Help me Level-up my Warlock!

[WD40]

Jared is a Level-2 Human Male Warlock stuck in Ravenloft. (Str:10, Dex:16, Con: 13, Int: 10, Wis: 8, Cha: 14. Human Feat: Ex. Weap Prof: Whip, 1st Lv feat: Weapon Finnesse. Invocations: Hideous Blow, Frightful Blast)

He has recently attained Level 3, and I cant think of a feat for him to take.

Stuck, as he is, with two rogues, he has become the heavy-hitting, combat type. So the best paths for him to take would be ones that improve his combat powers... However, his combat powers have recently received an almighty boost, in the form of 1/Cold Iron DR, and his Eldritch blast (and by extention, his Masterwork whip) now dealing 2D6 damage, (While prompting an opponent to make a DC 14 Will save to avoid being Shaken)

So... I cant make my mind up what to take.

Suggestions welcome!

 

[AuraSeer]

If you need to be in melee a lot, you might consider taking Battle Caster. It allows a warlock to wear medium armor without spell failure (instead of light armor only). Then save up your money and get a suit of mithral full plate.

 

[Azaar]

The problem, however, is that if he's going to wear medium armor, then he needs to have Armor Proficiency (medium). And unless I'm mistaken, even though mithral full plate is treated as medium armor, it is still heavy armor in terms of requiring Armor Proficiency (heavy) to be able to wear it effectively in the first place (admittedly, I could be wrong, but that's what I've kept hearing over and over again).

As far as invocations go, I'm honestly uncertain of what to tell you. Baleful Utterance is good for destroying your opponent's weapons and the like, so a lot of people say. Summon Swarm might be another possibility for you to look at as well. Featwise... Weapon Focus (eldritch blast) is a possibility, as is Point Blank Shot for using eldritch blast at range.

Honestly, though... if your warlock has become the melee combat type, I would seriously consider taking a level of fighter instead of warlock, even though the DR 1/cold iron and eldritch blast 2d6 is extremely tempting. Yes, in the long run you lose out on a dark invocation. However, you're getting better hit points on average, plus you get proficiency with all forms of armor (which then make Battle Caster a perfectly viable and, indeed, necessary part of your build as it looks from the info you've given us thus far -- in fact, you could take Battle Caster twice -- it doesn't explicitly say it stacks, but it doesn't say it doesn't stack, either: someone a bit more knowledgeable can correct me there if I'm mistaken -- and be wearing heavy armor with no ASF), all martial and simple weapons, that sort of thing.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

My question is:

I'm not seeing the good part of using Hideous Blow with a whip. You're taking a ranged touch attack, turning it into a melee attack, and then using a melee weapon that is, functionally, a ranged weapon that deals no damage. So you've got a bunch of steps there, along with two feats, to make your warlock ... worse?

I mean, the whip lets you use trip attacks very effectively, but man, you're paying alot in feat output for Trip and Disarm attacks that your low Strength means you'll seldom pull off.

You could have taken Weapon Focus (EB) and Point Blank Shot for a +2/+1 attack/damage bonus on ranged TOUCH attacks.

With the whip, I guess, I'd go with Combat Expertise, which will allow you to get Improved Trip at 6th level. Then you can effectively trip people, I suppose. Unfortunately using Hideous Blow is a Standard Action and can't be used to follow up the trip on the free attack it generates.

Maybe Dodge and Mobility so you can use the whip to Aid Another your rogue friends?

As far as Invocations go, perhaps Darkness? With the 20% miss chance, your rogue friends can use it to Hide and Move Silently, then you can dismiss it and allow them to attack from hiding for sneak attacks, then invoke it again ...

--fje

 

[WD40]

Jared wont get a new Invocation at 3rd, unfortunatly, otherwise I'd go straight for Devils Sight, (Jared is stuck underground, at this moment, he and his comrades have suffered quite a few mischives at the hands of Darkmantles, Imps and Kobolds, who all use the dark to thier advantage.)

Heap has pointed out several problems that I descovered for myself during play. My origional idea was to use a Spiked Chain, as opposed to a whip. But in the end, a whip seemd more 'in place' with the setting. (Plus, Whips, especiallt ones that glow with crackling energy, gain superb coolness points!) So I was building him more for looks than effeftivness at that point. I had no idea he was going to become the primary fighter in the group at that point.

Battle Caster requires 'Ability to ignore Arcane Spell falure chance' as a prerequsite. Warlocks do not have this, although their Invocations are Spell-like abilities, they are subject to ASF.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Check again, they can ignore the ASF for Light armor.

--fje

 

[WD40]

Check again, they can ignore the ASF for Light armor.

--fje

So they do!

It's listed under 'armour proficency' where I was looking at 'Invocations'. Kewl!

Still, I need another feat to be able to use Med Armour, before Battle caster becomes useful.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

At this point, I'd seriously go Fighter.

A level of Fighter will pick you up an additional bonus feat, along with all armor profs and martial weapon profs. At that point I would go with Battle Caster and something else. I would discard the whip and take up a rapier or something. Something finessable that actually does damage. If you're the tank, that whip is worse than useless, since you need to actually be in melee to pull aggro off of your rogues. With your dex, you can strap on a Breastplate and go to town. Mithril Full Plate only nets you 1 more AC (8 +1 Dex vs 5 +3 Dex) and Mithril Breastplate nets you an additional +10 movement rate.

I don't know if warlocks can use sheilds and ignore the ASF, which sort of hoses you for anything OTHER than spiked chain, since the chain is the only two-handed finesser I can think of. If your GM loves you, he might let you take the Elven Courtblade with an Ex.We.Prof, which I think is a finessable greatsword. (Because elves are just better than you.) THAT would actually give you enough juice to be a workable frontliner.

So my suggestion becomes.

3rd level - 1st Level Fighter

Battle Caster
Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Either Spiked Chain or Courtblade)

Strap on a Breastplate, pick up that two-handed pointy bit, and go to work.

While you have no Strength bonus to use with the two-hander, by virtue of your ASF woes you have a second hand not doing much, so the two-handed weapon's larger damage die is what you need. Then you can wade in and use that standard action every round to smack the heck out of those kobolds before they gnaw your face off.

--fje

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Well, if you did take a level in fighter you would also qualify for the improved toughness feat. While it is only 3 HP now (and 1 more HP every level) it could be the difference between a live or dead Warlock since warlocks are not usually melee combatants.

Also - How's your Concentration check? Before too long, you're going to want to be invoking defensively to avoid the AoOs ...

I do agree with Heap, though, WF (EB) would be useful - and if you went fighter for a level Battlecaster could be nice, too.

 

[Daermon]

I mostly agree with the above. I say if there's a rapier or such available as well as some medium armor, then take Battle Caster. If there is no medium armor available, then I'd grab Combat Casting. Bonus Feat should be Weapon Focus (Eldritch Blast).

Another alternative is to grab a level of Hexblade. You still get the Martial Weapon Proficiencies, and while you lose a feat (Battle Caster if armor is available, Weapon Focus otherwise) the Hexblade's Curse combined with the Frightful Blast could be a powerful combination (I'm pretty sure they stack, someone correct me if I'm wrong). Plus, you still net a good attack bonus.