I'm guessing no one talking about "invocation tax" would mind then if the number of invocations you get is reduced to account for all of the previously-optional additions to pact boons.
Most of those included options were nerfed pretty hard so it’s hard to get excited about them.
No heavy weapons for Blade Pact so the common build of GWM is gone…
Tome went from being able to learn any number of rituals up to 5th level spells to only two 1st level rituals ever….
I'm guessing no one talking about "invocation tax" would mind then if the number of invocations you get is reduced to account for all of the previously-optional additions to pact boons.
So like your paycheck they tax you before you even see the money. I don't think that removes the invocation tax, it just makes it less visible
It's just semantics at this point. Invocations are "choose your own class feature" for Warlocks, they should NOT be on top of also getting class features. Extra Attack is a "class feature tax" that all classes that get it have. It's the fundamental principle of balance in class design, if you get X you don't get Y. So if you get Extra Attack at 5th level, you don't get Uncanny Dodge at 5th level. If warlocks get Thirsting Blade and equivalent Invocations built in at 5th level, they don't get an Invocation at 5th level.
All we're doing is changing the presentation in order to deal with the psychological phenomenon of FOMO. By removing choice, we make players happier because they don't "feel" like they are missing out on the opportunity to take a different invocation by "having" to take the core power invocations.
The alternative argument is : Warlocks are underpowered and need to get more class features & invocations. If that is the argument you want to make then please do so, but it's helpful to separate these two issues from each other for clarity. Issue 1: Don't like having choices that aren't really choices b/c one option is so far superior to the others because this causes FOMO. Issue 2: Warlocks are / aren't underpowered as a class and need to be buffed with more class features & invocations in order to be worth playing.
PS Though I would note, already moving invocations into class features means that one of my characters is no longer possible to be built: a Rogue-5 x Warlock-5 who took Pact of the Blade + Mask of Many Faces + Devil's Sight + Eldritch Smite, and used Booming Blade + Sneak Attack + Eldritch Smite to be a one-hit nova character. Now in One D&D I would have to get Extra Attack with this character which I wouldn't use.
Tome went from being able to learn any number of rituals up to 5th level spells to only two 1st level rituals ever….
Yeah, the loss of the "wizard-decaf" spellbook option is sad. Maybe the Book of Ancient Secrets invocation will make it back eventually?
At least with the Book of Shadows you can still switch which 1st level rituals you can cast? Still, it seemed like an natural evolution of the 5th level upgrade to expand the limit from 1st level rituals to 3rd level rituals, right? Then the warlock would have some nice options, like Augury, Silence, and Water Breathing? As well as future-proofing it a bit for upcoming spell additions. But maybe there's a balancing act, what with Book of Shadows already getting a built-in Agonizing Blast and all. Oh well! :)
I'm guessing no one talking about "invocation tax" would mind then if the number of invocations you get is reduced to account for all of the previously-optional additions to pact boons.
There are two reasons one might complain about an invocation tax:
It's bad design to have must-take options. If they're really things everyone should take, just make them automatic picks.
They aren't really complaining about invocation taxes, they just want the class to be more powerful.
Tome went from being able to learn any number of rituals up to 5th level spells to only two 1st level rituals ever….
But maybe there's a balancing act, what with Book of Shadows already getting a built-in Agonizing Blast and all. Oh well! :)
+5 on a cantrip is a sad trade for things like ritual casting Divination, Telepathic Bond, Tiny Hut, Water Breathing and Commune with Nature as well as others. Removed an incredible amount of utility for Warlock to provide wizard-like utility support in a party without a wizard.
I'm guessing no one talking about "invocation tax" would mind then if the number of invocations you get is reduced to account for all of the previously-optional additions to pact boons.
There are two reasons one might complain about an invocation tax:
It's bad design to have must-take options. If they're really things everyone should take, just make them automatic picks.
They aren't really complaining about invocation taxes, they just want the class to be more powerful.
Truthfully I would say it's likely a combination of both. It IS bad design to have something so unequivocally good that it becomes a must pick like in the case of Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast which is acknowledged somewhat by WOTC from the fact they are making Eldritch Blast a class feature.
But on the flipside, except for Hexblade Multiclass and Genie Subclass, no one puts Warlock as an S Tier class. In a day with no short rests like many tables seem to play, it's nowhere close to power level of any Full caster or even Paladin.
