I've been chatting to friends about warlocks, and had some more thoughts I want to share. Not all are my own.
One thing worth saying is that while it's easy to bundle it in with other spellcasters, I think the warlock is a very special case. To recall themes from my own stuff, it's a bit of a White Wolf case. The class has a quite generic and recognisable name that draws on some real-world tropes; it has a skin that looks familiar and tropey, in the form of "you made a pact with a terrible occult being for Great Magical Power"; but when you get down to it, it's actually a very specific concept that doesn't necessarily relate strongly to either name or skin.
This makes it quite different from the other 5e classes we've seen. Most classes can take in a range of archetypes. The paladin is explicitly a very narrow concept that's arguably one fighter archetype under a magnifying glass - but it acknowledges and owns that specificity.
In many ways the warlock is actually most similar to the rogue, of all things.
- Both seem superficially like broad concepts, but are pointed very firmly in one direction by non-optional mechanics.
- Both have a mechanic that grants bonus damage in certain situations, creating obviously optimal and non-optimal tactics.
- Both are lightly-armoured classes able to deal large amounts of damage to single targets.
You can decide to build a rogue that focuses on stealth or criminality rather than stabbing people in the back, but there is little reason to do so. Sneak attack damage is free (or rather, hardcoded) and you aren't trading it off against some other possible benefit. While earlier Thief classes were a bit broader, the modern rogue is essentially built around sneak attack as its core mechanic. It's like building a wizard who doesn't really cast spells. You could, but why?
Similarly, the warlock is clearly intended to be a damage-dealing arcane class which focuses heavily on using hex and eldritch blast. It is possible to do other things, but you rapidly approach the point where it's not clear why you're bothering to use a warlock at all.
Now, I personally feel like the warlock is a bit too specific and a bit too underserved by the existing rules, so I'm just going to propose some hypothetical changes you could make to tweak the way it works.
Tangent on spellcasters
Given completely free rein, I'd probably make more drastic changes, in particular because the sorcerer and warlock are both a bit odd.
Sorcerers would be firmly about metamagic. They'd know significantly more metamagic tricks than they do currently, and I'd have level thresholds to access more complex tricks. I'd aim to make it so that burning spells for metamagic points was a painful but regular tactic - fewer spells but warped to your needs would be a sensible tradeoff. They should absolutely be able to do some of the old, now-missing tricks like shaping spell areas (which evokers can already do), or altering energy type. I'd also definitely want to have a minimum of three subclasses. Partly because everyone else does, partly because it looks mildly contemptuous next to the wizard (and I really couldn't justify dumping any wizard schools), and partly because I think the chaos sorcerer in this incarnation is sufficiently Marmite that it's not even an acceptable second. Most tables, I suspect, will either think the chaos sorcerer is not really suitable to play, or won't understand why anyone would play a dragon sorcerer.
Warlocks, meanwhile, might not even get spell slots. I'd run with the idea that they get supernatural power, rather than magic spells. They'd have a set of minor but always-on abilities (along the lines of the Rune Keeper and darkvision abilities) with a small number of more potent abilities, with the aim of letting warlocks choose from several niches. I might try to set up at least one rival to hex that works in a similar way, but not as damage.
Tweaking warlocks
So my tweak proposal is that you nerf eldritch blast.
Wait, come back!
The problems I have are:
- eldritch blast is too good not to take, it's genuinely the best cantrip out there, to the point where other classes seek ways to nick it via feats and class dips
- hex is literally designed to work off eldritch blast, so the pair becomes a must-have for a warlock that's even averagely effective.
- The existence of an invocation that adds to damage from each hit from eldritch blast reinforces this further.
- This combination makes for a somewhat boring set of options: take the obvious optimal choice, or don't. The fact that there isn't another damage cantrip (other than poison spray, which we can safely ignore) makes this even worse.
- Despite being powerful, eldritch blast is a bit boring
What I propose is to nerf the default eldritch blast, while increasing the number and range of options for enhancing it. This would allow the class to remain focused around this one cantrip (since that seems to be compulsory), while allowing more scope for variant warlocks. Incidentally, it would also negate the problems people are reporting with having one overpowered cantrip out there, which has been a cause of much discussion and several Q&A with the designers.
