/5eg/ D&D Fifth Edition General

>having to wait until level 10 to summon your zord
Literally, fuck that.
Gimme my zord no later than 3rd level motherfucker.

As a really quick hack, I'd say a mech has a STR, DEX, and CON score. Pilot uses the mech's Strength and Dexterity scores, and the Constitution score is mostly relevant only for saving throws.

Mechs have cockpits which, depending on the individual model, provide no cover, half cover, three-quarters cover, or full cover. In the case of a full cover cockpit, the pilot cannot be targeted by attacks and spells, but area of effect spells can effect him. He has advantage on saving throws against such effects and resistance to all damage except psychic.

Mechs have a set amount of HP, and the pilot is ejected when the mech reaches 0. Repairing a mech requires [plot mumbo jumbo] and [x amount of time/money].

If the mech has to make a saving throw, attack roll, or ability check, use the mech's ability modifier. If the pilot has proficiency in the relevant saving throw or skill, he can add his proficiency bonus.

If you want to do something crazy like having a ghost possess the mech, figure out how you want that to work, I dunno. Also if you want mechs with AI I guess they can have INT, WIS, and CHA scores, and maybe function similar to intelligent magic items.

IT'S NOT FUN
DON'T DO IT
YOU WILL JUST FEEL BAD

every fucking time

How do we unfuck the Bladelock?

Take paladin multi and variant human (gwm) or fallen aasimar for on hit damage. Pump con to 14 and use a weapon with reach so can be a second liner. For invocations get witch sight and spam darkness. Also get thirsting blade and the extra attack one. Either go pally 6 and warlock 14 or pally 11 and warlock 9. If you really want full casting as a Gish you'll be bad in melee but go pally 2 and warlock 18. Go fiend pack warlock and oathbreaker pally if you really want to optimize and dish out barbarian tier damage.

So, there are no dmsguild materials on MEGA anymore?

You don't.
The fact that EB exists invalidates the concept period.

Give actual benefits and tools to letting it go into melee. Make Lifedrinker restore your health, and let you use Cha to attack with the weapon.

Your AC or your HP is still gonna suck dick either way.

And - instead of being in melee - you could just be knocking things 40 feet away from you with no save from hundreds of feet away with a damage type essentially nothing in the game is resistant to.

Taking inspiration from a previous post, I want to play a shadowy Half-Drow Private Investigator. Rogue with the Inquisitive archetype is definitely a must, but I'm trying to find a way to include the Shadow Sorcerer and/or Bard. The reason I want Shadow Sorcerer is the Darkness you can see through casting, and Bard has some really cool spells I want like Faerie Fire (which is a Drow ability alongside Darkness), Dissonant Whispers, and Tasha's Hideous Laughter.

I could really use some help to optimize this because it seems like it'll be a difficult multiclass. The campaign is starting at level 7.

Which is why you need to give actual benefits to going up and hitting things with your sword. You could easily give them an Invocation that works like the Kensei ability and just gives them extra AC when they attack with their pact blade.

If you make them better than EB they're too good.
If they're not as good as EB then you should just be EB'ing.
There is no winning.

Sounds like a "gain proficiency in Medium Armor" is in order when you take the pact at level 3 then.

I'd also say that Extra Attack with the pact weapon comes built in at level 5, and instead there's an invocation at level 7 or 9 that lets you make a reaction attack with the pact weapon against someone who hits you in melee.

Why not play a regular drow and get darkness and faerie fire for free?

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask, but would anyone have battle map of burned / scorched woods?

Still ain't good enough.
EB and being ranged is still better.

Sunlight sensitivity is going to be a pain to deal with, and they can only be cast once a day. We usually go a while between long rests.

Bladelock doesn't have to necessarily be better than a ranged EB-blaster, it just has to be good enough on its own merits to be viable.

>If you make them better than EB they're too good.

Only if you make them better in terms of damage. They're already decent in terms of damage, but as you point out, they lack survivability.

Letting them gain AC and regain health by attacking in melee makes them more survivable in close combat without being overpowered. The fact that they have to use multiple invocations to get to that point also means they'll have less utility, so that's another trade off.

And it's hard to argue that they'd be too good just for being better than EB, when any other warlock has a bunch of benefits to go along with EB while the Bladelock is investinge everything to match it.

Can't just give them armor proficiency, since then people will just take it and EB while wearing armor.

