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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dan'L" data-source="post: 5218257" data-attributes="member: 68954">IMO, Warlocks -- particularly PHB1-only Warlocks (no access to melee basic training, no weapon-based attack powers) -- have no business swinging a melee weapon.  Sure, it can be flavorful, but you really don't want to be on the front lines; you want to be running around getting your shadow walk concealment for better defenses and sniping at your choice targets.  You can still carry around that hammer and swing it when something triggers an OA from you, but it should really be your last tactic of choice.  Since you've not got access to the Adventurer's Vault (from which we get Pact Hammers) I would recommend against spending feats on your hammer and focus more on what your Warlock actually does do well.The energy feats can work well if you focus your power selection to work with them.  Given that your pact at-will deals Radiant damage, your go-to should be Astral Fire; radiant and fire should come up often enough to give you a selection of powers that will key off this for most levels.  Remember, you can fluff/skin your powers any way you want to, so just because the listing reads (Infernal) doesn't mean you can't take it with your Star Pact Warlock and rewrite the flavor text.  For example, the Level 3 "Fiery Bolt" could just as easily be "Comet Fall" or some such, and suddenly you have yourself a multi-target affecting power (to give better chance of triggering your FotV pact boon) that can benefit from Astral Fire.Realize that your Ranger multi-class is 13 Strength OR Dexterity -- it does not need to be in both, just one.  I would recommend Dex, since you would need a 13 in Dex to qualify for Astral Fire, and then spend the points for that 13 Str elsewhere. I would also caution against feeling that an armor upgrade is really all that necessary, particularly given the M.A.D.C.O.W. disease that leads to here.  While it's always nice to see your AC number high, in my experience playing Warlocks and seeing them played the best defense does not come from wearing better armor.  It comes from wearing light armor with a high Int (or possibly Dex) score, and from always being in motion on the field in order to get concealment (and thus effectively +2 to all your defenses) from Shadow Walk, and from being not the easiest/closest target to the attacker when the bad guys get to go.I would suggest a starting ability array (post racial) of: 8 Str, 18 Con, 13 Dex, 14 Int, 14 Wis, 13 Cha -- if you want to pick up both Astral Fire and Burning Blizzard.  If you really don't care about Burning Blizzard feat (probably not your best choice, anyway) then take the two points out of Wis and bump Cha up to 14, then either leave Wis at 12 and Str at 8 or swap them around to 10/10.I hope my ramblings are helpful!-Dan'L</blockquote>

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