Fun Finds: 5e Edition

[SorO_Lost]

First paragraph of Spirit Companion says this is a once per short rest ability.

Oooh yeah Short Rest is like an hour sitting around doing nothing. So it's more than once per day.

Also it appears I'm two days late, there is already another thread on the subject.

[atnorman]

I could be wrong, but I think a straightforward reading of Pact of the Blade leads to the following interaction:

Warlock finds super pumped up dagger.

Warlock binds it as a pact weapon.

The warlock gets to choose what form of weapon it appears as each times he summons it, so summons it as a greataxe.

Warlock has super pumped up greataxe.

[sambojin]

Or a cross/bow, sling, or even a net. Shunt it off into dimensional space and bring it back as anything I guess. Might have some synergy with a sling and the Magic Stone cantrip (EEPC). It should in theory add to-hit plus of the sling to the pebble, but not to damage. Maybe. It doesn't say it removes the weapon's bonus, but it does say it's a ranged spell attack, so would the launcher + count?

It seems like Magic Stone would ignore the launcher's properties all together. So no Flame Tongue or Frost Brand sword/*Sling* and Magic Stone combo. Probably. It's a DM decides job, that one.


Might also be a nice way of getting mêlée-only mods onto a ranged weapon if 5th ever goes down that path. Flame Tongue/Frost Brand should work fine as bows or slings by their wording without the combo above. Could make for a pretty scary amount of damage with Hex on top of it all. Lots of +d6

Actually, are there any really weird nets with binding features that you could rather dubiously bring back as mêlée/ranged/thrown weapons? I can't find any in the DMG, but maybe in the play test or published adventures.

Dwarven Thrower could be nice as a larger weapon.

There's also the chance to do SA damage or to use things as Monk weapons that you normally couldn't use (just change them to the biggest finesse weapon you can).

Or polearm/two-hand anything for the Polearm Master/Great Weapon Master feats.

I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned more often as a benefit of Pact of the Blade, now I think about it.

[TenaciousJ]

I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned more often as a benefit of Pact of the Blade, now I think about it.

Because it doesn't work.  When you perform the ritual to make a magic weapon into your pact weapon, you are not creating a weapon anymore.  You are moving the existing magic weapon between an extra dimensional space and your location.

[sambojin]

It depends on how you read it. You are creating your weapon again when you resummon it, even if it was a originally magic weapon at one point. And when you create your pact weapon, it says it can be in any weapon form you want (and that you're proficient with it).

Then again, assuming you're bipedal, if you get one foot chopped off and sent overseas, then dimensional space your weapon, then you break your bond to it, where does it end up? It specifically says feet, not foot.

[SorO_Lost]

It depends on how you read it.

You can then dismiss the weapon, shunting it into an extradimensional space, and it appears whenever you create your pact weapon thereafter.

Really there is only two ways to read it, it replaces your "creation" or it's resummoned along side your pact weapon.

And since it becomes you're pact weapon in the preceding text, one of those is obviously incorrect.

[Nunkuruji]

Regardless of the best interpretations of Pact of the Blade, I'm of the opinion that taking a Warlock into melee is a big mistake.

Greatsword (2d6 + str(5) + cha(5) +enh(3))*2 = 40 avg
Polearm Master Glaive (1d10 + str(5) + cha(5) +enh(3))*2) + (1d4 + str(5) + cha(5)) = 49.5
Eldritch Blast (1d10 + cha(5))*4 = 42 avg
Single Target Greenflame Blade Greatsword (2d6 + str(5) + cha(5) +3d8) = 30.5 avg

Some numbers. It takes a hell of a lot of investment to catch up with the straightforward EB.

In just the most vanilla comparison, there is little to no reward for risking melee combat. Warlock does not have the armor, shield or saving throw proficiency of what you need facing melee 5e monsters. I think if hex is factored in, its an even worse case for pact weapon warlock.

In terms of magic items

Rod of the Pact keeper is an obvious choice for progressing EB.
Pact of the Blade can take any of the coolest BSF weapons, staff of magi/power, rods, etc. and the damage potential might just catch up.

I would have liked to see that Warlocks could take advantage of weapons like Flametongue to the effect that the mystic does. That is, flametongue has no flat enhancement bonus of +1/2/3, and just adds 2d6 fire. Mystics can still add an enhancement bonus of +1/2/3, and it would help out Pact Weapon Warlocks if Pact Weapon granted enhancement, either automatically or via another invocation. Either that, or Pact Weapon needs rider effects like what EB has options for, in order to debilitate their enemies in melee.

[8wGremlin]

Shrieking Bolt (Complex Property) from the Pennant of the Vind Rune is interesting on the Radar Barbarian character.

Damage a target up to a mile away... not great, but interesting.

Shrieking Bolt (Complex Property). As an  action, you scribe this rune in the air between you  and a creature you can see while you expend a  spell slot. The creature must make a Strength  saving throw (DC 12 + the spell slot’s level). On a  failure, it takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage plus 1d8  bludgeoning damage per level of the expended  spell slot, and is pushed in a straight line directly  away from you for 10 feet per level of the  expended spell slot. On a successful saving throw, the creature takes half as much damage and is not pushed away from you.

[Wilb]

Nunkuruji, you believe that a 2 level dip into sorcerer for quicken would make the cantrip viable, at least?

[Nunkuruji]

Nunkuruji, you believe that a 2 level dip into sorcerer for quicken would make the cantrip viable, at least?

I'm not saying its not viable, it has its situational use. It's probably also reasonable on a mid-level Eldritch Knight. I'm just pointing out that it is not the savior of the Pact Weapon Warlock.

