Feats a Warlock should take?

[ARandomGod]

I was just recently told that Point Blank Shot and Percise Shot become worthless later in level. I am torn between taking them and not.

I just don't see the value of spending experience on only paying half the cost.

Interesting... In general I'd say that they defintely do not become worthless. That's two feats for a +4 to hit in most cases! (+5 if they're in 30 feet).

Of course, since you are a spellcaster making touch attacks with a medium BAB, they very well might be right. I almost never see warlocks miss a target.

Increasing the DC of your spell like ability (Eldritch Blast) can be a very, very good thing to do when you add on the invocations that give saves.\

As for the value of spending XP... that depends largely on how XP is handed out in your game. If they use the 3.5 method of generating XP (so that you get XP based on your level, not the party gets XP based on the party level) then the XP cost is negligible. You might be a level behind for a session occasionally, but you'll then catch up and overshoot, only to spend back down to a level behind and overshoot again.

And half the cost means you get two times the magic items. Which actually IS a big deal. As a fifth level wizard I would never pass up Craft Wonderous Item... unless, of course, there was already a crafter in the party.

However, of course, a good GM will almost certainly adjust the treasure given out based on the overall party power level, in which case you're most likely correct (unless he's running a module or pre-written work). You'll have access to as many magic items as your GM things you should have access to, and that amount won't be greatly changed by you taking this feat.

 

[AuraSeer]

I'd skip Precise Shot. You can almost always avoid firing into melee, by choosing to pick on an enemy caster or other back-rank character. Even when the only available targets are meleeing, touch attacks are easy enough that you'll tend to hit despite the -4 penalty. It's not worth spending a feat there.

Drop Point-Blank Shot too. Take Weapon Focus (Eldritch Blast) instead, which gives the same +1 attack but applies to all shots regardless of range.

If you plan to relay on a save-or-lose invocation like Charm, then Ability Focus may be useful, granting a +2 to the save DC. Its downside is that if you choose to replace that invocation later, the bonus no longer applies, so you've got a wasted feat.

My warlock has a couple of Craft feats, too, because we don't always have access to magic item shops. (We're playing through Return To The Temple Of Elemental MonteCookIsABastard, which has little magic treasure and almost no magic merchants.)

 

[Moon-Lancer]

I do not know how ranged attacks work with spell casting (as both may prevoke an attack of opertunity) but you may want to consider steady concentration from races of stone. It lets you take a 10 on concentration checks. If you put ranks into concentration at every opertunity, you shale beable to cast while never prevokeing an attack of opertunity.

Also combined with mobile spell casting, you can move on the run (or fly). (it lets you take a standard action to move and cast the spell leaving you another move action to get werever you need to be.

Keep in mind i dont know if a ranged spell would prevoke an attack of opertunity fired at point blank range. even if your not prevokeing a aoo for casting the spell (but maybe from fireing the spell)

sorry. im in a hurry. so thier are lots of grammer mestakes with this post.

 

[Particle_Man]

I would say that Precise Shot and Point Blank Shot depend on the type of campaign you are in. Personally, they work well for my campaign, and I plan to take Improved Precise Shot at 15th level. I also like Extra Invocation, Create Wondrous Item, Steady Concentration (I like the idea of taking 10 on Concentration checks when I flee the scene, because...), *house rule* Still Spell-like Ability (Flee the Scene). But that is just me.

 

[ecliptic]

These are the different feats I am considering

Point Blank Shot -> Percise Shot
Luck of Heroes (Player's Guide to Faerun)
Spell Penetration -> Greater Spell Penetration
Weapon Focus (range spell)
Improved Initiative
Able Learner (Races of Destiny) for Move Silently and Hide.
Ability Focus (eldritch blast)

I just got to narrow it down to 4.

Interesting... In general I'd say that they defintely do not become worthless. That's two feats for a +4 to hit in most cases! (+5 if they're in 30 feet).

Of course, since you are a spellcaster making touch attacks with a medium BAB, they very well might be right. I almost never see warlocks miss a target.

Increasing the DC of your spell like ability (Eldritch Blast) can be a very, very good thing to do when you add on the invocations that give saves.\

As for the value of spending XP... that depends largely on how XP is handed out in your game. If they use the 3.5 method of generating XP (so that you get XP based on your level, not the party gets XP based on the party level) then the XP cost is negligible. You might be a level behind for a session occasionally, but you'll then catch up and overshoot, only to spend back down to a level behind and overshoot again.

And half the cost means you get two times the magic items. Which actually IS a big deal. As a fifth level wizard I would never pass up Craft Wonderous Item... unless, of course, there was already a crafter in the party.

However, of course, a good GM will almost certainly adjust the treasure given out based on the overall party power level, in which case you're most likely correct (unless he's running a module or pre-written work). You'll have access to as many magic items as your GM things you should have access to, and that amount won't be greatly changed by you taking this feat.

I only see the advantage of being able to choose which magical items I exactly want. Also making disposable magic items sounds handy but damn that experience cost. :\

I'd skip Precise Shot. You can almost always avoid firing into melee, by choosing to pick on an enemy caster or other back-rank character. Even when the only available targets are meleeing, touch attacks are easy enough that you'll tend to hit despite the -4 penalty. It's not worth spending a feat there.

I just don't want to go slamming one of our melees in the back with an Eldritch Blast. Yeah by rules they can't but you never know when my DM gets the itch to cause trouble when I roll a 1 to hit.

 

[ecliptic]

Here are the Invocations I plan to have at the said level.

3rd level
Least
Spiderwalk
Baleful Utterance

4th level
Least
Spiderwalk
Baleful Utterance
See the Unseen

6th level
Least
Baleful Utterance
See the Unseen
Entropic Warding
Beguiling Influence (if I take a Extra Invocation feat)

 

[ecliptic]

Here are the Invocations I plan to have at the said level.

3rd level
Least
Spiderwalk
Baleful Utterance

4th level
Least
Spiderwalk
Baleful Utterance
See the Unseen

6th level
Least
Baleful Utterance
See the Unseen
Entropic Warding
Beguiling Influence (if I take a Extra Invocation feat)

Lesser
Fell Flight

 

[AuraSeer]

I just don't want to go slamming one of our melees in the back with an Eldritch Blast. Yeah by rules they can't but you never know when my DM gets the itch to cause trouble when I roll a 1 to hit.

Do you know that the campaign includes critical fumbles? That house rule makes a BIG difference.

When every round offers a flat 5% chance to zap one of your friends, combat becomes much more dangerous for the PCs. Warlocks have to be particularly careful about such "friendly fire" when it's possible, because a stray shot can do significant damage-- multiple d6 for a single fumble, rather than the 1d8+X caused by the average archer.

If your campaign does include "friendly fire," and Precise Shot will let you avoid it, then the feat is probably worth taking. Ask your DM what the house rules are. (Having a natural 1 cause trouble at the DM's whim does not count as a rule.)

 

[ecliptic]

Just asked, he has no plans to have any kinda critical fumble rules.

 

[Dimwhit]

I have a 6th level Warlock. At 1st, I took Point Blank and Precise (pretty much a necessity IMO). At 3rd level I took Weapon Focus (Ray), though honestly, I'd likely take that back if I could and take Skill Focus: UMD. At 6th, I just took Empower Spell-Like Ability. Ability Focus (from Monster Manual) is also very nice for Warlocks (+2 to DC on all invocations).

I'm liking Warlocks...