Warlock accuracy

[Dannyalcatraz]

These posts caught my attention, but I didn't want to hijack that thread:

The star pact half-elf warlock in my game hits on a two occasionally. There are a lot of +'s to hit for a Warlock these days. She has Expertise, Accurate implement, Reckless Curse, Improved Fate of the Void, Action Surge, Bravo. She sometimes gets Prime Shot or CA from one of her powers like Frigid Darkness, or from a leader. Then there are items like Eagle Eye Goggles. Accuracy is usually not a problem.

At paragon with Shadow Warlock Armor CA becomes even easier. Or there is Primed Curse for those who prefer to get in the thick of things with Shadowdance Armor. With something like Two fold Curse and Bloodied Boon that curse boon triggers even more often for a star pact warlock, and it's not too difficult to get for anyone with two-fold pact. Sorcerer-King pact can also give access to some nice damage benefits and yet another way to gain CA (to you and your allies).

Warlocks were once the step child striker, but that is not the case any more.

You left out Hidden Sniper, and about a hundred other options... all of which are equally available to other Strikers. Warlocks have gotten better at roughly the same rate as other Strikers, meaning they are still behind in the damage department compared to other Strikers. This is a basic statement of fact, an optimized Warlock will lose in both the nova and DPR categories against other optimized Strikers. This isn't to say they are bad, they have some good controller-ish effects, good defensive options, etc., but I believe I made it quite clear I was talking about damage.

(emphasis mine)

I'm not familiar with some of the feats mentioned here...where might they be found?

I ask because, even though I have a strong PC concept and intend to take Feats that support it, but his accuracy- at least partly due to my shoddy rolling- is one aspect that bugs me. And because it does, I'm willing to at least examine options for improvement...once I can FIND them, that is.

 

[Aulirophile]

In order: PHB2 or, for Rod Expertise, the Essentials books, PHB3, Arcane Power (Human only), PHB, PHB (Human only, +4 for attacks with an AP, sort of eh these days imo), Dragon 373.

Hidden Sniper is also in Essentials. Basically if you have Shadow Walk up you have CA for all Ranged attacks.

http://community.wizards.com/go/thr..._Power_of_the_Dark_Side_The_Warlocks_Handbook

Sadly it isn't up to date with Essentials, but it notes which book each feat is in and gives solid reasoning for why it is good/bad. There is some discussion in the thread right now about what from Essentials is good, and it'll get up to date eventually. ^.^

 

[thewok]

Implement Expertise: PHB2
Wand Expertise: HotFL/HotFK
Rod Expertise: HotFK
Superior Implement Training: PHB3
Reckless Curse: Arcane Power
Imp. Fate of the Void: PHB1
Action Surge: PHB1
Bravo: Dragon 373
Hidden Sniper: HotFK

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Thanks, y'all!

Hidden Sniper looks like a strong possibility, the others slightly less so. I think only one magical implement has shown up in the campaign so far- it's still early yet, and my Starlock is a Dwarf.

As for Bravo...I don't have access to Dragon.

 

[Lord Ernie]

Thanks, y'all!

Hidden Sniper looks like a strong possibility, the others slightly less so. I think only one magical implement has shown up in the campaign so far- it's still early yet, and my Starlock is a Dwarf.

As for Bravo...I don't have access to Dragon.

An alternative to Cunning Stalker is the Shadow Warlock Armor from AV2, which will give you the benefit on all your attacks (not just ranged ones), but only against cursed enemies (what are you doing attacking non-cursed enemies? Bad Striker! *smack*).

I still have to see my own level 12 Warlock in action, but with +17 to hit (+1 with Prime Shot, +2 against cursed targets) I don't foresee too many accuracy problems.

 

[TarionzCousin]

... and my Starlock is a Dwarf.

There is a great article in an early DDI Dragon Magazine. Reprinted in the first [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Magazine-Annual-4th-Compilation/dp/0786952458/ref=cm_lmf__32_rsrssi0"]Dragon Compendium[/ame].

It includes the best Starlock Heroic Level feat ever, IMHO: Sacrifice to Caiphon.[/COLOR]

 

[renau1g]

Actually Sacrifice to Caiphon is even better for a Helllock, with their THP's, but yeah it's awesome. My favourite warlock feat, because I hate missing with encounter powers.

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

I hadn't really looked at Hidden Sniper for my Feylock because of the name of the feat (and because I haven't used her in many months, but that's another story entirely), but since it was pointed out here... man... that's almost too good!

As a Warlock, unless somehow prevented from moving (which becomes a lot more difficult for baddies to do once you can teleport a lot), you should always be triggering the concealment from Shadow Walk.

 

[Destil]

Actually Sacrifice to Caiphon is even better for a Helllock, with their THP's, but yeah it's awesome. My favourite warlock feat, because I hate missing with encounter powers.

That feat and a few others like it are a big part of the reason I just can't fully wrap my head around where warlocks stand as strikers. It was really powerful when it came out and never left the confines of dragon, but these days it's a pretty tame (but awesome) option that seems rather in line for a class feat. Dual pact, too. It's just weird, aside from specific builds entirely included in Dragon (and the odd really really broken single feat/power/item) almost no other class really cleans up with dragon stuff like the warlock.

They're also (I think, haven't checked in a while) the only class that can get d8 + brutal extra damage die.

Also, they're the most spread out class in the game, easily. PHB1, FR, DS, AP, all have entire builds and there's lots of good stuff in Dragon.

 

[renau1g]

I think the reason they "clean up" in Dragon is that as originally written they were far too weak relative to Rogue and Ranger, so there was an effort made to make them from sub-par strikers with some control to actualyl effective strikers, still with some control.

Yeah, they're all over the place...