Selling your Soul at a Premium: The Warlock's Guide to Power

[Armored Walrus]

Seconding the request to update. I'd love to get your take on the expanded spell options that hexblades get.

[LVOD]

Thirded?

Love this guide

[werescythe]

It would be nice to see him update this. I am curious how the new sub-classes and invocation work out. Partially because I'm thinking of making a glamour bard, who after reaching level 14, multi-classes into either Sorcerer or Warlock for 6 levels.

[EvilAnagram]

So, I'm going to be honest. I have put no effort towards updating the guides in three months, and I don't feel bad about it at all for two reasons:

1. I have a fairly new job as an editor and writer for a trade magazine, and it takes up most of the mental energy I have set aside for writing.
2. My wife is pregnant, so my free time has been spent taking care of her and the house.

Sorry to anyone who's been wanting updates, but my family has to come first. I'm super excited by both of these events, and I'm obviously going to continue putting my family ahead of internet guides, even if I love writing internet guides.

That said, I'm updating the guides this month. One of my regular tables is in a transitional period, so I have spare time and mental energy to write. Look for my remaining guides to get the Xanathar patch shortly.

[Armored Walrus]

Can't fault your priorities, but excited to see the update when it comes ;)

[JakOfAllTirades]

So, I'm going to be honest. I have put no effort towards updating the guides in three months, and I don't feel bad about it at all for two reasons:

1. I have a fairly new job as an editor and writer for a trade magazine, and it takes up most of the mental energy I have set aside for writing.
2. My wife is pregnant, so my free time has been spent taking care of her and the house.

Sorry to anyone who's been wanting updates, but my family has to come first. I'm super excited by both of these events, and I'm obviously going to continue putting my family ahead of internet guides, even if I love writing internet guides.

That said, I'm updating the guides this month. One of my regular tables is in a transitional period, so I have spare time and mental energy to write. Look for my remaining guides to get the Xanathar patch shortly.

Congrats on all of that, and thanks for all you've done!

[Contramundi]

[*]Shadow Blade (XGtE): You can cheese the hell out of this sword. At high levels a standard Bladelock can uses this to deal 4d8+1d6+10 damage twice a turn.

When you get a chance, I recommend downgrading this spell. It requires concentration, so you can't run this and Hex at the same time. So no +1d6. Also, even as a bladelock,you can't attack with it twice and you don't add +10 damage. Look at the Thirsting Blade and Lifedrinker invocations again:

Thirsting Blade
You can attack with your pact weapon twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn

Lifedrinker
When you hit a creature with your pact weapon, the creature takes extra necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).

It takes a 1 hour ritual to turn a weapon into your pact weapon. Shadow Blade lasts, at most, 1 minute. Shadow Blade cannot be your pact weapon. So even a bladelock can only attack with it once and you can't add the damage bonus from Lifedrinker. You could multi-class to get the Extra Attack feature from another class, but you still wouldn't get the Lifedrinker damage bonus. The best a pure bladelock can do with this spell is dual wield, pact weapon in one hand and shadow blade in the other. And again, it eats your concentration. Is this really the best spell to be concentrating on, given the limitations? Personally, I don't think so. You may disagree.

[EvilAnagram]

When you get a chance, I recommend downgrading this spell. It requires concentration, so you can't run this and Hex at the same time. So no +1d6. Also, even as a bladelock,you can't attack with it twice and you don't add +10 damage. Look at the Thirsting Blade and Lifedrinker invocations again:






It takes a 1 hour ritual to turn a weapon into your pact weapon. Shadow Blade lasts, at most, 1 minute. Shadow Blade cannot be your pact weapon. So even a bladelock can only attack with it once and you can't add the damage bonus from Lifedrinker. You could multi-class to get the Extra Attack feature from another class, but you still wouldn't get the Lifedrinker damage bonus. The best a pure bladelock can do with this spell is dual wield, pact weapon in one hand and shadow blade in the other. And again, it eats your concentration. Is this really the best spell to be concentrating on, given the limitations? Personally, I don't think so. You may disagree.

Solid points!

[Patchy]

I have a question concerning racial feats.

• Flames of Phlegethos: I'm a bit torn on Phlegm Fire. The protection is... minor. Really minor. But rerolling 1s is pretty nice. It's not bad for half a feat, so if you want to boost your CHA by 1 you might as well.

Does this mean that the Xanathar's Guide racial feats count as half-feats, or am I just trying to bend the rules to my favor here?

