New Invocation idea

[Chaosmancer]

Just jotting this down because I was inspired by the thread about the Hexblade.

A new Blade Pact invocation called something like "Eldritch Shield" which allows you to use your reaction to increase your AC equal to your Cha mod. Sort of a different version of Defensive Duelist. Maybe require that you have a hand free when using it.

[Dork_Forge]

Is there any restrictions besides the free hand? As it is right now it's essentially a better version of Shield, Defensive Duelist doesn't step on toes because it's one attack adn uses your prof, meanwhile with this invocation oyu'd be getting likely a +3/4 off the bat and a full +5 at 4th or 8th. Maybe a number of times per day = to your cha mod like Flash of Genius?

[Chad.e.clark]

Maybe proficiency bonus instead of Charisma mod, but have it be gated to warlock level 5 or 7. And no casting any spells until the end of your next turn.

Strong reaction but a significant cost.

[Galithar]

I think if you out a limit on it then it could be good. A few possibilities for a limit:

Option A: You may use this ability once. You regain expended uses after a short or long rest.

Option B: You may use this ability a number of times equal to your charisma modifier (minimum 1) and regain expended uses after a long rest.

Option C: After you use this ability you may not cast any spell other then cantrips until the end of your next turn.

Option D: The increase in AC applies only to one attack.

[Vogie]

I'd rather have an invocation like Improved Pact Weapon.

Eldritch Armory
(Requires Pact of the Blade boon)
You become proficient in Shields, if not already proficient.
You can use any item you summon with your Pact of the Blade feature as a spellcasting focus for your warlock spells. The item you conjure can also be a shield, provided you have a free arm to have it appear on, and do not have another shield equipped.
In addition, You can to summon your pact weapon or shield as a reaction when you are hit by an attack a number of times equal to your charisma modifier. You regain all expended uses after a long rest. If summoned as a reaction to being hit, the shield will immediately increase your AC, including against the triggering attack.


Since Hexblades already have hex warrior built in, they don't ever *have* to use the Pact weapon, unless they want to branch out to two-handed weapons, or go the IPW route to add in bonuses and ranged weapons. This way, a non-hex Bladepact warlock can use a shield without a fighter dip, and hexblades can switch-hit with versatile weapons.

[Chaosmancer]

I had forgotten that Defensive Duelist only applies to a single attack. My gut is to copy that, but I worry that would make it relatively weak as an option. I know Defensive Duelist is not generally seen as a powerful feat after all.

I definitely would not add some of the other restrictions. Not casting spells is too broad (includes cantrips like Booming Blade), and limiting it to a certain number of times per day just feels really bad. I know warding flare is limited like that, but A) it grants disadvantage which can be more powerful and B) it can be applied to other people, not just the cleric.

Plus, simpler is better usually, and just having it as a reaction is generally simpler than making it a limited resource to track.

[Chaosmancer]

I'd rather have an invocation like Improved Pact Weapon.

Eldritch Armory
(Requires Pact of the Blade boon)
You become proficient in Shields, if not already proficient.
You can use any item you summon with your Pact of the Blade feature as a spellcasting focus for your warlock spells. The item you conjure can also be a shield, provided you have a free arm to have it appear on, and do not have another shield equipped.
In addition, You can to summon your pact weapon or shield as a reaction when you are hit by an attack a number of times equal to your charisma modifier. You regain all expended uses after a long rest. If summoned as a reaction to being hit, the shield will immediately increase your AC, including against the triggering attack.


Since Hexblades already have hex warrior built in, they don't ever *have* to use the Pact weapon, unless they want to branch out to two-handed weapons, or go the IPW route to add in bonuses and ranged weapons. This way, a non-hex Bladepact warlock can use a shield without a fighter dip, and hexblades can switch-hit with versatile weapons.

I see two issues with that.

1) A version of "make your pact weapon a spellcasting focus" already exists with Improved Pact Weapon

2) If I'm proficient in a shield, I'm going to be wearing a shield, meaning I can't summon it to defend me from an attack. This makes the 3rd ability (which is the point of the ability I'm thinking about) pointless, because it then only works if you are ambushed. Which isn't a bad time to use it, but I'm looking for an ability to use during combat in general.

