Ancestral Pact (Heroic levels)

[Quickleaf]

How's this for a better Level 6 Utility spell?

Luminous Apparition
Warlock (Ancestral) Utility 6
A shining angelic spirit appears over your shoulder, creating a nimbus of blinding light while sheltering you and your allies from harm.
Daily ♦ Arcane
Standard Action, Personal, Aura 5
Effect: Enemies within the aura within your line of sight are blinded (save ends). You and your allies within the aura gain +1 AC and Will defenses. The spirit may communicate with you while you maintain the aura, giving you information or advice.
Sustain Minor: You may maintain the aura for up to 5 rounds.

 

[PrecociousApprentice]

When I first heard about the 4e warlock, I was really excited about the vestige pact because I thougt it would make a good ancestor worship style pact. Then it was left out. This is an excellent replacement. Very cool.

 

[Aldarc]

Thanks, I hope you freely mine from it for warlocks in your campaigns.
I had a hard time imagining a dwarf warlock with a fey/infernal/star pact, and I also noticed the conspicuous absence of a "shadow" pact, so I came up with concepts for 2 new pacts: Death, with ties to the Shadowfell and Raven Queen, & Ancestral, with ties to the underworld/afterlife/mysterious great beyond/ghosts/spirits. Death is the "I should have died but I didn't" pact. Ancestral is the "as long as I breath, I'll honor/placate those who've gone before" pact.

A draconic pact would also be useful, especially since the Monster Manual indicated that some of the oldest dragons are as powerful as the rival demon princes.

 

[Quickleaf]

A draconic pact would also be useful, especially since the Monster Manual indicated that some of the oldest dragons are as powerful as the rival demon princes.

Agreed, other pact concepts I've seen on the web include: Deep One/Ocean/Leviathan (arguably will be covered by sorcerer), Angelic, and Primordial. Personally, I'm tickled by the idea of a Sphinx pact.

 

[Swedge]

Hmm, im not so sure. I like the general idea, but automatically blinding everyone around you seems pretty powerful for a utility spell -- I dont have the books though, so I may be way off base.

 

[Atlatl Jones]

As far as I can tell, there's no such thing as a "50% miss chance" in 4e. everything that used to give miss chances in 3e now gives straight-up defense bonuses, or prevents targeting entirely.

 

[Quickleaf]

Hmm, im not so sure. I like the general idea, but automatically blinding everyone around you seems pretty powerful for a utility spell -- I dont have the books though, so I may be way off base.

Hmm. I originally wrote it up as Aura 3, maybe I should revert it back? I think that limiting it to LoS enemies reduces the power significantly from a regular Aura.

As far as I can tell, there's no such thing as a "50% miss chance" in 4e. everything that used to give miss chances in 3e now gives straight-up defense bonuses, or prevents targeting entirely.

Actually, PHB page 139, "Curse of the Twin Princes" warlock power creates a duplicate which enemies have 50% striking. Still, this might be too powerful for 1st-level. Maybe an attack penalty of -2 is more appropriate?

 

[BarkingDeathSquirrel]

First let me say that I love the idea behind this pact. It's just nifty...
Consider it stolen as an option for my players.

Still, this might be too powerful for 1st-level. Maybe an attack penalty of -2 is more appropriate?

-2 to attacks is probably fine. Edit: I just noticed that Witchfire, the fey pact inflicts the same penalty, so that might also be too strong. Heh, if all else fails, you can always have it deal psychic damage and slow the target, putting it more or less on equal terms with Ray of Frost

I'm a little leary about giving out feats as the pact boon, since it really is quite a catch all ability that can easily replicate the other pact boons (well... maybe not Misty Step ) to some extent.

But I can't really think of anything else to replace it. Maybe a bonus trained skill that you can change when you kill an enemy? Hrm, too weird... maybe be able to make a free Knowledge check relevant to your current situation (including Monster Knowledge) at a +5 bonus (and as though you were Trained, of course)? That could be pretty useful, I guess... just thinking out loud.

Also, it's not exactly the same, but you might be able to draw some inspiration for utility powers from the Akashic class from Arcana Evolved...

 

[Quickleaf]

I'm a little leary about giving out feats as the pact boon, since it really is quite a catch all ability that can easily replicate the other pact boons (well... maybe not Misty Step ) to some extent.

But I can't really think of anything else to replace it. <snip> maybe be able to make a free Knowledge check relevant to your current situation (including Monster Knowledge) at a +5 bonus (and as though you were Trained, of course)? That could be pretty useful, I guess

Thanks. Hey, that's a nice solution - a free trained knowledge check as ghosts whisper to you. I guess the "free feat" idea steps on the toes of the Star pact benefit, and also includes hard to abjudicate cases like "Durable (2 extra healing surges)" until end of next turn. I like your solution, simple and flavorful.

Also, it's not exactly the same, but you might be able to draw some inspiration for utility powers from the Akashic class from Arcana Evolved...

Thanks for the lead, I'll check it out.

 

[Quickleaf]

Bumping this thread on sunday for feedback.
I'd very much like to continue it to paragon and epic levels, and to create more new pacts, but I know that too much at once can be overwhelming.