Makin a Warlock

[Corlon]

Okay guys, I just recently picked up complete arcane and decided I might put a warlock in against my players.

He's going to be anywhere from level 9-11, and I'm wondering what some good feats and invocations I should get him. I was thinking of giving him fell flight and walk unseen, and then just have him summon a bunch of stuff, thereby not canceling his invisibility.

This isn't strictly 3.5, in fact it's more of 3.0, but it's sort of changing session by session.

Any of you guys been playing warlocks lately?

 

[Darkness]

Not sure about invocations but regarding feats:

It might be good to give him some feats from the 3.5 MM that can enhance spell-like abilities.

The errata clarify that you can also use these on eldritch blast.

Other than that, not many feats beat Extra Invocation, of course. Maybe some that work on ranged weapons.

 

[UltimaGabe]

If you're taking Fell Flight (which you should), then immediately take Flyby Attack. It allows you to take a standard action during a movie, not just a single attack (as opposed to Spring Attack or Shot on the Run, which only allow an attack action), thus allowing you to use your Eldritch Blast or an Invocation during a movie. Also, the only prerequisite is a Fly Speed (which you have, thanks to Fell Flight), rather than Dodge and Mobility (which are required for both Spring Attack and Shot on the Run).

 

[RigaMortus]

If you're taking Fell Flight (which you should), then immediately take Flyby Attack. It allows you to take a standard action during a movie, not just a single attack (as opposed to Spring Attack or Shot on the Run, which only allow an attack action), thus allowing you to use your Eldritch Blast or an Invocation during a movie. Also, the only prerequisite is a Fly Speed (which you have, thanks to Fell Flight), rather than Dodge and Mobility (which are required for both Spring Attack and Shot on the Run).

Sweet... I did not know this about Fly-by attack... When is the earliest a Warlock can qualify for this feat?

Also, is there any "Still Spell" equivalent for spell-like abilities? If the Warlock gets grappled, he can't use his spell-like abilities. But if I had a "stilled" dimension door handy, I could get out of it quicker.

 

[Someone]

Before the warlock, that feat would have been pointless: normally, spell like abilities don´t need any component, but it´s not difficult to design that feat for the warlock, based on the existing ones like empower, maximize and quicken spell-like ability.

 

[Corlon]

Before the warlock, that feat would have been pointless: normally, spell like abilities don´t need any component, but it´s not difficult to design that feat for the warlock, based on the existing ones like empower, maximize and quicken spell-like ability.

perhaps more uses per day as still and silent aren't nearly as powerful, or both together would be a good feat.

 

[Solarious]

Naturally, Flyby Attack is good. Don't forget that with Decive Item, Warlocks can handle wands reliably and with ease as soon as level 4. Take complete advantage of that fact, and load them up with wands of the nastiest spells you care to unleash. Anything to increase land speed will also improve flight speed (Fell Flight text).

If you feel like pissing your players off, use Baleful Utterance is just the thing to deprive your players of any equipment you care to strip them of. The Dead Walk is wonderful ambush stuff, provided you seed the area with corpses. Make full use of the undead material in the Libris Mortis.

Don't forget that Warlocks can do any and all of their tricks at will. You know this means hit-and-run tactics. Try to split the group up with battlefield control abilities like Earthen/Stony Grasp on their weaker members, dumping Chilling Tentacles into their midst, divvying up the group with Wall of Gloom and Wall of Perilous Flame, harassing them at long range with Tenacious Plauge, and so on. Again, wands and scrolls can give you a lot of flexibility on this issue.