Urchin Background: to fit with the character theme, never, EVER claim to be a "street urchin" or anything like that. ALWAYS claim to be a *sea urchin* - deep ones, man. You emerged. Your exact ancestry is unknown save to a few, whose minds were shattered by the knowledge.
I love this build. I think i might add 2 levels of druid though. There's something about a puppy wandering into a house and erupting with eldritch horror like something out of John carpenter's dream journal.
@@PlanetOfTheApes999 It's only added to one's spell list, still requires a pact slot, so it's a massive investment for very little return. Also, polymorph doesn't preserve one's mental stats like wildshape does. No intimidating sweet lil pup.
I think it would be really funny to do comparisons to baseline damage for this build: "So at level 1, we meet the baseline, and at level 2 we meet the baseline, and at level 4 we meet the baseline, and at level 5 we meet the baseline, and...", and you show a graph with the blue line being the baseline and the red line being this build and they're the same line. And if *this* build can meet the baseline, with all of the utility and support options it provides, and with how little you focus on offense, then monks have no excuse.
Something from Beyond tells us this warlock's patron is the Crawling Chaos, the Black Pharaoh, Nyarlathotep of the Thousand Masks. Ia! Ia! Nyarlathotep!
Actor + VotCM is a fantastic combo to build a compelling character on, whether great old one mind infiltrator or fey trickster or what have you. Some other things to consider: Changeling race - pushes actor back to lvl 4, but lets you do a version of the face changing ginmick from lvl 1, albeit without clothing changing. Two relevant skill proficiencies as well. Probably not as good long term, but lets you get the concept going one level sooner. Sorcerer multiclass or the metamagic feat for a couple uses of subtle spell per day. Easier to pull off illusions & enchantments in crowded social situations when you can cast them without visibly casting a spell.
I love even just the added versatility you get out of the expanded spell list. Also, the 6th level feature makes it possible to cast hunger of hadar for the equivalent sorcery points of a 2nd level spell (3 points), without components, and telekinesis for the equivalent sp. of a 3rd level spell (5 points)
@@garyodonnell7111 exactly. Remember though that with flexibke casting and font of magic, sorcerers can make or break spell slots. 2 sp =1st lvl slot 3 sp =2nd lvl slot 5 sp =3rd lvl slot 6 sp =4th lvl slot 7 sp =5th lvl slot (technically, a 6th lvl sorc can create 4th lvl slots RAW, and a 7th lvl sorc can create 5th lvl slots) With the psionic sorcery trait, instead of using a spell slot worth 5sp to cast a 3rd lvl spell, they can cast the psionic spells directky with 3sp, ignoring components. Likewise, detect thoughts is effectively cast (for 2sp) with the resource equivalent of a 1st lvl spell. I would be inclined here to reevaluate the strength of these spells - how does hunger of hadar compare to web or darkness? How does Rarys telepathic bond compare to sending and other 3rd level spells? Remember too that you can swap out the spells on your psionic list with divination or enchantment spells from the sorc, warlock, or wizard lists - this gives you lots more customizability with what spells you are able to cast at lower levels. Synaptic static for 5sp? Dominate Person? Hold Monster? If you could cast them at a lower spell level, would it be more worth the risk?
@@44tuck3r Ah yes, I see what you mean. Thanks for explaining. I am most excited about the higher number of spells known and swapping them out for other divination/enchantment spells. Even swapping them for spells like suggestion which I would have taken anyway allows me to try other options on the sorcerer spell list. Not to mention all the other spells we now have access to like modify memory. Really looking forward to trying out this subclass :)
@@garyodonnell7111 suggestion would be great to swap in for something like calm emotions, so you can then cast it effectively as a 1st lvl spell. Good suggestion (Ha!) Tasha’s Mind Whip is also a good selection for something that can deal damage and debuff your enemies. Also, the trait doesnt explicitly limit you to casting at the lowest level for the spell (by my reading); if your dm agrees, you could be upcasting those spells too. The expanded spells known the spell lists is absolutely great. By doing it this way, you can use the spell list to focus on spells you want to have for the subclass flavor, and you still have all of your regular spell selections for the rest of your spell selections from sorcerer. Since a sorcerer typically is so limited in number of spells known, they have to pick spells that are very useful or very versatile. They dont have much room for circumstantial spells. The added spell list really helps to fix that problem, while also letting you have a set of ‘signature spells’ that are just cheaper to cast all the time. This is definitely an aspect of this feature worth leaning into.
Nice to see warlock getting some love, it’s nice to see your take on more utility focused builds. Keep up the great work Treant and thanks again for helping me with all your wizard videos.
This build is terrifying. I love that the character can disguise themself as the sweetest, most innocent person in the world only to burst into random Lovecraft prose. I can't wait to play one.
The new changes to the Player's Handbook makes this character even more powerful. Now you can use Mind Sliver without using somantic or verbal components, and we can use Agonizing Blast with it. Now the king slowly dies while his "son" looks confused as to what is happening to his dad. I would multi-class with abborant mind sorcerer as an elf or reborn to get 4 hours of short rests and catnap for a bunch of extra spell slots.
youtube recommended me this... this seems like the eberron changeling on steroids i love it its basicly all about what the changeling does without the drawback of not adapting equip for an invocation
Here is another concept from Tasha's. Fathomless patron combined with lance of lethargy. You would effectively take away 20 ft of movement per hit ( assuming you do hit ) 10 from tentacle and 10 from EB lance of lethargy. Add repelling blast to that and it would be tough for an enemy to get close to you, along with battlefield control.
When your sugar daddy patron beckons you: "Awaken my child, and embrace the glory that is your birthright. Know that I am the Overmind; the eternal will of the Swarm, and that you have been created to serve me. ... For you are part of the Swarm. If ever your flesh should fail, that flesh shall be made anew."
Is at-will Arcane Eye worth it when you've already got a Voice of the Chain Master familiar? Your imp can be flying and invisible, can transform into an invisible spider to fit through tiny gaps, and you can telepathically command it and see through its senses (including 120 foot darkvision & devil's sight), at any distance. At that point, Arcane Eye seems rather redundant, especially for an invocation hungry build.
