It seems to me that the Warlock’s power substantially declines relative to other classes around level 5. I have a few ideas to level the playing field, that I don’t believe would be OP.
I don’t claim to know what works best; these are just some ideas.
Warlock Table
The warlock would get 1 additional spell slot and/or eldritch invocation at level 6, 12, 15, 18 and 20.
Saving Throws
It’s not very wise to make a “deal with the Devil”, so thematically it would make sense to change the proficiency from Wisdom to Constitution. Why, well CHA is a measure of mental fortitude, and CON is a measure of physical fortitude. Sure, they are “2 cousins”, but it makes more sense than WIS given what I said above.
Invocation Changes/Additions
Changes
Chains of Carceri – I would lift the restrictions on monster type to include ALL monster types, not just fiend, celestial or elemental.
Otherworldly Leap – change the prerequisite from level 9 to level 3.. Jump is a low-level spell. By the time the other characters reach 9 level, levitate and fly are available, making jump kind of useless at that point.
Shroud of Shadow - change the prerequisite from level 15 to level 10.
Voice of the Chain Master – Drop the limitation that makes the warlock blind and deaf to his/her surroundings.
New Invocations
Retributive Blast – Prerequisite Eldritch blast and level 6. This invocation allows the warlock to add 1 point of damage per level to the damage caused by eldritch blast. For example, at 6 level, the damage from the blast would be 1d10 + 1d10+CHA modifier + 6. (The CHA modifier in the calculation assumes that agonizing blast had been chosen previously.). This ability could only be used once per short rest.
Mass Blast - Prerequisite Eldritch blast. Allows the warlock to shape the blast into a 20-foot-radius sphere, effecting all creatures within the area of effect. Can be combined with agonizing and retributive blast. Once per short rest.
Eye of the beholder – Prerequisite level 7. Allows the warlock to see invisible creatures at will.
I'm not really sure what you're trying to solve with this, warlock's only "weakness" is if your group typically does a 5min adventuring day, allowing long rest classes to dominate.
Retributive blast is badly underpowered as a short rest ability, at level 6 a typical warlock will do 2d10+2d6+2xCHA with eldritch blast + hex + agonizing blast. Making this a bonus action to add more damage might work instead.
Yes. thanks, I forgot that Warlocks got 2 beams at 5th level. My point was to give them greater damage capabilities, in addition to the other options. However, I though 2 points per level was OP.
In my view, if a party doesn't do frequent short rests, the Warlock becomes under powered after the first fight. That's why I proposed adding additional spell/invocation slots.
Yes. thanks, I forgot that Warlocks got 2 beams at 5th level. My point was to give them greater damage capabilities, in addition to the other options. However, I though 2 points per level was OP.
In my view, if a party doesn't do frequent short rests, the Warlock becomes under powered after the first fight. That's why I proposed adding additional spell/invocation slots.
It's not a matter of the amount per level, it's a mater of the total damage from that invocation being roughly on par with what agonizing blast adds every turn.
If you want to make the class able to compete in a long rest party, give it an invocation that lets it have more spell slots but can only recover slots on a long rest.
You’re correct. If the party doesn’t take short rests so a warlock can recharge their spell slots then warlocks are under powered compared to wizards, etc.. However if the party takes short rests between encounters, both combat and non-combat, then warlocks are very balanced.
What warlocks aren’t is blasters who can cast Fireball 4-5 times by using higher level spell slots at 9th level. What they are is great utility characters with consistently high single target damage round after round with a couple of surprises mixed in from their spell slots and invocations.
If you are not taking the rest as the game suggests and is structured for that is the issue. With 6-8 encounters per long rest with 1-3 short rests scattered amongst those encounters Warlocks are not underpowered at all. If the long rest folks are having to get through all the encounters before recharging while the Warlock gets to do it every two encounters things even out considerably. More frequent long rests can really skew the power levels of certain classes relative to others.
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It seems to me that the Warlock’s power substantially declines relative to other classes around level 5. I have a few ideas to level the playing field, that I don’t believe would be OP.
I don’t claim to know what works best; these are just some ideas.
Warlock Table
The warlock would get 1 additional spell slot and/or eldritch invocation at level 6, 12, 15, 18 and 20.
Saving Throws
It’s not very wise to make a “deal with the Devil”, so thematically it would make sense to change the proficiency from Wisdom to Constitution. Why, well CHA is a measure of mental fortitude, and CON is a measure of physical fortitude. Sure, they are “2 cousins”, but it makes more sense than WIS given what I said above.
Invocation Changes/Additions
Changes
Chains of Carceri – I would lift the restrictions on monster type to include ALL monster types, not just fiend, celestial or elemental.
Otherworldly Leap – change the prerequisite from level 9 to level 3.. Jump is a low-level spell. By the time the other characters reach 9 level, levitate and fly are available, making jump kind of useless at that point.
Shroud of Shadow - change the prerequisite from level 15 to level 10.
Voice of the Chain Master – Drop the limitation that makes the warlock blind and deaf to his/her surroundings.
New Invocations
Retributive Blast – Prerequisite Eldritch blast and level 6. This invocation allows the warlock to add 1 point of damage per level to the damage caused by eldritch blast. For example, at 6 level, the damage from the blast would be 1d10 + 1d10+CHA modifier + 6. (The CHA modifier in the calculation assumes that agonizing blast had been chosen previously.). This ability could only be used once per short rest.
Mass Blast - Prerequisite Eldritch blast. Allows the warlock to shape the blast into a 20-foot-radius sphere, effecting all creatures within the area of effect. Can be combined with agonizing and retributive blast. Once per short rest.
Eye of the beholder – Prerequisite level 7. Allows the warlock to see invisible creatures at will.
I'm not really sure what you're trying to solve with this, warlock's only "weakness" is if your group typically does a 5min adventuring day, allowing long rest classes to dominate.
Retributive blast is badly underpowered as a short rest ability, at level 6 a typical warlock will do 2d10+2d6+2xCHA with eldritch blast + hex + agonizing blast. Making this a bonus action to add more damage might work instead.
Yes. thanks, I forgot that Warlocks got 2 beams at 5th level. My point was to give them greater damage capabilities, in addition to the other options. However, I though 2 points per level was OP.
In my view, if a party doesn't do frequent short rests, the Warlock becomes under powered after the first fight. That's why I proposed adding additional spell/invocation slots.
It's not a matter of the amount per level, it's a mater of the total damage from that invocation being roughly on par with what agonizing blast adds every turn.
If you want to make the class able to compete in a long rest party, give it an invocation that lets it have more spell slots but can only recover slots on a long rest.
You’re correct. If the party doesn’t take short rests so a warlock can recharge their spell slots then warlocks are under powered compared to wizards, etc.. However if the party takes short rests between encounters, both combat and non-combat, then warlocks are very balanced.
What warlocks aren’t is blasters who can cast Fireball 4-5 times by using higher level spell slots at 9th level. What they are is great utility characters with consistently high single target damage round after round with a couple of surprises mixed in from their spell slots and invocations.
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If you are not taking the rest as the game suggests and is structured for that is the issue. With 6-8 encounters per long rest with 1-3 short rests scattered amongst those encounters Warlocks are not underpowered at all. If the long rest folks are having to get through all the encounters before recharging while the Warlock gets to do it every two encounters things even out considerably. More frequent long rests can really skew the power levels of certain classes relative to others.
Abide.