Invocations are disappointing

[stewstew5]

I'm playing a warlock for the first time and I find the non-level capped invocations very underwhelming, across every supplement I could find. Does anyone know any obscure (or homebrew, my DM is very kind) invocations that give more sense of developed powers like the level-capped ones, but less powerful?

(Note-my character is a plane touched human using yuan-ti pure blood stat block so the easier to snake theme the better)

[Kaliayev]

I'm playing a warlock for the first time and I find the non-level capped invocations very underwhelming, across every supplement I could find. Does anyone know any obscure (or homebrew, my DM is very kind) invocations that give more sense of developed powers like the level-capped ones, but less powerful?

(Note-my character is a plane touched human using yuan-ti pure blood stat block so the easier to snake theme the better)

How are they disappointing? Personally, I have difficulty choosing between the lower level options. Devil's sight, beguiling influence, mask of many faces, agonizing blast, grasp of hadar, armor of shadows, repelling blast, and eldritch spear are powerful options, and I'm not even including the pact specific options available at lower levels.

[Trustypeaches]

Can you explain what feels underwhelming about the invocation options? From where I stand, you get a lot of amazing utility upfront.

At level 2 you get:
- Agonizing Blast
- Repelling Blast
- Grasp of Hadar
- Misty Visions
- Mask of Many Faces
- Devil Sight

And at level 3 when you get your pacts, you get:
- Book of Ancient Secrets
- Voice of the Chain Master
- Improved Pact Weapon

The above invocations offer up interesting and effective options across all three pillars of gameplay, and give you plenty of room to reflavor to fit your character's theme.

[Asmotherion]

No offence, but the only thing disapointing is your sence of evaluation.

People multiclass for a shot at Agonising Blast and/or Devilsight, and Mask of Many Faces is one of the most solid "Spy" powers in the game. Misty Visions is mostly limited by your creativity (and permissivness of your DM). Repelling blast is a great control option to push enemies into ongoing AoE effects or push them into already existing hazards (out a window, down a cliff, inside a campfire etc). Most other Invocations are also solid.

You're way underestimating this stuff.

[DarkKnightJin]

My EK/Warlock gets access to Invocations next level up, and I thought long and hard about which ones to go with.
Anything related to Eldritch Blast was out, which left me with a shortlist of Misty Visions, Mask of Many Faces, Devil's Sight, Eldritch Sight, Eyes of the Rune Keeper, and.. Beast Speech. He's also not a Face, so Beguiling Influence would be kinda wasted on him.

After looking for a thematic fit, I had it down to Devil's Sight, Eldritch Sight, Eyes of the Rune Keeper, Mask of Many Faces, and Misty Visions.

Further narrowing has led me to going for Misty Visions and Mask of Many Faces as the most thematically fitting options for him.
And I'm STILL not entirely sure if I don't want Devil's or Eldritch Sight instead of Mask..

[SpanielBear]

I'm playing a warlock for the first time and I find the non-level capped invocations very underwhelming, across every supplement I could find. Does anyone know any obscure (or homebrew, my DM is very kind) invocations that give more sense of developed powers like the level-capped ones, but less powerful?

(Note-my character is a plane touched human using yuan-ti pure blood stat block so the easier to snake theme the better)

I think I'm missing a key part of your question- what do you mean by developed powers?

I agree with what's been said already that for sheer utility, the invocations are pretty great. Even without optimising, having repelling blast and eldritch sight on my warlock has been great fun for a campaign that, by this point, has been running for almost a year.

So I'm guessing that you are finding it hard to find invocations that feel thematic, or that build on pact powers (like specific invocations GOO or Undying warlocks)? In which case, I guess there are two responses. The first would be to re-skin existing invocations to fit the theme- for example, a Celestial warlock using repelling blast flavours it that the target is grabbed by ethereal, heavenly arms and flung away from the caster. The second option would I suppose be homebrew some specific things, in which case I'd say work closely with your DM to come to an agreement on powers which you find flavourful but they don't think would be OP.

