Warlocks: Classes in 5e Dungeons & Dragons - Web DM

[@WebDM]

Thanks for watching! Want more Web DM in your life? Get our podcast here: www.patreon.com/webdm

[@alexreid6224]

you should make a psionicist class video

[@VenomWabbit]

To your point about eldritch blast spam, I agree. What has helped me and my players is to refluff eldritch blast as more than just a beam of energy that fits with their character concept. For one player that meant that for him his eldritch blast manifested as a sort of spectral bow that would fire arrows. So now he's just able to shoot multiple magic arrows each turn. Another player wanted to "throw cards" as their eldritch blast. This has helped it feel much less bland.

[@megatroymega]

VenomWabbit I do this for most player's spells and cantrips. The other DMs that play in my game do it too now. My fiend patron warlock shot flaming skulls as Eldritch Blast. My archfey patron of Mab shots dark gust of slicing wind. I had a light cleric cast blight and they described it like ultraviolet light I thought it was awesome. Another character that is a pirate druid flings spells from his cutlass like frostbite. A shadow sorcerer with web spell made of ephemeral shadow strainds. As long as it doesn't effect mechanics I let them describe it however they want.

[@JimCullen]

What makes EB much more interesting to me is some of the things you can do with it other than _just_ dealing damage. Repelling Blast, for example, can make the warlock pretty damn good at battlefield control, but it means the warlock needs to think about where they're positioned in relation to their target, and that adds a whole new layer to the thing.

[@Tectonix26]

Lol as a fellow card-throwing, eldritch-blasting rogue I can agree that it certainly helps assist the spam when you describe the sepcifics of the cast as you would an attack: "I slash with my longsword, aiming across his chest diagonally" - "I conjure the spell between my caged fingers and lash my rist out under-arm and hurtle a streaking bolt of energy outwards" or "I conure a fan of three spectral, blue cards and release them as I throw my hand out in a horizontal arc across my chest"

[@shallendor]

Customizing spell descriptions is great, if your dm allows it. My orc necromancer's magic missiles are chewing skulls, my halfling diviner's magic missiles were cards and my elf GOO warlock spy's magic missile was the Doctor Who timestream. In our Pathfinder game, all of our warlocks spells were tinged with a purplish black.

[@ninshjok]

Good and easy to use idea! Had me thinking of LOL also XD

[@eoincampbell1584]

In my experience the warlock benefits deeply from the DM taking liberties. For example in the campaign I currently run someone really wanted a talking cat, so I helped them create a warlock gaining power from a devil trapped as a cat. The player picked the pact of the blade so now the cat transforms into the weapons they use, it's great.

[@Xaxp]

would've made more sense if he had Pact of the Chain ngl

[@dutchwhofian3234]

fun idea for a warlock, you made a deal with a demon/devil, the deal is you need to ''babysit''/watch his child(a thiefling played by one of the other pc's

[@oopsiepoopsie2898]

dutch whofian hilarious

[@AmaryInkawult]

Oh gods imagine if said teifling was a stereotypical spoiled brat that always seems to get into trouble.

[@oopsiepoopsie2898]

PhantomDragon1992 I already stole this idea for a campaign we started and finished a month ago.

[@AmaryInkawult]

colin kuykendall now I wish I could have seen that campaign.

[@jjs7650]

I’m 100% stealing this... as soon as I get a chance to play rather than DM

[@charlesmayes7020]

Aasimar Warlock. You've got an angel on one shoulder, and your patron on the other.

[@Licjr]

Charles Mayes I've wanted to play a fallen aasimar fiend warlock with pact of the chain. Since their angelic guide abandons them the fiendish familiar fills a similar role

[@Xtra_Medium]

Charles Mayes For awhile now I've wanted to make a Seeker-Pact Aasimar just so I get the chance to RP a conference call between the God-Patron, Angel-Guide and his owl-familiar occuring in the PC's mind while the rest of the characters stare at their suddenly ranting companion (also I'm curious what the DM would rule as the side effects of having 3 extra dimensional beings arguing in my head at once)

[@Licjr]

343burninglegion That's great, "Hold on guys I've gotta take this"

[@Nemo12417]

Unearthed Arcana has added a Pact of the Celestial, so now those can be the same person.

[@DragonKnightJin]

The DM for an upcoming game has allowed the Celestial Patron for my Paladin/Warlock combo.. With Bahamut being the Deity and the Patron at the same time. Because my poor Black Dragonborn lass REALLY doesn't want to be Evil, so she's trying real hard to be Good. It balanced out to Neutral for now, but we'll see how she handles in the actual game.

[@gulanist3703]

I really hate the stigma that warlocks get their power directly from their patron like a cleric. The PHB explicitly says "More often, though, the arrangement is similar to that between a master and an apprentice. The warlock grows in power, at the cost of occasional services performed on the patron's behalf."

