Unearthed Arcana is back from last year, and it dropped a pile of four new subclasses to scrutinize.
And none of them has caught my eye more than the new warlock patron, "The Noble Genie".
The D&D community has been contemplating a genie subclass for quite some time, given that the warlock is all about making bargains with extra-planar entities for power, and the Elemental Planes had been somewhat neglected by existing patrons (prior to The Lurker in the Deep).
So does this new subclass deliver the phenomenal cosmic power that an all-powerful genie provides?
...eh, well...
...let's discuss.
Firstly..."Spell Selection":
So I'm left scratching my head at some of these...Fog Cloud makes a bit of sense, given the mystical ambiance of a genie, but that spell coupled with Sleep makes the first level spells a bit situational and limited. "Absorb Elements" would have been a PERFECT spell that encapsulates the elemental nature of the patron, and the 5th Level scaling would give melee warlocks some potential. A bit unusual that it isn't there.
Enlarge / Reduce is appropriate, as I'd wager a genie would go from their grand size down to a normal human size when blending in on the Material Plane...but the presence of Phantasmal Force (and Phantasmal Killer, for that matter) I find to be unusual. Genies don't strike me as illusionists; they tend to have the power to just warp reality. If they DID do illusion spells, I'd find that the mirage-like "Blur" or even the elemental-customizing "Dragon's Breath" gives some options.
"Protection from Energy" makes a ton of sense, and even the utility spells like "Create Food and Water" and "Creation" make sense...if your starving in a jungle or desert, you're going to wish for food or supplies. "Polymorph" is curious, though...being a Warlock Invocation.
Bigby's Hand...well, I like "Bigby's Hand". I hope it stays.
1st Level: Collector's Vessel
This is a pretty nifty first level feature. You, who has essentially become the slave or champion of a genie (yay), is much like a genie yourself. The tethering mechanic to another willing creature allows for tactics that I'm sure a creative player will have a ton of fun with. The bonus to Perception will never stop being useful, and casting a spell through the proxy is fun.
6th Level: Elemental Resistance
Not much to say...a flexible elemental resistance makes sense for a patron native to an elemental plane.
10th Level: Protective Wish
I like when a mechanic ties back into an existing mechanic. And I love teleporting, too. So if a fragile character (like you) is hit by a fatal strike, you can swap places with your master (heh), and replace yourself with an armored fighter or tanky barbarian.
Or you can sacrifice yourself by throwing yourself in front of the blow...
10th Level: Genies Entertainment
Alright, so this is super flavorful. You get a Banishment-lite spell that transports the target to your patron's royal chambers, where they ogle and delight over the ugly creature that you've sent to them.
I keep thinking of Benicio del Toro's character, "The Collector" from Guardians of the Galaxy, when I think of this.
My only beef is...the genie would totally not let that creature leave that easily, and having said that, I would have wished (get it?) that the temporary banishment did something to the creature.
Like..."if a hostile creature fails to entertain the genie with their Charisma checks, the bored patron boots them back to the warlock's plane of existence, dealing 4d10 of a chosen elemental damage type".
That doesn't disturb the flavor of the feature, I feel, but gives it a bit more "kick" than a typical Banishment spell. And if the creature succeeds the Charisma saves, your patron is all like:
"DAMN, THAT WAS ENTERTAINING. THEY DANCED! THEY CRIED! BRING ME MORE...!!"
...and gives the feature back.
14th Level: Collector's Call
Look...these are useful effects.
Healing and removing a nasty debuff on an ally...imposing disadvantage on saving throws (yikes...ALL your allies benefit from that...!)
...and Legend Lore, because why not?
...but does this feel like a genie is doing this?
Not to complain, but perhaps a Wish-lite spell that let's you cast any spell appropriate to your level...as long as you succeed on the Persuasion check...offers a bit more excitement, and ties into the theme of your patron.
...and it would gives the warlock a reason to level themselves fully to Level 20, as the feature would scale.
Multiclassing:
But here's the fun part!
So even with just a 1 or 2 Level dip, the combination of Eldritch Invocations, the Collector's Vessel, and the flavorful backstory of being a genie's slave gives supreme multiclassing fun.
The tethering mechanic blends so well with other Charisma spellcasters, allowing for a boggling amount of concepts...your barbarian suddenly becoming an Eldritch Blast-ing turret, for example. Or spewing Fireball. Fun stuff like that.
I like the story & roleplaying potential, too...a bard who pushed themselves too far, seduced a djinn who had been disguised as a mortal...they tried to add them to their "collection"... and the bard has been on the run from them ever since.
...or a paladin who has Devoted themselves to a genie as part of their Oath, and is in denial that they are, in fact, trapped in servitude.
An Air Genasi who unlocks their potential through their Patron relative, and multiclasses into Storm Sorcerer, as they become like a djinn themselves.
...honestly, I'm just glad Wizards of the Coast finally added a Genie patron.
I just hope there is some tweaking before it finally releases.
I think with the warlocks ability to send people to his noble genie patron, the genie makes them do the Robin Williams version of, "You never had a friend like me," on speed dial. Just for the reference, and because when I saw the ability that's what came to mind
umm... what if the creatures you send your master, if you keep them there for the full minute, stay there, and you can summon them once later down the line as if they were under the geas spell.
I just feel that the entire subclass is a little underwhelming. How does enhancing perception on you when tethered make sense? It needs to do more. A lot more.
Genie entertainment could also use some more oomph. What you suggested is not bad.
collector's call is also kind of underwhelming for a 14th 'ultimate'.
Not going to lie. the 1st level feature really is the crux of my disappointment. This is more slave then genie/elemental.
I mostly like it, other than the capstone. One question I have is how the tether would interact with an invisible creature (such as an imp or quasit granted by the Pact of the Chain), since the tethered creature doesn't cast the spell, it just comes from their space.
