I wish this was out when 5e first dropped. I wanted to make a Warlock that tried to make a pact with an Infernal, but due to a loophole, an Angel butted in and took over the pact, becoming the patron. The plan was to play an evil, selfish character that was coerced into doing good things by his patron.
Me: "C'mon just whisper naughty things to me" Mike: "The Arcane Archer is in Xanathar's" Me: "Oh yeah, more" Mike: "The Hexblade is in Xanathar's" Me: "O H Y E A H"
I'd probably go with having the celestial still being kind of creepy/dangerous despite being good. Something like a cold alien force passing judgement. The fact that such a being is legitimately good only makes it more disturbing.
Theyre not mentioned, but what about an asuras paragon? Asuras are chaotic, and a patron whos hard driving, demanding and 'kill evil, at all times, at any cost' certainly seems to be blurring the lines of goodness
I don't think a unicorn would make sense as creepy--but that doesn't mean it approves of your priestess of Shar and vampire friends. There's always a price.
My warlock made a pack with the mettaphycical manifestation of Devine power whos whants are only understood by the affect it has on its worshipers and the surrounding area were its physical form is located were if you get to close your either heald if good aligned and hit with radiant damage if your evil
Think of Meridia from The Elder Scrolls. She has many qualities of a Celestial being. She rewards he followers handsomely, but she is also very demanding and radical in her hatred of the undead.
I have two ideas for Celestial Warlocks already in my pocket. One here, and another in a followup comment. First, you have an Evil aligned PC, who just so happens to have an angel as a patron. Maybe the PC was dying and took the angel's offer to save his life. Maybe the PC offended the gods somehow, and took the pact as an alternative to feeling their divine wrath, and must work for heaven now. Maybe the PC was looking for the power to get what they wanted, but either didn't have a way to contact a Fiendish power to make a deal, or figured that he could just trust a summoned angel to deal fairly than he could a devil or demon. Maybe he already pissed off both the Devils and Demons, and needed a powerful backer _fast_ (and figured - correctly - that a Celestial would have no love for the Fiends). Maybe the angel is still Lawful Good, but got isolated or banished by his fellow angels, and made a pact with an Evil mortal in the hopes that redeeming them with earn the angel back his wings, or his place with his fellows. Whatever the case, you have this PC who isn't a good person - who is probably selfish and amoral - who has to do the bidding of this Lawful Good being. In an inversion of then normal tropes of Warlocks - a good person being tempted to evil by a demon - you have an evil person being nudged towards good by an angel. Maybe as time goes by, the PC with develop as a character, and become a good person. Who knows?
Second, you have an astronomer and astrologer, whose study of the heavens resulted in gaining the attention of the Starborn Ones. Basically living stars, who dwell in the sky and are of Good alignment. I picture them as looking like those beings from the Dark Crystal, when the Skeksis and their good counterparts merge together back into their original, shining forms. And my astronomer is an old Halfling who is basically Aughra, the curmudgeonly old woman with one eye. I'd go Pact of the Tome, and the book would be filled with star charts as well as spells. Maybe take that Invocation that covers the user with flies, except these glow like fireflies, so it looks like the PC is surrounded by a cloud of stars. And they're all grumpy, so whenever they heal someone from a downed state, they drub them a bit with their cane, telling the person to "stop napping and get up, lazy bones. Fight's not over yet".
I like both of your concepts. I just started a Celestial Warlock and went this route, a thief and highway robber for a thieves' guild who was left for dead after trying to double cross them and their patron (a solar) offers them a second chance and acts as something of a drill sergeant.
For those using the Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica, the celestial warlock is probably the most common type of arcane caster enlisted in the Boros Legion. Your character's backstory literally gets to be a drill sergeant asking you why you think you're fit to join the army, and your character just says. "Because that angel over there told me to."
I'm thinking of playing an Aasimar Warlock with a Celestial patron. I'm planning to have his Angelic Guide be the same as his Patron. Also he suspects that his guide/patron is possibly his father.
I'm fine with a team of creators disagreeing and picking an interpretation. For adventurer's league I can see this being a big deal -but it's easy to adjust.
Czech translations of Xanathar-related videos can be found here (if anyone needed it or wanted to share it with his/hers Czech friends who do not speak English): www.d20.cz/diskuze/kultura-diskuze/52039.html
I have a Aasimar Celestial Warlock with a Ki Rin Patron. However I flipped the dynamic a bit and my Patron is actually holding my powers in check because I cannot control them on my own.
This has me super excited. I'd love to make a sorcerer/warlock who mostly spams eldritch blast but then heals the other players when needed. Twinning cure wounds and healing someone else and myself at the same time, or simply healing two allies at once would be so awesome. Or I could quicken cure wounds and throw an eldritch blast, allowing me to heal and dish out some pain in the same turn. Just awesome. And then some of the character concepts that could come out of such a blend could be awesome as well. Maybe I'm a shadow sorcerer who's made a deal with some angel as I attempt to temper my natural inborn affinity for darkness with the angel's radiant energy. Or something like that. There's so many cool ways to take the character concept. Well done, WotC. This has me really excited
I have an idea for a twisted celestial warlock. The patron is an angel, but it's power has made its mind twisted and more dark. This celestial has their patrons convert everyone they can to their religion and murder everyone that refuses to switch. The warlocks themselves have their minds also twisted into believing that they are holy beings that are doing God's work by killing those who do not share their religion. They believe that they are doing the right thing, and are blinded to the evil nature of their murders and crucifixons they do in the name of their patron.