[stewstew5]

My character has dark vision, so devil'ssight is out. Most of the other invocations are about npc interaction, but our campaign is set in a pre-sentient race world (should a mentioned that)
Now I realize I should have changed my wording, I remember having a lot of difficulty deciding with a previous character who I ended up going bard with.
By "developed powers", I mean invocations like mask of many faces which give you a distinct ability as opposed to say, elderitch push

[stewstew5]

So I'm guessing that you are finding it hard to find invocations that feel thematic, or that build on pact powers (like specific invocations GOO or Undying warlocks)? In which case, I guess there are two responses. The first would be to re-skin existing invocations to fit the theme- for example, a Celestial warlock using repelling blast flavours it that the target is grabbed by ethereal, heavenly arms and flung away from the caster. The second option would I suppose be homebrew some specific things, in which case I'd say work closely with your DM to come to an agreement on powers which you find flavourful but they don't think would be OP.

That's more or less what I meant, actually. I merely want ones that are easier to theme around snakes, like ones that would temporarily bind opponents or provide a ranged attack I could I.m.e. Into floating fangs, etc.

(Edit: fixed html quote)

[FieserMoep]

My character has dark vision, so devil'ssight is out.

Devil's Sight allows you to see through MAGICAL darkness too (And its range is better than most regular dark vision). Major difference. This invocation is one of the foundations of min maxing a warlock(dip).

[jdolch]

Devil's Sight allows you to see through MAGICAL darkness too (And its range is better than most regular dark vision). Major difference.

And with Devil's Sight you can actually see in Darkness es if it where bright light, including colors odly enough. Whereas with Darkvision, Darkness is like Dim Light/Greyscale. It's actually good to have both because Devil's sight doesn't work in Dim Light.


This invocation is one of the foundations of min maxing a warlock(dip).

Or Shadow Sorcerer.

[Aett_Thorn]

My character has dark vision, so devil'ssight is out. Most of the other invocations are about npc interaction, but our campaign is set in a pre-sentient race world (should a mentioned that)
Now I realize I should have changed my wording, I remember having a lot of difficulty deciding with a previous character who I ended up going bard with.
By "developed powers", I mean invocations like mask of many faces which give you a distinct ability as opposed to say, elderitch push

So, your whole campaign is set in a world where entire classes of spells and abilities (including basically any sort of social interaction skills) are completely useless, but you decide to blame the invocations? The Warlock is mainly designed to be an Arcane caster with a lot of different ways to affect intelligent creatures. If you're not coming across those much, you're probably going to have a lot of abilities that don't see much use.

[SpanielBear]

That's more or less what I meant, actually. I merely want ones that are easier to theme around snakes, like ones that would temporarily bind opponents or provide a ranged attack I could I.m.e. Into floating fangs, etc.

(Edit: fixed html quote)

Snakey theme then? Well, lessee here...


Agonizing Blast- "the spell lashes out with emerald fire. It hits the target like a striking viper, and eldritch fangs sink into the creature's flesh, dealing additional damage"

Armour of Shadows- "With a wave of your hand, your body is covered in a thin coating of iridescent scales, providing you with an increase to your armour class."

Beguiling Influence- "Your words carry a soft sibilant echo, making you more alluring and persuasive."

Beast Speech- Parseltongue (if you'll forgive the HP reference)

Devil's sight- "Your tongue flicks out and tastes the darkness. You don't need eyes to see..."

Eldritch Sight- "The vibrations of magic are something you feel within yourself, and you feel their presence across every inch of your skin"

Eldritch Spear- "Like an uncoiling cobra, your spells extend impossibly far, lashing out at those who thought they were safe"

Eyes of the Rune Keeper- (okay, I'll grant you I don't know how to make snakes into good readers.)

Fiendish Vigour- "You take a moment to commune with the serpent within yourself, to absorb energy gained by successful hunts and basking in the warm sunlight"

Gaze of Two Minds- "Part of your awareness slithers into the mind of another. It rides behind their eyes, sharing their sight with you for a time."

Mask of Many Faces- "Your features seem to shift as hidden scales flicker and change colour. As they settle, an observer would see you now wear a completely different face."

Misty Visions- "A cobra's hood extends from your head and neck. The patterns within seem to writhe with power. You hiss, and shapes flow from this hood into the world, forming illusions."

