Before I do all the finishing touches on my new character, like equipment, a fleshed out background, and of, I don't know, a freaking name, I'm going to look at the Warlock character class. Because along with all the magical goodies I detailed last time, being a Warlock has some built-in advantages. The base concept is pretty simple, you get power in return for serving an immensely powerful otherworldly patron. I think there are five canonical patrons now; the Archfey, the Fiend, the Great Old One, the Celestial, and the Hexblade. Each of these patrons offers different unique spells and powers as you advance.
One part of the 5th edition that I've come to adore is the specialization classes get at 3rd level. This allows customization without devolving into the mess of Feats that sank D&D 3rd Edition. As an example, in the base rules, a fighter can choose to be a powerful Champion, using brute strength and fury to defeat foes; a cunning Battle Master, able to use maneuvers and tricks to increase the accuracy of his blows and avoid attacks; or an Eldritch Knight, a powerful fighter with some ability at magic.
I like how these pathways allow further definition of the character and supports that choice with increased abilities. For the Warlock, there are three Pacts available at 3rd level:
Pact of the Chain - you gain a familiar and are able to use unique invocations to increase its power.
Pact of the Blade - you can summon a pact weapon into your hand. You are proficient with this weapon, and it counts as a magic weapon.
Pact of the Tome - you receive a Book of Shadows. In it, you can add three cantrips from any spell list, not just the Warlock list. So long as your book is on your person, you can cast these cantrips at will.
I chose Pact of the Blade, mainly to continue my plan of being both competent in melee and in ranged magic. I note that if I get a powerful magic weapon, I can make that my Pact weapon. But being bound to the Valley of Shadows has other fun effects.
Once a day, assuming I get a long rest, I can cast the Hexblade's Curse on a foe. The target is cursed for one minute. During that time, I gain my proficiency bonus as an addition to damage rolls against the cursed target. My critical hit roll is 19-20, as opposed to just a natural 20. Finally, if my foe dies, I immediately regain lost hit points equal to my warlock level plus my Charisma bonus.
I'm also a trained warrior, proficient in simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields. I can also use my chosen weapon with my Charisma bonus for attack and damage rolls. Then, at 6th level, I gain the Accursed Specter ability. If I slay a humanoid target, I can curse the soul and force it to appear as a specter under my control. Which will be nice to have in big fights.
More fun with the Hexblade's Curse. If the target of my curse hits me with an attack, I can roll a d6. One a 4-6 the attack misses me. The nice thing this is explicitly a reaction roll, so if I've been hit by multiple attacks from a cursed monster, I can choose which one to try to avoid.
This is obviously a man who has wandered far and seen a great deal. I've decided that his Patron contacts him in dreams, which are rarely clear, but offer glimpses of where to go and what to do, although he has a persistent vision of a castle perched high on a ridge, mostly cloaked in twilight but with on shining tower of gold visible. Yes, I'm stealing from an old Genesis song, sue me. He knows that he has to get there, but doesn't know where the castle is or why he needs to reach it.
Alright then, I am almost ready! I've done the hard number-crunching bits, and all that's left is equipping him, which will include a few magic items, working my way around his low carry capacity, writing his back story, which will involve a long read of the Sword Coast Adventure's Guide, and coming up with a suitably unpronounceable name.
I'm really having fun sharing this with all y'all, and I hope you are enjoying it as well. Please, feel free to comment and make suggestions. For example, is there any city in Toril that would have an institution like the medieval University of Paris? Preferably one some distance from the Sword Coast?
