Goolock build?

[Aleister VII]

Hey there, I'm a little confused about the great old one patron, I know that it's an inscrutable Lovecraftian entity and those stuffs what I'm not sure is what's build should I make with a Goolock, warlocks are my favorite class, I've made Archfey, fiend, Hexblade and celestial builds but I haven't tried a either a GOO or an undying one yet, undying seems quite underwhelming to me but GOO is in the the very PHB and it is... interesting, I just don't know what build should I made with it, maybe a face? A wannabe enchanter? A controller or what?

Also what pact to pick? Tome is always good but a little vanilla to me at this point, chain is good, specially when you refluff the familiars and blade is... hard to use properly unless you make a dedicated melee build or at least take Hexblade for it's Sadness.

So what good builds are for the Goolocks and what kind or stuffs you can do with them apart from casting agonizing/repelling EB?

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

I think Pact of the Chain GOOlock is the logical choice. And I think you're right to want to focus on the control elements. Their spell list is really good, with tasha's, dissonant whispers and phantasmal force in early levels. Xanthar's gets you enemies abound as well, so you've got a number of ways to mess with your opponents' heads.

Volo's Guide to Monsters introduces the gazer, a tiny beholder you can take as a familiar. It's appropriate for a GOOlock and it's pretty dang good for a familiar. So I'd go that route.

[Millstone85]

I think Pact of the Chain GOOlock is the logical choice. And I think you're right to want to focus on the control elements. Their spell list is really good, with tasha's, dissonant whispers and phantasmal force in early levels. Xanthar's gets you enemies abound as well, so you've got a number of ways to mess with your opponents' heads.

Volo's Guide to Monsters introduces the gazer, a tiny beholder you can take as a familiar. It's appropriate for a GOOlock and it's pretty dang good for a familiar. So I'd go that route.You make it sound like VGtM introduced the gazer as a Pact of the Chain option, which is not the case.

Any 3rd-level spellcaster could meet a gazer and convince it to follow them. Independently, anyone casting find familiar can somehow end up with a gazer.

[CaptAl]

Goolocks excel at control effects. Pact of the chain increases versatility via kick ass familiar, and invocations to make that familiar kick more ass. Pact of Tome increases versatility via extra cantrips and possibly rituals via invocations. Both are excellent choices.

[LichPlease]

You make it sound like VGtM introduced the gazer as a Pact of the Chain option, which is not the case.

Any 3rd-level spellcaster could meet a gazer and convince it to follow them. Independently, anyone casting find familiar can somehow end up with a gazer.

Pact of the Chain let's your familiar actually attack though. Otherwise, the gazer is little more than a sturdier raven.

[Talionis]

I'd say you are picking between Pact of Tome and Pact of Chain.

I think you need to decide what direction you want to take your Goo Warlock. Goo can make a great face, but if you play him as mad and crazy, then it will make less sense for him to be a face.

Warlocks as you've already seen have a lot of options. You'll need to decide.

[Mortis_Elrod]

You make it sound like VGtM introduced the gazer as a Pact of the Chain option, which is not the case.

Any 3rd-level spellcaster could meet a gazer and convince it to follow them. Independently, anyone casting find familiar can somehow end up with a gazer.

pact of the chain explicitly has you cast that spell....so yes. It be a viable option if that was allowed.

[Mortis_Elrod]

Hey there, I'm a little confused about the great old one patron, I know that it's an inscrutable Lovecraftian entity and those stuffs what I'm not sure is what's build should I make with a Goolock, warlocks are my favorite class, I've made Archfey, fiend, Hexblade and celestial builds but I haven't tried a either a GOO or an undying one yet, undying seems quite underwhelming to me but GOO is in the the very PHB and it is... interesting, I just don't know what build should I made with it, maybe a face? A wannabe enchanter? A controller or what?

Also what pact to pick? Tome is always good but a little vanilla to me at this point, chain is good, specially when you refluff the familiars and blade is... hard to use properly unless you make a dedicated melee build or at least take Hexblade for it's Sadness.

