Only warlocks can get it and its resistances are worthless when they have single digit health. My question, WHY IS THIS AN OPTION?!!! Its worse than the strixhaven worm.
It thematically fits certain sub classes. But yes it is terrible, none of the chain options are remotely balanced. They really needed to template the chain options with some baked in scaling based on warlock levels. At level 1 they should barely be better than a normal familiar. But they should be better than the imp at level 20.
They tried a generic Chain option and most of us didn't like it because the entire point of being a Chainlock is to get a creature with all those different extra features- preferably in line with your patron- not to get a generic blob that happens to use a damage type connected to your patron.
Only warlocks can get it and its resistances are worthless when they have single digit health. My question, WHY IS THIS AN OPTION?!!! Its worse than the strixhaven worm.
It thematically fits certain sub classes. But yes it is terrible, none of the chain options are remotely balanced. They really needed to template the chain options with some baked in scaling based on warlock levels. At level 1 they should barely be better than a normal familiar. But they should be better than the imp at level 20.
They tried a generic Chain option and most of us didn't like it because the entire point of being a Chainlock is to get a creature with all those different extra features- preferably in line with your patron- not to get a generic blob that happens to use a damage type connected to your patron.
But surely a middle ground is possible. Something along the lines of Summon Aberration, which has a few different flavors to choose from, but all of them have elements that scale — in that case with the spell slot level, but in this case it could be the Warlock's class level or their Charisma modifier or something.
Only warlocks can get it and its resistances are worthless when they have single digit health. My question, WHY IS THIS AN OPTION?!!! Its worse than the strixhaven worm.
It thematically fits certain sub classes. But yes it is terrible, none of the chain options are remotely balanced. They really needed to template the chain options with some baked in scaling based on warlock levels. At level 1 they should barely be better than a normal familiar. But they should be better than the imp at level 20.
They tried a generic Chain option and most of us didn't like it because the entire point of being a Chainlock is to get a creature with all those different extra features- preferably in line with your patron- not to get a generic blob that happens to use a damage type connected to your patron.
I have no idea what others playtest responses were and can only go word of mouth. But for for things like this i generally thought the response was its a good idea but needs refining. The only one I thought was bad for templates was wildshape as imo druids should be turning into natural creatures not some weird chimera players hack together. But even with wildshape I felt they should have things they could stack on any creature like more attacks per round, better attack bonus etc without going full template where you have a a bird base with tentacles and burrow speed.
It felt to me like during the playtest plenty of times people would say yeah the implementation is a miss but the idea is solid and they just gave up entirely and went back to the 2014 version with maybe a subtle wording change.
They tried a generic Chain option and most of us didn't like it because the entire point of being a Chainlock is to get a creature with all those different extra features- preferably in line with your patron- not to get a generic blob that happens to use a damage type connected to your patron.
But surely a middle ground is possible. Something along the lines of Summon Aberration, which has a few different flavors to choose from, but all of them have elements that scale — in that case with the spell slot level, but in this case it could be the Warlock's class level or their Charisma modifier or something.
What we got is got something similar but cleaner. For a core ability, I prefer the separate stat blocks. Can you imagine converting the familiar blocks into one stat block? I do feel like some options are definitely stronger than others and they could have balanced the choices more. It might have been interesting if you chose the form of your familiar and could pick abilities. Maybe a 3rd party will pick that up.
People will try to BS you here and make up in game logistics, types specifications, gm rules. But raw the way this works is yes you have a blue slaad. You have a blue slaad tha can make ONE attack using ITS REACTION so multiattack doesnt happen, in place of YOUR action, and this attack can spawn an uncontrolled red/green slaad from a creature killed by the curse. later at fifth level it does get all of its attacks and you use your bonus action if you choose investment of the chain master. now you have a powerful minion that requires so game turn maintenance. not to mention you now have no access to other forms until you essentially kill this slaad.
of course investment of the chain master is broken on this is the current update, and your dm will simply rule against it if theyre smart or it doesnt fit their flavor. But before that its perfectly reasonable to have a mount that doubles as a great sword as an invocation seeing as that what it is effectively
People will try to BS you here and make up in game logistics, types specifications, gm rules. But raw the way this works is yes you have a blue slaad.
