Warlock: Eldritch Blast

[Xeterog]

Have not seen it in play yet, but the damage from this (effectively) at-will power seems a bit on the high side. Am I missing something about it?

 

[ferratus]

Have not seen it in play yet, but the damage from this (effectively) at-will power seems a bit on the high side. Am I missing something about it?

It was high enough that it was all my warlock wanted to do.

 

[Ellington]

Am I missing something about it?

It doesn't have a bonus to damage from any source, such as weapon attacks and some spells do.

Eldritch Blast deals 3d6 damage at first level, which averages out to about 10-11 damage.

A fighter with a Greataxe and 16 STR deals 1d12+3 damage, which averages out to about 9-10 damage. An elven fighter with a Longbow and 16 DEX deals 1d10+3 damage, which averages out to 8-9 damage. Both these attacks are made before without Deadly Strike, which adds about 3-4 damage on average.

The Wizard's Ray of Frost, also an at will power, may not be as powerful in terms of damage (6-7 on average), but it slows people down and he has access to spells that outdamage the warlock's eldritch blast that he can use a few times per day, such as Ray of Enfeeblement (14 damage on average, 7 on a miss AND minimizes damage of target).

I don't think 3d6 damage is too much at all, it just sounds good because of all the dice

 

[bganon]

Another good comparison is to a rogue (thief) with a shortbow. Basically every other round (at least) the rogue gets to attack with advantage and deal 3d6+Dex modifier on a hit. 7d6+Dex modifier at 5th level.

Eldritch Blast starts out pretty good, but it doesn't seem to scale as well as what other classes get. Plus, at least for the first five levels, warlocks never get more than two favors per rest, and once those are used there's little else that warlocks can do.

I might prefer an Eldritch Blast that starts out a little weaker but scales a little more with level, but on average it seems OK.

 

[Minigiant]

Eldritch Blast is about the same as every other attack.

But the damage is high on everything PC wise and the playtest is very rocket taggy if you use too many non elites and solos.

 

[PinkRose]

I think I would rather see it as 2d8.

 

[Rlyehable]

Eldrich Blast

...Eldritch Blast starts out pretty good, but it doesn't seem to scale as well as what other classes get. Plus, at least for the first five levels, warlocks never get more than two favors per rest, and once those are used there's little else that warlocks can do...

Except Eldrich Blast is a minor invocation, so it does not use a favor. Warlocks do have access to the best armor and weapons of the arcane magic casters.

 

[Falling Icicle]

Except Eldrich Blast is a minor invocation, so it does not use a favor.

I think the point he was trying to make is that once a warlock has used his 2 favors in an encounter, all he has left to use is eldritch blast. Sorcerers, on the other hand, can throw out spells that are alot more powerful than that, and can afford to do so quite a few times per day.

I'm actually concerned that the warlock might be too weak. Wizards and sorcerers don't seem to really have changed much power-wise from 3.x. In fact, at least at the levels we have now, they're even more powerful. Warlocks in 3.5 had all of their powers at-will, and while their eldritch blast started out at 1d6 damage, it scaled alot faster. Now, they get 2 weak encounter powers that typically provide a 1 round long buff or are a weak nuke that makes a 1st level wizard/sorcerer spell look strong.

 

[Rlyehable]

...I'm actually concerned that the warlock might be too weak. Wizards and sorcerers don't seem to really have changed much power-wise from 3.x. In fact, at least at the levels we have now, they're even more powerful. Warlocks in 3.5 had all of their powers at-will, and while their eldritch blast started out at 1d6 damage, it scaled alot faster. Now, they get 2 weak encounter powers that typically provide a 1 round long buff or are a weak nuke that makes a 1st level wizard/sorcerer spell look strong.

I agree that they may be too weak, but I feel that the better balance would be to increase the power/duration/utility of the "lesser invocations".

And remember that at 3rd level and later, you can always impose disadvantage on your opponent in melee (pact, doe not require use of favor).

 

[Grimmjow]

wouldn't it be cool if the eldritch blast did different damage (type) dependent on the pact the warlock took? also i think the eldritch blast should do more damage as the warlock levels up.