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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Archmage Warlock Patron (PEACH)



Protato
2018-08-19, 01:11 AM
Your pact has been made with a great magician, like Mordenkainen or Elminster, or any number of lesser but still powerful, notable wizards. Your search for knowledge has led you to seeking out these great magicians but rather than becoming a student, or perhaps in addition to tutelage, you have taken a portion of their power in a deal and use it to aid in your quest for both power and knowledge. (I'm making this early in the morning the day I moved into a college dorm, so balance might be spotty, but I hope it looks interesting nonetheless.)

Expanded Spell List (I tried to go for spells that are only on the Wizard's list, or at least that I'd say are fairly iconic for Wizards.)

1st: Magic Missile, Grease
2nd: Phantasmal Force, (Melf's) Acid Arrow
3rd: Wall of Sand, Phantom Steed
4th: (Evard's) Black Tentacles, (Otiluke's) Resilient Sphere
5th: (Bigby's) Arcane Hand, Passwall


One of Intellect: At first level, your connection with your master lets you use your arcane arts with your pure intellect. You may use your Intelligence, rather than Charisma, as your spell modifier when using Warlock spells and class features. (Perhaps imbalanced, but the Warlock did originally use Intelligence and this is both thematic and a callback to the earlier version of the class. If its agreed to be overly imbalanced I shall replace it with simple Arcana Expertise but I thought it'd be a bit boring.)

Archmage's Hand-Me-Down: At first level, you gain a Castoff Spellbook. Much like a Wizard's spellbook, it can be used to inscribe spells in. With this book, you can inscribe an additional three spells from the Wizard list. These spells must be of a spell level you have slots for. These spells do not count as Spells Known but do count as Warlock Spells for you. You may, once per short rest, prepare one of these spells. As you gain levels in the Warlock class, you learn an additional spell from the Wizard list and can can prepare one additional spell every two levels. These spells may not have the Ritual tag. If you can inscribe a spell, as with a Wizard's Spellbook, it costs 100GP and takes four hours for each level of the spell. (Another few spells known, effectively.)

Magical Favour: At sixth level, you have become better at learning spells. You may reduce the cost per spell level of inscribing by 25GP and one hour. Additionally, you may learn an additional two Cantrips from the Wizard list, one of which must do damage. (Ribbon, plus some new spells, at least one of which is guaranteed to be relevant with the next feature.)

Eldritch Sciences: If any of your Invocations effect Eldritch Blast, you can choose to also apply the effect to any other damaging Cantrips you know. If you do not know any invocations that do effect Eldritch Blast, you instead add additional damage to your damaging Cantrips equal to half your Charisma modifier (to a minimum of 1). (I figured this might be powerful but level 10 is usually a good power spike level. I included the second part for Warlock players that don't use Eldritch Blast + EB Invocations so this feature wouldn't go to waste.)

Archmage's Pupil: At fourteenth level, choose two spells in your Castoff Spellbook. They are always prepared for you. (I wanted something distinct from, but in the vein of, "Spell Mastery" and "Signature Spells".)

Amnoriath
2018-08-19, 05:46 PM
It's on the weak side, ultimately at most you gain 5 spells, 3 of which are active to use at any time and 2 cantrip as well as better knowledge checks. The only real ability of note is the Eldritch Sciences which enhances cantrip combat but Eldritch Blast is already the best one for them.

Vogie
2018-08-19, 09:51 PM
Yeah, I like the concept but the execution is currently less than stellar... you're just kind of stapling generic wizard features, and giving a mini-tome pact at level 1. Tome no longer feels like it's worth it outside of Aspect of the Moon & Ritual casting.

What about the wizard class would you like to see emulated in this warlock patron that currently isn't available to either class?

Amnoriath
2018-08-19, 09:55 PM
Your first level is just fine, in fact currently putting in the inscribing cost is completely unnecessary. Wizards only have it to have a larger pool of spells draw from aside from what they automatically get and for rituals. Yours doesn't need either and kind of goes against the flavor of a pact. You may want to clarify Intelligence now applies to anything a Warlock applies Charisma. At this point I would only adding a cantrip and gain proficiency in arcana checks.

Your level 6 though needs to be changed. Good Warlock sub-classes don't have ribbons at level 6. They usually have a once per rest ability. I would suggest that it would replenish a spell slot once you used them up as a reaction at the end of your turn.

Level 10 is usually the passive ribbon and situational defense or boost level. It is decent as is except just have one cantrip and just add the 2 spells here instead .

Level 14 needs to be significant and I would really try to put more power here over versatility with a once per long rest ability.

Vogie
2018-08-20, 11:08 AM
I threw this together as a potential example:

Archmage's Pupil
Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch a scroll or spellbook. When you do, you gain a cantrip, and a small message from your Patron that lasts for the duration. This message is 25 words or less, and is typically an assignment, grade, update or other written interaction. You can also write a response of the same length. Your patron (the DM) chooses the cantrip provided and can change it after each long rest. If you later gain the Pact of the Tome feature, this benefit extends to your Book of Shadows.