Truthfully I would say it's likely a combination of both. It IS bad design to have something so unequivocally good that it becomes a must pick like in the case of Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast which is acknowledged somewhat by WOTC from the fact they are making Eldritch Blast a class feature.
Except they aren't must picks - if you are building a MC character which is extremely logical for a warlock. What I like about the 2014 version is that it is great for multiclassing which feels really thematic for a class all about making a pact with a powerful entity - lots of characters should choose to do that mid-campaign. But, if you're a single-class warlock then sure they are must-picks, which is why I didn't complain about it on the survey.
EB + AB is only problematic in the sense that it's better than cantrips. It's roughly equivalent to a bow user though. Id say that the benefit of AB should be applied to all cantrips and not as a level 8 feature when you'll never actually cast a cantrip on a real magic user.
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.
Truthfully I would say it's likely a combination of both. It IS bad design to have something so unequivocally good that it becomes a must pick like in the case of Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast which is acknowledged somewhat by WOTC from the fact they are making Eldritch Blast a class feature.
Except they aren't must picks - if you are building a MC character which is extremely logical for a warlock. What I like about the 2014 version is that it is great for multiclassing which feels really thematic for a class all about making a pact with a powerful entity - lots of characters should choose to do that mid-campaign. But, if you're a single-class warlock then sure they are must-picks, which is why I didn't complain about it on the survey.
I suppose that could be true but in my 7 years of playing 5e I have not once seen someone MC Warlock and NOT take EB+AB. Think about the classes most likely to MC Warlock:
Sorcerer- it becomes a fantastic source of consistent damage after they drop a large control spell and literally is the source of a Meme Build ie Eldritch Machine gun where for the cost of 2 sorcery points, you can do potentially 8d10+40 Force Damage.
Paladin- EB+AB solves the single biggest deficit in the Paladin tool kit- namely ranged attacks.
Bard- EB+AB solves the single biggest early game deficit in the Bard tool kit- consistent, resource-less damage.
Truthfully I would say it's likely a combination of both. It IS bad design to have something so unequivocally good that it becomes a must pick like in the case of Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast which is acknowledged somewhat by WOTC from the fact they are making Eldritch Blast a class feature.
Except they aren't must picks - if you are building a MC character which is extremely logical for a warlock. What I like about the 2014 version is that it is great for multiclassing which feels really thematic for a class all about making a pact with a powerful entity - lots of characters should choose to do that mid-campaign. But, if you're a single-class warlock then sure they are must-picks, which is why I didn't complain about it on the survey.
I suppose that could be true but in my 7 years of playing 5e I have not once seen someone MC Warlock and NOT take EB+AB. Think about the classes most likely to MC Warlock:
Sorcerer- it becomes a fantastic source of consistent damage after they drop a large control spell and literally is the source of a Meme Build ie Eldritch Machine gun where for the cost of 2 sorcery points, you can do potentially 8d10+40 Force Damage.
Paladin- EB+AB solves the single biggest deficit in the Paladin tool kit- namely ranged attacks.
Bard- EB+AB solves the single biggest early game deficit in the Bard tool kit- consistent, resource-less damage.
Characters I've played or played with that were warlocks but didn't take EB+AB: Rogue-Warlock -> took warlock for BB/GFB, bonus damage from Genie and utility spellcasting like Invisibility, Disguise Self, Misty Step, Suggestion, and Hex for grappling. Ranger-Warlock -> took warlock for Darkness+Devil Sight + Improved Pact Weapon. Warlock-Fighter-Bard -> mained Hexblade Warlock using Improved Pact Weapon as a magical longbow + Eldritch Smite so they could smite at range + SS for massive damage, picked up Fighter for Archery and Bard for more spell slots for Shield as well as BI and Faerie Fire. Bard-Warlock -> Hexblade + Swords Bard, picked up BB + GFB, Shield, Hellish Rebuke, and a familiar from Warlock.
Not everyone wants to stand at the back, mindlessly spamming EB. I personally find the ranged-attacker the most boring playstyle of all. Sure the Eldritch Machine Gun is powerful, but it is also incredibly boring. So I don't understand why it is so popular, it's the worse part of martials -> just spamming attacks over and over, with the worst part of casters -> hiding in the back away from danger. There is no drama, no excitement, no variability. Just "I cast EB then I cast EB and now it's dead, next scene, please."