So, here's the new eldritch blast: it's exactly like the existing one, except that it doesn't scale. At all. You're welcome.
Next, we reinstate an old idea, which is the Lesser and Greater Invocations. Lesser Invocations are defined here as invocations that do stuff to your eldritch blast. Greater Invocations are everything else. You will now get a free Lesser Invocation at 5th, 11th and 17th level.
Given a more thorough overhaul, I'd probably want to peruse the existing list and turn some of the weaker invocations into Lessers. Things like speaking with animals, reading all writing, maybe detect magic, maybe the jump thing. But I'm not doing that now; this would be part of a bigger change involving probably more invocation slots just for Lessers.
Lesser Invocations
Twin Blast: when you use eldritch blast, you create a second beam. You can direct the beams at the same target or at different ones. Make a separate attack roll for each beam. Prerequisite: 5th level in this class.
Triple Blast: when you use eldritch blast, you create a third beam. You can direct the beams at the same target or at different ones. Make a separate attack roll for each beam. Prerequisite: 11th level in this class and twin blast.
Eldritch Volley: you create a fourth beam. You can direct the beams at the same target or at different ones. Make a separate attack roll for each beam. Prerequisite: 17th level in this class and triple blast.
Eldritch Spear: when you use eldritch blast, the range of the beams is 300 feet.
Agonizing Blast: when you cast eldritch blast, add your Charisma modifier to the damage it deals on a hit.
Repelling Blast: when you hit a creature with the eldritch blast cantrip, you can push the target up to 10 feet away in a straight line.
Unbalancing Blast: when you use the eldritch blast cantrip, the target must roll a Dexterity save against your spellcasting ability DC or fall prone.
Luring Blast: when you hit a creature with the eldritch blast cantrip, you can pull the target up to 10 feet towards you in a straight line.
Erupting Blast: when you use the eldritch blast cantrip you can trigger this ability. You produce a single beam, which explodes as a sphere with a 5ft. radius. Each creature in the blast must make a Dexterity saving throw to avoid damage.
Sweeping Blast: when you use the eldritch blast cantrip you can trigger this ability. Instead of beams, the blast becomes a 15ft. cone with a range of Self. Each creature in the blast must make a Dexterity saving throw to avoid damage.
Vampiric Blast: once per round, when you damage a creature with the eldritch blast cantrip, you gain temporary hit points equal to half your Charisma bonus, rounded up (minimum 1).
Occluding Blast: when you hit a creature with the eldritch blast cantrip, you befuddle their senses, gaining half cover against the target until the start of your next round.
A warlock can take the simple option and just grab the twin/triple/volley tree; this warlock will also probably want Agonizing because they're essentially going for damage.
You could instead aim for a more controllery build, and go for Repelling, Unbalancing, Luring and (I'd suggest) Erupting. Shoving several creatures, or knocking them prone, or dragging them into a zone, are nice.
A more defensive warlock would take Vampiric to keep their hit points up a bit, Occluding to make them harder to hit, and I'd suggest Sweeping and Repelling blast to get people away from you.
A combaty, in-your-face warlock might actually choose Sweeping, Agonizing, Unbalancing and Occluding. They can dash into combat, blast people with magic and maybe knock them over, and the AC boost helps them survive.
The Vampiric and Agonising versions are quite thematic for fiend and Great Old One pacts. Occluding is quite thematic for Great Old Ones and fey.
Alternate Hexes
The eldritch blast tweaks would be my main suggestion. The other thing I'm tempted to suggest is some rivals to hex. The problem here is that bonus damage is extremely simple, universal, and has basically no knock-on effects. Anything else becomes problematic.
Here's an example, for argument's sake.
Beguiling Hex
1st-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range:Self
Components: V, S, M (the petrified eye of a newt)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You place a curse on a creature that you can see within range. Until the spell ends, you can spend a bonus action on your turn to affect it as though with charm person. The Wisdom saving throw applies as normal.
If the target drops to 0 hit points before this spell ends, you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn of yours to curse a new creature.