Repelling Blast- "Fear of the serpent is a wisdom nearly all species share. Your spell taps into this essential terror, and turns it into a spiritual force driving your enemies away from you."

Thief of Five Fates- "Not all poisons affect the body. Your words drip like a venom into the targets soul, weakening it and leaving it easy prey for the whims of fate."

That's just the PHB invocations, but I guess my main point is that as long as you don't change the mechanics of it, the appearance and theme of what your character does is pretty open to reinterpretation. Speaking again for my GOOlock, you'd be amazed at how many spells can be re-fluffed to involve tentacles in some way. :smallwink:

[Joe the Rat]

Developed powers sounds more like "is a spell" - or else you mean free-standing, as opposed to augmenting other abilities. Temp hit points, detecting magic, speaking to animals... stuff like that only cooler? For the record, in a pre-sentient world, your gang does have talking to animals covered, yes?

A short analysis on invocation design
For spells and Near-Spell effects:

Invocations with effects that are strictly information-gathering, sensory, self-protection, or illusory can be cast at-will at the same level you could access them as a caster (1st level effects are available at start, 2nd level effects at 3rd level, etc.). Examples: Eldritch Sight (detect magic), Armor of Shadows (mage armor), Eyes of the Runekeeper (comprehend languages - written only, always on), Whispers of the Grave (Speak with Dead), Master of Myriad Forms (alter self).
All other spell invocations can be gained as a 1/day casting (using pact slots) at level of access. Examples: Thief of Five Fates (bane), Mire the Mind (slow), Sculptor of Flesh (polymorph)
Other self-targeting effects can presumably be gained at-will 6-8 levels after normal access. Examples: Ascendant Step (levitation), Otherworldly Leap (jump) are available at 9th. As the current examples do not include non-movement powers, this is the biggest guess.


Once could, presumably, have a self-only, at-will barkskin at 3rd, or gain water breathing as an always on ability at 5th level (at the latest). Getting access to spiritual weapon (necrotic damage, form of: snake) as a 1/day would come at 3rd as well.

On Themed Invocations and Effects
Holy Molydeus, have you not considered reskinning things? Floating Fangs could be just about anything already on your spell list (eldritch blast, cloud of daggers, any ranged-delivery debilitator). If you aren't strictly viper, Hold Person is totally constrictor territory. If you are going Tome, or your DM would allow you to add it to your list anyway, thorn whip (from the druid set) would be a great serpent strike - piercing damage, plus it hangs on and drags them closer. Mind you, if your eldritch blast is more like a spectral snake, Grasp of Hadar gets the same effect (your blast takes on a constrictor-like mien, and drags your opponent to you).
Going Old One, you have the snakiest spell of all on hand: Evard's Black Tentacles.

Here's one to discuss with your DM:
The XGtE Bonus Racial Feats (dmsguild) has a racial for Yuan-Ti: you can turn into a medium-sized snake. You leave your gear behind, and get a barely-usable poison attack, which proves the old adage that turning into a snake never helps.
However, if this appeals you could probably negotiate a 3rd-5th level access to this ability, or a proper wild-shape into a specific type of snake, usable 1/short rest.

[Trustypeaches]

That's more or less what I meant, actually. I merely want ones that are easier to theme around snakes, like ones that would temporarily bind opponents or provide a ranged attack I could I.m.e. Into floating fangs, etc.

(Edit: fixed html quote)Okay well here are some theming suggestions.

Eldritch Blast is one of the easiest to theme abilities in the game. A “ray of magical force” can be anything.

A shrieking wisp of sulfurous black smoke that takes the visage of a screaming man (Fiend)
A thin blade, needle, or wave of inky shadow that the Warlock discharges with a swing of their hexed weapon (Hexblade)
A shimmering bolt of pale moonlight that makes the air smell of mint and berries (Archfey)

For your Yuan’ti, your Eldritch Blast might take resemble summoning several spectral snakes formed of blood and shadow that lash out at your foes, or envelop and crush them. Maybe the “tentacles” originate from you, or your shadow, almost like appendages.