@MikeMearls where is my Pact of the Ancient Dragon? This is Dungeons & Dragons after all! How has WotC not released at least an Unearthed Arcana for a Dragon Pact yet?
Drakkonus Frostburn I had a dragonborn barbarian/warlock who took pact of the fiend but I re-flavored it as an ancient red dragon. Most of the spells fit perfectly.
Can you imagine playing an chaotic evil aligned Celestial Warlock, who's patron is a lawful good deva. Like all the player wants to do is murder and burn shit, but his/her patron is constantly wanting the player to heal people and help shit.
I've gone real weird with my patron, it's a sentient flock of humming birds illuminated by a setting sun. Approached my Warlock when she was a child and made a pact to be kind and spread light.. Disney Princess but make it COSMIC.
Cool pact creature examples, but (being a diction pact warlock myself) I was so stunned by his mispronunciation of "kirin" that I missed the next 20 seconds of the video. :D It's always a pleasure listening to Mike Mearls talk D&D, though. I look forward to the next one.
Xanathar's guide has been so helpful for making my celstial warlock lady! Her patron is a Unicorn who stepped in to save her from an evil warlock pair that tried to taint her celestial blood (she is an Aasmir as well), she learned to possess great magic. She has Aspect of the Moon, which the Unicron 'bestowed' upon her to keep the nightmares away and keep her from discovering her dark and tragic past. So my lady reads A LOT. Also super helpful for needing someone on watch at night haha She is often at odds with the Unicorn, as it is more on the girly girl side and likes to decorate her outfits with frills.
This book cannot come out soon enough! Just give me a psionics book, an Eberron book (or a codex with the needed info and crunch for a few campaign settings, like Eberron, Planescape, Dark Sun, Greyhawk, and a more formal take on the Points of Light setting from 4e), and a monster book or two more (Fiend Folio guys, come on!), and I'll be happy. A Manual of the Planes would also be nice (and could be home to Planescape!), but I won't be picky. How about an Eberron/psionics book, Manual of the Planes/Planescape, Wilderness Adventures/Dark Sun, Greyhawk and Points of Light in a DM/world building toolkit kinda book, and a Fiend Folio/monster toolkit book (like how to build encounters in different ways, advise on powering up monsters, and a tool box of lair and legendary actions). I don't want system glut. I really don't. I like how level headed 5e has been. I like that I don't have a new book every month. I also think a monster book every year wouldn't be a bad thing.
Psionics/Eberron is where you put a final version of the artificer and revamped mystic (I don't think they're all that god like, but I have not played one or seen one played. Number wise they seem to fall short in a few places) as well as the Eberron races (warfogred, shifter, changeling, kalistar), and dragonmarks. So maybe they should have their own book? (Which means mystic and psionic archetypes go in a psionics book.) Regardless, I agree that the mystic need another pass of refinement or two. The revised ranger should go in Xanathar's just to make anything else that touches on Ranger easier to work with.
Troommate I'm pretty sure they're doing away with patron specific invocations. At least, the last UA looking at warlock expansion seemed to go that way.
I'm glad Celestial made it in, I hope the Warlock gets the Raven Queen pact, too. The only one I don't want to see is the Hexblade, i'd be happy with just the former two.
I use Baelin the fisherman as my patron. So far I am required to fish. Every time i go fishing I roll 1d6+1 and write that down. If I don't go fishing before that many days pass, I wander off to fish and can't be stopped until after catching something. Also anyone who sees me fishing can see a glimmer of Baelin next to me
Uhajaksldls im pumped for this but I'd be so bummed if hexblade didn't make it. Oh well, I'm at least happy it sounds like there will be changes In a future UA. Rooting for Phoenix sorc too!
So I have a question: is it possible to get those pre-order bonuses non-digitally? I like the feel of having physical things like feeling the cover and turning a page. And so I was planning to pre-order my copy from my local store.
the pre-order bonuses are just some homebrew non-PHB race feats made by the people behind D&D Beyond. They aren't officially created feats. Though I imagine you'll be able to find them online shortly after they've been released.
There is no actual point to do that. You've got the 1+ Warlock level d6 pool, the additional healing spells plus if you go Pact of the Blade then you get the option of the Eldritch Smite invocation at 5th Level. This patron does work wonders when multiclassed with a Life Domain Cleric though!
It’s time to sacrifice the sacred cow of previous editions and let wizards have decent healing options, as well. Warlocks can do it, sorcerers can do it, bards can do it. Wizards should be able to do it, too.
For magical healers, we have the following in the PHP. Bards Clerics Druids Paladins Rangers Not enough healing for you? Divine Soul Sorcerers (in one of the Unearthed Arcanas) Pact of The Celestial Warlock (in one of the Unearthed Arcanas) Theurge as a Wizarding Tradition (a popular homebrew option) Still not enough healing for you? What about Artificer?
