Hey guys, figured out this fun way to play a very versatile warlock.
Taking fiend chainlock plus three levels of Divine Soul and suddenly you're able to be the face, the tank, the healer, dps, scout and support. There's probably a build out there that trumps this, but I liked this so much that I wanted to share. This character also can have a ton of flavor and RP possibilities and thanks to it's versatility you can take it a little different route and make it stronger in another area.
The idea is this. Take Half-Drow for CHA, Darkness, Faerie Fire and the feat Elven Accuracy. Go fiend Chainlock and Voice of the Chain Master invocation at some point. Summon the imp.
You're a fantastic scout. Now you have flying invisible eyes and ears that can basically go everywhere. You can even steal small things by recalling your familiar to the pocket dimension and then back to you.
Take the feat Elven Accuracy at level 4. Your CHA goes to 18 and now when you have advantage you can roll three d20's instead of two. Of course you have Eldritch Blast, Agonizing Blast and at some point, also take Devil's sight to see through magical darkness. How to get advantage? Your familiar can invisibly give advantage with the help action. You can cast Faerie Fire. You can cast Darkness on something small, give it to your imp familiar (that can see in magical darkness) and you have a moveable darkness spell. You can put it around yourself and attack with advantage, or let your familiar fly towards the enemies. (Just make sure you don't piss of your teammates, they also want to be able to attack). There are shenanigans with letting your imp cover the thing with darkness, so everyone else can see again, but this is a great way to piss of your DM. But anyway, you now have three ways to get advantage and hit almost always with 3d20 attack rolls.
Still didn't roll very high? The Divine Soul 3 gives you 2d4 per short rest to add to an attack roll or saving throw. Want to blast some more? Take the Quickened Spell Meta Magic option at level 3. It takes almost all your sorcery points, but for one round you can shoot double the amount of Eldritch Blasts!
Do you like Eldritch Blasting, take another invocation to do be a more versatile attacker. Would you like to be more social? Do this...
Take Mask of Many Faces, also take Deception and maybe Performance or Persuasion as skills. Combine this with Friends, Charm Person, Suggestion or Tongues and you are a great face of the party. Works well with a manipulative kind of Warlock. By the way, didn't you roll that well on your ability check? Use Dark One's Own Luck (Warlock level 6) and add 1d10 to your roll. Also... This is where the Sorcerer Multiclass could help you out even more. At level three, take Enhance Ability. Now you can give yourself advantage on charisma checks! So you cast Disguise Self, Enhance Ability, or cast Charm Person or Suggestion and you're as sly as the devil himself (don't want to take Enhance Ability at level 3 Divine Soul? Cast Hex on the NPC with disadvantage on Wisdom or Cha for the same effect). This can be very fun during downtime. Rest for an hour and you can go at it again! (Also, your imp is good at insight, you can ask his advise as well!). Get the best prices at shops, get information from everyone, piss people off and change your appearance.
So you're a scout, dps and face, what else?
You can tank! Take the Gift of the Everliving Ones Invocation. You will get max healing on every healing spell cast on you if your familiar is within 100 ft. At first level Divine Soul, take Cure Wounds. Now you can use your high level Warlock spell slots to heal yourself for 5d8 + 5 = 45 hp. Add a well placed Darkness spell and you can barely be taken down (Shocking Grasp from Sorcerer could also come in handy here). Want to be a more well seen tank? Take Sanctuary from sorcerer or maybe Mage Armor (also fun to put on your familiar) to help yourself tank. You can also take Mirror Image or Blur. Another cool combo, take Aid at level 3 Divine Soul. Now, every morning when you wake up, cast aid on your party with your warlock slots. Everyone gets 20 temporary hp with level 5 slots. Have breakfast and get your spells back. Your party will love you! Do this again right before a short rest.