Dipping is always a matter of opportunity cost of what alternate options you are giving up. Certainly it works. Could do just as well to go the EB route and spend the quicken on another EB.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

8wG , niice.  Int on a Barb is kinda shaky.
But yeah, range = sight, is utterly ridiculous/awesome.
So what about using your senses through a Familiar or Chain'Lock Familiar ?!

Barb eagle 6 / Chain'Lock 3 / semi-rai Rune 1 
mixes all this together, but MAD as all get out.
Might have to ditch Dex and wear armor.

Yunru has a Dex Barb guide ported to ENWorld.
Somebody previous to me, called something Radar.
I suppose I ought to come up with a new/better name.

[sambojin]

Ok. Umm, more dumb stuff. With the new UA for Rune Scribes and Radar builds. It's pretty convoluted. Yes, I know echolocation doesn't work like that. But you don't really need it anyway. That's just for funsies and rules-laywering. Cast a spell, kill the hell out of someone. But when you don't cast the spell, most stuff within a mile of you can be killed the hell out of. It's good either way.

Make an Eagle Barb 6/ Moon Druid 9 thing for wildshape radar. But make sure you find a Pennant of the Vind (Air Rune) and become a Rune Scribe as well. Even one level will do.

Cast Scry on your target (the BBEG, but anyone really). You now see them.

Wildshape into a Killer Whale (so you have 1 mile eagle barb blindsight through the scrying sensor). It's now very hard for them to hide. Echolocation doesn't work like this, but if you're not deaf, it might. It's not definitely sonar (you may not have to sound "ping" them for a report), you can still passively "see" with the sound others make, and you can hear them through the scrying sensor.

Use the Shrieking Bolt complex property of your rune (with your tail or flipper) with as high of a spell slot as you can to assassinate your target. Do it repeatedly. Until they're dead. Push them off a cliff or something if the opportunity presents itself.

Have a drink and a rest. You just killed the BBEG in under an hour. Without having to go anywhere. Job's a good'un, you deserve it.

Yep. Plane wide assassination range. You don't even really need the barb/wildshape radar. Just the Scry spell and a Pennant of the Vind and a level of Rune Scribe. Everyone's a potential target. You can see them, you can kill them.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Niiiice.

Got an idea for a name.
If you can see around a whole frickin plane, that's more like AWACS.
(though with wildshape, you could go with the animals NASA or the Soviets tossed up in space)

[Wilb]

Ok. Umm, more dumb stuff. With the new UA for Rune Scribes and Radar builds. It's pretty convoluted. Yes, I know echolocation doesn't work like that. But you don't really need it anyway. That's just for funsies and rules-laywering. Cast a spell, kill the hell out of someone. But when you don't cast the spell, most stuff within a mile of you can be killed the hell out of. It's good either way.

Make an Eagle Barb 6/ Moon Druid 9 thing for wildshape radar. But make sure you find a Pennant of the Vind (Air Rune) and become a Rune Scribe as well. Even one level will do.

Cast Scry on your target (the BBEG, but anyone really). You now see them.

Wildshape into a Killer Whale (so you have 1 mile eagle barb blindsight through the scrying sensor). It's now very hard for them to hide. Echolocation doesn't work like this, but if you're not deaf, it might. It's not definitely sonar (you may not have to sound "ping" them for a report), you can still passively "see" with the sound others make, and you can hear them through the scrying sensor.

Use the Shrieking Bolt complex property of your rune (with your tail or flipper) with as high of a spell slot as you can to assassinate your target. Do it repeatedly. Until they're dead. Push them off a cliff or something if the opportunity presents itself.

Have a drink and a rest. You just killed the BBEG in under an hour. Without having to go anywhere. Job's a good'un, you deserve it.

Yep. Plane wide assassination range. You don't even really need the barb/wildshape radar. Just the Scry spell and a Pennant of the Vind and a level of Rune Scribe. Everyone's a potential target. You can see them, you can kill them.

So is this the semi-official return of the scry'n'die (slowly) of old, it seems. NOICE!

[sambojin]

Well, you can see/hear someone/some place specific on the entire plane with Scry. The barbdruid radar is just for 1 mile blindsight from that point or from your current location (blindsight isn't necessarily that much better than darkvision/normal vision, except for anti-invis). But plane wide assassination is go!

Vind'ed, Vidi, Vici.
I found a Vind rune, I Saw, I Conquered.



Some not very useful dumb stuff from Sword Coast Adventurer Guide Preview.

The mimic thing from the Mastermind rogue path seems crappy. Until you have Voice of the Chainmaster to use it with. Maybe even with the Rot Grub loudspeaker ideas from the Familiar Handbook (or literally have a frog in your throat). Pass anyone off as a local with your awesome voice. Maybe link it with scry spying so you can get the sound capture you need, but invisible imps are just as good for that.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

The Beastlands has a ditty that if you kill an animal,
you have to save to Not turn into that animal.
So you fail your save(s) = 8 8 8 15 15 15 gets viable.

Mind you, the normal course of action would be:
Planeshift plus "run from the angry authorities".
However this could be done at level 1.

[sambojin]

So no fishing, ever? The risks are simply too large.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

 

Ha.

Beastlands ... Vegan or Polymorphed !!

The Plant Liberation Front wants an audience with a Guardinal.

[SorO_Lost]

I found something on Reddit.

(click to show/hide)

If you cross-index the Contents, Blandsinger is a Wizard's choice which makes all those Int bonuses pretty nice.

[Gnomes2169]

Huh, all of the cantrips are literally the at-will powers of the 4e Swordmage... but with more dice eventually and int mod only as part of Greenflame Blade. Well alright then I suppose.

Also, I feel I should point out that eldritch knight loves all of these spells, and can get them because they get all wizard spells. So much more use out of War Magic now...