Find Familiar: "You gain the service of a familiar, a spirit that takes an animal form you choose: ... the familiar has the statistics of the chosen form, though it is a Celestial, Fey, or Fiend (your choice) instead of a Beast."
Pact of the Chain: "When you cast the spell, you choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: Imp, Pseudodragon, Quasit, Skeleton, Slaad Tadpole, Sphinx of Wonder, Sprite, or Venomous Snake (see appendix B for the familiar's stat block)."
RAW, you never had a Slaad Tadpole; it is a spirit that has a Slaad Tadpole's statistics and appearance. RAW, it doesn't age in 2d12 hours and it can never become a Slaad; aging into a Slaad is not part of the statistics.
If anyone is playing with a Slaad Pact of the Chain familiar, they are not playing by RAW.
They tried a generic Chain option and most of us didn't like it because the entire point of being a Chainlock is to get a creature with all those different extra features- preferably in line with your patron- not to get a generic blob that happens to use a damage type connected to your patron.
But surely a middle ground is possible. Something along the lines of Summon Aberration, which has a few different flavors to choose from, but all of them have elements that scale — in that case with the spell slot level, but in this case it could be the Warlock's class level or their Charisma modifier or something.
pronouns: he/she/they
I have no idea what others playtest responses were and can only go word of mouth. But for for things like this i generally thought the response was its a good idea but needs refining. The only one I thought was bad for templates was wildshape as imo druids should be turning into natural creatures not some weird chimera players hack together. But even with wildshape I felt they should have things they could stack on any creature like more attacks per round, better attack bonus etc without going full template where you have a a bird base with tentacles and burrow speed.
It felt to me like during the playtest plenty of times people would say yeah the implementation is a miss but the idea is solid and they just gave up entirely and went back to the 2014 version with maybe a subtle wording change.
What we got is got something similar but cleaner. For a core ability, I prefer the separate stat blocks. Can you imagine converting the familiar blocks into one stat block? I do feel like some options are definitely stronger than others and they could have balanced the choices more. It might have been interesting if you chose the form of your familiar and could pick abilities. Maybe a 3rd party will pick that up.
How to add Tooltips.
My houserulings.
People will try to BS you here and make up in game logistics, types specifications, gm rules. But raw the way this works is yes you have a blue slaad. You have a blue slaad tha can make ONE attack using ITS REACTION so multiattack doesnt happen, in place of YOUR action, and this attack can spawn an uncontrolled red/green slaad from a creature killed by the curse. later at fifth level it does get all of its attacks and you use your bonus action if you choose investment of the chain master. now you have a powerful minion that requires so game turn maintenance. not to mention you now have no access to other forms until you essentially kill this slaad.
of course investment of the chain master is broken on this is the current update, and your dm will simply rule against it if theyre smart or it doesnt fit their flavor. But before that its perfectly reasonable to have a mount that doubles as a great sword as an invocation seeing as that what it is effectively
Find Familiar: "You gain the service of a familiar, a spirit that takes an animal form you choose: ... the familiar has the statistics of the chosen form, though it is a Celestial, Fey, or Fiend (your choice) instead of a Beast."
Pact of the Chain: "When you cast the spell, you choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: Imp, Pseudodragon, Quasit, Skeleton, Slaad Tadpole, Sphinx of Wonder, Sprite, or Venomous Snake (see appendix B for the familiar's stat block)."
RAW, you never had a Slaad Tadpole; it is a spirit that has a Slaad Tadpole's statistics and appearance. RAW, it doesn't age in 2d12 hours and it can never become a Slaad; aging into a Slaad is not part of the statistics.
If anyone is playing with a Slaad Pact of the Chain familiar, they are not playing by RAW.
How to add Tooltips.
My houserulings.