Since you can only chose 1 Mystic Arcanum, and never change it, I want to make sure I'm choosing the right one(s)
Background - Tiefling Hexblade 11 / Rogue Swashbuckler 3. Melee heavy. I usually want to save a spell slot for a Smite. Not at all afraid to run in and finish off anything in her face. Her pact sword is pretty much the only weapon she uses, especially since it started talking to her...
Level 6 Arcanum - My top choices are Mental Prison, and Soul Cage. Our Wizard already has Mass Suggestion, so I don't want to overlap. Mental Prison has some limitations, but I like the damage output. Soul Cage is fairly thematically appropriate, but only works on Humanoids. Should provide a range of benefits, though, and it's kind of out of the RP range for our other players. There's some overlap with Accursed Specter, but that only works on something I myself kill.
Level 7 Arcanum - Crown of Stars, for sure.
Level 8 Arcanum - Feeblemind. It's just horrific. But, Power Word Stun might be handy...?
Level 9 Arcanum - Foresight, PW Kill, or Psychic Scream... well, I've got a while to wait and think about these...
Since you can only chose 1 Mystic Arcanum, and never change it, I want to make sure I'm choosing the right one(s)
Background - Tiefling Hexblade 11 / Rogue Swashbuckler 3. Melee heavy. I usually want to save a spell slot for a Smite. Not at all afraid to run in and finish off anything in her face. Her pact sword is pretty much the only weapon she uses, especially since it started talking to her...
Level 6 Arcanum - My top choices are Mental Prison, and Soul Cage. Our Wizard already has Mass Suggestion, so I don't want to overlap. Mental Prison has some limitations, but I like the damage output. Soul Cage is fairly thematically appropriate, but only works on Humanoids. Should provide a range of benefits, though, and it's kind of out of the RP range for our other players. There's some overlap with Accursed Specter, but that only works on something I myself kill.
Level 7 Arcanum - Crown of Stars, for sure.
Level 8 Arcanum - Feeblemind. It's just horrific. But, Power Word Stun might be handy...?
Level 9 Arcanum - Foresight, PW Kill, or Psychic Scream... well, I've got a while to wait and think about these...
I am sure I will be corrected if I am wrong...
but if you have a friend that can polymorph things into humanoid for your pre-soul cage....
Feeble mind is hard to pull off without prep work.
I chose Investiture of Wind for my BladeLock. (Archfey) Because once you reach a certain level, getting into melee sometimes demands a lot of mobility. I also find its other features useful; ranged weapon attacks have disadvantage, and the "whirlwind" attack doesn't do much damage, but a couple of sessions ago I used to knock a sniper off his perch. Much falling damage ensued.
I can't recommend this option strongly enough; pair it with the Trickster's Escape Invocation and you'll have a 60 ft flying speed that can't be reduced by magic or grappling. Also, with your Rogue levels you'll be able to Dash another 60 ft as a bonus action. You'll be the fast and unstoppable!
All these concentration Arcanums look nice - Flame & Wind, in particular - are great looking, but I never took Warcaster or Resilient Con. Maybe that's why I lean towards Soul Cage...
All these concentration Arcanums look nice - Flame & Wind, in particular - are great looking, but I never took Warcaster or Resilient Con. Maybe that's why I lean towards Soul Cage...
Yes, it's best to have a good bonus to Concentration saves when flying. I took Investiture of Wind at Warlock/11 and then Resilient Con at Warlock/12. Every single time I've been at 0hp in our current campaign it was because of a failed Con save!
Arcanum 6- The investiture spells are really tailor made to improve the melee warlock and give you options based on what you want to focus on. Want more damage? Light yourself on Fire and set everything a blaze. Too squishy? Cover yourself in rock. Sick of ranged attackers? Create a moving windshield. An interesting alternate option for a melee character is Scatter which makes sure you are never too overwhelmed in melee. Pretty situational though for a 6th level.
Arcanum 7- My picks are Finger of Death or PWPain- Finger lets you give yourself a permanent pet zombie to help be a meatshield and/or give flanking. PWPain pretty much sets up anyone to be assassinated by a melee character.
Arcanum 8- PWStun means instant critical on all attacks that hit. Assuming you have Devil's Sight, Maddening Darkness lets you setup a situation where you can run in and attack people on the edge of the sphere with advantage on your hits and disadvantage on opportunity attacks against you and then run back out to avoid the psychic damage. Really PWStun is the strong option at this level.
