So I had a though when reading the Voice of The Chain Master Eldritch Invocation, the invocation let's you see and hear through your Familiar regardless of distance (so long as your in the same plane), so you could in theory play a Warlock that is literally on another Continent and just has his Familiar go with the party.
While a straight Warlock build with this is incredibly weak, I'm wondering if it had multiclass potential, one of the things I thought of was after talking the 3 levels in Warlock you invest 6 levels in Wild Magic Sorcerer for the Bend Luck feature which only says you need to see a target to affect, even if you're on another Continent, as long as you can see them it still works.
What are other class features that could help make this build better?
Well, first of all, you have no spells, as you are on a different continent and therefore out of reach. Second, better hope the familiar doesn’t die. I suggest with this NOT going support or spell caster, and I don’t know about Bend Luck, but if it has a reach limit, sorry. Now, what you want to do is get a creature that fights up close. Get an Imp or Quait, as they can turn invisible. They attack, Turn Invisisble, retreat. This strategy is your only possible way of doing really anything on another continent. It uses both the reaction, action, and movement.
Yeah the plan was to go Imp anyway since they are definitely the best Warlock Familiar, and I'm fully aware of all the downsides, the build would probably just be used in a one shot as a joke concept, but Bend Luck says nothing about range just about seeing the target.
Yes, that’s true. And they can use Help to give advantage while you do that. I didn’t think of that. Let’s see....
huh. Not a lot, but this does open up the possibility of Utility Warlock, with things like Spider Climb and Flock of Familiars, Protection from Evil and Good, and Invisibility.
Although I think you need to be within 100 feet to cast touch spells through your Familiar, but sight spells should still work, although in the PHB there are only 3 spells with a range of sight: Mirage Arcane, Tsunami, and Storm of Vengeance.
The problem is that, as BoboBoombang (great username :) mentioned, the familiar isn't going to survive long. They just don't have the stats. So...when it dies, the warlock can always resummon it. But Find Familiar has a range of 10 feet. So when the familiar 'dies' and you resummon it...it'll be 10 feet away from you, on that other continent. How long will it take for the familiar to make it's way back to the rest of the party?
RAW, it's not going to work very well just because of that. That said...it's a cool idea, I could see allowing a houseruled familiar serving a distant warlock as a PC. You'd have to spend a lot of time balancing out what spells you'd have cast 'through you' by the warlock, and you'd have to figure out whether to let the familiar advance in EXP and HP too, or...give the distant warlock a magic item that lets him summon his familiar so it appears with the party. Maybe someone else in the party is carrying an amulet that the warlock can use as the summoning location for the familiar. Go that route, and you have a PC who can 'die' in combat, and come back 10 minutes later :)
With careful balancing, it might be a cool concept.
I love this idea. It's not very good, but the constraints here are what makes it an interesting optimization problem. Also it's quite original. How good can it be made? I don't know.
In the Gift of the Ever-living Ones thread, we were kicking around some applicable ideas. Specifically, it seems like you could play a decent support caster/healer only being able to cast touch spells. Since you only need 3 levels to make this work, Hill dwarf warlock 3/divine soul sorcerer 17. Hill dwarf for the extra hp, divine soul for the huge diversity of spell options available. Especially of note is warding bond. If you're not going to be there, why not sacrifice your considerable hp to help the cause (even better with the tough feat).
The biggest concern is getting caught in some AoE. Maybe there's a spell that can be cast on the familiar to help with that. Death ward could do it, but there's probably a better way.
Edit: Bummer. I found the hole in this whole plan. Find familiar requires you to be within 100' of your familiar for the familiar to deliver touch spells and nothing in voice of the chain master lifts that restriction.
Edit 2:Demo_n pointed the flaw out above and I missed it.
I’ve got it! Have your warlock trapped in a Ring of Mind Shielding! This will be sure that you are within 100ft (have the ring on the Imp’s finger), and can cats spells and the like. You are on the same plane, just your soul is in a ring, not a different plane. Now, you can effectively just be sure that the Imp lives forever! How do you keep it from dying? Death Ward. Dismissing it after putting the ring on someone else’s finger. Etc. during combat, have it sting, turn invisible and run away so no AoO or AoE’s can hit it. Boom!