This patron was way better and cooler flavor-wise when it was The Undying Light. Kept the Warlock's unique and cool flavor without encroaching on Clerics. Feature-specific healing is necessary for a Warlock since they only get 2 spell slots for most of the game.
Is that official pronunciation for kirin? The beer kirin is named after the mythological beast kirin from japanese folklore which is what the d&d kirin is based on so ive always used that pronunciation. Took me a few seconds to understand what mike was referring to. KEY-reen vs KAI-rin
I found a pretty neat little way of fighting melee with one of these; as a tomelock, I can get shillelagh, and use it with green flame blade, which then allows me to add my charisma modifier to the fire damage I do, while I already get to add my charisma modifier to the shillelagh damage I do! :)
No Walock is going to use one of their 4 spell slots on an upcasted cure wounds, that would be a huge waste. I really wish WotC would give locks patron specific options for Mystic Arcanum.
Ah but that is the struggle of a warlock, maybe you could come up with homebrew invocations like me and my DM do, such as giving the warlock the ability to cast Heal once per long rest.
If it is relatively similar to the UA Revised Subclasses version, with the Healing Light feature, then I don't think it would be that much of an issue. Locks just won't pickup Cure Wounds. When I GM a campaign with a Warlock, I always give them options for Mystic Arcanum that replace the base options, more flavour!
Plus, it might not be that much of an issue if the Warlock spends most of their time just spamming Eldritch Blast anyway. Or they go Pact of the Blade, and spend a bunch of time in melee. Or a Tomelock that focuses generally on Cantrips and Ritual casted spells in between fights. Not all Warlocks are going to rely on their limited spell slots per short rest; indeed, _knowing_ their slots are short may make them frugal with such things. Then again, if they get them back every short rest, they might go the other way and be liberal with their spells. Moreover, if you're playing a Celestial Warlock, you've already tacitly agreed to contribute to the party's healing economy. Doing otherwise would be like playing a Cleric, and never keeping a single healing spell prepared. Unless you already have a surplus of healing classes, there's the expectation that if you CAN heal, you should keep the option open for your fellow PCs.
Deities grant power according to the clerics faith, length of service and 'body of work' ie deeds in the gods name. The power is therefore linked to the servats actions and experience, level. Warlock patrons are less disciplined per se. The power offered isnt as diverse (limited evocations) but available for use for a longer period. I also think its a matter of numbers: a proper god, even a demi deity has many more clerics than say, cernios the demon lord of personal combat does warlocks I realize this may leak other editions descriptions of things, but overall its close
Theory: Since so much of Xanthar's Guide has stuff about divinity and Feywild, the next book is going to have the opposite. Hexblade/Raven Queen can still happen.
i tried to build a celestial warlock as a healer, and they just don't have have the spell slots and/or features to do it. Now ie wanted to build and off=healer/dps I think you could get away with this. But the lack of spell slots keeps you from bringing everything you would need to have a good bases covered. Where as Clerics, and druids just have the number of spells needed, in my opinion. though if i'm incorrect in this would love to see a character/build for it.
I'm planning on multiclassing one level into the celestial warlock, so I can perform a bit of extra healing when necessary. I'm currently a third level (revised) ranger, and this is a nice way of getting some extra healing potential: I can get cure wounds on the warlock, leaving my ranger to choose another healing spell like healing spirit, and the pool of healing dice means I can at least stabilize a few unconscious party members from a distance. At to that the added cantrips, and it's a great form of utility. I admit it is a bit niche, but my ranger also has around 15 Cha, so I want to make use of it a bit more.
@@Icephantom573 i can see the dip, but still think a dip into cleric would do you better, if only for amount of spell slots open to you due to it being a wisdom based caster. This is just theory crafting as i've not acutally sat down and played out a warlock, but their lack of spell slots would mean you get one or two casts off per short rest. yes would help, but you might get 1 or 2 casts off from a cleric. though i could be wrong i'm not strong on spell slots per level.
@@talisredstar1543 You are correct that clerics get more spell slots at first level, but there are a few points as to why I prefer the celestial warlock. For starters, the spell slot obtained from the warlock is regained on a short rest, meaning I can also more easily regain uses of hunter's mark or zephyr strike. Furthermore, I can get prestidigitation as a warlock, which I will honestly need in the campaign I'm currently in, and I can also get mage hand and the two celestial cantrips for a whole lot of utility. Regarding the healing power, the power of the celestial basically gives two free uses of a slightly weaker healing word per long rest, which is perfect for quickly getting a downed ally back up. Finally, on a roleplay related note, my character isn't really into organised religion all that much, so just making a deal for power would suit him more. I do still have to try all of this out, currently still stuck at level 3, but I can certainly see some utility benefits over the cleric, although you also raise good points
@@Icephantom573 I figured there was an rp basis on why you were leaning that way. more power to you. though, being a cleric does not necessarily need to be "organized" religion. Could just be chosen by which ever deity you decide to run with. i'm sure if you talked with your GM the two of you could come up with something. Then again if you picked up eldritch blast could be a nice damage addition should you meet something that your regular weapons couldn't handle.
