Cool uses for pact weapon?

[snowman87]

I'm not asking for optimization advice for a Pact of the Blade Warlock, just cool ideas for utilizing the weapon. I know there is some division of opinion on whether or not you are proficient with any weapon type you summon but that is how we are playing it in my group. Some uses I'm thinking:

- If the fighter next to you has no weapon you can loan it to him as long as he doesn't move more than 5 feet from you (Halflings can occupy the same space as a larger creature, so...)
- Change damage types if something is more vulnerable to a specific type.
- Make it ranged by making it a bow and use someone else's ammunition.
- Help you escape prison as no one can take it away from you.

Any other cool ideas for using a weapon that can disappear and reappear as any weapon type imaginable?

[Joe the Rat]

The bow might be out of bounds RAW, but it's a cool concept.

- Being able to switch to / from reach weapons. Going glaive-to-maul-and-back is pretty obvious, but I do like the image of a Dexlock turning his devilish rapier into an infernal whip.

[Tanarii]

Me lee weapon only, and you are proficient with it. Both are RAW.

[MrStabby]

I am not sure where the "division of opinion" comes from over whether you are proficient with the weapon comes from. Maybe it reads differently in different languages but my English PHB on P 107 says "you are proficient with it while you wield it". I am not sure how it is possible to be divided over what that means? Am I missing something?

A blatant abuse of the rules and likely to be shot down, but you can kind of summon any item that can be used as a close combat improvised weapon. Need a candlestick for a ritual? Summon one as an improvised club.

[Joe the Rat]

The place where it may come up is what, exactly, you are proficient with: Your pact weapon, or what your pact weapon is at the moment.

Example: Your pact weapon takes the form of a scimitar. I think we're in agreement that you are proficient with the pact scimitar. But say you find another scimitar, and feel like getting your Drizz't on. Are you proficient with that scimitar as well?

[eastmabl]

"I told you to take his staff!"

"I did, boss!"

[Fwiffo86]

The place where it may come up is what, exactly, you are proficient with: Your pact weapon, or what your pact weapon is at the moment.

Example: Your pact weapon takes the form of a scimitar. I think we're in agreement that you are proficient with the pact scimitar. But say you find another scimitar, and feel like getting your Drizz't on. Are you proficient with that scimitar as well?

I would say as long as you have the pact weapon in one hand, you are proficient with the second scimitar. The second you dismiss your pact weapon, the proficiency bonus vanishes along with it.

[Tanarii]

The place where it may come up is what, exactly, you are proficient with: Your pact weapon, or what your pact weapon is at the moment.

Example: Your pact weapon takes the form of a scimitar. I think we're in agreement that you are proficient with the pact scimitar. But say you find another scimitar, and feel like getting your Drizz't on. Are you proficient with that scimitar as well?no of course not. You're proficient with "it" while you wield it. That clearly refers to the previous two sentences which talk about your pact weapon specifically. It's says you're proficient with your pact weapon. Not "you're proficient with your pact weapon and any other weapon that shares its current form." It'd take a pretty willful misreading to think it gave you proficiency with other non-pact weapons.

[deathbymanga]

The place where it may come up is what, exactly, you are proficient with: Your pact weapon, or what your pact weapon is at the moment.

Example: Your pact weapon takes the form of a scimitar. I think we're in agreement that you are proficient with the pact scimitar. But say you find another scimitar, and feel like getting your Drizz't on. Are you proficient with that scimitar as well?

actually, it was said somewhere, I forget where, that you can make two pact weapons if you want if they are the same pact weapons.

But a question I have is, can a Pact Warlock make a HandAxe and throw it at people?

[Douche]

Also, I don't get how you can just change the shape of the pact weapon each time you summon it.

One line reads: You can transform one magic weapon into your pact weapon by performing a special ritual while you hold the weapon.
You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest.

Then another one says: You can choose the form that this melee weapon takes each time you create it.

But if you can change its shape each time you summon it, what's the point of even transforming a weapon into your pact weapon? Does it retain properties from when you pact'd it? Like if I took a flaming longsword and made it my pact weapon, but then summon it as a battleaxe, it's still flaming?

Furthermore, I feel like when you take the two lines in conjunction, "creating" the pact weapon can be interpreted differently as summoning it. Thus, the creation takes place during the one hour ritual, allowing you to perform the ritual on a flaming longsword and choose to have it take the form of a battleaxe. When you subsequently summon it, it will be a battleaxe from then on.

[deathbymanga]

But if you can change its shape each time you summon it, what's the point of even transforming a weapon into your pact weapon? Does it retain properties from when you pact'd it? Like if I took a flaming longsword and made it my pact weapon, but then summon it as a battleaxe, it's still flaming?

the advantage here is if you get yourself an Magic Weapon. Like, say you find the sunblade. Even if you aren't proficient with Longswords, you are now, and you can summon the weapon at will whenever you need it

[Douche]

the advantage here is if you get yourself an Magic Weapon. Like, say you find the sunblade. Even if you aren't proficient with Longswords, you are now, and you can summon the weapon at will whenever you need it

*looks up Sunblade*

Ok so if a warlock makes that his pact weapon but transforms it to a polearm, does it still do double damage to undead creatures?

[EvilAnagram]

*looks up Sunblade*

Ok so if a warlock makes that his pact weapon but transforms it to a polearm, does it still do double damage to undead creatures?

I don't know that you can transform magic weapons you've made your pact weapon.

[deathbymanga]

*looks up Sunblade*

Ok so if a warlock makes that his pact weapon but transforms it to a polearm, does it still do double damage to undead creatures?

no, you cannot transform your pact weapon if it's a magic weapon. The rules are, you can control the image of your pact weapon, but you can choose to make your pact weapon a magic weapon instead.