I am playing a very similar character in my current campaign. A Changling Lvl 10 GOO-Lock/ Lvl 3 Arcane Archer. I took Ghostly Gaze as an Invocation and Piercing Shot as an Arcane Archer...I can shoot through walls. I also took Mind Spike and Hex as a spells...when the Mind Spike hits, my quarry cannot hide anywhere.
I really really love the "charmed by whom" trick with the mask invocation. I've always felt that the part about the target knowing things afterwards made the spells kinda useless, while I also understood that it was a balancing thing since they would be too abusable if no such things applied. So it makes me really happy to see a way to get around it. Buuuut ... The charmed victim might not recognise you anymore when you change appearance, but the victim will obviously still recognize the party that you were hanging around with. So the victim will probably just seek out your party instead of you. ._. I guess it can still be avoided with a bit of care, but it is definitely something to keep in mind
Im not even half way through and I am madly in love with this character. I’ve tried to build exactly that character but I haven’t played dnd for a long time (I’m a ad&d people) started only a couple of months ago with 5e and tried to make this character. This is fantastic! I don’t care about the limited combat abilities hell i play a bard right now
Totally. I am wondering which group wants to adventure with this 'elusive' character in the long run. The concept is brilliant however, but I think this is not a strong team-player character.
@@SamSam-ke9zy you don't need a group of people with a common goal to get him in. All you need is for someone accepted as part of the party (could be a PC like the team kid or the maiden of prophecy, could just as well be a hireling acolyte or squire) to either want him there or accept him as inevitable. they'd have an interesting story about when he appeared - one that comforts and disturbs at once, seeming familiar and yet... are they continually updating an oft-shared tale, or is this the first time they've shared the story which all receive and regard as a personal intimacy despite knowing better? Spooky will mostly hang where a plinker would, help speed up fighting without hogging the glory, and maybe every few weeks they avoid some pain and wasted coin as a bridge troll or whatever hears the staccato woodblock tattoo youve all come to think of "the intro" and shortly experiences a life changing revelation in the sense of ceasing to be an obstacles and also donating its stuff before running away, overwhelmed with terror and or zeal and evangelical compulsion.
I've played basically this character a long time ago! I advise pact of the tome, for rituals. Why? Copying spell scrolls for commune and meld into stone. That last one allows me to hide inside a wall while using arcane eye to observe outside. You can probably buy a spell scroll if you have enough money, and this character doesn't need many (except protection against scrying)
Surprising a target by literally stepping out of the wall with magic spells active and prepared, while commenting on what they were just doing... Pretty terrifying
Oh wow. I've been planning an Arch Fey Warlock and thereis so much here that mechanically fits so well. Never thought about using MMF to create false armor.
I love Warlocks and this is a really cool idea :) I'm currently playing a Changeling warlock with the Archfey pact, who constantly changes forms/names to the bewilderment of the party and relies on trickery/charm/illusions
Borrowed Knowledge from Strixhaven would be a great spell for the build. Hour long proficiency to gather info on targets could be helpful but may not be the best considering the the Int and Wis stats are low.
Awesome I made this same concept months and months ago and always wanted to play it, but this has a lot of ideas I hadn't thought of as well. Really cool stuff
This would be perfect for a warforged. A machine that replicates other beings and sentry's rest allows him to always use Mask of Many Faces. Might be a good build for the Pact of the Talisman
I had a similar idea but they were a changeling, which is another great fit for the race, though would lose that advantage on deception at level 1 but you can mimic voices as a changeling anyway. they were also themed as a Fey as opposed to alien you mentioned using disguise kit on others, it's also a great backup for if your disguise self fails so your still not yourself if it drops or if you need to be disguised for a long period of time where physical interaction would occur. and for a changeling it could cover anything not natural with a disguise such as piercings. I even took weavers tools so my character could make their own outfits and disguises when they have the time
As soon as you picked actor I smiled, pumped my fist in the air screaming "Yeah", since I picked that at level 4 for pureblood, that with face of many and built in suggestion made the first level 5 encounter/interrogation fun. Now to watch the rest of the videos
This video highlights boh what I love, and what I don't about warlocks in 5e. Warlock is probably my favourite class in terms of flavour and role-playing potential, and they allow for all sorts of unique character concepts like this. Unfortunately, though, warlocks are actually kind of mechanically restricitive. It seems like, no matter what you do, you have to take eldritch blast, agonizing blast and hex if you're going to be useful in combat.
I listened to this while I was making dinner this is the greatest ending to any video I have ever witnessed. My ears drank deep of the soothing delicacy of bohemian, putrid stones and heard the sound of the trees rough lineage scraped across the flesh of a curious researcher who delved too deep into the musk of a thousand shapes. 5 stars. Would recommend.
Aside from the creepy voice telepathy, this is basically my build as a Changeling Archfey Tomelock. Though he does have one default persona that he uses when representing the group as the party face and when just relaxing, he changes his appearance (either as a Changeling or using Illusion to change his gear/clothes) quite often and puts the Actor feat to good use, and everyone (other than his Fairy Godmother patron) thinks he's a Wizard from the school of Illusion.
Love the build, I don't see enough love for GOOlock. I could see the patron above board as being Nyarlathotep with the black tentacles and imitation of others since he is the "god of a thousand forms". Saw another guy in the comments mention the arcane eye and maybe master of myriad forms would work to fill out the disguise self a little better. That and maybe take prodigy as that last ASM. Would be nice to have proficiency in persuasion or even insight, being able to forge signatures and seals would definitely come in handy, and at +17 to deception and with disguise self you could walk right into the throne room with naught but illusory clothing in front of gods and men and convince the king that he has been impersonating you this entire time.
Running a variation on this build now, and I’m so, so very tempted to take Skill Expert for expertise in Deception. Let none ever see through our disguise!