@@talisredstar1543 I am considering the life cleric maybe, since you are raising some interesting possibilities, but part of my character's backstory is that his father is a cleric and they have somewhat of a rocky relationship. I also don't need eldritch blast that much, since I'm a horizon walker, but it is a really cool cantrip, so I might take it anyway together with prestidigitation, cure wounds and unseen servant, as well as the light and sacred flame cantrips from the warlock subclass
I want to make a fighter/Celestial warlock. Basically a discount Paladin. Gaining their magic through a pact with a celestial being rather than their own power.
FriendofFantasy it’s fairly new but it helps make non hex blade warlock’s better fighters. Or you can be extra daring and take The invocation for Mage Armor
In all honesty, giving Cure Wounds to a Warlock is a slippery slope. It incentivizes players to take continual short rests so the Warlock can just heal them for free. Which reminds me that people multiclassing into Warlock has been crazy stupid in general.
But all the evocations and spells' name are dark and creepy... Reskinning each one and memorizing which is which is gonna take so much work. A solar's warlock cannot know sth like Evard's Black Tentacles, it just doesn't gel
Khang Nghe no it won't, all names can stay the same, as that's just a reference for players. What matters is how the effects are described. Instead of writing black tentacles, beams of radiant energy.
Gnome Child is totally right - your character doesn't need to shout "EYES OF THE RUNE KEEPER" every time you need to read obscure writing. It's just like how your character might not self-identify as a Rogue even though they're statted that way.
+Jared Hite, then substitute EBT with Hellish Rebuke and the argument is still the same. Although I agree with Gnome Child, you can reskin anything to be thematically appropriate.
One other example is Blight. Imagine it instead of withering away a plant, it overloads it with radiant energy and it dies because too much of a thing is also bad.
Yeah...I was afraid of this. Really liked the original Undying Light, was my favorite warlock dip. Oh well, my group allows UA material, so maybe I'll keep using the old one.
I wish this was out when 5e first dropped. I wanted to make a Warlock that tried to make a pact with an Infernal, but due to a loophole, an Angel butted in and took over the pact, becoming the patron. The plan was to play an evil, selfish character that was coerced into doing good things by his patron.
Me: "C'mon just whisper naughty things to me"
Mike: "The Arcane Archer is in Xanathar's"
Me: "Oh yeah, more"
Mike: "The Hexblade is in Xanathar's"
Me: "O H Y E A H"
I'd probably go with having the celestial still being kind of creepy/dangerous despite being good. Something like a cold alien force passing judgement. The fact that such a being is legitimately good only makes it more disturbing.
Theyre not mentioned, but what about an asuras paragon?
Asuras are chaotic, and a patron whos hard driving, demanding and 'kill evil, at all times, at any cost' certainly seems to be blurring the lines of goodness
I don't think a unicorn would make sense as creepy--but that doesn't mean it approves of your priestess of Shar and vampire friends. There's always a price.
My warlock made a pack with the mettaphycical manifestation of Devine power whos whants are only understood by the affect it has on its worshipers and the surrounding area were its physical form is located were if you get to close your either heald if good aligned and hit with radiant damage if your evil
Think of Meridia from The Elder Scrolls. She has many qualities of a Celestial being. She rewards he followers handsomely, but she is also very demanding and radical in her hatred of the undead.
The Line up for Xantha's Guide is getting more Diverse with each update.
Over 25 new subclasses
Is it really 25??? in the Book. I need a copy Bad.
I think someone was listening to my request for a Jesus patron Warlock ;-)
CBU Yea Totally :D
I have two ideas for Celestial Warlocks already in my pocket. One here, and another in a followup comment.
First, you have an Evil aligned PC, who just so happens to have an angel as a patron. Maybe the PC was dying and took the angel's offer to save his life. Maybe the PC offended the gods somehow, and took the pact as an alternative to feeling their divine wrath, and must work for heaven now. Maybe the PC was looking for the power to get what they wanted, but either didn't have a way to contact a Fiendish power to make a deal, or figured that he could just trust a summoned angel to deal fairly than he could a devil or demon. Maybe he already pissed off both the Devils and Demons, and needed a powerful backer _fast_ (and figured - correctly - that a Celestial would have no love for the Fiends). Maybe the angel is still Lawful Good, but got isolated or banished by his fellow angels, and made a pact with an Evil mortal in the hopes that redeeming them with earn the angel back his wings, or his place with his fellows.
Whatever the case, you have this PC who isn't a good person - who is probably selfish and amoral - who has to do the bidding of this Lawful Good being. In an inversion of then normal tropes of Warlocks - a good person being tempted to evil by a demon - you have an evil person being nudged towards good by an angel. Maybe as time goes by, the PC with develop as a character, and become a good person. Who knows?