Not everyone wants to stand at the back, mindlessly spamming EB. I personally find the ranged-attacker the most boring playstyle of all. Sure the Eldritch Machine Gun is powerful, but it is also incredibly boring. So I don't understand why it is so popular, it's the worse part of martials -> just spamming attacks over and over, with the worst part of casters -> hiding in the back away from danger. There is no drama, no excitement, no variability. Just "I cast EB then I cast EB and now it's dead, next scene, please."
THIS SO MUCH. I'm exhausted by the stance that if you're playing a warlock, it's EB 24x7 and if it's not, you're playing them wrong.
It's one of the reasons I love spirit shroud as a hexlock; as someone proved it's apparently 2.5 hit points less effective per round (JFC) but it's so damn cool in terms of visuals, tone, and character reflection. You have have your two hit points of damage; I want a character obsessed enough to make a pact with a strange entity who's surrounded by a cloud of stabby phantasms when they go into battle.
The "it's boring" is such a bad argument it's completely dismissible out of hand. You don't get to decide what's interesting or not interesting for other people. Not for you perhaps, but you don't get to determine that other people ideas are boring and should not be made. it's even more tiring than being told if you are not playing EB+AB, you're wrong.
I was told that my hexbow eldritch smiting with my bow was wrong, but it was both fun and effective.
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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.
The "it's boring" is such a bad argument it's completely dismissible out of hand. You don't get to decide what's interesting or not interesting for other people.
It's no different from any of a variety of other arguments -- the vast majority of arguments about classes are in fact in the form "I do/don't like it".
Not everyone wants to stand at the back, mindlessly spamming EB. I personally find the ranged-attacker the most boring playstyle of all. Sure the Eldritch Machine Gun is powerful, but it is also incredibly boring. So I don't understand why it is so popular, it's the worse part of martials -> just spamming attacks over and over, with the worst part of casters -> hiding in the back away from danger. There is no drama, no excitement, no variability. Just "I cast EB then I cast EB and now it's dead, next scene, please."
THIS SO MUCH. I'm exhausted by the stance that if you're playing a warlock, it's EB 24x7 and if it's not, you're playing them wrong.
It's one of the reasons I love spirit shroud as a hexlock; as someone proved it's apparently 2.5 hit points less effective per round (JFC) but it's so damn cool in terms of visuals, tone, and character reflection. You have have your two hit points of damage; I want a character obsessed enough to make a pact with a strange entity who's surrounded by a cloud of stabby phantasms when they go into battle.
Wow guy- way to put words in my mouth. I never said it should be your only or even most used option. Just pointed out for the MOST COMMON and most talked about multiclassing, it’s a strong tool to have in your kit that solves specific problems especially for Paladin or Bard.
You know what’s more boring than just spamming EB+AB? Having no ranged options as a Paladin against flyers or people separated by like a pit or something.
Wow guy- way to put words in my mouth. I never said it should be your only or even most used option. Just pointed out for the MOST COMMON and most talked about multiclassing, it’s a strong tool to have in your kit that solves specific problems especially for Paladin or Bard.
You know what’s more boring than just spamming EB+AB? Having no ranged options as a Paladin against flyers or people separated by like a pit or something.
That is completely a matter of perspective. I enjoyed the frustration of being a melee-rogue fighting a dragon that flew away from me all the time, or having to run & jump / climb up a spiral staircase after a teleporting enemy, or when one of my allies used a grappling hook as a makeshift fish-hook to hold a giant sea serpent next to the shore so that I could hit it. Having melee characters deal tons of damage but then having it difficult for them to get into position to do so makes for really interesting gameplay.
The "it's boring" is such a bad argument it's completely dismissible out of hand.
And yet it is the primary argument why all martial classes suck.
Except it's not. The problem with martials, and the primary argument against them is not that they are boring, but that they don't scale in proportion to magic.
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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.
Not everyone wants to stand at the back, mindlessly spamming EB. I personally find the ranged-attacker the most boring playstyle of all. Sure the Eldritch Machine Gun is powerful, but it is also incredibly boring. So I don't understand why it is so popular, it's the worse part of martials -> just spamming attacks over and over, with the worst part of casters -> hiding in the back away from danger. There is no drama, no excitement, no variability. Just "I cast EB then I cast EB and now it's dead, next scene, please."
