Long time DM and player, 1st time dealing with a warlock. How do these work? it looks to me as if a warlock from 2nd to 10th level only has 2 spell slots....
True. Warlocks only have 2 spell slots at those levels. BUT! Those spells slots are recovered after every short rest. So if your party takes 2 short rests in a day, you'll be able to use 6 spell slots. Plus - warlocks always cast their spells at the highest level possible for their level. So at 9th level, you're casting all of your spells as 5th level spells. Plus - warlocks get invocations, some of which allow you to cast another spell once per day, and some of which are always on and can be used an infinite amount per day. Plus you get Mystic Arcanum which let's you cast a 6th, 7th, 8th, and eventually 9th level spell once each per day.
So, let's do some math. Let's compare a 20th level warlock to a 20th level wizard. A 20th level warlock has 4 spell slots per short rest. At 2 short rests per day you're casting 12 spells, all at 5th level, plus one spell each of levels 6, 7, 8, and 9. That's a total output of 90 spell levels worth of spells. Wizards, with spell slots of 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1, have a total output of 89 spell levels worth of spells. So really, it's pretty even. Sure, there are other variables. But when you factor in the warlock's invocations, they are a very effective class.
Warlocks simply have to budget their spell use more than other classes. Your general attack will be to spam eldritch blast (with or without shouting that in a Texan accent). Or maybe a weapon attack if you're Pact of the Blade. Your spells are only there to make things interesting. They're the tricks up your sleeve, not your bread and butter.
I hope this helps. Have fun!
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Tayn of Darkwood. Lvl 10 human Life Cleric of Lathander. Retired.
Ikram Sahir ibn Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad, Second Son of the House of Ra'ad, Defender of the Burning Sands. Lvl 9 Brass Dragonborn Sorcerer + Greater Fire Elemental Devil.
Viktor Gavriil. Lvl 20 White Dragonborn Grave Cleric, of Kurgan the God of Death.
It's easiest to think of Warlocks as an Arcane Martial class, rather than as a Caster.
Instead of a bow or sword, they get Eldritch Blast or a Pact Weapon.
They get access to a few spells, but it's for versatility, rather than a primary feature. (2 slots at their highest level, recharges on a short rest)
Note: Pact Magic and Spellcasting are two separate features that do not stack when multiclassing. A Sorcerer/Warlock can cast their spells with either set of slots, or even use Flexible Casting, but the only way to increase the Slot level of Pact-Magic is to continue with the Warlock class.
Warlocks gain access to the Invocation Agonizing Blast, which allows them to add their Charisma Modifier to the Eldritch Blast's damage. This means that it scales in damage the same way that a Fighter with a weapon does with Extra Attack.
It's easiest to think of Warlocks as an Arcane Martial class, rather than as a Caster.
Instead of a bow or sword, they get Eldritch Blast or a Pact Weapon.
They get access to a few spells, but it's for versatility, rather than a primary feature. (2 slots at their highest level, recharges on a short rest)
Note: Pact Magic and Spellcasting are two separate features that do not stack when multiclassing. A Sorcerer/Warlock can cast their spells with either set of slots, or even use Flexible Casting, but the only way to increase the Slot level of Pact-Magic is to continue with the Warlock class.
Warlocks gain access to the Invocation Agonizing Blast, which allows them to add their Charisma Modifier to the Eldritch Blast's damage. This means that it scales in damage the same way that a Fighter with a weapon does with Extra Attack.
Yep, our group is 3rd level and when we started there was a notion that the frontline folks would be the damage dealers, with the wizard and warlock providing support. Very early on it became obvious that the Warlock was the highest damage dealer in the group and as we leveled from 1-3 it hasn't changed all that much.
Warlocks are ranged martial characters, wrapped in the guise of an arcane class.
Long time DM and player, 1st time dealing with a warlock. How do these work? it looks to me as if a warlock from 2nd to 10th level only has 2 spell slots....