Second, you have an astronomer and astrologer, whose study of the heavens resulted in gaining the attention of the Starborn Ones. Basically living stars, who dwell in the sky and are of Good alignment. I picture them as looking like those beings from the Dark Crystal, when the Skeksis and their good counterparts merge together back into their original, shining forms. And my astronomer is an old Halfling who is basically Aughra, the curmudgeonly old woman with one eye.
I'd go Pact of the Tome, and the book would be filled with star charts as well as spells. Maybe take that Invocation that covers the user with flies, except these glow like fireflies, so it looks like the PC is surrounded by a cloud of stars. And they're all grumpy, so whenever they heal someone from a downed state, they drub them a bit with their cane, telling the person to "stop napping and get up, lazy bones. Fight's not over yet".
I like both of your concepts. I just started a Celestial Warlock and went this route, a thief and highway robber for a thieves' guild who was left for dead after trying to double cross them and their patron (a solar) offers them a second chance and acts as something of a drill sergeant.
For those using the Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica, the celestial warlock is probably the most common type of arcane caster enlisted in the Boros Legion.
Your character's backstory literally gets to be a drill sergeant asking you why you think you're fit to join the army, and your character just says. "Because that angel over there told me to."
Lol that sounds so funny. Imagine like there is a line up of these warlocks and all of them say that.
I'm thinking of playing an Aasimar Warlock with a Celestial patron. I'm planning to have his Angelic Guide be the same as his Patron. Also he suspects that his guide/patron is possibly his father.
For reason, I just love with Mike Mearls talks about... anything.
Except when he comments on rulings that later Jeremy Crawford contradicts and causes confusion in the community. Really shouldn't be doin' that, imho.
I'm fine with a team of creators disagreeing and picking an interpretation. For adventurer's league I can see this being a big deal -but it's easy to adjust.
I almost always side with Mike Mearls on these things. Crawford is way too lawful aligned to me
I think I have a small adventure pitch....the contract wars...fiends and celestials making warlocks to fight in a proxy war of heaven and hell.
The Artist Of War Wow that's a really messed up concept. Neat setting.
You sir, though I am late by a year in saying this, are on to something.
I like this. Especially since Unicorns are celestial beings. You can have a Unicorn Patron.
Yes!! Thank you so much for making this legal WotC! I can't wait to make an Aasimar Warlock!
You can't if they don't update the PHB+1 AL rule. It should be PHB+XGE+1, but it might not change.
Fighting evil by moonlight! Winning love by daylight! Having party members to help her fight, she is the one named Celestial Warlock! XD
Czech translations of Xanathar-related videos can be found here (if anyone needed it or wanted to share it with his/hers Czech friends who do not speak English): www.d20.cz/diskuze/kultura-diskuze/52039.html
I have a Aasimar Celestial Warlock with a Ki Rin Patron. However I flipped the dynamic a bit and my Patron is actually holding my powers in check because I cannot control them on my own.
I'm starting my first d&d campaign with a character based on the warlock celestial subclass. I appreciate these videos on the subclasses.
This has me super excited. I'd love to make a sorcerer/warlock who mostly spams eldritch blast but then heals the other players when needed. Twinning cure wounds and healing someone else and myself at the same time, or simply healing two allies at once would be so awesome. Or I could quicken cure wounds and throw an eldritch blast, allowing me to heal and dish out some pain in the same turn. Just awesome. And then some of the character concepts that could come out of such a blend could be awesome as well. Maybe I'm a shadow sorcerer who's made a deal with some angel as I attempt to temper my natural inborn affinity for darkness with the angel's radiant energy. Or something like that. There's so many cool ways to take the character concept. Well done, WotC. This has me really excited
I have an idea for a twisted celestial warlock.
The patron is an angel, but it's power has made its mind twisted and more dark. This celestial has their patrons convert everyone they can to their religion and murder everyone that refuses to switch.
The warlocks themselves have their minds also twisted into believing that they are holy beings that are doing God's work by killing those who do not share their religion. They believe that they are doing the right thing, and are blinded to the evil nature of their murders and crucifixons they do in the name of their patron.
Yes! I've wanted this for so long!
So excited for this one! This and the Blade bard are the two I wanted to play the most.
@MikeMearls where is my Pact of the Ancient Dragon? This is Dungeons & Dragons after all! How has WotC not released at least an Unearthed Arcana for a Dragon Pact yet?
Drakkonus Frostburn I had a dragonborn barbarian/warlock who took pact of the fiend but I re-flavored it as an ancient red dragon. Most of the spells fit perfectly.
Loved this. Definitely my favourite added subclass
I am definitely making soraka as a celestial cleric
W A R L O C K B O I S
I was happy when I first heard about this. Looking forward to it.
Can you imagine playing an chaotic evil aligned Celestial Warlock, who's patron is a lawful good deva. Like all the player wants to do is murder and burn shit, but his/her patron is constantly wanting the player to heal people and help shit.
"No, Steve, you're gonna HELP the orphans. No, killing them to release their souls to a better place doesn't count."
I've gone real weird with my patron, it's a sentient flock of humming birds illuminated by a setting sun. Approached my Warlock when she was a child and made a pact to be kind and spread light.. Disney Princess but make it COSMIC.
