The new Escarboucle

[Millstone85]

Hopefully, I will soon turn my 4e starlock into a 5e goolock. We would restart at 5th level.http://i.imgur.com/XFGdNeb.pngObviously, I still have many things to discuss with my DM, like the amount of money in my pockets after the time skip.

Now, I am musing about the arsenal and toolbox my magic gives me.

My plan is to mostly go "Exterminate! Exterminate!" with my improved Eldritch Blast.
I also like having a decent melee spell for myself and my familiar, that is Shocking Grasp.
If need be, I can deal additional damage with either Hex or Phantasmal Force.
And I would be a poor goolock if I couldn't open a tear in reality like Hunger of Hadar.
I do hope that's enough dakka, because I am really tired of fourth edition's "Fifty Shades of Zap".

On the toolbox side of things, I would like my magic to follow the theme of mental powers.
The fifth edition seems to have much to offer in this regard: mind reading, mind control...

I could ask if I am making a mistake but I would rather phrase the question like this:
Does the system support such a character or does it render her useless?

[weaseldust]

It's pretty hard to make a useless Warlock with Eldritch Blast. Between that and your other cantrips, your character could find a way to be useful in most situations.

The only things I really question are your skills and background. At the moment, your skills are mostly shoring up your weaknesses (low strength, wisdom, and intelligence) rather than exploiting your potential strengths (high charisma, plus spells and invocations to use it with - Mask of Many Faces pairs especially well with charisma skills, for instance). Is there a character backstory reason for choosing Outlander?

A couple of more minor points: you don't really need a crossbow and you possibly don't need Sending, unless you engage in a lot of conversations at very long range, since you can speak through your familar and send private messages via telepathy already. If you do swap out Sending, Mirror Image might be useful to provide you with more protection, since your AC of 14 is, while pretty much to be expected from a caster, not the greatest.

[Felvion]

In overall you are ok. You won't be dealing massive amounts of damage, nor will you be able to spam spells each and every round (except from cantrips of course) but the class is very fun to play and it helps you build unique characters.
You are not doing anything wrong but this doesn't mean you couldn't be better.
Personally i find the spell sniper feat quite underwhelming. I've never had much trouble with cover or spell range but maybe this had to do with my dms not paying the appropriate attention to them. If your dm does (especially concerning cover) then it's an ok choice. If you do it for the extra spell then i believe it's a waste of a feat, magic initiate would be better i guess.
In terms of optimization, i've seen lot's of human variant warlock's picking moderately armored at first level. It can potentially boost your ac up to 18 from level 1 (boosting ac in 5th is much harder in 5th than it used to be) and it gives you a +1 in dex (which could be used to save points and start with 12 in wis or 10 in int) but i think it doesn't fit your theme. If it does it's a very good choice. Apart from MO, i'd rather start with lucky or alert instead of spell sniper.
Also, i see the rp reasons behind sending but perhaps you could leave it for later (when 3rd level spels are not the most powerful in your spell list) and go for a better 3 level spell.

[Millstone85]

Thank you for your comments.


It's pretty hard to make a useless Warlock with Eldritch Blast. Between that and your other cantrips, your character could find a way to be useful in most situations.
You are not doing anything wrong but this doesn't mean you couldn't be better.
I am glad to read this.


Is there a character backstory reason for choosing Outlander?Yes. A druidic community on the western border of Chondalwood was destroyed in a spellplague crisis. A surviving but plaguechanged woman named Miranda later gave birth to a child who, surprisingly, was only spellscarred. Miranda prayed the gods and spirits of nature to help her child but they did not answer. An entity from the Far Realm did. After that, little Escarboucle was essentially raised by her familiar in the loneliness of a warped wild. One fourth edition campaign later, the spellplague is gone and so is Escarboucle's spellscar, but the pact that once kept her from going full plaguechanged is now slowly turning her into something else.