Take the most out of your imp (or other familiar). Cast Aid on your imp, now he has 30 hp, with resistance to nonmagical attacks, so that often effectively means 60 hp. You can cast mage armor or sanctuary on it (all no concentration) and buff him! Cast Enhance Ability on him to let him carry double his weight, now he can carry you! FLY AWAY WITH YOUR SUPER STRONG TINY IMP! For other fun, choose Dragon's Breath as sorcerer (maybe take an extra level), cast it on your familiar and now it can attack too! The spell says you can use an action to use the spell. Even, when read literally, your imp will stay invisible when using Dragon's Breath. (but ask your DM) Also as Divine Soul, take Mending, Light, Shocking Grasp (maybe Magic Stone) and Inflict Wounds. These are all touch spells and you can cast them through your familiar when it is within 100 ft. I still have to do this, but how much fun would it be to let your invisible imp sneakily land on the sleeping Ancient Red Dragon's neck... and cast a 5th level Inflict Wounds (7d10) on it? This also means you can assassinate people from 100 ft away and nobody has to ever know... Beat your Cleric and Bard and cast Cure Wounds through your Imp. Screw Healing Word! How about 5d8 +5 healing from 100 ft (or 1d8+5 with a sorcerer spell)!
Shocking grasp can also be fun on an Imp. Cast it though your imp on a non flying enemy. Let your Imp fly up, no OA, repeat until enemy dead. (Again, watch out for DM pissing offness).
These are pretty much the cool combo's I could find with Warlock and Divine Soul. Getting access to divine spells really opens up a lot of opportunities! (Hmmm, you could also get Spiritual Weapon... Would that also get advantage from swinging in Darkness with Devil's sight? :) )
More things you can do: Cast Fireball for crowds, cc with Fear, support with Dimension Door, let everyone scream with Summon Greater Demon, save everyone with Fly, Dispel Magic, Banishment etc. There are very many options to specialize or diversify.
Basically with this build you are really good at shooting and hitting stuff. You can be incredible at social things. And for two rounds, you can do almost anything another class can do too :) Just make sure you don't steal the role of other party members. Pick one thing you want to be good at and stick with that. For the rest, be the mysterious Half-Drow that shoots hard, lurks in the back and can always save the day if it needs saving. You can make things right when other members screw up.
Build was made for at least for level 11
Chainlock fiend 8/ Sorcerer Radiant Soul 3
I took Half-elf Drow as my race. It gives you Darkness and Faerie Fire that will come in handy.
STD Array:
STR: 8 DEX: 14 CON: 15 INT: 10 WIS: 12 CHA: 17
10 Levels of Fiend Warlock: Lv 4 Feat: Elven Accuracy Lv 8: ASI +2 CHA (or take the actor feat, or prodigy and get expertise in a social skill)
Class features: Dark One's Own Luck: +1d10/SR Ability Check of Saving Throw.
Hey guys, figured out this fun way to play a very versatile warlock.
…
Basically with this build you are really good at shooting and hitting stuff. You can be incredible at social things. And for two rounds, you can do almost anything another class can do too :)
Doesn't seem like much fun for everyone else at the table...
You're a fantastic scout. Now you have flying invisible eyes and ears that can basically go everywhere. You can even steal small things by recalling your familiar to the pocket dimension and then back to you.
Expect table variation on what happens to items a familiar is carrying when you dismiss it. Some DMs rule that you get a different spirit each time, so gear it has doens't come back.
Imps don't have flyby. Intelligent foes will definitely target them (espeically after being tazed :-). Invisibility is not invulnerability.
Otherwise, invisible imp for help with elven accuracy is very powerful. Expect GM hate. :-)
Hey guys, figured out this fun way to play a very versatile warlock.
…
Basically with this build you are really good at shooting and hitting stuff. You can be incredible at social things. And for two rounds, you can do almost anything another class can do too :)
Doesn't seem like much fun for everyone else at the table...
Well, you could play this character as the "I don't need nobody" jerk, or you could save the day when it's needed. For example, you have proficiency in 4 skills. You could take all the social skills, but I would suggest not taking one of them, so that the bard, paladin, sorcerer or maybe cleric of your party has a role too. I'd suggest not taking persuasion, only deception.
Now you can still be persuasive if you need to be with Enhance Ability, Suggestion and maybe Charm Person. You could even ask your DM if your familiar could use the Help action on you in social situations. Be aware of the other players, they will start looking at you going like "Can you please use your weird Warlock way to solve this?" That's what you want to go for. And use it for your own gain during solo times. You're a Warlock.
