D&D (2024) Treantmonk's Warlock EB DPR video


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Key points:
  • Baseline Eldritch Blast damage goes up a bit in t4 thanks to access to epic boons.
  • Optimized Eldritch Blast damage (meaning a warlock that actually casts damage spells and not just cantrips) goes up significantly in t3, but falls back down in t4.
  • The controversial True Strike weapon builds (which some people argue doesn't work due to interpretations) more or less performs on par with their Eldritch Blast piers.
  • And most importantly, Rangers still outdamage Warlocks no mater which build (or ruling) you use.
 

It is really interesting to me to examine the Warlock. I play in a game where we hit 15th level at the last break and there is a Warlock in the group. We actually transitioned from 3.5E to 5E and he was one of two characters who made the transition.

The player pretty much spams Eldritch Blasts after using their couple of spell slots for damage spells and it always seemed like they weren't doing anything special with that. I think of the Warlock as the simpler caster build but I'm not sure the niche it's trying to fill. Beyond being a one level Hexblade dip class (that's kind of a joke since that's what I did with it in another campaign...)
 

I DMed for a game with a Warlock from 3rd to 12th levels. She mainly used Hex and Eldritch Blast for offense, keeping her other slots for counter spell, blink, Misty Step, and the occasional hellish rebuke. The Battle Master Fighter outshined her in damage, but her ability to shut down enemy spellcasters was bar none.

To adequately compare Warlock EB+Hex damage, I think the other warlock slots need to at least be dumped into hellish rebuke or scorching ray. A scorching ray up cast with Hex is a scary thing.
 

I am building a multiclass character right now who is a Halfling Paladin 1/Warlock/Rogue who is going to be single attack true strike-agonizing Blast type character

She started Paladin 1 for Divine Smite and Wrathful Smite. After that it is going to be a back and forth mix of Warlock and Rogue.

She will end probably as P1/GOO Chainlock 6/Arcane Trickster 13

Right now she is level 4 (P1/W2/R1) with True Strike Agonizing Blast and she is doing pretty good on DPR. She mostly uses a Heavy Crossbow, a Greataxe and occasionally a Warpick. She will switch to a dex melee weapon as she gets more sneak dice.


 

This is why playing a Warlock for damage is a mugs game.

Striker/controller hybrid imho. Repelling blast into hunger of hadar or whatever.

Glorified archer low levels.

Most of the martials will probably be dealing similar damage to the old -5/+10 feats without the -5 part.
 

This is why playing a Warlock for damage is a mugs game.

Striker/controller hybrid imho. Repelling blast into hunger of hadar or whatever.

Glorified archer low levels.

Most of the martials will probably be dealing similar damage to the old -5/+10 feats without the -5 part.
The warlock is the floor. A group should have at least 1/3 of their party warlock or better in DPR.

This is also why there should be a simple Cantrip spammer class that replaces it as the floor.
 




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