Fearlock

[J-H]

Just theorycrafting something for fun. A non-Conquest Paladin build based on fear and scaring enemies. How many different ways can I add to scare enemies or mess with their heads?

This would go on a thematic build like a witch or Mind Flayer trapped in a human body or Scarecrow, or something similarly creepy. It's probably not versatile enough for some campaigns, although there are plenty of open invocation slots and even feat slots.

GOOlock:
Can talk in the enemy's heads
Thought Shield: Prevent mindreading, resist and share psychic damage.
Create thralls.

Boon: Chain for invisible spying

Mystic Arcanum:
6th Mental Prison (scary trap for 5d10/10d10 psychic), or Eyebite for some at-will Fearing.
7th Power Word: Pain, no concentration crippling debuff
8th Maddening Darkness, 60' radius sphere, 8d8 psychic damage per round plus darkness
9th Psychic Scream

Eldritch Invocations:
Mask of Many Faces: Disguise self to go with telepathy

Other than that, this is pretty open. Eldritch Blast enhancers are nice. If the Hex spell is taken (interferes with other Concentration), Maddening Hex gives some bonus action minor damage. You can see through walls, talk to corpses, see in darkness, go invisible at will, Hold elementals/celestials/fey/etc.

Spells:
0th Mind Sliver for debuff
1st Dissonant Whispers
Hex
Maybe Hideous Laughter
2nd Mind Spike
Phantasmal Force
Suggestion ("run past all the enemies to get away")
3rd Fear
Summon Shadowspawn
4th Black Tentacles
Banishment to the corn field
Summon Aberration
5th Far Step, specifically for the BA teleport each round. You can be Batman, always somewhere other than where enemies are looking.
Telekinesis


Plenty of options depending on the specific theme

[Unoriginal]

Just theorycrafting something for fun. A non-Conquest Paladin build based on fear and scaring enemies. How many different ways can I add to scare enemies or mess with their heads?

As a pure warlock, or with multiclass?

Undead Warlock is better at scaring people than GOOlock.

[RogueJK]

There's nothing specifically Fear-related with the GOOlock. Instead, Undead or Archfey are better ways to go for a Fear-based Warlock. (Heck, even the Hexblade has access to more fear-related stuff than GOO, thanks to their access to the Wrathful Smite and Phantasmal Killer spells.)

As for your spells, don't forget about 1st level's Cause Fear.

As for race, Leonins have a nifty racial fear effect, which unlike Dragonborn doesn't cost a feat to activate. Or there's the Fallen Aasimar, but that risks friendly fire.

[J-H]

As a pure warlock, or with multiclass?

Undead Warlock is better at scaring people than GOOlock.
I don't generally multiclass, and at my table, dips between multiple "I serve X for power" classes (warlock, cleric, paladin, etc.) get extra scrutiny. If you abandon the service of Torm for two levels to get extra power from Azerthotepgaszh the Defiler of Worlds, there's going to be some smiting.


There's nothing specifically Fear-related with the GOOlock. Instead, Undead or Archfey are better ways to go for a Fear-based Warlock. (Heck, even the Hexblade has access to more fear-related stuff than GOO, thanks to their access to the Wrathful Smite and Phantasmal Killer spells.)

As for your spells, don't forget about 1st level's Cause Fear.

As for race, Leonins have a nifty racial fear effect, which unlike Dragonborn doesn't cost a feat to activate. Or there's the Fallen Aasimar, but that risks friendly fire.
I kind of ignored Cause Fear because it gets outdated pretty quickly with no upcast option.
I do like the telepathy of Goolock, but you're right. Archfey's 1st level ability is in fact better for causing fear or charm. Undead (not Undying, why did WOTC do this?) looks like fear at will with attacks, which is super good!

[RogueJK]

I kind of ignored Cause Fear because it gets outdated pretty quickly with no upcast option.

But Cause Fear does have an upcast option... And it'll hold you over until Fear comes online at Warlock 5, at least.

(On the other hand, Hideous Laughter - which you did include in your initial list - doesn't have an upcast option and gets outdated pretty quickly.)

[J-H]

Ah, the summaries on DNDB weren't showing the upcasts :(
Telepathy can be picked up by a feat pretty easily, replacing the Goolock ability.
I'd also consider spending a feat on Skill Expert to gain Expertise in Intimidation to go with this.

[RogueJK]

Yep, you have other options for Telepathy:

Message cantrip (quasi-Telepathy - actually just magically silent long-range whispering)
Telepathic feat
Ghostwise Halfling race
Kalashtar race
Hexblood lineage (limited Telepathy)

[Sorinth]

Undead Warlock is the go to Fear based warlock. Whisper Bard is probably worth mentioning as well as a non Conquest Paladin.

[MaxWilson]

Undead Warlock is the go to Fear based warlock. Whisper Bard is probably worth mentioning as well as a non Conquest Paladin.

Frankly I don't even know why people value Conquest Paladin's Aura of Conquest.

