Multiclassed Warlocks (3.X)

[Dannyalcatraz]

Its taken me a while, but I've finally come to adopt a neutral position on Warlocks- a class I used to hate.

I currently have some ideas floating around my head for Warlock PCs, but as is my nature, most of them are going to be multiclassed.

So, I'm asking those out there who have enjoyed playing multiclassed Warlocks, what were some of your favorite combos/builds (3PP races & classes welcome)? And how do you deal with the alignment restriction?

For instance, I think a Warlock Monk would be kind of cool, somewhat modeling the evil monk who has found a way to project his warped ki as a weapon.

[rgard]

Originally Posted by Dannyalcatraz

Its taken me a while, but I've finally come to adopt a neutral position on Warlocks- a class I used to hate.

I currently have some ideas floating around my head for Warlock PCs, but as is my nature, most of them are going to be multiclassed.

So, I'm asking those out there who have enjoyed playing multiclassed Warlocks, what were some of your favorite combos/builds (3PP races & classes welcome)? And how do you deal with the alignment restriction?

For instance, I think a Warlock Monk would be kind of cool, somewhat modeling the evil monk who has found a way to project his warped ki as a weapon.

Hi Danny,

I multi-classed my Battle Sorcerer (when Complete Mage came out) to Warlock and then to Eldritch Theurge.

It wasn't the best build as I had already focused on blasting spells on the BS side. I never got a round to re-engineering/re-training the Battle Sorcerer part of the character before the campaign ended.

I would have dropped some of the evocation spells and replaced them with buffing and escape spells as I had plenty of offense with the eldritch blast.

Thanks,
Rich

P.S. Not really part of the discussion, but I generally don't like re-engineering a character to pick up something beneficial from a new splat book.

[rgard]

An aside...I too was leary of the Warlock when I first read the class when CA came out. My oldest kid rolled one (Thrikeen Warlock) up to play in a campaign with his friends and later played the same character in the campaign I ran. The bug Warlock was fine and didn't over-shadow the spell casters or melee types.

[Korimyr the Rat]

Originally Posted by Dannyalcatraz

So, I'm asking those out there who have enjoyed playing multiclassed Warlocks, what were some of your favorite combos/builds (3PP races & classes welcome)? And how do you deal with the alignment restriction?

I usually wheedle my way out of having to deal with the alignment restriction. Any class which allows Lawful Evil and Chaotic Good, but neither Lawful Good nor True Neutral, does not have a coherent philosophical basis and should thus not be constrained by philosophical boundaries.

On the other hand, Lawful Evil is my favorite alignment and I have more problem with the alignment restriction on Bards than I do with Warlocks.

Originally Posted by Dannyalcatraz

For instance, I think a Warlock Monk would be kind of cool, somewhat modeling the evil monk who has found a way to project his warped ki as a weapon.

Yeah, Monk/Warlock/Enlightened Fist is good, though you miss out on a lot of the Fist's good stuff.

I'm a Gestalt player by preference, so I tend to gravitate towards Prestige Classes that simulate old-school multiclassing. Warlock's got good options here. Also tend to stick to either Humans or exotic races.

Human with Able Learner, Warlock 5/Mindbender 1/Ur-Priest 2/Eldritch Disciple X. Aside from charm and fell flight you want to use your invocations for offense and your spellcasting for defense and utility. The exception is summon undead spells which provide cover for you to fling area effect utterdark blasts without concern for hitting your allies.

This requires considerable abuse of the meaning of "patron deity", but if your warlock powers are granted by fiends-- especially powerful yugoloths-- it isn't that much of a stretch. And someone who can steal spells from the gods ought to be able to steal a handful of parlor tricks as well...

Warlock 3/Paladin of Freedom 4/Pious Templar 3/Eldritch Disciple 1. You're effectively a Paladin with an easy 2d6 ranged attack and detect magic at will until 11th level. Use hideous blow and later Divine Might to lay down brutal smiting attacks. Pick up healing blast as your Gift at 11th level, and you make an excellent secondary healer-- who, unlike the Cleric, can heal from a distance especially if your second invocation is eldritch spear. After this point, it's your choice whether to advance more in Pious Templar for BAB and smiting, or Eldritch Disciple for eldritch blast (and thus healing blast).

Warlock 3/Cleric of Corellon Larethian 3/Eldritch Disciple X gets you there faster, but you don't get divine grace or smite. On the other hand, as a Cleric and with much higher eldritch blast damage and multiple target blast shapes, you're the primary healer.

A three level dip in Warlock is good for Rogues and Ninjas. As long as you've got a hand free, you've got a 2d6 ranged touch attack to use in surprise rounds, and the combination of darkness and devil's sight allows you to establish the battlefield to your liking. The at-will detect magic is also good for locating magical traps or treasure.

Human Marshal 1/Warlock 6/Mindbender 1/Virtuoso X is fun. Take Able Learner at 1st level, and choose motivate Charisma as your Marshal minor aura. You can easily keep Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Perform, and Use Magic Device maxed out and your Charisma bonus applies twice. Jarring song allows you to completely shut down enemy spellcasters without inhibiting yourself or your allies-- twice your Charisma modifier is guaranteed to be higher than their Constitution modifier. You have an incredible Diplomacy modifier, especially if you have beguiling influence, and you can use it on any creature that has a language, whether you speak it or not. And with Subsonics, you can attempt to fascinate and dominate people without them realizing you're even singing, much less using bardic music. Melodic Casting allows you to replace your Concentration checks with your-- hopefully obscene-- Perform score.

[Herobizkit]

I have been NPC'ing a Goblin Druid//Warlock with startling efficiency. I really loved the implied flavour of a "Witch Doctor" type, a real backwoods character like the swamp lady in Pirates of the Carribean. The Druid/Lok combo without Gestalt would be less effective but still benefit from an unlimited 2 or 3d6 to snipe at foes.

Bard/Lok seems to me to be a marriage in heaven. Max out your Charm-type abilities and combine them with savvy Lok incantations and you're strutting into any place you want, period. The fact that both classes can wear light armor with no penalty and both get UMD is icing on the Bard/Lok cake.

And I second the Monk/Lok combo... hadoooooken!

[Korimyr the Rat]

Originally Posted by Herobizkit

I have been NPC'ing a Goblin Druid//Warlock with startling efficiency.

I've been experimenting with Druid//Warlock combinations. Mostly trying to replicate the Void Shifter base class from Beyond the Moons. Kept trying to make Aberrant Wild Shape work... when really, if you have the fell flight invocation and either the air breathing spell or no need to breathe, the form you want is Giant Squid. Nasty piece of work in ship-to-ship combat.

For the most part, though, I'm just not having much luck with Druid//Warlock.