Giving them extra attack for free is probably a good call though.

How would you unfuck Kobolds, Veeky Forums?

Getting rid of the strength penalty would probably do it. What else would you suggest?

I made this and then they never went there.
Dunno if this is what you're lookin' for.

If you're going into melee instead of staying back and doing something that would just straight up be better, I feel like there should be a legitimately good reason for you doing so, because otherwise I'd just be more apt to call someone's character stupid right

You're never more survivable in melee than at ranged.
The game is just like that.

Yes...which is why I'm saying that you should give the melee focused option something that gives them extra AC and HP as a reward for going into melee, in order to help offset that difference.

Why are you having trouble with this?

>I feel like there should be a legitimately good reason for you doing so

Which is what people have been suggesting. Give Bladelock more benefits and Invocations that give bonuses to doing things while you're smacking people with a sword.

One of my players is a wizard and after has become convinced that illusions are the solution to absolutely everything. What are some creatures that have Truesight? To my knowledge it's mostly demi-gods and super strong things like sphinxes. Are there any more slightly normal creature with truesight?

I've always wanted to play a fiend bladelock and use a chain weapon like the chain demon and be ghost rider

But what are you *getting* from going into melee?
Look, let's say you make the survivability of melee *IDENTICAL* to ranged somehow.

Why am I still going into melee when I can hit people from a trillion miles away?
What am I getting?

Bats have blindsight, which might work if he's trying to use mostly visible illusions. Same with other things that have a keen sense of smell or hearing.

>Hey guys, what are some suggestions for things to give the bladelock to make them benefit more from going into melee?
>Going into melee? But how does that benefit me?

Maybe now you get what we're trying to fix?

I think the first step is, as suggested, to give them medium armor and shield proficiency like valor bards. Why the fuck do bards get everything nice?

Then possibly allow then to add their charisma modifier to attack rolls, and lower the prerequisite level for Lifedrinker, as well as letting them regain HP equal to necrotic damage dealt, with some kind of limitation to prevent abuse (I go stabbing in my bag of rats until I'm back to max HP!).

So what are you proposing?
Because I know why I'm in melee as a paladin - because I can't not be in melee to use most of my shit.
I know why I'm a barbarian in melee - I can't use most of my shit otherwise.
I know why I'm a monk in melee - I can't use most of my shit otherwise.

So...

>So what are you proposing?

That people make suggestions instead of bemoaning that Blade pact is literally unfixable as long as Eldritch blast exists.

I'm contending that it is unfixable as long as EB exists.
So my asking what your proposals are to fix it amounts to asking you why I'm wrong.

OMG lol - 8 page adventure $15

dmsguild.com/product/200761/Winters-Folly

Congratulations, you just became the most expensive, non-wotc user content on DM's Guild.
Out pricing the next 2 highest priced user content by $2-$5 which both exceed 100 pages of content.

by giving them a purpose other than damage dealing. Give free debuffs on hit Make them like hexblades in 3.5, if hexblades hadn't sucked total ass.

A free, instant cast of hex without concentration requirements on each creature hit. Unique spells or invocations to buff a held melee weapon so that it does poison/necrotic damage or HP drain over time. Let the pact weapon become intelligent and maintain concentration on a second spell in limited ways.

Give them utility, basically.

I feel like giving Medium armor and Shields is just going to lead to people taking Blade pact and just ignoring melee and reaping the benefits of good AC though.

It'd be a better idea to just have the pact blade itself give extra AC for attacking with it, as then you do have that incentive for melee.

I agree with you on Lifedrinker, though a limitation is a good idea. Perhaps have it say hostile creature, or be limited to Cha+level times per short rest?

From there it's really just a matter of giving more benefits to going melee. Some more spellsword style cantrips could potentially help.

What class/race/background combination is the most fun to play at level one? I think I had the most fun as a Goblin Rogue Urchin simply because it gives a lot of options. What did you enjoy the most?

Truesight is usually reserved for really powerful creatures (liches, the mightiest fiends, celestials) or stranger ones, like the Nothic or Modrons. But like the other user said, blindsight and other senses should generally be enough to "see" through illusions. A dragon is not going to get fooled, for example.

Hm, it looks a bit too messy to be used in roll20, but I could try. Thanks either way, user.

continuing, give the blade its own extra warlock spell slot that it can use once each short rest when it hits an enemy (no extra action required). Let the player use its power but give the patron veto power if that seems too strong.

