Wizards die fast. Its a problem. 6 hit points per level is just not enough. They get no armor naturally, so that doesn’t help. Sure you could take a fighter dip, but it’ll cost you.
Enter the Ab-Lock.
He walks into a room, casts a level 1 spell with his bonus action, and is then surrounded by a humming sphere and swirling blocks of ice. He then fires off a cantrip at the nearest monster. It hits. The monster runs over to the Ab-Lock on its turn and hits it with a claw attack. Big mistake. Its damage is blocked by the humming sphere of Arcane Energy and does no actual damage. A shard of ice then punches it right in the face, and it dies.
The Ab-Lock combines the features of the Abjuration Wizard with a 1-level dip in warlock in order to get some interesting effects. Normally Armor of Agathys runs out of steam after one or two hits. But behind Arcane Ward, it often remains up for the entire encounter. Eldritch Mind gives advantage on constitution throws, and Hex combined with Mind Sliver means we can shred saving throws as needed. The full wizard spell list is at our disposal, and we have a recharging Arcane Ward that punches back and the punch upscales. The light armor and warlock cantrips are almost an afterthought.
Because we take Eldritch Mind, we no longer need Warcaster at level 4. Which means we can take Spell Sniper and stop worrying about melee range entirely.
If we take Warlock 2, we can add two more incantations and a second spell slot. Fiendish Vigor (false life at will) can recharge our Agathys Armor if needed at higher levels. There are other great options, but Pact of the Tome would make us the ultimate utility caster.
The only downside I see is you are delaying wizard levels and wizard spell slots. But I don’t think it hurts too bad with the Ab-Lock. I also think it would be really easy to mess up if you did it wrong.
How would you build it out for the first 12 levels? I am curious what others think.
I'm playing something similar using the Runechild sorcerer subclass from the Tal'Dorei book (which gets a pool of d6s to reduce incoming damage, and can swap in Abjuration spells on its list), only with two levels of fighter instead of warlock
The thing about it is, if you're not actually in melee, the Armor of Agathys isn't going to get much use. Heck, I wade into melee combat constantly using Shadow Blade, and it's become a running gag in the campaign that he gets frustrated that the upcast AoA won't trigger because enemies keep missing him
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Active characters:
Edoumiaond Willegume "Eddie" Podslee, Vegetanian scholar (College of Spirits bard) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator (Assassin rogue) Peter "the Pied Piper" Hausler, human con artist/remover of vermin (Circle of the Shepherd druid) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
I am also curious what others more knowledgeable about the game have to say about this. I would imagine this would make a great Bladesinger build if not a good all-around wizard/warlock multiclass.
Adding in a warlock should be a bit of a role playing issue, as the Patron should be a factor. Why would a Patron grant these powers to an existing wizard as just a dip? If you start Warlock, would the Patron be angry that the warlock is basically no longer a warlock?
A warlock due to the patron should not be a hand wave to min max.
A wizard at 5 level starts to get good spells (Lightning/Fireball) but with a 1 level dip, now has to wait to 6th level?
Yes eldritch mind like war caster gives you con boost, but wouldn't mage armor cast 24/7 be better than armor of Armor of Agathys?
What is "the humming sphere of Arcane Energy and does no actual damage. " that is not Armor of Agathys, as that will not stop a hit and damage above 5 points.
... and Hex combined with Mind Sliver means we can shred saving throws as needed.
How does that occur? I think we have totally different interpretations of a warlock spell effect.
Yes eldritch mind like war caster gives you con boost, but wouldn't mage armor cast 24/7 be better than armor of Armor of Agathys?
What is "the humming sphere of Arcane Energy and does no actual damage. " that is not Armor of Agathys, as that will not stop a hit and damage above 5 points.
The advantage of Armor of Agathys here is that it automatically deals damage to anything that hits you with a melee attack even if the hit doesn't actually dodamage, such as if all the damage was knocked off by Arcane Ward. (That's the "humming sphere" they're talking about.)
Armor of Agathys only grants 5 temp HP when cast at level 1, but that (and the reflective damage it deals) go up by 5 for each slot level. That's especially attractive if you have enough levels in Warlock to get 5th-level spell slots that come back on a short rest. Plus, it is an Abjuration spell, so casting it charges up the Arcane Ward; there's some nice synergy there.
Adding in a warlock should be a bit of a role playing issue, as the Patron should be a factor. Why would a Patron grant these powers to an existing wizard as just a dip? If you start Warlock, would the Patron be angry that the warlock is basically no longer a warlock?
A warlock due to the patron should not be a hand wave to min max.
A wizard at 5 level starts to get good spells (Lightning/Fireball) but with a 1 level dip, now has to wait to 6th level?
