Elemental Warlock

[Submortimer]

The Elemental Warlock



Pyromancers, Storm lords, Frost mages…whatever moniker they go by, those that follow the path of the elements are as legendary and revered as they are feared. There are many paths to elemental power…some more dangerous than others.
Instead of the bloodline connection of the Primal Sorcerer, the rigid Study of the Elementalist Wizard, or the devotion to the Elemental Planes of the Elements Domain Cleric, the elemental Warlock instead forges a pact with a powerful being native to the plane they wish to embody. The most suitable candidates for said pact are Genies: already skilled at bargaining, they are often more than happy to part with the slight bit of power needed to make the pact. That being said, there are a few warlocks who have made contact with the alien intellects that make up the Ancient Elementals of the planes, and at least one who has bartered for power from Tharizdun and his Princes of Elemental Evil.

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/081/5/a/pyromancer_by_andantonius-d4tm6f6.jpg
https://exdandd4e.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/prince-of-frost.jpg
http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/021/5/4/mage_by_josearias-d6ckiyf.jpg
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/071/0/6/earth_mage_by_bgk_bengiskhan-d4siqow.jpg

Elemental Warlock Spell list



Warlock Level
Spells


1st
Chromatic Orb, Absorb Elements


3rd
Scorching Ray, Agnazzar’s Scorcher


5th
Fireball, Protection From Energy


7th
Wall Of Fire, Elemental Bane


9th
Cone of Cold, Conjure Elemental



Elemental Suffusion
Starting at 1st level, an elemental warlock chooses which element to tie himself to: Earth, Air, Fire, or Water. The Warlock’s invocations that deal damage and any spell that the warlock casts that deals an elemental damage type (Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder) may deal damage based on the warlock’s chosen element instead of it's normal type:

Air: Lightning OR Thunder (Choose at 1st level)
Fire: Fire
Water: Cold
Earth: Acid OR bludgeoning (Stone)

The warlock may also chose to change his Eldritch Blast to his chosen damage type. If this would allow you to add your Charisma bonus to damage from multiple sources (Such as Agonizing blast) you only receive the benefit from one source.

Elemental Affliction
At 6th level, the Elemental warlock learns to pull just a little bit more from his spells though his trickery and dark means. Whenever he deals damage with his chosen elemental type, he may chose to have the target make a saving throw or suffer an additional affliction:

Air: Dex Save, Cannot take reactions till start of your next turn (Lightning); Con save, Deafened till start of your next turn (Thunder)
Fire: Dex save, Take 1d6 fire damage at the start of each of the targets turns. Lasts (Cha mod) number of rounds, target gets a save each turn.
Water: Con Save, Movement speed reduced by 10 ft. for (Cha mod) number of rounds.
Earth: Dex Save, Take 1d6 acid damage at the start of each of the targets turns. Lasts (Cha mod) number of rounds, target gets a save each turn (Acid); Con save, target is immobilized till the start of your next turn (Stone)

If the spell you cast hits multiple targets, each target requires a separate use of this ability. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your charisma modifier; After that , you must complete a short or long rest before you can use this ability again.

Elemental Protection
Once he reaches 10th level, the Elemental warlock forges a beneficial protective shell based on his Chosen element:

Air: Resistance to lightning or sonic damage (based on 1st level choice), +2 AC vs Ranged projectiles
Fire: Resistance to fire
Cold: Resistance to cold, +1 Natural Armor
Earth: Resistance to acid or bludgeoning (magical or non magical), Damage Reduction 3 against non-magical Bludgeoning/Slashing/Piercing damage

Elemental Motivation
Starting at 14th level, the Elemental Warlock gains a new movement speed based on his chosen element:

Air: Fly, 60’
Fire: Fly, 60’
Water: Water walking, Swim 60’, ability to breathe underwater
Earth: Burrow 60’, climb 30’

Edit: Changed Earth Elemental protection to damage reduction instead of AC

[PotatoGolem]

I'd make Air just lightning damage. Thunder is otherwise the clear winner for damage types- pretty much nothing resists it or is immune. I might also change the wording such that you MAY replace the damage type, otherwise Fire is basically a trap option. So much resists fire or is immune to it that a firelock would be borderline useless a lot of the time.