Arcanum 9- For melee Foresight is the most obvious option for a reason. 8 Hrs of advantage on all attacks and saves and disadvantage on all return attacks is hard to overstate in effectiveness. You will be a melee murder bot for 8 hrs with Foresight. PWKill is fine but bland. Psychic Scream is thematic and quite effective as an opening attack to soften up the ranks for your melee onslaught. For me it would definitely be a choice between Foresight & PScream. I suppose you could argue True Polymorph which is fine- it's a phenomenal spell just not necessarily better or worse for a melee user except maybe from the argument of more hit points in melee.
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Since you can only chose 1 Mystic Arcanum, and never change it, I want to make sure I'm choosing the right one(s)
Background - Tiefling Hexblade 11 / Rogue Swashbuckler 3.
Melee heavy. I usually want to save a spell slot for a Smite. Not at all afraid to run in and finish off anything in her face. Her pact sword is pretty much the only weapon she uses, especially since it started talking to her...
Level 6 Arcanum - My top choices are Mental Prison, and Soul Cage. Our Wizard already has Mass Suggestion, so I don't want to overlap.
Mental Prison has some limitations, but I like the damage output. Soul Cage is fairly thematically appropriate, but only works on Humanoids. Should provide a range of benefits, though, and it's kind of out of the RP range for our other players. There's some overlap with Accursed Specter, but that only works on something I myself kill.
Level 7 Arcanum - Crown of Stars, for sure.
Level 8 Arcanum - Feeblemind. It's just horrific.
But, Power Word Stun might be handy...?
Level 9 Arcanum - Foresight, PW Kill, or Psychic Scream... well, I've got a while to wait and think about these...
I am sure I will be corrected if I am wrong...
but if you have a friend that can polymorph things into humanoid for your pre-soul cage....
Feeble mind is hard to pull off without prep work.
I chose Investiture of Wind for my BladeLock. (Archfey) Because once you reach a certain level, getting into melee sometimes demands a lot of mobility. I also find its other features useful; ranged weapon attacks have disadvantage, and the "whirlwind" attack doesn't do much damage, but a couple of sessions ago I used to knock a sniper off his perch. Much falling damage ensued.
I can't recommend this option strongly enough; pair it with the Trickster's Escape Invocation and you'll have a 60 ft flying speed that can't be reduced by magic or grappling. Also, with your Rogue levels you'll be able to Dash another 60 ft as a bonus action. You'll be the fast and unstoppable!
DICE FALL, EVERYONE ROCKS!
All these concentration Arcanums look nice - Flame & Wind, in particular - are great looking, but I never took Warcaster or Resilient Con. Maybe that's why I lean towards Soul Cage...
Yes, it's best to have a good bonus to Concentration saves when flying. I took Investiture of Wind at Warlock/11 and then Resilient Con at Warlock/12. Every single time I've been at 0hp in our current campaign it was because of a failed Con save!
DICE FALL, EVERYONE ROCKS!
Melee Warlock Arcanum Recs
Arcanum 6- The investiture spells are really tailor made to improve the melee warlock and give you options based on what you want to focus on. Want more damage? Light yourself on Fire and set everything a blaze. Too squishy? Cover yourself in rock. Sick of ranged attackers? Create a moving windshield. An interesting alternate option for a melee character is Scatter which makes sure you are never too overwhelmed in melee. Pretty situational though for a 6th level.
Arcanum 7- My picks are Finger of Death or PWPain- Finger lets you give yourself a permanent pet zombie to help be a meatshield and/or give flanking. PWPain pretty much sets up anyone to be assassinated by a melee character.
Arcanum 8- PWStun means instant critical on all attacks that hit. Assuming you have Devil's Sight, Maddening Darkness lets you setup a situation where you can run in and attack people on the edge of the sphere with advantage on your hits and disadvantage on opportunity attacks against you and then run back out to avoid the psychic damage. Really PWStun is the strong option at this level.
Arcanum 9- For melee Foresight is the most obvious option for a reason. 8 Hrs of advantage on all attacks and saves and disadvantage on all return attacks is hard to overstate in effectiveness. You will be a melee murder bot for 8 hrs with Foresight. PWKill is fine but bland. Psychic Scream is thematic and quite effective as an opening attack to soften up the ranks for your melee onslaught. For me it would definitely be a choice between Foresight & PScream. I suppose you could argue True Polymorph which is fine- it's a phenomenal spell just not necessarily better or worse for a melee user except maybe from the argument of more hit points in melee.