Keep adding on little shit until it seems fair I guess.

You could always just homebrew a few creatures up, or give existing ones Truesight to make a new creature.

You could justify it as a type of magical monster designed to watch the world for disorder and such.

Using a spell as a Bonus action once per short rest triggering off a melee attack with a pact weapon might work wonderfully. May want to restrict it so it's cast at half of whatever the warlock's max spell slot is, so if he has 4th level slots, he'll be limited to a 2nd level effect.

That better be the best fucking thing ever made

The problem with the Bladelock is twofold.

1. Eldritch Blast is never not a better option compared to using the pact weapon.
2. It's dangerous to get into melee as a d8 class in light armor with none of the rogue's mobility options.

Most solutions to 1 either do not actually stack up, or make them overshadow full martials. Giving them a free extra attack does not solve this. Giving them more than one steps on the fighter. Letting them use Charisma for attack/damage destroys any upper-level scaling and usually leaves EB as a better option still.

Most solutions to 2 still leaves EB as a better option, just now you have a bit more defense. Giving them more HP still leaves EB as a better offensive option. Giving them medium armor still leaves EB as a better offensive option.

And solutions to either requiring spending more invocations still makes blade pact a poor option.

I've cracked the code.
We can make bladelock a better option by removing eldritch blast from the game, thereby incentivizing warlocks who want to deal more damage to use a weapon instead.
I'm brilliant.

What about giving them Unarmored Defense Dex+Cha (or just giving Cha bonus to AC) against any melee attack they suffer? That way it'd be a benefit for being up close and personal.

And like said, something along the lines of "Whenever you make a melee attack against a creature using your pact weapon, you can use a bonus action to cast Hex on that creature without expending a spell slot."

Lifedrinker should become "When you hit a creature with your pact weapon, the creature takes extra necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) and you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + your warlock level. This bonus action can only be used a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long (short?) rest." Unsure about the new level prerequisite, though.

I saved this post for future copy/paste because it's a good summary.

Thanks senpai.

This is 5e. Learn to fluff. Mech suit is Variant human with heavy armor master.

If you want stat for everything, go back to 3.pf

this

Isn't EB is so good that you can build any kind of character and dip in 2 level of warlock for all your combat need?

Like 2 Warlock / Rogue / Bard / Knowledge Cleric ultimate skill monkey.

You can but it's dumb to.
MAD and shit.

>The spark of a power ranger is often found in adolescence, and once a ranger is identified by these ancient warriors, it is almost impossible to answer the call.

> almost impossible to answer the call.

Consider me fanny flustered

mate have you played 5e? get one magic weapon and all that "le cantrips are better" stuff falls out the window. unloading on a guy with two weapon attacks is insane. you would be surprised, if you haven't played much 5e yet, how often you're going to miss spamming cantrips, and how bored you're going to get.
your second point is really accurate and something bladelocks badly need help with.
since your game is likely to never run past level 11, all the imbalance bladelock has to deal with versus fighter with 4 attacks and 24 strength barbarians etc isn't as big a deal as the imbalances that warlocks are going to have to run with, i.e. having so few spells know and so few spells per day.
like you're right, about what you're saying, but you're missing how good it is to be able to just barely hold your own in melee combat without having to burn spell slots, an to be able to conserve those slots, and to be able to still disguise self yourself at will.

Can someone tell me on a scale from 1 to 10 how cringeworthy this character concept is?
>Half-Orc
>Paladin, Oath of Vengeance
>generally good-natured, works well with others, will never draw his weapon on an innocent, but is deeply offended by all things evil in nature and fights with savagery and without mercy when provoked
>channels his Orcish rage to smite and slaughter the wicked like a sort of medieval Doomguy
>ultimately does what he does in the name of righteousness, but may take the fight against evil farther than most would
I want to play a guy like this, but I don't know how other players might respond to him.

Variant human
8 13(+1) 12 12 13 15(+1)
obviously skilled for feat

dear Lord have mercy I'm triggered

>get one magic weapon and all that "le cantrips are better" stuff falls out the window
No. No this is not true.
Look at the average bonuses across magic weapons.
The statistic is not favorable to that assertion at all.

So, is this an archetype or a class?

2 levels of Paladin before going full bladelock fixes everything.

No it doesn't.
You'd be better off going full paladin or full lock.

It fix the armor and hp problem.