[@vernemeton]

i'm currently workshopping a tiefling warlock who was a wizard's apprentice and fell for the old "stick a book under your pillow to learn the contents in your sleep" superstition, so in their dream was visited by a fiend and seduced into a pact, like "screw this, i can teach you everything you need to know, if you are willing to help me out." so now my dark master sends me from town to town where i will find bits and pieces of occult lore, and demand some kind of service there, be it corrupting someone, or just "pick something up from a dark cultist, don't ask any questions, and deliver the package somewhere else" and in return i get the aforementioned occult lore and also spells and other interesting things. less "oh my dark lord please grant unto me, your worthless servant, this power" and more "okay, do this thing, and i will reward you" ... so my master is teaching me or helping me discover what i need to learn.

[@MiningwithPudding]

20:35 The Fighter of my group didn't even hesitate when I just told him: "Make this Dark Pact, get +3 to your base Charisma state permanently, you're personality is forcefully tweaked, and there's a chance for horrible side effects" "+3 Charisma you say? ACCEPT!"

[@mihagad]

MiningwithPudding i

[@gaminreasons8941]

A natural warlock.

[@collin6691]

The most powerful patron: the dm

[@JPruinc]

I wanna play in a meta campaign and have the DM as my patron...

[@AmaryInkawult]

All love and fear the all powerful DM. For they are the master of all fates. Bring not the ire of the DM upon yourself lest you wish to meet Tiamet early in your adventure.

[@ItamarO93]

I found a homebrew for this

[@fhuber7507]

@@AmaryInkawult Tiamat is not the power you need to fear. I have much more powerful things at my disposal.

[@AmaryInkawult]

F Huber why am I hearing the boss theme reserved for the super secret post game bosses?

[@_sidereal]

Pact of Coffee: You regain spell slots whenever you consume caffeine, but you can never long rest again.

[@robs.1868]

Fuck yeah. Eldritch invocation: Eldritch movement-Haste at will. Eldritch Invocation: Fiendish Adept-Enhance ability for a spell slot Eldritch Invocation: Aspect of the Brewer-Never Sleep Again

[@cactusguy4363]

Warlock: *in bedroom practicing spells & such* Patron: CLEAN YOUR ROOM!!! Warlock: I'll do it later, god. Patron: I'm right here.

[@boxant]

at-will disguise self, actor feat, great old one telepathy, high charisma and friends cantrip... it is a lot of fun

[@shadowldrago]

BoxANT I mean, if you play a Changeling, you can have Disguise Self at will.

[@zecat3727]

@@shadowldrago Double up on the disguise self.

[@colinsmith1495]

So, I had an idea for a warlock a while ago that I think is really fun (hope to play him soon). He's a human that grew up in a small farming community in the wilds. The patron is a greater fey who, though feywild politics, had lost most of her power and was on the run for her life (hiding in the material plane). Interestingly, she had also been away from the material plane for a LONG time and had (absentmindedly) forgotten how easily things can happen. Desperation on his part and boredom on hers leads to one thing and another (at the tender age of 8), and they form a pact without even realizing it (winning a game and receiving a gift being the 'contract' in this case). Nothing much happens for years until he starts experimenting with his powers and she realizes something's drawing on her power. Then things get interesting. He has little idea what he is, she doesn't remember making a pact, he has no idea how this works and she's trying to figure out how to take advantage of a largely unintentional bond, all the while he's adventuring and she's scheming to reclaim her power and position. And yes, asking him to go to the next town and convince them to never again eat fish would fit right in.

[@chasebalcziunas4289]

Plot twist: it’s a port town.

[@afternoonz1126]

An interesting character idea would be a Warlock who was trying to be a cleric but what was tricked into making a pact by a patron disguised as a diety

[@brighamrichins3]

Andrew Nunes or witnessed the birth of a new deity, who's attributes and powers can be given as that of a warlock.

[@gonzalodiaz9720]

A fey patron more exactly

[@GrassPokeKing]

Reminds me of a character idea I have, a NG cleric in service to a LG church of a deity who's actually LE, and just has some excellent PR lmao

[@gametimewithprofjohn]

I’m running a game right now, and my girlfriend is a warlock... her patron is David Bowie. I thought that meant she picked archfey, but nope, she chose fiend. So now Demon Bowie is a thing... haven’t decided if he’s the goblin king yet...

[@dylanworkman5445]

I based my warlock off of a family guy episode: he starts the church of the fonz in exchange for eldritch power

[@-Siculus-Hort-]

Ziggy Stardust!

[@jacobfreeman5444]

So does he bestow eldrich wisdom with his crotch bulge? "As you look upon groin of Bowie you feel unspeakable truths devastate your mind."

[@temotoes9182]

@@-Siculus-Hort- Is that a Jojo reference?!?!?