I mostly like it, other than the capstone. One question I have is how the tether would interact with an invisible creature (such as an imp or quasit granted by the Pact of the Chain), since the tethered creature doesn't cast the spell, it just comes from their space.
You're also forgetting that the tether itself is still visible. It would pretty much show a lease to an invisible dog like those toys they have at amusement parks and carnivals.
The entire subclass is absolute dogshyte. Utterly godawful on every possible level.
The thematics are hogwash; you could do a 'Noble Genie' with the Archfey block easily enough, or reflavor a Fiendlock as a luck-twisting genie boi.
The mechanics are just the worst thing I've seen in a long time. 'Collector's Vessel' is terrible; it's nothing but an excuse to have a magic lamp on your person, with the tethering ability having absolutely no connection to the idea of serving a greater elemental such as a Genie, nor to the popular lore surrounding wish-granting ******** or blue Robin Williamses. The tether thing doesn't tie into the patron for beans, and the abilities you gain for generating the tether don't even tie into the idea of chaining yourself and your buddy to this entity, even ephemerally.
The spell list is blugh. The other tether-based mechanics are worse blugh. The entire subclass is just an across-the-board failure on a level I'm not sure I've ever seen in UA before, and I was there for Revived Rogue. We've had some duds before, but wow. Whoever drew up this one should really feel bad about it.
I'm going to have to agree with Yurei453. While I love the idea of a Genie patron, nothing about this execution makes sense to me. I would have much preferred for a wish granting mechanic for each subclass node where each one is more powerful than the average subclass perk but with a persuasion mechanic in place so it doesn't work automatically for the Warlock. Thus introducing some risk and reward. Only the 14th level item has some element of this but the effects seem weak.
A small thing in the grand scheme of the flaws with this subclass, but with how radical some of the UA's have been it seems like this subclass:
a] Really should have gotten all of those fringe spells (in the context of a caster with 2-3 slots who casts everything at level 5) as at least bonus known spells, if not outright bonus free castings ala the UA ranger.
b] 100% Should have had a feature adding Wish to the warlock spell list, for Mystic Arcanum selection, and potentially a range of other thematic spells in the level 6-9 range. Personally I'd have forgiven any amount of lower level bilge if the class had some kind of enhanced Wish payoff waiting at the end!
E.g. Collector’s Call
14th -level Noble Genie feature
In exchange for extending your patron’s influence over the multiverse, you can call on more of their power. By simply speaking your wish aloud, you can alter the very foundations of reality in accord with your desires. As an action, you can implore your patron for aid by nominating any spell of 6th level or lower and making a Charisma (Persuasion) check against your warlock spell save DC. If the check succeeds, you duplicate the effect of the chosen spell. You don't need to meet any requirements in that spell, including costly components. The spell simply takes effect.
Whether the check succeeds or fails, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Alternatively, you can regain the use of this feature by sacrificing non-magical treasure worth at least 500 gp to your patron. This sacrifice requires the treasure to be within 10 feet of you for at least 1 minute, at the end of which you use an action to teleport the treasure to your patron’s realm, provided you have the vessel of your Collector’s Vessel in hand.
From level 16 in this class you can nominate any spell of 7th level or lower, and from level 18 you can nominate any spell of 8th level or lower.
I really love the flavour of this subclass but think it really deserves better than what we got in this. They seem to want to make this a support class a la the Celestial but instead of healing it utilizes displacement, buffs, and debuffs... but doesn't really do any of them well in comparison to the other options we have as Warlocks. I really do hope they don't scrap this completely though because there ARE some pretty solid ideas in here it just needs to be more focused.
First of all, the spell list is atrocious. There are some solid picks in there, but do we really need another Phantasmal Force for a Warlock subclass? Also, a lot of these do not scale well at all with Warlock spell slots...How about we go with some things that both embody the whole Robin Williams in a bottle theme while also bringing in some of the elemental themes from Dungeons and Dragons Djinn:
1st Level: Absorb Elements (As you said, this is a no brainer for this class AND, if they do some work on Collector's Vessel, should work on your tethered friend as well), Fog Cloud (I get this one and, while it isn't very powerful, is flavourful when it comes to your patron/coming out of your Vessel)
2nd Level: Enlarge/Reduce (I actually really like this one here and it should stay), Spiritual Weapon (creating something out of nothing is what a genie is all about, and being able to summon a floating weapon to come to your aide is fitting to the theme as it gets. Especially since you can choose its appearance)
3rd Level: Protection from Energy (I don't particularly like this, since you already have an ability to do so, but it fits thematically and makes room for the second spell power-wise), Spirit Guardians (Swing it so that you are summoning creatures or beings from your Patron's Menagerie and you have both a powerful and thematic spell)
4th Level: Either keep Polymorph because it's fun, though we already have it as an invocations... I do think we have to get rid of Phantasmal Killer for either Elemental Bane (which keeps in line with the elemental/support flavouring of this spell list) or Conjure Minor Elemental (Don't need to describe this one, similar to Spirit Guardians you are throwing beings from your Patron's court at the enemy).
5th Level: Bigby's Hand (this MUST stay), and now... we can keep Creation because it is fitting in this or... Conjure Elemental (because why not, we already area leaning in on the elemental side of things).
The two Conjure spells might be a bit controversial because of their casting time BUT, it would force you to make difficult decisions and prepare before battle and would also work really well with Protective Wish if you tethered yourself to one of them instead of a teammate.
Collector's Vessel: Everything about this ability is flavourful and interesting...but for how long the description is you sure get... a whole lot of nothing. Being able to cast spells from the space of the person you are tethered to is cool but extremely situational and, while adding a + CHA to your Perception is always gonna be somewhat helpful it doesn't really fit with the idea of bonding yourself to another person using your Patron's elemental magics. I propose:
When you can cast a spell, you can deliver the spell from your space or the bound creature’s space. Spells that with the range of "self" cast by you can, instead, affect the tethered creature and vice versa.