Same thing goes for healing. Don't be the healer. Be the guy that steps in when players are unconscious and save one of them. Then complain in game that they need to be more careful, because you just want to hit things hard.
Don't just use your imp to steal the scouting role. Send it with the party scout to help out. You could even cast invisibility on the scout if he/she is in trouble within 100 ft. Maybe a cure wounds if they walk into a trap.
For many levels, you will only have two high level spell slots. You will never be able to spam spells, you will always have to choose one direction and go with that. If you do, you are able to save the day and maybe show off a couple of times.
Even with enhance ability your imp can't carry you unless you are a halfling or gnome. Because it is size tiny it's carrying capacity is halved, so the doubling just cancels that out. With a strength of 6 his enhanced carrying capacity is only 90 pounds. My imp does carry me in a bag of holding though, which can get to me to places that require flight or being tiny. It also lets me take a short rest in the bag (I'm a warforged so I don't need to breathe) while the party is traveling.
your imp cannot fly up, deliver a touch spell and fly off. it uses the spell on your turn as a reaction. it has to fly up, on its turn, wait for you to cast on your turn, then wait there with a target on it for its own turn before it can move. Also as a scout, it has a passive perception of 11. as for dragon's breath, by your own admission your imp would be using it to attack, so no longer invisible, and, again, it attacks on your turn and then cannot move until its turn.
face of the party? only if you never interact with the victim of friends or charm person again.... they know what you did. npc shopkeepers and such should be assumed to be proficient in insight and similar skills for the same reason npc blacksmiths should be assumed to have proficiency in the tools of their trade.
by the way sanctuary is without doubt the worst spell you could use on yourself as a tank. cannot see how darkness helps either (pun intended). a tank's function is to be the target of attacks and avoid or soak up the damage, not to make it easier for opponents to attack other party members instead of them, that is the opposite of tanking.
Hey guys, figured out this fun way to play a very versatile warlock.
Taking fiend chainlock plus three levels of Divine Soul and suddenly you're able to be the face, the tank, the healer, dps, scout and support. There's probably a build out there that trumps this, but I liked this so much that I wanted to share. This character also can have a ton of flavor and RP possibilities and thanks to it's versatility you can take it a little different route and make it stronger in another area.
The idea is this. Take Half-Drow for CHA, Darkness, Faerie Fire and the feat Elven Accuracy. Go fiend Chainlock and Voice of the Chain Master invocation at some point. Summon the imp.
You're a fantastic scout. Now you have flying invisible eyes and ears that can basically go everywhere. You can even steal small things by recalling your familiar to the pocket dimension and then back to you.
Take the feat Elven Accuracy at level 4. Your CHA goes to 18 and now when you have advantage you can roll three d20's instead of two. Of course you have Eldritch Blast, Agonizing Blast and at some point, also take Devil's sight to see through magical darkness. How to get advantage? Your familiar can invisibly give advantage with the help action. You can cast Faerie Fire. You can cast Darkness on something small, give it to your imp familiar (that can see in magical darkness) and you have a moveable darkness spell. You can put it around yourself and attack with advantage, or let your familiar fly towards the enemies. (Just make sure you don't piss of your teammates, they also want to be able to attack). There are shenanigans with letting your imp cover the thing with darkness, so everyone else can see again, but this is a great way to piss of your DM. But anyway, you now have three ways to get advantage and hit almost always with 3d20 attack rolls.
Still didn't roll very high? The Divine Soul 3 gives you 2d4 per short rest to add to an attack roll or saving throw. Want to blast some more? Take the Quickened Spell Meta Magic option at level 3. It takes almost all your sorcery points, but for one round you can shoot double the amount of Eldritch Blasts!
Do you like Eldritch Blasting, take another invocation to do be a more versatile attacker. Would you like to be more social? Do this...