As stated pact magic is like spell slots but they are different. Primarily, pact magic recovers with a one-hour short rest. Spell slots recover with an eight-hour long rest and can only be recovered once in a given 24 hour period.
The 20th-level warlock example has 16 5th-level slots given 2 short rests and the capstone, 4 arcanum, plus x number of at-will spell-like abilities in the invocations to go with one of the best damage cantrips available.
From 5th-level through 10th-level other spell casters are easily overtaking spell slots versus pact slots (fixed at 2) but it's a case of more higher level slots with less overall slots. That's getting back to pact magic being cast at the highest level. On top of pact magic, it's the invocations that make a big difference.
As a DM, just remember to control the pacing to allow 2 short rests, give or take, per adventure day. More can can become to good and less can become too limiting if either are common.
Some of the Warlock Invocation are really powerful in non-combat situations and if used creatively can catch a DM not experienced with them by surprise. If you add in that they are Charisma casters they can also be social and RP heavyweights as well as consistent damage dealers.
Great class and a blast to play. The low number of spell slots scare away lesser players.
It's easiest to think of Warlocks as an Arcane Martial class, rather than as a Caster.
Instead of a bow or sword, they get Eldritch Blast or a Pact Weapon.
They get access to a few spells, but it's for versatility, rather than a primary feature. (2 slots at their highest level, recharges on a short rest)
Note: Pact Magic and Spellcasting are two separate features that do not stack when multiclassing. A Sorcerer/Warlock can cast their spells with either set of slots, or even use Flexible Casting, but the only way to increase the Slot level of Pact-Magic is to continue with the Warlock class.
Warlocks gain access to the Invocation Agonizing Blast, which allows them to add their Charisma Modifier to the Eldritch Blast's damage. This means that it scales in damage the same way that a Fighter with a weapon does with Extra Attack.
Yep, our group is 3rd level and when we started there was a notion that the frontline folks would be the damage dealers, with the wizard and warlock providing support. Very early on it became obvious that the Warlock was the highest damage dealer in the group and as we leveled from 1-3 it hasn't changed all that much.
Warlocks are ranged martial characters, wrapped in the guise of an arcane class.
This. They are arcane archers, with a couple of spell slots that reset on short rest, plus some daily use high level spells.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
At first glance, warlocks seem to be not be true "Full Casters" but rather "Half-casters" whose spells top out at 5th level. But this is deceiving because they get all their spell slots back on a Short Rest. Where most other "true casters" like sorcerer and clerics only get their spells back on a Long Rest, or only small fraction of their spells back on a single short rest, like wizards.
The average adventure day is designed around the idea of 6 encounters with 2 short rests in-between. Or approx 2 encounters per short rest. (The reality is most adventuring days are 1 encounter and a long rest). This means for a full adventuring day (like with a dungeon crawl) you can triple the warlocks spell slots by taking an appropriate number of short rests. And every spell they cast is at the highest level available to them. This gives warlocks an incentive to build strategies around the use of one hard-hitting spell every encounter or two, plus cantrips, patron powers and eldritch invocations (many of which duplicate spells themselves).
Plus warlocks spells don't stop at 5th level - only their spell slots top out at 5th level. At 11 they gain the Mystic Arcanum feature which lets them gain 6th- through 9th-level spell on the regular "full-caster" schedule. The catch is that they can only cast THESE mystic arcanum spells once per long rest.
As a warlock you start with 2 cantrips, one of which should be ELDRITCH BLAST. If not, then you're crippling yourself for no good reason. Its a cantrip, it deals more damage than your weapons, its ranged and regardless of your preferred combat role, there is probably an invocation to modify your eldritch blast to suit you better. It's fine not to take eldritch blast for roleplaying reasons, just know going in you are limiting your options by doing so.
