Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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Roughly doubling the damage dice on every attack for Rangers/scaling up to 4 hits on Warlock would be more than a bit broken if you couldn't lose concentration on it- especially since Rangers already tend to get damage riders and Warlocks have some other options they could stack to really bring the pain if they didn't need to tie up Concentration on Hex when they use it. There's plenty of subclasses that don't play off them, so it's hardly the end of the world if there's a handful that do.
Yes, exactly. If some feature did it, it would probably have to be restricted to once a turn or something and maybe have additional limitations. Either way, it's not healthy as a subclass feature, IMO.
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My houserulings.
I think there has already been plenty of negative feedback on the Ranger class' reliance on Hunter's Mark, that significantly restricts their choices when it comes to Concentration or risk losing out on benefits by opting for a different approach than Hunter's Mark.
I find it very troubling that the previously most Bladelock-aligned subclass is being discussed about doing something similar as the Ranger with Hunter's Mark. I would have no trouble with making a subclass that does this, as long as another subclass can take the place of the 2014-Hexblade's assistance to the Bladelock build at the time that the revised Hexblade is published to effectively push the 2014-Hexblade out of availability. The Warlock class support for Bladelock is really lacking as a melee combatant when comparing their performance and features to Martials and to other gishes.
Clearing Concentration or using the spells? Because whinging aside, subclasses that run off them are fine. Rangers in particular get enough casts of theirs and have few enough other options for Concentration that it’s not a hardship. Warlocks could use a little support for it if a subclass focuses on it, but it’s a viable model for them even if it doesn’t appeal to you personally.
I am talking about a feature that cleared the Concentration requirement on Hex. At one point, I considered requiring expending a 5th level Pact Magic Slot to remove Concentration but drop the duration to an hour or even a minute. That way, you could effectively tie it to Warlock level and give the choice of all day Concentration or free concentration.
How many spells will a Warlock never use because they require Concentration for Hex? Rangers have less to work with, but there are still some cool ones that compete with Hunter's Mark and the core class makes Hunter's Mark a central part of the class. It feels less optional that Hex and Warlock. Your class features shouldn't require Concentration.
Hex isn't quite the same scenario, but it feels similar because it's a default pick for so many Warlocks regardless of build and at the same time, they have a decent number of options. Even something as simple as Blade Ward is a cantrip that on the surface sounds useful for a Hexblade, but you can't Concentrate on that and Hex at the same time.
With the Concentration requirement on these core spells, do Warlocks and Rangers have choice of the spells they concentrate on or is it an illusion of a choice?
Regardless, if anything removes the Concentration element from Hex I don't think it should be a subclass feature, which is the main point I was making.
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Yes, they have a choice- they can choose to try for some defensive spell, a typically save-or-suck debuff/control, or an off-brand damage option for their subclass. The hand-wringing over Concentration in these cases is often quite overstated, imo. Have you looked at the Ranger concentration picks? Going by 2024 Core, about half of them are out of combat spells, most of the aggressive options are 3rd level or higher, and the remainder are the likes of Spike Growth, Summon Beast, and Ensnaring Strike. Warlocks actually have it even worse for mostly doing save or suck effects with Concentration, setting aside utilities there’s 4 summon spells, Witch Bolt, Vampiric Touch, PfEaG, Darkness, Hunger of Hadar, and Cloud of Daggers for low level concentration spells that aren’t reliant on an initial save or suck. Tell me, do any of these read as absolutely essential to the Warlock experience?
I miss when the Enhance Ability type spells actually improved your ability. Silence is situationally useful. Elemental Weapon can exploit a weakness. Protection from Energy would be useful. Swift Quiver sounds cool, but like all the others compete with Hunter's Mark, which the class is built around. Have a class-exclusive spell that doesn't work with Favored Enemy, Relentless Hunter, Precise Hunter, and Foe Slayer. And those are just the core class features. Beast Master, Hunter. and Winter Walker Rangers also lean into that feature. It makes the 27 PHB (+1 FR) Ranger Concentration spells like the illusion of choice.
Wouldn't you like to use them as a Warlock or are you happy with saying these are technically Warlock spells, but not practically? If I understand you correctly, your argument is that it's fine if every Warlock saves their Concentration for Hex because the alternatives can't compete? Isn't that problem?
How to add Tooltips.
My houserulings.