The Shaman-Warlock: need advice on spells

[polymphus]

So, I've been running a character concept for an upcoming game. I've never played a spellcaster in 5e and I'm really looking forward to it.

My idea was a tribal shaman who, in his search to discover the will of the gods, accidentally stumbled onto well ... something else (read: a Great Old One). The dark god speaks to him in his dreams, and tells him to wander and seek. Now, driven insane, he goes from place to place trying to interpret the will of his new master.

From a gameplay perspective, I thought it would be interesting to play an illusion/enchantment guy who spreads the madness around.

So, initial thoughts:

Warlock
Variant Human w. Magic Initiate Feat
Great Old One pact
Pact of the Tome (Book of Ancient Secrets is a must)

That's seven cantrips from a variety of different lists, eventually going up to 9. Lots of access to rituals for messing with minds outta combat.

Apart from Eldritch Blast (gotta have real combat damage somewhere), I was considering

- Frostbite (the freezing cold of the void, also disadvantage is good)
- Thaumaturgy (for messing with the heads of peasants)
- Dancing Lights (more headtripping, some solid out of combat utility for making people question their sanity)
- Feeblemind (Mystic Arcanum, definitely good for blasting minds apart)
- Dream (Ritual fun)

What else should I be looking at?

[JellyPooga]

I would definitely think of picking up Druidcraft for that Shaman feel. Possibly something from the Druid list as your Magic Initiate 1st level spell (Fog Cloud maybe? Very eerie).

[Quoxis]

So, I've been running a character concept for an upcoming game. I've never played a spellcaster in 5e and I'm really looking forward to it.

My idea was a tribal shaman who, in his search to discover the will of the gods, accidentally stumbled onto well ... something else (read: a Great Old One). The dark god speaks to him in his dreams, and tells him to wander and seek. Now, driven insane, he goes from place to place trying to interpret the will of his new master.

From a gameplay perspective, I thought it would be interesting to play an illusion/enchantment guy who spreads the madness around.

So, initial thoughts:

Warlock
Variant Human w. Magic Initiate Feat
Great Old One pact
Pact of the Tome (Book of Ancient Secrets is a must)

That's seven cantrips from a variety of different lists, eventually going up to 9. Lots of access to rituals for messing with minds outta combat.

Apart from Eldritch Blast (gotta have real combat damage somewhere), I was considering

- Frostbite (the freezing cold of the void, also disadvantage is good)
- Thaumaturgy (for messing with the heads of peasants)
- Dancing Lights (more headtripping, some solid out of combat utility for making people question their sanity)
- Feeblemind (Mystic Arcanum, definitely good for blasting minds apart)
- Dream (Ritual fun)

What else should I be looking at?

Look at the cleric spell list - you're trying to convert people to your belief if i read that correctly, so plagiarizing a servant of the gods with guidance, thaumaturgy and sacred flame is always a good option. Clerics also get other thematic (ritual) spells like divination or commune - what says "Ay yo mah god of madne- i mean, awesomeness is totes real, i swear" more than miraculously seeing the future?
Other than that, spreading madness is nice, but why not take it further and cause weird occurences? Polymorph unsuspecting people into newts, tabaxi into dogs, kenku into flies, chickens into dinosaurs; make some unseen servants carry stuff around, make illusory glowing people float around with dancing lights, let random patches of darkness appear in the centre of the city and let silent image tentacles sprout out of it, make people believe they are cursed (just talk them into believing you and use your illusions and spells to undermine their sense of reality)... Especially phantasmal force is neat for that, because only the target can percieve the illusion.

Three+ levels of sorcerer can help here, just take the "subtle spell" metamagic and cast without others knowing!
(You can convert warlock slots into sorcery points and then take a short rest to fuel metamagics).

[polymphus]

Hmm okay so let's break it down some more

Warlock
Variant Human w. Magic Initiate Feat
Great Old One pact
Pact of the Tome
Book of Ancient Secrets

Starting Spells:

Warlock Starters
1) Eldritch Blast
2) Frostbite
3) Hex

Magic Initiate: Druid
1) Druidcraft
2) Control Flames
3) Fog Cloud

Later on:

Pact of the Tome
1) Thaumaturgy
2) Spare the Dying
3) Dancing Lights

Book of Ancient Secrets starters
1) Find Familiar
2) Unseen Servant

Book of Ancient Secrets: try to find later
3) Commune
4) Divination
5) Feign Death
6) Silence
7) Augury
8) Detect Magic

Later Warlock Spells
1) Dream
2) Hallucinatory Terrain
3) Blight
4) Hunger of Hadar
5) Hypnotic Pattern
6) Major Image
7) Fear
8) Spider Climb
9) Suggestion
10) Darkness
11) Crown of Madness
12) Mirror Image
13) Enthrall
14) Hex
15) Chill Touch (Cantrip)
16) Minor Illusion (Cantrip)

Mystic Arcanum
Mass Suggestion
Finger of Death
Feeblemind
Imprisonment

Invocations
1) Book of Ancient Secrets
2) Agonizing Blast
3) Repelling Blast
4) Master of Myriad Forms
5) Sculptor of Flesh
6) Mire the Mind
7) Gaze of Two Minds
8) Mystic Visions

Thoughts?

[NecroDancer]

Well I'd take Good-Berry as a way to win the peasants over (preventing hunger is a great way to get more believers).

[Quoxis]

Not entirely sure about that, but can you snatch rituals from ALL classes? Methinks you have to decide which class your tome belongs to, and by choosing wizard you'd lose access to spells like commune, divination etc.

[The Ship's dog]

I highly suggest Evard's Black Tentacles:
1. It's a good spell
2. It would really be the Eldritch horror feel of Great Old Ones, and it is on your expanded spell list

You could perhaps replace Blight, or a different 4th level spell, with it.

[solidork]

Not entirely sure about that, but can you snatch rituals from ALL classes? Methinks you have to decide which class your tome belongs to, and by choosing wizard you'd lose access to spells like commune, divination etc.

Warlocks with Tome of Ancient Secrets get any ritual they find. Access to non-wizard spells in a form that you'll be able to copy is pretty rare, as far as RAW is concerned.

@OP: I'd definitely try to get Augury, and Contact Other Plane is pretty much worse than Commune.

[polymphus]

I highly suggest Evard's Black Tentacles:
1. It's a good spell
2. It would really be the Eldritch horror feel of Great Old Ones, and it is on your expanded spell list

You could perhaps replace Blight, or a different 4th level spell, with it.

Already got it -- it comes with the Great Old One pact. I didn't list 'em, but the GOO spells are: dissonant whispers, hideous laughter, detect thoughts, phantasmal force, clairvoyance, sending, dominate beast, evard's black tentacles, dominate person, telekinesis.

[The Ship's dog]

Already got it -- it comes with the Great Old One pact. I didn't list 'em, but the GOO spells are: dissonant whispers, hideous laughter, detect thoughts, phantasmal force, clairvoyance, sending, dominate beast, evard's black tentacles, dominate person, telekinesis.

Nah man, they are added to your Warlock Spell List sure, but you still have to take them as a spell that you gain through levels, they aren't like Domain spells.