 2D4 and 1D4 are not great damage dice, and perhaps they're right (although 2D4 is still better than the D8 of a longsword or rapier). However as we go through the game the actual dice you roll doesn't matter as much and what does matter is volume of attacks and the damage boosts you can add to them. Now sure, a Hexblade with Polearm Master and Great Weapon Master can take a Glaive as their pact weapon, get the D10 from the main attack (two, obviously, with thirsting blade) and D4 from the bonus attack, and hit all of them with the -5 to hit, +10 to damage.
If you take a Variant Human you can take Polearm Master at level 1, then Great Weapon Master at level 4, and once you get Thirsting Blade at level 5 you're in business. However if you take any other character you're waiting till level 8 for the full benefits.
Of course a Pact of the Blade Hexblade can summon any melee weapon with their Pact, so even if you play with a DBS at lower levels, you can always switch to another weapon at a later stage if you have the desire to play a PAM/GWM build.
However, assuming we get to level 12, where the Warlock gets Lifedrinker, and you've used ASIs to max out your Charisma, the DBS is striking with +10 to hit (+4 Prof, +5 Cha, +1 IPW) doing 2D4 + 6 damage, +5 Necrotic, times two, and 1D4 + 6 damage, + 5 Necrotic, times one, each combat phase. Assuming you hit (the odds are pretty good) that's a minimum of 38 damage and a maximum of 53 damage, assuming no Necrotic resistance interrupts your fun.
At this point you'll also have Agonizing Blast on your Eldritch Blast (I assume the Invocation progression is, Level 3, Armor of Shadows, Improved Pact Weapon, Level 5, Thirsting Blade, Level 7, Agonizing Blast, Level 9, Eldritch Smite, Level 12, Lifedrinker) you'll be casting 3 rays at +9 to hit doing D10 + 5 Force damage. That's a minimum of 18 damage, and a maximum of 45.
If you manage to Hexblade Curse your target you can add 12 (4 x 3) damage to each of those totals at level 12.
Of course you've stacked all your invocations into doing damage at this point, conceding only one to boost your AC, so you're missing out on more social skills like Beguiling Influence and Mask of Many Faces, but you're still a Warlock. If you're in a game where roleplay and social situations dominate over fighting just drop some militant invocations for social invocations as you level up.
Though of course remember that you're not exactly a tank. If you take Half Plate armour you're AC17, which to be honest I don't regard as a significant step up over Mage Armor's 13+Dex, which would be 16 if you took 16 dexterity at startup, and that's free. You're a D8 class so your HP is just okay. You have access to the Shield spell, but there the limit on Warlock's spell slots really come into play. Unlike better casters, where they have level 1 spells to blow on Shield, you only have three level 5 spell slots at level 12, and you'd rather use them doing an Eldritch Smite, with its very nice 6D8 Force damage.
You are, in the RPG vernacular, a DPS unit. There are likely enemies that you will simply one-shot, but it's quite possible the enemy will do the same to you.
You do have the option of turning your pact weapon into a Longsword and taking a shield for the +2 AC of course.
Does the image show for everyone?