Can a Warlock use invocations in a grapple?

[IcyCool]

The title pretty much says it all. Do a Warlock's invocations have a somatic component? Does a Warlock need to make a Concentration check to use an invocation in a grapple?

 

[Thanee]

Yes. Yes.

Bye
Thanee

 

[IcyCool]

Yes. Yes.

Bye
Thanee

Do all invocations have a somatic component? If so, where does it state that? Also, where does it state that a Warlock must make a Concentration check to use and invocation in a grapple.

I'm not trying to be confrontational, I'd just like to have something more concrete to tell my players than, "the EnWorld folks said so."

 

[Thanee]

Complete Arcane says so.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

Ok, took me a moment to find it, as it is well-hidden.

p. 7 under Weapon and Armor Proficiency.

About the Concentration check...

Spell-like abilities are magical and work just like spells... A spell-like ability can be disrupted just as a spell can be.

This should include all the stuff with violent motion and whatnot, also grapple.

Bye
Thanee

 

[VorpalStare]

Do all invocations have a somatic component? If so, where does it state that? Also, where does it state that a Warlock must make a Concentration check to use and invocation in a grapple.

I'm not trying to be confrontational, I'd just like to have something more concrete to tell my players than, "the EnWorld folks said so."

Just read the sections Weapon and Armor Proficiency and Invocations on page 7 of Complete Arcane.

Edit: Thanee has it covered already.

Doesn't casting a spell with a somatic component in a grapple require a concentration check of DC 50 + spell level? Not really feasible for most characters.

 

[Thanee]

No, casting a somatic spell in a grapple is simply impossible (unless using epic rules).

But even Warlocks can use their invocations in a grapple (well, once per day with Sudden Still ), and then they still have to concentrate as with spellcasting in a grapple (DC 20+SL).

Bye
Thanee

 

[IcyCool]

Ok, took me a moment to find it, as it is well-hidden.

p. 7 under Weapon and Armor Proficiency.

About the Concentration check...



This should include all the stuff with violent motion and whatnot, also grapple.

Bye
Thanee

I read the section, and it states that the somatic components for invocations are simple enough that light armor doesn't restrict you, but heavier armor does. I've also read the description of spell-like abilities in the SRD, which states that:

A spell-like ability has no verbal, somatic, or material component, nor does it require a focus or have an XP cost. The user activates it mentally. Armor never affects a spell-like ability’s use, even if the ability resembles an arcane spell with a somatic component.

That seems like quite a drastic change to only have mentioned it off-hand in a single place in Complete Arcane. Do you have anything a little more concrete?

 

[Thanee]

all invocations, including eldritch blast, have a somatic component

That's not concrete enough for you?

Guess then I cannot help you there.


Funny side note: This quote implies, that eldritch blast is an invocation, yet later in the Warlock description it says, that it is not an invocation. However, the errata luckily took care of that part.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

That seems like quite a drastic change to only have mentioned it off-hand in a single place in Complete Arcane. Do you have anything a little more concrete?

It is, however off-handedly, mentioned.

All invocations have a somatic component, unlike every other spell-like ability.

Unlike somatic component arcane spells, which suffer from spell failure in any suit of armor, invocations are not subject to spell failure in light armor (just like Bard spells).

This does not, however, change the fact that they do, in fact, possess somatic components.

Anything with a somatic component may not be cast while grappling.