You gain a bonus to a skill that the tethered creature is proficient in equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1)
With these changes it actually feels like you are magically bound to the creature you choose instead of just... "this magic jump rope makes me see good". It also gives you a reason to attach yourself to different party members for different situations. Need better stealth? Snap a cord onto your rogue. Need help building a shelter from the rain? Your team's Ranger is looking mighty tempting. And still allows you to boost your Perception if you connect to someone who is proficient in it. Thematically this works as well, as you implore your Patron to give you a boost that you don't have but one of your friends does... a little friendly competition.
Elemental Resistance: This is a bit boring, but makes sense, given your patron.
Protective Wish: I kind of hate this. Not because it isn't useful but because it pigeon holes you into always being tethered to the team's tank OR so that you always have to have Armour of Agathys up and swap in for the damage (and then probably get pummelled to death). Now if you had Conjure Elemental on your spell list, tether to a Fire Elemental and allow shenanigans to ensue I could grow to love this as is OR we could explore another direction.
You’re now able to use your Collector’s Vessel to wish for protection for yourself or your tethered creature. If you or the tethered creature is hit by an attack you may use your reaction to force the attacker to roll again. They must take this new roll. Critical hits rolled this way are treated as normal attacks. You may use this feature up to as many times as your Charisma Modifier (minimum 1)
Is this a little boring? Sure, it is basically an anti luck point. But it does embody the idea of "wishing the outcome to go differently" and no longer forces you to tether yourself to whatever teammate would be the nastiest surprise for when that goblin over there hits you with it's stabbin stick.
Genie's Entertainment: I actually love this ability so much. Sure, it's just a glorified Banishment, but it works in this class so well. Having an enemy in there for what is effectively 10 turns though to get it back is a bit much...but whatever.
Collector's Call: Ah yes, the divisive capstone ability for the subclass. I am of two mind of this. For one, the abilities here are fairly useful and are reminiscent of some of the things the Wish spell can do, which is great. However, you have to beat your own spell casting DC to get these to happen and even if we do, the effects that we receive are more in line with a 5th level spell an should AT LEAST be closer to a 7th. The healing one is fine (though if you heal yourself or the person you are tethered to why not have it effect both of you), the one affecting an enemy should also affect their ability checks, and the legend lore... yeah I guess that makes sense. How you can bribe your patron to get the skill back, however, is a stroke of genius but why stop there? How about being able to bribe your patron as you cast this ability to increase the chances of it being successful?
Once again, I really hope this subclass goes onto secondary testing because it is so rich in flavour... it just needs a bit of a face lift... and maybe hit the gym for a bit, before it becomes worthy of an official release.
A small thing in the grand scheme of the flaws with this subclass, but with how radical some of the UA's have been it seems like this subclass:
a] Really should have gotten all of those fringe spells (in the context of a caster with 2-3 slots who casts everything at level 5) as at least bonus known spells, if not outright bonus free castings ala the UA ranger.
b] 100% Should have had a feature adding Wish to the warlock spell list, for Mystic Arcanum selection, and potentially a range of other thematic spells in the level 6-9 range. Personally I'd have forgiven any amount of lower level bilge if the class had some kind of enhanced Wish payoff waiting at the end!
E.g. Collector’s Call
14th -level Noble Genie feature
In exchange for extending your patron’s influence over the multiverse, you can call on more of their power. By simply speaking your wish aloud, you can alter the very foundations of reality in accord with your desires. As an action, you can implore your patron for aid by nominating any spell of 6th level or lower and making a Charisma (Persuasion) check against your warlock spell save DC. If the check succeeds, you duplicate the effect of the chosen spell. You don't need to meet any requirements in that spell, including costly components. The spell simply takes effect.
Whether the check succeeds or fails, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Alternatively, you can regain the use of this feature by sacrificing non-magical treasure worth at least 500 gp to your patron. This sacrifice requires the treasure to be within 10 feet of you for at least 1 minute, at the end of which you use an action to teleport the treasure to your patron’s realm, provided you have the vessel of your Collector’s Vessel in hand.
From level 16 in this class you can nominate any spell of 7th level or lower, and from level 18 you can nominate any spell of 8th level or lower.
I love this idea so much, and fits so well with the concept of the subclass (way better than "heal a person, make it hard for an enemy to hit, or legend lore"). I would argue that, if you are casting a spell of 7th level or higher and it succeeds the cost of the non-magical treasure you sacrifice goes up. 500 gp for a wish spell is EXTREMELY low and I would see the balancing team over at Wizards freaking out about it.
Im thinking of a rogue-warlock multiclass to role play as Aladdin
Nice.
Had a similar idea...except it was basing it off the "Prince of Persia".
A Noble from Calimshan, finds a magic dagger (Pact of the Blade) gifted by a Noble Genie, and uses their natural Acrobatics and Stealth alongside their mystical talents to escape from a vizier that had betrayed his family.
Probably will select Swashbuckler Rogue for daring shenanigans and Charisma synergy.
The idea is, in exchange for wealth and treasure, the Noble Genie will bestow the Noble with power enough to reclaim his noble status.
Nevertheless. Even if you really, seriously, tippy-toes-with-ice-cream want a support Warlock, the Noble Genie is not that support warlock. Let's go over this in detail, shall we?
Fluff/Flavor This is maybe the only thing they got even halfway right. The 'Noble Genie' is a powerful, influential Greater Elemental that exerts control over a wide swath of extraplanar territory, and which prizes the acquisition of stuff. Genies of this sort are greedy, very much to a fault, and are as bad as dragons when it comes to their 'hoard' - or in this case their collection/menagerie. This is the appropriate tack for such a patron to take, and provides a very Sultan of the Sands/Marquet/Agrabah feel. That's cool. Very specific and narrowly applicable, but cool.