[@PhuckKnuckles]

@@temotoes9182 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziggy_Stardust

[@Bluecho4]

I sort of like the idea of a Warlock whose Patron is a deposed god. In much the same way in Greek myth you had the Titans before the Olympian gods, you could have it where the current stock of divinity gained their position in the cosmos by defeating the previous pantheon or godhead, and now one or more deities are deprived of their previous station. And they want to rectify that injustice. Even if that means providing old world power to mortals, in exchange for tasks done that could undermine the current "regime's" authority. Because at this point, the Old Gods don't have worshipers. They don't get Clerics. No one knows or cares about the Old Gods, save perhaps scholars of "dead" religions (who, of course, are just the sort of people who would know enough about the Old Gods to cut a deal). They can't win followers through Faith, so they win them through a Pact. This puts the Warlock in a difficult position, as they're basically an enemy of both the dominant religion in their world, and the gods that religion worship. Every mainstream Cleric is a rival, which can make things awkward if a Warlock happens to be in a party with one of them. If that Warlock wants the healing to continue, they're going to need to hide their true allegiance. (Assuming, of course, the Patron even permits the Warlock to receive healing from one of the Patron's rivals. On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with tricking a deity into aiding you in that deity's own subversion).

[@MartinTraXAA]

Random as fuck I came across this 1 year later. Darn close to the scenario I've had in my head. A 'holy(?) undead' from a conflict centuries ago who was a commander in an Aasimar-led army waging war on the Gods on the behest of a Satan-like angelic\god-like figure. They nearly succeed in excising the Gods' power over mortals which was the goal of their 'crusade', hoping to end the cycle of good and bad ones using people as pawns in their schemes, but were betrayed and failed. Their Satan-like leader just before being killed & imprisoned had the power grant just *one* follower eternal life, the hope being that long after the conflict is forgotten he can emerge to reignite their insurrection and perhaps even revive the leader himself. This single person was seemingly killed and buried with his fellow soldiers in a crypt, before awakening alone with no way out. He is discovered by the rest of the party early on. This would be a neutral good or chaotic good character, but after so long buried he becomes both a bit 'unhinged' and out of touch with things. His armor would resemble late-Roman equipment (Burgh Helmet, scale mail) and some semi-religious vestments which includes a liquid mercury-like face obscuring mask that on occasion changes appearance. This would put the character in a precarious position in a LOT of ways. He'd be undead, which for obvious reasons is less than ideal for social interactions. He'd also be a rather bitter, slightly crazy and militant enemy of pretty much every religion and their followers there is. The campaign goal for him is not to "defeat the gods, their religions" or anything like that. Simply to sow the seed for his leader's movement (and perhaps the leader himself) to return one day.

[@johnathoncrines3198]

There's a kinda weird option in the DMG where you run the rest system on a weekly basis instead of a daily basis. Meaning a long rest is a whole seven days and a short rest takes a single night. This makes the warlock a deadly option, since the daily required rest is a great way for them to always be better off than the other spell casters, over the course of a week, and lends a very scary aspect to a warlock; being an unending supply of magic, as opposed to a slowly ebbing and flowing of a Wizard's or Sorcerer's power a warlock gets their whole shtick back no sweat. It makes the constant levels of enchantments and downright frivolous magic use that a Wizard or Sorcerer won't do just because the power source is limitless.

[@jameskalin5685]

I ran a campaign with this rule set a while ago and some of my players found really cool things to do in there downtime, my fighter started a mercenary organization so we had a half dozen NPCS guards at all time and the wizard took all of the ritual spells so he could cast them without using a spell slot.

[@johnathoncrines3198]

That sounds awesome.

[@theclimbto1]

I love 'Down Time' Play. Investing in an Inn, starting a Detective Agency, settling in on a Farm... all sorts of things that can be a nice change of pace, while still offering something during "In Game" time. The info of the Detective Agency giving leads, the Farm providing food for your travels, the Inn giving you a nice homestead for Rest and Relaxation, and all giving some (even if small) amount of Coin (once investments have been made, of course... takes money to make money) for future Adventures.

[@fex144]

Sorry Jonathon I'm probably being thick, I don't understand that weekly thing at all.

[@vernemeton]

@@fex144 usually, a long rest is 8 hours of sleep, and a short rest is 1 hour of relaxation, maybe reading, maybe tending to your wounds, but nothing that takes actual effort. the weekly system means that a good night's sleep is a short rest, and a long rest means an entire week of resting. so, a week of staying at home/an inn/on a farm and NOT doing any adventuring is the long rest required for - for example - wizards to regain all of their spell slots, whereas a night spent sleeping while on an adventure is a short rest. i hope that made it a bit clearer?

[@hippolytabaker9559]

This seems like a good place to regale the tales of my party's tiefling warlock. He's in service to Cthulhu, has been killed by Cthulhu twice, has died three times, and his first resurrection resulted in the spectacularly graphic and violent death of an abbot. He's frickin insane. He's currently dragging what remains of our party to some town in the middle of nowhere in search of an illithid hive because Cthulhu wants an Elder Brain. We're at 6th level, and we're all going to die.

[@OzixiThrill]

Why hasn't your team put an arrow through you knee yet? Or your skull, considering the things they seem to be going through thanks to you being around... Or just leave you to your own devices for a while...