Had a similar idea for a face changer, but with Fae origins instead of an alien one. Utilizing Fey Wanderer's Otherworldly Glamour feature to have all the face skills I'd need while only using Wisdom, pairing that with Eldritch Adept to nab Mask Of Many Faces at level 4 and bumping my Wisdom to 18 at level 1 using Custom Lineage to bump Wisdom by 2, then bump it again using the Skill Master feat while getting a second Expertise. 2 skills with Expertise all social skills effectively scaling with Wisdom by level 3.
I love this, but if I may offer some notes. I love (like REALLY love) the infiltration and deception aspects of this build. If it were me, I'd take Rogue at first level. For a 1-level dip right off the bat you get your Deception, Stealth, Sleight of Hand (if you want it, or Performance if your DM does that) and Intimidation skills (AND EXPERTISE IN DECEPTION AND PERCEPTION (or whatever)), DEX is a better defensive save than WIS, Thieves' Cant is another language and who doesn't need a little lock-picking while disguised as someone else in their life? This might even give you flexibility to choose another background, or just make it part of the same deal. You were a street-kid who inevitably turned to petty theft to survive. Yeah you're one level behind (or two if you go for the Cunning Action at 2nd level for a little flexibility in combat since you're so squishy, I'd do this later on if at all) for your spells and invocations, but I actually really like how this build acts at (now) 3rd level. The Pact (and I agree Chain is the way to go) doesn't REALLY lend that much to it mechanically, yes you can easily recon just about anything, but with a little creativity and patience you can get around that. The juice of expertise in Deception alone is worth this squeeze to me. If I ever find a DM who is willing to run a game that isn't all combat I'm totally giving this a shot.
If you change your appearance at every opportunity how do you justify the party putting up with you, or even know who you are and what you do. I find it difficult to reconcile the change of appearance and the completely chaotic/out of this world nature of the character with the rest of the party's goals. TLDR how to convince the rest of the party to put up with my shenanigans. Excellent work as usual, I love how you aptly demonstrate that you can develop a concept but at the same time be a generalist enough to contribute in a multitude of situations.
You have demiplane with this build. Take as pact spell of Glyph of Warding. Before long rest if you have demiplane and 2 slots available you bank a spell glyph inside your demiplane. The spell glyphs travel unbroken, ready for use in enemy lair. Spells and rituals (meeting conditions) of 5th or less could be stored for rainy day and instant cast. Themed example, Hallucinary Terrain, forming an Escher-like non-Euclidean landscape, making difficult terrain, and funneling ranks of enemies into single file to face your party fighters.
This is awesome... Another player in my current campaign is doing something fairly similar with a Kenku, but more with the voices and mental mimicry than the faces. Our campaign is more lighthearted, and this concept can work just as well in that context!
I definitely like the character concept. I have long played a changeling infiltrator character built alogn these lines, but you have given me the urge to try a Old Ones build. :)
Really cool video. I'm usually more of a combat player, even though I try to roleplay the best I can. Anyway this build inspire me to explore the roleplaying, and focus on other aspects of the game.
Hell yeah I have a build like this going! I built mine for social interaction. The goal is to cause fear. Learn of the person's nightmares through mind reading and research and then bring that nightmare to life.
Lots of comments this go-around....i like the idea of this character being the party rogue: got stealth, perception, sleight of hand and thieve's tools. Session 1, Lvl 1: presented as a trapsmith, scout or other in-world analogy for "rogue". You don't yet have Mask of Many Faces but no one's going to know that you lied when you described the character as an elvish woman...then comes lvl 2. Then comes the nightmares. Also, it's great that Intimidate & Deception beat out Persuasion...the Face rogue always intends to be perfectly reasonable and convincing, but people keep turning pale in the face when you explain that you will be wearing their skin and drinking their voice in just a minute from now, so they should probably tell you what you need to know while they have the chance. You're just being realistic. Also, on the Deception front: you know what you're saying is true. You're Turngow the Town Guard. Who else could you be? What else could you be? It doesn't matter that you walked in as a drunken dwarf and will leave as a crippled beggar; right now, you are Turngow. I wish Hideous Laughter could fit in:(. I see no flaw in making the Patron Spells bonus KNOWN spells; doesn't change the spell slot limit. Just gives more situational flexibility to close the gap on the other full casters....even a Sorceror looks spoiled compared to a Warlock for spells known! Maybe you'll become a Sorceror next, and use Minor Illusion to cast oh-so many spells that, in the end, turn into Eldritch Blast
Replace visions of distant relms since you have the invisible find familiar already and get aspect of the moon, so you cant get caught sleeping, fits well too
Hey Chris. Great video! One small comment here. Infiltrator is a role not every campaign needs, but some sorely lack, and this build works great for it! However, I'd be very keen to see you compare this build to a Bard-based infiltrator. There's a new feat out of Tasha's that allows anybody to take any Invocation that has no requirements; Mask of Many Faces doesn't have any! Yes, this delays taking Actor to 4th level, but Bard gets better skill access and better daily (if not hourly) spell stamina that I think would only outpace the Warlock over time. Jack of All Trades is a good way in my mind to support an Infiltrator build, though, because although Actor can mimic voices and Disguise Self can mimic an appearance, it's very easy for people to become suspicious if you're mysteriously terrible at everything the person you're impersonating should be good at! Combine that with Detect Thoughts to know what a given mark SHOULD be good at, and Suggestion to have them believe it's a very good idea to go hide in their closet for a while or Charm Person to do what Friends does for far longer than usual, I can see a lot more infiltration shenanigans at play here, though it'd definitely have poorer offense - but, that's what Hypnotic Pattern and other lovely Bard control spells are for. Anyway, thanks for the build! I hadn't thought such an effective infiltrator was possible in 5e, I'm really looking forward to playing this!
This would never work with my group. They are more like attorneys and a court; the adversary system. The DMs job is to say, "You cannot do that," and you say "here is how I'm doing it." So, the DM would have the party constantly having to determine if a random Bad Guy is your character or you are. And since we have to play over Zoom now, there is no opportunity to talk without getting talked over. So, Role-playing is out.
