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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MerricB" data-source="post: 6705761" data-attributes="member: 3586">Originally posted by DuelistDelSol:Ability Scores: The HeartworkSo, you got your Pact signed with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but... who exactly are you? Are you speedy or smart? Strong or charming? Draconic or... not? The suggested scores do not count in post-racial bonuses.STRENGTH:(8-13) Not really something to focus on. Melee-focused Warlocks and Warlocks hybridizing with a Strength-primary class, however, might want to pay a bit of attention here. 13 Strength is also the threshold to cross to gain Hide Proficiency, which is of serious consideration for some of you if you're entertaining the thought of starting with a 14 or 16 INT post-racial.CONSTITUTION: (13-18) You pick either this or Charisma for your primary ability score, and pick the other for a tertiary to shore up either Will or Fortitude. The old strategy of going "Split'lock" (Constitution and Charisma even, Intelligence a distant second) is nowadays too risky to go for, as it forces you to wear Chainmail, and in any case, both ability scores are represented very heavily considering the wide breadth of powers available. Anyway, for Constitution'locks, this is the stat you stick a 16 or 18 in, no questions asked. It determines your Fortitude, your HP, your surges, and most importantly for half of you, your attack and damage rolls.DEXTERITY: (10-13) Used mainly to qualify for Dual Implement Spellcaster, and for those that cherry-pick powers that don't rely on your Intelligence, you can use this to patch your AC while also giving some love to your Stealth and initiative scores. This can be used as a secondary if you wish, but no Warlock powers or feats care about your Dexterity, so it's only for very specific builds. It's not a bad ability to have a couple points in, though.INTELLIGENCE: (14-16) Almost all of your power's riders, and your AC, relies on this very stat. This stat is incredibly important, and one you want to raise alongside your primary.WISDOM: (8-10) There's very little reason ever for you to invest in Wisdom. Perception is out there, but good parties will have pretty much all of the abilities covered anyway, and Wisdom-based classes will have Perception, whether naturally or via backgrounds. You don't need this.CHARISMA: (13-18) Your alternative primary score. You have a lot more powers that require Charisma than you do Constitution; meanwhile this is also the skill most associated with social skills and will also determine your Will score, so this is super important to some degree. Race Options: Hell, an Equal Opportunity EmployerI'm actually going to be following Dedekine's format here: instead of sorting races by book, I'll be sorting races by ability score loadouts, in Primary/Secondary (CON/INT or CHA/INT), Primary only (CON or CHA), and Secondary only (INT). If a race isn't mentioned, don't even bother.Primary and Secondary[sblock]Eladrin (INT + Cha, Dex): These guys and gals are poster-child Fey'locks, with a racial option to ferret themselves out of trouble, on top of great feat support that helps to focus on their teleportation bent. They do great as any Charisma'lock, not just Fey'locks, but flavorwise, the Fey is where they belong. And as if the Eladrin wasn't good enough, the Sun Elf option presented in Neverwinter gives them automatic proficiency with Staffs and Orbs. The implement problem solved without even spending a feat to do so puts them at the top echelon of Cha'lock races.Genasi (INT + Str, Con): CON/INT alone makes them phenomenal, as it's a very rare trait for 4e races. It's assumed by going Genasi that you're either playing an Arcane class or a Warlord, and in that regard the spectacular racial choices and features will make you a great Con'lock. Shame the feats want you to be a Wizard...Gnome (INT + Dex, Cha): You don't care about being small, you get the exact support you'd want from going with either the Star or Fey pacts, you have a racial encounter get-out-of-jail-free card... you're the Eladrin in miniature, and that's something to brag about.Shardmind (INT + Cha, Wis): CHA/INT, on the other hand, is quite common, as you could probably tell. This one's no different: a propensity for skills akin to the Eladrin, automatic resistance to a decent damage type (Psychic, instead of the Tiefling's Fire), an offensive-based "Run away!" power, and good feat support. The flavor, however, might turn some people off; I myself don't really like the "weird" races