The long and short of this is that I want to make a Warlock and I need help with the type of race to utilize. I want to make an "Orc" Warlock (Of Great Old One) But, there are Way too many to choose from... Orc of Exandria, Goliath, Orc (Volo's Guide), & Orc of Ebberon. So I ask, which one is best for the small plan I had in mind?
I don't have access to the orc of exandria, but of the other two, I'd pick the orc of Eberron. None of them get a bonus to charisma, but the volo's gets a -2 int, and the Eberron one does not.
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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 half orc above is great. If you want to go full orc, and you're in Faerun, you might go Gray Orc, or even crazier, Ondonti. Ondonti are a normally peaceful near-orc race, very magical, many of whom we enslaved. I could see a great background story about a freedom-fighting orc who made a pact with a Great old one to "Let his people go!" (Yes, I blatantly stole from Exodus.)
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May the gentle moonlinght guide you to greater wisdom
It' not so much the 1/2 orc of ebberon, its the Dragonmark house of finding. That particular variant means at least one parent was a member of the House of Finding and you inherited the Dragonmark of Finding.
Explaining Dragonmarks will take a LOT more effort than appropriate for just this one post. But the heart of it is, each mark is really a separate race that just LOOKS like the base race. In fact, a Human with the Dragonmark of Finding has identical abilities as an Half Orc with the Mark of Finding.
They get different stats, abiltiies, etc. Anyone with a mark of Finding gets a bonus to wisdom and con, darkvision, a bonus to perception and survival checks, 1/day access to Hunter's Mark (the ranger spell) and Locate Object, and an addition to your spell list of Faerie Fire, Long Strider, and 7 other divination/communication spells.
Orc of Exandria and Orc of Eberron are identical. Explorer's Guide to Wildemount reprinted the Eberron block because its orcs are not slavering monster beasts but instead just a different kind of people, much like Eberron. Ignore the Volo's Guide orc, it's awful and 100% entirely outclassed by the Orc of Eberron/Exandria.
None of these have any synergy with the warlock class. Your choice boils down more to what else you want to do and what your character is supposed to be. Orc of Eberron grants you two bonus skill proficiencies in skills that tend towards the shaman-y, which is probably the best you're going to get. A wise man-type character with a hearty breadth of knowledge making up for his less-optimized combat abilities. Beyond that, this is a roleplaying combo, not a Power Combo. Make the character you want to play and enjoy it.
Thank you... that helps a lot... Thank you all... (If I am being honest, I like to base my characters on already existing ones, and this is no different, so sorry if I am hard to deal with...) I am going to have an Orc of Ebberon Warlock (The Great Old One), the rest I can do, but spells... Can you assist me with those?
That would depend on what kind of role you see yourself taking on? You said shaman, but that typically is something many of us would associate with clerics and less so with Warlocks. Doesn't really matter, it's interesting as it is. So... What do you foresee yourself doing as an individual and as a party member?
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May the gentle moonlinght guide you to greater wisdom
I mean shaman, like those help people in combat, helping others to take less damage, and deal more damage... but in return, can't fend for myself much... A backline supporter is the best way I can descibe it...
I mean shaman, like those help people in combat, helping others to take less damage, and deal more damage... but in return, can't fend for myself much... A backline supporter is the best way I can descibe it...
So you're a buffs distribution specialist / supportlock. Cool. You've got one of the best support & damage spells with dissonant whispers, and gives you the added bonus of scaring the crap out of your target.
If you're gonna be an orc, and not overly inclined towards combat, you'll want Invocations mask of many faces or Misty visions. You may want repelling blast or grasp of Hadar for combat area board control.
Spells include armor of Agathys (prevents squishing), protection from evil and good is always a solid choice early on.
You'll have to overcome a lot and really work to get your charisma up, so you may have to take feats that raise that, along with your attribute increases. You've given yourself a very interesting challenge. What do others think?
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May the gentle moonlinght guide you to greater wisdom
They think it cannot be done, as most people think orcs are "Me Smash Enemy" and *Insert a Lot of Yelling, as they are pounding the crap out of the enemy*, but I wanted a different approach to the "Not Caring for Others" Orc Stereotypes... I've tried the support role with a Kalashtar Cleric once, but it didn't last long... I joined the table, then was left to die when the situation got too dire (We were fighting a witch, and they just had to Fire Bolt or something, me for the 8th time, while I was healing someone...)
As for your suggestions,
1. Why would I take the Mask of Many Faces? (It seems pointless/redundant to me...)
2. I don't think it's possible to take Shocking Grasp as a Warlock (I would need to overlay into Wizard or Sorceror... which I don't want to... (I don't use Artificer's))
3. How is "Protection from Good and Evil" a Good spell early on?
About 1/3 of my Warlocks take Mask of Many Faces, especially if they're of a race (Kobold, Warforged, Orc, etc.) that many demi-humans naturally distrust. My Kobold will also take the Actor feat to make his appearance as an Assling more convincing. No real benefit to min/max characters, but lots of fun for story and roleplaying.