I never realized that Awakened Mind lets you simultaneously teletalk to ALL creatures in range that you can see. Game changer. I thought it was an inferior Message but didn't take any action economy. But reading the wording again after Treantmonk's summary has...awakened my mind. Also, a fun benefit of Dissonant Whispers is the movement is not "forced" in that you're not moving them, you are forcing them to need to move using their own action economy, and they decide how they move within the boundaries of "away from you" so it does provoke opportunity attacks. Crawford laid this out in one of his errata tweets. So you could use it on a weak-willed tank engaged with multiple of your melee allies to give them free hits against it, or position yourself to send it fleeing right past them to get a hit in.
RAW it doesn't. Awakened Mind says you can speak with any in range. Note that it's in singular. Similar features tends to be clear with the use of pluralization or added terms to make it clear that it's more than 1. Abberant Mind Sorcerers come to mind, and some magic items that I don't quite recall atm.
People who don't reflavor their Eldritch Blast really are missing out. My warlock was in the flavor of a noir detective who ran around with a flintlock pistol, empty and useless. But it's how he Eldritch Blasted.
You mean take Darkvision instead of Perception for Custom Lineage. Then for Background, instead of Sleight Of Hand, take Perception THERE? Then don't bother with Devil's Sight Invocation later on?
I did a very similar warlock but went with Pact of the Tome instead. I enjoyed having the extra cantrips like Thaumaturgy for extra weirdness early on, and the party didn't have a ritual caster otherwise. I also like Detect Thoughts for this character. Also Hunger of Hadar may not be the best but it is super weird and descriptions of 'milky tentacles rubbing up against people in the dark' is sure to make everyone uncomfortable at the table.
Quite an interesting build, but I think you’ve overoptimized it here with much more focus on battles, rather than role-playing, despite claiming it to be “the perfect infiltration character”. With 8 of both wisdom and intelligence would it really be one? Would it be a schemer you describe? If ability scores are not just numbers at your table, I do not think it is suitable for the role you describe. It would be a charming moron with cool abilities to appear as anyone they could imagine and to speak in other people’s voices, but if they were to infiltrate, they would become lost pretty quickly and almost any interaction with them would result in their disclosure. I would set their dex and con to 14’s and raise int and wis to 12’s (or even lover the con to 12 to get 14 int) and probably pick insight as one of my proficiencies - it would diminish their combat capabilities, but overall make much more sense (at least to me). Apart from that, again, the concept is pretty nice
I certainly wouldn't argue that 8 wisdom leads you to getting lost quickly or immediately giving yourself away, and given the nature of a Warlock in general and this Warlock in particular 8 Int is pretty easy to justify as a schemer - who says it's the character's schemes? Is causing havoc in the kingdom his plan or his patron's? Is there a difference? I do definitely agree that Insight, and probably a semi-valid Wisdom to go along with it, is worth having though. Insight feels pretty important for what this character does.
Are you familiar with Yoshikage Kira? You don't have to be the smartest of persons to do crazy things and not get caught. You just gotta be a bit lucky! ;D
I think of the Int/Wis scores being reflective of the fragmented nature of how their mind works, rather than actual below average Int/Wis. I've been playing a version of this with moments of brilliance/cleverness for RP purposes, but an inability to bring it to bear in a reliable or consistent manner for mechanical purposes. My DM loves it, although, as always, YMMV.
My favorite build of yours yet! I am however trying to think of a way how to not play human variant, start at level one and for it to still work (since I wouldn't get actor lv1). Wanna play a tiefling noble who stumbeled to the GOO who is The King in Yellow from Robert Chambers book.
![NOSFERATU - Official Trailer [HD] - Only In Theaters December 25](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nulvWqYUM8k/mqdefault.jpg)
Urchin Background: to fit with the character theme, never, EVER claim to be a "street urchin" or anything like that. ALWAYS claim to be a *sea urchin* - deep ones, man. You emerged. Your exact ancestry is unknown save to a few, whose minds were shattered by the knowledge.
Except executive chefs worldwide would want to scoop out your insides!
@@TreantmonksTemple Sounds like good source materiel for a "Day in the Life" adventure.
Yoinkkkk stolen
@@TreantmonksTemple The obvious solution is the return the favor and then add another personality to the list.
Now THIS is the kind of optimization I want to see in D&D. OPTIMAL CREEPINESS.
I love this build. I think i might add 2 levels of druid though. There's something about a puppy wandering into a house and erupting with eldritch horror like something out of John carpenter's dream journal.
I think Warlocks can get Polymorph with one of their Invocations when they reach 7th level.
@@PlanetOfTheApes999 It's only added to one's spell list, still requires a pact slot, so it's a massive investment for very little return. Also, polymorph doesn't preserve one's mental stats like wildshape does. No intimidating sweet lil pup.
Stars Druid makes it so you can't roll less then a 10 on con saves
you can do this if you're a plasmoid, since you can arrange your limbs however you like and then skin them with at-will disguise self
"Wait a second .... Treantmonk made a Warlock that was really a Wizard?" .... of course you did.
I think it would be really funny to do comparisons to baseline damage for this build:
"So at level 1, we meet the baseline, and at level 2 we meet the baseline, and at level 4 we meet the baseline, and at level 5 we meet the baseline, and...", and you show a graph with the blue line being the baseline and the red line being this build and they're the same line.
And if *this* build can meet the baseline, with all of the utility and support options it provides, and with how little you focus on offense, then monks have no excuse.
It does indeed meet the baseline!
Something from Beyond tells us this warlock's patron is the Crawling Chaos, the Black Pharaoh, Nyarlathotep of the Thousand Masks. Ia! Ia! Nyarlathotep!
That transition from warlocks to patreon was so smooth. :)
Wowza, already at level 2 this character is capable of destroying a nation with deception alone. That's kinda insane.
Actor + VotCM is a fantastic combo to build a compelling character on, whether great old one mind infiltrator or fey trickster or what have you.
Some other things to consider:
Changeling race - pushes actor back to lvl 4, but lets you do a version of the face changing ginmick from lvl 1, albeit without clothing changing. Two relevant skill proficiencies as well. Probably not as good long term, but lets you get the concept going one level sooner.
