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[4e] Con-based Warlock Help!
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<blockquote data-quote="Kzach" data-source="post: 4998894" data-attributes="member: 56189"><p>The above is what I'd go with and I'll explain why.</p><p></p><p>Wielding two rods is a no-brainer. With the Rod of Corruption, the aim is to get your curse out early, and spread it to everything on the battlefield. Sometimes this is easy, curse a minion in the middle of everything, kill it, and whammo you have everything cursed. Other times it's harder, just maximise your curse potential as best you can.</p><p></p><p>But always use the bloodcurse rod as your primary attack implement. Remember that you get the benefit of the rod of corruption just by having it in your other hand. Now you're getting your awesome pact boon twice as often.</p><p></p><p>You should always be using your pact boon to boost your chance to hit. And if you get your curse out early and spread it around, you should be getting at least a +1 every turn. This is awesome and is the reason why you can concentrate on feats that boost damage rather than boosting your attack rolls.</p><p></p><p>With duel-implement caster, your bonus to damage is +6 for Con and +4 for two +2 implements. That's a total of +10 damage to every damage roll you make. With your Dire Radiance power, Ulban's Flare increases your damage by 2 and penalises the target with a -2 to it's attack rolls. The defenders in your melee-centric party will thank you for that. In addition, Empowering Shadows is another +1 damage. So now you're doing 1d6+13 damage plus warlock's curse 1d6 damage to a target, and giving them a -2 to attack.</p><p></p><p>Now the above two benefits rely on having concealment, but that's something you really should have every round anyway, barring being prevented from moving by effects. To counter this, I gave the background benefit that gives you a +1 bonus to saving throws against any effect that restrains you, immobilises, dazes or stuns. Plus a magical item that gives a further +2 to those saves. So you should be running around the battlefield positioning for your Prime Shot and getting concealment without hindrance most of the battle.</p><p></p><p>Now, as a dwarf you get one of the most awesome racial benefits in the game, which is second wind as a minor action. To benefit from that, I gave you Runed Scribe Soul and Runic Leather Armour. Now, even if you don't NEED to use a second wind, at least once per encounter you can burn your second wind as a minor action and get a +1 bonus to hit with all attacks and a +8 bonus to all damage rolls before the end of your turn. This is the time to spend an action point <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Oh, +2 of that bonus damage lasts until the end of your next turn as well, so make sure to use it <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>In addition to all of this, you've also got Shadow Initiate. This is an awesome multi-class feat for the warlock. Free Stealth training which is fantastic to use in combat for hiding around corners and sniping with combat advantage, but you also get the Assassin's Shroud power twice per encounter. The bonus dice have to be used by the end of your next turn, but as a free action and burst 10 area, just put them both on a target and invoke for an extra 2d6 damage per encounter before they run out.</p><p></p><p>As for powers, most of the Starlock's choices do kinda suck. Always go with Con though, even if you don't get a benefit from the Star Pact. I chose Con-based powers with fear or radiant in them as much as I could. When you hit 11th-level, take the Student of Caiphon paragon path and then you'll be critting with an 18, 19 and 20 on all powers with the fear or radiant keyword. This alone will see your damage output increased by a massive amount.</p><p></p><p>Oh, and as another tactic, try and combine Flames of Phlegathos with Life Bind to hopefully extend the ongoing damage to another round. And if you want to get major cursage out early, burn Tyrannical Threat.</p><p></p><p>Your nova should be done when you have a huge bonus from Star Pact Boon and on the round after placing a shroud on a target. Start by shrouding the target a second time as a free action. Then burn Second Wind for the big damage bonus and a +1 to all your attacks until the end of your turn. Invoke your shrounds. Burn an action point to use your Star Pact boon bonus to hopefully hit with Flames of Phlegathos. That's 3d10+18 fire damage and 5 ongoing fire damage (save ends). Then use Life Bind for 2d8+18 necrotic damage and a -2 penalty to his save against the ongoing damage.</p><p></p><p>That's a total of 2d6 (shrouds) plus 1d6 (curse) plus 3d10 plus 2d8 plus 36 points of damage in one turn. That averages to 72 points of damage, with a minimum of 44 and a max of 100 points of damage (non-crit). And that's non-crit and not including the ongoing damage which he'll suffer at least once before attempting a save (with a -2).</p><p></p><p>Oh, and I just remembered another tactic. Given your Dire Radiance is pretty awesome, try and piss off the lurkers and skirmishers to come after you and thus invoke the conditional damage from the attack. With curse damage on the target, that's a potential of 3d6+26 points of damage per turn.</p><p></p><p>And another edit <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /> Once you get into paragon, the damage really starts piling up. You can get Twofold Curse to get the infernal pact to gain access to the infernal feats and power bonuses, but I'm not sure if that's a wasted feat or not given that there are loads of radiant+fear feats you'll want to get to empower your casting.