Proposal: Delete Eldritch Strike house rule.

Walking Dad · Nov 18, 2010

The house rule:

From Player's Handbook Heroes Series 1 (miniature pack). Amendment: Warlocks can choose Eldritch Strike in place of either Eldritch Blast or their pact at-will. (Discussion here and here)

Because less house rules are always better and many classes (see new essential ones) have now a fixed power choice, I propose to delete the option to choose eldritch strike instead of the pact at-will. This will change the house rule to the current rules, making it unnecessary.

Or will we house rule similar options for the warpriest clerics, ...

TwoHeadsBarking · Nov 18, 2010

No. Getting rid of house rules for the sake of getting rid of house rules is silly. I can't imagine that some new player is really going to get confused by this one. The expertise house rule? Sure, that's a little wonky, and I honestly wouldn't mind seeing it go. But this one's pretty simple. Nobody's going to accidentally create a L4W-illegal warlock because of this rule. Oh, and it prevents Cha-Int Starlocks from having a worthless at-will.

Also, I thought the Warpriest could take normal cleric at-wills. Is this not correct?

renau1g · Nov 18, 2010

NO same reasoning as THB.

Walking Dad · Nov 18, 2010

TwoHeadsBarking said:
...

Also, I thought the Warpriest could take normal cleric at-wills. Is this not correct?

No, they cannot:

You also gain the blessing of wrath power, storm hammer power, create water power, and thundering steel power.

You see, Blessing of Wrath has to be their power. They could take others if they use the human extra at-will.

That the Starpact warlock lacks a CHA pact at-will should not be the reason for a house rule. Better to let them choose the ability they use for their attack, like dragonking warlocks can.

Giving them both E.Strike and E.Bolt would make them the only class with two class at will's that replace both MBA and MRA.

TwoHeadsBarking · Nov 18, 2010

Walking Dad said:
Giving them both E.Strike and E.Bolt would make them the only class with two class at will's that replace both MBA and MRA.

Ignoring the part where human warlocks could already do this, where hexblades will still be able to do this, and that sorcerers can also do this (Ensorcelled Blade), why is this a problem? Is it really different from a fighter chucking around a Farbond bastard sword, or a Brutal Scoundrel throwing his dagger?

Walking Dad · Nov 21, 2010

Ok, this was a weak argument.

But why do we need the house-rule? Just because the starpact power is fixed to Con?

Mal Malenkirk · Nov 21, 2010

Walking Dad said:
But why do we need the houserule? Just because the starpact power is fixed to Con?

The house rule exists to accomodate a player who no longer game here. I can't remember the name, but the PC was TsiRi, a githyanki infernal warlock (I DMed her so she is in my library). She loved being in melee so she took the eldtritch strike power but she prefered the Eldritch blast to the Hellish Rebuke pact power. So she asked and obtained an houserule so that she could take both eldritch strike and bolt instead of picking one and being forced to use Hellish Rebuke. I am pretty sure no one else ever did that.

I was not a big fan of that feature; as a result of foregoing Hellish rebuke, the most 'Infernal' thing about that infernal warlock was her fiery bolt power. Not much fire and brimstone in her otherwise. She literrally did more cold than fire damage in the big fights. The pact power is a signature power; I feel every warlock should have it.

On the other hand, we are not here to tie players hands and give them lectures about the importance of themes, so I understand why it was allowed.

renau1g · Nov 21, 2010

elecgraystone IIRC

Walking Dad · Nov 22, 2010

So, the proposal get to NOs?

To keep a houserule that takes away flavor and no one currently uses

Fine by me, I have no direct interest in forbidding the option, I only wanted to reduce possible house rule bloat.

renau1g · Nov 22, 2010

I personally feel it doesn't take away from flavour. Really, the pact power isn't that big a thing IMO. The curse is more flavourful. Hell, the fact that tiefling's make better Feylocks make's no sense, but that's the way it is. Also, PC's are free to select whatever other powers they want, so really an infernal'lock can grab all Fey'lock powers... should we also police that? Really, I don't care what a player wants to select.

i.e. just to take Mal's example the other way. Say T'siri took hellish rebuke, but no other fire powers...is she now "better" or more "flavourful"?

Also, it's the only class that requires you to have a power. I think that's silly. Illusion-focused Mages aren't required to take Illusory Ambush, pyromancers aren't required to take scorching burst... yet nobody rails about their lack of flavour? I can go right now and make a pyromancer without any fire powers... make any sense? No... but I can.