changing a warlocks primary stat

[mealar]

so my group are looking at starting to think of our next campaign and i am going for a Warlock of the great old one. now the DM has said that as my background is to do with books and it's a mental lovecraft type patron i would be allowed to change my stat to INT instead of charisma.

so i'm wondering what kind of changes can i expect from going this route if i actually do, i get the obvious stuff like what skills i use will change but i've not played many campaigns myself. do people find that charisma skills come up a lot more than int in a standard campaign or vice-versa.

(bear in mind atm my party would have a paladin and a bladsinger wizard as well, so the party's overall spread of skills isn't going to change much)

[Rusvul]

In 5e, Int is generally considered a worse stat than Cha. It doesn't help with very much unless it's your casting stat. The only situation I can think of where it would help is if you wanted to multiclass with Wizard. If, for some nonmechanical reason, you really want Int as your casting stat, you shouldn't be hamstringing yourself too badly. Keep in mind, though, all of the common multiclasses for Warlock are Cha casters... If you wanted to take Sorcerer/Bard/Paladin levels, then you really should stick to Cha.

[treecko]

Well, it wouldn't break the game, as it would be pretty much worse. If you want to go that route, then that's your choice.

[Spectre9000]

Already having a Wizard in your party is going to have you overlapping with skills, and the added bonus of getting Ritual Caster is negated if you go with Tomelock. Honestly, it seems Psychic damage ties more to Wisdom saving throws than Intellect, so I would argue perhaps your Lovecratian Warlock could use Wisdom instead of Intellect for your spellcasting? This would open up Druid and Cleric for Wis, and if you went Dex, it'd also offer Ranger and Monk for Multi-Class options. Wisdom provides you with better skills imo (not the least of which is Perception) and better Multi-Class options.

[bid]

Cha is people relation, Int is mostly knowledge. If you want to play a recluse that won't deal with others, that's perfect. You can always put proficiency in a single Cha skill.

From a balance POV, wizard MC might be more powerful than sorcerer. For instance, arcane ward and armor of agathy.

[mephnick]

Sure, it's kind of annoying that every warlock also makes the best party face when it's not really what I envision as a warlock.

I think they shouldn't have been CHA in the first place, but that's just me.

[mealar]

Honestly, it seems Psychic damage ties more to Wisdom saving throws than Intellect, so I would argue perhaps your Lovecratian Warlock could use Wisdom instead of Intellect for your spellcasting?

he did also mention i could use Wis but would have to think about RP implications, always seen Wis as being the stat for those who have been out in the world and it's a measure of general experience. Guess i could try somthing about the old one giving flashes of other people lives, anyway starting to sound good.

[Millstone85]

Sure, it's kind of annoying that every warlock also makes the best party face when it's not really what I envision as a warlock.

I think they shouldn't have been CHA in the first place, but that's just me.I liked how 4e had the option of a CON warlock, as in a character who is just a conductor for magic.

Anyway, the charisma of warlocks could be entirely derived from the fey, fiendish or alien presence of their patron.

[Princess]

he did also mention i could use Wis but would have to think about RP implications, always seen Wis as being the stat for those who have been out in the world and it's a measure of general experience. Guess i could try somthing about the old one giving flashes of other people lives, anyway starting to sound good.

Wisdom is more about someone's intrinsic insightfulness and awareness than a learned trait (of course, it can be improved), so that isn't really the issue. If it had to do with experience, wisdom based classes would either be higher level than everyone else or harder to level up in. And being out in the world is what your background and your adventuring career are about. ;)

There is no issue swapping any casting stat for any other casting stat, at least not in a game breaking sort of way, so the real concerns should be "Does this make sense?" and "What skills should I be good at if I'm a _____?" Those are mine, anyway. A reclusive scholar exploring maddening mysteries becoming a Warlock seems far more appropriate to Intelligence than Wisdom or Charisma, and honestly I'd consider making the casting stat for Warlocks and Sorcerers tied to their choice of origin/patron. A Great Old One Warlock based on intelligence makes perfect sense and has no mechanical drawbacks worth mentioning, really, unless you have to be the party face despite not having a good charisma anymore. But if that happens, blame everyone else at the table for not thinking through their own choices, because nobody should be forced to be the negotiator for everyone if they don't want to.

[Talamare]

I would allow it only if you're banned from MCing into Wizard

[MaxWilson]

so my group are looking at starting to think of our next campaign and i am going for a Warlock of the great old one. now the DM has said that as my background is to do with books and it's a mental lovecraft type patron i would be allowed to change my stat to INT instead of charisma.

so i'm wondering what kind of changes can i expect from going this route if i actually do, i get the obvious stuff like what skills i use will change but i've not played many campaigns myself. do people find that charisma skills come up a lot more than int in a standard campaign or vice-versa.

(bear in mind atm my party would have a paladin and a bladsinger wizard as well, so the party's overall spread of skills isn't going to change much)

From a powergaming standpoint this is pure win. Now you can go Warlock 2/Necromancer X and get all the best forbidden lore, armies of undead, and a fantastic personal attack (Agonizing Blast + Eldritch Spear or Repelling Blast) while still remaining dependent on only a single attribute.

[Gastronomie]

Sure, it's kind of annoying that every warlock also makes the best party face when it's not really what I envision as a warlock.

I think they shouldn't have been CHA in the first place, but that's just me.
I think it's mainly because, from a metagaming viewpoint, Warlocks might have to tell lies about their arcane origins in some campaigns. Which makes them need to be good at the "Deception" skill.
Also, contracts with devils generally make people smexier (though most of the time, it's just an illusion or something).

From a powergaming standpoint this is pure win. Now you can go Warlock 2/Necromancer X and get all the best forbidden lore, armies of undead, and a fantastic personal attack (Agonizing Blast + Eldritch Spear or Repelling Blast) while still remaining dependent on only a single attribute.
When I read the first post I came up with this and was gonna boast like "I'M SO SMART" but it was ninja'd so well, never mind. It certainly seems an interesting choice, if the DM allows it.

[MaxWilson]

When I read the first post I came up with this and was gonna boast like "I'M SO SMART" but it was ninja'd so well, never mind. It certainly seems an interesting choice, if the DM allows it.

Hahaha, great minds think alike.