such as PHB3 likes to favor, but to each his own.Tiefling (CHA + Int, Con): Wait, so you mean the race that was born from signing a deal with archdevils and carries bonuses to the very ability scores Warlocks love... is a good race? No way! It's quite obvious that you're a natural Charisma'lock and a great Constitution'lock: your feat support is marvelous, your racial abilities are splendid (resists and accuracy!), and you can even focus on a fire theme and not come out too badly.Hobgoblin (CON + Int, Cha): Well, look at that. We were finally graced with another CON/INT race recently, and thankfully, it's a great pick: it comes packed with an initiative bonus right off the bat, a great racial to stave off Save Ends effects, and a special little feat just for you Arcane types that, for your unfriendly Close area hexes, can allow you to eliminate a square adjacent to you as a target.Warforged (CON + Str, Int): Chicks dig giant Warlocks. A bonus to Will, even as someone primed for the Constitution pacts, is very welcome, as well as another source of temporary hitpoints for you Infernal machines in the audience. The feat support is woesome for Warlocks, and unfortunately, now that we have a new CON/INT race in the house, the attraction just isn't as strong as it used to be. But by no means is it a bad choice; the flavor is certainly awesome.Changeling (CHA + Dex, Int): Unfortunately, while this race is chock-full of flavor and carries a nice bonus to Will to shore up your already awesome Will score, the feat support... kinda doesn't exist. Well, it does, but it's really nothing spectacular, and doesn't boost your Warlock features or powers.Kalashtar (CHA + Int, Wis): Fortunately, you are a bit different from the pack - your ability to shrug off certain secondary effects is second-to-none, and you possess a racial power that'll allow you to just blow off almost any Will-based attack once per encounter.Pixie (CHA + Dex, Int): Even though it's yet another CHA/INT race, and there's absolutely no argument against them being a Fey'lock, especially considering where they come from, their racial features and powers mean little to you, and their feat options aren't spectacular either.Kenku (CHA + Dex. Int): The Kenku rides the exact same boat as the Pixie does; it's a serviceable Cha'lock race with nothing going for it in terms of support.Shade (CHA + Dex, Int): A CHA/INT race, a bonus to Arcana and automatic Darkvision? Neat! Horrible feat support, a loss of a healing surge, and a mediocre Standard-action racial? Nah. They technically are a decent CHA/INT race; the purple rating reflects the fact that all of the others are so much superior, however.[/sblock]Primary Score Only[sblock]Dragonborn (CHA + Str, Con, Dex): I'm still astounded at the decision to give these guys a third secondary score, but it's there (though you need to be a Kapak to gain Dexterity). Your racial power is heavily supported by feats, and you gain access to a very neat Rod in the Rod of the Dragonborn. On the whole, even without INT, Dragonborn will have no problems at all being good Warlocks.Half-Elf (CON + Wis, Cha): Oh, Dilettante. How we love you so. Should you come into the problem of grabbing a power that isn't CON or CHA based, you have ways to repair that. Even disregarding this, the fact that you can take both Human and Elf feats could be a consideration all on its own, especially for the former's list.Mul (CON + Str, Wis): While the Minor Action Second Wind will go amiss compared to being a full Dwarf, and even though you have to pick between Dwarf and Human for your feats, both options are pretty darn good, and there's so much else about you that make you a formidable Con'lock.Revenant (DEX + Con, Cha): DMs tend to ban Revenants even from home games, either because the flavor is rather obtruse (The Raven Queen hates the undead, but she'll create minions from those whose "time wasn't up" without objection? Uh...) or because the mechanics are absolutely bonkers crazy (essentially turning any race you want into a DEX/Con/Cha race on top of base Revenant support). This should be your primary Warlock option if your DM is up for some fun.Deva (WIS + Int, Cha): Deva make for rather odd Warlocks in my opinion... though they make fantastic Vestige Pact Warlocks, who pretty much thrive on the idea of past lives fueling their powers. Your innate resistances are excellent, and your Memory of a Thousand Lifetimes will help that critical daily land. Where this race really shines is in Epic with the Soul of the World ED, which is pretty much the reason you pick Deva in the first place.Drow (DEX + Cha, Wis): Flavorful Dark'locks to the end, and solid Cha'locks of any sort. Their racial power choices are awesome, though Darkfire a bit moreso than Cloud of Darkness.Dwarf (CON + Str, Wis): The secondary stats don't quite line up with what you want, but you will appreciate the bonus to Constitution and some very interesting abilities to keep you on your feet. A proclivity for hammers could also come into use if you go down that path of optimization. Curiously enough they, along with "dead" (Revenant) Dwarves, make the best Elemental Pact Warlocks: there is no reason you can't go Constitution-based as an Ele'lock (since your At-Will kinda blows), and a Minor Action Second Wind will tame your Affinity feature much more easily than it would otherwise.Goblin (DEX + Wis, Cha): +2 to Bluff. +2 to Stealth. +1 to Reflex. An IR shift on a missed melee attack. Feats aren't the greatest, but damn, you're given a lot at the outset anyway.Halfling (DEX + Con, Cha): The DEX will help with qualifying for Dual Implement Spellcaster, and you will be evasive as hell, not only with your racial power but with your feat options. On top of which, you can be a Con'lock or a Cha'lock with no problems whatsoever. Neato.Human (Any ability score): Great for pretty much every class, though slightly worse as Warlocks since you depend a lot on your secondary. Having access to great feat support, a bonus skill, and a bonus feat on a class that's very feat-starved is something to die for. In regards to the bonus At-Will: you gained two unique options in the Binder list for Cha'locks, but Con'locks are pretty much stuck deciding between Hellish Rebuke and Eyes of the Vestige (the latter admittedly being a power house).Kobold (CON + Dex, Cha): An iconic race finally gets a proper write-up... and amazingly enough, some feat support as well. With their "introduction" in the Dungeon Survival Guide, these small critters lost Shifty but instead gained a rather interesting little feat in Eldritch Momentum that almost directly copies the Shadow Warlock Armor property. The loss of Shifty is a little disappointing, but enough was given to them to make them a sweet new choice for the class.Satyr (CHA + Dex, Con): Like the Pixie, they make extremely flavorful (and competent) Fey'locks, but they make quite decent Con'locks as well. They have a bit of a mix of durability and mind clearance, on top of a rather interesting racial power. Shame about the feats and the uselessness of Bluff being an automatic skill for you...Wilden (WIS + Con, Dex): A fey origin, but no Charisma or Intelligence boost? What a shame. What's not a shame is how flexible you can boost their NADs and the shenanigans you can pull with their racial powers.Half-Orc (DEX + Str, Con): Very close to being blue, but the racial feats kinda want you to be in melee. Still, quite a unique race to be as an Arcane character, and will work just fine.Hamadryad (WIS + Int, Cha): You are the Wilden, except not. Just like your Satyr and Pixie cousins, you will make a flavorful Fey'lock (y'all did come from the same Feywild book), but unlike the Satyr, there just isn't enough support to differentiate themselves from the pack.Vryloka (CHA + Dex, Str): I imagine this is the class and race combination you'd want to most play if you really wanted to be a Vampire, though with all that said you're a bit fragile. Still, you have a useful encounter power and innate necrotic resistance. That can count for something.Goliath (STR + Con, Wis): All of your feats want you to be a Warden so badly. Automatic proficiency with all two-handed weapons (except Superior weapons) with just one feat may be attractive, however.Hengeyokai (DEX + Wis, Cha): You have no feats at all, and while the +1 Reflex can be quite handy, there's nothing here that other races can't deliver - Charisma is too common a stat boost amongst the crowd. To be fair though, if you want a furry Warlock, this is kind of your best option if your DM is strict with flavor.Minotaur (STR + Con, Wis): A CON boost is all you're getting here, if you don't care about charging.