You're still better off EB'ing.

go on... what do you mean? in my 2 years of experience in 5e this hasn't been the case. maybe its just who i play with idk. typically fighters (and other martials) run train on combat encounters, and wizards and rogues figure out how to solve other encounters, or cheat their way out of combat encounters with spells or some off the wall shit.
i'm open to what you're saying, but i'm not sure i understand what you mean.

Seems good to me user, good combination of characteristics. Almost seems a little bland to me but I'll assume you're leaving out a bit of the concept. As long as they aren't literally just a good-aligned murderhobo, I like it.

True. Not really worth to melee unless you are a tomelock with shillelagh and GFB. Poor bladelock... if only they move +cha to melee up to the level where people actually play.

better than the average murder hobo if you can actually stick to it

I mean account for the statistical average damage bonuses across all the magical weapons in the game thus far and compare that average damage you're going to be dealing to what EB is doing.

EB wins.
And not only does EB win, it wins by a mile on utility too, since you knock things around with NO SAVE

>Not really worth to melee unless you are a tomelock with shillelagh and GFB
And that's true of literally only one level in the game - level one.

Undying light help

Sure but that's really gimmicky, and again it's only viable for a very few levels.

idk i don't buy it. the difference in damage is so minor i think a magic weapon will swing it over to bladelock's side. then utility and range wise you're right, but i don't think its as significant a difference as people want to believe.

How does a level 4 wizard defend himself from several melee attackers? I'm trying to throw my wizard a bone since he's rolled so poorly on HP that he's at, like, 15 right now. I'm willing to give him spellbooks, wands, or other magical items. I was considering a pendant that works as one free revive on death, but that's a lot less fun. He's not the smartest player so I'm not really worried about him getting too strong from whatever I give him, honestly.

You can't even get shillelagh (or your pact blade for that matter) until level 3.

From what I gather, you are expected to go into sorc to quicken it, and/or Paladin to smite.

And bladelocks need to like, either start out as fighters or accept that they'll have terrible defenses forever.

And both are STILL worse off going into melee than just EB spammaing.

What type of Wizard

Best way to survive is not get into melee until you can cast Polymorph

Lost Mines of Phandelver has a magic staff in it that gives +1 AC and Shield like 5 times a day.

The wizard using it was unkillable.

I threw this together earlier today but forgot to link it here.

It's a small web page using some community-made XML for simple stat block display. It has everything from WotC books, including VGM. It's simple enough to use and good for copy/pasting or screenshotting stat blocks.

cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/157339657594601472/259092718385364992/bestiary.html

Just save it somewhere and open it up in a browser.

It's actually massive.
If I were doing anything else as a high level warlock I would be *REALLY* gimping myself.
I don't think you quite grasp just how important not being in melee is or how powerful repelling blast is.

>You can't even get shillelagh
I thought you were magic initiate lel'ing.

Transmutation. He doesn't have Polymorph yet but, considering he will be very good at that eventually, I might give him something to push him along that path

>Don't make archetype features depend on one another.
Confirmed for scrub

Not a single monk archetype feature in the game is dependent on another archetype feature.

Just gonna throw that out there senpai~

>~
I can't even tell if you're that shitposter, or just pretending to be him in a ploy to sound retarded.

I need a drink.

Yeah eldritch blast really does kind of pigeon hole the entire class.

There needs to be viable alternatives to it or something. Or just remove it entirely.

good rebuttal lad
you've got WotOH, WotLD, WoS, and WotSS
which one has a feature that is entirely dependent on a previous feature senpai?
wew lad guess there are none
doesn't that mean I'm right?
;)

>forgets wot4e

Just like Wizards did.

I feel like it's an insult to mention an archetype that either does literally nothing because you make the right choice and don't use it or else actually makes your character worse should you mistakenly use its features instead of doing base monk shit.

Yeah they really should've given it more utility. Or lower the ki costs. Or literally anything to make it better.

I still plan to play one, but multiclassed and literally only for flavor purposes.

Just use this one.
drive.google.com/file/d/0B1pdYIcfHauwNDM2My1XeWFYSDA/view
It's balanced and decent.

Scratch that - that's the older version that gave you a low level feature that you could get fucking truesight.

Here's a better one.
archive.4plebs.org/dl/tg/image/1433/19/1433195829577.pdf

>13 pages to fix a single archetype
Why do people think this is okay?