[@JPruinc]

That's nuts!

[@toprak3479]

I'd slit the fucking throat of that character the first night I get the chance to.

[@chickendragon8526]

That's amazing.

[@-Siculus-Hort-]

My halfelf warlock has a pact with Nyerlethotep.....I had to shite in someone's mouth....it was magic poh, and it caused me to have to snakes manifest from my hair.

[@TheWasteOfTime]

This video is worth it if just for Pruitt's look of confused horror as he watches the Denver the Last Dinosaur theme. I'm glad someone else got the subtext to it though. Back when I was a kid I'd listen to it and be like "really? No one else is hearing that?"

[@JPruinc]

It's unsettling.

[@alexandervaucrosson7841]

Matthew Mercer is my patron of choice... btw can't wait to see guys over the great update from UA for Warlock.

[@JPruinc]

Oh yes. We'll get there.

[@MordredViking]

I think one of my big problems with Short Rests is that they are meant to take an hour - if you're breaking for that long, most of the time you can Long Rest. So, on our tables we've ruled that a short rest is 15 mins, which means you could feasibly rest between encounters and still have good pacing - yet if the DM wants to throw more tension in, then waves can still come in and disrupt.This means more short rests, so short rest abilities get more use (as does hit dice healing).

[@larrybarnett5375]

Mordred Viking 7

[@corvidpebble4518]

I'm currently playing a GOO Warlock who's part of an organisation of spies / assassins / infiltrators who are all unwilling warlocks of the same patron. Most of my spells are based around deception or manipulation like Invisibility and Suggestion, and it's absolutely great fun so far. Last session, we accidentally walked into a vampire's mansion (the sewers were open) and telepathically bluffing my way out of it while remaining invisible while he had the rest of the party hostage worked wonders. The old "you have no way of knowing how many of us are standing right behind you but I'm willing to cut you a deal if you behave nicely" thing completely turned the table. With regards to combat boiling down to EBlast spam, I feel like a well built Warlock will have enough to do outside of combat that a little monotony during combat isn't too big a deal.

[@megatroymega]

Corvid Pebble do you have Mask of Many Faces? I find it super fun and borderline over powered.

[@corvidpebble4518]

Yes, I do, although I haven't really gotten a chance to use it yet. Definitely looking forward to it tho!

[@JPruinc]

Sounds like a Blast! (pun intended)

[@normal6483]

The best use of Mask of Many Faces is to always be in disguise. Do some (illegal) shenanigans in disguise, escape, and drop the disguise. Someone else gets in trouble, you get off scott free!

[@MorganRhysGibbons]

End sequence made it all worthwhile. Denver is a patron, indeed.

[@joshuarichardson6529]

Pact of the Dinosaur: +2 to constitution, special mount: ichthyosaur, Free Spell: (cast once per day) summon velociraptor.

[@Sean-ne3gx]

oh post credits, thank you for always giving me more than just ideas and rules of thumb to love about the team.

[@calvinballaka8905]

Hahaha, Pruitt's face when he pulled up Denver the Last Dinosaur! Also, really like the video, as always; while I don't have a warlock in the party right now, I might run a oneshot where a player plays a warlock, so hearing the tips on how to handle the patron dynamic and introduce that element was super neat! And as for making sure warlocks get their time to shine, sometimes I can't help but think the best way to do that would really be to have a well-planned party. Play Team Short Rest with a Warlock, Fighter, Monk, and Moon Druid (for the Wild Shape).

[@Smeagolthevile]

Denver the last dinosaur, the newest Warlock patron

[@JPruinc]

It was jarring...

[@matthewmurray8570]

Nathan Fillion. My patron would be Nathan Fillion.

[@paulcoy9060]

mine would be Keyzer Soze ! Or, if he's unavailable, then Brock Samson.

[@JPruinc]

With abilities like: 'Big Damn Hero' and 'Aim to Misbehave'.

[@orionscion7025]

Mine would be Chuck Norris for the ability to transform into animals

[@chasebalcziunas4289]

Orion Scion I’d assume that there’d be a Natural Armor bump for all of that chest hair.

[@RatchildUK]

I like the Idea of making your Warlock an NPC when the Patron calls on you to do something. As if it's physically/mentally controlling you to do something. Then you as a player get to react to what you did when you gain back control. I think I might make a Great Old one Warlock who was born into a C'thulu worshipping cult, they gave the entity you as a vessel/conduit, you eventually escape but every night when you sleep the patron takes control and makes you do something in the night. You don't know what it is though. All you remember are nightmares and whispers.

[@shallendor]

I played a 1/2 elf Great Old One warlock spy for the elven nation that made a pact with Rassilon(timelord). He "pretended" to be insane by introducing his "invisible friend that could only talk to people in their mind" to people, eventually he got unseen servant to further the idea that his "invisible friend" was real. The game fell apart, but was such a fun character to play and the dm used both my patron and my spy contacts to further the role-play of the character!