[Submortimer]

I'd make Air just lightning damage. Thunder is otherwise the clear winner for damage types- pretty much nothing resists it or is immune. I might also change the wording such that you MAY replace the damage type, otherwise Fire is basically a trap option. So much resists fire or is immune to it that a firelock would be borderline useless a lot of the time.

Eh...Elemental Adept. Yeah, it's a feat tax, but it's also REALLY good...I would expect anyone using this to take that feat regardless.

That being said, I'll look into it, see if I want to change it. It's kinda supposed to be inflexible in that regard, but maybe that's not so bad.

[PotatoGolem]

Elemental Adept doesn't really solve the problem, because a lot of things are immune to fire, which EA does nothing for. So a pyromancer is pretty much a commoner against devils.

Also, I don't think any other subclass in the game removes options from the base class- it's a pretty significant limitation, and one that can really suck for both players and DMs. If my campaign involves fighting white dragons and one player wants to be a cryomancer, he's straight-up useless in those encounters, since even EB is powerless now.

[MrStabby]

This might be borderline reasonable if you excluded eldritch blast from the change of element. As it is the whole concept is good but it spoiled a bit by the balance issues. I think it is inherently risky to take what is arguably the best cantrip in the game and add additional benefits to it, some being very significant.

Even this is not counting common builds like Warlock 2 Sorcerer X. Get to level 6 and add elemental damage to your eldritch blast equal to 2*your charisma to each bolt? Warlock 6 Sorcerer 6 (with maxed Charisma) using quickened spell is a mid level character doing 6d8+30 damage per round.

It isn't a fundamental flaw, and can easily be fixed by stopping the eldritch blasts being elemental.

Even this doesn't stop it being an interesting multiclass option. A few things stand out as being potentially very powerful. The paladin Smite Spells for example doe elemental damage. A Paladin Warlock can get extra mileage from the spells.

A Lightning based cleric who benefits from thunder or lightning damage could find a lot of options here to abuse (but probably in a good way).

Generally I think stone as a selection is maybe a bit too strong. There are a lot of things that do bludgeoning damage, and a lot of things that could (so with this maybe you can jump from high places as a utility bonus). Take the wall of fire spell; now creatures running through the fire have a chance to be stuck inside it (immobilised) for multiple turns.

With elemental affliction, is the number of times the number of targets or the number of spells? If you fireball 5 people do you expend five uses to reduce their speed or whatever or just one? Does the use have to be on spells or can you, for example, immobilise someone with a bludgeoning weapon attack?

[Jurai]

Hmm... At tenth level, Armor of Shadows is rendered useless if you take Earth for Elemental Suffusion. I'd probably make it damage reduction, like Heavy Armor Mastery.

[Submortimer]

Thanks for the feedback!


Elemental Adept doesn't really solve the problem, because a lot of things are immune to fire, which EA does nothing for. So a pyromancer is pretty much a commoner against devils.

I was AFB before, and i totally thought that EA turned immunity into resistance. Change will be made.


This might be borderline reasonable if you excluded eldritch blast from the change of element. As it is the whole concept is good but it spoiled a bit by the balance issues. I think it is inherently risky to take what is arguably the best cantrip in the game and add additional benefits to it, some being very significant.

Even this is not counting common builds like Warlock 2 Sorcerer X. Get to level 6 and add elemental damage to your eldritch blast equal to 2*your charisma to each bolt? Warlock 6 Sorcerer 6 (with maxed Charisma) using quickened spell is a mid level character doing 6d8+30 damage per round.

It isn't a fundamental flaw, and can easily be fixed by stopping the eldritch blasts being elemental.