At 3rd level you are going to pick your PACT BOON, and whichever you choose will basically commit you to either being a spellslinger/magic archer/glass cannon type OR a shock attacker/alpha strike/hit and run style melee combatanttype. Chain and Tome are spellslinger/archers, while Blade is the hit and run fighter.
Check out my Disabled & Dragons Youtube Channel for 5e Monster and Player Tactics. Helping the Disabled Community and Players and DM’s (both new and experienced) get into D&D. Plus there is a talking Dragon named Quill.
At 3rd level you are going to pick your PACT BOON, and whichever you choose will basically commit you to either being a spellslinger/magic archer/glass cannon type OR a shock attacker/alpha strike/hit and run style melee combatant type. Chain and Tome are spellslinger/archers, while Blade is the hit and run fighter.
Non-hexblade Warlock's can be incredibly resilient front line fighters if built for that. Fiend 'locks get a steady stream of temporary HP and a single Feat gets them medium armor and shields (great for that V. Human pick). Armor of Agathys layers on some reactive armor and Imps can be mobile and autonomous Healing Potion dispensers and "helpers" to get advantage.
Imps have Devil Sight so casting Darkness on them gives you a mobile exclusion zone that is a bit friendlier to the rest of the party while still allowing your own Devil Sight to be leveraged for full advantage on attacks.
Warlocks are what I like to call “full caster equivalents.” They don’t get the same numbers of spell slots, or the same number of different spells, but they make up for it with a lot of cool, interesting features. The only downside is that, being short rest dependent, and how uncommon it is to actually hit that 6-8 encounter benchmark, you may not always get two short rests per adventuring day. Especially depending on the type of campaign it is. If your DM likes to make fewer, harder fights and frequently likes to keep the party under a ticking clock then you will run out of spell slots long before any of the “true full casters” will. But, that doesn’t mean you don’t still have things to do. Plus, a lot of their abilities can be useful for a variety of situations and you get to pick what you want so you can speck yourself however you want. And once those other ‘Caster’s are spent, all you need is a nap and you’re fresh as a daisy all over again that day just like Sir Flexalot over there.
It’s sorta kinda similar to a Rogue compared to the other martial classes in that regard. Rogues have nowhere near the number of Attacks or HP, and no heavy weapons or armor either. But they still do whacktons of damage, are still pretty survivable, and can do shedloads of stuff the others cannot. Especially out of combat when the other martial classes got nothing to do but stand there and flex.
Well, there is one other complaint I have about Warlocks is that half of the class spell list requires Concentration, and if a Warlock is dropping Concentration a lot that’s no bueno. So think about War Caster or something because if you can keep that Concentration going it will potentially stretch those slots you do have.
If you want reliable, dependable, predictable tried and true, then go Hexblade and you really can’t mess that one up. It’s the most forgiving of any mistakes players new to the class are expected to make, just like most classes. But honestly, they’re all really interesting. And even the Undying that everybody bags on is ridiculous in the right campaigns, and functional in almost all the rest. The only time it’s ever really lame is in a campaign with absolutely no undead. But when was the last time that ever happened? I exaggerate of course, but legitimately if your DM pitches a campaign sans undead, and you made an Undying Warlock... well, let’s just say you must have been looking forward to the challenge. And if they don’t tell you all about their peculiar campaign and you show up with an Undying, and they don’t say anything then you character build will likely not be your biggest issue in that campaign. Just sayin.
But I say take one of the other subclasses and have a good time. You likely will. And the majority of people will likely steer you to either The Tome, or The Blade. The Tome because it significantly increases your spellcasting capacity, but it can also be a powerful stimulant apparently. And if you wanna run around and stab people the blade is a good choice. But if you can pass on the melee, and feel satisfied with what is legitimately a solid array of magical powers even without the Tome, I say go Chain. If you’re the type of player who always has something for your PC to do, Chain is amazing. With a little careful planning around Spell and Invocation selection you really can’t go wrong.