Sorcerer multiclass or the metamagic feat for a couple uses of subtle spell per day. Easier to pull off illusions & enchantments in crowded social situations when you can cast them without visibly casting a spell.
I would love to see your take on the aberrant mind sorcerer
I love even just the added versatility you get out of the expanded spell list.
Also, the 6th level feature makes it possible to cast hunger of hadar for the equivalent sorcery points of a 2nd level spell (3 points), without components, and telekinesis for the equivalent sp. of a 3rd level spell (5 points)
@@44tuck3r That sounds interesting, how does that work? I thought it cost the same number of sorcery points as the spell level?
@@garyodonnell7111 exactly. Remember though that with flexibke casting and font of magic, sorcerers can make or break spell slots.
2 sp =1st lvl slot
3 sp =2nd lvl slot
5 sp =3rd lvl slot
6 sp =4th lvl slot
7 sp =5th lvl slot
(technically, a 6th lvl sorc can create 4th lvl slots RAW, and a 7th lvl sorc can create 5th lvl slots)
With the psionic sorcery trait, instead of using a spell slot worth 5sp to cast a 3rd lvl spell, they can cast the psionic spells directky with 3sp, ignoring components. Likewise, detect thoughts is effectively cast (for 2sp) with the resource equivalent of a 1st lvl spell. I would be inclined here to reevaluate the strength of these spells - how does hunger of hadar compare to web or darkness? How does Rarys telepathic bond compare to sending and other 3rd level spells?
Remember too that you can swap out the spells on your psionic list with divination or enchantment spells from the sorc, warlock, or wizard lists - this gives you lots more customizability with what spells you are able to cast at lower levels. Synaptic static for 5sp? Dominate Person? Hold Monster? If you could cast them at a lower spell level, would it be more worth the risk?
@@44tuck3r Ah yes, I see what you mean. Thanks for explaining.
I am most excited about the higher number of spells known and swapping them out for other divination/enchantment spells. Even swapping them for spells like suggestion which I would have taken anyway allows me to try other options on the sorcerer spell list.
Not to mention all the other spells we now have access to like modify memory.
Really looking forward to trying out this subclass :)
@@garyodonnell7111 suggestion would be great to swap in for something like calm emotions, so you can then cast it effectively as a 1st lvl spell. Good suggestion (Ha!) Tasha’s Mind Whip is also a good selection for something that can deal damage and debuff your enemies. Also, the trait doesnt explicitly limit you to casting at the lowest level for the spell (by my reading); if your dm agrees, you could be upcasting those spells too.
The expanded spells known the spell lists is absolutely great. By doing it this way, you can use the spell list to focus on spells you want to have for the subclass flavor, and you still have all of your regular spell selections for the rest of your spell selections from sorcerer.
Since a sorcerer typically is so limited in number of spells known, they have to pick spells that are very useful or very versatile. They dont have much room for circumstantial spells. The added spell list really helps to fix that problem, while also letting you have a set of ‘signature spells’ that are just cheaper to cast all the time. This is definitely an aspect of this feature worth leaning into.
I love that you kept both theme and functionality fully on target for every level.
I know some dont care but the thumbnail is from abe Lincoln, vampire hunter
Uh oh, the Foundation has found me.
@@WinterPains 👀
@@scpfoundation9604 All you'll see is my high house.
I'm loving the Lovecraft random generator. It's the final piece needed to roleplay this patron...
Nice to see warlock getting some love, it’s nice to see your take on more utility focused builds. Keep up the great work Treant and thanks again for helping me with all your wizard videos.
This build is terrifying. I love that the character can disguise themself as the sweetest, most innocent person in the world only to burst into random Lovecraft prose. I can't wait to play one.
The new changes to the Player's Handbook makes this character even more powerful. Now you can use Mind Sliver without using somantic or verbal components, and we can use Agonizing Blast with it. Now the king slowly dies while his "son" looks confused as to what is happening to his dad. I would multi-class with abborant mind sorcerer as an elf or reborn to get 4 hours of short rests and catnap for a bunch of extra spell slots.
youtube recommended me this... this seems like the eberron changeling on steroids i love it its basicly all about what the changeling does without the drawback of not adapting equip for an invocation
Here is another concept from Tasha's. Fathomless patron combined with lance of lethargy. You would effectively take away 20 ft of movement per hit ( assuming you do hit ) 10 from tentacle and 10 from EB lance of lethargy. Add repelling blast to that and it would be tough for an enemy to get close to you, along with battlefield control.
Dude that voice was the most Boss thing you have done ✅
When your sugar daddy patron beckons you:
"Awaken my child, and embrace the glory that is your birthright. Know that I am the Overmind; the eternal will of the Swarm, and that you have been created to serve me. ... For you are part of the Swarm. If ever your flesh should fail, that flesh shall be made anew."
This hands down the most unconventional and interesting warlock build I've ever seen. Kudos!
Is at-will Arcane Eye worth it when you've already got a Voice of the Chain Master familiar? Your imp can be flying and invisible, can transform into an invisible spider to fit through tiny gaps, and you can telepathically command it and see through its senses (including 120 foot darkvision & devil's sight), at any distance. At that point, Arcane Eye seems rather redundant, especially for an invocation hungry build.
Three places at once my friend. You can see three places at once. That’s crazy.
I am playing a very similar character in my current campaign. A Changling Lvl 10 GOO-Lock/ Lvl 3 Arcane Archer. I took Ghostly Gaze as an Invocation and Piercing Shot as an Arcane Archer...I can shoot through walls. I also took Mind Spike and Hex as a spells...when the Mind Spike hits, my quarry cannot hide anywhere.
I really really love the "charmed by whom" trick with the mask invocation. I've always felt that the part about the target knowing things afterwards made the spells kinda useless, while I also understood that it was a balancing thing since they would be too abusable if no such things applied. So it makes me really happy to see a way to get around it.
