Can Eldritch Adept Give Agonizing Blast? A Warlock’s Guide to Power
The short answer is yes, the Eldritch Adept feat can grant you the Agonizing Blast invocation, but with a crucial caveat. You must already possess the Eldritch Blast cantrip to select Agonizing Blast via Eldritch Adept.
Understanding Eldritch Adept
Eldritch Adept, introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, is a versatile feat that allows any character to dabble in the mystic arts of the Warlock class. Specifically, it grants you one Eldritch Invocation of your choice. These invocations typically enhance the Eldritch Blast cantrip, offer utility, or provide unique abilities. However, some invocations have prerequisites, and understanding these prerequisites is paramount.
Agonizing Blast: A Warlock Staple
Agonizing Blast is arguably the most popular and impactful Warlock invocation. It adds your Charisma modifier to the damage of each beam of Eldritch Blast that hits a target. This seemingly simple addition transforms Eldritch Blast from a decent damage cantrip into a powerhouse, scaling exceptionally well with the Warlock’s primary stat. This is the key to the Warlock’s consistent damage output, keeping them competitive with martial classes as they gain levels.
The Prerequisite: Eldritch Blast
Here’s where the important restriction comes into play. The description of Agonizing Blast specifically states that you must have the Eldritch Blast cantrip to choose it. This isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a hard rule. The Eldritch Adept feat itself echoes this general prerequisite for invocations: “If the invocation has a prerequisite of any kind, you can choose that invocation only if you’re a warlock who meets the prerequisite.”
How Non-Warlocks Can Acquire Eldritch Blast
So, if you’re not a Warlock, how can you get your hands on Eldritch Blast to then qualify for Agonizing Blast through Eldritch Adept? Here are a few ways:
- Magic Initiate Feat: This feat grants you two cantrips from any class’s spell list and one 1st-level spell from that same list. You could choose Eldritch Blast as one of your cantrips, opening the door to Agonizing Blast via Eldritch Adept.
- Multiclassing: Dipping one level into Warlock grants you Eldritch Blast and access to Warlock invocations as you level up in that class. While a bigger commitment than Magic Initiate or Eldritch Adept, multiclassing allows for more customization with subclasses and pact boons.
- Blessing of the Talisman (from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything): This boon can grant you the Eldritch Blast cantrip if the DM allows.
Strategic Considerations
Choosing Eldritch Adept for Agonizing Blast is a strong option for characters who want to add reliable damage to their repertoire. However, consider the opportunity cost of taking a feat. Is it worth sacrificing a potential Ability Score Improvement or another powerful feat to gain this damage boost? For classes that rely heavily on cantrip damage (such as Sorcerers or Artificers), the answer is often a resounding yes.
Maximizing Your Eldritch Blast Potential
Once you have Eldritch Blast and Agonizing Blast, you can further enhance your damage output with other invocations. Some popular choices include:
- Repelling Blast: Push creatures 10 feet away with each hit, offering battlefield control.
- Grasp of Hadar: Pull creatures 10 feet closer, creating tactical advantages.
- Eldritch Spear: Increase the range of Eldritch Blast to a staggering 300 feet.
These invocations, combined with Agonizing Blast, transform Eldritch Blast into a versatile and potent tool for any adventurer. Remember to establish boundaries with the DM on these rules. And if anyone crosses them, speak up.
Ultimately, the Eldritch Adept feat, when used in conjunction with the Agonizing Blast invocation and a pre-existing knowledge of the Eldritch Blast cantrip, is a powerful tool for characters seeking to enhance their damage output and battlefield control. It requires careful planning and consideration of the opportunity cost of choosing a feat, but the rewards can be substantial. This can also be useful if you’re designing games for learning, or if you are using games for learning. The Games Learning Society, available at GamesLearningSociety.org, is also a great place to learn more about the benefits of games.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does Agonizing Blast add my Charisma modifier to each beam of Eldritch Blast?
Yes, Agonizing Blast adds your Charisma modifier to the damage of each beam of Eldritch Blast that hits. So, if you have a Charisma modifier of +4 and fire two beams that both hit, you add +4 damage to each beam, for a total of +8 extra damage.
2. Can a non-Warlock get Agonizing Blast?
Yes, but only if they first acquire the Eldritch Blast cantrip through means like the Magic Initiate feat or multiclassing.
3. Does Eldritch Adept let me change my chosen invocation later?
The Eldritch Adept feat only allows you to change your chosen invocation when you gain a level in the Warlock class. If you don’t multiclass into Warlock, your choice is effectively permanent.
4. Can I use Eldritch Adept to get two invocations at level 1 if I’m a Warlock?
No. The Eldritch Adept feat is separate from the invocations you gain as a Warlock. You gain invocations from your Warlock levels and one invocation from the feat.
5. Is Agonizing Blast the best invocation for Eldritch Blast?
While highly effective for damage dealing, what constitutes the best invocation is subjective. Some players may prefer the utility of Repelling Blast or the range of Eldritch Spear. However, Agonizing Blast is consistently ranked as one of the best invocations due to its significant damage boost.
6. Can I use metamagic like Twinned Spell on Eldritch Blast?
Only at low levels. The Twinned Spell metamagic option requires that the spell targets only one creature. Once you gain the ability to fire multiple beams with Eldritch Blast, it can no longer be twinned.
7. Does Hex stack with Agonizing Blast?
Yes, Hex and Agonizing Blast stack. Hex adds 1d6 necrotic damage to each hit, and Agonizing Blast adds your Charisma modifier. Therefore, each beam of Eldritch Blast will deal 1d10 (base), + Charisma modifier (Agonizing Blast), + 1d6 necrotic (Hex).
8. Can Eldritch Blast target objects?
Yes, Eldritch Blast, like most damaging spells, can target objects.
9. Can I use Spell Sniper to ignore cover with Eldritch Blast?
Yes, the Spell Sniper feat allows you to ignore half cover and three-quarters cover with your ranged spell attacks, including Eldritch Blast.
10. What is the maximum range of Eldritch Blast?
Normally, Eldritch Blast has a range of 120 feet. However, with the Eldritch Spear invocation, you can increase the range to 300 feet.
11. Can I cast Eldritch Blast as an opportunity attack?
No. Eldritch Blast has a casting time of 1 action, and opportunity attacks can only be made with a melee weapon attack.
12. Can you quicken Eldritch Blast?
Yes, if you are a sorcerer and take the Quicken Spell metamagic, you can cast Eldritch Blast as a bonus action.
13. Does Agonizing Blast’s damage get doubled on a critical hit?
No. Agonizing Blast adds a flat bonus equal to your Charisma modifier, and flat bonuses are not multiplied on a critical hit, only the die roll. So, the 1d10 force damage will be doubled, but the Charisma bonus will not.
14. Can I split my Eldritch Blast beams between different targets?
Yes, when you gain the ability to fire multiple beams, you can target each beam at different creatures within range.
15. Is Eldritch Blast considered a weapon attack?
No, Eldritch Blast is a spell attack, not a weapon attack. This distinction is important for features that specifically require weapon attacks to trigger.