Help improve this “Vampire Mage” character (Archfey Warlock)

[jaappleton]

Had the idea for a “Vampire” flavored character. Not so much the blood sucking, but shadows, stealing health, charms and fear, mobility, etc.

Here’s what I’ve got (currently level 9)

Eladrin
Archfey Warlock
Pact of the Tome (Gave heavy thought to Chain, both work)

Str 10
Dex 16
Con 16
Int 14
Wis 10
Cha 20

I’m allowed 2 Rares and 1 Uncommon

Slippers of Spider Climbing
Bracers Of Defense
Rod of the Pact Keeper +2

Cantrips
Eldritch Blast
Frostbite or Ray of Frost
Prestidigitation
(Tome Cantrips? Or go Chain?)


Hold Person
Hypnotic Pattern
Banishment
Blight
Greater Invisibility
Shadow of Moil
Enervation
Far Step
Hold Monster
Synaptic Static

Invocations

Armor of Shadows
Agonizing Blast
Repelling Blast
???
???


Gaseous Forms seems like a fitting one. The Invocation yo turn Invisible does as well

[Sigreid]

Invocations for disguise and invisibility both fit your theme from where I sit.

[Quoxis]

The „vampiric touch“ spell seems like a no-brainer. It’s a touch spell (duh), so you need a way to make yourself as invulnerable in melee as possible - darkness and devil‘s sight, maybe even the misty step spell you get in your expanded spell list as a panic button?
To make the most out of the spell itself you could think about a life cleric dip (after some ASI, at least), though i‘m afb so i might remember incorrectly about how that synergy.

[Finlam]

The „vampiric touch“ spell seems like a no-brainer. It’s a touch spell (duh), so you need a way to make yourself as invulnerable in melee as possible - darkness and devil‘s sight, maybe even the misty step spell you get in your expanded spell list as a panic button?
To make the most out of the spell itself you could think about a life cleric dip (after some ASI, at least), though i‘m afb so i might remember incorrectly about how that synergy.
Unfortunately, both Darkness and Vampiric Touch require concentration, you will need a friend to maintain Darkness for you if you want to attempt this.

Seeing that you're going Archfey with Pact of the Tome, I would not recommend Vampiric Touch. It takes too much investment to make it a decent spell (http://purplelizardman.com/finlam/get-the-most-out-of-vampiric-touch-5e-build-guide/). If you were going Fiend Warlock or taking Death Domain Cleric or Wizard (Necromancer) levels, you could maybe make it work.

But that runs counter to your build. You've already got Agonizing Blast so you can pew pew from a distance, why not just make that better? Shadow of Moil will be a great boon there for the Advantage through obscurement. You've already picked Greater Invis and SoM, so you're set for that.

I'd recommend Minor Illusion as a cantrip and maybe Thamaturgy as they both fit the theme. Minor Illusion may also allow you to create illusory cover i.e. a boulder to hide behind, becoming a cheap source of advantage and saving you a spell slot in some fights. Thamturgy just allows you to do neat, vampire things like make all the shutters burst open as you flick your cape, or change all the candles to a hellish color right before you teleport away, etc...

Other than that, it looks like you've got it. You could consider stealing Shillelagh so you have an OK melee attack if you ever need it. But you're already so good at blasting that it might be best not to bother.

[Dr. Cliché]

Wouldn't a Fiend Warlock or Hexblade be a better fit? Both can naturally steal life from creatures they kill (the Fiend gaining tempory hp with Dark One's Blessing, the Hexblade healing with his Curse).

[Quoxis]

Unfortunately, both Darkness and Vampiric Touch require concentration, you will need a friend to maintain Darkness for you if you want to attempt this.

Seeing that you're going Archfey with Pact of the Tome, I would not recommend Vampiric Touch. It takes too much investment to make it a decent spell (http://purplelizardman.com/finlam/get-the-most-out-of-vampiric-touch-5e-build-guide/). If you were going Fiend Warlock or taking Death Domain Cleric or Wizard (Necromancer) levels, you could maybe make it work.


