Need Help with a Warlock Build

[rowport]

I'd actually suggest multi-classing early. My barbarian 1/warlock 7 lives off of the barbarian level. The skills, the +10 movement (which also adds +10 to your fly speed if you take the Invokation) and the rage (when really low on hit points mainly) as well as the hit points, and martial weapons more than pay for the one level down in Warlock. Another good one is the rogue/warlock with only a bit of warlock (probably not past 3rd). The ability to see inviso and have dark vision is just huge. And a ranged touch attack is always a nice thing to have at the start of combat (when folks are flat footed). Depends on how high of a level you are going....

I am confused about the multiclassing Barbarian bit. I get the synergies between Warlock and Rogue (or even better with Thug from UA for the hit points boost) but do not understand the Barbarian idea. I thought that Rage would prevent you from using your Invocations, and if so, you would lose your far-away most powerful attack? Am I missing something?

 

[Endur]

Like the others have said, I'd drop rapid shot and replace it with either 1) Precise Shot or 2) Ability Focus Eldritch Blast. When you reach sixth level, I highly recommend the "extra invocation" feat.

For invocations, I'd drop Hideous Blow and replace it with Sickening Blast or Frightful Blast.

As a warlock, you want to stay far away from melee.

See the Unseen is a great invocation.

 

[Thanee]

Hideous Blow isn't really worth it for you. It's only good, if you have a high strength.
It's probably better for you to focus on the ranged attacks instead.

With Able Learner (great feat, BTW, I would even consider switching Int and Con for more skill points ) and the high Dex, you could get a few ranks in Tumble (like 3) and maybe even learn the Leaps and Bounds invocation instead of Hideous Blow, then you can pretty safely keep a healthy distance to your opponents. You could have a +12 to Tumble at 3rd level already.

Rapid Shot doesn't work (Manyshot also doesn't work), as has been stated above already.

Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot both work and are great feats for a warlock.

Earthen Grasp is also not very good. It only works on earth (not stone) and the arms provoke AoO normally, because they don't have Improved Grap/Grapple, and if the AoO hits, the grapple attempt fails automatically (as usual with grapple).

If you want to help your allies, the Frightening Blast or Sickening Blast (I like the Frightening one better) is quite ok at the lower levels (can be replaced later).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

Like the others have said, I'd drop rapid shot and replace it with either 1) Precise Shot or 2) Ability Focus Eldritch Blast. When you reach sixth level, I highly recommend the "extra invocation" feat.

For invocations, I'd drop Hideous Blow and replace it with Sickening Blast or Frightful Blast.

As a warlock, you want to stay far away from melee.

See the Unseen is a great invocation.

Sounds familiar.

I would recommend Empower Spell-Like Ability (eldritch blast) or Maximize Spell-Like Ability (eldritch blast) at 6th level, tho.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Kunimatyu]

Minor aside: As per the latest errata, Hideous Blow does NOT provoke an AoO, and was never intended to.

 

[IcyCool]

Minor aside: As per the latest errata, Hideous Blow does NOT provoke an AoO, and was never intended to.

Could you provide a link to this errata?

 

[Thanee]

Does hideous blow provoke an attack of opportunity?
Yes. As a spell-like ability, using hideous blow provokes
attacks of opportunity just as any other spell-like ability would.
A warlock who relies on this invocation should consider
investing ranks in the Concentration skill so that he may use it
defensively.
Note that it is the act of using the invocation, not the act of
making the touch attack, which draws the attack of opportunity,
since the warlock delivering hideous blow is considered
“armed” (just like a spellcaster delivering a touch spell).

Bye
Thanee

 

[brehobit]

Does hideous blow provoke an attack of opportunity?
Yes. As a spell-like ability, using hideous blow provokes
attacks of opportunity just as any other spell-like ability would.

Yep. I think this was just changed in the last FAQ update.... The old FAQ said it didn't cause an AoO...

 

[brehobit]

I am confused about the multiclassing Barbarian bit. I get the synergies between Warlock and Rogue (or even better with Thug from UA for the hit points boost) but do not understand the Barbarian idea. I thought that Rage would prevent you from using your Invocations, and if so, you would lose your far-away most powerful attack? Am I missing something?

So what you gain (if barb is your first level as compared to all warlock) is:
* 6 extra hit points
* +10' movement which also adds +10 to your fly speed if you take that invokation
* 8 extra skill points with a very useful set of skills to choose from.
* Rage
* Martial weapon prof.

I consider these to be useful in the order given. I generally only use the rage when I am about to die. It is an extra 16 hit points. Greatly limits the character (though he can still fly if he already was, and he usually is), but an extra 16 hit points is still nice to have when running away. (Yes, an odd use for rage, but legal as far as I know).

(edit: My warlock uses a spiked chain and tends to get into HtH more often than your standard arcane caster. Others prefer to be farther away. But as the original poster had H.B. as his first choice, I figured he too was planning on the hand-to-hand thing.)

 

[Thanee]

Yep. I think this was just changed in the last FAQ update.... The old FAQ said it didn't cause an AoO...

Might be, it's marked all red... the whole warlock section is, actually, so I'd rather guess the whole section is new.

The last FAQ version I have before that (might be, that there was another one between those), from march, does not have anything on the warlock yet.

Bye
Thanee