While wielding the scroll or book as your arcane focus, you may use your Intelligence, rather than Charisma, as your spell modifier when using Warlock spells and class features.

Subtle Teachings
Starting at level 6, you can use an action to cast one of the spells on the Archmage expanded spell list without spending a spell slot, provided it is a spell that you'd be able to cast using a spell slot. You regain the use of this feature when you feature a long rest.

Invoke Mastery
At level 10, you gain a new invocation called "spell mastery". This doesn't count towards the number of invocations you learn, nor can you exchange Spell Mastery with another invocation when you gain a warlock level.
The Spell Mastery invocation allows you to choose a 1st level spell from the warlock or Wizard spell list, and allows you to cast that spell at-will, at first level, without spending a spell slot.

Archmage's Response
At 14, you can use your reaction to channel the power of your patron through your pact boon. You regain this feature after finishing a long rest:

Trap Essence - Immediately after a creature casts a spell that targets you or includes you in its area of effect, you can use your reaction to force the creature to make a Saving throw with its spellcasting modifier. The DC equals your spell save DC. On a failed save, you negate the spell's effect against you, and you seal the knowledge of the spell into your Book of Shadows, as long as it is at least 1st-level and of a level you could cast (as though it was a pact magic or mythic arcanum-level spell, and it doesn't need to be a warlock spell). For the next 8 hours you know the spell & can cast it once, without using a spell slot.
Summary Dismissal - You can use your reaction to cast the spell banishing smite without using a spell slot. It's duration doesn't include concentration, but still lasts for a minute, and only triggers off a hit with your pact weapon.
Double Negative - If you don't know it already, You gain the spell counterspell, and can cast it once at 5th level as a reaction, without using a spell slot. For the next 8 hours, your chain familiar can also use it's reaction once to cast Counterspell at 5th level.



This gives a very wizard-y feel without being a wizard, and using the specific tools that warlocks have, such as cantrip manipulation, at-will low level spells, and spell slot manipulation.

Mortis_Elrod
2018-08-20, 02:47 PM
so...first i'd like to point out to you that the warlock has always used charisma since its first iteration in Complete Arcana in 3.5. Nothing wrong with your subclass switching it to Int but thought i should let you know.


For iconic 3rd level wizard spells i would replace Wall of Sand with Fireball. Much more iconic, and it be nice for more than 1 warlock subclass to have access to the spell.


Much like other's have said all you've really done is give the warlock a wizards spell list and told it to run wild. You'd better off going with the above poster's suggestion, though i would change the level 6 ability to once per short/long rest.

Not sure about spell mastery. Though the only real problem i could see is having shield or hex at will. All the other spells are either invocation or pretty situational. Probs not OP though at level 10.

FlameUser64
2018-08-20, 04:15 PM
I threw this together as a potential example:

Archmage's Response
At 14, you can use your reaction to channel the power of your patron through your pact boon. You regain this feature after finishing a long rest:

Trap Essence - Immediately after a creature casts a spell that targets you or includes you in its area of effect, you can use your reaction to force the creature to make a Saving throw with its spellcasting modifier. The DC equals your spell save DC. On a failed save, you negate the spell's effect against you, and you seal the knowledge of the spell into your Book of Shadows, as long as it is at least 1st-level and of a level you could cast (as though it was a pact magic or mythic arcanum-level spell, and it doesn't need to be a warlock spell). For the next 8 hours you know the spell & can cast it once, without using a spell slot.
Summary Dismissal - You can use your reaction to cast the spell banishing smite without using a spell slot. It's duration doesn't include concentration, but still lasts for a minute, and only triggers off a hit with your pact weapon.
Double Negative - If you don't know it already, You gain the spell counterspell, and can cast it once at 5th level as a reaction, without using a spell slot. For the next 8 hours, your chain familiar can also use it's reaction once to cast Counterspell at 5th level.

Trap Essence is so cool!

That said, a lot of these are worded weirdly and don't specify limited uses except for the "you regain the use of this feature after a long rest" wording at the very end of the feature's description, which idk if that's just a 5e thing or not, but it makes it easy to overlook.

Vogie
2018-08-20, 05:32 PM
Trap Essence is so cool!

That said, a lot of these are worded weirdly and don't specify limited uses except for the "you regain the use of this feature after a long rest" wording at the very end of the feature's description, which idk if that's just a 5e thing or not, but it makes it easy to overlook.

Trap Essence is basically 98% of the Spell Thief Arcane Trickster ability.

Yeah, that's how 5e stuff is done. Which is odd, but what can you do?

FlameUser64
2018-08-20, 06:29 PM
Trap Essence is basically 98% of the Spell Thief Arcane Trickster ability.

Yeah, that's how 5e stuff is done. Which is odd, but what can you do?

Yeah, but just the fluff of sucking the enemy's spell into your tome is a really cool mental image.

Protato
2018-08-23, 10:31 AM
It seems like people regard this class as a bit weak so I'll work on fixing it today if I'm able, but by building a new thread. This one will stay up for posterity and I shall add it to my homebrewer's page.