At the moment, your skills are mostly shoring up your weaknesses (low strength, wisdom, and intelligence) rather than exploiting your potential strengthsBoth approaches are valid, aren't they? And there are also roleplay matters in this. Like how she wouldn't know jack about history, religion or even the normal ways of nature, but she has been investigating magic all her life. For the record, the 4e character cast spells with her constitution. Her new charisma is something I will try to justify as wholly unnatural.


you don't really need a crossbowI think I do, if only for hunting. I love the Wanderer background feature but the DM might need convincing. No eldritch-blasted meat on the campfire.


you possibly don't need Sending, unless you engage in a lot of conversations at very long range, since you can speak through your familar and send private messages via telepathy already.
Also, i see the rp reasons behind sending but perhaps you could leave it for later (when 3rd level spels are not the most powerful in your spell list) and go for a better 3 level spell.Perhaps that says something bad about fourth edition, or the way the campaign was run, but Ambassador Imp was probably my favorite spell and the one that seems to have had the most impact on the other players. Practically a character on its own, called Natel the Nautilus. And now fifth edition offers me a far better version of the spell. No way I am not taking it! Plus Escarboucle has in fact befriended one or two knowledgeable NPCs here and there on Faerûn.


In overall you are ok. You won't be dealing massive amounts of damage, nor will you be able to spam spells each and every round (except from cantrips of course) but the class is very fun to play and it helps you build unique characters.Do you mean that I won't be dealing much damage for a warlock or are you just making a comment about the class?


If you do swap out Sending, Mirror Image might be useful to provide you with more protection, since your AC of 14 is, while pretty much to be expected from a caster, not the greatest.
Personally i find the spell sniper feat quite underwhelming. I've never had much trouble with cover or spell range but maybe this had to do with my dms not paying the appropriate attention to them. If your dm does (especially concerning cover) then it's an ok choice. If you do it for the extra spell then i believe it's a waste of a feat, magic initiate would be better i guess.
In terms of optimization, i've seen lot's of human variant warlock's picking moderately armored at first level. It can potentially boost your ac up to 18 from level 1 (boosting ac in 5th is much harder in 5th than it used to be) and it gives you a +1 in dex (which could be used to save points and start with 12 in wis or 10 in int) but i think it doesn't fit your theme. If it does it's a very good choice. Apart from MO, i'd rather start with lucky or alert instead of spell sniper.I will think about this.

[Felvion]

Do you mean that I won't be dealing much damage for a warlock or are you just making a comment about the class?


It was a comment on the class. What i was trying to say is that you will rarely be the center of attention in a fight due to your dpr although a hexed agonizing eldritch blast competes for the highest dpr a character can deal in level 5.
I find warlock a very fun to play class and the most interesting one due to its many unique abilities. You'll rarelly outshine others in terms of dps or pure spellcasting but you have great utility (through casting, invocations and class features) and awesome thematic spell list that will not let you down.
Also, i personally dislike hex. It's not a bad spell, on the contrary, but you are only limited to 2 spelslots per short rest until level 11 and you have to work around it. I prefer to save my slots for an occasional well placed thematic spell (like hunger of hadar or suggestion) than to cast a hex and just increase my dpr. The only part of hex that makes it interesting enough to keep it in my list is that it's actually a curse and brings disandvantage on ability checks of your choice.
In total, warlock's utility forces you to be creative. Is there anything more satisfying in an roleplaying game than driving an NPC insane by telepathetically talking to his mind while detecting his thoughts? Or casting an illusion to fool someone and then cursing his own ability to investigate illusions?
Your only weakness is that you are still vulnerable while the class givrs you everything you need. That's why i suggested defensive feats like lucky, moderately armor (which i still don't like but admittedly gives great numbers) or alert. As long as you keep yourself safe and have a high charisma you are going to be fine. Have fun with your character!

[gfishfunk]

Also, i see the rp reasons behind sending but perhaps you could leave it for later (when 3rd level spels are not the most powerful in your spell list) and go for a better 3 level spell.

You actually cannot cast Sending as a Warlock, as Sending is a Wizard spell, lvl 3. For that reason, you might want to pick up something else.

[Felvion]

You actually cannot cast Sending as a Warlock, as Sending is a Wizard spell, lvl 3. For that reason, you might want to pick up something else.

It's in his patron's expended spell list.

