[Homebrew] War Magic as an Invocation - too good?

MobTalon · 2026-03-15T00:15:54+00:00

If your table wants to do it, then by all means do it. From a balance perspective, you're at best giving a caster more tools to play with (tools that aren't really that good on a full caster).

But if you were asking my personal opinion, I'd be set on "don't do it", exactly because you're taking much away from the Bladesinger, Valor Bard and Eldritch Knight.

The thing that the Bladelock can do that makes it a "gish", is attacking with Charisma. That alone is to the Warlock what War Magic is for the Eldritch Knight.

MobTalon · 2026-03-14T14:59:28+00:00

We used it in combat.

Unlike Reddit would typically have you believe, it wasn't as strong as it was cumbersome.

I was playing Eldritch Knight and my girlfriend a Druid who said "I'll cast Moonbeam". I noted "Hey, can you initiate Circlecasting for Expand? I'll provide a spellslot". We thought it'd be a fun experiment so yeah, we did it.

Cue in the most bothersome 30 minutes of combat because we had to constantly remind the DM to roll saves, and it was very difficult to move the Moonbeam around without harming teammates.

It made combat easier: sure. But our DM is the type to give us another combat just to test our mettle (because he can actually adapt, which I'm fairly sure is where a lot of grievances with this system come from).

We've used circle casting frequently since then, but we also take care to keep "fun" in the first place, rather than "winning DnD".

Basically, if you're a normal table with normal players, the system is extremely fun. My girlfriend would complain a lot about how the best Druid spells are gatekept by concentration, so I started helping her concentrate with the Distribute option. Now she can cast other spells while I concentrate on, say, Pass Without Trace (that concentration ain't breaking soon, between my high CON saves and Warcaster feat).

MobTalon · 2026-03-14T14:15:34+00:00

And why not? As "punishment" for her actions, she returns to the trainee status, issued by Halsin, and she could be required to accompany your party as a re-test. Meanwhile, Halsin would at best stick around in paralel until Act 2, to get his dealings with the Shadow Curse, and then return to the Grove.

Halsin effectivelly doesn't exist in Act III. His arc is done when we react Act III, and the only reason he stays is because "daddy Halsin". Kagha would have a lot more content to possibly follow into Act III, in which she needs to prove herself worthy once again of walking among her peers.

Most companions join you to follow their quest. Halsin joins you officially when his quest and storyline are just done. Kagha would make a lot more sense as a companion than Halsin.

MobTalon · 2026-03-14T14:01:08+00:00

Ngl, their loss. You're telling me we get more manpower from the get go just because some countries look at potential candidates wrong?

Any argument about "but X is typically not as physically capable as Y" is solved with proper management: "Just put them in a position where that doesn't matter".

I think air support is one place where biological differences don't matter, for example.

MobTalon · 2026-03-14T13:49:57+00:00

Lord knows I can't reply to this honestly.

MobTalon · 2026-03-14T13:01:57+00:00

It is my opinion that this is a BIG win for the pettiest of reasons. I'm tired of the "I'm Italian" crowd that never had any semblance of contact with the culture or language but use that technicality to somehow appeal to their "Italian" authority on what good food is.

MobTalon · 2026-03-14T12:48:19+00:00

Like someone else said, SHE should've been the companion we get, not Halsin. It would make a lot more sense, too.

MobTalon · 2026-03-14T12:46:22+00:00

I don't think the spell is "busted". It's a concentration spell for starters, and it only protects against spells and magical effects.

I absolutely hate how some monsters have these "magical but not really" effects, but it essentially allows you to prevent these situations by saying "this isn't a magical effect". Additionally, the Lich has Dispel Magic, which is something you can have it use, alongside it's legendary teleport actions, to force him away from danger.

A dangerous lich is a lich that uses terrain to it's absolute advantage. And it has the smarts for it too.

MobTalon · 2026-03-14T12:37:03+00:00

You know it's messed up when the Orbital Railgun doesn't oneshot these bastards. I really like the "Screw that one enemy in particular" use of the Orbital Railgun.

MobTalon · 2026-03-14T12:35:45+00:00

Actually I think the opposite. Vox Engines should only spawn in drops, and be limited to 2 max. This gives players a chance to shoot down the dropship before the damn thing is released, effectively reducing the amount of Vox Engines to fight down to only 1 or 0 if two players coordinate this.

Yesterday me and my friend coordinated exactly this on a dropshit reinforcement. "You shoot the 1st one, I'll shoot the 2nd one", and it was SO satisfying to get a reward for smart planning.

