Warlock Question

[DireSickFish]

I'm looking at hex and agonizing blast working with eldritch blast. Now that we are past level 5 he has 2 rays and I am having a problem understanding. It seems like he is dishing out to much damage. Do you get both the bonuses to damage for both rays? Is there a rule about only applying it once to a target? Can hex last between combats?

I'm sorry I know this has been asked before I just don't recall the answer.

[Strill]

Yes he gets the damage bonus to each hit, and yes hex lasts between combats. Warlocks have extremely limited spellcasting, so they get good at-will damage to compensate.

[Yagyujubei]

yeah, that's like 80% of all that they can do, so they do it well. just be glad/hope the guy doesnt MC into sorcerer for meta magic, because then you will think the past 5 levels were underpowered.

[Easy_Lee]

With Hex and EB, he can approximately keep up with a greatsword fighter. He doesn't get reactions, and a magic weapon can push the fighter ahead, but he gets (1d10 + attribute + 3.5)*rays. The greatsword fighter is dealing (7+attribute)*attacks damage per turn, may get a bonus or reaction, has more HP, and can switch targets a bit more easily without losing DPS.

So for at-will damage, it's about even, or maybe a bit in favor of the fighter. The fact that the warlock is dealing force damage is important, because few things resist force damage and even fewer resist magical weapons (we can hopefully assume the fighter will have one sooner or later, if not a fantastic one). The warlock's casting and other features may arguably be more useful than the fighter's, particularly since EB is ranged and can have repelling.

As stated above, if he multiclasses sorcerer then you're in for some crap. It specifically takes a house rule to prevent quicken EB + EB a number of times equal to sorcery points available. It's kind of like giving the warlock an absurd number of action surges and better casting. Even if you limit him to using metamagic only on sorcerer spells, he can still take elemental affinity (fire), draconic ancestry (fire), and quicken cast EB + resistance-bypassing firebolt for the same damage.

Eventually, you'll get to a level where he wishes he could do some of the cool stuff that pure casters can do.

[Marcelinari]

To my understanding, the way the Dev team anticipates the damage done is that you only add your bonus damage once per target, regardless of number of rays connecting. This seems a little weird, but it might serve to limit the damage, if you think it necessary?

[Strill]

To my understanding, the way the Dev team anticipates the damage done is that you only add your bonus damage once per target, regardless of number of rays connecting. This seems a little weird, but it might serve to limit the damage, if you think it necessary?

No. That's for Magic Missile. Eldritch Blast requires a separate roll for each beam, so it applies CHA mod to each beam.

[Easy_Lee]

To my understanding, the way the Dev team anticipates the damage done is that you only add your bonus damage once per target, regardless of number of rays connecting. This seems a little weird, but it might serve to limit the damage, if you think it necessary?

The question: "Does Agonizing Blast add damage per Eldritch Blast casting, or per beam? E.g. 5th level lock deals 2d10+2*Cha, or 2d10+Cha? "
The response: "I would rule that you add your Charisma modifier whenever a beam hits. But I have my eye on this feature. -J"

http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?1900-D-D-5th-Edition-Sage-Advice-from-Designers-Mearls-Crawford#.VEwp0_nF_iM

[DireSickFish]

To my understanding, the way the Dev team anticipates the damage done is that you only add your bonus damage once per target, regardless of number of rays connecting. This seems a little weird, but it might serve to limit the damage, if you think it necessary?

I don't want to houserule, Just figure out how RAW it works.

[Easy_Lee]

I don't want to houserule, Just figure out how RAW it works.

Agonizing Blast - "When you cast eldritch blast, add your Charisma modifier to the damage it deals on a hit". - PHB 110
Eldritch Blast - "A beam of cackling energy...Make a ranged spell attack...on a hit, the target takes 1d10 force damage. The spell creates more than one beam when you reach higher levels...Make a separate attack roll for each beam." - PHB 237

For further clarification in case he's using repelling blast:
Repelling Blast: "When you hit a creature with eldritch blast, you can push the creature up to 10 feet away from you in a straight line." - PHB 111

RAW, adding your CHA and a 10' push to each beam is 100% legit.

[Slipperychicken]

Agonizing Blast applying to each beam doesn't look so bad. It lets them sink character resources and do archer damage.

I think repelling blast should allow a strength save. That would balance it out and make a lot more sense than it currently is as-written.

[Easy_Lee]

Agonizing Blast applying to each beam doesn't look so bad. It lets them sink character resources and do archer damage.

That's more or less the gist of it, and a crossbow expert actually deals more damage with two hand crossbows (slightly more at high levels, considerably more at low levels). As you said, the repelling part is the most abusable.

[Marcelinari]

I stand corrected.