I’m in a campaign with a newer player who chose warlock. He designed it all wrong with a 19 Int and 14 Cha.
The DM said I could help him revamp. He is 5th level and as I read the class I’m not understanding the true strengths of this class.
For instance, he can cast only 2 spells per shirt rest, whether it’s a 1st level cast at third or a third level spell. It seems most other spell classes have the ability to cast many more spells at a time.
Anyone want to share with me what you like about warlock and what makes it strong and enjoyable?
Short answer: you are looking at the class wrong. It is not a caster class. Think of it as a magical archer who happens to get some really powerful spell effects.
You want Eldritch Blast in all its glory. Force damage that very few things resist, and with invocations to make it even more powerful. Warlock pacts to either give you martial combat ability, or the ability to be the best ritual caster in the game, or you have a badass familiar nobody else can get.
Top it off; the class is geared for you to be party Face. Max out your CHA and have fun. I play a warlock at our table and love the flexibility and flavor of the class. I think if you stop trying to make warlocks be a wizard, or sorcerer; you will find it is tons of fun.
Sometimes, I think of warlocks not as casters and more like archers who also have a few extra tricks they can pull off. Eldritch blast let you do solid damage, at range, with a damage type that is rarely resisted. At 5th level, he's getting two shots per round, and those number of attacks will keep going up at the same scale as the fighter. Then, you factor in the spells. Yes, they only get 2 per short rest. however, most combats only last 3-4 rounds, so they are not too likely to run out after one fight. And the more often they can convince the party to take a short rest, the more often those 2 spells refresh. Personally, though, I stick to mostly utility spells for my warlock, (invisibility, fly, suggestion) rather than attack spells. I do always have a couple attack spells ready to go, and ideally, I try to take ones that are concentration-based, so I can keep doing damage for multiple rounds with one cast (I've got a celestial warlock, and I'm getting a lot of mileage out of flaming sphere). And, I also make sure to take advantage of the default higher spell level, by only choosing spells that get better as they upcast.
Then, you start getting into invocations. Agonizing blast is more-or-less expected, and it nicely boosts damage from eldritch blast. If your game really leans into combat, look at more invocations that buff agonizing blast. Those can also be helpful for a new player, since many are passive always on buffs, so they don't need to worry about the resource management of it. Beyond that, there are a number of invocations that allow a warlock to cast a spell at will, or allow an extra spell 1/day, that kind of thing. For example, mask of many faces, letting you cast disguise self at will, coupled with a high cha (so likely a good deception and persuasion) makes you very good at infiltration/spy missions.
Finally, you get to feats. With a 19cha, he should absolutely take a 1/2 feat at level 4 to boost cha. Something like fey touched, shadow touched, or telekinetic. All of them round out that cha, and give you a couple more spells per day. They were practically tailor-made for warlocks.
What is their pact boon? that will make some big differences. On my celestial, I've gone with tome, so with an invocation I'm now able to cast ritual spells, filling a hole since we don't have a wizard, but now I can give us things like detect magic and tiny hut without spending a spell slot. So if the player is envisioning a caster, that might be the way to go, since it will potentially get them lots more spells. All out of combat, but lots of spells, s long as your DM includes scrolls, or places to buy them.
The strength of Warlocks lies in the fact they're a short rest based caster. Provided you have enough short rests (minimum two per adventure day) they have the highest number of "high level" (up to level 5) spell slots in the game. If you're playing a Fiend Warlock, which is my favorite after Hexblade and Celestial, that's a lot of fireballs.
They're also the magical equivalent of a martial character, using the combination of the Eldritch Blast cantrip with the Agonizing Blast invocation in order to replicate a fighter using a bow at range. Light armor proficiency means they can also take the Moderately Armored feat in order to bump up their AC.
With your Pact options you can choose to be the most flexible ritual caster in the game, Pact of the Tome with the Book of Ancient Secrets invocation, or have the best familiars in the game with Pact of the Chain, or an extremely competent dual fighter and mage with Pact of the Blade (generally best with Hexblade unless you're willing to sacrifice some of your charisma growth in order to maximize dexterity).
Also you have invocations, which offer you a range of options that can be cast "on demand" without using your spell slots.
If you want a "stereotypical" Warlock, set your player up with a Tiefling Fiend patron Pact of the Tome Warlock. Pick up Persuasion proficiency from the background, and take Deception from the Warlock's options. At level 2 take the Mask of Many Faces invocation which allows the character to cast Disguise Self on demand. They are now the perfect Face character.
Eldritch Blast and Agonizing Blast are the key to damage once he's expended his spell slots. The Hex is a decent option to bolster damage if he can spare the slot.