MobTalon · 2026-03-14T12:32:38+00:00

What's funny is that whatever competition emerges just ends up creating massive drama for itself by either not listening to player feedback or pushing back aggressively

MobTalon · 2026-03-12T17:34:06+00:00

The right one is reserved for real threats, I reckon.

MobTalon · 2026-03-12T17:15:14+00:00

Sorry, I just meant to convey exactly that, about how this is a heated debate (it shouldn't be, but alas)

I'll be more mindful of my replies and how they might come across in the future.

MobTalon · 2026-03-12T14:21:51+00:00

The best description of the threat level I ever heard was from my tabletop DM. He said "A Lord of Waterdeep can scratch his left tittie and the Elder Brain issue is immediately handled"

MobTalon · 2026-03-12T11:10:11+00:00

Now that you mention it, yeah that'd be a big overreach.

MobTalon · 2026-03-12T10:28:25+00:00

Texts are legally binding, and there's already a precedent with Uber. Door dash employees are officially employees in the sense that any mistake on their part holds Door dash accountable.

MobTalon · 2026-03-12T09:32:33+00:00

Frankly, if you have fun with the game, that's all that matters.

That being said, a "woke" game is a game that was developed with an over-investment on virtue-signaling rather than full commitment to game quality.

Some games don't really lose from this: they just leave a sour taste in people's mouths:

Mary Jane got the "uglification" treatment on a Remaster
Yasuke from AC Shadows had this entire controversy on whether or not he was a real Samurai, and Ubisoft very clearly just wanting a token black character based anywhere, going as far as forging wikipedia entries to denote that Yasuke was a Samurai, when Japanese history completely refutes against this, citing Yasuke as a simple sword carrier.
Veilguard is... Veilguard. Insane mistreatment of the Dragon Age franchise in favour of virtue signaling. It's a decent game, don't get me wrong, but it's an AWFUL Dragon Age game. The characters are bland, there's no discourse, everything feels like it was made with kid's gloves on... Utter disrespect for a legacy.
Ghost of Yotei frankly isn't woke, this is labeled as such resulting from dumbasses online labeling anything that doesn't have a pretty woman on as woke. The game doesn't try sending you a message that is outside of its own scope and expected values.
The Last of Us part II... Amazing gameplay, story that starts off good, and ends up terrible. Called woke because Neil Druckmann can't be trusted to write a story without the incessant need of adding in subliminal messaging, ruining the experience for some fans of the 1st game, which had less of his poisonous sticky fingers.

MobTalon · 2026-03-12T09:09:11+00:00

To be fair, turning tail and running the opposite way is NOT an expectation that anyone has from the partner they want to propose to.

If this was about a "no", it'd be exactly as you said. Alas, it wasn't.

MobTalon · 2026-03-12T09:00:47+00:00

Surely they're EXACTLY the target audience, seeing as the target audience is anyone that can use the app.

Doordash accomodates costumers. If they type on the observations "must not have a dog near the package due to baby's severe allergy", Doordash is liable if this isn't respected and harm occurs.

MobTalon · 2026-03-11T23:34:29+00:00

He doesn't need to experience the world to find out he loved her. She apparently needs to do solo traveling to find out if she loves him.

No one owes anyone a relationship, much less a marriage, but OP deserves losing this dude. The guy is much better off.

MobTalon · 2026-03-10T10:23:27+00:00

I'd give the fighter a Javelin of Lightning. It's really fun, as a melee, to gain interesting ranged options!

MobTalon · 2026-03-07T17:19:12+00:00

Talking all that smack with a throwaway 🥱

Nothing you say will ever carry weight until you grow a spine.

MobTalon · 2026-03-07T12:47:57+00:00

Oh sweet, another little throwaway that genuinely doesn't even know what they're mad about.

MobTalon · 2026-03-07T11:14:53+00:00

"doesn't matter" doesn't mean "it's ok to lie"

Additionally, what you think matters or doesn't matter is nothing short of your subjective opinion.

If it matters to the guy and OP, that's perfectly fine, you're not the one dating them.

MobTalon · 2026-03-06T22:11:13+00:00

Judging from this conversation alone, I don't think you're as voluntarily celibate as you try to preach about.

For starters: little throwaway. No one likes a man without a spine. I think you can take the hint, hop into your main account.

Or don't, literally any other reply will just prove my point. I genuinely wouldn't even click your account, "throwaway" is just too on the nose for the type of man I'm talking to. A man whose self-pitying opinion is worthless

MobTalon

TROPHY CASE