Thing is, it has your soul in it. You are casting the spell! Sure, it’s a loose interpretation. Sure, it requires DM’s permission. But can it work? Maybe.
Hmm, it doesn't say you can't cast spells or take the attack action while your soul is in the ring, so if the DM is on board it should work.
Now I'm wondering what the best spells would be, inflict wounds would probably be the best damaging touch spell, but most of the other touch spells are buffs.
Actually, the big issue with this concept is that you have to use your action to see through the senses of your familiar. If you use your action to do this you can't use it to cast spells or take any other actions. Casting a touch spell through your familiar applies when you are in range of your familiar and not using its senses.
Actually, the big issue with this concept is that you have to use your action to see through the senses of your familiar. If you use your action to do this you can't use it to cast spells or take any other actions. Casting a touch spell through your familiar applies when you are in range of your familiar and not using its senses.
Hmm, that does make it significantly more difficult, but one loophole is using Quickened Cast, you'll essentially need to use a 1st level spell slot every time you cast a spell but it is technically possible.
I haven't looked too closely, but I don't think many touch spells require you to be able to see the target. Your familiar could just communicate telepathically to you of enemy positions and when it is within 5' of an enemy.
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So I had a though when reading the Voice of The Chain Master Eldritch Invocation, the invocation let's you see and hear through your Familiar regardless of distance (so long as your in the same plane), so you could in theory play a Warlock that is literally on another Continent and just has his Familiar go with the party.
While a straight Warlock build with this is incredibly weak, I'm wondering if it had multiclass potential, one of the things I thought of was after talking the 3 levels in Warlock you invest 6 levels in Wild Magic Sorcerer for the Bend Luck feature which only says you need to see a target to affect, even if you're on another Continent, as long as you can see them it still works.
What are other class features that could help make this build better?
Well, first of all, you have no spells, as you are on a different continent and therefore out of reach. Second, better hope the familiar doesn’t die. I suggest with this NOT going support or spell caster, and I don’t know about Bend Luck, but if it has a reach limit, sorry. Now, what you want to do is get a creature that fights up close. Get an Imp or Quait, as they can turn invisible. They attack, Turn Invisisble, retreat. This strategy is your only possible way of doing really anything on another continent. It uses both the reaction, action, and movement.
Extended Signature! Yay! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/3153-extended-signature-thread?page=2#c21
Haven’t used this account in forever. Still a big fan of crawling claws.
Yeah the plan was to go Imp anyway since they are definitely the best Warlock Familiar, and I'm fully aware of all the downsides, the build would probably just be used in a one shot as a joke concept, but Bend Luck says nothing about range just about seeing the target.
You can cast any spells with a range of touch through the familiar, so you have a handful of spells.
Yes, that’s true. And they can use Help to give advantage while you do that. I didn’t think of that. Let’s see....
huh. Not a lot, but this does open up the possibility of Utility Warlock, with things like Spider Climb and Flock of Familiars, Protection from Evil and Good, and Invisibility.
Extended Signature! Yay! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/3153-extended-signature-thread?page=2#c21
Haven’t used this account in forever. Still a big fan of crawling claws.
Although I think you need to be within 100 feet to cast touch spells through your Familiar, but sight spells should still work, although in the PHB there are only 3 spells with a range of sight: Mirage Arcane, Tsunami, and Storm of Vengeance.
Maybe it would just be easier to play as the familiar with class levels
The problem is that, as BoboBoombang (great username :) mentioned, the familiar isn't going to survive long. They just don't have the stats. So...when it dies, the warlock can always resummon it. But Find Familiar has a range of 10 feet. So when the familiar 'dies' and you resummon it...it'll be 10 feet away from you, on that other continent. How long will it take for the familiar to make it's way back to the rest of the party?
