How should I progress/modify my Tome/Great Old One Warlock?

[Wolfiee]

Hey there everyone!

I've currently got a Warlock setup beginning at level 3. My overall idea of her is that she's a sort of Hastur worshipping reaper of souls. So far I've played one session with the DM, and the campaign was designed to focus on defeating enemies through subtlety etc. and not combat, although, so far the campaign has been extremely combat heavy.

Anyway, I'd really, really, appreciate it if I could get some feedback on my current build, and what I should change about it before and when I reach level 4 (The DM has agreed to letting me shuffle my spells/invocations around a bit).

Here are my current stats/details:
Despair
Half-Elf Warlock 3, Great Old One, Pact of the Tome
20 CHA, 18 INT, 14 CON, 14 DEX, 13 WIS, 13 STR

Skill Proficiencies
Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Persuasion, Religion, Stealth

Languages
Common, Elvish, Dwarvish, Infernal, Abyssal

Invocations
Beguiling Influence
Book of Ancient Secrets

Rituals from Book of Ancient Secrets
Silence
Find Familiar

Spells & Cantrips
Cantrips:
Eldritch Blast
Minor Illusion
Guidance
Mending
Friends

2nd Level Spells:
Invisibility
Suggestion
Hold Person
Detect Thoughts

So, I'm allowed to change around my spells, cantrips, invocations, and rituals. I'm thinking possibly Hex as a spell, Shocking Grasp and Vicious Mockery as cantrips and maybe Iomund's Tiny Hut (I think that's what it's called? I don't have my PHB on me).

Also, just wondering what Feat/Ability score improvement I should take at level 4, I'm really not sure what to do there. Any advice and feedback would be greatly appreciated, aswell as any suggestions that might improve my character's overall effectiveness.
(Sorry if this was formatted horrifically by the way, first time posting :P)
Thanks in advance.

[Naanomi]

Hex is very important; and I would take Agonizing Blast for all but a few fringe warlock builds.

Drop Beguiling Influence and just grab a social skill or two via half-elf bonuses. If you are still hurting from lack of skills; three levels in Bard at a later level would pick up 4 more of your choice (and expertise) without giving up much on the 'end game' potential. If you can find a way to fit it in comfortably, Perception is always a nice skill to grab.

Consider Find Familiar as your ritual, the uses are myriad. Don't worry about attack cantrips outside of Eldritch Blast unless you have a very firm plan for them.

With your stats being so high, consider spell sniper, war caster, alert, or resilient: constitution. Boosting Con or Dex is always an option as well.

[MrStabby]

It's almost a shame you have Cha 20... Actor could be a great feat for a deception campaign, coupled with good bluff/disguise self etc..

Be aware that you will need DM permission to take your spells from different lists with the book of ancient secrets - as written it is one list.

Given your primary combat score is already at max I would be tempted to focus on feats that add utility. Find something else you want to do well and get better at it. Maybe take skulker for a mix of in and out of combat use?

[SharkForce]

Be aware that you will need DM permission to take your spells from different lists with the book of ancient secrets - as written it is one list.

no, it doesn't say that. it says you can choose from any class's spell list... not any one class's, or choose any spell from a class's spell list.

[MrStabby]

no, it doesn't say that. it says you can choose from any class's spell list... not any one class's, or choose any spell from a class's spell list.

Yup. Position of the Apostrophe denotes singular I believe.

[Wolfiee]

Be aware that you will need DM permission to take your spells from different lists with the book of ancient secrets - as written it is one list.
Ahh, well spotted, I didn't notice this, thanks for pointing that out!


Drop Beguiling Influence and just grab a social skill or two via half-elf bonuses. If you are still hurting from lack of skills; three levels in Bard at a later level would pick up 4 more of your choice (and expertise) without giving up much on the 'end game' potential.
Flavour wise, Bard definitely appeals, definitely considering this now.. Thankyou all for the suggestions.

[MrStabby]

Ahh, well spotted, I didn't notice this, thanks for pointing that out!



On the bright side it isn't that controversial taking them from different lists. You have a good chance of persuading your DM.

[Daishain]

Yup. Position of the Apostrophe denotes singular I believe.

Given the number of grammatical mistakes we've run across that completely change the intended meaning, I'd maintain some skepticism over whether or not the developers chose to rely on a single apostrophe to tell people they only wanted it to be from one singular list. Especially since they are careful to spell it out on other occasions where such is indeed the case.

[MrStabby]

Given the number of grammatical mistakes we've run across that completely change the intended meaning, I'd maintain some skepticism over whether or not the developers chose to rely on a single apostrophe to tell people they only wanted it to be from one singular list. Especially since they are careful to spell it out on other occasions where such is indeed the case.

Well they spell it out in some other places like magic initiate, well one other place. I can't think off the top of my head another thing to compare it to. So yes, this is written differently to magic initiate - possibly due to a mistake or possibly to distinguish is from magic initiate.

With no attention to correct grammar it could be interpreted either way. Paying attention to correct grammar it can only be interpreted one way. I would argue that even in the former case it should be run past the DM to check what they are willing to accept. Given it actually has the meaning running contrary to what you might want I would certainly say it is worth running past them, if only as a courtesy to the other players at the table.

[Wolfiee]

three levels in Bard at a later level
Out of curiosity, would 4 levels in bard be okay to grab that extra feat and slots? Or is the 9th level Mystic Arcanum of more value?

[Daishain]

Out of curiosity, would 4 levels in bard be okay to grab that extra feat and slots? Or is the 9th level Mystic Arcanum of more value?
Conventional wisdom says 9th level spells are of more value than almost any other single thing.

On the other hand, you need to account for how likely it is that you reach level 20 at all within the timeframe of the current campaign.

[Wolfiee]

Conventional wisdom says 9th level spells are of more value than almost any other single thing.

On the other hand, you need to account for how likely it is that you reach level 20 at all within the timeframe of the current campaign.
Ahh okay, it's quite likely we'll reach level 20 - provided that the party lives. Our DM is quite fond of putting his players up for the long run.

[Naanomi]

Out of curiosity, would 4 levels in bard be okay to grab that extra feat and slots? Or is the 9th level Mystic Arcanum of more value?
Besides, with that Stat array you will be able to grab every feat you will likely want anyways. Not needing to boost Charisma puts you 'two feats up' on conventional point-buy builds anyways; losing one should be just fine.

[odigity]

I second the suggestion of dipping Bard. One of the characters in my game is a Warlock 8 / Bard 1. He dipped Bard early for the following benefits:

1) more skills
2) more cantrips known
3) more spells known (especially Bane and Cure Wounds)
4) more spell slots
5) Bardic Inspiration (so he can inspire the party's full Bard, who can't inspire himself yet)

Warlocks have the fewest spells known and spell slots of all the full casters. Dipping one level of Bard can nearly double your options early on, and will continue to be useful later. For example, if you want to cast a 1st lvl spell that doesn't scale with spell slot, you can use your Bard spell slots to do it, keeping your 2nd-5th lvl Warlock slots for higher level or scaling spells.

Also, a Warlock with Bard dip can make the best use of Cure Wounds I've seen. Every time the party is about to short rest, if you have one or two of your Warlock slots unspent, use them to cast Cure Wounds. It's free extra healing, since you're about to get your slots back, and it's cast at your highest slot level, so it will automatically scale up to 5d8+Cha at Warlock 9.