[@JH-gu4hj]

shallendor I read that as one half elf instead of half elf and it hurt my head a little

[@Berry_Goosey]

I would love to see WebDM play the Dresden Files RPG. And yeah, I don't know why I never thought about it, but Harry is totally a d&d warlock! Even down to eldritch blasting everyone with his blasting rod (or a gun, haha).

[@booksr4nerds100]

Pact of the Nerd

[@joshuarichardson6529]

+2 to intelligence, photographic memory, five extra spells when wearing a pocket protector.

[@JPruinc]

Sign me up!

[@yellowrose0910]

"Pact of the Pocket Protector"

[@datguy8805]

Joshua Richardson slots*

[@AmaryInkawult]

Summon the mighty Abacus of Fate that grants +5 to any roll once every long rest.

[@stephengilbert8166]

Thank you so much for this remarkable 5e D&D series. They contain the most helpful and watchable advice out there on you tube. I started with the Warlock video as its very relevant for me (as my wife is about to play one in our new campaign, and I wanted to brush up on this character class before we start). But seeing how good this one was, I have started watching every video you do on this great game. Thank you for all your hard work in putting these together for us all to enjoy. Its greatly appreciated.

[@titanemp]

I love the DMs that make the relationship between the patron, and the warlock is basically the patron demands that the warlock eats nothing but cookies, or to convince a town mayor that they shouldn't eat fish for 1 month. also for pact of the tome I grabbed spare the dying, and shilele because I love that cantrip.

[@spaceiguana5066]

Jim, your childish laughter about Denver the Last Dinosaur is my favorite part of this episode

[@dhaonrisemlan]

Warlocks are the best class for new players imo. Really encourages roleplaying.

[@leonielson7138]

10:08 I played an Archfey Pact of the Tome, but I also picked up the Spell Sniper so that he didn't have to get up-close. In combat he was a one-trick pony, but out of combat he was the all-star.

[@leonielson7138]

His patron, Alberich, was using the character for pay-per-view.

[@TheMimiSard]

My patron is a Silmaril. The Eldrich Blast would resemble white-gold coloured fire.

[@chrishandy9172]

5E warlocks are more like a MCU Dr. Strange than a traditional arcanist. At least mechanically.

[@staulwart2317]

Thank you for the "Good Times with Denver" moment.

[@tnegras99]

Have'nt been able to do warlock in 5e yet but my favorite memory from 3.5 was when we were at a military camp and had to prepare for a massive orc army in a mountain pass. Darkness rules in 3.5 were basically object sheds darkness until dispelled so I cast it on a bunch of stones. I then loaded the stones into clay pots and had the catapult crews fire them launch them at an area of the approach that was along a cliff. Magical darkness could only be beaten by light spell or magical darkvision so a huge chunk of the army wound off falling off the cliff as they marched toward us

[@1anarquista.sensato]

Its so sad that Pruitts Spell Jammer campaign ended... I was looking forward to hear more about it

[@Tengu125]

My friend once had the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man as her patron. Don't remember much from that adventure, but it was bizarre to say the least. 😅 The DM was a cool guy and even helped her sort of homebrew the whole thing and refine it with applicable in-universe motivations, tweaked spells and some other things added for "flavour". She's a fan, while I know practically nothing about the Ghostbusters movies, so I likely missed out on a lot of the in-jokes and references...

[@justmonica9253]

My player refused a command of their devil patron... nothing happened. Soon, however, monsters and cultists began to harass the party with clear intent. After dropping a few clues, the players investigated and discovered that another warlock under that devil had significant power in the underworld dealings of the country, and had been commanded to punish the rebelling party member. I enjoyed role-playing this guy, because the party member was a prime vessel for the devil, and so had previously received a lot of favor from the patron. This guy enjoyed trying to make the party member suffer, acting with the open spite of a sleighted sibling.

[@cacuinwildstar]

Dresden Files RPG is a very rules light/theme heavy game. Love the heck out of it.

[@jaxhamman2472]

there's some really good homebrew that gives each patron its own version of an "eldritch blast-like" cantrip, some do less damage but give an added effect. some do more damage but there are other pitfalls, it doesn't stop you from having to spam a single cantrip but it spices up the different warlocks from eachother

[@mrtjdubs3157]

Top 20 games I own but have never played. Love it.

[@VenomWabbit]

My patron is Ronald McDonald.

[@Shadowrunner123]

"cause obesity"; target creature acts with the hindrances of one size larger than it actually is for turns equal to the caster's level. They must make a constitution save or the effects last twice as long. At maximum level, this changes that the constitution save must be made or the effects become permanent.

[@JPruinc]

perfect!

[@Ultra_DuDu]

What a lame patron! Mine is Wendy, she gives more power for less $.

[@beastwarsFTW]

Mine is the Colonel Sanders, he fries his foes in the nine hells with eleven herbs and spices.

[@TerrifiedTam]

Mine is the Burger King. Come's with the exclusive spells, "Bigby's Bread Buns", and "Polymorph Food (Sandwich)".