Now, let's move on to all the myriad ways in which this particular UA subclass completely and utterly fails to live up to that ideal.
Expanded Spell List The Noble Genie spell list is not a complete failure, but it's also kinda boring. Fog Cloud feels like the sort of thing you add when you can't think of a better idea and just go "well, genies always appear in puffs of smoke so...smokebomb spell? Sure. Smokebomb spell". The spell itself is useful enough, but a warlock that uses one of their precious known spells and their more precious spell slots on Fog Cloud is a warlock that probably should've planned better. Sleep is also weird, and one of those spells that even people who can cast normally don't tend to keep.
Enlarge/Reduce, sure, that's Robin Williams-y (even if the patron is not even slightly a Blue Robin type), but I'm getting mighty sick of seeing Phantasmal Force. Stop duplicating other patron's spell lists, Wizards. the rest of it is general 'conjure whatever the mind fancies' stuff, which is workable but doesn't really fit with either the 'Support Warlock' thing people seem to want for whatever figgety-fudgesicle reason or the way Warlocks in general work.
And now, on to the moose manure.
Collector's Vessel Hooo. Leee. Hell. This thing is so awful. Let us reference the whole ideal of the 'Noble Genie', shall we? This is a Lord of the Elemental Planes, an enormously powerful and fiercely territorial creature whose arrogance is matched only by its ability to back that arrogance up, and who greatly prizes its collection of the unique, exotic and valuable. A deadly magician who can bend the fabric of reality itself, and what is the key, defining ability it grants to those mortal agents who agree to help it extend its reach beyond its plane?
The ability to create a magic jump rope that lets you see better and displace your spells.
Excuse me. What.
No part of this ability is remotely related to being the agent of a 'Noble Genie'. I don't care that you can spawn the magic jump rope from Aladdin's Lamp; Noble Genies do not timeshare, and your boss did not hire you to temporarily acquire things for it. This 'temporary binding to your patron's menagerie' is no such thing; it is not indicative of the patron's power or the patron's goals and it runs completely counter to the entire idea that this same document said your patron was all about one Expanded Spell List ago - that your patron is a greedy bastard who DOES NOT give up ownership of those things which it claims as its own.
This is kinda like if they said that the Celestial patron gave you Expertise in Athletics and the ability to mark farm animals as your familiar. Or if the Great Old One granted you proficiency with martial weapons and the ability to expend a warlock spell slot to regain health. Not only does 'Collector's Vessel' offer nothing that relates to the patron you ostensibly serve, its two abilities don't even complement each other! What does seeing better have to do with displacing your spells, or vice versa?! ARGH! Zero of ten, would not make magic jump rope with tropey reskinned Pokeball again.
Elemental Resistance So...we're basically stealing Fiendish Resilience, save only for damage types associated with the Elemental Planes. On the flip side, magic gear/silver can't bust through it and you can extend that resistance to whatever you've saddled with your magic jump rope. Boring, but serviceable enough. For an 'Elemental Planes' patron this sort of thing was likely inevitable, though I would've liked to see it more resemble the Elemental Affinity feature of the Durgansorc, grant the warlock both offensive and defensive benefits for the element associated with its patron.
As is...well, it could be worse. it could be Collector's Vessel.
Protective Wish Calling something a 'Wish' does not make it a 'Noble Genie' feature. There's nothing protective about this 'wish', unless you use your jump rope on a plate-armored paladin or something and entirely screw up his battle plan every time something pokes you. At which point, congrats - you are now in melee with whatever the paladin was fighting, and it's eighty feet away fuming. Going the other way - taking hits for whatever else you've jump-roped to - is not why God invented warlocks. The whole "I slap myself and teleport to my flying familiar's location" thing is the sort of cheesy exploit DMs should squelsh (and in my case, I'd rule that your slap deals the one damage required to pop your familiar. Congrats on needing ten gold and an hour to get it back for more 'free' teleports). In either case, the feature is clunky and unwieldy, and its reliance on the Magic Jump Rope means it's automatically worse than it could be - and it's already pretty sketchy.
Genie's Entertainment HOLY SHIT, A FEATURE THAT ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE FOR THE PATRON! Wonders will never cease! ...at least for your patron, who gets treated to a parade of whatever jackholes you feel like dealing with the least whenever you have the feature up. I actually kinda like the idea that if the critter stays long enough for your patron to enjoy the show to its satisfaction, it lets you do it again. That's the sort of thing that fits with the mercurial nature of just such a creature, who traditionally takes its generosity as seriously as its greed. Noble genies are willing to give lavish gifts to those who offer it lavish gifts in turn, and this is the ONE GODDAMNED FEATURE in the entire subclass that keys off that idea and thus feels like it honestly works.
The fact that the critter has to fail ten consecutive Charisma saves in order to get your banish back is a bit of a bookkeeping hassle, and it does involve the godawful Collector's Vessel, but at least in this case the Vessel is doing something worthwhile.
Collector's Call All right. So we have a feature which requires you to persuade yourself to work, which jives with the patron and is flavorful but also seriously cuts the feature's effectiveness. The feature requires you to have proficiency at the very least in Persuasion, elsewise you're not beating your own warlock DC by level 14. if you do have proficiency in Persuasion, you have to roll 9 or better on the d20 to make your big fancy subclass capstone work if you've got nothing else going on to improve your DC (hint: by 14th level, this should not be the case), and regardless of whether it works or not, you don't get to try again until you long rest. Or until you grease your sugar daddy's palms with a not-insignificant chunk of treasure.
What are the payoffs for spending the dosh and beating your own DC?