Take Mask of Many Faces, also take Deception and maybe Performance or Persuasion as skills. Combine this with Friends, Charm Person, Suggestion or Tongues and you are a great face of the party. Works well with a manipulative kind of Warlock. By the way, didn't you roll that well on your ability check? Use Dark One's Own Luck (Warlock level 6) and add 1d10 to your roll. Also... This is where the Sorcerer Multiclass could help you out even more. At level three, take Enhance Ability. Now you can give yourself advantage on charisma checks! So you cast Disguise Self, Enhance Ability, or cast Charm Person or Suggestion and you're as sly as the devil himself (don't want to take Enhance Ability at level 3 Divine Soul? Cast Hex on the NPC with disadvantage on Wisdom or Cha for the same effect). This can be very fun during downtime. Rest for an hour and you can go at it again! (Also, your imp is good at insight, you can ask his advise as well!). Get the best prices at shops, get information from everyone, piss people off and change your appearance.
So you're a scout, dps and face, what else?
You can tank! Take the Gift of the Everliving Ones Invocation. You will get max healing on every healing spell cast on you if your familiar is within 100 ft. At first level Divine Soul, take Cure Wounds. Now you can use your high level Warlock spell slots to heal yourself for 5d8 + 5 = 45 hp. Add a well placed Darkness spell and you can barely be taken down (Shocking Grasp from Sorcerer could also come in handy here). Want to be a more well seen tank? Take Sanctuary from sorcerer or maybe Mage Armor (also fun to put on your familiar) to help yourself tank. You can also take Mirror Image or Blur. Another cool combo, take Aid at level 3 Divine Soul. Now, every morning when you wake up, cast aid on your party with your warlock slots. Everyone gets 20 temporary hp with level 5 slots. Have breakfast and get your spells back. Your party will love you! Do this again right before a short rest.
Take the most out of your imp (or other familiar). Cast Aid on your imp, now he has 30 hp, with resistance to nonmagical attacks, so that often effectively means 60 hp. You can cast mage armor or sanctuary on it (all no concentration) and buff him! Cast Enhance Ability on him to let him carry double his weight, now he can carry you! FLY AWAY WITH YOUR SUPER STRONG TINY IMP! For other fun, choose Dragon's Breath as sorcerer (maybe take an extra level), cast it on your familiar and now it can attack too! The spell says you can use an action to use the spell. Even, when read literally, your imp will stay invisible when using Dragon's Breath. (but ask your DM) Also as Divine Soul, take Mending, Light, Shocking Grasp (maybe Magic Stone) and Inflict Wounds. These are all touch spells and you can cast them through your familiar when it is within 100 ft. I still have to do this, but how much fun would it be to let your invisible imp sneakily land on the sleeping Ancient Red Dragon's neck... and cast a 5th level Inflict Wounds (7d10) on it? This also means you can assassinate people from 100 ft away and nobody has to ever know... Beat your Cleric and Bard and cast Cure Wounds through your Imp. Screw Healing Word! How about 5d8 +5 healing from 100 ft (or 1d8+5 with a sorcerer spell)!
Shocking grasp can also be fun on an Imp. Cast it though your imp on a non flying enemy. Let your Imp fly up, no OA, repeat until enemy dead. (Again, watch out for DM pissing offness).
These are pretty much the cool combo's I could find with Warlock and Divine Soul. Getting access to divine spells really opens up a lot of opportunities! (Hmmm, you could also get Spiritual Weapon... Would that also get advantage from swinging in Darkness with Devil's sight? :) )
More things you can do: Cast Fireball for crowds, cc with Fear, support with Dimension Door, let everyone scream with Summon Greater Demon, save everyone with Fly, Dispel Magic, Banishment etc. There are very many options to specialize or diversify.
Basically with this build you are really good at shooting and hitting stuff. You can be incredible at social things. And for two rounds, you can do almost anything another class can do too :) Just make sure you don't steal the role of other party members. Pick one thing you want to be good at and stick with that. For the rest, be the mysterious Half-Drow that shoots hard, lurks in the back and can always save the day if it needs saving. You can make things right when other members screw up.
Build was made for at least for level 11
Chainlock fiend 8/ Sorcerer Radiant Soul 3
I took Half-elf Drow as my race. It gives you Darkness and Faerie Fire that will come in handy.
