Tips for a GOO Warlock?

[ToastyTobasco]

I'm building a GOO warlock for a campaign. I like the utility and control GOO offers and i might go chain for a familiar for scouting and shenanigans.

Ive got my race down to either Half-elf or Variant Human with Actor (This with disguise self invoc and being able to speak through my familiar seem great). I plan on backline fighting with a focus on crowd control and manipulation. I plan to take an Imp and ask my DM to reflavor its appearance to something a litte more eldritch.
Any input on Helf vs Human?

Is Friends all that useful? The whole "becomes hostile" thing seems like a HUGE drawback for a 1min duration. I would think "react according to the manipulation" or " "Int check to realize they were manipulated" would make more semse. I know its a check to prevent abuse.

Anything to really avoid, other than Witch Bolt?

Also I heard there were summoning spells but I only see Conjure Fey and Conjure Elemental in the PHB. I guess they don't like summoning in 5e?

So any tips or fun experiences to learn from would be greatly appreciated

[Naanomi]

Friends is good for someone you are never going to interact with again, someone you are intimidating (a charisma check after all), or someone you are likely going to kill afterwards anyways after you get the info you want from them.

Summoning... warlocks also get Summon Lesser and Greater Demon spells from XGtE; and I think there is an invocation for elemental summoning?

Half-Elf Vs Human is mostly about stats... are you rolling or point-buy? I’d say usually Half-Elf hedges out Human but if that Actor feat is vital before level 4...

[ToastyTobasco]

Im doing point buy

The Actor feat is just for fun as I dont feel any real need for War Caster.

[Naanomi]

With point-buy, depending on how much you care about other stats, you can get away with something like 8/16/16/8/8/17 as a Half-Elf... or 8/14/14/12/12/17... and take Actor at 4th

Remember Xanathar’s has a feat for Humans/Half-Elves to get Expertise in one skill... Deception?

[ShikomeKidoMi]

Im doing point buy
The Actor feat is just for fun as I dont feel any real need for War Caster.

While your telepathy does make you a good party face, if you don't want Warcaster right now, have you considered taking a feat for Medium Armor Proficiency? The AC boost is nice for Warlocks.

[Malifice]

I'm building a GOO warlock for a campaign. I like the utility and control GOO offers and i might go chain for a familiar for scouting and shenanigans.

Ive got my race down to either Half-elf or Variant Human with Actor (This with disguise self invoc and being able to speak through my familiar seem great). I plan on backline fighting with a focus on crowd control and manipulation. I plan to take an Imp and ask my DM to reflavor its appearance to something a litte more eldritch.
Any input on Helf vs Human?

Is Friends all that useful? The whole "becomes hostile" thing seems like a HUGE drawback for a 1min duration. I would think "react according to the manipulation" or " "Int check to realize they were manipulated" would make more semse. I know its a check to prevent abuse.

Anything to really avoid, other than Witch Bolt?

Also I heard there were summoning spells but I only see Conjure Fey and Conjure Elemental in the PHB. I guess they don't like summoning in 5e?

So any tips or fun experiences to learn from would be greatly appreciated

Take the hermit background.

Your discovery is that reality as we know it is a lie and nothing more than a RPG and all our actions are determined by the roll of a dice.

[ToastyTobasco]

Take the hermit background.

Your discovery is that reality as we know it is a lie and nothing more than a RPG and all our actions are determined by the roll of a dice.

Ive always wanted to do this on top of alluding to the fact our world is flat and of we do not please the gods with our antics, our realm as we know it will vanish

[Malifice]

Ive always wanted to do this on top of alluding to the fact our world is flat and of we do not please the gods with our antics, our realm as we know it will vanish

Bonus points if your discovery is 'The world is really one big RPG and our actionsa are determined by the roll of a dice' and if you make yourself (the Player) your Warlocks patron.

Matt, Craig B and Steve get together for a game:

Craig B; Player: (as the Warlock Valcathrax): ''I tell you I hear voices in my head! A creature known as ''Crayegbi''. It wants me to... adventure. YES! Adventure... All hail the Great Old One Crayegbi! He exists outside of this insignificant reality which is nothing more than a game; itself nothing more than the fevered imagination of Crayegbi and a half dozen Elder Evils. Yes... I see them now in my head... beings known as Steve-eo and Mattbery, who sit around a table eating Cheesos and rolling dice. OUR ACTIONS AMOUNT TO NOTHING; REALITY IS A LIE!'