At level 5 I'd have the invocations, Agonizing Blast, Book of Ancient Secrets, and Mask of Many Faces.
Spell selection. Because Warlocks only have the maximum value slots they tend to choose spells based on utility value. For myself at level 5 where they have six spells up to level 3, I'd take Fireball and Counterspell, Misty Step and Invisibility, and Armor of Agathys and Hex. At level 4 you could take the Fey-Touched feat to get Misty Step and Hex from outside your spell list, and bump up your charisma, so pick another two useful spells. Fly is a good option.
With the three cantrips and two ritual spells you get with Pact of the Tome/Book of Ancient Secrets I'd take Detect Magic and Find Familiar for the ritual spells, and Guidance and another two cantrips from outside the Warlock options.
Thanks everyone. This made the class make more sense! Not sure why a brand. New player choose warlock but I think he can now have more fun with a slight rebuild and becoming more of a archer like figure.
customization through invocations. switching the ones you need as the story changes.
don't just think they're "magic martials". they get eldritch blast so that they are free to customize their character to be whatever they want as they go.
eldritch blast + a mental save cantrip wraps up your combat needs, then you can do nothing but knowledge, support, communication or utility if you want.
with the way slots work, warlock's actually easier for noobs to get into magic. switching to full casters can be weird but just to get into magic, pact slots are easier to manage.
Eldritch blast is their attack, like a bow or sword.
They will always be able to do decent damage as long as they have the Agonizing blast invocation and Hex up. Hex is important because it makes a very limited spell slot last a full hour. This is really important for dungeon dives or any time where there will be multiple fights between short rests. *At level 5 your hex will last through short rests, allowing you to have hex up AND get back your slots.
I always suggest that new players that want to go warlock choose tome pact and book of ancient secrets. This allows them to pick up 3 extra utility cantrips and rituals they can use all the time so they actually feel like a magical caster rather than something that only casts eldritch blast and burns out after only casting 2 spells.
This is what I suggest
Invocations: Agonizing blast, repelling blast, book of ancient secrets
Cantrips: Eldrich blast Guidance Prestidigitation Mage hand minor illusion
Rituals: Find familiar What ever others don't have, especially if that is detect magic.
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I’m in a campaign with a newer player who chose warlock. He designed it all wrong with a 19 Int and 14 Cha.
The DM said I could help him revamp. He is 5th level and as I read the class I’m not understanding the true strengths of this class.
For instance, he can cast only 2 spells per shirt rest, whether it’s a 1st level cast at third or a third level spell. It seems most other spell classes have the ability to cast many more spells at a time.
Anyone want to share with me what you like about warlock and what makes it strong and enjoyable?
Short answer: you are looking at the class wrong. It is not a caster class. Think of it as a magical archer who happens to get some really powerful spell effects.
You want Eldritch Blast in all its glory. Force damage that very few things resist, and with invocations to make it even more powerful. Warlock pacts to either give you martial combat ability, or the ability to be the best ritual caster in the game, or you have a badass familiar nobody else can get.
Top it off; the class is geared for you to be party Face. Max out your CHA and have fun. I play a warlock at our table and love the flexibility and flavor of the class. I think if you stop trying to make warlocks be a wizard, or sorcerer; you will find it is tons of fun.
Sometimes, I think of warlocks not as casters and more like archers who also have a few extra tricks they can pull off. Eldritch blast let you do solid damage, at range, with a damage type that is rarely resisted. At 5th level, he's getting two shots per round, and those number of attacks will keep going up at the same scale as the fighter. Then, you factor in the spells. Yes, they only get 2 per short rest. however, most combats only last 3-4 rounds, so they are not too likely to run out after one fight. And the more often they can convince the party to take a short rest, the more often those 2 spells refresh. Personally, though, I stick to mostly utility spells for my warlock, (invisibility, fly, suggestion) rather than attack spells. I do always have a couple attack spells ready to go, and ideally, I try to take ones that are concentration-based, so I can keep doing damage for multiple rounds with one cast (I've got a celestial warlock, and I'm getting a lot of mileage out of flaming sphere). And, I also make sure to take advantage of the default higher spell level, by only choosing spells that get better as they upcast.
Then, you start getting into invocations. Agonizing blast is more-or-less expected, and it nicely boosts damage from eldritch blast. If your game really leans into combat, look at more invocations that buff agonizing blast. Those can also be helpful for a new player, since many are passive always on buffs, so they don't need to worry about the resource management of it. Beyond that, there are a number of invocations that allow a warlock to cast a spell at will, or allow an extra spell 1/day, that kind of thing. For example, mask of many faces, letting you cast disguise self at will, coupled with a high cha (so likely a good deception and persuasion) makes you very good at infiltration/spy missions.