One critter loses a Lesser Restoration condition and regains ~27HP. One critter gets disadvantage for a turn. Or you get to cast Legend Lore without eating 250gp worth of incense.
...whoo?
The payoff is seriously sad. Legend Lore can be a useful spell, sure - but either you pay the 250gp for incense or you pay 500gp in Nonmagical Treasure. One of those is a better deal than the other, and if you need Legend Lore at 14th level or higher, it's usually not a showstopper to find 250gp to cast it for realzies. Imposing disadvantage on saves is super powerful, yeah. Paying 500gp for a ~60% chance to impose disadvantage on saves is sliiiiightly less powerful. The heal can be significant, but it's not really any more significant than a Cure Wounds at fifth level from a Celestial warlock at 14th or higher would be. From a distance yes, and with a Lesser Resto attached...provided you hit the ~60% chance of actually making it happen. Which, if you need the healing in the first place, you're not going to appreciate. Healing Light, at 14th, can heal you for 5d6 from a distance as a bonus action. Then do it the next turn, and the turn after that, before needing a long rest recharge.
It's just...underwhelming. This is supposed to be your Djinn patron twisting reality to your benefit, and the best it can do is a moderate heal, momentary disadvantage, or some information it probably already has anyways, and only if you can butter its biscuits enough to make it care? Nah. Not flying with me.
In Summation Collector's Vessel is so godawful putrid it drags the entire subclass down. The other features are better, but the only good one is Genie's Entertainment, and that still halfway feels like just a reskin of Dark Delirium from the Archfey patron or a less obnoxious version of Hurl Through Hell. The spell list is mediocre, the subclass capper is disappointing, and the complete lack of Wish-type shenanigans outside of one badly-named class feature is more disappointing yet.
I Am Disappoint, son. If you want me to pay for this garbage when you release Xanathar's Guide to Everything Else, Wizards, you're going to need to do a whole helluva lot better than this chicken-bake bullshyte.
My Opinions on the spell selection: Fog Cloud: Makes sense, in some form, genies get this as innate spellcasting (Marid does, at least) and as spells go it is fairly "spectacular" which sort of leans into the whole genie thing. I don't hate this.
Sleep: God this is trash. It doesn't really make sense for the genie, it's a bad spell unless you are fighting only incredibly low level mooks, and its just, its bad. I don't get the flavor ideas behind it, replace it with Chromatic Orb, a spell that requires a costly and fancy material component, and has an elemental flair to it.
Enlarge/Reduce: I like it, there is a theme in a lot of these spells later of "world manipulation" where you change some fundemental aspect of the world around you (I assume to lean into the whole "wish mischief" aesthetic) and its also a good spell.
Phantasmal Force: I am going to get some people disagreeing with me on this, but this spell absolutely makes sense here and should be here. I know, I know, but it fits in really well with the genie. You form an obstacle or creation in a creatures mind, anything you choose, and can have it attack the target, or do whatever. I am... fine with this here.
Create Food and Water: I wish I liked this spell here. In a logical sense, I do, but it just feels... off? I don't know how to describe it. It makes sense for a "wish granter" archetype, but something about it being here, and it being this spell, feels weird to me. It's more a matter of personal issue, however.
Protection From Energy:
Makes sense? I guess? I do not feel strongly one way or the other on this one.
Phantasmal Killer:
I don't like this. Phantasmal Force at least has the whole "illusion to trick people into doing something", this just makes someone afraid. Yes, Dao can cast this spell, but it doesn't really feel right on this genie. Personally I would prefer Fabricate here.
Polymorph:
Hell yes. This is the wish mischief I was looking for. Yes there was an invocation that this makes meaningless, but that invocation was seriously bad, polymorph is a fine spell for warlock.
Bigby's Hand: This feels... good. Not a perfect fit, but it works, and I kinda like the aesthetic. Creation: This spell belongs here, this is a perfect spell for this subclass.
If this is all we might see related to a new incarnation of Al-Qadim and the Sha'ir ... it needs to be mechanically and thematically right. I won't rehash what's been said too much but:
- need elemental spells, including offensive spells
- needs to settle on either spell fetching/spell list manipulation or elemental control (summoning, using, manipulating actual elementals)
- needs to have variants of the idea of a genie prision: genies that fight with you, that you call upon for aid when they are physically present, that could be at the other end of the "tether" if developers feel they need to hold onto that idea for some reason.
The versions from both Xanathar's guide to everything ELSE and Kobold Press' version from their Midgard materials are both weak - but soooo much closer to the mark than this half baked concept and collection of near useless mechanics.
I expect D and D to be the best so please, build on their ideas and give "arabia"/Al-Qadim it's due!
Oh ... and as I've said before on this forum:
Please stop making books for other, odd, tangential worlds/settings (Ravnica, AI, Rick and Morty) and focus on multi-purpose, environment-based modules and sourcebooks that are more easily used with any campaign and - help cover the breadth of story available in the Forgotten Realms or older DandD products.
i.e. Create the "desert of desolation" module, or an Al-Qadim module and when there's extra time, make a stranger things or Rick and Morty product to tap into a pop demographic and keep the coffers full.
Thanks for listening,
Urdu.
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Unearthed Arcana is back from last year, and it dropped a pile of four new subclasses to scrutinize.
And none of them has caught my eye more than the new warlock patron, "The Noble Genie".
The D&D community has been contemplating a genie subclass for quite some time, given that the warlock is all about making bargains with extra-planar entities for power, and the Elemental Planes had been somewhat neglected by existing patrons (prior to The Lurker in the Deep).
So does this new subclass deliver the phenomenal cosmic power that an all-powerful genie provides?
...eh, well...
...let's discuss.
Firstly..."Spell Selection":
So I'm left scratching my head at some of these...Fog Cloud makes a bit of sense, given the mystical ambiance of a genie, but that spell coupled with Sleep makes the first level spells a bit situational and limited. "Absorb Elements" would have been a PERFECT spell that encapsulates the elemental nature of the patron, and the 5th Level scaling would give melee warlocks some potential. A bit unusual that it isn't there.