Buuuut ... The charmed victim might not recognise you anymore when you change appearance, but the victim will obviously still recognize the party that you were hanging around with. So the victim will probably just seek out your party instead of you. ._. I guess it can still be avoided with a bit of care, but it is definitely something to keep in mind
Im not even half way through and I am madly in love with this character. I’ve tried to build exactly that character but I haven’t played dnd for a long time (I’m a ad&d people) started only a couple of months ago with 5e and tried to make this character. This is fantastic! I don’t care about the limited combat abilities hell i play a bard right now
Love this concept! Might try it out at some point :) Thank you!
I have watched this for 4 days straight every evening this still blows my mind and one of the molst creative builds out there
This is lit. Enough of this is front ended that I think I might try going college of whispers after second level.
The problem with this character is "why would the party hang around this guy" which is always a big hassle with these kinds of characters
Totally. I am wondering which group wants to adventure with this 'elusive' character in the long run. The concept is brilliant however, but I think this is not a strong team-player character.
I agree. It ruins my fantasy immersion of a group of people working together for a common goal.
necessity perhaps, their master infiltrators, in that type of game you need them more than want them
@@SamSam-ke9zy you don't need a group of people with a common goal to get him in. All you need is for someone accepted as part of the party (could be a PC like the team kid or the maiden of prophecy, could just as well be a hireling acolyte or squire) to either want him there or accept him as inevitable.
they'd have an interesting story about when he appeared - one that comforts and disturbs at once, seeming familiar and yet... are they continually updating an oft-shared tale, or is this the first time they've shared the story which all receive and regard as a personal intimacy despite knowing better?
Spooky will mostly hang where a plinker would, help speed up fighting without hogging the glory, and maybe every few weeks they avoid some pain and wasted coin as a bridge troll or whatever hears the staccato woodblock tattoo youve all come to think of "the intro" and shortly experiences a life changing revelation in the sense of ceasing to be an obstacles and also donating its stuff before running away, overwhelmed with terror and or zeal and evangelical compulsion.
But this would be perfect as an enemy in a campaign
I've played basically this character a long time ago! I advise pact of the tome, for rituals. Why? Copying spell scrolls for commune and meld into stone. That last one allows me to hide inside a wall while using arcane eye to observe outside.
You can probably buy a spell scroll if you have enough money, and this character doesn't need many (except protection against scrying)
Surprising a target by literally stepping out of the wall with magic spells active and prepared, while commenting on what they were just doing... Pretty terrifying
One of the most interesting build I have ever seen
Oh wow. I've been planning an Arch Fey Warlock and thereis so much here that mechanically fits so well. Never thought about using MMF to create false armor.
Fabulous! This is a better version of the Drow Warlock I'm playing in Baldur's Gate 3. I like the use of the Actor feat 👍🏾👍🏾
I love Warlocks and this is a really cool idea :) I'm currently playing a Changeling warlock with the Archfey pact, who constantly changes forms/names to the bewilderment of the party and relies on trickery/charm/illusions
Borrowed Knowledge from Strixhaven would be a great spell for the build. Hour long proficiency to gather info on targets could be helpful but may not be the best considering the the Int and Wis stats are low.
I get that demiplane is great, but maddening darkness man... You've even got Devils sight and psychic resistance!
Awesome I made this same concept months and months ago and always wanted to play it, but this has a lot of ideas I hadn't thought of as well. Really cool stuff
This would be perfect for a warforged. A machine that replicates other beings and sentry's rest allows him to always use Mask of Many Faces. Might be a good build for the Pact of the Talisman
I had a similar idea but they were a changeling, which is another great fit for the race, though would lose that advantage on deception at level 1 but you can mimic voices as a changeling anyway. they were also themed as a Fey as opposed to alien
you mentioned using disguise kit on others, it's also a great backup for if your disguise self fails so your still not yourself if it drops or if you need to be disguised for a long period of time where physical interaction would occur. and for a changeling it could cover anything not natural with a disguise such as piercings. I even took weavers tools so my character could make their own outfits and disguises when they have the time
As soon as you picked actor I smiled, pumped my fist in the air screaming "Yeah", since I picked that at level 4 for pureblood, that with face of many and built in suggestion made the first level 5 encounter/interrogation fun. Now to watch the rest of the videos
That speech is enough to drive you insane.
What speech? /s
Man now I really want to play this type of character. :)
This video highlights boh what I love, and what I don't about warlocks in 5e. Warlock is probably my favourite class in terms of flavour and role-playing potential, and they allow for all sorts of unique character concepts like this.
Unfortunately, though, warlocks are actually kind of mechanically restricitive. It seems like, no matter what you do, you have to take eldritch blast, agonizing blast and hex if you're going to be useful in combat.
Random Lovecraft Story Generator was interesting. I did not know it existed.
I listened to this while I was making dinner this is the greatest ending to any video I have ever witnessed.
My ears drank deep of the soothing delicacy of bohemian, putrid stones and heard the sound of the trees rough lineage scraped across the flesh of a curious researcher who delved too deep into the musk of a thousand shapes.
5 stars. Would recommend.
This is one of the best build videos I have seen.
While it is an interesting idea, this is the sort of character that other characters would likely kill on sight.
Aside from the creepy voice telepathy, this is basically my build as a Changeling Archfey Tomelock. Though he does have one default persona that he uses when representing the group as the party face and when just relaxing, he changes his appearance (either as a Changeling or using Illusion to change his gear/clothes) quite often and puts the Actor feat to good use, and everyone (other than his Fairy Godmother patron) thinks he's a Wizard from the school of Illusion.
Love the build, I don't see enough love for GOOlock. I could see the patron above board as being Nyarlathotep with the black tentacles and imitation of others since he is the "god of a thousand forms". Saw another guy in the comments mention the arcane eye and maybe master of myriad forms would work to fill out the disguise self a little better. That and maybe take prodigy as that last ASM. Would be nice to have proficiency in persuasion or even insight, being able to forge signatures and seals would definitely come in handy, and at +17 to deception and with disguise self you could walk right into the throne room with naught but illusory clothing in front of gods and men and convince the king that he has been impersonating you this entire time.