DM (later one that session): You find a +1 sword...
Warlock Player: Wait... plus one to WHAT (turns to rest of the party) SEE - I told you!''

[Malifice]

Dont forget to have this as your Warlocks personal sigil:

https://images2.sw-cdn.net/product/picture/710x528_3438449_2294161_1459319760.jpg

[ToastyTobasco]

Dont forget to have this as your Warlocks personal sigil:

https://images2.sw-cdn.net/product/picture/710x528_3438449_2294161_1459319760.jpg

Oh that is awesome

[Jerrykhor]

If your DM allows, take a look at Xanathar's. There are many new psychic spells that fit the GOO theme. Even spells like Enemies Abound is just perfect. I'd highly recommend Synaptic Static too.

[ToastyTobasco]

While your telepathy does make you a good party face, if you don't want Warcaster right now, have you considered taking a feat for Medium Armor Proficiency? The AC boost is nice for Warlocks.

I'm kinda caught choosing between Actor, Lucky and Medium Armor Prof.

[Ritorix]

So any tips or fun experiences to learn from would be greatly appreciated

This isn't GOO-specific, but you mentioned taking the imp. Remember your imp can shapeshift into a raven or rat. With the combo of Voice of the Chain Master and Beast Speech, you can speak to other animals while looking like an animal - basically you can play Avatar piloting a remote body. :smallbiggrin:

[AttilatheYeon]

2 words, Dissonant Whisper

[TundraBuccaneer]

Note on friend, if you have mask of many faces. They'll be hostile to someone who is not you. And with the actor feat that would work even better.

[DarkKnightJin]

Note on friend, if you have mask of many faces. They'll be hostile to someone who is not you. And with the actor feat that would work even better.

Doesn't someone with the Actor feat already get Advantage on Charisma checks when they're pretending to be someone they're not?
Which would be all the time if they're under Disguise Self..

.. And now I want to make a Changeling with Actor. Probably a Bard, because why not.

[Naanomi]

And now I want to make a Changeling with Actor. Probably a Bard, because why not.
Lore Bards work the best as masters of disguise... cutting words someone’s insight if they start to see through the disguise

[DarkKnightJin]

Lore Bards work the best as masters of disguise... cutting words someone’s insight if they start to see through the disguise

Lore was my first instinct too. Maybe Glamour, for the fun of it.

[ToastyTobasco]

2 words, Dissonant Whisper

Really good huh? Its one of the 1st level spells for GOO pact. I'm guessing you've had great success with it?



On another note, I'm thinking of asking my DM to replace the third level spells in GOO (Sending and clairvoyance....spooky...) with things like Mind spike

[Joe the Rat]

Imp is generally superior, but consider the Quasit again. It's form options are a bit less subtle, but the "scare people" feature might not be bad for a Familiar From the Corners of Time. Not having native flight gives you a more tentacle-blob-monster options. Although I have actually seen a winged blob monster...
If you do go imp, something like a baby Mi-Go would probably work.


Doesn't someone with the Actor feat already get Advantage on Charisma checks when they're pretending to be someone they're not?
Which would be all the time if they're under Disguise Self..
Actor is about being someone else in particular (advantage to believe you are X), not necessarily in influencing others while being someone else in particular.
Also, sometimes you just want to be "someone else," not "someone specific"
Also also, the "target knows it was under an effect and reacts to "you" accordingly," combined with disguise self is a feature - sow dissent by making people think their buddies are casting enchantments on them.
Also^3, Intimidation already has a negative impact on your relationship with the NPC in question; why not go whole hog and get Advantage with a no-save enchantment?

Minions of Chaos is your 1/day elemental summon invocation. Note that when this becomes available, Sculptor of Flesh (Polymorph) becomes an option as well. Because sometimes a party member is better off being a giant gorilla.
If control is your main interest, and the party can pump out the pain, skip agonizing blast to get both repelling blast and grasp of hadar. Push, pull, people end up where you want them.

[ToastyTobasco]

Being able to Push/pull with EB could be great with the area spells of Hadar. Also when EB gets multiple rays, you can control a small mob (if they hit =/).