Enlarge / Reduce is appropriate, as I'd wager a genie would go from their grand size down to a normal human size when blending in on the Material Plane...but the presence of Phantasmal Force (and Phantasmal Killer, for that matter) I find to be unusual. Genies don't strike me as illusionists; they tend to have the power to just warp reality. If they DID do illusion spells, I'd find that the mirage-like "Blur" or even the elemental-customizing "Dragon's Breath" gives some options.
"Protection from Energy" makes a ton of sense, and even the utility spells like "Create Food and Water" and "Creation" make sense...if your starving in a jungle or desert, you're going to wish for food or supplies. "Polymorph" is curious, though...being a Warlock Invocation.
Bigby's Hand...well, I like "Bigby's Hand". I hope it stays.
1st Level: Collector's Vessel
This is a pretty nifty first level feature. You, who has essentially become the slave or champion of a genie (yay), is much like a genie yourself. The tethering mechanic to another willing creature allows for tactics that I'm sure a creative player will have a ton of fun with. The bonus to Perception will never stop being useful, and casting a spell through the proxy is fun.
6th Level: Elemental Resistance
Not much to say...a flexible elemental resistance makes sense for a patron native to an elemental plane.
10th Level: Protective Wish
I like when a mechanic ties back into an existing mechanic. And I love teleporting, too. So if a fragile character (like you) is hit by a fatal strike, you can swap places with your master (heh), and replace yourself with an armored fighter or tanky barbarian.
Or you can sacrifice yourself by throwing yourself in front of the blow...
10th Level: Genies Entertainment
Alright, so this is super flavorful. You get a Banishment-lite spell that transports the target to your patron's royal chambers, where they ogle and delight over the ugly creature that you've sent to them.
I keep thinking of Benicio del Toro's character, "The Collector" from Guardians of the Galaxy, when I think of this.
My only beef is...the genie would totally not let that creature leave that easily, and having said that, I would have wished (get it?) that the temporary banishment did something to the creature.
Like..."if a hostile creature fails to entertain the genie with their Charisma checks, the bored patron boots them back to the warlock's plane of existence, dealing 4d10 of a chosen elemental damage type".
That doesn't disturb the flavor of the feature, I feel, but gives it a bit more "kick" than a typical Banishment spell. And if the creature succeeds the Charisma saves, your patron is all like:
"DAMN, THAT WAS ENTERTAINING. THEY DANCED! THEY CRIED! BRING ME MORE...!!"
...and gives the feature back.
14th Level: Collector's Call
Look...these are useful effects.
Healing and removing a nasty debuff on an ally...imposing disadvantage on saving throws (yikes...ALL your allies benefit from that...!)
...and Legend Lore, because why not?
...but does this feel like a genie is doing this?
Not to complain, but perhaps a Wish-lite spell that let's you cast any spell appropriate to your level...as long as you succeed on the Persuasion check...offers a bit more excitement, and ties into the theme of your patron.
...and it would gives the warlock a reason to level themselves fully to Level 20, as the feature would scale.
Multiclassing:
But here's the fun part!
So even with just a 1 or 2 Level dip, the combination of Eldritch Invocations, the Collector's Vessel, and the flavorful backstory of being a genie's slave gives supreme multiclassing fun.
The tethering mechanic blends so well with other Charisma spellcasters, allowing for a boggling amount of concepts...your barbarian suddenly becoming an Eldritch Blast-ing turret, for example. Or spewing Fireball. Fun stuff like that.
I like the story & roleplaying potential, too...a bard who pushed themselves too far, seduced a djinn who had been disguised as a mortal...they tried to add them to their "collection"... and the bard has been on the run from them ever since.
...or a paladin who has Devoted themselves to a genie as part of their Oath, and is in denial that they are, in fact, trapped in servitude.
An Air Genasi who unlocks their potential through their Patron relative, and multiclasses into Storm Sorcerer, as they become like a djinn themselves.
...honestly, I'm just glad Wizards of the Coast finally added a Genie patron.
I just hope there is some tweaking before it finally releases.
Thoughts?
I think with the warlocks ability to send people to his noble genie patron, the genie makes them do the Robin Williams version of, "You never had a friend like me," on speed dial. Just for the reference, and because when I saw the ability that's what came to mind
umm... what if the creatures you send your master, if you keep them there for the full minute, stay there, and you can summon them once later down the line as if they were under the geas spell.
I just feel that the entire subclass is a little underwhelming. How does enhancing perception on you when tethered make sense? It needs to do more. A lot more.
Genie entertainment could also use some more oomph. What you suggested is not bad.
collector's call is also kind of underwhelming for a 14th 'ultimate'.
Not going to lie. the 1st level feature really is the crux of my disappointment. This is more slave then genie/elemental.
I mostly like it, other than the capstone. One question I have is how the tether would interact with an invisible creature (such as an imp or quasit granted by the Pact of the Chain), since the tethered creature doesn't cast the spell, it just comes from their space.
You're also forgetting that the tether itself is still visible. It would pretty much show a lease to an invisible dog like those toys they have at amusement parks and carnivals.
The entire subclass is absolute dogshyte. Utterly godawful on every possible level.
The thematics are hogwash; you could do a 'Noble Genie' with the Archfey block easily enough, or reflavor a Fiendlock as a luck-twisting genie boi.
The mechanics are just the worst thing I've seen in a long time. 'Collector's Vessel' is terrible; it's nothing but an excuse to have a magic lamp on your person, with the tethering ability having absolutely no connection to the idea of serving a greater elemental such as a Genie, nor to the popular lore surrounding wish-granting ******** or blue Robin Williamses. The tether thing doesn't tie into the patron for beans, and the abilities you gain for generating the tether don't even tie into the idea of chaining yourself and your buddy to this entity, even ephemerally.