Got to love the HP generator
the voice from beyond seems to like saying "prostrate"
I let the last 2 minutes play. So much for sleeping tonight.
Holy crap. This is SO close to a character I started last week. Great minds, right?
Super cool build. Just a great vid. The ending is super creepy
Running a variation on this build now, and I’m so, so very tempted to take Skill Expert for expertise in Deception. Let none ever see through our disguise!
This may be my new favorite build of all time
This is the kind of character I would want to dip sorceror for subtle spell (or take the metamagic feat from tasha's).
As a DM, I enjoy using these builds as NPCs. Friendly contact master of spies(whispers) or recurring bad guy. Great work.
Had a similar idea for a face changer, but with Fae origins instead of an alien one.
Utilizing Fey Wanderer's Otherworldly Glamour feature to have all the face skills I'd need while only using Wisdom, pairing that with Eldritch Adept to nab Mask Of Many Faces at level 4 and bumping my Wisdom to 18 at level 1 using Custom Lineage to bump Wisdom by 2, then bump it again using the Skill Master feat while getting a second Expertise.
2 skills with Expertise all social skills effectively scaling with Wisdom by level 3.
I’m building this for a new campaign I’m in next week. This screams Nyarlahotep!!!
Now I'd like a group of adventures who are secretly eldritch horrors
I love this, but if I may offer some notes. I love (like REALLY love) the infiltration and deception aspects of this build. If it were me, I'd take Rogue at first level. For a 1-level dip right off the bat you get your Deception, Stealth, Sleight of Hand (if you want it, or Performance if your DM does that) and Intimidation skills (AND EXPERTISE IN DECEPTION AND PERCEPTION (or whatever)), DEX is a better defensive save than WIS, Thieves' Cant is another language and who doesn't need a little lock-picking while disguised as someone else in their life? This might even give you flexibility to choose another background, or just make it part of the same deal. You were a street-kid who inevitably turned to petty theft to survive.
Yeah you're one level behind (or two if you go for the Cunning Action at 2nd level for a little flexibility in combat since you're so squishy, I'd do this later on if at all) for your spells and invocations, but I actually really like how this build acts at (now) 3rd level. The Pact (and I agree Chain is the way to go) doesn't REALLY lend that much to it mechanically, yes you can easily recon just about anything, but with a little creativity and patience you can get around that. The juice of expertise in Deception alone is worth this squeeze to me.
If I ever find a DM who is willing to run a game that isn't all combat I'm totally giving this a shot.
Multiclassing this concept… aberrant mind sourcerer, wisper bard…. How much could we mid max those cheeky sneaky infiltrator type things?
If you change your appearance at every opportunity how do you justify the party putting up with you, or even know who you are and what you do. I find it difficult to reconcile the change of appearance and the completely chaotic/out of this world nature of the character with the rest of the party's goals. TLDR how to convince the rest of the party to put up with my shenanigans. Excellent work as usual, I love how you aptly demonstrate that you can develop a concept but at the same time be a generalist enough to contribute in a multitude of situations.
This is my favorite of your builds, so far! ❤️
You have demiplane with this build. Take as pact spell of Glyph of Warding. Before long rest if you have demiplane and 2 slots available you bank a spell glyph inside your demiplane. The spell glyphs travel unbroken, ready for use in enemy lair. Spells and rituals (meeting conditions) of 5th or less could be stored for rainy day and instant cast.
Themed example, Hallucinary Terrain, forming an Escher-like non-Euclidean landscape, making difficult terrain, and funneling ranks of enemies into single file to face your party fighters.
This is awesome... Another player in my current campaign is doing something fairly similar with a Kenku, but more with the voices and mental mimicry than the faces. Our campaign is more lighthearted, and this concept can work just as well in that context!
I definitely like the character concept. I have long played a changeling infiltrator character built alogn these lines, but you have given me the urge to try a Old Ones build. :)
Really cool video. I'm usually more of a combat player, even though I try to roleplay the best I can. Anyway this build inspire me to explore the roleplaying, and focus on other aspects of the game.
Already at second level this looks so much fun, thanks for another fun build
Hell yeah I have a build like this going! I built mine for social interaction.
The goal is to cause fear. Learn of the person's nightmares through mind reading and research and then bring that nightmare to life.
TreantMonklvl20: "This is a build that you have you play like a squishy wizard."
Me: *whimpers and invests in the Moderately Armored feat*
Lots of comments this go-around....i like the idea of this character being the party rogue: got stealth, perception, sleight of hand and thieve's tools. Session 1, Lvl 1: presented as a trapsmith, scout or other in-world analogy for "rogue". You don't yet have Mask of Many Faces but no one's going to know that you lied when you described the character as an elvish woman...then comes lvl 2. Then comes the nightmares.
Also, it's great that Intimidate & Deception beat out Persuasion...the Face rogue always intends to be perfectly reasonable and convincing, but people keep turning pale in the face when you explain that you will be wearing their skin and drinking their voice in just a minute from now, so they should probably tell you what you need to know while they have the chance. You're just being realistic. Also, on the Deception front: you know what you're saying is true. You're Turngow the Town Guard. Who else could you be? What else could you be? It doesn't matter that you walked in as a drunken dwarf and will leave as a crippled beggar; right now, you are Turngow.
I wish Hideous Laughter could fit in:(. I see no flaw in making the Patron Spells bonus KNOWN spells; doesn't change the spell slot limit. Just gives more situational flexibility to close the gap on the other full casters....even a Sorceror looks spoiled compared to a Warlock for spells known! Maybe you'll become a Sorceror next, and use Minor Illusion to cast oh-so many spells that, in the end, turn into Eldritch Blast
Love it. So creative.
Nice build ! I would have only chose Tome and picked Thorn Whip to reflavored as a tentacule.
Hostile towards whom? Charmed by whom? >:D
Maybe a one-level rogue dip or the prodigy feat is worth it so you can have expertise in deception.
A random HP Lovecraft nonsense generatie, I did wonder how we were supposed to come up with the creepy telepathy.
I absolutely love this build..