RAW, it's not going to work very well just because of that. That said...it's a cool idea, I could see allowing a houseruled familiar serving a distant warlock as a PC. You'd have to spend a lot of time balancing out what spells you'd have cast 'through you' by the warlock, and you'd have to figure out whether to let the familiar advance in EXP and HP too, or...give the distant warlock a magic item that lets him summon his familiar so it appears with the party. Maybe someone else in the party is carrying an amulet that the warlock can use as the summoning location for the familiar. Go that route, and you have a PC who can 'die' in combat, and come back 10 minutes later :)
With careful balancing, it might be a cool concept.
Looking for new subclasses, spells, magic items, feats, and races? Opinions welcome :)
I love this idea. It's not very good, but the constraints here are what makes it an interesting optimization problem. Also it's quite original. How good can it be made? I don't know.
In the Gift of the Ever-living Ones thread, we were kicking around some applicable ideas. Specifically, it seems like you could play a decent support caster/healer only being able to cast touch spells. Since you only need 3 levels to make this work, Hill dwarf warlock 3/divine soul sorcerer 17. Hill dwarf for the extra hp, divine soul for the huge diversity of spell options available. Especially of note is warding bond. If you're not going to be there, why not sacrifice your considerable hp to help the cause (even better with the tough feat).
The biggest concern is getting caught in some AoE. Maybe there's a spell that can be cast on the familiar to help with that. Death ward could do it, but there's probably a better way.
Edit: Bummer. I found the hole in this whole plan. Find familiar requires you to be within 100' of your familiar for the familiar to deliver touch spells and nothing in voice of the chain master lifts that restriction.
Edit 2:Demo_n pointed the flaw out above and I missed it.
I’ve got it! Have your warlock trapped in a Ring of Mind Shielding! This will be sure that you are within 100ft (have the ring on the Imp’s finger), and can cats spells and the like. You are on the same plane, just your soul is in a ring, not a different plane. Now, you can effectively just be sure that the Imp lives forever! How do you keep it from dying? Death Ward. Dismissing it after putting the ring on someone else’s finger. Etc. during combat, have it sting, turn invisible and run away so no AoO or AoE’s can hit it. Boom!
Extended Signature! Yay! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/3153-extended-signature-thread?page=2#c21
Haven’t used this account in forever. Still a big fan of crawling claws.
It's an interesting idea, but I don't think a ring of mind shielding can cast a spell.
Thing is, it has your soul in it. You are casting the spell! Sure, it’s a loose interpretation. Sure, it requires DM’s permission. But can it work? Maybe.
Extended Signature! Yay! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/3153-extended-signature-thread?page=2#c21
Haven’t used this account in forever. Still a big fan of crawling claws.
Hmm, it doesn't say you can't cast spells or take the attack action while your soul is in the ring, so if the DM is on board it should work.
Now I'm wondering what the best spells would be, inflict wounds would probably be the best damaging touch spell, but most of the other touch spells are buffs.
That’s why I suggested Utility. You now have a scout, and a person to cast random utility things like Spider Climb and Invisibility.
Extended Signature! Yay! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/3153-extended-signature-thread?page=2#c21
Haven’t used this account in forever. Still a big fan of crawling claws.
Under the assumption of divine soul sorcerer levels, I think the familiar could be quite useful in combat. Here's some suggestions.
Guidance
Mending
Shocking grasp
Spare the dying
Cure wounds
Inflict wounds
Mage Armor (imp AC goes to 16)
Protection from evil and good
Invisibility
Lesser restoration
Warding bond
Dragon's breath
The number of applicable spells decreases as spell level increases.
Distant spell metamagic can make the range of any touch spell 30'. I don't know if that's actually applicable here.
Actually, the big issue with this concept is that you have to use your action to see through the senses of your familiar. If you use your action to do this you can't use it to cast spells or take any other actions. Casting a touch spell through your familiar applies when you are in range of your familiar and not using its senses.
Hmm, that does make it significantly more difficult, but one loophole is using Quickened Cast, you'll essentially need to use a 1st level spell slot every time you cast a spell but it is technically possible.
I haven't looked too closely, but I don't think many touch spells require you to be able to see the target. Your familiar could just communicate telepathically to you of enemy positions and when it is within 5' of an enemy.