The Math actually becomes 6d10+60, but who's counting :)
I'm going to add in wording about not allowing AB to stack with any other sources of +Cha damage. I did that with my other patron (Celestial), and it works pretty well.



Even this doesn't stop it being an interesting multiclass option. A few things stand out as being potentially very powerful. The paladin Smite Spells for example doe elemental damage. A Paladin Warlock can get extra mileage from the spells.

A Lightning based cleric who benefits from thunder or lightning damage could find a lot of options here to abuse (but probably in a good way).

Generally I think stone as a selection is maybe a bit too strong. There are a lot of things that do bludgeoning damage, and a lot of things that could (so with this maybe you can jump from high places as a utility bonus). Take the wall of fire spell; now creatures running through the fire have a chance to be stuck inside it (immobilised) for multiple turns.

With elemental affliction, is the number of times the number of targets or the number of spells? If you fireball 5 people do you expend five uses to reduce their speed or whatever or just one? Does the use have to be on spells or can you, for example, immobilise someone with a bludgeoning weapon attack?

I had intended 1 use per target. If said guy runs through the wall, at most he will be affected 5 times. That's assuming the warlock hasn't used this ability on anyone else since the last short rest.

[Submortimer]

Hmm... At tenth level, Armor of Shadows is rendered useless if you take Earth for Elemental Suffusion. I'd probably make it damage reduction, like Heavy Armor Mastery.

That was intentional, and allows for swapping out that for another invocation.

[MrStabby]

The Math actually becomes 6d10+60, but who's counting :)
I'm going to add in wording about not allowing AB to stack with any other sources of +Cha damage. I did that with my other patron (Celestial), and it works pretty well.



I had intended 1 use per target. If said guy runs through the wall, at most he will be affected 5 times. That's assuming the warlock hasn't used this ability on anyone else since the last short rest.

How did my maths get so bad? I must not have been paying attention! It isn't like it is even a typo! I think I calculated it once, then checked it and "corrected" it so something bad. Forgetting that EB is D10 damage given that it is stand out the best damage dealing cantrip in the game was just silly.

I would still urge you to never let any cantrip ever be better than Eldritch blast + Agonising Blast. By having EB+AB+Option for elemental bonus you have created a new high point and it will be much harder to balance the game for this.

[Submortimer]

How did my maths get so bad? I must not have been paying attention! It isn't like it is even a typo! I think I calculated it once, then checked it and "corrected" it so something bad. Forgetting that EB is D10 damage given that it is stand out the best damage dealing cantrip in the game was just silly.

I would still urge you to never let any cantrip ever be better than Eldritch blast + Agonising Blast. By having EB+AB+Option for elemental bonus you have created a new high point and it will be much harder to balance the game for this.

Check out the edit. I added in a line that says that you can change EB to the chosen elemental type, but that you can only add your charisma bonus from one source.

That being said, nothing ever stopped a 2 warlock/10 Evoker from adding both Int and Cha damage to his blast, but that's not for me to change :)

Edit: Re-read that book. Doesn't stack. Boooooooo.

[Jurai]

That was intentional, and allows for swapping out that for another invocation.

I'd still make it damage reduction rather than an AC equation change, but thanks for fixing my blind eyes. Also, there's a reference to Sonic damage under Air's Elemental Affliction.

[Submortimer]

I'd still make it damage reduction rather than an AC equation change, but thanks for fixing my blind eyes. Also, there's a reference to Sonic damage under Air's Elemental Affliction.

Agreed, and change was made.

[Benediction]

@Submortimer
Submortimer, I am writing a custom setting and would like to use your elemental warlock (with a few modifications) in my own work. I may publish one day, though I am not really close to that point, but I wanted to ask if I could use your Elemental Warlock subclass? You will of course be given credit. I have been referring my players to your work for a few years, and it would be easier to add it to my home brew compendium.

Thank You,
Benediction