[@1987jaffa]

i made a bladelock with the celestial patron, love how versatile it is. He has cure wounds if need be, he has the extra attack (considering the smite invocation), i try to focus the spell list on utility, and if all else fails there's always eldritch blast. Drawback: decent at many, master of none.

[@360BLK]

I agree with Jim on warlock's introducing a new NPC into the campaign. Playing a warlock, I would think, should be like having a proverbial Sword Of Damocles over your head. You should feel compelled by consequence, but still able to make a decision on if it's worth it.

[@Lombra619]

I would refluff Eldritch Blast as the manifestation of my character's stand and every hit would sound like an "ORA!"

[@Zeyga]

Just watching this for the first time, SO excited to see that you love the Dresden Files. Excellent videos!!!!!

[@invntiv]

This was a really fun and insightful conversation! Thanks for the in-depth look into the Warlock- such a fantastic class

[@kahlylroberson2067]

This was actually my first class ever playing and I genuinely love it and always have a soft spot for the insane customizations you can get with all of the 3-4 choices you get.

[@knightghaleon]

I've homebrewed it to allow my Warlock players to gain more spells during the day after certain levels. That to me sort of represents their patron's trust in them. So they can start casting like a sorcerer or in the case of the tome lock, a wizard

[@DamascoGamer]

Levant Dude,papa bless u for that.

[@RoboBoddicker]

Yeah, the spell slot bottleneck really bugs me too. I made a revised version of the class that learns less spells, but all their spells (including the spells granted by Invocations) can be cast once per long rest. I haven't tested it out yet, but I feel like that's closer in spirit to the SLA-wielding 3.5e Warlock.

[@austinthomas6405]

Depends how you run the game. That would break my game and make my warlock character king of the world

[@Aderla22]

I'm DMing a low level campaign for a sorcerer and a warlock. I'm thinking about giving the warlock the ability to split his spell slots into lower level spell slots. A 3rd level spell slot could then be used to cast a '1st & 2nd' or a '3rd' level spell. Do you think that this might break something, or is it ok?

[@TheKodiak72]

With the new Celestial warlock... It seems to be more powerful at healing then any Cleric besides Life.

[@thecinemascribe]

I helped my dad make a Warlock for a campaign with some of his old high school friends. He played a Half-Elf Hexblade Warlock, who was an Archeologist who studied ancient elven civilizations in the campaign, and in his exploration of elven ruins discovered the ancient long sword of the king. It was later revealed in the campaign that he was the descendant of the king, and as he grew levels in the class he could commune more and more with the soul of the king which was bound to the blade

[@jonedominguez8389]

I had an idea for a warlock character who leapt into his pact without thinking of the consequences and now he's stuck with an Archfey patron who loves to torment this guy and make him act like Puck even though he's painfully shy.

[@TheNerdySimulation]

Personally, I would go with Bill & Ted as my Patron(s) for the Most Excellent of Adventures. Also, Pruitt's reaction to Denver the Last Dinosaur was a beautiful moment that I'm happy to have witnessed! XD

[@Spectre-to6mv]

My gosh, the Denver the last dinosaur comments at the end. Bringin' me back to my childhood, and creepin' it out.

[@coreygardner9803]

"They said they'll never make a dmg 2." Looks at Xanathar's Guide suspiciously

[@rogerfarley7823]

I have a warlock player that we made Raistlin Majere his patron. Raistlin's history is in the players ancient history in a different realm, and Rasitlin himself grew into power until passing into demi-godhood. Raistlin grants him some minor evocation wizard types of benefits and has given the warlock side quests to retrieve Raistlin's most prized relics (robe, staff and spellbooks of Fistandantilus). Its been a cool process. I have another player that has the Lich Queen Lady Vol as her patron. Having an active patron for a warlock makes for a very interesting story, not to mention high-entertainment moments lol

[@MonoXideAtWork]

One of my favorite warlocks ever is a Celestial Pact of the tome warlock with a level 4 feat into magic initiate, taking spare the dying, shellelagh, light, ceremony and find familiar - and bless for my magic initiate. Very much a warlock trying to be a cleric, and it's great.

[@chummer2060]

I've been enjoying my Dwarven Blade(maul) Warlock. Has a hammer that deals an extra d6 of fire. Hexed enemies get 4d6 thrown at them twice a turn. The stubby legs make it a little tough to get there, but flavor-wise, I love it.

[@stirringthecauldron]

I'm about to play 5e for the first time, and I'm playing a warlock--also something I've never done. So this is v good and helpful!

[@Sixfifteen81]

oh god, the late 80's tangents at the end. nostalgia feels right there.

[@VikingSchism]

The thing I love about Warlocks is their versatility - almost any idea for a character who uses some amount of magic could be done using a warlock (and multiclassing). For example, these are a couple of ideas I had for characters: 1 - a Kamen Rider style character, who's a monk for martial arts ability, and a warlock for special attacks and morphing into the armour (using the invocation that gives magic armour at will); 2 - a Persona 5 style phantom thief, combining rogue for the sneaking and so on, and warlock (fiend) to represent the persona itself. The second idea really plays with the idea of the patron, as the patron is technically a part of the character, and is a manifestation of their raw emotion

[@michaelthomas2804]

I love the riffing at the end.

