Best blade weapliment for a Vestige Pact Warlock?

[darkbard]

This is not a true optimization question per se, for I'm pretty sure the answer to best weapliment for a Warlock is either Staff of Striking or Radiant Staff, but rather one looking to make good mechanical use of a character concept: a blade-wielding (either light or heavy) Vestige Pact Warlock, whose enchanted weapon allows him to strike foes in melee (Eldritch Strike) or channel its power from afar (ranged, etc. powers). (And, yes, I realize it's easy to just fluff away any mechanical aspects, but I'm interested in seeing what mechanical aspects might add to such a concept.)

The character design goal is control primary, so I'm looking for various options to synergize an item with feats, etc. Said character would be a Half-elf, starting with CON 18, INT 16, CHA 15 and would MC either Swordmage or Sorcerer for either dagger, rapier, or longsword as an implement.

Also of possible use in response to this thought question: Vistani Heritage, Vestige of Vistan as early feats, and Beguiling Strands as Dilettante power.

Frostcheese seems too damage-focused for a Control primary character. Githyanki Silver locks me into longsword, so I wouldn't have the versatility of a dagger to throw in an emergency situation. Radiant could set me up for Curse of the Blind Stars, but the character concept is one of shadows, so thematically this works against type (see proviso in first paragraph).

What am I missing?

 

[MwaO]

If you get one of the Arcane Familiars that free action swap weapons, then you don't really need to decide. Plus, it opens up one of my favorite choices, which is to swap wands as a refluffed 'Vancian Caster using a spell component pouch'

i.e. you use White Lotus Dueling Expertise as your feat choice, so you don't have to pick. Then you eventually get a Githyanki Silver weapon and have an array of interesting wands to use for once a day 'I'll cast Color Spray from my Wand of Precise Color Spray...' - but get a Dagger of Something to throw, say a Rhythm Blade +1 to make up for your AC getting dinged a little.

 

[darkbard]

a Rhythm Blade +1 to make up for your AC getting dinged a little.

To what, specifically, are you referring here?

What you say, of course, is true. In fact, while thinking about this character concept I revisited your Warlock|Wizard in the Frankensteins thread and found some of my choices (powers, feats) were the same. But what you say also strays quite a bit from the concept I presented. Ultimately, I suppose, I'm looking for ways to optimize around Control effects and Curse spreading, which the Vestige Pact is natively geared towards. Just how do I make all those Curses effective and interesting in such a build?

 

[MwaO]

You have a 16 Int, so your base AC is 15+Concealment if you can move as opposed to a more typical 16+Concealment. Warlocks tend to be really action constrained until they curse everything on the battlefield.

You want to look at zones to slide targets into and area attacks so you can affect targets who fall into those burst one areas. I've had a lot of fun with the Templar theme for getting more area/close attack options that are also kind of weird.

 

[masteraleph]

I know that Vistani is geared towards curse spreading...but is there any reason to not use a Rod of Corruption for curse spreading, at least in your off hand? Comes on line early, gets better at Paragon with Bloodied Boon, and even if you don't attack with it, the Expertise feat may be worth it in Paragon and Epic due to the defensive bonus it grants.

 

[darkbard]

is there any reason to not use a Rod of Corruption for curse spreading, at least in your off hand?

Probably not. Super effective, as you note. Nevertheless, the concept revolves around wielding a blade, so I'm looking for mechanical options in this regard. And that rules out Rod Expertise also in favor of War Wizard's Expertise or WLDE (probably the former), especially since I want to keep Eldritch Strike in line with the other attacks.

At this stage, I'm thinking that grabbing longsword proficiency through background, MC Swordmage also to use it as an implement, and Githyanki Silver longsword may be the best route. Which doesn't, of course, preclude wielding a Rod of Corruption in the off hand.

 

[MwaO]

You don't need to make the attack with Rod of Corruption to spread the curse.

 

[darkbard]

You don't need to make the attack with Rod of Corruption to spread the curse.

Absolutely. But you do need a free hand to "wield" it, which actually makes this a viable option for this blade-wielding character, as opposed to staff wielding Warlocks I've built in the past. And this is even more reason why Rod Expertise, despite its defensive benefits loses out to one of the arcane/BA Expertise feats.

 

[MwaO]

Absolutely. But you do need a free hand to "wield" it, which actually makes this a viable option for this blade-wielding character, as opposed to staff wielding Warlocks I've built in the past. And this is even more reason why Rod Expertise, despite its defensive benefits loses out to one of the arcane/BA Expertise feats.

Hmm? Staff-wielding Warlocks can wield a staff implement in one hand unless they're planning to swing with it.

 

[darkbard]

unless they're planning to swing with it.

And there's the rub: Eldritch Strike for OAs, etc.