[Vogie]

1) A version of "make your pact weapon a spellcasting focus" already exists with Improved Pact Weapon
Not if you don't have IPW - and Bladelocks are already invocation-poor.



2) If I'm proficient in a shield, I'm going to be wearing a shield, meaning I can't summon it to defend me from an attack. This makes the 3rd ability (which is the point of the ability I'm thinking about) pointless, because it then only works if you are ambushed. Which isn't a bad time to use it, but I'm looking for an ability to use during combat in general.
WellYesButActuallyNo.gif

If you're proficient in a shield, you CAN use a shield without disrupting your spellcasting... but are not required to. Even Hexblades are proficient in Medium armor & shields at level 1, but they still start with light armor and no shield. This actually creates a shield. And, as I mentioned above, all of the non-Hexblade Bladelocks that are out there do not have shield proficiency without a multiclass dip.
If you are rocking a Longsword, Warhammer, or other versatile weapon, you'll deal more damage with those weapons, and then summon your shield as a reaction to block an incoming attack, keeping that weapon in hand, at the cost of a slightly smaller damage die.
If you are a rocking a Hand Crossbow, such as with crossbow expert, you can be using it to shoot 2x a turn, summon your shield as a reaction to block an incoming attack, at the loss of the bonus action attack (unless your DM allows you to reload a crossbow with a shield attached).
If you do have both IPW AND Eldritch Armory, you can be rocking a halberd PAM/GWM style, and still use a reaction to turn the halberd into a shield. You can then pull out your Shadow Blade, backup weapon (or hex-warrior-enabled one-handed backup weapon) and continue smashing face.
Hexblades, specifically, already have an "Eldritch shield". It's costs a spellslot. Everyone refers to it as Shield.

[Chaosmancer]

Not if you don't have IPW - and Bladelocks are already invocation-poor.

I'm confused. All I was saying was that your version of the invocation copies an ability from another invocation. Bladelocks being invocation poor doesn't change that. And obviously you don't get the benefit of something you don't have.



WellYesButActuallyNo.gif

If you're proficient in a shield, you CAN use a shield without disrupting your spellcasting... but are not required to. Even Hexblades are proficient in Medium armor & shields at level 1, but they still start with light armor and no shield. This actually creates a shield. And, as I mentioned above, all of the non-Hexblade Bladelocks that are out there do not have shield proficiency without a multiclass dip.
If you are rocking a Longsword, Warhammer, or other versatile weapon, you'll deal more damage with those weapons, and then summon your shield as a reaction to block an incoming attack, keeping that weapon in hand, at the cost of a slightly smaller damage die.
If you are a rocking a Hand Crossbow, such as with crossbow expert, you can be using it to shoot 2x a turn, summon your shield as a reaction to block an incoming attack, at the loss of the bonus action attack (unless your DM allows you to reload a crossbow with a shield attached).
If you do have both IPW AND Eldritch Armory, you can be rocking a halberd PAM/GWM style, and still use a reaction to turn the halberd into a shield. You can then pull out your Shadow Blade, backup weapon (or hex-warrior-enabled one-handed backup weapon) and continue smashing face.
Hexblades, specifically, already have an "Eldritch shield". It's costs a spellslot. Everyone refers to it as Shield.


1) Yes, I understand that non-hexblades don't get shield prof. Also not starting with a shield is an incredibly minor concern. 10 gp is nearly nothing by 3rd level (at the point you would qualify for a blade pact specific invocation)

2) I would rather have the lower damage die (which is an average of 1 less damage per round) to have +2 AC, and then I also get to keep my reaction for other uses. Also, a big difference between my version and your version, is that the bonus will only ever be +2, which is a very small window for the summoning to make a difference. Additionally, if you have the shield (which you should in my opinion, the damage increase is not worth it) then your reaction does nothing, because you can't summon it again.

3) See 2, also Crossbow expert for hand crossbows is pretty worthless on a warlock. Just go with Eldritch Blast.