It's a little complicated, but even if you COULD, the sunblade magic is specifically a Longsword enchantment, which means as soon as you remove the longsword attribute, it would loose it's enchantment until it regains the enchantment

[snacksmoto]

Also, I don't get how you can just change the shape of the pact weapon each time you summon it.

One line reads: You can transform one magic weapon into your pact weapon by performing a special ritual while you hold the weapon.
You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest.

Then another one says: You can choose the form that this melee weapon takes each time you create it.

But if you can change its shape each time you summon it, what's the point of even transforming a weapon into your pact weapon? Does it retain properties from when you pact'd it? Like if I took a flaming longsword and made it my pact weapon, but then summon it as a battleaxe, it's still flaming?

Furthermore, I feel like when you take the two lines in conjunction, "creating" the pact weapon can be interpreted differently as summoning it. Thus, the creation takes place during the one hour ritual, allowing you to perform the ritual on a flaming longsword and choose to have it take the form of a battleaxe. When you subsequently summon it, it will be a battleaxe from then on.

As I read it, it is essentially two variants on having a single pact weapon.

- "You can choose the form that this melee weapon takes each time you create it." This is a weapon completely created through the pact magic. Therefore, you can manipulate the magic to make any weapon you wish. The nature of the pact magic means you are proficient in the use of your pact weapon but not any other weapon of the same form.

- "You can transform one magic weapon into your pact weapon..." This is a weapon that is not created through the pact magic, simply summoned. Because it is an object that wasn't created through the pact magic, you can't change its form. The flaming longsword will always be summoned as a flaming longsword, never as a battleaxe. It still retains all of its abilities.

So, the first variant has the advantage of weapon versatility. The second variant has the advantage of the bonded weapon's magical traits. You can still only have one pact weapon, using one variant or the other. The nature of the pact magic's bond to the weapon means you are proficient in the use of that specific weapon but not any other weapon of the same form. You are automatically proficient in your pact weapon, let's say it's a longsword, but not automatically proficient in the other, regular longsword in your other hand. The proficiency for the other sword is covered by your standard array of weapon proficiencies.

[JakOfAllTirades]

Sell your pact weapon.

As many times as you can get away with it.

[Sigreid]

If you're willing to call improvised weapons weapons, that would mean your pact weapon could be any single tool you need...

[deathbymanga]

If you're willing to call improvised weapons weapons, that would mean your pact weapon could be any single tool you need...

you'd only be proficient in using it as a weapon, not as it's designated usage

[Sigreid]

you'd only be proficient in using it as a weapon, not as it's designated usage

Yes, but need a crowbar, you're set. Need a shovel, no problem. Need a pick, you got it. Need a needle to patch your cloak, yep. etc.

[Vogonjeltz]

Any other cool ideas for using a weapon that can disappear and reappear as any weapon type imaginable?

As you mentioned, prison breaks, getting weapons into locations unseen, providing a weapon (temporarily as it will disappear after a minute) to a teammate and so forth.

Eldritch Knights have a similarly cool ability in Weapon Bond as they can never be disarmed and can always get their weapon(s).

[krugaan]

"That's not a sword mate...THIS is a sword."

[AeonsShadow]

As I read it, it is essentially two variants on having a single pact weapon.

- "You can choose the form that this melee weapon takes each time you create it." This is a weapon completely created through the pact magic. Therefore, you can manipulate the magic to make any weapon you wish. The nature of the pact magic means you are proficient in the use of your pact weapon but not any other weapon of the same form.

- "You can transform one magic weapon into your pact weapon..." This is a weapon that is not created through the pact magic, simply summoned. Because it is an object that wasn't created through the pact magic, you can't change its form. The flaming longsword will always be summoned as a flaming longsword, never as a battleaxe. It still retains all of its abilities.

So, the first variant has the advantage of weapon versatility. The second variant has the advantage of the bonded weapon's magical traits. You can still only have one pact weapon, using one variant or the other. The nature of the pact magic's bond to the weapon means you are proficient in the use of that specific weapon but not any other weapon of the same form. You are automatically proficient in your pact weapon, let's say it's a longsword, but not automatically proficient in the other, regular longsword in your other hand. The proficiency for the other sword is covered by your standard array of weapon proficiencies.

So basically you have a choice between any Melee weapon you want, the versatility in your position on the team being solidified with this fact, or you have a magical weapon you find as your weapon of choice.

One OR the other right? You can't have it both ways correct?

[deathbymanga]

So basically you have a choice between any Melee weapon you want, the versatility in your position on the team being solidified with this fact, or you have a magical weapon you find as your weapon of choice.

One OR the other right? You can't have it both ways correct?

you can have both, you just can't combine the two. I think. you may need to remove the pact binding on your magic weapon if you want to return the variety. Considering Magic weapons don't come around until later in the game anyway, you should find that niche weapon you like to use more than others

[tieren]

You could always summon it as a 10' pole, er staff, and get all the million and one things to do with a big stick.

[Fwiffo86]

You could always summon it as a 10' pole, er staff, and get all the million and one things to do with a big stick.

Only as long as you yell "Power Pole Extend" everytime you summon it.

[JoeJ]

Yes, but need a crowbar, you're set. Need a shovel, no problem. Need a pick, you got it. Need a needle to patch your cloak, yep. etc.

I'd allow anything that could be wielded as a weapon (by a typical fantasy hero, not necessarily by Bullseye). So in terms of utility, it's almost as good as the 2nd level Minor Conjuration that some wizards get.