So what good builds are for the Goolocks and what kind or stuffs you can do with them apart from casting agonizing/repelling EB?

I'd go with Chain and do some face and recon work. I also wouldn't really grab anything besides agonizing blast as far as EB invos go. Misty Visions, Mask of Many Faces, Voice of the Chain Master and all the weird utility invocations are something you should look into. Get creative, and use your familiar to the fullest.

[Millstone85]

Pact of the Chain let's your familiar actually attack though. Otherwise, the gazer is little more than a sturdier raven.Weeell... The gazer's eye rays aren't attacks, they are imposed saving throws. And 5e cares about that kind of petty detail. :smallamused:

Anyway, yes, if a DM allows a PC to summon a gazer with find familiar, it makes the most sense to restrict it to Pact of the Chain.

[Aleister VII]

So... having a gazer as familiar seems good and all but it isn't what I was looking for, being a controller however looks very good but I usually just kill my enemies instead of break their minds, any suggestions on how to do that?

Also there're some GOO exclusive invocations, are those good or at least worth taking?

As for playing a face and be a crazy guy I'm actually aiming to be researcher who delved too deep into the occultism and came in contact with something unfathomable that gives him his warlock magic, now he's trying to discover the true nature of his patron while facing otherworldly insanity and changing from a very collected, well mannered yet too curious person to a more reclusive, serious, somewhat tormented but wise adventurer who now knows that some secrets are mean to be secrets and shouldn't be know by the mortals.

That's mean that PC isn't a crazy cultist guy but instead a friendly and a little creepy investigator of the occult.

[Sinon]

As far as spells, Charm Person isn’t necessarily a must-have, but it fits your theme well and makes fun use of your telepathy, not just enabling you to communicate with those with whom you don’t share a language, but also secretly.

Letting your allies know that they shouldn’t attack, for example, “the big goblin in the middle” without letting on to the two other goblins, or to silently plead with your new “ friendly acquaintance” for help “because this a all a misunderstanding!”

I would also recommend taking as many social skills as you can for this reason as well. (Though, this might not fit really well with your chosen background.)

Cause Fear is another spell that I think fits your theme.

That stuff is more the controller-as-manipulator.

You also have more literal, physical control with your EB: Repelling Blast, Lance of Lethargy, and Grasp of Hadar. Those work better if you have a party member who can help out with damaging zones. Your best one is Evard’s Black Tentacles when you reach seventh.

Spells like Hold Person/Monster are good for control. The Chains of Carceri invocation has me a little torn – it only works on celestials, fiends, or elementals, so that’s obviously a downer, but when those are around? It is slotless – free – Hold Monster! Unlike Invocations like Sign of Ill Omen or Thief of Five fates, which give access to controller spells I’d really like, but are limited to once per and AND use up one of my two slots.

[Vogie]

You could do a Chain GOOlock with a solid MC in rogue - The availability of an invisible source of advantage allows you to use any roguish archetype as though you have the Arcane Trickster's level 13 option available. That'll give you solid melee damage without having to go blade for the second attack

[Bloodcloud]

So... having a gazer as familiar seems good and all but it isn't what I was looking for, being a controller however looks very good but I usually just kill my enemies instead of break their minds, any suggestions on how to do that?

Also there're some GOO exclusive invocations, are those good or at least worth taking?

As for playing a face and be a crazy guy I'm actually aiming to be researcher who delved too deep into the occultism and came in contact with something unfathomable that gives him his warlock magic, now he's trying to discover the true nature of his patron while facing otherworldly insanity and changing from a very collected, well mannered yet too curious person to a more reclusive, serious, somewhat tormented but wise adventurer who now knows that some secrets are mean to be secrets and shouldn't be know by the mortals.

That's mean that PC isn't a crazy cultist guy but instead a friendly and a little creepy investigator of the occult.

Pact of the tome would allow you to pick up vicious mockery, which is thematic with breaking their mind at-will. In your case it might be less "insult" and more "whisper incomprehensible and disturbing minor eldritch thruth"