Warlock Question

[Tzarevitch]

Could someone help me with this? If a warlock's Eldrich Blast is a spell-like ability and therefore takes a standard action to activate, and the invocations also take a standard action to activate (they are spell-like and the warlock entry states they take a standard action), precisely how is the warlock supposed to use the invocations that modify the eldrich blast? That is a standard action too many unless you use the Quicken Spell-like ability feat. I have re-read the text for the warlock class and the invocations and I am not clear on how this works.

Here are the possibilities as I see them:
1. The invocations and the eldrich blast are each a standard action therefore you can really only fire a modified eldrich blast every other round (1 round to invoke the invocation, 1 round to actually fire the blast). The problem I have found with this interpretation is that most of the invocations that modify the blast do not have a duration, so it is unclear if you can even "hold the charge" until the next round to load it onto the blast. Also, the warlock really only has one good trick (the eldrich blast and its modifications) and reducing it to every other round seems kind of harsh.

2. The invocations and the eldrich blast are each a standard action but you are EXPECTED to use Quicken Spell-like ability to get past this problem. This however does reign in the power of the warlock because while he can use his abilities at will for the most part, he can only make them really powerful 3x (as limited by quicken spell-like ability). It also begs the question that if this was intended, why it wasn't just added as a class feature instead of forcing the warlock to take feats to do it.

3. Somehow invoking the invocation and using the eldrich blast is the same standard action. I can't find anything that says that this is correct. This also seems a bit powerful, but the examples that CA uses of stacking an invocation on an eldrich blast don't mention either of the above 2 possibilities. Unfortunately, they don't clearly mention this one either.

I am sorry if someone already asked this question but I couldn't find an answer in my quick search of the many warlock related threads.

Tzarevitch

 

[Thanee]

Using the EB modifying invocations includes using the EB itself, I think.

Thus, it's a standard action to either...

a) fire a regular eldritch blast as per the class ability
b) fire a modified eldritch blast using one of many invocations

Note, however, that you can only ever use one of those modifying invocations at the same time (IIRC).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Tzarevitch]

Using the EB modifying invocations includes using the EB itself, I think.

Thus, it's a standard action to either...

a) fire a regular eldritch blast as per the class ability
b) fire a modified eldritch blast using one of many invocations

Note, however, that you can only ever use one of those modifying invocations at the same time (IIRC).

Bye
Thanee

Do you know if it actually says that anywhere? Anyone?

Tzarevitch

 

[pbd]

Using the EB modifying invocations includes using the EB itself, I think.

Thus, it's a standard action to either...

a) fire a regular eldritch blast as per the class ability
b) fire a modified eldritch blast using one of many invocations

Note, however, that you can only ever use one of those modifying invocations at the same time (IIRC).

Bye
Thanee

Actually you can apply both a blast shape invocation and an eldritch essence invocation to the same eldritch blast (CA pg 9). You cannot use more than one invocation of the same type on the same blast however.

Also, each EB, modified by an invocation or unmodified, is a standard action; unless of course the casting time of the invocation is different.

pbd

 

[Mistwell]

Do you know if it actually says that anywhere? Anyone?

Tzarevitch

It says it in the individual invocations themselves...that you fire a different kind of blast with the invocation (thus, you do not technically use your eldritch blast ability, but the alternative invocation instead).

 

[Tzarevitch]

So in other words nothing actually clearly states that an invocation modifying the blast AND the blast are the same standard action. You kind of infer it from the modifying invocation. At least I know I wasn't just missing it. Geez, I wish the authors would learn to clearly state what they mean.

Thanks everyone.

Tzarevitch

 

[Thanee]

Actually you can apply both a blast shape invocation and an eldritch essence invocation to the same eldritch blast (CA pg 9). You cannot use more than one invocation of the same type on the same blast however.

Right, didn't quite recall there were two different types of EB modifying invocations.

@Tzarevitch: No, it doesn't very clearly say that anywhere I know.

On p. 130 it says, that they must be used "in conjunction" with the EB, that's at least a hint, that it doesn't require any extra actions to use them.

Bye
Thanee