Also, if you think a little outside the box; you can always get a 'Ring of Spell Storing' or two. Yes, it requires attunement. But all decent magic items do. So like that gives one five spells up to fifth level. That is a pretty decent combo if you think about it. I mean, you don't even get access to fifth level slots till level nine. So that really can amp a Warlock and help them really become quite versatile. Hell, get two? You have the ability to mix it up just like a true caster ;-) And of course combined with your snazzy Invocations and pact boons. You really have some real options. And you can have quite a bit of mixing and spell economy depending on your situation. And also, do not forget about the use of scrolls. You can just let er rip with a scroll. Oh darn, so it is used up after use. But, you don't have to attune to those, and the amount you can carry is not dependent on the spell's slot level.
I only mention this because, I have been thinking about this for some time. So really with two rings of spell storing, you could have one charged with offensive, and the other defensive! Plus any amount based on your level. I used to hate on Warlocks because I thought they were inferior to 'True Casters' or even Arcane Tricksters and or Eldritch Knights. But even though those classes get more slots, their options are quite limited in scope. Whereas the Warlock can choose and on his/her/them spell list. This also means you don't have to dip into Sorcerer or Bard to gain only a few more slots and spell selection {or any caster class for that matter}. Then you get your feat at fourth right away, instead of waiting for fifth. Plus if you are human, you will have two by fourth level. And of course if you don't improve your score instead of taking a feat.
Caveat: I hope this sheds some light on the Warlock. No I did not read though all the responses.
Also, if you think a little outside the box; you can always get a 'Ring of Spell Storing' or two. Yes, it requires attunement. But all decent magic items do. So like that gives one five spells up to fifth level. That is a pretty decent combo if you think about it. I mean, you don't even get access to fifth level slots till level nine. So that really can amp a Warlock and help them really become quite versatile. Hell, get two? You have the ability to mix it up just like a true caster ;-) And of course combined with your snazzy Invocations and pact boons. You really have some real options. And you can have quite a bit of mixing and spell economy depending on your situation. And also, do not forget about the use of scrolls. You can just let er rip with a scroll. Oh darn, so it is used up after use. But, you don't have to attune to those, and the amount you can carry is not dependent on the spell's slot level.
I only mention this because, I have been thinking about this for some time. So really with two rings of spell storing, you could have one charged with offensive, and the other defensive! Plus any amount based on your level. I used to hate on Warlocks because I thought they were inferior to 'True Casters' or even Arcane Tricksters and or Eldritch Knights. But even though those classes get more slots, their options are quite limited in scope. Whereas the Warlock can choose and on his/her/them spell list. This also means you don't have to dip into Sorcerer or Bard to gain only a few more slots and spell selection {or any caster class for that matter}. Then you get your feat at fourth right away, instead of waiting for fifth. Plus if you are human, you will have two by fourth level. And of course if you don't improve your score instead of taking a feat.
Caveat: I hope this sheds some light on the Warlock. No I did not read though all the responses.
Ring of Spell Storing only lets you store five combined levels. So for some examples, it can hold: 1) a single 5th-level spell, 2) one 3rd-level spell plus one 2nd-level spell, 3) five 1st-level spells.
Though it's not as powerful as you were thinking, it's still very handy for a Warlock! Since you can place lower-level spells that don't scale on there, to free up your Pact Slots for higher-level spells or spells that do scale. Like a Hexblade can store up some Shield castings, or any Warlock can store a Misty Step. Since if you have another spellcaster in the group, they can store low-level spells that don't scale on there, like Shield or Misty Step. (not as handy as I originally thought but still potentially useful!)
You can only have benefit from 1 magic item of the same name, so no multiple Ring of Spell Storing. Plus the ring only holds up to 5 levels worth of spells, not up to 5 spells of 5 levels each. Which is actually even worse for your Warlock, since if you try to cast with your pact slots into the ring, the spell will be of the level of your slot - meaning once you hit Warlock 5 and have 3rd-level slots, you can only fit 1 warlock spell casting into the ring, with the remaining 2 levels' worth wasted unless another caster is kind enough to cast a lower-level spell into the ring for you. So, not a way to store up spare 1st-level Shield castings, I'm afraid.
