Help me grock the warlock

[On Puget Sound]

per the errata pdf:
Warlock's Curse - replace "if you damage a cursed enemy...." with "if you hit a cursed enemy with an attack...."

 

[Danceofmasks]

per the errata pdf:
Warlock's Curse - replace "if you damage a cursed enemy...." with "if you hit a cursed enemy with an attack...."

How does that change anything?

 

[Eldorian]

How does that change anything?

Curse isn't triggered on powers that deal damage on miss. Just like sneak attack and hunter's quarry. Also, if no hit roll required, no curse damage applied.

 

[Otterscrubber]

Well for a ranger to use a bastard sword and get improved hunters quarry he has to use up 2 feats. both of these average to +1 damage each over the long haul so that's 2 feats for +2 damage. A fair trade off to say the least, in fact I have a ranger and there are much better feats out there if you ask me than doing 1d8 rather than 1d6 on my quarry. Rangers also have to hit AC, so their higher to hit bonuses often don't translate into a higher hit %. Warlocks can choose to hit reflex or will, usually one of those will be low on a mob with a high AC so they will in fact be much better at hitting in a lot of situations where a ranger might have a hard time. Also, with fey pact do not underestimate the boon letting you tport right after a kill. That has worked to HUGE advantage in my play group. Plus they get concealment from moving out of danger, that's kinda nice. Or they are invis to the mob they just blasted, also sweet.

Rogues, they're just sick. Huge to hit bonuses and can hit reflex if they want. Downside is they have to have CA to use the sneak attack, but so far that hasn't been a problem in our group. Honestly, we also have all 3 strikers represented and we all kick a lot of tail. The rogue does a lot of really big hits, even without sneak attack sly flourhish is a solid hit if they have a decent Cha.

Overall the rogue get more big hits, but the warlock and ranger dish out solid dps on a much more even keel. Don't let the bonuses to attack fool you, the warlock is balanced with the other strikers and is more versatile. Also spooky.....you can't put price on that

 

[On Puget Sound]

How does that change anything?

armor of agathys and flames of phlegelos no longer do curse damage.

 

[Nifft]

Curse isn't triggered on powers that deal damage on miss. Just like sneak attack and hunter's quarry. Also, if no hit roll required, no curse damage applied.

Yeah. Hammer Rhythm + Curse was previously awesome -- deal 2d6+Con damage on a miss, which was equal to what a Heroic PC could do if his maul *hit*.

Sadly, they also "fixed" the one area where Warlocks could have lived up to their potential as Strikers: area damage. Warlocks don't get a whole lot of big attacks, but the ability to deal Curse damage to 2-3 different foes in a single round would have done a lot to make up for lacking Twin Strike.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Diirk]

Sadly, they also "fixed" the one area where Warlocks could have lived up to their potential as Strikers: area damage. Warlocks don't get a whole lot of big attacks, but the ability to deal Curse damage to 2-3 different foes in a single round would have done a lot to make up for lacking Twin Strike.

Cheers, -- N

That never worked, "You can deal this extra damage once per round."

 

[inati]

Your eldritch blast does 1d10 + 3 or 4 (for con or cha) + 1d6 (curse) = around 13 average. Rangers' twin strike does 2d10 with no Str/ Dex bonus, +1d6 quarry, for 14.5 average, but requires two to-hit rolls to do that; it will often do only 9 average damage as one shot misses. Rogues' Sly Flourish hits for 1d6 (light weapon) +4 (Dex) +2 (Cha) +1d6 (sneak) = 13 average. So your standard at-wills are not far out of balance.

Sorry, not to nitpick, but sneak attack starts at 2d6, no?

 

[Danceofmasks]

Curse isn't triggered on powers that deal damage on miss. Just like sneak attack and hunter's quarry. Also, if no hit roll required, no curse damage applied.

Yes, and that doesn't change anything.
'cos the idea (as stated in my post about the tactic) is to ready an action to blat someone who survives the auto damage (and thereby dealing the curse damage, while they can't OA you due to it being their turn), not to deal curse damage to everything.

The reason for the rod of corruption is to make sure the curse is on everyone on round 1 or 2.
Then every death triggers the boon.

 

[Nifft]

That never worked, "You can deal this extra damage once per round."

Previously, it was not unambiguous, because damage is rolled once for area attacks.

Cheers, -- N