warlock old one useless?

[Sentneil]

so in normal d&d being a great old one warlock gives you universal telepathy to anyone in 30 feet as long as it understands a language. in the game it gives you literally no features aside from some different spells. is there a point in picking old one?

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

The only use I found is access to Dissonant Whispers (an average spell, the Fear component isn't that good). Tasha's Hideous Laughter is garbo (shouldn't be a concentration spell).

[The Ghost Pyro From Outerspace!!]

Concentration is just a garbage mechanic.

[Buldor]

Seems not implemented. Given the focus of the game, it's likely they've left it to later to properly develop it.

[Lλmbdλ]

Originally posted by The Ghost Pyro From Outerspace!!:

Concentration is just a garbage mechanic.

In general no, but actually when a class rely only on Concentration spells yes (like Druid)
Warlock, even in this case still have Eldritch Blast and others spells to be effective
And the reason I think it's not a bad mechanic is BG2 Endgame/ToB

[dolby]

Originally posted by The Ghost Pyro From Outerspace!!:

Concentration is just a garbage mechanic.

Yeah this is kinda the one last boring thing left in game... Crap indeed, characters should have a concentration slots, one for offensive spells and one for defensive spells. And both could get broken by same damage source at the same time... That way we wouldn't watch half of our spells just gather dust on hotbar all the time for nothing ... And be actually useful...

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

Originally posted by dolby:

Originally posted by The Ghost Pyro From Outerspace!!:

Concentration is just a garbage mechanic.

Yeah this is kinda the one last boring thing left in game... Crap indeed, characters should have a concentration slots, one for offensive spells and one for defensive spells. And both could get broken by same damage source at the same time... That way we wouldn't watch half of our spells just gather dust on hotbar all the time for nothing ... And be actually useful...

My suggestion is to give casters a number of slots equal to their casting modifier (not sure how that would work for multiclassing though - maybe the average of the two? or whichever is higher?).

When you fail a concentration check, either one is removed at random, or the first one cast is removed first, then the second, etc.

[Macro Tofu]

Originally posted by pandariuskairos:

The only use I found is access to Dissonant Whispers (an average spell, the Fear component isn't that good). Tasha's Hideous Laughter is garbo (shouldn't be a concentration spell).

That whisper spell is useful if you first cast hex on the target to impose disadvantage. Many cc spells in 5e require concentration and whisper being an exception.

To OP, great old one warlocks provide excellent utility to a team on tabletop as they access to spells like detect thoughts, sending, and telekinesis. They can exploit the short rest to cast these spells many times before long rest to benefit their team. Not sure how they would perform in baldur's gate 3, though.

[Cyroy]

Dissonant Whispers being a lv. 1 damage spell of the physic type is pretty good. Few creatures resist psychic, but BG3 EA still being pretty early game exploration, you don't get much benefit out of this. 3d6 on 1st level is pretty decent too.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

Originally posted by Cyroy:

Dissonant Whispers being a lv. 1 damage spell of the physic type is pretty good. Few creatures resist psychic, but BG3 EA still being pretty early game exploration, you don't get much benefit out of this. 3d6 on 1st level is pretty decent too.

It's not bad, but it alone doesn't make being a GOOlock worthwhile.

[Wraith]

don't you also get shatter later?
I found quite a few situation where that AOE come in handy

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

Originally posted by Wraith:

don't you also get shatter later?
I found quite a few situation where that AOE come in handy

Shatter is not specific to the GOO patron.

The extended spell list for GOOlocks:

1st level - Dissonant Whispers, Tasha's Hideous Laughter
2nd level - Detect Thoughts, Phantasmal Force
3rd level - Clairvoyance, Sending
4th level - Dominate Beast, Evard's Black Tentacles
5th level - Dominate Person, Telekinesis

There's only a couple spells on that list that I find particularly appealing.

The subclass features Entropic Ward and Thought Shield (for resistance to psychic damage, as well as the psychic damage reflect) are the only reasons to take this patron.

Even in TT GOO isn't that good.

[dolby]

Originally posted by pandariuskairos:

Originally posted by dolby:

Yeah this is kinda the one last boring thing left in game... Crap indeed, characters should have a concentration slots, one for offensive spells and one for defensive spells. And both could get broken by same damage source at the same time... That way we wouldn't watch half of our spells just gather dust on hotbar all the time for nothing ... And be actually useful...

My suggestion is to give casters a number of slots equal to their casting modifier (not sure how that would work for multiclassing though - maybe the average of the two? or whichever is higher?).

When you fail a concentration check, either one is removed at random, or the first one cast is removed first, then the second, etc.

That could be abit to good, I guess? Cos you could cast loads of spells later. Even with my offensive defensive slots some spells could use both slots if they were that powerful... I guess you could balance your way the same... Just with more harsh rework - balance.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

Originally posted by dolby:

Originally posted by pandariuskairos:

My suggestion is to give casters a number of slots equal to their casting modifier (not sure how that would work for multiclassing though - maybe the average of the two? or whichever is higher?).

When you fail a concentration check, either one is removed at random, or the first one cast is removed first, then the second, etc.

That could be abit to good, I guess? Cos you could cast loads of spells later. Even with my offensive defensive slots some spells could use both slots if they were that powerful... I guess you could balance your way the same... Just with more harsh rework - balance.

Well, presumably you'd still be losing some to concentration checks.

[dolby]

Originally posted by pandariuskairos:

Originally posted by dolby:

That could be abit to good, I guess? Cos you could cast loads of spells later. Even with my offensive defensive slots some spells could use both slots if they were that powerful... I guess you could balance your way the same... Just with more harsh rework - balance.

Well, presumably you'd still be losing some to concentration checks.

Well I don't see that as good enough balance. Cos casting 5 concentration spells per character would be just busted...
Borderlining on why not just remove it at that point.
Even if you did it based on proficiency mod which is lower, you would still have to balance it by making spells use multiple slots... With the offensive - defensive cast you get way more limitations and balance in my opinion...

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

Originally posted by dolby:

Originally posted by pandariuskairos:

Well, presumably you'd still be losing some to concentration checks.

Well I don't see that as good enough balance. Cos casting 5 concentration spells per character would be just busted...
Borderlining on why not just remove it at that point.
Even if you did it based on proficiency mod which is lower, you would still have to balance it by making spells use multiple slots... With the offensive - defensive cast you get way more limitations and balance in my opinion...

Only if you had maxed out your spell modifier ability - which, when you think about it, makes you nearly superhuman. And you'd still be vulnerable to constant concentration checks...even one point of damage forces a Con save to continue concentrating.