SO EXCITED FOR THIS GUIDE
Cool pact creature examples, but (being a diction pact warlock myself) I was so stunned by his mispronunciation of "kirin" that I missed the next 20 seconds of the video. :D It's always a pleasure listening to Mike Mearls talk D&D, though. I look forward to the next one.
i love the celestial and dream druid with their multitude of little heals.
Xanathar's guide has been so helpful for making my celstial warlock lady! Her patron is a Unicorn who stepped in to save her from an evil warlock pair that tried to taint her celestial blood (she is an Aasmir as well), she learned to possess great magic.
She has Aspect of the Moon, which the Unicron 'bestowed' upon her to keep the nightmares away and keep her from discovering her dark and tragic past. So my lady reads A LOT. Also super helpful for needing someone on watch at night haha She is often at odds with the Unicorn, as it is more on the girly girl side and likes to decorate her outfits with frills.
I'm playing a Yuan-Ti Pureblood whose Patron is a Coatl... it's great!!!
Woots RP valid Lock/Paladin multi
This book cannot come out soon enough! Just give me a psionics book, an Eberron book (or a codex with the needed info and crunch for a few campaign settings, like Eberron, Planescape, Dark Sun, Greyhawk, and a more formal take on the Points of Light setting from 4e), and a monster book or two more (Fiend Folio guys, come on!), and I'll be happy. A Manual of the Planes would also be nice (and could be home to Planescape!), but I won't be picky.
How about an Eberron/psionics book, Manual of the Planes/Planescape, Wilderness Adventures/Dark Sun, Greyhawk and Points of Light in a DM/world building toolkit kinda book, and a Fiend Folio/monster toolkit book (like how to build encounters in different ways, advise on powering up monsters, and a tool box of lair and legendary actions). I don't want system glut. I really don't. I like how level headed 5e has been. I like that I don't have a new book every month. I also think a monster book every year wouldn't be a bad thing.
sprainogre i dunno, i would love for a couple more classes. Artificer, revamped ranger, and non godlike mystic.
Psionics/Eberron is where you put a final version of the artificer and revamped mystic (I don't think they're all that god like, but I have not played one or seen one played. Number wise they seem to fall short in a few places) as well as the Eberron races (warfogred, shifter, changeling, kalistar), and dragonmarks. So maybe they should have their own book? (Which means mystic and psionic archetypes go in a psionics book.) Regardless, I agree that the mystic need another pass of refinement or two. The revised ranger should go in Xanathar's just to make anything else that touches on Ranger easier to work with.
I just shelved the homebrew warlock I was making... I'm waiting now. If I don't like this celestial when the book comes out I will resume my work.
Are there any new Eldritch Invocations for the Prerequisite: Celestial patron being added?
Troommate I'm pretty sure they're doing away with patron specific invocations. At least, the last UA looking at warlock expansion seemed to go that way.
Troommate I hope that they do.
Celestial warlock is OP!!
I'm glad Celestial made it in, I hope the Warlock gets the Raven Queen pact, too. The only one I don't want to see is the Hexblade, i'd be happy with just the former two.
In Pathfinder, we just call this a witch...
Wonder if Xanathar's Guide will include the revised ranger, errata, rule clarifications, etc.
Hearing this makes me think of Critical Role's Kashaw, I wonder if they'll convert him over to a Celestial Warlock if Matt adds Xanathar's
I use Baelin the fisherman as my patron. So far I am required to fish. Every time i go fishing I roll 1d6+1 and write that down. If I don't go fishing before that many days pass, I wander off to fish and can't be stopped until after catching something. Also anyone who sees me fishing can see a glimmer of Baelin next to me
Uhajaksldls im pumped for this but I'd be so bummed if hexblade didn't make it. Oh well, I'm at least happy it sounds like there will be changes In a future UA. Rooting for Phoenix sorc too!
So I have a question: is it possible to get those pre-order bonuses non-digitally? I like the feel of having physical things like feeling the cover and turning a page. And so I was planning to pre-order my copy from my local store.
the pre-order bonuses are just some homebrew non-PHB race feats made by the people behind D&D Beyond. They aren't officially created feats. Though I imagine you'll be able to find them online shortly after they've been released.
So basically a free multiclass into Paladin story wise
No, the Celestial works quite different, the healing is d6s as opposed to X number of Hit Points, you also can't cure poisons and diseases
There is no actual point to do that. You've got the 1+ Warlock level d6 pool, the additional healing spells plus if you go Pact of the Blade then you get the option of the Eldritch Smite invocation at 5th Level. This patron does work wonders when multiclassed with a Life Domain Cleric though!
It’s time to sacrifice the sacred cow of previous editions and let wizards have decent healing options, as well. Warlocks can do it, sorcerers can do it, bards can do it. Wizards should be able to do it, too.
For magical healers, we have the following in the PHP.
Bards
Clerics
Druids
Paladins
Rangers
Not enough healing for you?
Divine Soul Sorcerers (in one of the Unearthed Arcanas)
Pact of The Celestial Warlock (in one of the Unearthed Arcanas)
Theurge as a Wizarding Tradition (a popular homebrew option)
Still not enough healing for you?