[@Ronasaur]

When I DM'd a session of 5e I made a homebrew rule where a Warlock could sacrifice lower level spells or Hp to regain spell slots. Unfortunately I moved to Pathfinder before it was used so I don't know how it wouldve gone over.

[@braddalrymple8615]

been waiting for this for so long most interesting role playing class IMHO but it's a lot about how much the do want to help you build a character. thanks guys

[@greeny3382]

Now with hexblade, pact of the blade is so much stronger

[@elib6465]

my particular custom patron would be Jojo, from jojos bizarre adventure, and in return I'd just ask for that level of toned they are

[@datguy8805]

Romeo E ..............why, and Which one, jonathon, jotaro..... Joseph?

[@niallreid7664]

Just have your patron be Dio. Now THAT would be a campaign.

[@theonlychickensama8353]

@@niallreid7664 Nah Have your Patron be Funny Valentine or Kira yoshikage!

[@manicdeadpool]

Great to see Warlocks up finally. One thing missing from the video, you guys mentioned in the past that you'd want to talk about Hex and how it is so good it's almost required. I know for my bladelock, it's hard to justify ever casting another concentration spell. Would love to hear your thoughts on it boys.

[@sorapwn1200]

Made a warlock named Rileth, Bladelock, under the Archfey. Only reason he's a warlock is because he was raised in the Feywilds. Parents left him in the forest when he was a baby and he was taken to Relkath and raised there. Relkath gave him his abilities on one condition, question EVERYTHING. And, should he find the answer to one specific question he hasn't shared with anyone, Relkath will allow Rileth to access his full power.

[@origamininja380]

My favourite patron is the Chaos from Xanathars lost nots to everything else. I love the randomness of it and how it makes the game dangerous for you and your teammates.

[@85Funkadelic]

Good job actually using the adventuring day mechanic. IMO it's vital to balancing Adventures and certain character classes.

[@destroyerinazuma96]

Cool vid! Dead honest, I first got interested because of the short rest spell slots recuperation, but I keep finding there's more and more to the class.

[@hittkid6312]

One of the current campaign i'm playing in is Out of the Abyss and I am so happy I created a Warlock. The DM always ambushes us when we try to do long rests, unless we're in a completely secure area like a town.

[@hotboi8510]

Having Teddy Roosevelt As a peteron manliest warlock ever

[@Jgosse]

I am always psyched when people mention Dinoriders

[@Asgard314]

I completely agree with y'all's points on Eldrich Blast. With a sword or something you can play with how you swing and give it flavor, but with a spell you're limited to just targeting. Maybe allowing the Pact of the Blade invocation to add Cha to damage and % to hit to be taken earlier on might help? Or more options to boost other Cantrips to make them more likely to be used?

[@luckyfire313]

My husband's favorite thing about warlock is the flavor it can provide other spell casters. That temptation to get even 1 or 2 levels in warlock just to buff your normal casting is both an excellent character AND player temptation. If I have any casters in the campaign I plan to run I will absolutely be tossing out little power temptation hints for pacts and stuff to see if they take the bait.

[@tanukioh]

I played a pact of the chain warlock merchant with the Fiend patron recently. He ended up wheeling and dealing with the npcs, setting one group against another group. At one point he was diplomancing with one group while his familiar did the same with their rival across the city.

[@nickcody1001]

Thanks for the insightful comments. Regarding rests, I've lost track of the source, but I know it's either in the DMG or PHB or maybe Sage Advice, but somewhere in official sources they give a rule of thumb to follow: 2 short rests per 24 hours. And that's been a sensible expectation for our gaming sessions. Monks, warlocks, and others who benefit from short rests won't outshine the classes like rangers and paladins that could make due with just 1 or 2 short rests in an Adventuring Day full of 4 deadly encounters.

[@WiseAlbatross]

Lightfoot Halfling Warlock, Celestial Ki-rin, protects unicorns and pegasuses from poachers

[@grizlea4149]

My Warlock character was a half-elf who was abandoned in the woods as a baby for being a half breed, and was found and adopted by an archfey. Eventually, he left to explore the world, and made a contract with her. Its a sort of funny dynamic, the patron being like a loving, doting mother to this 68 year old half elf, almost babying him to the point of embaressment. She also has a few rules she made in the contract that sound like something a mother would do. If he curses, he got a light punishment, and things like that.

[@brianb.2357]

My current 5e campaign features a halfling pirate chef who sold his soul to Ghaunadaur and his arcane focus is a poorly-cultivated bonsai plant in a ceramic pot. The other warlock started out as a kenku bard that was raised by the fey and wants to multiclass into feylock. It's crazy but awesome.