Yes eldritch mind like war caster gives you con boost, but wouldn't mage armor cast 24/7 be better than armor of Armor of Agathys?
What is "the humming sphere of Arcane Energy and does no actual damage. " that is not Armor of Agathys, as that will not stop a hit and damage above 5 points.
... and Hex combined with Mind Sliver means we can shred saving throws as needed.
How does that occur? I think we have totally different interpretations of a warlock spell effect.
It would be like any other Warlock or Cleric at 1 and 2 before the subclass - a mystery. Not hard at all to roleplay. “Somebody saved my life, but I don’t know who.”
Mage Armor vs Light Armor - Light Armor is cheap and doesn’t use a spell slot every day.
Hex gives disadvantage on one type of ability checks. Mind Sliver does all saving throws. They work hand in hand on tough bosses.
Arcane Ward for abjuration wizards must be soaked up before the temp hp for armor of agathys is depleted. So while the ward is up, your shield can punch back. They tag team and neither of them uses your concentration, so you can have another effect running as well. Too many obvious choices.
I'm playing something similar using the Runechild sorcerer subclass from the Tal'Dorei book (which gets a pool of d6s to reduce incoming damage, and can swap in Abjuration spells on its list), only with two levels of fighter instead of warlock
The thing about it is, if you're not actually in melee, the Armor of Agathys isn't going to get much use. Heck, I wade into melee combat constantly using Shadow Blade, and it's become a running gag in the campaign that he gets frustrated that the upcast AoA won't trigger because enemies keep missing him
Sorlocks are a common multiclass.
I don’t think this works well with other wizard subclasses but Abjuration Wizard and Arcane Ward works marvelously with Armor of Agathys. At PC6 you can cast AoA @ Level 3 and get 15 return damage per melee attack. You can trigger it multiple times per round if you run past enemies and they use an opportunity attack. The ward would have max 15 hp and AoA would have 15…. 15 cold damage is the circa equivalent of the average of 4d6, and it only uses your movement. You’d be able to use a bonus action, action, and reaction on top of it. You could combine it with other spell effects. Absolutely bonkers. Its one of those tactics you use if their basic attack isn’t that deadly, and you use eldritch judo add extra damage per turn.
Maybe my vision of this is too optimistic. But I’m visualizing it very easily.
Also worth noting that the 2024 version of Armor of Agathys maintains its reflective damage effect if you have ANY temporary hit points, not just the ones the spell itself grants.
So, any other source of temp HP can be used to extend it, as long as you never have zero temp HP. Fiendish Vigor can come in handy here.
the only slightly good build i made was when i realized that with the 2024 rules, a druid-monk can FOB while wild shaped. you made a living armored tank. how do people just think of these things?
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I'm just your everyday dungeon master. Ignore that jar full of souls. And those bones in the corner are just props, don't worry. I'm definitely NOT a lich. Definitely.
Yes, I like beholders. Yes, I curated an exquisite personality for commoner #2864. Yes, my catchphrase is "are you sure?"
Wizards die fast. Its a problem. 6 hit points per level is just not enough. They get no armor naturally, so that doesn’t help. Sure you could take a fighter dip, but it’ll cost you.
Enter the Ab-Lock.
He walks into a room, casts a level 1 spell with his bonus action, and is then surrounded by a humming sphere and swirling blocks of ice. He then fires off a cantrip at the nearest monster. It hits. The monster runs over to the Ab-Lock on its turn and hits it with a claw attack. Big mistake. Its damage is blocked by the humming sphere of Arcane Energy and does no actual damage. A shard of ice then punches it right in the face, and it dies.
The Ab-Lock combines the features of the Abjuration Wizard with a 1-level dip in warlock in order to get some interesting effects. Normally Armor of Agathys runs out of steam after one or two hits. But behind Arcane Ward, it often remains up for the entire encounter. Eldritch Mind gives advantage on constitution throws, and Hex combined with Mind Sliver means we can shred saving throws as needed. The full wizard spell list is at our disposal, and we have a recharging Arcane Ward that punches back and the punch upscales. The light armor and warlock cantrips are almost an afterthought.
Because we take Eldritch Mind, we no longer need Warcaster at level 4. Which means we can take Spell Sniper and stop worrying about melee range entirely.
If we take Warlock 2, we can add two more incantations and a second spell slot. Fiendish Vigor (false life at will) can recharge our Agathys Armor if needed at higher levels. There are other great options, but Pact of the Tome would make us the ultimate utility caster.
The only downside I see is you are delaying wizard levels and wizard spell slots. But I don’t think it hurts too bad with the Ab-Lock. I also think it would be really easy to mess up if you did it wrong.
How would you build it out for the first 12 levels? I am curious what others think.
