does hellish rebuke cost a spell slot to cast?

[zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

topic

[Razorblade]

Yes

[ExcaliburV]

Yeh

[Gaius]

Originally posted by zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz:

topic

Yes, take that in consideration when choosing the spell slot you want to use. It's a pretty great spell for action economy against casters anr archers even with this limitation.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

I have found that using spell sluts for damage spells on my Warlock usually isn't very efficient.

Not only do Warlocks get the best attack cantrip in the game, but with so few spell sluts you really need to get some mileage out of them, therefore I save them either for all-day buffs, persistent AoE spells like Hunger of Hadar, or spells that can potentially continue dealing damage, like Armor of Agathys.

Hellish Rebuke falls into this category. While the damage is alright, it's also a fire spell (loads of creatures are resistant/immune to fire), and using a reaction is also cool and it can be a nasty surprise in the middle of combat, I just don't feel it's worth sacrificing a slot for it over something like Hunger of Hadar which can deal damage over multiple rounds.

[[deleted]]

Originally posted by Pan Darius Loveless:

I have found that using spell sluts for damage spells on my Warlock usually isn't very efficient.

Not only do Warlocks get the best attack cantrip in the game, but with so few spell sluts you really need to get some mileage out of them, therefore I save them either for all-day buffs, persistent AoE spells like Hunger of Hadar, or spells that can potentially continue dealing damage, like Armor of Agathys.

Hellish Rebuke falls into this category. While the damage is alright, it's also a fire spell (loads of creatures are resistant/immune to fire), and using a reaction is also cool and it can be a nasty surprise in the middle of combat, I just don't feel it's worth sacrificing a slot for it over something like Hunger of Hadar which can deal damage over multiple rounds.

I think the optimal way to play the warlock is hex and blast, but not the funnest.

The funnest way that I have found is starting off every combat with back-to-back shatters, before switching to eldritch blast. The warlock gets more shatters than any other caster at level 3. I haven't played the warlock at level 5 yet, but I imagine that back-to-back fireballs for the first two rounds of every combat is also great.

[ExcaliburV]

Originally posted by ManBearCannon:

I think the optimal way to play the warlock is hex and blast, but not the funnest.

The funnest way that I have found is starting off every combat with back-to-back shatters, before switching to eldritch blast. The warlock gets more shatters than any other caster at level 3. I haven't played the warlock at level 5 yet, but I imagine that back-to-back fireballs for the first two rounds of every combat is also great.

Can confirm. I fought my way out of the goblin camp once and killed nearly every goblin partying outside with a speed potion and two back-to-back fireballs from Wyll. It was ridiculously satisfying.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

Originally posted by ManBearCannon:

Originally posted by Pan Darius Loveless:

I have found that using spell sluts for damage spells on my Warlock usually isn't very efficient.

Not only do Warlocks get the best attack cantrip in the game, but with so few spell sluts you really need to get some mileage out of them, therefore I save them either for all-day buffs, persistent AoE spells like Hunger of Hadar, or spells that can potentially continue dealing damage, like Armor of Agathys.

Hellish Rebuke falls into this category. While the damage is alright, it's also a fire spell (loads of creatures are resistant/immune to fire), and using a reaction is also cool and it can be a nasty surprise in the middle of combat, I just don't feel it's worth sacrificing a slot for it over something like Hunger of Hadar which can deal damage over multiple rounds.

I think the optimal way to play the warlock is hex and blast, but not the funnest.

The funnest way that I have found is starting off every combat with back-to-back shatters, before switching to eldritch blast. The warlock gets more shatters than any other caster at level 3. I haven't played the warlock at level 5 yet, but I imagine that back-to-back fireballs for the first two rounds of every combat is also great.

Sure, but a Sorcerer does it better.

Now, a Sorlock otoh...😱

[Gaius]

Originally posted by Pan Darius Loveless:

I have found that using spell sluts for damage spells on my Warlock usually isn't very efficient.

Not only do Warlocks get the best attack cantrip in the game, but with so few spell sluts you really need to get some mileage out of them, therefore I save them either for all-day buffs, persistent AoE spells like Hunger of Hadar, or spells that can potentially continue dealing damage, like Armor of Agathys.

Hellish Rebuke falls into this category. While the damage is alright, it's also a fire spell (loads of creatures are resistant/immune to fire), and using a reaction is also cool and it can be a nasty surprise in the middle of combat, I just don't feel it's worth sacrificing a slot for it over something like Hunger of Hadar which can deal damage over multiple rounds.