Just revisited this & it has Kenku Vibes all over it.
Replace visions of distant relms since you have the invisible find familiar already and get aspect of the moon, so you cant get caught sleeping, fits well too
Nvm I'm dumb forgot its a tome invocation
Hey Chris. Great video! One small comment here. Infiltrator is a role not every campaign needs, but some sorely lack, and this build works great for it! However, I'd be very keen to see you compare this build to a Bard-based infiltrator. There's a new feat out of Tasha's that allows anybody to take any Invocation that has no requirements; Mask of Many Faces doesn't have any! Yes, this delays taking Actor to 4th level, but Bard gets better skill access and better daily (if not hourly) spell stamina that I think would only outpace the Warlock over time. Jack of All Trades is a good way in my mind to support an Infiltrator build, though, because although Actor can mimic voices and Disguise Self can mimic an appearance, it's very easy for people to become suspicious if you're mysteriously terrible at everything the person you're impersonating should be good at! Combine that with Detect Thoughts to know what a given mark SHOULD be good at, and Suggestion to have them believe it's a very good idea to go hide in their closet for a while or Charm Person to do what Friends does for far longer than usual, I can see a lot more infiltration shenanigans at play here, though it'd definitely have poorer offense - but, that's what Hypnotic Pattern and other lovely Bard control spells are for.
Anyway, thanks for the build! I hadn't thought such an effective infiltrator was possible in 5e, I'm really looking forward to playing this!
I try your build and immediately got thrown into a giant spider nest!!😂😂😢
Old One needs to be a recurring character as you become a youtubeier youtuber
Amazing build!
This would never work with my group. They are more like attorneys and a court; the adversary system. The DMs job is to say, "You cannot do that," and you say "here is how I'm doing it."
So, the DM would have the party constantly having to determine if a random Bad Guy is your character or you are.
And since we have to play over Zoom now, there is no opportunity to talk without getting talked over. So, Role-playing is out.
I never realized that Awakened Mind lets you simultaneously teletalk to ALL creatures in range that you can see. Game changer. I thought it was an inferior Message but didn't take any action economy. But reading the wording again after Treantmonk's summary has...awakened my mind.
Also, a fun benefit of Dissonant Whispers is the movement is not "forced" in that you're not moving them, you are forcing them to need to move using their own action economy, and they decide how they move within the boundaries of "away from you" so it does provoke opportunity attacks. Crawford laid this out in one of his errata tweets. So you could use it on a weak-willed tank engaged with multiple of your melee allies to give them free hits against it, or position yourself to send it fleeing right past them to get a hit in.
RAW it doesn't. Awakened Mind says you can speak with any in range. Note that it's in singular.
Similar features tends to be clear with the use of pluralization or added terms to make it clear that it's more than 1. Abberant Mind Sorcerers come to mind, and some magic items that I don't quite recall atm.
Very flavourful build there, nice!
Ahhh back when Treatmonk was consuming copious amounts of mushrooms
Dude, I've made a similar build, even called him "Malkav."
I’ve been waiting a while for this one.
Treantmonk: 48:08
Me: You would make an illusionist wizard with eldritch adept.
People really do forget about the Material Component of Summon Greater Demon. Gonna have to kill on a daily basis
People who don't reflavor their Eldritch Blast really are missing out. My warlock was in the flavor of a noir detective who ran around with a flintlock pistol, empty and useless. But it's how he Eldritch Blasted.
A very good thematic build
For any Brandon Sanderson readers: Shallan build
If you went with custom lineage, would you still take devil’s sight? Love your videos!
Probably not...
You mean take Darkvision instead of Perception for Custom Lineage. Then for Background, instead of Sleight Of Hand, take Perception THERE? Then don't bother with Devil's Sight Invocation later on?
I did a very similar warlock but went with Pact of the Tome instead. I enjoyed having the extra cantrips like Thaumaturgy for extra weirdness early on, and the party didn't have a ritual caster otherwise.
I also like Detect Thoughts for this character. Also Hunger of Hadar may not be the best but it is super weird and descriptions of 'milky tentacles rubbing up against people in the dark' is sure to make everyone uncomfortable at the table.
Quite an interesting build, but I think you’ve overoptimized it here with much more focus on battles, rather than role-playing, despite claiming it to be “the perfect infiltration character”. With 8 of both wisdom and intelligence would it really be one? Would it be a schemer you describe? If ability scores are not just numbers at your table, I do not think it is suitable for the role you describe. It would be a charming moron with cool abilities to appear as anyone they could imagine and to speak in other people’s voices, but if they were to infiltrate, they would become lost pretty quickly and almost any interaction with them would result in their disclosure. I would set their dex and con to 14’s and raise int and wis to 12’s (or even lover the con to 12 to get 14 int) and probably pick insight as one of my proficiencies - it would diminish their combat capabilities, but overall make much more sense (at least to me). Apart from that, again, the concept is pretty nice
I certainly wouldn't argue that 8 wisdom leads you to getting lost quickly or immediately giving yourself away, and given the nature of a Warlock in general and this Warlock in particular 8 Int is pretty easy to justify as a schemer - who says it's the character's schemes? Is causing havoc in the kingdom his plan or his patron's? Is there a difference?
I do definitely agree that Insight, and probably a semi-valid Wisdom to go along with it, is worth having though. Insight feels pretty important for what this character does.
Are you familiar with Yoshikage Kira? You don't have to be the smartest of persons to do crazy things and not get caught. You just gotta be a bit lucky! ;D
I think of the Int/Wis scores being reflective of the fragmented nature of how their mind works, rather than actual below average Int/Wis. I've been playing a version of this with moments of brilliance/cleverness for RP purposes, but an inability to bring it to bear in a reliable or consistent manner for mechanical purposes. My DM loves it, although, as always, YMMV.
I think a changeling would be a good race for this.
My favorite build of yours yet!
I am however trying to think of a way how to not play human variant, start at level one and for it to still work (since I wouldn't get actor lv1). Wanna play a tiefling noble who stumbeled to the GOO who is The King in Yellow from Robert Chambers book.