I'm playing something similar using the Runechild sorcerer subclass from the Tal'Dorei book (which gets a pool of d6s to reduce incoming damage, and can swap in Abjuration spells on its list), only with two levels of fighter instead of warlock
The thing about it is, if you're not actually in melee, the Armor of Agathys isn't going to get much use. Heck, I wade into melee combat constantly using Shadow Blade, and it's become a running gag in the campaign that he gets frustrated that the upcast AoA won't trigger because enemies keep missing him
Active characters:
Edoumiaond Willegume "Eddie" Podslee, Vegetanian scholar (College of Spirits bard)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator (Assassin rogue)
Peter "the Pied Piper" Hausler, human con artist/remover of vermin (Circle of the Shepherd druid)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
I am also curious what others more knowledgeable about the game have to say about this. I would imagine this would make a great Bladesinger build if not a good all-around wizard/warlock multiclass.
Adding in a warlock should be a bit of a role playing issue, as the Patron should be a factor. Why would a Patron grant these powers to an existing wizard as just a dip? If you start Warlock, would the Patron be angry that the warlock is basically no longer a warlock?
A warlock due to the patron should not be a hand wave to min max.
A wizard at 5 level starts to get good spells (Lightning/Fireball) but with a 1 level dip, now has to wait to 6th level?
Yes eldritch mind like war caster gives you con boost, but wouldn't mage armor cast 24/7 be better than armor of Armor of Agathys?
What is "the humming sphere of Arcane Energy and does no actual damage. " that is not Armor of Agathys, as that will not stop a hit and damage above 5 points.
How does that occur? I think we have totally different interpretations of a warlock spell effect.
Yeah, base Hex doesn't affect saving throws.
The advantage of Armor of Agathys here is that it automatically deals damage to anything that hits you with a melee attack even if the hit doesn't actually do damage, such as if all the damage was knocked off by Arcane Ward. (That's the "humming sphere" they're talking about.)
Armor of Agathys only grants 5 temp HP when cast at level 1, but that (and the reflective damage it deals) go up by 5 for each slot level. That's especially attractive if you have enough levels in Warlock to get 5th-level spell slots that come back on a short rest. Plus, it is an Abjuration spell, so casting it charges up the Arcane Ward; there's some nice synergy there.
It doesn't. They're mistaken on that one; Hex has no effect on saving throws. The idea that it does is a fairly common misconception.
pronouns: he/she/they
It would be like any other Warlock or Cleric at 1 and 2 before the subclass - a mystery. Not hard at all to roleplay. “Somebody saved my life, but I don’t know who.”
Mage Armor vs Light Armor - Light Armor is cheap and doesn’t use a spell slot every day.
Hex gives disadvantage on one type of ability checks. Mind Sliver does all saving throws. They work hand in hand on tough bosses.
Arcane Ward for abjuration wizards must be soaked up before the temp hp for armor of agathys is depleted. So while the ward is up, your shield can punch back. They tag team and neither of them uses your concentration, so you can have another effect running as well. Too many obvious choices.
Sorlocks are a common multiclass.
I don’t think this works well with other wizard subclasses but Abjuration Wizard and Arcane Ward works marvelously with Armor of Agathys. At PC6 you can cast AoA @ Level 3 and get 15 return damage per melee attack. You can trigger it multiple times per round if you run past enemies and they use an opportunity attack. The ward would have max 15 hp and AoA would have 15…. 15 cold damage is the circa equivalent of the average of 4d6, and it only uses your movement. You’d be able to use a bonus action, action, and reaction on top of it. You could combine it with other spell effects. Absolutely bonkers. Its one of those tactics you use if their basic attack isn’t that deadly, and you use eldritch judo add extra damage per turn.
Maybe my vision of this is too optimistic. But I’m visualizing it very easily.
Also worth noting that the 2024 version of Armor of Agathys maintains its reflective damage effect if you have ANY temporary hit points, not just the ones the spell itself grants.
So, any other source of temp HP can be used to extend it, as long as you never have zero temp HP. Fiendish Vigor can come in handy here.
pronouns: he/she/they
Polymorph works really well too.
My man. you did it. How did you do that?
the only slightly good build i made was when i realized that with the 2024 rules, a druid-monk can FOB while wild shaped. you made a living armored tank. how do people just think of these things?
I'm just your everyday dungeon master. Ignore that jar full of souls. And those bones in the corner are just props, don't worry. I'm definitely NOT a lich. Definitely.
Yes, I like beholders. Yes, I curated an exquisite personality for commoner #2864. Yes, my catchphrase is "are you sure?"
.-. .- -. -.. --- -- / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . .-.-.-
PM "avocado" to Pug_With_Big_Weapons for a prize
If you add Enemies Abound to this build it gets even better, because the enemies will be less likely to realize that you're a bad target.