Yh yeah, I agree, I'm using it with my Azmodeus Thiefling Sorcerer in a run now tough and in that character it's pretty useful. Same for Armor of Agathys - Warlock spells both, and both better in sorcerers. Having just those 2 highest lv spell slots really hurt this kind of defensive/reactive spell. In a sorc it makes the action economy better tough.

[Guitarist with Osteoarthritis]

Warlocks aren't really that great unless you're playing an Eldritch Blast Warlock (which gives you marginally better damage than any martial character) with some of the invocations that enhance it out of the gate. The Hit dice isn't enough to stay up front, and the spells on a short rest (via tabletop, and less so this game) are pretty bad at "two" per short rest. However, this game makes playing a warlock so much more viable than the tabletop because of the nature of vision in this particular game, and the resting mechanic not being tied to any time limit stuff for the game. You can constantly have your spells ready for any encounter. However, you still only have two spells for the majority of your encounters. Armor of Agathys is pretty good at higher level slots on characters expecting to get hit, but those are usually martials. Warlocks tend to scale poorly from level six on, but that's just the nature of the class. EB scales whether you go more warlock levels or not, so you just pick that one up when you get the chance, and now you have a ranged option for 1d10 damage, and then 1d10*2 at level five.

[Guitarist with Osteoarthritis]

Originally posted by ManBearCannon:

Originally posted by Guitarist with Osteoarthritis:

Warlocks aren't really that great unless you're playing an Eldritch Blast Warlock (which gives you marginally better damage than any martial character) with some of the invocations that enhance it out of the gate. The Hit dice isn't enough to stay up front, and the spells on a short rest (via tabletop, and less so this game) are pretty bad at "two" per short rest. However, this game makes playing a warlock so much more viable than the tabletop because of the nature of vision in this particular game, and the resting mechanic not being tied to any time limit stuff for the game. You can constantly have your spells ready for any encounter. However, you still only have two spells for the majority of your encounters. Armor of Agathys is pretty good at higher level slots on characters expecting to get hit, but those are usually martials. Warlocks tend to scale poorly from level six on, but that's just the nature of the class. EB scales whether you go more warlock levels or not, so you just pick that one up when you get the chance, and now you have a ranged option for 1d10 damage, and then 1d10*2 at level five.

Warlocks are really good. Far stronger than the wizards in combat; at least for act one. Probably not as powerful as sorcerers with their metamagic.

Level 3: *per long rest*
Warlock: 6 shatters, infinite Eldritch Blasts (level-one strength)
Wizard: 2 shatters, 4 magic missiles, infinite flame bolts, (and arcane recovery's spell slots)

______________________________________________________
Eldritch blast is only slightly weaker than magic missile

Just to be clear, this game does rests wildly different in ea than the actual tabletop does. Danger isn't ever a factor for short resting or long resting. Wizards also get SO many more utility spells that they don't need damage, because I'm not talking about "Warlocks versus Wizards in Baldur's Gate 3". I'm more referring to Warlock versus Wizard in the tabletop. I think Warlocks are now more viable than they ever have been because of the way Larian has implemented the rest system. I hope they change how the rest system works before the full release because long resting should be dangerous out in the wild.

[Ronin Gamer]

It does, but as a Warlock you get your small amount of spell slots back on every short rest, so it's not that big of a deal. You just need to consider when is the right time you want to spend that spell slot and if you're willing to use a short rest to get them back yet.
It's a pretty good reaction spell, I quite like it personally.

[Dragon Master]

Originally posted by Ronin Gamer:

It does, but as a Warlock you get your small amount of spell slots back on every short rest, so it's not that big of a deal. You just need to consider when is the right time you want to spend that spell slot and if you're willing to use a short rest to get them back yet.
It's a pretty good reaction spell, I quite like it personally.

It also helps that Warlocks spells are always at the highest level they can cast.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

I would welcome that change. I'd love to see a few camp ambushes in the campaign.

Campbush won't be a thing unless someone mods it due to it potentially soft-locking the game.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

My favorite 'Lock spells thus far:

• Eldritch Blast (particularly Repelling Blast)

• Acid Splash

• Armor of Agathys (combine with Wet)

• Fear

• Hunger of Hadar (w/Devil's Sight)

[Dragon Master]

Originally posted by Pan Darius Loveless:

My favorite 'Lock spells thus far:

• Eldritch Blast (particularly Repelling Blast)

• Acid Splash

• Armor of Agathys (combine with Wet)

• Fear

• Hunger of Hadar (w/Devil's Sight)

Good spell choices. ^_^ Warlocks are a great build-a-bear class.