[/sblock]Secondary Score Only[sblock]Elf (DEX + Int, Wis): What sells them the most is Elven Accuracy, which actually contains some great support for Arcane classes, multi-attacker or otherwise. Other than that, they make decent Fey'locks, but Eladrin is right there...Githzerai (WIS + Dex, Int): That Wisdom score is just not going to do anything for you, and the racial power plus many of your features and feats want you to be an evasive character or a Defender. You can actually delve into the former with surprising confidence, and even feign the latter, but it'll take a dedicated build to do so. They do come packaged with an initiative booster right from the start, which does say a lot about a class normally low in that score.Shadar-Kai (DEX + Wis, Int): I'm actually tempted to rate these guys as Blue, due to how a lot of their racial abilities fit the missing parts of some Warlocks. You get a bonus to death saving throws, a very handy bonus to Fortitude, and your feats focus on resists, insubstantiality, and Controller-esque abilities. Give these guys a second look - you might be surprised.[/sblock] Skills: Play and Work... Enjoy Your Time on EarthThe Warlock class gets four skills, the baseline for a class. Surprisingly enough, you don't get Arcana automatically - and depending on your class loadout, you may have to force yourself into that skill.Here's what you can get:Class Skills[sblock]Arcana (INT): A knowledge skill, and one you'll be quite good at. Take it if you can, but if you have a Wizard in the party, you can look elsewhere: he'll be better at it than you. Important for those that become a Sage of Ages.Bluff (CHA): Social skills are very handy, especially as a Cha-primary. If you're Constitution-based, this is still not a bad option.History (INT): Another knowledge skill, but a bit more in the realm of DM context than anything. Still, you'll be great at this.Insight (WIS): Have other people in your party else take this and Perception. If you absolutely must, and you're attracted to the (admittedly good) skill powers, then by all means take it, but...Intimidate (CHA): One of the most broken skills in the game; if your DM allows it, you can force bloodied opponents to surrender with a successful Intimidate vs. Will check. Another social skill, and one that's both highly flavorful and very handy. Constitution'locks won't prize it as much.Religion (INT): Either this or Arcana is required to start slinging around Rituals. I'd rather you go for Arcana than this, but a little prayer never went amiss - and Religion skill powers tend to be very nice.Streetwise (CHA): Eeeeh... this is way too situational to ever really recommend. Ask your DM.Thievery (DEX): Everyone needs a trap-maestro. And if it must fall on you, your modicum of DEX (be it 11 or 13) will make it work. Jumps to Sky Blue if you use Dexterity as a secondary score instead of tertiary or quaternary.[/sblock]Here's what you can't get:Other Skills[sblock]Acrobatics (DEX): Maybe...? You'll be wearing armor that doesn't deduct from your Acrobatics score, and Dexterity is a quaternary (and a rare secondary), so you won't suck at this. But still... it's Acrobatics. Search the room for a ladder and cheat the system, or just fly.Athletics (STR): You're a Warlock. You don't work your muscles - you teleport. Ask for a rope if you have to.Diplomacy (CHA): Bluff and Intimidate will normally get you far in the world (though perhaps not in everyone's good graces). If you're the face of the party, though, consider buying this via a feat. Prime Eladrin racial option here, by the way.Dungeoneering (WIS): Two problems compound this skill - every DM has a different idea of just what Dungeoneering is and what it applies to (basically, determining cardinal directions, noticing clues and hazards in an underground environment, or recognizing how deep in a structure you are). The second is on top of the first: it's Wisdom based. There's not too much to gain if you invest in this skill, so don't worry about it.Endurance (CON): The only Constitution-based skill in the game, and if your DM likes to pit you against rats and mummies, this will be very important to make sure your awesome adventure doesn't get sidelined by random rats. Plus the skill powers are fantastic. Cha'locks need not apply, unless they absolutely must henpick the skill powers.Heal (WIS): Nah.Nature (WIS): Strongly advised if you want to go into the madness that is Rituals. Otherwise, bleh.Perception (WIS): Again, let the Druid do it. However, if no one else can be bothered to pretend to care about their surroundings, then it'll have to fall on you, because the skill is used so much in 4e. Your trash Wisdom score won't like it, though.Stealth (DEX): A very popular candidate for purchasing skills, or grabbing via backgrounds: any investment in Dexterity and common Stealth-boosting armors will make you quite masterful at this, as you have the easiest job in the world gaining concealment. Sky Blue if your race either bumps your Stealth score or gives this skill to you for free.[/sblock]</blockquote>

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