So I'm curious and maybe someone can help. I just got invited to play in a new campaign starting next week. I'm thinking of doing a cleric, or the warlock with the undead patron. My question is about the form of dread. My question Is, it doesn't give a range about hitting or anything of that nature. So would it be safe to assume if you had a melee or ranged weapon it is the same range as those? And magic as well.
Undead Warlock is great - I'm a big fan. It definitely lends itself towards a combat heavy, melee heavy build, but it doesn't lock you in. You can go however you want as far as Pacts go.
As for your question:
Form of Dread
1st-level Undead feature
You manifest an aspect of your patron’s dreadful power. As a bonus action, you transform for 1 minute. You gain the following benefits while transformed:
You gain temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + your warlock level.
Once during each of your turns, when you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can force it to make a Wisdom saving throw, and if the saving throw fails, the target is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
You can transform a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
The appearance of your Form of Dread reflects some aspect of your patron. For example, your form could be a shroud of shadows forming the crown and robes of your lich patron, or your body might glow with glyphs from ancient funerary rites and be surrounded by desert winds, suggesting your mummy patron.
Note my bold note - all you need to do is make an attack roll - so that means melee, ranged, or spell attack.
(BTW - Undead Warlock is very front loaded, and packs a big punch. If you're thinking of multi-classing, I say go for it. It synergizes well with a surprisingly large number of classes, and as I said, really leans into the melee focused themes)
Bishop when making the pact, which pact benefits the undead? Cause I want to try and utilize the pacts carefully if I went with it I'd go with Pact of the blade.
Bishop when making the pact, which pact benefits the undead? Cause I want to try and utilize the pacts carefully if I went with it I'd go with Pact of the blade.
Remdias - it really depends on your play style or character concept - I personally went Pact of the Blade, but am playing a pretty melee combat focused character. Form of Dread works with any attack roll, so if you want to stay in the back and spam Eldritch Blast, you can do that as well - in which case I'd pick a different Pact. What kind of character are you planning?
I haven't decided! I made a Tiefling warlock, Love that charisma bonus, His patron I kinda made up that a dragon was tricked into becoming a Dracolich. So his patron is a dracolich, but I haven't thought of a playstyle.
I've recently come up with the idea for an Undead / Shadow SorLock... named Silence. Maybe she has a Wednesday Addams vibe, but refrains from speaking unless absolutely necessary. Her village was destroyed because she said the wrong thing, to the wrong travelers. Now she wants vengeance.
My group usually does Level 8 one shots, so maybe I'll try that next time around, and if it's cool, start from level 1 if we start a new campaign.
I haven't decided! I made a Tiefling warlock, Love that charisma bonus, His patron I kinda made up that a dragon was tricked into becoming a Dracolich. So his patron is a dracolich, but I haven't thought of a playstyle.
So think about the type of dragon, and let that be your guide... But honestly, the temp HP is wasted if you're in the back spamming EB. I'd go pact of the blade.
If your party is dripping with fighter types, though... Pact of the Tome brings so much utility to the game, it's nuts. It's my other go-to pact for warlocks these days...
Temp HP has solid synergy well with both ranged and melee, though it would usually get more use in melee. The fear effect also has good synergy with both but gets more use at range. I think its a wash on which style is best for an undead lock. While its not my favorite pact I think pact of the talisman might have some solid thematic ties to undead.
I was wondering about that, and I think I am going to go Pact of the blade, and perhaps bulk up and get medium armor. I want to try doing a bit more melee with my warlock! So far I'm loving it and that temp hitpoints comes in handy!!!
Love my female dhampir shadow monk X / undead lock 3. Took warcaster at monk 4 to keep hex up. Debating taking lock to 4 for the ASI or even 6 for the Grave Touched. I'm using hex and shadowblade almost exclusively, so CHA is not a huge concern (no DC issues).
Grave-Touched is absolutely worth it as it basically gives you a free mini-smite once per turn of necrotic damage. If you're only making one attack per round, that doubles your damage output. As a fun RP element, you no longer need food or air, so you can be smuggled around in a bag of holding or something similar.
I currently play a Rune Scribe/Phoenix Sorcerer/Undead Warlock dhampir gnome in an Ebberon game and she's a lot of fun. Her eyes turn black and her features a bit more gaunt when she uses it (vampire) and being able be able to force a Wisdom save on an eldritch blast from 120 ft away can be incredibly strategic and hilarious.
That is amazing!!!! I love the art and the idea! So with my warlock he is still living.. ( kinda) We had a certain quest from the campaign Ice wind dale, and well things didn't go right for him. so as a rp since I was getting grave touched really soon, I asked my DM if as a result he could be half skeleton. Moving the story further along, he had to make a deal with his patron to help his comrades. Well in exchange she took the rest of his flesh. So now he is a walking skeletal tiefling!
On DnD Beyond next to Form of Dread on my Character Sheet it has a damage box for 1d10+5...
How does form of Dread deal damage? Does it happen when you transform? Or is there a mechanic I'm not seeing where you add the 1d10+5 to a melee or spell attack?
Until level 6 you do not add any damage, before that it just adds 1d10+warlock level temp hit points to the warlock(and fear effect etc). At level 6 it improves it and now you do one additional die damage on one attack a round, but you have to turn a die of damage into necrotic, and the additional die will also be necrotic.
