Warlock needs guidance!

[drvavylis]

Hello guys
I recently started playing a chaotic neutral human warlock: SRT 9, DEX 14, CON 10, INT 12, WIS 10, CHA 16. My party consists of 2 rangers, 2 fighters,a cleric and me (the warlock!).
Our dm (thank god) allowed Character Flaws from Unearthed Arcana book. So i started with 4 feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (eldritch Blast) and Combat Casting. I think that the last one may not be good enough. Any suggestions?
Now i became lvl3, so its time to obtain my new feat. I was thinking about Weapon Finesse (with Hideous Blow invocation), but then i realised that the feat needs light weapons, so why bother? Then the feat Obtain Familiar sounded good for rp reasons. The question here is if there is something better.
Then again at lvl6 the feat Extra Invocation is a must? Or perhaps for just lvl6 should i take the Maximize Spell-Like ability?
As i mentioned before, my character is lvl3. I have the invocations Baleful Utterance or something like that (the Shatter-like one) and Earthen Grasp. At lvl4 when i obtain my new invocation, which should i take and which should i swap out?
Last, I d like to ask if there is a Warlocks Manual Handbook Guide etc.
Thanks in advance guys.

 

[irdeggman]

You focused on being a blaster - stay away from melee (Str and Con scores are too low). Combat casting really has no benefit for a "ranged" combatant.

I hope you took Eldrittch Spear to increase the range of your EB (for a ranged attacker it is essential).

I would have gone with the Fey Heritage feat chain from Complete Mage instead - Fey Heritage (1st feat required) (bonus to some saves), Fey power (+1 to save DCs for enchantments, +1 CL for enchantment spells and invocations), fey skin +1 to DR/cold iron for each fey feat (stacks with class feature), . . .

You were ineligble for weapon focus since at 1st level you don't have a +1 BAB. You could take it at 3rd level though (I don't think it is worth it since you are making touch attacks anyway).

It is also weapon focus (rays) which works for EB and not weapon focus (EB) - see the text in Complete Arcane for weapon like spells (and invocations)

 

[Thanee]

I like Ability Focus (eldritch blast), because once you get one of those nice Eldritch Essences (I think that's the name), like Noxious Blast (which I consider especially good), it makes those a lot more effective. And you can take that feat at 1st level already.

I also like Maximize and Quicken Spell-Like Ability. But those are 6th/9th+ level.

If the campaign allows for item creation to be useful, Craft Wondrous Item and Craft Wand are very nice feats for a warlock (especially later, when you can use Use Magic Device there to emulate spells for item creation). Since there are quite a few nice feats you cannot take before 6th, it's also a possibility to take one of those feats early (i.e. at 3rd).

Extra Invocation is great, once you get to Greater Invocations, so you can choose Lesser Invocations with it (there are just way too many good ones in that level, so an extra choices doesn't hurt; but that's for double digit levels also).

Bye
Thanee

 

[SolitonMan]

I think the advice here has been very good so far. I personally like mobility in my warlock, so I took spiderwalk and eldritch spear as my least invocations, along with see the unseen (sooo useful to have darkvision). If you're going to go with the Hideous Blow invocation, then you should probably focus on a more melee-heavy build. Which, with your ability scores as presented, is probably not going to work very well, I'm sorry to say.

The warlock I'm currently running is 16th level, and the way he resists damage is by doing his best not to take any. Fell Flight and Flee the Scene are paramount in this scenario. Flying is just awesome in a D&D game, I can't stress enough how important such mobility can be, especially for a ranged artillery guy, which is where the warlock can do best.

If you were looking to take the militant route, then I'd say that you might want to speak with your DM and see if you can rebuild the character with such a focus. I'd go with Eldritch Glaive from Dragon Magic (touch attacks with a reach weapon that damages as an eldritch blast, plus multiple attacks for high BAB), high dex, Combat Reflexes, and maybe the feat Battlecaster, so you can use medium armor without suffering arcane spell failure chance.