You can only have benefit from 1 magic item of the same name, so no multiple Ring of Spell Storing. Plus the ring only holds up to 5 levels worth of spells, not up to 5 spells of 5 levels each. Which is actually even worse for your Warlock, since if you try to cast with your pact slots into the ring, the spell will be of the level of your slot - meaning once you hit Warlock 5 and have 3rd-level slots, you can only fit 1 warlock spell casting into the ring, with the remaining 2 levels' worth wasted unless another caster is kind enough to cast a lower-level spell into the ring for you. So, not a way to store up spare 1st-level Shield castings, I'm afraid.
can only benefit from 1 magic item of the same name? I'm admittedly new to 5e and not seen that one, but I know you are pretty on the ball with the rules, could you cite the source on the that? Is this an at the same time statement or do two bracers of defense not work provide their combined bonus? I know you can only benefit from single magical effect of the same name at a given time, but did have a clue about the item thing.
Seems situational ? Why wouldn't you be able to dual wield using two +1 shortswords (obviously that don't become +2 they wouldn't stack)?
You can only have benefit from 1 magic item of the same name, so no multiple Ring of Spell Storing. Plus the ring only holds up to 5 levels worth of spells, not up to 5 spells of 5 levels each. Which is actually even worse for your Warlock, since if you try to cast with your pact slots into the ring, the spell will be of the level of your slot - meaning once you hit Warlock 5 and have 3rd-level slots, you can only fit 1 warlock spell casting into the ring, with the remaining 2 levels' worth wasted unless another caster is kind enough to cast a lower-level spell into the ring for you. So, not a way to store up spare 1st-level Shield castings, I'm afraid.
can only benefit from 1 magic item of the same name? I'm admittedly new to 5e and not seen that one, but I know you are pretty on the ball with the rules, could you cite the source on the that? Is this an at the same time statement or do two bracers of defense not work provide their combined bonus? I know you can only benefit from single magical effect of the same name at a given time, but did have a clue about the item thing.
Seems situational ? Why wouldn't you be able to dual wield using two +1 shortswords (obviously that don't become +2 they wouldn't stack)?
Long time DM and player, 1st time dealing with a warlock. How do these work? it looks to me as if a warlock from 2nd to 10th level only has 2 spell slots....
True. Warlocks only have 2 spell slots at those levels. BUT! Those spells slots are recovered after every short rest. So if your party takes 2 short rests in a day, you'll be able to use 6 spell slots. Plus - warlocks always cast their spells at the highest level possible for their level. So at 9th level, you're casting all of your spells as 5th level spells. Plus - warlocks get invocations, some of which allow you to cast another spell once per day, and some of which are always on and can be used an infinite amount per day. Plus you get Mystic Arcanum which let's you cast a 6th, 7th, 8th, and eventually 9th level spell once each per day.
So, let's do some math. Let's compare a 20th level warlock to a 20th level wizard. A 20th level warlock has 4 spell slots per short rest. At 2 short rests per day you're casting 12 spells, all at 5th level, plus one spell each of levels 6, 7, 8, and 9. That's a total output of 90 spell levels worth of spells. Wizards, with spell slots of 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1, have a total output of 89 spell levels worth of spells. So really, it's pretty even. Sure, there are other variables. But when you factor in the warlock's invocations, they are a very effective class.
Warlocks simply have to budget their spell use more than other classes. Your general attack will be to spam eldritch blast (with or without shouting that in a Texan accent). Or maybe a weapon attack if you're Pact of the Blade. Your spells are only there to make things interesting. They're the tricks up your sleeve, not your bread and butter.
I hope this helps. Have fun!
Tayn of Darkwood. Lvl 10 human Life Cleric of Lathander. Retired.