The Eldritch Blast invocations can all expand this.
Lance of Lethargy reduces enemies speed, extremely easy to imagine with constricting snakes, your blast leaving foes bound in spectral snakes. Or perhaps it objects then with a magical venom that weakens them.
Grasp of Hadar drags enemies closer. Not hard to imagine this with the theme :P
Repelling Blast knocks foes back, so perhaps you toss them back with one of your appendages. Or maybe the blasts foul influence assaults their spirits directly, driving them to flee in fear briefly.

The theming of many other invocations, like Misty Images and Mask of Many Faces, depends entirely on how you use them. Maybe your character casts silent image unconsciously at times, creating disturbing images of their monstrous, serpentine patrons. Or your character uses Disguise Self to take the form of a more “evolved” Yuan-ti Malison to intimidate their foes.

All the pact invocations are mostly mechanical, but just use your imagination.

With Book of Ancient Secrets, your Tome of Shadows now bleeds a viscous, blood-red fluid when cut that is toxic to non-evolved fleshlings. You use this substance as rink to scribe your new rituals, which themselves are unnerving spectacles that involve a sacrifice to perform. You usually use small animals for this...
With Improved Pact Weapon, your pact weapon resembles a long, curved fang of a dark, metallic texture that is extremely cold to the touch. It is unnaturally light, oozes with venom at its tip, and seems to absorb any blood it’s in contact with.
With Voice of the Chain Master, your familiar is a shard of your patrons will, a small flying snake or something resembling an small iguana with webbed legs it uses to fly. When you communicate with it, you feel yourself adrift in the plane of your patron, a cold, wet lightless depth that unnerves even you.

Again these are all just ideas. You could do this with literally anything.

[stewstew5]

So, your whole campaign is set in a world where entire classes of spells and abilities (including basically any sort of social interaction skills) are completely useless, but you decide to blame the invocations? The Warlock is mainly designed to be an Arcane caster with a lot of different ways to affect intelligent creatures. If you're not coming across those much, you're probably going to have a lot of abilities that don't see much use.

I realize now how poor my wording was. It would be better to say they are lacking, since so many of them are exclusively useful when npc-interactive roleplaying (albeit RP is a huge part of D&D, but a lot of DM's tend to only focus on numerical scores and it's not uncommon to find practically npc-less games)

[stewstew5]

Developed powers sounds more like "is a spell" - or else you mean free-standing, as opposed to augmenting other abilities. Temp hit points, detecting magic, speaking to animals... stuff like that only cooler? For the record, in a pre-sentient world, your gang does have talking to animals covered, yes?

A short analysis on invocation design
For spells and Near-Spell effects:

Invocations with effects that are strictly information-gathering, sensory, self-protection, or illusory can be cast at-will at the same level you could access them as a caster (1st level effects are available at start, 2nd level effects at 3rd level, etc.). Examples: Eldritch Sight (detect magic), Armor of Shadows (mage armor), Eyes of the Runekeeper (comprehend languages - written only, always on), Whispers of the Grave (Speak with Dead), Master of Myriad Forms (alter self).
All other spell invocations can be gained as a 1/day casting (using pact slots) at level of access. Examples: Thief of Five Fates (bane), Mire the Mind (slow), Sculptor of Flesh (polymorph)
Other self-targeting effects can presumably be gained at-will 6-8 levels after normal access. Examples: Ascendant Step (levitation), Otherworldly Leap (jump) are available at 9th. As the current examples do not include non-movement powers, this is the biggest guess.


Once could, presumably, have a self-only, at-will barkskin at 3rd, or gain water breathing as an always on ability at 5th level (at the latest). Getting access to spiritual weapon (necrotic damage, form of: snake) as a 1/day would come at 3rd as well.

On Themed Invocations and Effects
Holy Molydeus, have you not considered reskinning things? Floating Fangs could be just about anything already on your spell list (eldritch blast, cloud of daggers, any ranged-delivery debilitator). If you aren't strictly viper, Hold Person is totally constrictor territory. If you are going Tome, or your DM would allow you to add it to your list anyway, thorn whip (from the druid set) would be a great serpent strike - piercing damage, plus it hangs on and drags them closer. Mind you, if your eldritch blast is more like a spectral snake, Grasp of Hadar gets the same effect (your blast takes on a constrictor-like mien, and drags your opponent to you).
Going Old One, you have the snakiest spell of all on hand: Evard's Black Tentacles.