4) I'm not sure I follow, but if your goal is to use PAM, then you are most likely a hexblade and you don't need an invocation to get shield prof, and frankly, I'd think that using Shadow Blade is likely superior to PAM anyways. On top of being kind of a corner case to talk about.

5) I am not designing this explicitly for Hexblades. Also, the shield spell is a terrible spell for warlocks, because it is not worth a 5th level slot. Ever. That is why this ability does not require you to spend a spell slot, because that would make it a very bad ability for the warlock.

[SpawnOfMorbo]

Just jotting this down because I was inspired by the thread about the Hexblade.

A new Blade Pact invocation called something like "Eldritch Shield" which allows you to use your reaction to increase your AC equal to your Cha mod. Sort of a different version of Defensive Duelist. Maybe require that you have a hand free when using it.

How about an actual Pact instead of an invocation?

Pact of the Shield

Whenever you wield a shield you count as having 1/2 cover and you gain proficiency with shields.

Whenever you wield a shield, you may use a reaction to gain a bonus to AC equal to your proficiency bonus.

Once per short or long rest you may use your reaction to being attacked or rolling a dexterity saving throw to give yourself 3/4ths cover against the attack or on the dexterity saving throw.

Special: These bonuses don't stack with each other or with the Shield, the highest bonus applies. This feature doesn't stack with the defensive duelist feat.

Invocation: Greater Shield Pact

You may use your Shield Pact reaction features on an adjacent target of an attack or dexterity saving throw. If you target a creature, that creature has disadvantage on ranged attacks until the Eldritch energy ends or they move more than 5' away (at which time the bonus to AC/Dex Saves ends).


Edit: I now know what I'm going to do with a warlock subclass someday lol

[Chaosmancer]

How about an actual Pact instead of an invocation?

Pact of the Shield

Whenever you wield a shield you count as having 1/2 cover and you gain proficiency with shields.

Whenever you wield a shield, you may use a reaction to gain a bonus to AC equal to your proficiency bonus.

Once per short or long rest you may use your reaction to being attacked or rolling a dexterity saving throw to give yourself 3/4ths cover against the attack or on the dexterity saving throw.

Special: These bonuses don't stack with each other or with the Shield, the highest bonus applies. This feature doesn't stack with the defensive duelist feat.

Invocation: Greater Shield Pact

You may use your Shield Pact reaction features on an adjacent target of an attack or dexterity saving throw. If you target a creature, that creature has disadvantage on ranged attacks until the Eldritch energy ends or they move more than 5' away (at which time the bonus to AC/Dex Saves ends).


Edit: I now know what I'm going to do with a warlock subclass someday lol

I like the abilities (I always forget cover is a thing) but I don't know if I want to make a full Boon out of this.

Pact Boons are weird because a lot of their potential has to be measured by the Invocations they grant. That's why Tome is seen as very powerful, even though the Tome Boon itself doesn't give access to much. It is because of the associated Invocation.

Also, just aesthetically, I'm not used to Shield Weider's not using weapons, and making it a full boon means that the Warlock will be using Eldritch Blast.


On your actual abilities, they can't stack with each other or Defensive Duelist, because you only have one reaction. I would let them stack the shield. Unless you mean the Shield Spell? Then again, single reaction, can't stack them anyways.

[SpawnOfMorbo]

I like the abilities (I always forget cover is a thing) but I don't know if I want to make a full Boon out of this.

Pact Boons are weird because a lot of their potential has to be measured by the Invocations they grant. That's why Tome is seen as very powerful, even though the Tome Boon itself doesn't give access to much. It is because of the associated Invocation.

Also, just aesthetically, I'm not used to Shield Weider's not using weapons, and making it a full boon means that the Warlock will be using Eldritch Blast.


On your actual abilities, they can't stack with each other or Defensive Duelist, because you only have one reaction. I would let them stack the shield. Unless you mean the Shield Spell? Then again, single reaction, can't stack them anyways.

The reason I out they can't stack is because there's always the chance that people give out multiple reaction Homebrew like a marilith race.

When you're able to shoot out Eldritch energy, you are the weapon. Plus, Captain America.