Ikram Sahir ibn Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad, Second Son of the House of Ra'ad, Defender of the Burning Sands. Lvl 9 Brass Dragonborn Sorcerer + Greater Fire Elemental Devil.
Viktor Gavriil. Lvl 20 White Dragonborn Grave Cleric, of Kurgan the God of Death.
Anzio Faro. Lvl 5 Prot. Aasimar Light Cleric.
It's easiest to think of Warlocks as an Arcane Martial class, rather than as a Caster.
Note: Pact Magic and Spellcasting are two separate features that do not stack when multiclassing. A Sorcerer/Warlock can cast their spells with either set of slots, or even use Flexible Casting, but the only way to increase the Slot level of Pact-Magic is to continue with the Warlock class.
Warlocks gain access to the Invocation Agonizing Blast, which allows them to add their Charisma Modifier to the Eldritch Blast's damage. This means that it scales in damage the same way that a Fighter with a weapon does with Extra Attack.
Actually, they get their 4th Eldritch Blast a level earlier than a Fighter gets their 4th Attack.
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Three levels earlier, in fact. Fighters get their 4th attack at 20, Eldritch Blast shoots 4 beams at 17.
You’re absolutely correct. I don’t know why I thought it was 18th.
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Yep, our group is 3rd level and when we started there was a notion that the frontline folks would be the damage dealers, with the wizard and warlock providing support. Very early on it became obvious that the Warlock was the highest damage dealer in the group and as we leveled from 1-3 it hasn't changed all that much.
Warlocks are ranged martial characters, wrapped in the guise of an arcane class.
Probably because I think that's when they get their final subclass ability, must've just mixed them up :)
As stated pact magic is like spell slots but they are different. Primarily, pact magic recovers with a one-hour short rest. Spell slots recover with an eight-hour long rest and can only be recovered once in a given 24 hour period.
The 20th-level warlock example has 16 5th-level slots given 2 short rests and the capstone, 4 arcanum, plus x number of at-will spell-like abilities in the invocations to go with one of the best damage cantrips available.
From 5th-level through 10th-level other spell casters are easily overtaking spell slots versus pact slots (fixed at 2) but it's a case of more higher level slots with less overall slots. That's getting back to pact magic being cast at the highest level. On top of pact magic, it's the invocations that make a big difference.
As a DM, just remember to control the pacing to allow 2 short rests, give or take, per adventure day. More can can become to good and less can become too limiting if either are common.
Some of the Warlock Invocation are really powerful in non-combat situations and if used creatively can catch a DM not experienced with them by surprise. If you add in that they are Charisma casters they can also be social and RP heavyweights as well as consistent damage dealers.
Great class and a blast to play. The low number of spell slots scare away lesser players.
Abide.
This. They are arcane archers, with a couple of spell slots that reset on short rest, plus some daily use high level spells.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
At first glance, warlocks seem to be not be true "Full Casters" but rather "Half-casters" whose spells top out at 5th level. But this is deceiving because they get all their spell slots back on a Short Rest. Where most other "true casters" like sorcerer and clerics only get their spells back on a Long Rest, or only small fraction of their spells back on a single short rest, like wizards.
The average adventure day is designed around the idea of 6 encounters with 2 short rests in-between. Or approx 2 encounters per short rest. (The reality is most adventuring days are 1 encounter and a long rest). This means for a full adventuring day (like with a dungeon crawl) you can triple the warlocks spell slots by taking an appropriate number of short rests. And every spell they cast is at the highest level available to them. This gives warlocks an incentive to build strategies around the use of one hard-hitting spell every encounter or two, plus cantrips, patron powers and eldritch invocations (many of which duplicate spells themselves).
Plus warlocks spells don't stop at 5th level - only their spell slots top out at 5th level. At 11 they gain the Mystic Arcanum feature which lets them gain 6th- through 9th-level spell on the regular "full-caster" schedule. The catch is that they can only cast THESE mystic arcanum spells once per long rest.