Here's one to discuss with your DM:
The XGtE Bonus Racial Feats (dmsguild) has a racial for Yuan-Ti: you can turn into a medium-sized snake. You leave your gear behind, and get a barely-usable poison attack, which proves the old adage that turning into a snake never helps.
However, if this appeals you could probably negotiate a 3rd-5th level access to this ability, or a proper wild-shape into a specific type of snake, usable 1/short rest.

These are incredibly useful, and I had no idea that feat existed.
(And yes, I do know how to reskin. I'm just calling to mind easier to reskin ones or already snake-y ones)

[Keravath]

Devil's Sight allows you to see through MAGICAL darkness too (And its range is better than most regular dark vision). Major difference. This invocation is one of the foundations of min maxing a warlock(dip).

One other apect of devils sight that many people miss.

Regular darkvision has DISADVANTAGE on perception checks in darkness. Yes you can see as if it was dim light but you can't see well, it is much easier to miss things (-5 to passive perception and disadvantage on rolls), searching for a secret door or a trap in the dark without devils sight is much more difficult. You are also much more likely to be ambushed since you can't see that well. Many folks seem to miss this.

On the other hand, devil's sight lets you see perfectly as if it was well lit in complete darkness to a range of 120'. This means you can usually see creatures with darkvision before they see you and you don't have disadvantage on perception checks.

However, devil's sight does NOTHING in dim light while darkvision turns dim light into well lit As a result, devil's sight and darkvision actually have a lot of synergy if you find your party adventuring in the dark and prefer not to use a light source that indicates your presence to any creature within miles.

Finally, devil's sight can see through magical darkness enabling the warlock to cast darkness to get advantage on all their attacks and opponents to have disadvantage against the warlock.

Devils sight is a bit less necessary for a character with darkvision since at least they can see well enough to fight in the dark ... but it does have quite a bit of added utility even if you do already have darkvision.

It is also one of the unique warlock invocation abilities that you can't find anywhere else.

[JackPhoenix]

These are incredibly useful, and I had no idea that feat existed.
(And yes, I do know how to reskin. I'm just calling to mind easier to reskin ones or already snake-y ones)

It's not official. There's a ton of homebrew and 3rd party stuff on DMsG.

[Cynthaer]

One other apect of devils sight that many people miss.

Regular darkvision has DISADVANTAGE on perception checks in darkness. Yes you can see as if it was dim light but you can't see well, it is much easier to miss things (-5 to passive perception and disadvantage on rolls), searching for a secret door or a trap in the dark without devils sight is much more difficult. You are also much more likely to be ambushed since you can't see that well. Many folks seem to miss this.

On the other hand, devil's sight lets you see perfectly as if it was well lit in complete darkness to a range of 120'. This means you can usually see creatures with darkvision before they see you and you don't have disadvantage on perception checks.

However, devil's sight does NOTHING in dim light while darkvision turns dim light into well lit As a result, devil's sight and darkvision actually have a lot of synergy if you find your party adventuring in the dark and prefer not to use a light source that indicates your presence to any creature within miles.

[...]
So I agree that all of this is RAW, but I think in practical terms it's worth mentioning that many tables don't track light levels with this degree of specificity.

Whether it's because the DM/players don't know/remember the distinctions, or just because it's a lot of bookkeeping, it's fairly common for groups to just track darkness vs light, so the "dim light" distinction doesn't matter. In this context, if you already have Darkvision then Devil's Sight is mostly for seeing through magical darkness (usually your own Darkness spell).

Similarly, I suspect most tables that do track dim light treat Devil's Sight as working in dim light as well as in darkness. We could argue about whether it's more intuitive to treat it as (A) "magical super-darkvision" or (B) a fiendish ability that only works in truly dark places—but it doesn't really matter. The point is that at many tables, normal darkvision and Devil's Sight really will be (partially) redundant.