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Kzach, post: 4998894, member: 56189"] The above is what I'd go with and I'll explain why. Wielding two rods is a no-brainer. With the Rod of Corruption, the aim is to get your curse out early, and spread it to everything on the battlefield. Sometimes this is easy, curse a minion in the middle of everything, kill it, and whammo you have everything cursed. Other times it's harder, just maximise your curse potential as best you can. But always use the bloodcurse rod as your primary attack implement. Remember that you get the benefit of the rod of corruption just by having it in your other hand. Now you're getting your awesome pact boon twice as often. You should always be using your pact boon to boost your chance to hit. And if you get your curse out early and spread it around, you should be getting at least a +1 every turn. This is awesome and is the reason why you can concentrate on feats that boost damage rather than boosting your attack rolls. With duel-implement caster, your bonus to damage is +6 for Con and +4 for two +2 implements. That's a total of +10 damage to every damage roll you make. With your Dire Radiance power, Ulban's Flare increases your damage by 2 and penalises the target with a -2 to it's attack rolls. The defenders in your melee-centric party will thank you for that. In addition, Empowering Shadows is another +1 damage. So now you're doing 1d6+13 damage plus warlock's curse 1d6 damage to a target, and giving them a -2 to attack. Now the above two benefits rely on having concealment, but that's something you really should have every round anyway, barring being prevented from moving by effects. To counter this, I gave the background benefit that gives you a +1 bonus to saving throws against any effect that restrains you, immobilises, dazes or stuns. Plus a magical item that gives a further +2 to those saves. So you should be running around the battlefield positioning for your Prime Shot and getting concealment without hindrance most of the battle. Now, as a dwarf you get one of the most awesome racial benefits in the game, which is second wind as a minor action. To benefit from that, I gave you Runed Scribe Soul and Runic Leather Armour. Now, even if you don't NEED to use a second wind, at least once per encounter you can burn your second wind as a minor action and get a +1 bonus to hit with all attacks and a +8 bonus to all damage rolls before the end of your turn. This is the time to spend an action point :) Oh, +2 of that bonus damage lasts until the end of your next turn as well, so make sure to use it :) In addition to all of this, you've also got Shadow Initiate. This is an awesome multi-class feat for the warlock. Free Stealth training which is fantastic to use in combat for hiding around corners and sniping with combat advantage, but you also get the Assassin's Shroud power twice per encounter. The bonus dice have to be used by the end of your next turn, but as a free action and burst 10 area, just put them both on a target and invoke for an extra 2d6 damage per encounter before they run out. As for powers, most of the Starlock's choices do kinda suck. Always go with Con though, even if you don't get a benefit from the Star Pact. I chose Con-based powers with fear or radiant in them as much as I could. When you hit 11th-level, take the Student of Caiphon paragon path and then you'll be critting with an 18, 19 and 20 on all powers with the fear or radiant keyword. This alone will see your damage output increased by a massive amount. Oh, and as another tactic, try and combine Flames of Phlegathos with Life Bind to hopefully extend the ongoing damage to another round. And if you want to get major cursage out early, burn Tyrannical Threat. Your nova should be done when you have a huge bonus from Star Pact Boon and on the round after placing a shroud on a target. Start by shrouding the target a second time as a free action. Then burn Second Wind for the big damage bonus and a +1 to all your attacks until the end of your turn. Invoke your shrounds. Burn an action point to use your Star Pact boon bonus to hopefully hit with Flames of Phlegathos. That's 3d10+18 fire damage and 5 ongoing fire damage (save ends). Then use Life Bind for 2d8+18 necrotic damage and a -2 penalty to his save against the ongoing damage. That's a total of 2d6 (shrouds) plus 1d6 (curse) plus 3d10 plus 2d8 plus 36 points of damage in one turn. That averages to 72 points of damage, with a minimum of 44 and a max of 100 points of damage (non-crit). And that's non-crit and not including the ongoing damage which he'll suffer at least once before attempting a save (with a -2). Oh, and I just remembered another tactic. Given your Dire Radiance is pretty awesome, try and piss off the lurkers and skirmishers to come after you and thus invoke the conditional damage from the attack. With curse damage on the target, that's a potential of 3d6+26 points of damage per turn. And another edit :D Once you get into paragon, the damage really starts piling up. You can get Twofold Curse to get the infernal pact to gain access to the infernal feats and power bonuses, but I'm not sure if that's a wasted feat or not given that there are loads of radiant+fear feats you'll want to get to empower your casting. [/QUOTE]
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