As a warlock you start with 2 cantrips, one of which should be ELDRITCH BLAST. If not, then you're crippling yourself for no good reason. Its a cantrip, it deals more damage than your weapons, its ranged and regardless of your preferred combat role, there is probably an invocation to modify your eldritch blast to suit you better. It's fine not to take eldritch blast for roleplaying reasons, just know going in you are limiting your options by doing so.
At 3rd level you are going to pick your PACT BOON, and whichever you choose will basically commit you to either being a spellslinger/magic archer/glass cannon type OR a shock attacker/alpha strike/hit and run style melee combatant type. Chain and Tome are spellslinger/archers, while Blade is the hit and run fighter.
Check out my Disabled & Dragons Youtube Channel for 5e Monster and Player Tactics. Helping the Disabled Community and Players and DM’s (both new and experienced) get into D&D. Plus there is a talking Dragon named Quill.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPmyTI0tZ6nM-bzY0IG3ww
Non-hexblade Warlock's can be incredibly resilient front line fighters if built for that. Fiend 'locks get a steady stream of temporary HP and a single Feat gets them medium armor and shields (great for that V. Human pick). Armor of Agathys layers on some reactive armor and Imps can be mobile and autonomous Healing Potion dispensers and "helpers" to get advantage.
Imps have Devil Sight so casting Darkness on them gives you a mobile exclusion zone that is a bit friendlier to the rest of the party while still allowing your own Devil Sight to be leveraged for full advantage on attacks.
Abide.
Warlocks are what I like to call “full caster equivalents.” They don’t get the same numbers of spell slots, or the same number of different spells, but they make up for it with a lot of cool, interesting features. The only downside is that, being short rest dependent, and how uncommon it is to actually hit that 6-8 encounter benchmark, you may not always get two short rests per adventuring day. Especially depending on the type of campaign it is. If your DM likes to make fewer, harder fights and frequently likes to keep the party under a ticking clock then you will run out of spell slots long before any of the “true full casters” will. But, that doesn’t mean you don’t still have things to do. Plus, a lot of their abilities can be useful for a variety of situations and you get to pick what you want so you can speck yourself however you want. And once those other ‘Caster’s are spent, all you need is a nap and you’re fresh as a daisy all over again that day just like Sir Flexalot over there.
It’s sorta kinda similar to a Rogue compared to the other martial classes in that regard. Rogues have nowhere near the number of Attacks or HP, and no heavy weapons or armor either. But they still do whacktons of damage, are still pretty survivable, and can do shedloads of stuff the others cannot. Especially out of combat when the other martial classes got nothing to do but stand there and flex.
Well, there is one other complaint I have about Warlocks is that half of the class spell list requires Concentration, and if a Warlock is dropping Concentration a lot that’s no bueno. So think about War Caster or something because if you can keep that Concentration going it will potentially stretch those slots you do have.
If you want reliable, dependable, predictable tried and true, then go Hexblade and you really can’t mess that one up. It’s the most forgiving of any mistakes players new to the class are expected to make, just like most classes. But honestly, they’re all really interesting. And even the Undying that everybody bags on is ridiculous in the right campaigns, and functional in almost all the rest. The only time it’s ever really lame is in a campaign with absolutely no undead. But when was the last time that ever happened? I exaggerate of course, but legitimately if your DM pitches a campaign sans undead, and you made an Undying Warlock... well, let’s just say you must have been looking forward to the challenge. And if they don’t tell you all about their peculiar campaign and you show up with an Undying, and they don’t say anything then you character build will likely not be your biggest issue in that campaign. Just sayin.
But I say take one of the other subclasses and have a good time. You likely will. And the majority of people will likely steer you to either The Tome, or The Blade. The Tome because it significantly increases your spellcasting capacity, but it can also be a powerful stimulant apparently. And if you wanna run around and stab people the blade is a good choice. But if you can pass on the melee, and feel satisfied with what is legitimately a solid array of magical powers even without the Tome, I say go Chain. If you’re the type of player who always has something for your PC to do, Chain is amazing. With a little careful planning around Spell and Invocation selection you really can’t go wrong.