What about Artificer?
Coatl. Not Koala. Had a double-take there.
Couatls are cuter than koalas as well
So what is this, Diet Cleric? "I Can't Believe It's Not Cleric"?
Can't wait to outperform every other warlock in the game by taking Gift of the Ever Living Ones and Kiss of Mephisto
Chain of the Ever Living Ones is only for short rest hit dice, not healing others but that would be op as shit for Celestial
I'm disappointed that Mike mentioned couatles and we didn't get to hear "I'm a couatl."
This patron was way better and cooler flavor-wise when it was The Undying Light. Kept the Warlock's unique and cool flavor without encroaching on Clerics. Feature-specific healing is necessary for a Warlock since they only get 2 spell slots for most of the game.
Whoever made the subtitles needs to glance at the Monster Manual, because they clearly have no idea what a Kirin or Couatl is.
Is that official pronunciation for kirin? The beer kirin is named after the mythological beast kirin from japanese folklore which is what the d&d kirin is based on so ive always used that pronunciation. Took me a few seconds to understand what mike was referring to.
KEY-reen vs KAI-rin
You can hear the actual pronunciation here (the animal's name is very similar in both Korean and Mandarin, as well):
translate.google.com/#auto/ko/キリン
I found a pretty neat little way of fighting melee with one of these; as a tomelock, I can get shillelagh, and use it with green flame blade, which then allows me to add my charisma modifier to the fire damage I do, while I already get to add my charisma modifier to the shillelagh damage I do! :)
No Walock is going to use one of their 4 spell slots on an upcasted cure wounds, that would be a huge waste. I really wish WotC would give locks patron specific options for Mystic Arcanum.
Ah but that is the struggle of a warlock, maybe you could come up with homebrew invocations like me and my DM do, such as giving the warlock the ability to cast Heal once per long rest.
If it is relatively similar to the UA Revised Subclasses version, with the Healing Light feature, then I don't think it would be that much of an issue. Locks just won't pickup Cure Wounds. When I GM a campaign with a Warlock, I always give them options for Mystic Arcanum that replace the base options, more flavour!
Kivan multiclass and you can use other class' spell slot
Plus, it might not be that much of an issue if the Warlock spends most of their time just spamming Eldritch Blast anyway. Or they go Pact of the Blade, and spend a bunch of time in melee. Or a Tomelock that focuses generally on Cantrips and Ritual casted spells in between fights. Not all Warlocks are going to rely on their limited spell slots per short rest; indeed, _knowing_ their slots are short may make them frugal with such things. Then again, if they get them back every short rest, they might go the other way and be liberal with their spells.
Moreover, if you're playing a Celestial Warlock, you've already tacitly agreed to contribute to the party's healing economy. Doing otherwise would be like playing a Cleric, and never keeping a single healing spell prepared. Unless you already have a surplus of healing classes, there's the expectation that if you CAN heal, you should keep the option open for your fellow PCs.
Bluecho4 clerics are not only healers and it is frustrating as a players of war and tempest clerics that everyone thinks that.
Can you guys tell me what the difference between how a Warlock patron provides power to their followers and a Cleric's deity does so?
For Warlocks it's "Hey, I'm a super powerful being. Wanna work for me?"
For Cleric's it's "Hey, thanks for worshiping me. Here's some spells."
Peteman12 Also Warlocks’ power is more unstable.
Deities grant power according to the clerics faith, length of service and 'body of work' ie deeds in the gods name. The power is therefore linked to the servats actions and experience, level.
Warlock patrons are less disciplined per se. The power offered isnt as diverse (limited evocations) but available for use for a longer period.
I also think its a matter of numbers: a proper god, even a demi deity has many more clerics than say, cernios the demon lord of personal combat does warlocks
I realize this may leak other editions descriptions of things, but overall its close
I would love to know if this new Warlock will allow and provide new "monster shapes" for a familiar from the pack of the chain.
That would be super neat.
What might a Celestial ask a pc to do?
Arcane Archer
Hexblade
Barbarian paths
I just wish Arcana Archer could use crossbows with its abilities.
Binder pact please! :)
Theory: Since so much of Xanthar's Guide has stuff about divinity and Feywild, the next book is going to have the opposite. Hexblade/Raven Queen can still happen.
I JUST WANT MY HEXBLADE
Pseudo Potato Same
all i want is to have an Ancient Silver Dragon be my patron. how do i do this, is that possible
Its d&d
You can do anything
i tried to build a celestial warlock as a healer, and they just don't have have the spell slots and/or features to do it. Now ie wanted to build and off=healer/dps I think you could get away with this. But the lack of spell slots keeps you from bringing everything you would need to have a good bases covered. Where as Clerics, and druids just have the number of spells needed, in my opinion.
though if i'm incorrect in this would love to see a character/build for it.
I'm planning on multiclassing one level into the celestial warlock, so I can perform a bit of extra healing when necessary. I'm currently a third level (revised) ranger, and this is a nice way of getting some extra healing potential: I can get cure wounds on the warlock, leaving my ranger to choose another healing spell like healing spirit, and the pool of healing dice means I can at least stabilize a few unconscious party members from a distance. At to that the added cantrips, and it's a great form of utility. I admit it is a bit niche, but my ranger also has around 15 Cha, so I want to make use of it a bit more.