About 1/3 of my Warlocks take Mask of Many Faces, especially if they're of a race (Kobold, Warforged, Orc, etc.) that many demi-humans naturally distrust. My Kobold will also take the Actor feat to make his appearance as an Assling more convincing. No real benefit to min/max characters, but lots of fun for story and roleplaying.
2. I don't think it's possible to take Shocking Grasp as a Warlock (I would need to overlay into Wizard or Sorceror... which I don't want to... (I don't use Artificer's))
3. How is "Protection from Good and Evil" a Good spell early on?
It's very possible to take Shocking Grasp as a warlock. You just need to be a Pact of the Tome warlock to do it. Then, however, you can have any dang cantrip you like.
Prot from G&E is extremely awesome in the quite narrow situations in which it applies. Those situations don't tend to crop up until Tier 2 at least, however.
In our first few weeks, we faced skeletons and a Nothic. Protection from G&E is extremely useful even early on. They can absolutely be super useful in buffing you're best individual PC against any one type of creature. Let's say your life cleric is really really useful against those skeletons as they turn them away. So the skeletons go after them as threat response. You've just buffed your best weapon. Or how about the squishy caster who's got a nifty spell that takes care of the Nothic? Boom, helpful. You said buff distribution is your focus, after all.
As mentioned earlier, mask of many faces is so useful for PCs facing natural racial distrust, such as your orc. You have to think about the whole context of your character. You're no going for MAD, min/max or similar. You're playing a corner case, unique character. That's great, but you're going to have a lot to overcome - possibly even within your party.
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May the gentle moonlinght guide you to greater wisdom
It's very possible to take Shocking Grasp as a warlock. You just need to be a Pact of the Tome warlock to do it. Then, however, you can have any dang cantrip you like.
Prot from G&E is extremely awesome in the quite narrow situations in which it applies. Those situations don't tend to crop up until Tier 2 at least, however.
You can also get it from the Izzet Engineer background if you do not wish to MC.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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
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Hello D&D Beyond,
The long and short of this is that I want to make a Warlock and I need help with the type of race to utilize. I want to make an "Orc" Warlock (Of Great Old One) But, there are Way too many to choose from... Orc of Exandria, Goliath, Orc (Volo's Guide), & Orc of Ebberon. So I ask, which one is best for the small plan I had in mind?
Thanks, ApplePieNation
I don't have access to the orc of exandria, but of the other two, I'd pick the orc of Eberron. None of them get a bonus to charisma, but the volo's gets a -2 int, and the Eberron one does not.
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
No Orc has a Charisma bonus. They are repulsive.
But the Half-Orc of Ebberon can get a Mark of Finding, which adds extra spells to your spell list, including Faerie Fire.
That is the only Orcish thing I know of that has anything a Warlock desires.
The half orc above is great. If you want to go full orc, and you're in Faerun, you might go Gray Orc, or even crazier, Ondonti. Ondonti are a normally peaceful near-orc race, very magical, many of whom we enslaved. I could see a great background story about a freedom-fighting orc who made a pact with a Great old one to "Let his people go!" (Yes, I blatantly stole from Exodus.)
May the gentle moonlinght guide you to greater wisdom
What is the difference between the Half-Orc of Eberron and the Orc of Ebberon? (Don't have the Book yet... :( )
(Also that's not what I wanted @Halvor_TheWeird, I meant to go for more of an orc Shaman, thus the Warlock...)
It' not so much the 1/2 orc of ebberon, its the Dragonmark house of finding. That particular variant means at least one parent was a member of the House of Finding and you inherited the Dragonmark of Finding.
Explaining Dragonmarks will take a LOT more effort than appropriate for just this one post. But the heart of it is, each mark is really a separate race that just LOOKS like the base race. In fact, a Human with the Dragonmark of Finding has identical abilities as an Half Orc with the Mark of Finding.
They get different stats, abiltiies, etc.
Anyone with a mark of Finding gets a bonus to wisdom and con, darkvision, a bonus to perception and survival checks, 1/day access to Hunter's Mark (the ranger spell) and Locate Object, and an addition to your spell list of Faerie Fire, Long Strider, and 7 other divination/communication spells.
Orc of Exandria and Orc of Eberron are identical. Explorer's Guide to Wildemount reprinted the Eberron block because its orcs are not slavering monster beasts but instead just a different kind of people, much like Eberron. Ignore the Volo's Guide orc, it's awful and 100% entirely outclassed by the Orc of Eberron/Exandria.