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DDB CONTENT TROUBLESHOOTING
Also, if you think a little outside the box; you can always get a 'Ring of Spell Storing' or two. Yes, it requires attunement. But all decent magic items do. So like that gives one five spells up to fifth level. That is a pretty decent combo if you think about it. I mean, you don't even get access to fifth level slots till level nine. So that really can amp a Warlock and help them really become quite versatile. Hell, get two? You have the ability to mix it up just like a true caster ;-) And of course combined with your snazzy Invocations and pact boons. You really have some real options. And you can have quite a bit of mixing and spell economy depending on your situation. And also, do not forget about the use of scrolls. You can just let er rip with a scroll. Oh darn, so it is used up after use. But, you don't have to attune to those, and the amount you can carry is not dependent on the spell's slot level.
I only mention this because, I have been thinking about this for some time. So really with two rings of spell storing, you could have one charged with offensive, and the other defensive! Plus any amount based on your level. I used to hate on Warlocks because I thought they were inferior to 'True Casters' or even Arcane Tricksters and or Eldritch Knights. But even though those classes get more slots, their options are quite limited in scope. Whereas the Warlock can choose and on his/her/them spell list. This also means you don't have to dip into Sorcerer or Bard to gain only a few more slots and spell selection {or any caster class for that matter}. Then you get your feat at fourth right away, instead of waiting for fifth. Plus if you are human, you will have two by fourth level. And of course if you don't improve your score instead of taking a feat.
Caveat: I hope this sheds some light on the Warlock. No I did not read though all the responses.
Ring of Spell Storing only lets you store five combined levels. So for some examples, it can hold: 1) a single 5th-level spell, 2) one 3rd-level spell plus one 2nd-level spell, 3) five 1st-level spells.
Though it's not as powerful as you were thinking, it's still very handy for a Warlock!
Since you can place lower-level spells that don't scale on there, to free up your Pact Slots for higher-level spells or spells that do scale. Like a Hexblade can store up some Shield castings, or any Warlock can store a Misty Step.Since if you have another spellcaster in the group, they can store low-level spells that don't scale on there, like Shield or Misty Step. (not as handy as I originally thought but still potentially useful!)You can only have benefit from 1 magic item of the same name, so no multiple Ring of Spell Storing. Plus the ring only holds up to 5 levels worth of spells, not up to 5 spells of 5 levels each. Which is actually even worse for your Warlock, since if you try to cast with your pact slots into the ring, the spell will be of the level of your slot - meaning once you hit Warlock 5 and have 3rd-level slots, you can only fit 1 warlock spell casting into the ring, with the remaining 2 levels' worth wasted unless another caster is kind enough to cast a lower-level spell into the ring for you. So, not a way to store up spare 1st-level Shield castings, I'm afraid.
Helpful rewriter of Japanese->English translation and delver into software codebases (she/e/they)
can only benefit from 1 magic item of the same name? I'm admittedly new to 5e and not seen that one, but I know you are pretty on the ball with the rules, could you cite the source on the that? Is this an at the same time statement or do two bracers of defense not work provide their combined bonus? I know you can only benefit from single magical effect of the same name at a given time, but did have a clue about the item thing.
Seems situational ? Why wouldn't you be able to dual wield using two +1 shortswords (obviously that don't become +2 they wouldn't stack)?
I did get it slightly wrong - the limit is on attuning to only 1 magic item of the same name, not using multiple items of the same name. So you can only attune to 1 Ring of Spell Storing, Flame Tongue, or set of Bracers of Defense, but you can wield 2 +1 Shortswords.
Helpful rewriter of Japanese->English translation and delver into software codebases (she/e/they)
thank you for the clarification!