Grappling Warlocks (continued from closed thread)

[Corlon]

I felt I'd restart this thread, as it was pretty interesting, but got closed for behavioral purposes.

The original thread is located at http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=108169&page=2

I believe the last significant post was

Originally posted by Veldrane:
Just a thought... ...all Invocations have somatic components.
Flee the scene, that has its only use in escaping grapples (since the range is too short to escape combat), has in its text: " you can use Dimension Door as a spell like ability [...].
Note that it's the only Invocation where the text say: "as a SLA" instead of "as the spell".
Could it imply that you can use it without somatic components?

 

[Hof]

Perhaps - but I wouldn't count on it. The description does not explicitely state that the invocation (which it still is of course) does not require a somatic component. And when taking into consideration the otherwise excelently edited and well thought out rules descriptions in Ca (/Sarcasm), I'd guess the reference to SLA is a typo rather than an implication of no somatic components.

On the other hand, I don't find allowing it to be unbalanced in the least. There is still the concentration check to be made. And the range, as you stated, is far from a guarantee of escape.

 

[Veldrane]

That was pretty much the point.

Flee the scene is the only Invocation that can save a Warlock from grapple, and, coolness factor aside, has no other use, given that is useless for escape.
Maybe we can hold onto the ambiguous wording 'till a clarification comes out...

 

[RolandOfGilead]

I disagree a lil bit. Flee the scene is awesome for those warlocks with a thieving bent.. teleport through walls is awesome. even at short range, he can work his way into the most well defended vault.. especially when I pick up walk unseen at next level..

 

[FireLance]

Flee the scene is the only Invocation that can save a Warlock from grapple, and, coolness factor aside, has no other use, given that is useless for escape.

Dark Discorporation should also work, and looks pretty cool, too. Really, the best defence that a warlock has against grappling is the Sudden Still metamagic feat. Alternatively, the DM could allow a Still Invocation feat along the lines of Empower Spell-like Ability.

 

[Veldrane]

Dark Discorporation should also work, and looks pretty cool, too.

True, but you get it @ Warlock 16+... ...and you'll never get that far if you're systematically dead every time an enemy grapples you...

 

[hong]

All I gotta say is, the Grappling Warlocks is one kickass name for a rock band.

 

[ARandomGod]

It pretty clearly states that all warlock invocations use somatic components. And it states also that the DD is an invocation, it sates nowhere that it's different than the other once, it say like the spell, as many of the invocations are like spells. Hence you need the somatic components to cast this spell.

Edit: It also says that all invocations are spell like abilities... So all their invocations are used as spell like abilities... many of them also emulate spells. In one way or another.

But it definitely, as written, uses somatic components.

 

[Veldrane]

But it definitely, as written, uses somatic components.

And is therefore utterly useless...

 

[Wil Harvey]

I think Flee the Scene is incredibly useful.

At 10th level, you can make a 50 ft. DD away. Not that great, right? But you also leave behind a major image of yourself right where you were. If you can DD away to somewhere your opponent can't see you (or at least has trouble seeing you, like behind a tree), you have a full round to get away while he is trying to fight your major image. If you decide to do the simplest thing and just run, that's another 120 feet tacked onto the original 50 feet, so you're now 170 feet away from him when he realizes you're gone.