THIS SO MUCH. I'm exhausted by the stance that if you're playing a warlock, it's EB 24x7 and if it's not, you're playing them wrong.
It's one of the reasons I love spirit shroud as a hexlock; as someone proved it's apparently 2.5 hit points less effective per round (JFC) but it's so damn cool in terms of visuals, tone, and character reflection. You have have your two hit points of damage; I want a character obsessed enough to make a pact with a strange entity who's surrounded by a cloud of stabby phantasms when they go into battle.
Wow guy- way to put words in my mouth. I never said it should be your only or even most used option. Just pointed out for the MOST COMMON and most talked about multiclassing, it’s a strong tool to have in your kit that solves specific problems especially for Paladin or Bard.
You know what’s more boring than just spamming EB+AB? Having no ranged options as a Paladin against flyers or people separated by like a pit or something.
enemies you can't reach? hurray! sounds like puzzle time! will you take cover and strategize with those who can reach? will you search and explore? perhaps time to negotiate? so many opportunities to enhance the story and develop your character!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: providefeedback!
Not everyone wants to stand at the back, mindlessly spamming EB. I personally find the ranged-attacker the most boring playstyle of all. Sure the Eldritch Machine Gun is powerful, but it is also incredibly boring. So I don't understand why it is so popular, it's the worse part of martials -> just spamming attacks over and over, with the worst part of casters -> hiding in the back away from danger. There is no drama, no excitement, no variability. Just "I cast EB then I cast EB and now it's dead, next scene, please."
THIS SO MUCH. I'm exhausted by the stance that if you're playing a warlock, it's EB 24x7 and if it's not, you're playing them wrong.
It's one of the reasons I love spirit shroud as a hexlock; as someone proved it's apparently 2.5 hit points less effective per round (JFC) but it's so damn cool in terms of visuals, tone, and character reflection. You have have your two hit points of damage; I want a character obsessed enough to make a pact with a strange entity who's surrounded by a cloud of stabby phantasms when they go into battle.
You can always play things off brand, its doesn't mean you are playing it wrong. You can take 2 levels in wizard just to get the bladesinger benefit on your smart investigator rogue and never use your wizard spells. But I'm not sure the class design should be based around oddball choices a handful of players might make. Though im not sure going spirit shroud is an example for that especially if going pact of the blade. As then pact of the blade is your source of consistent damage not eldritch blast. You aren't giving up consistent damage, just going with the warlocks other option. These arguments basically are someone saying weapon use is integral to the fighter, and someone saying nope I took 2 levels of fighter so I can action surge and cast 2 fireballs in one turn with my sorcerer.
You can always play things off brand, its doesn't mean you are playing it wrong. You can take 2 levels in wizard just to get the bladesinger benefit on your smart investigator rogue and never use your wizard spells. But I'm not sure the class design should be based around oddball choices a handful of players might make. Though im not sure going spirit shroud is an example for that especially if going pact of the blade. As then pact of the blade is your source of consistent damage not eldritch blast. You aren't giving up consistent damage, just going with the warlocks other option. These arguments basically are someone saying weapon use is integral to the fighter, and someone saying nope I took 2 levels of fighter so I can action surge and cast 2 fireballs in one turn with my sorcerer.
For every other class I would completely agree with you, and I partially agree on warlock. The difference is that the lore of warlock seems to be begging for people to multiclass into it, and the 2014 design seemed to be designed to facilitate people doing so since you got a cool patron-specific feature at level 1, some of the best invocations at level 2 and your pact boon at level 3. Taking 3 levels of warlock could complement a lot of different characters in many different ways because of the flexibility of the class compared to others which thematically fits with people being tempted to make a deal with the devil for warlock powers.
Sure WotC doesn't need to support MCing and seems to be actively trying to discourage it, but that's their prerogative. But it's a shame to see this flexibility be removed in order to ease players of the FOMO of having some invocations be more generally useful than others.
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Most of those included options were nerfed pretty hard so it’s hard to get excited about them.
No heavy weapons for Blade Pact so the common build of GWM is gone…
Tome went from being able to learn any number of rituals up to 5th level spells to only two 1st level rituals ever….