If a creature is frightened of you, its speed is reduced to 0 while in the aura, and that creature takes psychic damage equal to half your paladin level if it starts its turn there.

It doesn't help with the hard part (frightening the creature in the first place), the psychic damage is mediocre, and while movement speed reduction is always nice, we're talking about a frightened target so their movement is ALREADY constrained (can't move toward you) so you can back them into corners, etc., to achieve the same thing without a seven-level investment coupled to a distasteful Oath. Is it just the fact that people like the RP of the Oath, whereas I hate it? Mechanically it's very meh compared to e.g. Charm immunity.

[Unoriginal]

Frankly I don't even know why people value Conquest Paladin's Aura of Conquest.

If a creature is frightened of you, its speed is reduced to 0 while in the aura, and that creature takes psychic damage equal to half your paladin level if it starts its turn there.

It doesn't help with the hard part (frightening the creature in the first place), the psychic damage is mediocre, and while movement speed reduction is always nice, we're talking about a frightened target so their movement is ALREADY constrained (can't move toward you) so you can back them into corners, etc., to achieve the same thing

You don't always have corners or other obstacles. Also while they can't move toward you, nothing forces them to move if you move. Even if you have somewhere to corner your enemies, it means your own movement is nearly as constrained as said enemies, since you have to stay roughly at the same spot for the "can't move toward you" effect to stop people from moving.



without a seven-level investment coupled to a distasteful Oath. Is it just the fact that people like the RP of the Oath, whereas I hate it?

Might be part of it. Why do you hate it so much?

[RogueJK]

Most of the Conquest builds that I've seen will leverage the movement penalty by combining it with using one attack (or Shield Master's Bonus Action) to shove a victim prone. The Frightened enemy has Disadvantage on the contested ability check, so you're likely to succeed. Then they can't stand up since their movement is 0', and you have Advantage on all your subsequent melee attacks, so you can fish for Critical Smites more easily.

Also combines very well with the Fear spell that Conquest Paladins get at 9th level. With Fear, enemies who fail their first save don't even get a chance to make a subsequent save unless they're out of sight of you. If their movement is 0', they can't move out of sight of you, so they never get a chance to make a second save.

As for getting the Fear effects to stick in the first place, that's why Conquest Paladins are one of the few times that I'd advocate for boosting CHA before maxing STR, going for something like 18 STR/18 CHA by Level 8 instead of 20/16 like on most other Paladins. That makes your various Fear effects more likely to stick.

The main downside isn't that it's tough to get it to stick, or that it's not useful once it does... It's that there's a relatively large number of Fear-immune enemies out there. So it's not going to be useful 100% of the time. But for the times that it's usable, it's powerful.

[MaxWilson]

Might be part of it. Why do you hate it so much?

Mostly because it's contrary to my value system, a large part of which is about allowing people to make choices (even when they're terrible choices).


Douse the Flame of Hope. It is not enough to merely defeat an enemy in battle. Your victory must be so overwhelming that your enemies’ will to fight is shattered forever. A blade can end a life. Fear can end an empire.

Rule with an Iron Fist. Once you have conquered, tolerate no dissent. Your word is law. Those who obey it shall be favored. Those who defy it shall be punished as an example to all who might follow.

Strength Above All. You shall rule until a stronger one arises. Then you must grow mightier and meet the challenge, or fall to your own ruin.

I also dislike it because #3, Strength Above All, is such a bland non-ideal. AFAIK the first sentence is basically just repeating #1 and #2, and the second sentence is a truism.

But mostly I just dislike #1 and #2 because it makes me want to punch them in the face.

[Unoriginal]

Mostly because it's contrary to my value system, a large part of which is about allowing people to make choices (even when they're terrible choices).


Douse the Flame of Hope. It is not enough to merely defeat an enemy in battle. Your victory must be so overwhelming that your enemies’ will to fight is shattered forever. A blade can end a life. Fear can end an empire.

Rule with an Iron Fist. Once you have conquered, tolerate no dissent. Your word is law. Those who obey it shall be favored. Those who defy it shall be punished as an example to all who might follow.

Strength Above All. You shall rule until a stronger one arises. Then you must grow mightier and meet the challenge, or fall to your own ruin.

I also dislike it because #3, Strength Above All, is such a bland non-ideal. AFAIK the first sentence is basically just repeating #1 and #2, and the second sentence is a truism.

But mostly I just dislike #1 and #2 because it makes me want to punch them in the face.

I certainly understand that.

Just gotta ask, though: when you DM, do you have fun RPing villainous NPCs, or is it more a core because antagonists are needed?

[MaxWilson]

I certainly understand that.

Just gotta ask, though: when you DM, do you have fun RPing villainous NPCs, or is it more a core because antagonists are needed?

Mostly the latter (a necessary chore), although it depends on the nature of the villain and their role in the story. Complex villains with three-dimensional motives are more fun than cartoon villains, and the Conquest ideals feel cartoonish.