The spell list is blugh. The other tether-based mechanics are worse blugh. The entire subclass is just an across-the-board failure on a level I'm not sure I've ever seen in UA before, and I was there for Revived Rogue. We've had some duds before, but wow. Whoever drew up this one should really feel bad about it.
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I'm going to have to agree with Yurei453. While I love the idea of a Genie patron, nothing about this execution makes sense to me. I would have much preferred for a wish granting mechanic for each subclass node where each one is more powerful than the average subclass perk but with a persuasion mechanic in place so it doesn't work automatically for the Warlock. Thus introducing some risk and reward. Only the 14th level item has some element of this but the effects seem weak.
A small thing in the grand scheme of the flaws with this subclass, but with how radical some of the UA's have been it seems like this subclass:
a] Really should have gotten all of those fringe spells (in the context of a caster with 2-3 slots who casts everything at level 5) as at least bonus known spells, if not outright bonus free castings ala the UA ranger.
b] 100% Should have had a feature adding Wish to the warlock spell list, for Mystic Arcanum selection, and potentially a range of other thematic spells in the level 6-9 range. Personally I'd have forgiven any amount of lower level bilge if the class had some kind of enhanced Wish payoff waiting at the end!
E.g. Collector’s Call
14th -level Noble Genie feature
In exchange for extending your patron’s influence over the multiverse, you can call on more of their power. By simply speaking your wish aloud, you can alter the very foundations of reality in accord with your desires. As an action, you can implore your patron for aid by nominating any spell of 6th level or lower and making a Charisma (Persuasion) check against your warlock spell save DC. If the check succeeds, you duplicate the effect of the chosen spell. You don't need to meet any requirements in that spell, including costly components. The spell simply takes effect.
Whether the check succeeds or fails, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Alternatively, you can regain the use of this feature by sacrificing non-magical treasure worth at least 500 gp to your patron. This sacrifice requires the treasure to be within 10 feet of you for at least 1 minute, at the end of which you use an action to teleport the treasure to your patron’s realm, provided you have the vessel of your Collector’s Vessel in hand.
From level 16 in this class you can nominate any spell of 7th level or lower, and from level 18 you can nominate any spell of 8th level or lower.
I really love the flavour of this subclass but think it really deserves better than what we got in this. They seem to want to make this a support class a la the Celestial but instead of healing it utilizes displacement, buffs, and debuffs... but doesn't really do any of them well in comparison to the other options we have as Warlocks. I really do hope they don't scrap this completely though because there ARE some pretty solid ideas in here it just needs to be more focused.
First of all, the spell list is atrocious. There are some solid picks in there, but do we really need another Phantasmal Force for a Warlock subclass? Also, a lot of these do not scale well at all with Warlock spell slots...How about we go with some things that both embody the whole Robin Williams in a bottle theme while also bringing in some of the elemental themes from Dungeons and Dragons Djinn:
1st Level: Absorb Elements (As you said, this is a no brainer for this class AND, if they do some work on Collector's Vessel, should work on your tethered friend as well), Fog Cloud (I get this one and, while it isn't very powerful, is flavourful when it comes to your patron/coming out of your Vessel)
2nd Level: Enlarge/Reduce (I actually really like this one here and it should stay), Spiritual Weapon (creating something out of nothing is what a genie is all about, and being able to summon a floating weapon to come to your aide is fitting to the theme as it gets. Especially since you can choose its appearance)
3rd Level: Protection from Energy (I don't particularly like this, since you already have an ability to do so, but it fits thematically and makes room for the second spell power-wise), Spirit Guardians (Swing it so that you are summoning creatures or beings from your Patron's Menagerie and you have both a powerful and thematic spell)
4th Level: Either keep Polymorph because it's fun, though we already have it as an invocations... I do think we have to get rid of Phantasmal Killer for either Elemental Bane (which keeps in line with the elemental/support flavouring of this spell list) or Conjure Minor Elemental (Don't need to describe this one, similar to Spirit Guardians you are throwing beings from your Patron's court at the enemy).
5th Level: Bigby's Hand (this MUST stay), and now... we can keep Creation because it is fitting in this or... Conjure Elemental (because why not, we already area leaning in on the elemental side of things).
The two Conjure spells might be a bit controversial because of their casting time BUT, it would force you to make difficult decisions and prepare before battle and would also work really well with Protective Wish if you tethered yourself to one of them instead of a teammate.
Collector's Vessel: Everything about this ability is flavourful and interesting...but for how long the description is you sure get... a whole lot of nothing. Being able to cast spells from the space of the person you are tethered to is cool but extremely situational and, while adding a + CHA to your Perception is always gonna be somewhat helpful it doesn't really fit with the idea of bonding yourself to another person using your Patron's elemental magics. I propose:
With these changes it actually feels like you are magically bound to the creature you choose instead of just... "this magic jump rope makes me see good". It also gives you a reason to attach yourself to different party members for different situations. Need better stealth? Snap a cord onto your rogue. Need help building a shelter from the rain? Your team's Ranger is looking mighty tempting. And still allows you to boost your Perception if you connect to someone who is proficient in it. Thematically this works as well, as you implore your Patron to give you a boost that you don't have but one of your friends does... a little friendly competition.
Elemental Resistance: This is a bit boring, but makes sense, given your patron.
Protective Wish: I kind of hate this. Not because it isn't useful but because it pigeon holes you into always being tethered to the team's tank OR so that you always have to have Armour of Agathys up and swap in for the damage (and then probably get pummelled to death). Now if you had Conjure Elemental on your spell list, tether to a Fire Elemental and allow shenanigans to ensue I could grow to love this as is OR we could explore another direction.