None of these have any synergy with the warlock class. Your choice boils down more to what else you want to do and what your character is supposed to be. Orc of Eberron grants you two bonus skill proficiencies in skills that tend towards the shaman-y, which is probably the best you're going to get. A wise man-type character with a hearty breadth of knowledge making up for his less-optimized combat abilities. Beyond that, this is a roleplaying combo, not a Power Combo. Make the character you want to play and enjoy it.
Please do not contact or message me.
I would recommend Half Orc as their features will mesh better for a Warlock.
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Thank you... that helps a lot... Thank you all... (If I am being honest, I like to base my characters on already existing ones, and this is no different, so sorry if I am hard to deal with...) I am going to have an Orc of Ebberon Warlock (The Great Old One), the rest I can do, but spells... Can you assist me with those?
That would depend on what kind of role you see yourself taking on? You said shaman, but that typically is something many of us would associate with clerics and less so with Warlocks. Doesn't really matter, it's interesting as it is. So... What do you foresee yourself doing as an individual and as a party member?
May the gentle moonlinght guide you to greater wisdom
I mean shaman, like those help people in combat, helping others to take less damage, and deal more damage... but in return, can't fend for myself much... A backline supporter is the best way I can descibe it...
So you're a buffs distribution specialist / supportlock. Cool. You've got one of the best support & damage spells with dissonant whispers, and gives you the added bonus of scaring the crap out of your target.
If you're gonna be an orc, and not overly inclined towards combat, you'll want Invocations mask of many faces or Misty visions. You may want repelling blast or grasp of Hadar for combat area board control.
Spells include armor of Agathys (prevents squishing), protection from evil and good is always a solid choice early on.
You'll have to overcome a lot and really work to get your charisma up, so you may have to take feats that raise that, along with your attribute increases. You've given yourself a very interesting challenge. What do others think?
May the gentle moonlinght guide you to greater wisdom
They think it cannot be done, as most people think orcs are "Me Smash Enemy" and *Insert a Lot of Yelling, as they are pounding the crap out of the enemy*, but I wanted a different approach to the "Not Caring for Others" Orc Stereotypes... I've tried the support role with a Kalashtar Cleric once, but it didn't last long... I joined the table, then was left to die when the situation got too dire (We were fighting a witch, and they just had to Fire Bolt or something, me for the 8th time, while I was healing someone...)
As for your suggestions,
1. Why would I take the Mask of Many Faces? (It seems pointless/redundant to me...)
2. I don't think it's possible to take Shocking Grasp as a Warlock (I would need to overlay into Wizard or Sorceror... which I don't want to... (I don't use Artificer's))
3. How is "Protection from Good and Evil" a Good spell early on?
And as for the note of how I will need to get my Charisma up higher, my Charisma is going to be 15 from the beginning, (and after grabbing the Durable feat at Lvl. 4) I will raise the stats, +1 to Chr & Wis, +4 to Charisma... So that way, my Charisma will be hard to hurt and best to help others!! (If you were wondering, the stat sheet would look like this: http://chicken-dinner.com/5e/5e-point-buy.html#orc&eberronorc&8&12&14&10&13&15&0&0&27&15&8&19&15&12&9&7&5&4&3&2&1&0&1&2&4&6&9&4&4&4&4&4&4)
About 1/3 of my Warlocks take Mask of Many Faces, especially if they're of a race (Kobold, Warforged, Orc, etc.) that many demi-humans naturally distrust. My Kobold will also take the Actor feat to make his appearance as an Assling more convincing. No real benefit to min/max characters, but lots of fun for story and roleplaying.
An Assling?!?
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What about these other two questions?
A Sorcerer dip is not bad for a Warlock, but if you don’t want to then don’t.
Protection From Good and Evil is rarely useful early game IMHO.
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It's very possible to take Shocking Grasp as a warlock. You just need to be a Pact of the Tome warlock to do it. Then, however, you can have any dang cantrip you like.
Prot from G&E is extremely awesome in the quite narrow situations in which it applies. Those situations don't tend to crop up until Tier 2 at least, however.
Please do not contact or message me.
In our first few weeks, we faced skeletons and a Nothic. Protection from G&E is extremely useful even early on. They can absolutely be super useful in buffing you're best individual PC against any one type of creature. Let's say your life cleric is really really useful against those skeletons as they turn them away. So the skeletons go after them as threat response. You've just buffed your best weapon. Or how about the squishy caster who's got a nifty spell that takes care of the Nothic? Boom, helpful. You said buff distribution is your focus, after all.
As mentioned earlier, mask of many faces is so useful for PCs facing natural racial distrust, such as your orc. You have to think about the whole context of your character. You're no going for MAD, min/max or similar. You're playing a corner case, unique character. That's great, but you're going to have a lot to overcome - possibly even within your party.
May the gentle moonlinght guide you to greater wisdom
You can also get it from the Izzet Engineer background if you do not wish to MC.
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