[SkylarkR6]

I have a question concerning racial feats.

Does this mean that the Xanathar's Guide racial feats count as half-feats, or am I just trying to bend the rules to my favor here?

It's called a "half feat" because it gives you a +1 to a stat in addition to it's other features. Unlike Great weapon Master which gives no stat boost. Hope that helps

[Naanomi]

I have a question concerning racial feats.

Does this mean that the Xanathar's Guide racial feats count as half-feats, or am I just trying to bend the rules to my favor here?

Half-Feat is an informal term for a Feat that also offers +1 to a Stat; which many (but not all) of the Xanathar’s feats are

[Arkhios]

I have a question concerning racial feats.

Does this mean that the Xanathar's Guide racial feats count as half-feats, or am I just trying to bend the rules to my favor here?

Just so you know, the term "half-feat" is not "real". It's just a term the players have come to call feats that grant you a +1 to an ability score and then some. A "full feat" would be a feat that didn't give a +1 to an ability score. What I'm trying to demonstrate here, is that no, not all of the Xanathar's Guide racial feats are half-feats. There are racial feats (such as Prodigy for humans) in XGtE that don't increase an ability score.

Edit: Double shadowmonk'd xD

[SkylarkR6]

Just so you know, the term "half-feat" is not "real". It's just a term the players have come to call feats that grant you a +1 to an ability score and then some. A "full feat" would be a feat that didn't give a +1 to an ability score. What I'm trying to demonstrate here, is that no, not all of the Xanathar's Guide racial feats are half-feats. There are racial feats (such as Prodigy for humans) in XGtE that don't increase an ability score.

Edit: Double shadowmonk'd xD

Open Hand, but close :)

[Arkhios]

Open Hand, but close :)

No, Way of Shadows a.k.a. Shadowmonk is the "Ninja" ...hence, "ninja'd" becomes "Shadowmonk'd".

FWIW, that isn't my idea originally, I'm just a copy-cat

[SkylarkR6]

No, Way of Shadows a.k.a. Shadowmonk is the "Ninja" ...hence, "ninja'd" becomes "Shadowmonk'd".

FWIW, that isn't my idea originally, I'm just a copy-cat

I got the reference. I was trying to go for a subtle joke, heh. "When you can snatch the pebble from my palm..."

[Oramac]

First, thank you for the XGtE update!! It's great, and I love your style of cheeky sarcasm.

EDIT: Also, congrats on the life changes! I missed those when I first skimmed the posts in here.

[*]Great Weapon Master: I would advise a Bladelock to use a finesse weapon, but if you want to go STR then this is okay.

I would say that for a XGtE Hexblade, after 3rd level, GWM is actually pretty good. Since you can use Charisma for attacks with any weapon using Blade Pact, plus it stacks with Lifedrinker and such.

[Arkhios]

I would say that for a XGtE Hexblade, after 3rd level, GWM is actually pretty good. Since you can use Charisma for attacks with any weapon using Blade Pact, plus it stacks with Lifedrinker and such.

Agreed. For a Hexblade, especially because they get medium armor proficiency, it's quite possible that they might end up having only up to 14 in Dexterity, and Charisma is obviously their primary concern.

[EvilAnagram]

First, thank you for the XGtE update!! It's great, and I love your style of cheeky sarcasm.

EDIT: Also, congrats on the life changes! I missed those when I first skimmed the posts in here.



I would say that for a XGtE Hexblade, after 3rd level, GWM is actually pretty good. Since you can use Charisma for attacks with any weapon using Blade Pact, plus it stacks with Lifedrinker and such.

Thank you!

And great point!

[Diputs]

This guide helped me out a lot when I was initially starting to play as a warlock, so glad to see you're still around! One thing I noticed about the Xanathar's update though: you have Synaptic Static listed as using concentration.

Are you concentrating on Banishment to get rid of someone's elite bodyguards and you see reinforcements coming? Make those reinforcements a little less competent. Start a fight by debuffing a large group, then Hold anyone who made the first save. Being pursued? Take 1d6 away from their ability to see through the silent image you use to cover your tracks. The only time it's not useful is against someone with less than 2 intelligence.

[EvilAnagram]

This guide helped me out a lot when I was initially starting to play as a warlock, so glad to see you're still around!

Glad to hear it!

One thing I noticed about the Xanathar's update though: you have Synaptic Static listed as using concentration.