[@AZDfox]

I have a Warlock who let a devil borrow money to pay his bar tab, and he gave her magic to pay her back. She went from bar maid to adventurer.

[@ItamarO93]

I think Warlock is the best and most fun class. It is very easy to write into and out of adventures and campaigns, it is super versatile in its abilities and builds to the point that it can outclass almost every other class (Melee, Infiltration, Healing, DPS, Utility) if built correctly and has the most flavor and RP options.

[@VioletMoonfox]

When I have a party with characters that rely on short rests, especially if there is a Warlock, I will often say that even if the players do not say they take a short rest, if they walk for long enough between encounters, I will generally say they can take a single hit die and also count it as a short rest for any abilities that reset with a short rest. That said, I've played a couple warlocks, and by far my favorite was my fey pact of the blade. DM homebrewed an item gifted by my patron that let me change my weapon as a bonus action rather than standard action, and would switch up weapons as needed in the middle of combat. Also was allowed to create an alternate version of Eldritch Blast that involved a dex save making a cone from my character (ranged equaled eldritch blast bolts x5, so at first it was 5 feet, and lvl 5 it was 10 feet, and so on and so forth). Might not have been the most effective, compared to the tome, but it was so much more fun. That said, her pact was something that she had very little choice with, it was either take the power for herself, or the bandits would have killed her and the other mercenary guards. Also, Dresden Files RPG is insanely fun with other good RPers. That said, my character had so many issues with her...

[@roamingthereal4060]

I really like the idea of just removing short rests entirely and giving everyone two short rests worth of benefits. Something like second wind just becomes a 3/day for example.

[@Ablestron]

Ive been workshoping a Celestial Pact Tomelock and have been loving the versatility of the class. With eldritch blast, sacred flame, shocking grasp, and toll the dead I have a ton of options in combat. And thats on top of all the utility cantrips I also have! Spell Slots will be used much more gingerly, since they always cast at the highest available level for warlock. I always have either a big damage or a big heal spell in my pocket for emergencies. With short rest capabilities, I can refresh an invisibility quite easily for town/outpost antics. One Idea I had was making some quick gold at a cities hospital by spending a day casting cure wounds to help their clientele.

[@Ablestron]

at later levels, taking inspiring leader feat on top of celestial resistance would make me a pseudo protection buffer for the party; offsetting my lack of spell slots for healing, by straight up providing a decent bump in temporary HP every short rest; would also make the rest of my party waaaay more compliant in taking rests.

[@VinciGlassArt]

I picked the Warlock BECAUSE of it's limited spell slots. I love me some old school Wizard, typically. However, I wanted to see how the more limited outright power forced me to be a more creative roll player and careful/creative adversary using Charisma based skills. I'm a human, Pact of the Tome, Arch-Fey Patron Warlock, and my patron is Hyrsam, Prince of Fools. A savage trickster among tricksters. The result has been SO MUCH FUN! And the restraint of the lower levels has made the power and versatility he's gained all the more rewarding (currently 13th Level), particularly as I decided ealry on that my character would deliberately take cues from Hysam's M.O. I've played games sinse the 80's. This 5e Warlock has been my second favorite character in all that time. The dude is a 1st class creep and increasingly a badass you don't want to trifle with.

[@noxmtg7017]

YES! I have been waiting for this video for so long!

[@BlueDavrial]

This video did not age well with the release of Hexblade. You should do a redux of this video with everything from Xanathars factored in

[@demonblood8841]

My patron asked me to watch this video nicest thing hes had me do so far lol. great job guys as usual :)

[@JPruinc]

You're are welcome as is your patron.

[@kirkish001]

Denver is obviously a warlock patron, thats the "so much more" part of it! Later levels you get meteor strike, but Denver gets upset whenever you use it because it reminds him of how his friends all died

[@Manjikoa]

HUGE thumbs up for singing Dinosausers at the end of the show!

[@hermesthenerd]

rogue-lock is my favorite multiclass as, if you take the support side of the warlock, you can do so many interesting and fun things as a scout/social character (invisibility, at will disguise self, etc) plus the invisible familiar giving help makes infinite sneak attacks, on top of the booming Blade cantrip from sword coast (extra thunder damage plus damages an enemy who moves after you when you disengage) you have a character that can do everything quite well. it's lots of fun!

[@walrusman231]

I'm currently playing an archfey tomelock, and it's pretty awesome. But the way my campaign is doesn't let me take as many short rests as I'd like to keep up with the cleric, or even the sword mage in the party. I've left the warlock and have started taking levels in wild magic sorcerer for all the fun.

[@nathanielgrey4091]

Denver the Last Dinosaur... Man that hit me really hard in the childhood

[@burlyd310]

As a DM, I love the Warlock, I jot down or text the player a secret patron quest for them to fulfil, without telling the party "I have to do it because of my patron". As a Player, the patron of the Undying is thematically mouth-watering, but the payout is so low, and for the Fiend patron I had a good read of the devils and the demons lords.

[@chaddixon9764]

Lol gotta play that Dresden Files RPG.