5 Eldritch Invocations to Empower the Warlock’s Eldritch Blast

May 2, 2019

ELDRITCH BLESSSSTTTT!

As many veteran players of fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons know, eldritch blast is one of the most powerful cantrips, and its exclusivity to the warlock class is essential to its niche in the game. By allowing for multiple attack rolls, having a high damage die grade, being of the force damage type, and possessing such a long range, this cantrip is accused by many to be too powerful. However, like most things in the D&D 5E, this cantrip’s exclusivity to warlocks is partly what makes it so well balanced. Unlike other full spellcasting classes, warlocks get extremely few spell slots.

One way the class makes up for this is by granting special spell-like abilities through Eldritch Invocations, often passive adjustments to how your character plays. Eldritch Invocations grant things like new or improved senses, low level spells at-will, higher leveled spells on a cooldown, or modify your premier cantrip (you guessed it): eldritch blast.

Today, I’ll be introducing 5 original Eldritch Invocations for use at your table. All of these work to enhance the warlock’s signature cantrip!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c1GmQGWrXc

5. Twisted Blast

Requires Eldritch Blast

Your patron gifts you with the power to alter the essence of your eldritch blast. When you hit a creature with your eldritch blast cantrip, you can change its damage type to one of the following: acid, bludgeoning, cold, fire, necrotic, piercing, poison, psychic, radiant, slashing, or thunder.

I’ve always found it strange that this cantrip must be force damage. Especially when you consider the vast array of patron flavors, I’d expect this invocation to already have been a thing. Alas, it is not… until now! With this invocation in your arsenal, finding creatures’ damage weaknesses, immunities and such will prove easier, and while it’s not the most potent Eldritch Invocation out there, I do think this one has a niche to fill.

4. Corrupting Blast

Requires Eldritch Blast

Your patron’s influence infects creatures you assault with eldritch energy. When you hit a creature with your eldritch blast cantrip for the first time on your turn, that creature cannot regain hit points until the beginning of your next turn.

While warlocks do have access to the chill touch cantrip, I think this Eldritch Invocation makes things a bit more streamlined for the warlock who just can’t find a place to slot that particular cantrip. This also offers a rather potent effect to a cantrip that’s already so customaizable. The main reason I didn’t rank this invocation better is because it’s really just freeing up a cantrip slot, in essence, and streamlining some niche situations.

3. Stunning Blast

Requires Eldritch Blast

Your eldritch blast wracks the bodies of creatures with pent-up magical quintessence. When you hit a creature with your eldritch blast cantrip for the first time on your turn, that creature cannot take reactions until the beginning of your next turn.

Now we’re delving into more potent territory. This Eldritch Invocation circumvents many of the drawbacks of shocking grasp; most notably its melee range. Stunning Blast enables you to strip a creature of its reaction at a range of 120 feet (and that’s ignoring potential modifiers like the Spell Sniper feat and other range increasers). Stunning Blast is a solid option, and I’ve playtested this one, finding it just about perfectly balanced.

2. Melee Blast

Requires Eldritch Blast

Even when under duress, your mastery of the eldritch blast cantrip keeps assailants on their guard. When you cast eldritch blast while you are within reach of another creature, you do not provoke opportunity attacks as a result of its casting, and you do not have disadvantage on ranged spell attacks that you make while you are within reach of another creature.

Another more niche option for warlocks, the primary reason this ranked so high is it’s almost a must-have for melee-focused warlocks. One thing that always frustrated me was the notion of having a warlock who’d really built up their eldritch blast only to be forced out of using it, due to having a Pact of the Blade or a Hexblade patron. This re-empowers those options, in particular, but I daresay it’s viable for any warlock expecting to be in mid-range too.

If eldritch blast looks this slick , I’ve got no problem casting it a lot. This amazing piece is from concept artist and illustrator Jeff Chen. Click the image to visit his website. [Art by Jeff Chen]

1. Binding Blast

Requires Eldritch Blast

When you hit a creature with your eldritch blast cantrip for the first time on your turn, that creature must make a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC. If the creature fails, the creature cannot make its movement until after the beginning of your next turn, as chains, tendrils, or other magical bindings constrict it.

When it comes to warlocks, the imagery of contracts and chains immediately surfaces in my mind. This invocation is a natural extension of that mentality. When designing this Eldritch Invocation, I realized there’s already a similar invocation (Lance of Lethargy) that slows the target. Seeing as this one outright stops them, it wouldn’t be fair to simply tack the effect onto your first blast, like these others. I believe the modification of adding a saving throw offers more evocative imagery and simultaneously balances this invocation with Lance of Lethargy, offering a different option, both in terms of flavor as well as mechanics.