Finally, you get to feats. With a 19cha, he should absolutely take a 1/2 feat at level 4 to boost cha. Something like fey touched, shadow touched, or telekinetic. All of them round out that cha, and give you a couple more spells per day. They were practically tailor-made for warlocks.
What is their pact boon? that will make some big differences. On my celestial, I've gone with tome, so with an invocation I'm now able to cast ritual spells, filling a hole since we don't have a wizard, but now I can give us things like detect magic and tiny hut without spending a spell slot. So if the player is envisioning a caster, that might be the way to go, since it will potentially get them lots more spells. All out of combat, but lots of spells, s long as your DM includes scrolls, or places to buy them.
i think especially for a new player Warlocks are a lot of work to create if you dont know what your doing
i like genie with pact of the tome
gives you all the rituals, extra damage, and you can fly a few times a day
The strength of Warlocks lies in the fact they're a short rest based caster. Provided you have enough short rests (minimum two per adventure day) they have the highest number of "high level" (up to level 5) spell slots in the game. If you're playing a Fiend Warlock, which is my favorite after Hexblade and Celestial, that's a lot of fireballs.
They're also the magical equivalent of a martial character, using the combination of the Eldritch Blast cantrip with the Agonizing Blast invocation in order to replicate a fighter using a bow at range. Light armor proficiency means they can also take the Moderately Armored feat in order to bump up their AC.
With your Pact options you can choose to be the most flexible ritual caster in the game, Pact of the Tome with the Book of Ancient Secrets invocation, or have the best familiars in the game with Pact of the Chain, or an extremely competent dual fighter and mage with Pact of the Blade (generally best with Hexblade unless you're willing to sacrifice some of your charisma growth in order to maximize dexterity).
Also you have invocations, which offer you a range of options that can be cast "on demand" without using your spell slots.
If you want a "stereotypical" Warlock, set your player up with a Tiefling Fiend patron Pact of the Tome Warlock. Pick up Persuasion proficiency from the background, and take Deception from the Warlock's options. At level 2 take the Mask of Many Faces invocation which allows the character to cast Disguise Self on demand. They are now the perfect Face character.
Eldritch Blast and Agonizing Blast are the key to damage once he's expended his spell slots. The Hex is a decent option to bolster damage if he can spare the slot.
At level 5 I'd have the invocations, Agonizing Blast, Book of Ancient Secrets, and Mask of Many Faces.
Spell selection. Because Warlocks only have the maximum value slots they tend to choose spells based on utility value. For myself at level 5 where they have six spells up to level 3, I'd take Fireball and Counterspell, Misty Step and Invisibility, and Armor of Agathys and Hex. At level 4 you could take the Fey-Touched feat to get Misty Step and Hex from outside your spell list, and bump up your charisma, so pick another two useful spells. Fly is a good option.
With the three cantrips and two ritual spells you get with Pact of the Tome/Book of Ancient Secrets I'd take Detect Magic and Find Familiar for the ritual spells, and Guidance and another two cantrips from outside the Warlock options.
Thanks everyone. This made the class make more sense! Not sure why a brand. New player choose warlock but I think he can now have more fun with a slight rebuild and becoming more of a archer like figure.
Ty, this makes sense.
customization through invocations. switching the ones you need as the story changes.
don't just think they're "magic martials". they get eldritch blast so that they are free to customize their character to be whatever they want as they go.
eldritch blast + a mental save cantrip wraps up your combat needs, then you can do nothing but knowledge, support, communication or utility if you want.
with the way slots work, warlock's actually easier for noobs to get into magic. switching to full casters can be weird but just to get into magic, pact slots are easier to manage.
Eldritch blast is their attack, like a bow or sword.
They will always be able to do decent damage as long as they have the Agonizing blast invocation and Hex up.
Hex is important because it makes a very limited spell slot last a full hour. This is really important for dungeon dives or any time where there will be multiple fights between short rests.
*At level 5 your hex will last through short rests, allowing you to have hex up AND get back your slots.
I always suggest that new players that want to go warlock choose tome pact and book of ancient secrets. This allows them to pick up 3 extra utility cantrips and rituals
they can use all the time so they actually feel like a magical caster rather than something that only casts eldritch blast and burns out after only casting 2 spells.
This is what I suggest
Invocations:
Agonizing blast, repelling blast, book of ancient secrets
Cantrips:
Eldrich blast
Guidance
Prestidigitation
Mage hand
minor illusion
Rituals:
Find familiar
What ever others don't have, especially if that is detect magic.