While you got me with the concentration thing, i personally wouldn’t say you need death cleric or sorcerer to make it viable. Nonetheless, the build would need some revamping if they’d want to use it, so i guess you’re right about scrapping it.

[jaappleton]

For people saying Vampiric Touch....

Enervation is VT on steroids. It’s from XGtE.

Ranged, Dex save. Success? 2d8 damage and the spell ends. But FAIL? 4d8 Necrotic, and heal yourself for half.

Use your action to repeat it. There’s no save at that point, you can repeat so long as you maintain Concentration, like Witch Bolt.

Thts why I took Enervation over VT.


I picked Archfey for the Charm or Fear aspect of Fey Presence, and Misty Escape helps with mobility, and Greater Invisibility is such a strong spell.

Fiend helps a ton with survival, but none of the spells help so much with the theme (though they’re great spells themselves).

[Dr. Cliché]

For people saying Vampiric Touch....

Enervation is VT on steroids. It’s from XGtE.

Ranged, Dex save. Success? 2d8 damage and the spell ends. But FAIL? 4d8 Necrotic, and heal yourself for half.

Use your action to repeat it. There’s no save at that point, you can repeat so long as you maintain Concentration, like Witch Bolt.

Thts why I took Enervation over VT.

I think you're overestimating Enervation, honestly.

It's ranged (which is nice) but it's also a Lv5 spell. The damage is exceptionally poor for its level (you'd do about twice as much just using your action to cast Eldritch Blast, it costs your Concentration and your action each round (but unlike Vampiric touch, you lose the spell if you use your action for anything else), you can't change targets if your initial one dies, and you lose the spell if the target succeeds on the initial save.

Now, granted, the increased spell level doesn't hurt Warlocks as much as other classes, but I'm still not convinced that it's better than an upcast Vampiric Touch.

Personally, I'd take both and see which one I like best. They're about the only vampiric spells in the game, so you might as well have both. :smalltongue:



I picked Archfey for the Charm or Fear aspect of Fey Presence, and Misty Escape helps with mobility, and Greater Invisibility is such a strong spell.

Fair enough, though I'd thought that Shadow of Moil was basically combat Greater Invisibility for the warlock anyway.


Fiend helps a ton with survival, but none of the spells help so much with the theme (though they’re great spells themselves).

That's fair. I take it Hexblade didn't appeal to you either?

[Vogie]

Maybe Raven queen patron?

Refluff Sentinel Raven as a Sentinel Bat with almost no issue
"Shapeshift" into a bat at level 6
use Raven Queen's Blessing to get life back when you crit with EB
Aspect of the Moon gives you the ability to "never sleep" or Ascendant Step allows you to float around at will, or Armor of shadows if you think you might actually get hit.

[jaappleton]

Maybe Raven queen patron?

Refluff Sentinel Raven as a Sentinel Bat with almost no issue
"Shapeshift" into a bat at level 6
use Raven Queen's Blessing to get life back when you crit with EB
Aspect of the Moon gives you the ability to "never sleep" or Ascendant Step allows you to float around at will, or Armor of shadows if you think you might actually get hit.


I'd forgotten about RQ.

Honestly, I was hoping to make the character in D&D Beyond simply for ease of use, but Raven Queen IS appealing. Appealing enough for me to overcome my laziness and truly consider it... Hmm.

[coalmaine]

A familiar allows you to use touch spells from range correct.

Tome or chain gets you the familiar. Or a feat honestly.

Which helps mitigate your risk in melee.

Also. As a side note the chain pact with great old one would give excellent support for the minion control and enthralling nature of a vampire.

[Dudewithknives]

Depending on how the DM feels about outside materials, there is always the Vampire race from the Planeshift PDFs.

Or

Reflavored the Revenant subraces from CoS.