So I'm curious and maybe someone can help. I just got invited to play in a new campaign starting next week. I'm thinking of doing a cleric, or the warlock with the undead patron. My question is about the form of dread. My question Is, it doesn't give a range about hitting or anything of that nature. So would it be safe to assume if you had a melee or ranged weapon it is the same range as those? And magic as well.
Undead Warlock is great - I'm a big fan. It definitely lends itself towards a combat heavy, melee heavy build, but it doesn't lock you in. You can go however you want as far as Pacts go.
As for your question:
Form of Dread
1st-level Undead feature
You manifest an aspect of your patron’s dreadful power. As a bonus action, you transform for 1 minute. You gain the following benefits while transformed:
You can transform a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
The appearance of your Form of Dread reflects some aspect of your patron. For example, your form could be a shroud of shadows forming the crown and robes of your lich patron, or your body might glow with glyphs from ancient funerary rites and be surrounded by desert winds, suggesting your mummy patron.
Note my bold note - all you need to do is make an attack roll - so that means melee, ranged, or spell attack.
Thank you kindly!
Happy to help... I've been playing an Undead 'Lock for some time now, so feel free to ask any questions you might have.
(BTW - Undead Warlock is very front loaded, and packs a big punch. If you're thinking of multi-classing, I say go for it. It synergizes well with a surprisingly large number of classes, and as I said, really leans into the melee focused themes)
Bishop when making the pact, which pact benefits the undead? Cause I want to try and utilize the pacts carefully if I went with it I'd go with Pact of the blade.
Remdias - it really depends on your play style or character concept - I personally went Pact of the Blade, but am playing a pretty melee combat focused character. Form of Dread works with any attack roll, so if you want to stay in the back and spam Eldritch Blast, you can do that as well - in which case I'd pick a different Pact. What kind of character are you planning?
I haven't decided! I made a Tiefling warlock, Love that charisma bonus, His patron I kinda made up that a dragon was tricked into becoming a Dracolich. So his patron is a dracolich, but I haven't thought of a playstyle.
I've recently come up with the idea for an Undead / Shadow SorLock... named Silence. Maybe she has a Wednesday Addams vibe, but refrains from speaking unless absolutely necessary. Her village was destroyed because she said the wrong thing, to the wrong travelers. Now she wants vengeance.
My group usually does Level 8 one shots, so maybe I'll try that next time around, and if it's cool, start from level 1 if we start a new campaign.
Who am I kidding - it WILL be cool.
So think about the type of dragon, and let that be your guide... But honestly, the temp HP is wasted if you're in the back spamming EB. I'd go pact of the blade.
If your party is dripping with fighter types, though... Pact of the Tome brings so much utility to the game, it's nuts. It's my other go-to pact for warlocks these days...
Temp HP has solid synergy well with both ranged and melee, though it would usually get more use in melee. The fear effect also has good synergy with both but gets more use at range. I think its a wash on which style is best for an undead lock. While its not my favorite pact I think pact of the talisman might have some solid thematic ties to undead.
I was wondering about that, and I think I am going to go Pact of the blade, and perhaps bulk up and get medium armor. I want to try doing a bit more melee with my warlock! So far I'm loving it and that temp hitpoints comes in handy!!!
I haven't looked at the talisman I need to go look more into that one!
Warlocks are just cool I love it when DMS take into account the patrons of the warlock and add it into the game!!!
Love my female dhampir shadow monk X / undead lock 3. Took warcaster at monk 4 to keep hex up. Debating taking lock to 4 for the ASI or even 6 for the Grave Touched. I'm using hex and shadowblade almost exclusively, so CHA is not a huge concern (no DC issues).
Grave-Touched is absolutely worth it as it basically gives you a free mini-smite once per turn of necrotic damage. If you're only making one attack per round, that doubles your damage output. As a fun RP element, you no longer need food or air, so you can be smuggled around in a bag of holding or something similar.
I currently play a Rune Scribe/Phoenix Sorcerer/Undead Warlock dhampir gnome in an Ebberon game and she's a lot of fun. Her eyes turn black and her features a bit more gaunt when she uses it (vampire) and being able be able to force a Wisdom save on an eldritch blast from 120 ft away can be incredibly strategic and hilarious.
That is amazing!!!! I love the art and the idea! So with my warlock he is still living.. ( kinda) We had a certain quest from the campaign Ice wind dale, and well things didn't go right for him. so as a rp since I was getting grave touched really soon, I asked my DM if as a result he could be half skeleton. Moving the story further along, he had to make a deal with his patron to help his comrades. Well in exchange she took the rest of his flesh. So now he is a walking skeletal tiefling!
also notfornothin, no breathing = underwater fun
I'm a bit confused.
On DnD Beyond next to Form of Dread on my Character Sheet it has a damage box for 1d10+5...
How does form of Dread deal damage? Does it happen when you transform? Or is there a mechanic I'm not seeing where you add the 1d10+5 to a melee or spell attack?
Until level 6 you do not add any damage, before that it just adds 1d10+warlock level temp hit points to the warlock(and fear effect etc). At level 6 it improves it and now you do one additional die damage on one attack a round, but you have to turn a die of damage into necrotic, and the additional die will also be necrotic.