Are you concentrating on Banishment to get rid of someone's elite bodyguards and you see reinforcements coming? Make those reinforcements a little less competent. Start a fight by debuffing a large group, then Hold anyone who made the first save. Being pursued? Take 1d6 away from their ability to see through the silent image you use to cover your tracks. The only time it's not useful is against someone with less than 2 intelligence.

Welcome to the part of the guide where everyone shows me what I got wrong! Your correction is righteous, and your argument is potent. It's sky blue.

P.S.: The Bard, Sorcerer, Ranger, and Paladin guides are all updated. Everyone should feel free to tear them apart.

[Oramac]

Welcome to the part of the guide where everyone shows me what I got wrong!

As someone who also quite enjoys your guides, and has been helped by them a lot, please don't look at it that way. We simply wish to help augment your work and make your guides even more useful for others.

[EvilAnagram]

As someone who also quite enjoys your guides, and has been helped by them a lot, please don't look at it that way. We simply wish to help augment your work and make your guides even more useful for others.

...if I actually minded, don't you think I would have mentioned it over the past four years?

[Oramac]

...if I actually minded, don't you think I would have mentioned it over the past four years?

Heh. Touche, sir.

[Chunkosaurus]

When you get a chance, I recommend downgrading this spell. It requires concentration, so you can't run this and Hex at the same time. So no +1d6. Also, even as a bladelock,you can't attack with it twice and you don't add +10 damage. Look at the Thirsting Blade and Lifedrinker invocations again:






It takes a 1 hour ritual to turn a weapon into your pact weapon. Shadow Blade lasts, at most, 1 minute. Shadow Blade cannot be your pact weapon. So even a bladelock can only attack with it once and you can't add the damage bonus from Lifedrinker. You could multi-class to get the Extra Attack feature from another class, but you still wouldn't get the Lifedrinker damage bonus. The best a pure bladelock can do with this spell is dual wield, pact weapon in one hand and shadow blade in the other. And again, it eats your concentration. Is this really the best spell to be concentrating on, given the limitations? Personally, I don't think so. You may disagree.

It's very sad as I was super excited to create a bladelock with that and then I realized it couldn't be your pact weapon. I may talk to my DM about making it my pact weapon.

[Oramac]

It's very sad as I was super excited to create a bladelock with that and then I realized it couldn't be your pact weapon. I may talk to my DM about making it my pact weapon.

That does seem to be one hell of an oversight on Wizards part. Assuming, of course, that it isn't intentionally disallowed.

[strangebloke]

It's very sad as I was super excited to create a bladelock with that and then I realized it couldn't be your pact weapon. I may talk to my DM about making it my pact weapon.

That does seem to be one hell of an oversight on Wizards part. Assuming, of course, that it isn't intentionally disallowed.

I think the spell was intended for EKs and ATs, although the school choice doesn't seem to make sense for those two.

[DracoKnight]

I think the spell was intended for EKs and ATs, although the school choice doesn't seem to make sense for those two.

The school choice makes 100% sense for the Arcane Trickster! They get Enchantments and Illusions. And while the school doesn’t fit Eldritch Knights, they can pick it up at 8th level, when they get a spell choice from any school.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Just going to point out that Bountiful Luck (the halfling racial feat from XGtE) isn't quite as amazing as you make it out to be. First, it does take your reaction, making this far less attractive for hexblades in particular (shield is also a reaction), and you also cannot use your own Lucky trait until the end of your next turn.

[EvilAnagram]

Just going to point out that Bountiful Luck (the halfling racial feat from XGtE) isn't quite as amazing as you make it out to be. First, it does take your reaction, making this far less attractive for hexblades in particular (shield is also a reaction), and you also cannot use your own Lucky trait until the end of your next turn.

I took both of those factors into account. The simple fact is that holding onto your Lucky feature for a round when it only has a 5% chance of coming into play would be a suboptimal move compared to a reroll now. It would also be transparently selfish. As for shield, unless I'm in the thick of it with a brutish monster with outsized damage, I'd prefer to give someone a reroll and use that slot for something else.

[werescythe]

If lets say you are a GOO warlock (cuz cthulhu) and you want to use Pact of Chains, what would be a good thematic familiar to go with?

EDIT:

Also while I'm pretty sure you've heard this already, I think it would be cool if you had a section in the Spell Section for what rituals you can get when using the Pact of the Tome.