Do reserve feats make the Warlock redundant?

[Drowbane]

What are the current sources for warlock invocations?

Complete Arcane
Magic of Incarnum (1 invocation of each power level... oddly enough the Dark one is pathetic)
Complete Mage
Dragon Magic(?)

Well, the warlock isn't a class with a heavy payload (which is OK, IMO not every class has to have high damage output). The eldritch blast will inflict 9d6 damage, and blast shape invocations can be applied to make it a 30 foot cone or a 20 foot radius blast centered on the warlock.

Thats 9d6 without trying. My level 3 warlock can dish out 2d6 to 6d6... depends on how deadly the foe in question appears.

If we get to the High Levels, he will be doing anywhere from 9d6 (vs weak targets) to 27d6 - empowered (vs BBEG types) in a 20ft radius blast... on a flyby attack. I think that the Cone version would be more useful actually...

 

[hbarsquared]

To see what a warlock is truly capable of, check out JollyDoc's Age of Worms Story Hour

Reserve feats do not, cannot trump the warlock.

One, they require a feat. A human wizard that uses his feats for nothing but reserve feats will end up with 12 at will abilities, dependent on his spell choices and spell levels. Equal to the warlock, yes, but the warlock gets all his abilities plus feats.

Two, the warlock gets his at will abilities, plus resistance, plus fast healing, plus hit die, plus plus plus...

Three, the reserve feat special abilities are significantly weaker than their invocation counterparts. In terms of damage, in terms of power, in terms of usefulness.

As for the warlock, an oft-underused ability is his focus on UMD. Activating a scroll is the mechanical equivalent of casting a spell. The warlock can easily load up with several scrolls of various levels, make the UMD automatically, and becomes a primary caster.

If someone claims that reserve feats overshadow the warlock, then the same can be said that the warlock's UMD abilities end up overshadowing the wizard.

I love reserve feats and I love the warlock. Neither makes the other less effective or less appealing.

 

[Sammael]

If we get to the High Levels, he will be doing anywhere from 9d6 (vs weak targets) to 27d6 - empowered (vs BBEG types) in a 20ft radius blast... on a flyby attack.

I would like to see an explanation for every 1d6 in that 27d6. 9d6 at 20th level, +4d6 from the warlock's scepter, +2d6 from that amulet, and that makes 15d6 once per day per scepter in possession, and 11d6 otherwise. You can't count on criticals all the time, so that can't be it.

 

[Felon]

If we get to the High Levels, he will be doing anywhere from 9d6 (vs weak targets) to 27d6 - empowered (vs BBEG types) in a 20ft radius blast... on a flyby attack. I think that the Cone version would be more useful actually...

Empower SLA is a nice 3/day gimmick. Interested in knowing where 27d6 comes from though.

Of course, has much better stuff he could be doing thanks to UMD...

 

[Gold Roger]

I would like to see an explanation for every 1d6 in that 27d6. 9d6 at 20th level, +4d6 from the warlock's scepter, +2d6 from that amulet, and that makes 15d6 once per day per scepter in possession, and 11d6 otherwise. You can't count on criticals all the time, so that can't be it.

My guess would be quicken Spell like ability.

 

[Sammael]

True, I hadn't thought of Quicken SLA.

If he has Quicken, Maximize, Empower, and two scepters, he could do:

(Max (9d6+2d6+4d6) + (9d6+2d6+4d6)/2 ) x2 = 180 + 15d6 damage twice per day. 360 + 30d6 on a critical (and every warlock should take Improved Critical). Pretty sick. Of course, he always has a 5% chance of a critical miss, and SR can be an issue (since I don't think you can Quicken a vitriolic eldritch blast).

 

[Particle_Man]

(since I don't think you can Quicken a vitriolic eldritch blast).

Well, you can at 20th level, but that is a long time to wait.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Well, the warlock isn't a class with a heavy payload (which is OK, IMO not every class has to have high damage output). The eldritch blast will inflict 9d6 damage, and blast shap invocations can be applied to make it a 30 foot cone or a 20 foot radius blast centered on the warlock.

Just a quick note because I hate to see people play wrong. The 20-ft radius option for the blast isn't necessarily centered on the warlock. Its more of an Eldritch Fireball effect that can be targeted wherever you like.

Good for cleaning out bunkers of germans!

DS

 

[Asmor]

What makes you think that? It says that it hits as many targets as you care to designate within 20 feet. No mention of range or anything, and from the wording it seems to me that means within 20 feet of you.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

What makes you think that? It says that it hits as many targets as you care to designate within 20 feet. No mention of range or anything, and from the wording it seems to me that means within 20 feet of you.

Yeah, it doesn't strike me as an "eldritch fireball" so much as just putting your thumb over the end of the eldritch garden hose and soaking everyone within 20 ft. It says nothing about range, but specifically says that you can target any number of creatures within 20 ft. I'm actually not all that impressed by it, since any warlock worth his salt should be keeping his d6 hit die butt far enough away from combat that he never sees enough enemies within 20 ft. to make the power useful.