It's just semantics at this point. Invocations are "choose your own class feature" for Warlocks, they should NOT be on top of also getting class features. Extra Attack is a "class feature tax" that all classes that get it have. It's the fundamental principle of balance in class design, if you get X you don't get Y. So if you get Extra Attack at 5th level, you don't get Uncanny Dodge at 5th level. If warlocks get Thirsting Blade and equivalent Invocations built in at 5th level, they don't get an Invocation at 5th level.
All we're doing is changing the presentation in order to deal with the psychological phenomenon of FOMO. By removing choice, we make players happier because they don't "feel" like they are missing out on the opportunity to take a different invocation by "having" to take the core power invocations.
The alternative argument is : Warlocks are underpowered and need to get more class features & invocations. If that is the argument you want to make then please do so, but it's helpful to separate these two issues from each other for clarity.
Issue 1: Don't like having choices that aren't really choices b/c one option is so far superior to the others because this causes FOMO.
Issue 2: Warlocks are / aren't underpowered as a class and need to be buffed with more class features & invocations in order to be worth playing.
PS Though I would note, already moving invocations into class features means that one of my characters is no longer possible to be built: a Rogue-5 x Warlock-5 who took Pact of the Blade + Mask of Many Faces + Devil's Sight + Eldritch Smite, and used Booming Blade + Sneak Attack + Eldritch Smite to be a one-hit nova character. Now in One D&D I would have to get Extra Attack with this character which I wouldn't use.
Yeah, the loss of the "wizard-decaf" spellbook option is sad. Maybe the Book of Ancient Secrets invocation will make it back eventually?
At least with the Book of Shadows you can still switch which 1st level rituals you can cast? Still, it seemed like an natural evolution of the 5th level upgrade to expand the limit from 1st level rituals to 3rd level rituals, right? Then the warlock would have some nice options, like Augury, Silence, and Water Breathing? As well as future-proofing it a bit for upcoming spell additions. But maybe there's a balancing act, what with Book of Shadows already getting a built-in Agonizing Blast and all. Oh well! :)
There are two reasons one might complain about an invocation tax:
+5 on a cantrip is a sad trade for things like ritual casting Divination, Telepathic Bond, Tiny Hut, Water Breathing and Commune with Nature as well as others. Removed an incredible amount of utility for Warlock to provide wizard-like utility support in a party without a wizard.
Truthfully I would say it's likely a combination of both. It IS bad design to have something so unequivocally good that it becomes a must pick like in the case of Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast which is acknowledged somewhat by WOTC from the fact they are making Eldritch Blast a class feature.
But on the flipside, except for Hexblade Multiclass and Genie Subclass, no one puts Warlock as an S Tier class. In a day with no short rests like many tables seem to play, it's nowhere close to power level of any Full caster or even Paladin.
Except they aren't must picks - if you are building a MC character which is extremely logical for a warlock. What I like about the 2014 version is that it is great for multiclassing which feels really thematic for a class all about making a pact with a powerful entity - lots of characters should choose to do that mid-campaign. But, if you're a single-class warlock then sure they are must-picks, which is why I didn't complain about it on the survey.
EB + AB is only problematic in the sense that it's better than cantrips. It's roughly equivalent to a bow user though. Id say that the benefit of AB should be applied to all cantrips and not as a level 8 feature when you'll never actually cast a cantrip on a real magic user.
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
I suppose that could be true but in my 7 years of playing 5e I have not once seen someone MC Warlock and NOT take EB+AB. Think about the classes most likely to MC Warlock:
Sorcerer- it becomes a fantastic source of consistent damage after they drop a large control spell and literally is the source of a Meme Build ie Eldritch Machine gun where for the cost of 2 sorcery points, you can do potentially 8d10+40 Force Damage.
Paladin- EB+AB solves the single biggest deficit in the Paladin tool kit- namely ranged attacks.
Bard- EB+AB solves the single biggest early game deficit in the Bard tool kit- consistent, resource-less damage.
Characters I've played or played with that were warlocks but didn't take EB+AB:
Rogue-Warlock -> took warlock for BB/GFB, bonus damage from Genie and utility spellcasting like Invisibility, Disguise Self, Misty Step, Suggestion, and Hex for grappling.
Ranger-Warlock -> took warlock for Darkness+Devil Sight + Improved Pact Weapon.
