Thanks for the input, everyone. I'll be playtesting some of this stuff in the weeks ahead. My DM has graciously allowed us to play in a world of my own construction, the details of which I'd be happy to share in another thread. I plan on using many of the ideas here in that campaign.
Now to answer some questions:
Spirit Cloak -- What I meant by "class abilities" were Warlock class abilities, not the class abilities of other classes. It would be redundant to make Detect Magic or damage reduction an invocation, for example. It would also weaken the purpose behind them as class abilities. I think Spirit Cloak can work, because Warlocks are often the agents and creatures of mighty evil powers (some of which could be semi or fully divine). It makes sense to me that some of them might be given the power to rebuke the undead, as evil clerics do.
Alignment Poles -- Alignments poles are alignment components that are diametrically opposed to one another. Evil - Good, Chaotic - Lawful. And I threw in Neutral because it is a component of the alignment spectrum and is opposed to all of the rest. The term "alignement pole" is used in other work, the titles of which I can't remember. I didn't come up with it, though.
Saves in Lingering Doom -- I wasn't clear, to state the obvious. All my Eldritch Blast-effecting invocations start with the standard save vs. SR that you get with any Eldritch Blast -- not an additional save on top of that for Eldritch Blast, but the same save. The subsequent saves in Lingering Doom are all Fort saves. Sorry for the confusion. In my invocations, usually it is only the first save that might be for SR. Most of the others are Fort, Will, or Ref, unless it is duplicating a spell. In that case, the subsequent saves are as the spell, unless the invocation states otherwise.
Vampiric Blast -- I wrote it that way because it has exactly the same damage progression as Eldritch Blast, and the ranged attack gives it an extra fiendish quality, as per my guidelines. However, I see your point. I don't know if it makes the power unbalanced, but the player can't touch it until 11th level at the earliest -- where other spell casters are starting into 6th level spells. Vampiric Touch is only 3rd level. I won't know if it's appropriate until I play it out, I guess...
Here are some new invocations to look at:
Eldritch Essence Invocations
Lesser
- Mantle of Misfortune: Eldritch Blast causes victim to become clumsy in its wake. There is a 20% chance the victim will fall prone in the next round if a save vs. Reflex is not made. Saves during subsequent strikes in the same encounter (i.e. if the player has maintained visual or auditory contact within the last turn) are made at a cumulative -1 Reflex penalty and increase the chance to fall prone by 5%. Victim must fail save vs. spell resistance on each strike for this ability to become active in that round.
Greater
- Haunting Doom: Eldritch Blast re-attacks on miss. Number of re-attacks equal to CHA bonus. Requires full attack and concentration.
- Wrath of Dagon: Eldritch Blast triggers Hold Person as the spell.
- Curse of the Tomb: Eldritch Blast triggers Innervation as the spell. Number of times per day equal to CHA bonus.
Dark
- Hideous Wound: Eldritch Blast recurs upon magical or divine healings of less than 7th level. This recurrence attacks healer, or if a healing potion is used, the victim is assaulted once again. Both are affected as if struck by a fresh Eldritch Blast from the player. The effect lasts 1 day per 4 levels of the player.
Eldritch Shape Invocations
Least
- Abyssal Trickster: Corkscrewing Eldritch Blast strikes at target’s flank, reducing target’s AC by 2 on a failed save vs. reflex.
Lesser
- Cloak of Horrors: Player becomes a walking dynamo of forces. Every attack by the player (melee or otherwise) sheds a blast of one die from his total Eldritch Blast attack. This blast assaults a random enemy creature. For instance, a warlock with an Eldritch Blast of 7d6 will shed for 7 rounds, doing 1d6 damage to one random enemy each time. An attack is rolled for each die of damage. Victims must be a known threat to the player, such as (but not limited to) an assailant or a member of an assailant’s party.
- Pool of Darkness: turns Eldritch Blast into a puddle of energy that sinks to the ground and spreads to 5’ per die of Eldritch Blast damage. A number of creatures equal to the player’s CHA bonus can be affected by the slick when they tread upon it. This releases a full Eldritch Blast against each victim. The effect lasts for as many turns as the player’s CHA bonus. This power can be exploited a number of times per day equal to the player’s CHA bonus.
Other Invocations
Least
- Cloak of the Hydra: Mirror Image as spell.
- Black Horror: As Phantasmal Assailants (CA, p. 89).
Lesser
- Fiendish Snare: As Shadow Binding (CA, p. 88). Number of uses per day equal to CHA bonus +1 per level above 6th.
Greater
- Sable Hand: As Telekinesis.
- Shade of Horror: Shadow Conjuration as the spell. Number of uses per day equal to CHA bonus +1 per level above 11th.
- Shade of Malice: Shadow Evocation as the spell. Number of uses per day equal to CHA bonus +1 per level above 11th.
Dark
- Blight of Tarsus: Kill 1 square mile of vegetation and non-sentient animal life per 4 levels. All conscious intelligent creatures sickened for 1d4 turns
- Greater Shade of Horror: Greater Shadow Conjuration as the spell. Number of uses per day equal to CHA bonus +1 per level above 16th.
- Greater Shade of Malice: Greater Shadow Evocation as the spell. Number of uses per day equal to CHA bonus +1 per level above 16th.
L8r...