[weaseldust]

Both approaches are valid, aren't they? And there are also roleplay matters in this. Like how she wouldn't know jack about history, religion or even the normal ways of nature, but she has been investigating magic all her life. For the record, the 4e character cast spells with her constitution. Her new charisma is something I will try to justify as wholly unnatural.

Yes, entirely valid, especially since your choices are informed by your character's backstory. I personally find it's more fun to have something the character is very good at, rather than being solid but unexceptional on a bunch of things, but it's going to be hard for you to accomplish that. You have to prioritise charisma for your casting, but you don't see that as a natural feature of the character, so you can't invest in charisma skills.


I think I do, if only for hunting. I love the Wanderer background feature but the DM might need convincing. No eldritch-blasted meat on the campfire.

Well, your Eldritch Blast can take any form you choose, including an eldritch crossbow. The existence of the Eldritch Spear invocation suggests that the potential for forming it as a weapon is part of the class concept. But, that said, the physical crossbow is a natural thing for your character to have and it does her no harm, so there's no reason not to use it.


Perhaps that says something bad about fourth edition, or the way the campaign was run, but Ambassador Imp was probably my favorite spell and the one that seems to have had the most impact on the other players. Practically a character on its own, called Natel the Nautilus. And now fifth edition offers me a far better version of the spell. No way I am not taking it! Plus Escarboucle has in fact befriended one or two knowledgeable NPCs here and there on Faerûn.

Well, I understand, but you do also have access to an actual imp you can send off. The spell is more convenient if you don't want to send your familiar away, but is it worth taking at this level?


Whatever you do, though, your character will be fine. OK, I can't guarantee they'll be fine, but they'll stand no greater chance of dying horribly than anyone else.

Do you know what the rest of the party will be like, by the way? (Is there a party?) For instance, not being proficient in charisma skills is less important if another character will bear that burden (or if you intend to play as a band of social outcasts, which is also good fun).

[Millstone85]

I modified the character a little.http://i.imgur.com/RzKzLAE.png

First, I followed Felvion's advice and changed my variant human feat from Spell Sniper to Magic Initiate. Now I have the sorcerer cantrip Light in addition to Shocking Grasp and I can cast the sorcerer 1st level spell Shield once between long rests. The first one means I can make my invisible familiar create a magical torch 100 feet ahead while the group stays hidden in the shadows. Magic Initiate also makes more sense with the character's backstory as a former spellscarred and now an aberrant soul. I will not actually multiclass as a sorcerer but the concept is there.

It came to me that the 4e spell Ambassador Imp did not define the length of the message it could convey and neither did we. Sending has unlimited range and even a chance to contact another plane but it specifies a limit of 25 words. This would be good for distress signals but not much else, so I did what you guys wanted and I replaced Sending with another spell. Not Mirror Image because everything about it rubs me the wrong way. Three duplicates of my character and all they can do is dance around with 1 hit point and no armor, potentially falling to attacks that would not have hit the real one while letting other attacks reach her? Thanks but no thanks. Instead, I took Dispel Magic. It might help.

Oh and I moved the invocations to the "features and traits" section.


Have fun with your character! Thanks!


Well, your Eldritch Blast can take any form you choose, including an eldritch crossbow. The existence of the Eldritch Spear invocation suggests that the potential for forming it as a weapon is part of the class concept.Interesting. But I think I will keep picturing it like a dalek ray.


Do you know what the rest of the party will be like, by the way? (Is there a party?)There was a party but it disbanded after the last adventure. All five players should return but I do not know what old or new characters they will play. I am keeping the same character, just updated for the new edition. It was not much of a team, though. More like two friends and their three stalkers. I kept telling everyone that "burn the witch" was a completely valid option for their characters to get rid of mine but they only joked about it.


For instance, not being proficient in charisma skills is less important if another character will bear that burden (or if you intend to play as a band of social outcasts, which is also good fun).Honestly, rolling for social interaction seems to be a foreign concept at our table. I had invested in a power that, once per encounter, would let my character use arcana-babble in place of diplomacy or other skills from her then dump stat. That was a complete waste of a power, as I never had to use it.

[Millstone85]

I got advice in other threads and now the character looks like this.http://i.imgur.com/mMf1MnR.pngI think the character is good to go now. Thank you everyone!