STD Array:
STR: 8
DEX: 14
CON: 15
INT: 10
WIS: 12
CHA: 17
10 Levels of Fiend Warlock:
Lv 4 Feat: Elven Accuracy
Lv 8: ASI +2 CHA (or take the actor feat, or prodigy and get expertise in a social skill)
Class features:
Dark One's Own Luck: +1d10/SR Ability Check of Saving Throw.
Lv 0: Eldritch Blast, Friends, Prestidigitation
Lv 1: Hex
Lv 2: Invisibility, Suggestion
Lv 3: Fear, Fireball, Tongues
Lv 4: Banishment, Dimension Door, Summon Greater Demon
Evocations: Agonizing Blast, Mask of Many Faces, Devil's sight, Voice of the Chain Master
3 Levels Divine Soul:
Spells:
Lv 0: Light, Shocking Grasp, Mending, Magic Stone (for familiar) or Minor Illusion
Lv 1: Cure Wounds (Class feature), Inflict Wounds, Sanctuary (or Mage Armor)
Lv 2: Aid, Enance Ability (or Enlarge/Shrink - for familiar)
Abilities: Favored by the Gods +2d4/SR to attack roll or saving throw.
Doesn't seem like much fun for everyone else at the table...
Expect table variation on what happens to items a familiar is carrying when you dismiss it. Some DMs rule that you get a different spirit each time, so gear it has doens't come back.
Imps don't have flyby. Intelligent foes will definitely target them (espeically after being tazed :-). Invisibility is not invulnerability.
Otherwise, invisible imp for help with elven accuracy is very powerful. Expect GM hate. :-)
Well, you could play this character as the "I don't need nobody" jerk, or you could save the day when it's needed. For example, you have proficiency in 4 skills. You could take all the social skills, but I would suggest not taking one of them, so that the bard, paladin, sorcerer or maybe cleric of your party has a role too. I'd suggest not taking persuasion, only deception.
Now you can still be persuasive if you need to be with Enhance Ability, Suggestion and maybe Charm Person. You could even ask your DM if your familiar could use the Help action on you in social situations. Be aware of the other players, they will start looking at you going like "Can you please use your weird Warlock way to solve this?" That's what you want to go for. And use it for your own gain during solo times. You're a Warlock.
Same thing goes for healing. Don't be the healer. Be the guy that steps in when players are unconscious and save one of them. Then complain in game that they need to be more careful, because you just want to hit things hard.
Don't just use your imp to steal the scouting role. Send it with the party scout to help out. You could even cast invisibility on the scout if he/she is in trouble within 100 ft. Maybe a cure wounds if they walk into a trap.
For many levels, you will only have two high level spell slots. You will never be able to spam spells, you will always have to choose one direction and go with that. If you do, you are able to save the day and maybe show off a couple of times.
Even with enhance ability your imp can't carry you unless you are a halfling or gnome. Because it is size tiny it's carrying capacity is halved, so the doubling just cancels that out. With a strength of 6 his enhanced carrying capacity is only 90 pounds. My imp does carry me in a bag of holding though, which can get to me to places that require flight or being tiny. It also lets me take a short rest in the bag (I'm a warforged so I don't need to breathe) while the party is traveling.
your imp cannot fly up, deliver a touch spell and fly off. it uses the spell on your turn as a reaction. it has to fly up, on its turn, wait for you to cast on your turn, then wait there with a target on it for its own turn before it can move. Also as a scout, it has a passive perception of 11. as for dragon's breath, by your own admission your imp would be using it to attack, so no longer invisible, and, again, it attacks on your turn and then cannot move until its turn.
face of the party? only if you never interact with the victim of friends or charm person again.... they know what you did. npc shopkeepers and such should be assumed to be proficient in insight and similar skills for the same reason npc blacksmiths should be assumed to have proficiency in the tools of their trade.
by the way sanctuary is without doubt the worst spell you could use on yourself as a tank. cannot see how darkness helps either (pun intended). a tank's function is to be the target of attacks and avoid or soak up the damage, not to make it easier for opponents to attack other party members instead of them, that is the opposite of tanking.