How to stop a Warlock in his tracks

[Particle_Man]

A warlock's invocations all use the somatic component. A grappled/pinned character cannot cast any spells with a somatic component, regardless of how good their concentration roll is, and I would assume the same applies to the "special" somatic versions of spell-like abilities they use as invocations. There is no reason to expect warlocks to be particularly good at getting out of a grapple/pin once they are in one. Unlike wizards and sorcerors, they cannot use the feat Still Spell, nor do they have vocal only invocations. So once in, they have no magical way to get out, and their physical way of getting out doesn't look good.

Am I reading this wrong or is this a weakness that anti-warlocks can exploit?

 

[was]

Does that also apply to his eldritch blast?

 

[Kelleris]

Actually, with cleric BAB and second-string combat tendencies, they might be able to grapple out with a lucky roll.

 

[Andor]

I think about the only thing a Warlock could do in a grapple would be a hideous blow. The hideous blow reads as a melee attack that coincidentally deals eldritch blast damage in addition to regular damage, so it should work in a grapple.

There is one other thing. The quicken spell-like ability feat, which is pretty limited.

 

[xazil]

Capes of the Montebank all around!?

 

[Particle_Man]

I think about the only thing a Warlock could do in a grapple would be a hideous blow. The hideous blow reads as a melee attack that coincidentally deals eldritch blast damage in addition to regular damage, so it should work in a grapple.

There is one other thing. The quicken spell-like ability feat, which is pretty limited.

I still don't know if Hidious Blow does or does not have somatic components, and does or does not provoke an Aoo. I lean towards your interp., however.

Eldritch Blast by itself is still an invocation and (more importantly here) still requires somatic components. So its Hidious Blow (maybe, have to wait for future rulings on this I guess) or a magic item. Ah well.

 

[Geoff Watson]

I suggest introducing a 'Still Invocation' feat, usable three times per day.

How does that sound?

Geoff.

PS: Quicken Spell doesn't remove components, I don't think Quicken Spell-Like Ability would either.

 

[Telperion]

Spell-Like Abilities: Usually, a spell-like ability works just like the spell of that name. A few spell-like abilities are unique; these are explained in the text where they are described.
A spell-like ability has no verbal, somatic, or material component, nor does it require a focus or have an XP cost. The user activates it mentally. Armor never affects a spell-like ability’s use, even if the ability resembles an arcane spell with a somatic component. A spell-like ability has a casting time of 1 standard action unless noted otherwise in the ability or spell description. In all other ways, a spell-like ability functions just like a spell.
Spell-like abilities are subject to spell resistance and to being dispelled by dispel magic. They do not function in areas where magic is suppressed or negated. Spell-like abilities cannot be used to counterspell, nor can they be counterspelled.
Some creatures are actually sorcerers of a sort. They cast arcane spells as sorcerers do, using components when required. In fact, an individual creature could have some spell-like abilities and also cast other spells as a sorcerer

From SRD 3.5. I have highlighted the important parts.

 

[Liquidsabre]

What Telperion posted. Just make sure you use your invocation defensively when you are in a grapple.

 

[boolean]

From Complete Arcane p.7:
"all invocations, including eldritch blast, have a somatic component"

It's tucked away in the Weapons and Armor Proficiency section, and is an exception to the normal rules for spell-like abilities. (It's also mentioned on p. 71)

As for the original topic, the Sudden Metamagic feats can be applied to invocations. I'd recommend the Sudden Still feat, combined with the Flee the Scene invocation.