Making a Melee-oriented Warlock- any tips?

[UltimaGabe]

Hey, everyone. I'm making a melee-oriented Warlock in an upcoming campaign. The campaign is going to be very high-powered (stats generated as such: we have 85 points to divy up as we see fit, as long as we keep the normal maximums for our level- so no 30 Strengths or anything like that. This isn't the standard point-buy method, as you don't start with a base number, and the costs don't increase as your stat increases. We each also start with 2 extra feats at 1st-level and max hit points until 10th-level, as well as a free Major Bloodline from Unearthed Arcana.) We're starting at 3rd level, and I've decided to go with the Titan Bloodline, as I have a great character concept for it. I was planning on wielding a two-handed warhammer (dealing 2d6 base damage).

At the moment, my stats are as follows:

Str 16
Dex 16
Con 16
Int 14
Wis 6
Cha 18

(The Charisma is mostly of a roleplay thing, and I want to keep that my highest stat as of right now.)

Feats: Point Blank Shot, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Big Warhammer), Weapon Focus (Big Warhammer), Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness.

Invocations: Hideous Blow, Frightful Blast.

I'm not sure what to do in way of equipment, and any advice on changes of stats, feats, or Invocations would be very much appreciated.

 

[UltimaGabe]

...Beuler? ....Beuler?

 

[brehobit]

No real details for you but a few thoughts.

For fun I sat down and built a Barb1/Warlock 15/Blood Magus 4 and have his stats, items and everything from level 1 to 20. (well I stopped items at 15th level).

There are some real issues to resolve with the Warlock. Most significantly for you would be if hideous blow draws an AoO or not. I'd argue not (wow, what a sucky power if it did). If you are playing that it does, you really would like a reach weapon.

The other trick, IMO, is to look at the future. Even more than a sorc, powers you choose have a huge impact later. And while you do get to swap them out it is nice to know where you plan on going. With flight, having a longer ranged blast is really handy. Further, you probably want to be planning on at least one "Will" based blast and one Fort based.

Lastly, the magic item in CA that gives you bonus EA dice rules!

 

[was]

Least blast shape invocation: hideous blow. Maybe pick up a level of rogue and combine your eldritch blast damage with sneak attack damage. Thus, 2nd level pc flanking foe using shortsword = 3d6 + strength damage. It's just a thought.

 

[UltimaGabe]

Actually, in the end I decided to take a level of Barbarian, as well as switch some stats around (so at the moment I'm a Warlock2/Barbarian1 with a Strength of 18 and a Dex of 14), because I felt the Rage really fit my character concept very well. That freed up a feat slot (since I was already proficient with the Maul, a martial weapon), with which I'm probably going to take Cleave. It also gave me some bonus HPs.

As for Hideous Blow, I'm pretty sure we're playing it that it doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity (because the way I see it, it's an attack, not a spell-like ability). I'm even going to ask my DM if we could make a feat that would allow me to use Eldritch Blast and/or other Invocations while raging, mainly so that my main class abilities don't become useless when my character gets angry.

 

[rowport]

Ultima-

You may also want to check the "Rage Mage" from Complete Warrior. It is designed for a barbarian arcane caster, spells usable while raging. I am not sure if it would cover invocations, but worth checking. I think there is also a feat in CW that lets you cast while raging, but cannot remember the details offhand.

 

[Rath Lorien]

I am building a melee-Warlock. Fighter[1]Warlock[1+]. The fighter gives me heavy armor. Add two Battlecaster feats from the CA and you can dish out your Warlock invocations without arcane spell failure while in heavy armor.

If you take 2-H sword instead of hammer you get 19-20 threat range (and the Eldritch Blast damage doubles with the crit along with the weapon damage). Or take a Falchion and get 18-20 threat range. Get a keen weapon and/or Improved Critical feat and increase the threat range even further.

With Hideous Blow you cannot take a full attack action so you will never get multiple attacks in conjuctions with your Hideous Blow. However this give you other options such as using Improved Feint to get around DEX bonus (you have high CHA and bluff as a class skill). As has been mentioned elsewhere you cannot take Spring Attack as the Spring Attack only works with "attack actions" and the Hideous Blow is a "standard action" but a nice DM might relax this technicality.

The way I see it, hit points will be the biggest limiting factor.

Any other ideas out there?

 

[AuraSeer]

Add two Battlecaster feats from the CA and you can dish out your Warlock invocations without arcane spell failure while in heavy armor.

You can only take Battle Caster once. (A feat can only be taken multiple times if its description specifically allows it.)

The way I see it, hit points will be the biggest limiting factor.

That's why my melee warlock will have a level in Cleric. He'll still get medium armor proficiency. Hit points are no better, but he'll have partial compensation through the free use of clerical scrolls and wands. (Use Magic Device is great, but when you've suffered heavy wounds you really can't afford a scroll mishap.) Well-planned buffs and healing, or even one sanctuary at the right time, can often be worth more than an extra couple of hp/level.

The War domain gives access to a martial weapon, which means he doesn't fall behind in damage output. His second domain can be one chosen for a useful power, like perhaps Travel. Also, he'll have access to Divine feats, and their usefulness will be increased by the warlock's high Charisma. AFAICT, except for one point of BAB, he's at least as powerful as the fighter/warlock of equivalent levelsplit.

 

[IanB]

Adding a level of cleric to warlock, which derives its power from nasty underworld beings, seems ok to me in a vaccuum but it seems to me in most campaigns the gods which would take a warlock on as a priest are going to be both limited in number and potentially very problematic from a role-playing perspective.

My personal pick would be fighter for the first level, probably, more for the extra feat than anything else. I would also seriously consider something like spellsword or eldritch knight as a multiclass option; there's a bit in CA explaining how the "+1 spellcasting level" prestige class feature works with warlocks.

 

[UltimaGabe]

Adding a level of cleric to warlock, which derives its power from nasty underworld beings, seems ok to me in a vaccuum but it seems to me in most campaigns the gods which would take a warlock on as a priest are going to be both limited in number and potentially very problematic from a role-playing perspective.

Why is that? Warlocks (or so they're portrayed) gain their power because they (or someone before them) made a pact with some evil higher being (such as a demon or devil or whatever). Well, I don't know about you, but what non-good-aligned deity DOESN'T have high-powered Demons and Devils under them? Not only that, but who's to say that this pact wasn't made with the deity himself?

It sounds like you're taking one possible portrayal of the Warlock and applying it to all of them. In my opinion, there's perfect ways to link a Warlock to any deity- in fact, many of the more evil ones would probably choose Warlocks as their main servants.