Improved Precise Shot worth taking for a Warlock?

[Falling Icicle]

I am planning ahead for my Warlock and trying to decide what feats and invocations to get. Is it worth taking Improved Precise Shot at level 15, or should I take something else instead?

My currently planned feats are:

1 Point Blank Shot
1 Precise Shot
3 Craft Wondrous Item
6 Empower SLA (Eldritch Blast)
9 Maximize SLA (Eldritch Blast)
12 Quicken SLA (Eldritch Blast)
15 Improved Precise Shot
18 Extra Invocation

Is taking both Empower and Maximize SLA a good idea? Can they both be used on a single blast? Or should I just take one of the two (and if so, which one)?

Any comments and/or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Sammael]

You can use both Empower and Maximize on a single blast and yes, they are worth taking. I'm not so sure about Improved Precise Shot, I'd rather take Improved Critical at 15th level.

Imagine the joy when you score a critical on an Empowered, Maximized eldritch blast. Pure bliss!

 

[Bront]

It depends on how often cover is used. Rapid shot may be more appealing.

 

[Sammael]

You can't use Rapid Shot with eldritch blast. It's a spell-like ability.

 

[Bront]

It still functions like a ranged weapon. It doesn't say anything about not being able to be used more than once per round, and it specificly states that metamagic feats don't function on it.

 

[Sammael]

It does not function like a ranged weapon. It functions like a spell-like ability with a ranged touch attack. There are considerable differences. Would you allow Rapid Shot to apply to scorching ray or acid arrow?

 

[Krelios]

You can get one extra attack per round with a ranged weapon. The attack is at your highest base attack bonus, but each attack you make in that round (the extra one and the normal ones) takes a -2 penalty. You must use the full attack action to use this feat.

You can't make a full attack with a spell-like ability that requires a standard action, thus you cannot use Rapid Shot with Eldritch Blast.

 

[Bront]

You can't make a full attack with a spell-like ability that requires a standard action, thus you cannot use Rapid Shot with Eldritch Blast.

Ok, that explanation makes more sense than the "You can't because it's different".

Given that, Improved Precise Shot is probably a better choice than Improved Critical with a 20x2 weapon given it removes the miss chance for cover as well as the AC bonuses.

 

[Sammael]

I'm not as rules-versed as Hyp, but "because it's different" is the primary reason why it doesn't work. Rapid Shot can be used with a ranged weapon, which is clearly defined in the rules:

Ranged weapons are thrown weapons or projectile weapons that are not effective in melee.

Since eldritch blast is neither a thrown weapon nor a projectile weapon, it's thus not a ranged weapon. Because it's not a ranged weapon, Rapid Shot does not work with it and you don't get multiple eldritch blast attacks per round because of high BAB.

Even though Improved Critical states that it applies to weapons, that text is explicitly overriden in the "weaponlike spells" section of Complete Arcane (IIRC). Not so for Rapid Shot.

 

[Particle_Man]

Improved Precise Shot lets you safely shoot a foe that is grappling your allies. Depending on how often the bad guys grapple (and big bad guys tend to be good at grappling), this is *gold*!