Is this a little boring? Sure, it is basically an anti luck point. But it does embody the idea of "wishing the outcome to go differently" and no longer forces you to tether yourself to whatever teammate would be the nastiest surprise for when that goblin over there hits you with it's stabbin stick.
Genie's Entertainment: I actually love this ability so much. Sure, it's just a glorified Banishment, but it works in this class so well. Having an enemy in there for what is effectively 10 turns though to get it back is a bit much...but whatever.
Collector's Call: Ah yes, the divisive capstone ability for the subclass. I am of two mind of this. For one, the abilities here are fairly useful and are reminiscent of some of the things the Wish spell can do, which is great. However, you have to beat your own spell casting DC to get these to happen and even if we do, the effects that we receive are more in line with a 5th level spell an should AT LEAST be closer to a 7th. The healing one is fine (though if you heal yourself or the person you are tethered to why not have it effect both of you), the one affecting an enemy should also affect their ability checks, and the legend lore... yeah I guess that makes sense. How you can bribe your patron to get the skill back, however, is a stroke of genius but why stop there? How about being able to bribe your patron as you cast this ability to increase the chances of it being successful?
Once again, I really hope this subclass goes onto secondary testing because it is so rich in flavour... it just needs a bit of a face lift... and maybe hit the gym for a bit, before it becomes worthy of an official release.
I love this idea so much, and fits so well with the concept of the subclass (way better than "heal a person, make it hard for an enemy to hit, or legend lore"). I would argue that, if you are casting a spell of 7th level or higher and it succeeds the cost of the non-magical treasure you sacrifice goes up. 500 gp for a wish spell is EXTREMELY low and I would see the balancing team over at Wizards freaking out about it.
Im thinking of a rogue-warlock multiclass to role play as Aladdin
Nice.
Had a similar idea...except it was basing it off the "Prince of Persia".
A Noble from Calimshan, finds a magic dagger (Pact of the Blade) gifted by a Noble Genie, and uses their natural Acrobatics and Stealth alongside their mystical talents to escape from a vizier that had betrayed his family.
Probably will select Swashbuckler Rogue for daring shenanigans and Charisma synergy.
The idea is, in exchange for wealth and treasure, the Noble Genie will bestow the Noble with power enough to reclaim his noble status.
Allow me to just copy this from the other thread. It's as relevant here as it was there.
AHEM:
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My Opinions on the spell selection:
Fog Cloud:
Makes sense, in some form, genies get this as innate spellcasting (Marid does, at least) and as spells go it is fairly "spectacular" which sort of leans into the whole genie thing. I don't hate this.
Sleep:
God this is trash. It doesn't really make sense for the genie, it's a bad spell unless you are fighting only incredibly low level mooks, and its just, its bad. I don't get the flavor ideas behind it, replace it with Chromatic Orb, a spell that requires a costly and fancy material component, and has an elemental flair to it.
Enlarge/Reduce:
I like it, there is a theme in a lot of these spells later of "world manipulation" where you change some fundemental aspect of the world around you (I assume to lean into the whole "wish mischief" aesthetic) and its also a good spell.
Phantasmal Force:
I am going to get some people disagreeing with me on this, but this spell absolutely makes sense here and should be here. I know, I know, but it fits in really well with the genie. You form an obstacle or creation in a creatures mind, anything you choose, and can have it attack the target, or do whatever. I am... fine with this here.
Create Food and Water:
I wish I liked this spell here. In a logical sense, I do, but it just feels... off? I don't know how to describe it. It makes sense for a "wish granter" archetype, but something about it being here, and it being this spell, feels weird to me. It's more a matter of personal issue, however.
Protection From Energy:
Makes sense? I guess? I do not feel strongly one way or the other on this one.
Phantasmal Killer:
I don't like this. Phantasmal Force at least has the whole "illusion to trick people into doing something", this just makes someone afraid. Yes, Dao can cast this spell, but it doesn't really feel right on this genie. Personally I would prefer Fabricate here.
Polymorph:
Hell yes. This is the wish mischief I was looking for. Yes there was an invocation that this makes meaningless, but that invocation was seriously bad, polymorph is a fine spell for warlock.
Bigby's Hand:
This feels... good. Not a perfect fit, but it works, and I kinda like the aesthetic.
Creation:
This spell belongs here, this is a perfect spell for this subclass.
Can you cast self targeting spells from another's space to buff the tethered ally? That changes the game if you can.
No. Self is Self. It always refers to the caster of the spell.
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Yurei has been on point the whole discussion.
If this is all we might see related to a new incarnation of Al-Qadim and the Sha'ir ... it needs to be mechanically and thematically right. I won't rehash what's been said too much but:
- need elemental spells, including offensive spells
- needs to settle on either spell fetching/spell list manipulation or elemental control (summoning, using, manipulating actual elementals)
- needs to have variants of the idea of a genie prision: genies that fight with you, that you call upon for aid when they are physically present, that could be at the other end of the "tether" if developers feel they need to hold onto that idea for some reason.
The versions from both Xanathar's guide to everything ELSE and Kobold Press' version from their Midgard materials are both weak - but soooo much closer to the mark than this half baked concept and collection of near useless mechanics.
I expect D and D to be the best so please, build on their ideas and give "arabia"/Al-Qadim it's due!
Oh ... and as I've said before on this forum:
Please stop making books for other, odd, tangential worlds/settings (Ravnica, AI, Rick and Morty) and focus on multi-purpose, environment-based modules and sourcebooks that are more easily used with any campaign and - help cover the breadth of story available in the Forgotten Realms or older DandD products.
i.e. Create the "desert of desolation" module, or an Al-Qadim module and when there's extra time, make a stranger things or Rick and Morty product to tap into a pop demographic and keep the coffers full.
Thanks for listening,
Urdu.