Storm Lord Warlock Patron [PEACH]

[Rebonack]

A little background first. A player of mine wanted to play a Warlock who, and I quote 'just tosses lightning bolts around'. As you might imagine this proved to be a problem as, aside from the much maligned Witch Bolt, the Warlock is pretty lacking in the lightning spell department. So I figured I would address that problem and see where it left us. What follows is what I've got thus far, with a little explanation to follow.


Stormborn: (Level 1) When you hit a creature with an attack that deals lightning damage or a creature fails a save against lightning damage you deal, that creature is Grappled until the beginning of your next turn. Additionally, you gain Shocking Grasp as a bonus cantrip that does not count against your cantrips known.

Ride the Lightning: (Level 6) When you are hit with an attack, as a reaction, you may immediately cast a cantrip which deals lightning damage targeting the creature that hit you and then teleport up to 60 feet away. Once you've used this ability you can not use it again until you take a short rest.

Eye of the Storm: (Level 10) When you inflict the Grappled condition on a creature with your Stormborn feature, you may also deal lightning damage equal to your proficiency modifier to all creatures of your choice within 10 feet of the Grappled creature.

Storm's Fury: (Level 14) As an action, you may release a pulsing stream of lightning that leaps between up to five foes at a range of 120 feet. Each target must be within 120 feet of the previous target. The lightning bolt deals 10d8 lightning damage (half on a successful Dexterity saving throw). The bolt can not hit the same creature more than once. After using this ability you may not use it again until you take a long rest.

Expanded Spell List
Level 1: Fog Cloud, Feather Fall
Level 2: Gust of Wind, Warding Wind
Level 3: Lightning Bolt, Call Lightning
Level 4: Conjure Minor Elemental (Air Only), Lightning Shield
Level 5: Conjure Elemental (Air Only), Electro-blast

That first effect is really, really strong. On the other hand, most lightning spells (especially early game) are effectively melee to short range. I figure there's a trade-off here. The Warlock is darting around shocking things, which get rooted in place. But by the same token, staying in medium to short range places them at significant personal risk. I figure gameplay that's innately dangerous and skirting the edge of disaster fits pretty well with a lightning-themed character.

The 6th level feature is the requisite 'clutch' defensive tool. It doesn't block or prevent damage like these things typically do, but I would say turning into an arc of lightning, shocking the guy who just hit you, and zapping away is pretty thematic. Also fits well with the living dangerously tone the sub-class is aiming for.

The 10th level feature is basically just 'more lightning'. It makes for a pretty scary AoE amplification should monsters be dumb enough to cluster up against a wizardly looking fellow. I'm thinking I might reign in the AoE to a 5 foot radius, but I wanted to get a few second opinions on that first.

The 14th level feature is fairly cut and dry. From the Raven Queen patron we see that a 7th level spell on a long rest recharge is apparently within the realm of reasonable for a feature, so I used that as the benchmark here. This thing is chain-lightning (a 6th level spell) with a more flexible 'bounce' mechanic.

The spell list should be mostly self-explanatory. Lightning Shield and Electro-Blast(need a better name here) are just Fire Shield and Synaptic Static re-flavored as lightning spells.

So that's what I've got thus far! Any feedback would be welcome.

[MoleMage]

Make the Stormborn trigger on "a spell of 1st level or higher" and I think it'll be pretty balanced.

Storm's Fury is basically chain lightning with a longer range between targets. Since chain lightning is a 6th level spell, any feature that duplicates it should be on a long rest (raven queen's finger of death is long rest, not short).
Fiend Warlock's hurl through hell does 10 dice of damage also (with no save), but to a single target, and it's on a long rest. I would change Storm's fury to be 10d8 to one target (save half), and 5d8 to up to two additional targets (save half), and refresh on a long rest, if you are comparing its power to printed warlock patrons, or leave it as is but change to a long rest if comparing to raven queen.

[Rebonack]

Make the Stormborn trigger on "a spell of 1st level or higher" and I think it'll be pretty balanced.

Storm's Fury is basically chain lightning with a longer range between targets. Since chain lightning is a 6th level spell, any feature that duplicates it should be on a long rest (raven queen's finger of death is long rest, not short).
Fiend Warlock's hurl through hell does 10 dice of damage also (with no save), but to a single target, and it's on a long rest. I would change Storm's fury to be 10d8 to one target (save half), and 5d8 to up to two additional targets (save half), and refresh on a long rest, if you are comparing its power to printed warlock patrons, or leave it as is but change to a long rest if comparing to raven queen.

Whoop, derp on my part. Could have sworn that Raven Queen feature refreshed on short rests. I'll fix that. In retrospect that makes sense. The Fay feature is about on par with a fifth level spell and it refreshes on short rests.

As for Stormborn, part of the goal is to make offensive use of Shocking Grasp a bit more viable. Prevention of a zapped monster from chasing the Warlock down is a big part of the features goal. I'll consider your suggestion though, thank you.

[ravencroft0]

How crippling to the build would it be if the target creature is grappled only if it loses a Con save vs. your spell save DC?

Also, I'm not seeing how the grappled condition works here. Stunned, yes. Grappled? How is the target being grappled? A continuous flow of electricity that realistically would also be doling more damage than the initial lightning damage? You might be stepping on the monk's toes a little with Stunned, but it would still be thematic. Stunned is a powerful condition to be giving out relatively freely at 1st level, true. A limit would be needed. An amount equal to your Cha modifier rechargeable upon a short rest?

Additionally, you could also say your patron gives you the option to inflict lightning damage with your eldritch blast instead of, or as well as, force damage. Perhaps, as well, make an invocation that would let your lightning attacks deal a scalable amount of thunder damage.

What kind if benefit would this patron bestow upon chain or blade locks? Air elemental familiar? Lightning damage on top of the weapon's damage?

Overall this is a cool build, and there are so many things you could do with it. Imagine lightning lure with this. Hit them with lure. Bring them to you, imposing AoO if the target triggers it among passersby. It's grappled (or stunned) as it lands on your doorstep whereupon you might be able to apply another beatdown with your next round.

Good job.

[theshadowcult]

Change storm born's wording to not say grappled, but describe the lack of movement. Call it something else for use of future features too. I would also allow each creature affected to make a save at the beginning of their turn.


With eye of the storm, i think you need to word it so that each creature can only be affected by the extra damage once per spell. Other wise the damage could get crazy depending on how close each target is to each other. I personally have no problem with it, but i think others would.


EDIT: Oops, forgot to say that i like it! I think it's cool.