Tell Me About the Warlock's Hideous Blow

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

Need some help on this one...

Hideous Blow and the Warlock.

Does a warlock provoke an attack of opportunity when using Hideous Blow?

The reason I ask is that the warlock is also wielding a weapon to deliver the hideous blow and I'm thinking that wielding the weapon might negate the opportunity for an AoO.

Thanks!

 

[pawsplay]

Nothing in the description negates AoOs or any other condition for an invocation.

 

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

That's what I was thinking.

I don't think the player of the Warlock in our group will be too happy with that, though.

 

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

OK.

Looking at The Eratta for Complete Arcane, it turns out that Eldritch Blast, alone, is an invocation. And invocations provoke attacks of opportunity.

So, does using two invocations at once provoke two attacks of opportunity?

If a warlock using a melee weapon chooses to use the Hideous Blow invocation to deliver his Eldritch Blast via melee attack... Does that count as two invocations that provoke potentially two attacks of opportunity (assuming the opponent(s) is/are capable of multiple AoO's (perhaps, through the Combat Reflexes feat))???

 

[rgard]

OK.

Looking at The Eratta for Complete Arcane, it turns out that Eldritch Blast, alone, is an invocation. And invocations provoke attacks of opportunity.

So, does using two invocations at once provoke two attacks of opportunity?

If a warlock using a melee weapon chooses to use the Hideous Blow invocation to deliver his Eldritch Blast via melee attack... Does that count as two invocations that provoke potentially two attacks of opportunity (assuming the opponent(s) is/are capable of multiple AoO's (perhaps, through the Combat Reflexes feat))???

I wouldn't rule it as two AoO. It's a bit overkill.

 

[Shayuri]

Using a blast invocation, either shape or essence (or one of each) counts as modifying the Eldritch Blast...not separate invocations.

So yes, 'casting' Hideous Blow incurs AoO. But just one, for the Eldritch Blast. Modifying the Hideous Blow with, say, Vitriolic Blast would still only incur one AoO.

However, firing an Eldritch Blast in a threatened square DOES provoke two AoO's. One for the spell like ability, and one for firing a ranged weapon in a threatened space.

That's one reason to use Hideous Blow at all (the other being that it adds to melee weapon damage).

 

[irdeggman]

OK.

Looking at The Eratta for Complete Arcane, it turns out that Eldritch Blast, alone, is an invocation. And invocations provoke attacks of opportunity.

No casting an eldritch blast is an invocation (and thus using a SLA).

So, does using two invocations at once provoke two attacks of opportunity?

It would if you could - but you can't. Using a SLA is a standard action, unless using Quicken SLA (which makes it a swift action - and they don't generate AoO)

If a warlock using a melee weapon chooses to use the Hideous Blow invocation to deliver his Eldritch Blast via melee attack... Does that count as two invocations that provoke potentially two attacks of opportunity (assuming the opponent(s) is/are capable of multiple AoO's (perhaps, through the Combat Reflexes feat))???

No because the Hideous Blow is the invocation being used and it applies damage as if the opponent was struck by his EB.

 

[rgard]

Found your answer in the latest FAQ:

Does a warlock’s hideous blow invocation (Complete
Arcane, page 134) require one standard action to use the
hideous blow and another round to strike with a melee
weapon, or can the hideous blow and the melee weapon
attack be done as a single standard action?
Making an attack with hideous blow is considered part of
the same standard action as using the hideous blow invocation
(much like the casting of a touch spell allows an attack to be
made as part of the spell’s casting).

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 can use it
defensively.
Note that the act of using the invocation, not the act of
making the attack, draws the attack of opportunity, since the
warlock delivering hideous blow is considered “armed” (just
like a spellcaster delivering a touch spell).

 

[irdeggman]

However, firing an Eldritch Blast in a threatened square DOES provoke two AoO's. One for the spell like ability, and one for firing a ranged weapon in a threatened space.

I don't think so. EB is not a ranged weapon, it is a weapon-like spell. There is a difference. Would casting acid arrow in the same situation cause 2 AoO? No, for the same reason. The "casting" generates the AoO the "aiming" is part of the act of casting and not a separate action.

 

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

I wouldn't rule it as two AoO. It's a bit overkill.

Yeah. I think it would kill the player's desire to play the warlock.

He was really excited about Hideous Blow. And, dealt incredible damage with it, last session. Probably winning a couple of fights for the group a little too queickly because I didn't realize that it provoked an AoO. And, the fact he was using a weapon to deliver it distracted me because of the threat of the weapon probably negating the opportunity for an AoO. I guess I was thinking that since it wasn't an unarmed attack, that it didn't provoke an AoO. But, I guess that a Spell-Like Ability provokes an AoO whether a character's using a weapon or not.

He's gonna be dissappointed about provoking an attack of opportunity everytime he tries it.