Would this unbalance the warlock?

[RealCheese]

So the warlock in my group (me being the dm) intends to go chain. It fits his character great thematically but in my opinion is the weakest of the choices. It's a small group, the two other players being a life cleric and a Fighter with plans of eldritch knighting.
So I've been thinking that I would give the warlock all three possible level three features. He doesn't have fantastic melee stats so I don't feel like giving him a pact weapon will unbalance anything.
He's the only (full) arcane caster, so I feel like the book rituals will help the whole group and the extra cantrips will help with some damage versatility.

So what unseen pits am I walking into with this decision? Will this unbalance the warlock? There are combos like pact weapon and shillelagh, but he's a role player not a roll player and I don't even see that being too exploitive.

[Madfellow]

The only problem I can foresee is that giving him all three pacts gives him access to all of the warlock's invocations, not just those that have Pact of the Chain as a prerequisite. He can cherry pick whichever ones he likes. I don't think it'll actually break anything, but it might be giving him just a little bit too much power and versatility.

[RealCheese]

The only problem I can foresee is that giving him all three pacts gives him access to all of the warlock's invocations, not just those that have Pact of the Chain as a prerequisite. He can cherry pick whichever ones he likes. I don't think it'll actually break anything, but it might be giving him just a little bit too much power and versatility.

He'd still have to pay 'invocation points' for it. I was thinking of the same thing, but an extra attack that he can't use if he's casting a spell, slightly enhanced utility for his familiar and ritual casting galore (for a cost of gold per spell) doesn't seem that overpowered still. Versatile, yes, but the action economy keeps everything in check.

[GiantOctopodes]

He'd still have to pay 'invocation points' for it. I was thinking of the same thing, but an extra attack that he can't use if he's casting a spell, slightly enhanced utility for his familiar and ritual casting galore (for a cost of gold per spell) doesn't seem that overpowered still. Versatile, yes, but the action economy keeps everything in check.

The only trouble I forsee is if he's attacking as much as a fighter (up until level 11) but also has not only all his blasting abilities, but all the ritual casting goodness (which EKs don't get without a feat), he might seriously outshine the EK and make that character seriously jealous until mid / late levels, at which point the damage is long since done. It is also worth noting that the Warlock is one of the stronger classes, even if they don't look it, so I don't think he'd fall behind even without the buff.

I see no issue giving them all 3 abilities, but I'd definitely still limit him to not being able to take the invocations of the other 2. So, sure, he can get the pact weapon, the improved familiar, and the book, but no 2nd attacks or free ritual casting or what have you, just the same invocations he would have available were he an unbuffed chain warlock. Just my recommendation.

[RealCheese]

The only trouble I forsee is if he's attacking as much as a fighter (up until level 11) but also has not only all his blasting abilities, but all the ritual casting goodness (which EKs don't get without a feat), he might seriously outshine the EK and make that character seriously jealous until mid / late levels, at which point the damage is long since done. It is also worth noting that the Warlock is one of the stronger classes, even if they don't look it, so I don't think he'd fall behind even without the buff.

I see no issue giving them all 3 abilities, but I'd definitely still limit him to not being able to take the invocations of the other 2. So, sure, he can get the pact weapon, the improved familiar, and the book, but no 2nd attacks or free ritual casting or what have you, just the same invocations he would have available were he an unbuffed chain warlock. Just my recommendation.

I get that, you make sense. I might instead say that when he takes his first pact boon invocation he can not take an invocation with a different pact boon as prerequisite until level 11 and never take up a third line of pact boon invocations.

[SharkForce]

pact of the blade + pact of the tome means melee power based fully on charisma (shillelagh from tome means if your pact weapon is a staff or club, you can use your caster attribute for attack and damage).

honestly, i wouldn't worry a huge amount for the warlock in this party. the vast majority of the warlock's power comes from invocations and eldritch blast, and he'll have that anyways. if you want to make the warlock's life more pleasant, i'd focus on making sure short rests (when needed) are available.

[RealCheese]

pact of the blade + pact of the tome means melee power based fully on charisma (shillelagh from tome means if your pact weapon is a staff or club, you can use your caster attribute for attack and damage).

honestly, i wouldn't worry a huge amount for the warlock in this party. the vast majority of the warlock's power comes from invocations and eldritch blast, and he'll have that anyways. if you want to make the warlock's life more pleasant, i'd focus on making sure short rests (when needed) are available.

A tome warlock could do the same with a regular club. Restricting the second pact line invocation until level 11 means he can get cha melee with single attack or melee with his inferior melee stats with two attacks, but cannot get both until the fighters third attack comes online to make him superior in melee again. Also shillelagh caps out at 1d8, the fighter is going great weapon.

[Giant2005]

Does the Warlock actually get to use Charisma as his casting stat with other class's spells such as Shillelagh?
I thought that unlike the Bard, he had no exemption allowing himself to use his own casting stat when casting spells of different vocations.

[Easy_Lee]

A clever player would find ways to make you regret that. If he takes both tome and chain pact, he can have all rituals in game and an improved familiar. That means you'll never surprise him again if he's clever. Chain is definitely the weakest, but having a familiar is very nice. Perhaps he'll find ways to use it wisely, seeing through its eyes to attack creatures very far away from himself for example.

[SharkForce]

Does the Warlock actually get to use Charisma as his casting stat with other class's spells such as Shillelagh?
I thought that unlike the Bard, he had no exemption allowing himself to use his own casting stat when casting spells of different vocations.

well, your DM *could* make the completely bonkers ruling that the spells learned by the warlock from the warlock class ability are not warlock spells, but that would be make absolutely no sense.

the simple fact is, the warlock only has one casting stat, and it isn't wisdom. shillelagh isn't a "druid cantrip", it's merely a cantrip on the druid list.

as to not breaking anything because shillelagh caps at d8, i'll take d8+10 over 2d6+5 any day. i suppose it might be weaker if you had enough chance to crit or something, but generally speaking the warlock is going to be doing just fine with their basic damage.

and no, the standard tome warlock can't do the same thing, because the melee invocations are all restricted to blade pact.

you can do it if you want, but the warlock is a pretty solid class so long as they're able to take short rests. there are some minor tweeks you could do (like making the invocations that grant spells not take up one of their two spell slots to use, at least for the weaker spells... polymorph and maybe even the conjure elementals option might be worthwhile, but bane and bestow curse should have probably been on the warlock spell list in the first place).

[RealCheese]

You all make valid points and I appreciate the input.
I have decided to do it, but with the caveat that at level 3 he will choose one boon to qualify for invocations for and one other at level 11.

[Starsinger]

I would just give him the Pact of the Chain and Pact of the Tome, honestly. That way he isn't stepping on the Fighter's toes at all as far as attacks go, and still retains the Pact he wants as well as getting the ritual casting from Pact of the Tome to assist the party.