Warlock-Fighter-Bard -> mained Hexblade Warlock using Improved Pact Weapon as a magical longbow + Eldritch Smite so they could smite at range + SS for massive damage, picked up Fighter for Archery and Bard for more spell slots for Shield as well as BI and Faerie Fire.
Bard-Warlock -> Hexblade + Swords Bard, picked up BB + GFB, Shield, Hellish Rebuke, and a familiar from Warlock.
Not everyone wants to stand at the back, mindlessly spamming EB. I personally find the ranged-attacker the most boring playstyle of all. Sure the Eldritch Machine Gun is powerful, but it is also incredibly boring. So I don't understand why it is so popular, it's the worse part of martials -> just spamming attacks over and over, with the worst part of casters -> hiding in the back away from danger. There is no drama, no excitement, no variability. Just "I cast EB then I cast EB and now it's dead, next scene, please."
THIS SO MUCH. I'm exhausted by the stance that if you're playing a warlock, it's EB 24x7 and if it's not, you're playing them wrong.
It's one of the reasons I love spirit shroud as a hexlock; as someone proved it's apparently 2.5 hit points less effective per round (JFC) but it's so damn cool in terms of visuals, tone, and character reflection. You have have your two hit points of damage; I want a character obsessed enough to make a pact with a strange entity who's surrounded by a cloud of stabby phantasms when they go into battle.
The "it's boring" is such a bad argument it's completely dismissible out of hand. You don't get to decide what's interesting or not interesting for other people. Not for you perhaps, but you don't get to determine that other people ideas are boring and should not be made. it's even more tiring than being told if you are not playing EB+AB, you're wrong.
I was told that my hexbow eldritch smiting with my bow was wrong, but it was both fun and effective.
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
And yet it is the primary argument why all martial classes suck.
It's no different from any of a variety of other arguments -- the vast majority of arguments about classes are in fact in the form "I do/don't like it".
Wow guy- way to put words in my mouth. I never said it should be your only or even most used option. Just pointed out for the MOST COMMON and most talked about multiclassing, it’s a strong tool to have in your kit that solves specific problems especially for Paladin or Bard.
You know what’s more boring than just spamming EB+AB? Having no ranged options as a Paladin against flyers or people separated by like a pit or something.
That is completely a matter of perspective. I enjoyed the frustration of being a melee-rogue fighting a dragon that flew away from me all the time, or having to run & jump / climb up a spiral staircase after a teleporting enemy, or when one of my allies used a grappling hook as a makeshift fish-hook to hold a giant sea serpent next to the shore so that I could hit it. Having melee characters deal tons of damage but then having it difficult for them to get into position to do so makes for really interesting gameplay.
Except it's not. The problem with martials, and the primary argument against them is not that they are boring, but that they don't scale in proportion to magic.
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
enemies you can't reach? hurray! sounds like puzzle time! will you take cover and strategize with those who can reach? will you search and explore? perhaps time to negotiate? so many opportunities to enhance the story and develop your character!
unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: provide feedback!
You can always play things off brand, its doesn't mean you are playing it wrong. You can take 2 levels in wizard just to get the bladesinger benefit on your smart investigator rogue and never use your wizard spells. But I'm not sure the class design should be based around oddball choices a handful of players might make. Though im not sure going spirit shroud is an example for that especially if going pact of the blade. As then pact of the blade is your source of consistent damage not eldritch blast. You aren't giving up consistent damage, just going with the warlocks other option. These arguments basically are someone saying weapon use is integral to the fighter, and someone saying nope I took 2 levels of fighter so I can action surge and cast 2 fireballs in one turn with my sorcerer.
For every other class I would completely agree with you, and I partially agree on warlock. The difference is that the lore of warlock seems to be begging for people to multiclass into it, and the 2014 design seemed to be designed to facilitate people doing so since you got a cool patron-specific feature at level 1, some of the best invocations at level 2 and your pact boon at level 3. Taking 3 levels of warlock could complement a lot of different characters in many different ways because of the flexibility of the class compared to others which thematically fits with people being tempted to make a deal with the devil for warlock powers.
Sure WotC doesn't need to support MCing and seems to be actively trying to discourage it, but that's their prerogative. But it's a shame to see this flexibility be removed in order to ease players of the FOMO of having some invocations be more generally useful than others.