A remove curse cast on the target ends this spell early.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd or 4th level, you can maintain your concentration on the spell for up to 8 hours. When you use a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can maintain your concentration on the spell for up to 24 hours.
So here's the problems with this.
First off, it's fiddlier. Adding bonus damage is a straightforward number (rules-lawyering aside). Charming someone requires an implementation. I used charm person as a shortcut, then had to try and decide how to word it so that nobody would assume you needed to know the spell to use it, or expend a spell slot, or whether this added charm person to your known spells, or... you get the idea.
Secondly, it's limited. Damage affects everything. Many things are immune to charm person (all non-humanoids), and a very large number can't be charmed at all. You can't use this ability on undead, it's weak against elves, etc.
Thirdly, it's weirdly more powerful than just some damage, which means it needs to be more limited. There's no saving throw for hex, but charming targets requires a saving throw, which adds complexity. Even so, I'm concerned about its potential power - charm at will is potent. But reducing its use would just make it even more limited. It would be amazing in the situations where it's usable and works out, and entirely 100% worthless elsewhere.
There are other things you can do, but I can't think of anything at all that's as all-round usable and as straightforward as extra damage. Advantage and disadvantage are quite powerful, and interact with other mechanics in complex ways - I'm concerned that these might disproportionately affect more powerful creatures. You can lock them down by limiting them to (dis)advantage only with respect to the warlock, but that brings its own problems: if the creature isn't attacking the warlock it's pointless. Again, bonus damage is just always beneficial. There is no situation in which it does not help the entire party.
It's a shame, because I'd hoped to come up with three patron-thematic hexes that would offer more choice, but I'm not sure it's doable. I'm going to try a couple just for experiment's sake.
Beguiling Hex
1st-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range:Self
Components: V, S, M (the petrified eye of a newt)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You place a curse on a creature that you can see within range. Until the spell ends, the target suffers disadvantage on attack rolls against you and your allies. Whenever you or your allies do anything harmful to the target, this effect is suppressed until the end of its next turn. Also choose one ability when you cast the spell. The target has disadvantage on ability checks made with the chosen ability.
If the target drops to 0 hit points before this spell ends, you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn of yours to curse a new creature.
A remove curse cast on the target ends this spell early.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd or 4th level, you can maintain your concentration on the spell for up to 8 hours. When you use a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can maintain your concentration on the spell for up to 24 hours.
So this version:
- Creates a simple effect
- Benefits the entire party
- Doesn't completely nerf a creature - as soon as anyone's doing anything negative towards it, the effect is suppressed.
It's a bit weaker than hex if we assume the creature's going to be targeted - significantly worse against a single powerful target, certainly. On the upside, it's useful against a creature that isn't being targeted, whereas an unfortunate choice of hex target can mean never reaping the benefits. What this is good for really is hampering one enemy while you focus on others, which is precisely the point of it. Note that one advantage of this is helping you escape, both in terms of opportunity attacks and just running away from archers or whatever.
Weakening Hex
1st-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range:Self
Components: V, S, M (the petrified eye of a newt)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You place a curse on a creature that you can see within range. Until the spell ends, whenever the target would deal damage, the damage is reduced by 1d6. Also choose one ability when you cast the spell. The target has disadvantage on ability checks made with the chosen ability.
If the target drops to 0 hit points before this spell ends, you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn of yours to curse a new creature.
A remove curse cast on the target ends this spell early.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd or 4th level, you can maintain your concentration on the spell for up to 8 hours. When you use a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can maintain your concentration on the spell for up to 24 hours.
So this hex:
- Creates a simple effect
- Benefits the entire party
- Doesn't shut down what a creature can do, only reduce its effectiveness.
This one is flexible; it can be usefully targeted on a creature you're fighting to minimise its ability to hurt you back, but it could also be good to drop it on a spellcaster or something else that's likely to target multiple party members, as this will maximise the amount of damage it soaks up. So sometimes you might be switching it rapidly from target to target, at other times it'll just sit on a heavy hitter. Like beguiling hex, it can help you escape when you're vulnerable by cutting down the damage you'll take.
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