@@Icephantom573 i can see the dip, but still think a dip into cleric would do you better, if only for amount of spell slots open to you due to it being a wisdom based caster.
This is just theory crafting as i've not acutally sat down and played out a warlock, but their lack of spell slots would mean you get one or two casts off per short rest. yes would help, but you might get 1 or 2 casts off from a cleric.
though i could be wrong i'm not strong on spell slots per level.
@@talisredstar1543 You are correct that clerics get more spell slots at first level, but there are a few points as to why I prefer the celestial warlock. For starters, the spell slot obtained from the warlock is regained on a short rest, meaning I can also more easily regain uses of hunter's mark or zephyr strike. Furthermore, I can get prestidigitation as a warlock, which I will honestly need in the campaign I'm currently in, and I can also get mage hand and the two celestial cantrips for a whole lot of utility. Regarding the healing power, the power of the celestial basically gives two free uses of a slightly weaker healing word per long rest, which is perfect for quickly getting a downed ally back up. Finally, on a roleplay related note, my character isn't really into organised religion all that much, so just making a deal for power would suit him more. I do still have to try all of this out, currently still stuck at level 3, but I can certainly see some utility benefits over the cleric, although you also raise good points
@@Icephantom573 I figured there was an rp basis on why you were leaning that way. more power to you. though, being a cleric does not necessarily need to be "organized" religion. Could just be chosen by which ever deity you decide to run with. i'm sure if you talked with your GM the two of you could come up with something. Then again if you picked up eldritch blast could be a nice damage addition should you meet something that your regular weapons couldn't handle.
@@talisredstar1543 I am considering the life cleric maybe, since you are raising some interesting possibilities, but part of my character's backstory is that his father is a cleric and they have somewhat of a rocky relationship. I also don't need eldritch blast that much, since I'm a horizon walker, but it is a really cool cantrip, so I might take it anyway together with prestidigitation, cure wounds and unseen servant, as well as the light and sacred flame cantrips from the warlock subclass
I want to make a fighter/Celestial warlock. Basically a discount Paladin. Gaining their magic through a pact with a celestial being rather than their own power.
FriendofFantasy you still do this without dipping into fighter
@@TVMAN1997 Yeah, but it's thematic and also gives you access to heavy armor.
FriendofFantasy true! Or the new class variant futures Eldritch Armor allows you to be proficient with any armor.
@@TVMAN1997 Oh yeah. I don't look at UA nearly as much as I should.
FriendofFantasy it’s fairly new but it helps make non hex blade warlock’s better fighters. Or you can be extra daring and take The invocation for Mage Armor
is the Theurgist Wizard coming in Xanathar's?
lol theurgist sucks
Pseudo Potato if tour DM allows you to make a Life Theurgist, it's the best healer, multiclass in Favoured Soul, now you have the best ever.
I Want Fireball expanded magic list in warlock celestial pls!!!
If thats what you think of the warlock pact, you named it the wrong thing. a pact is, a formal agreement between individuals or parties
In all honesty, giving Cure Wounds to a Warlock is a slippery slope. It incentivizes players to take continual short rests so the Warlock can just heal them for free. Which reminds me that people multiclassing into Warlock has been crazy stupid in general.
Couldn't care less, I just wanna make a pact with the raven queen
easy there vax
edgy
So Super Edge Lord Got It.
Stop whispering
But all the evocations and spells' name are dark and creepy... Reskinning each one and memorizing which is which is gonna take so much work. A solar's warlock cannot know sth like Evard's Black Tentacles, it just doesn't gel
Khang Nghe no it won't, all names can stay the same, as that's just a reference for players. What matters is how the effects are described. Instead of writing black tentacles, beams of radiant energy.
Gnome Child is totally right - your character doesn't need to shout "EYES OF THE RUNE KEEPER" every time you need to read obscure writing. It's just like how your character might not self-identify as a Rogue even though they're statted that way.
Evard's Black Tentacles is on the expanded list for Old Ones, so only those warlocks could know it.
+Jared Hite, then substitute EBT with Hellish Rebuke and the argument is still the same. Although I agree with Gnome Child, you can reskin anything to be thematically appropriate.
One other example is Blight. Imagine it instead of withering away a plant, it overloads it with radiant energy and it dies because too much of a thing is also bad.
an evil warlock associated with a good celestial... that is just stupid.
Damn, looks like we got the lame healer version of Undying Light from the last UA update.
I'm playing a Celestial Pact Warlock from the last UA update right now and he's a lot of fun!! He's not lame at all!
The tradeoffs they made to turn it into a healer really hurt the class in my eyes.
Well we don't have that many good healers in the game, so i like the option, also you can heal, that does not mean that you gotta become the healer.
Yeah...I was afraid of this. Really liked the original Undying Light, was my favorite warlock dip. Oh well, my group allows UA material, so maybe I'll keep using the old one.
But you still got many of the abilities you got at 1st later on