Battlefield Control and Magic Utility as a Warlock?

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Okay, so I'm wanting to kinda think outside the box and have something with more staying power than a Wizard, plus I don't like all the bookkeeping involved. But, the party needs a Magical Toolbox and some battlefield control pretty badly. We've got two Barbarians and a Monk and a Cleric in the party, the Rogue is going to go to be replaced by a Druid, which leaves my character to fill in some much needed holes.

Now, my idea is to start off as a Tome Warlock, picking up the Invocation to be able to do rituals, since we currently don't have anyone who can do arcane rituals. Also pick up the Detect Magic at-will invocation, because I have a feeling this is going to be necessary (in a previous session, one of the people picked up an obviously special trinket and just put it on... said item being cursed and caused some issues).

I can't rely on racial either, I've got a limited choice of options for races due to starting location, and none of them have any SLA's.

Now, the problem is that I won't be able to do the one role Warlocks traditionally have: Agonizing Blast + Hex for ludicrous DPS. However, with three beatsticks in the party... not really needed so much. And if I spend everything on battlefield control, I won't have anything to help in combat once that happens, because virtually all battlefield control is Concentration.

Old Ones pact would somewhat help... it does give me Dissonant Whispers, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, and Evard's Black Tentacles.

[zazq]

Tome Warlock gets you 3 cantrips, and cantrips are good.

Minor Illusion is by far my favorite thing ever. Its a fantastic out-of-combat thing, and even in combat you can drop a cube of illusion fog on an ally to give people disadvantage when attacking him, and there's nothing bad about that. Vicious Mockery has good range, and can also give disadvantage. Guidance makes all checks easier, again not a combat thing, but still really good. You could take druid Thorn Whip and pull badguys towards you if you have a deathwish. Ray of Frost slows people down, and that can be a lifesaver.

That being said, the warlock spell list doesn't have battlefield control in it. no grease, no web. Bit of spot debuff like hold person, ray of enfeeblement and suggestion, but what it lacks is area control. and area control is the path to victory. Misty Visions Invocation gets you silent image, which is 3x3. that's almost battlefield control. Darkness is almost ok too, but it ain't no fog cloud.

so yes, you can make a crappy battlefield control warlock. you can make it better by splashing wizard. you could make it even better by splashing more wizard. the best battlefield control warlocks have only wizard levels.

[SharkForce]

the druid should provide some battlefield control as well. and also somewhat of a magical toolbox. warlock can probably fill in somewhat, but if you want control, staying power, and a magical toolbox, maybe a multiclass sorcerer/warlock or even paladin/sorcerer would fit your needs better?

[stonegategames]

Druids are built to be great battlefield controllers.

But 5e also doesn't care too much about party composition - play what you like, it will work. If you like the high DPS warlock, then your party should just cannon things to death before they become a problem.

[KnotaGuru]

Warlock has good control spells. Hold person, hypnotic pattern, banishment. And depending on archetype, sleep, Tasha, command, evards, wall of fire. And you'll want agonizing EB to use when you're out of spell slots or after you get your concentration spells out. Don't waste an invocation on detect magic if you have book rituals. Detect magic & identify are rituals, as is find familiar, making you the best scout.

You're also likely to be the party face, so be prepared for it.

[Tanarii]

Warlocks have quite a few invocations to grant control, as 1/day spells using a warlock spell slot.

But if you really want control/debuff, with more staying power than a Wizard, Bard is probably a better choice.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

If you're playing a battle field control warlock, have you considered the utility of Repelling Blast?

When you have an area of effect control spell like Evard's Black Tentacles* up and someone breaks out, push them back in. It turns out that 'controlling the battlefield' and 'blasting people with Hex' don't have to be contradictory options.

*Fey and Great Old One are much better control options than Fiend.

[Joe the Rat]

Seconding Repelling Blast. If you really have your damage covered, the mass-independent, no-save knockback can be really handy. Combine that with Grasp of Hadar (Invocation - only if Unearthed Arcana is allowed) or Vine Whip (cantrip from Tome) to pull creatures towards you.

Tome for rituals: depending on where you start, you can Det Magic invoke at 2, then switch it to BoAS at 3 and grab that as one of your initial rituals.

Debuff: Holds and Dominates (for GOO). Hex Wisdom to make Rogues happy. Friends to give yourself Advantage to scare the betempus out of someone via Intimidation.
Hypnotic Pattern is a good soft control option - tie up a field of mooks with a floating magical cat video. Not as solid as Holds, but useful.
If you are running into large numbers of weak monsters, going fey for sleep is not bad for a few levels. You'll probably hit a point where it's not tagging enough to be useful, but that's what swapping spells at level-up is about.

The Warlock's core field control spell is Hunger of Hadar. 40' diameter sphere of Impenetrable Darkness + difficult terrain + cold damage + acid damage if you try to move in it. It's not a terrific damager (4d6 of mixed-type damage per round at best), but it's enough to discourage people from wanting to be there. Use it as area denial. Use it as a punishment zone to push/pull people into. Use it to conceal other hazards (The druid's Spike Growth to double-down on movement pain; oh look, there's that pit trap!). Utterly shut down enemy ranged. Cast overhead to ground/drive off enemy fliers.


Your main drawback is not having the depth of tools as a Wizard, or Sorcerer for that matter. Warlocks can get around this with their impressive array of magic stick options (There are very few attunable rod/staff/wands that do not include warlock as an option), but that is very loot dependent. Wand of Web! Staff of Fire! Throwing a little Sorcerer at the problem is also an option. Three levels gets you to Web. One level gets web on your spell list, so you can scroll-cast with a little luck.

[Desteplo]

If you are getting ritual casting why waste another invocation on a ritual spell?

[rbstr]

The recent Warlock UA also has a couple new EB rider invocations that are patron specific. Fey's lets you take 10ft. of movement from anyone you hit with it.