Mirrorrorrim
Hero
I also suggested this (as a person who doesn't like short rest pact magic).It would work.
But I find it a bit too mechanical, and not narratively satisfying. What's the in character explanation of why you can't do it 3 times?
Here are bullet points for one way it could work for me:
- You get 2 DAILY pact spell slots that are cast at a higher level (just like 2014). You do have to prepare your pact spells from the entire Warlock list (including your Patron list at level 3) at the end of your long rest, but this makes you flexible from day to day, and not stuck in a certain build. In this variation, slots don't scale, rather what changes is how often and quickly you get to recharge those slots, tied to the Pact Boon ability below.
- At first level, alongside your Pact Boon, you get a new Pact Communion Ritual with a 1 minute casting time. It allows you to utilize your Pact Boon object (blade, tome, familiar) as a focus to commune with forces beyond, letting you request an influx of power that recharges your Pact Magic slots. You can use this ritual more often, the greater your personal power (PBx/day, or twice per day to start). Additionally, whenever you use this Pact Communion to get spell slots, you can swap your prepared spells from any on the Warlock list, adding much needed flexibility.
- This Pact Communion Ritual is the seed of something that will grow, and may be eventually more important by recharging other abilities, or communicating with a Patron in the future.
- Starting at 3rd level, your Pact Communion ritual lets you connect with a Patron as part of you choosing your subclass. You need to be the best operative for that Patron as possible, so you can now select spells granted by your Patron subclass.
- Each Patron may give you a special boon when you use the Communion ritual. Maybe Fiend gives you Dark One's Blessing effect without killing someone? Archfey gives you a modified Fey Presence that is not broken if used 2 to 6 times per day? Celestial lets you heal a certain amount 2-6 times per day? That kind of stuff.
Levels 1-4 lets you cast up to 6 enhanced Pact Magic spell slots throughout the day; swappable 3x/day (counting your starting slots at the beginning of the day)
Levels 5-8 is 8 slots a day; swappable 4x/day
LEvels 9-12 is 10 slots a day; swappable 5x/day
Levels 13-16 is 12 slots a day; swappable 6x/day
Levels 17-20 is 14 slots a day; swappable 7x/day
This lets the higher level warlock Warlock cast up to 14 slots at 5th level of power throughout the day, but only 2 per encounter. I think this, plus eldritch blast reliability, plus 2-3 extra invocations for the class, and Mystic Arcanum dailies, allows for a great deal of flexibility, while not making them too powerful of a nova with each encounter.