Sorry to ramble, I really only meant to come in and post a link to the WotC character optimization board thread on warlocks: Warlock Guide It's very comprehensive, although there's a lot to wade through. I hope it helps.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Can you change your stats around? Con really is the most important stat. I'd even put dex ahead of cha, you can mostly choose non-save invocations if you want, and you won't have potent save or die/lose spells like a regular caster, so pumping your DCs isn't worth much hassle. Given that most Warlocks a) wear some kind of armor, b) get Fell Flight, and c) Fell Flight will cut your fly speed to nothing if you're encumbered...having a below average strength is also a surprisingly bad thing, even though you're not a melee character. Just IME from playing/DMing warlocks.

I think you should swap out Earthen Grasp, the bonus will quickly become far too low to be worth wasting an action trying to grapple someone with it. Eldritch Spear for a long range blast is nice, I personally like it with spiderclimb invocation, swapping that out when I can pick up Fell Flight. You can then in many scenarios stay out of most of harm's way and skirmish, slowly picking away at the enemies. You also get to add one essence and one blast shape to your EB, so if you can, you should get one of each at some point. Swap out if you get a better one, though. Sinc you can only use one of each at a time, a second essence or blast shape is just a waste of your precious few invocations known.

Extra Invocation is eventually well worth grabbing, not sure about at level 6. I find the lesser invocations tend to be the ones where I want far more than you can ever get (Fell Flight, Charm, Flee the Scene, Walk Unseen, and so on...all so tasty). But the feat only lets you pick on grade below the highest you can use, which would be least invocations at level 6. If you can get your DM to allow up to your highest grade (I've gotten some ot agree to that, hasn't seemed broken), totally nab it at level 6. Otherwise, wait unless there's nothing really better you want at the moment.

Feats: Combat Casting was a waste, if you're frequently in melee or grappled and unable to 5 ft step to safety, you've got other problems. You might be better off just removing one of your flaws, pre-level 6 there's not many feats worthwhile for warlock to take (just Pont Blank and Precise Shot, neither of which is essential, either; and Ability Focus (Eldritch Blast) if you frequently use eldritch essences to add saves to your EB), unless you go for hte Fey Heritage feat series from...C.Mage, I think. But otherwise, Warlocks don't have very many useful feats at low levels. I really don't even think you should have bothered with Weapon Focus. Hitting touch AC generally isn't hard, and you should have targeted spell-like invocations for those that do have it high. If you must keep your flaws...Skill Focus (Use Magic Device) -- please tell me you're putting ranks in this -- isn't bad.

At level 10+, you can take the Martial Study feat from Tome of Battle for the Mind Over Body maneuver, and once/encounter replace a fortitude save with a concentration check (which does not auto-fail on a 1). Then again, at level 10+, you could just buy the benefit as a ring slot (Novice Ring of the Diamond Mind) for a paltry 3000 gp. Or get it as a ring and feat, and have it twice/encounter, whatever. If Tome of Battle isn't available, there's a simlar item that takes the head slot in Magic Item Compendium. "Headband of Conscious Effort," iirc.

 

[Herobizkit]

Precise Shot is a wasted feat. You already attack via ranged touch attack - an extra -4 to safely hit creatures in melee (if the DM chooses to impose it) won't matter much. And if you choose to stay far away from melee, that Point Blank Shot might not see much use either. +1 damage isn't worth a feat, imo (unless you're a warrior).

I would also suggest to keep in mind what your character is designed to do:

a) unlimited EB makes you more of a sniper than a nuker. EB is subject to spell resistance as well.
b) all-day personal buffs. Use 'em.
c) you get a decent amount of skill points, so maximize your knowledge skills (because you now no one else did).
d) Use Magic Device - I forget which level, but eventually you receive an ability that lets you take 10 on your UMD ability. This means you can use ANY magic item if you make your check... rods, staffs, wands, scrolls... so you can become a decent 'caster' with the right tools. You're not a wizard, though, so keep that in mind as well.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Warlocks actually don't get many skill points. Otherwise, I agree. The take 10 ability is gained at level 4. Precise Shot is a waste if you have a big feat chain in mind, such as Fey Heritage. Otherwise, there's not much worthwhile for feats until you can take Extra Invocation, Quicken SLA, Empower SLA, etc... Flyby Attack, I forgot to mention, rocks extremely hard, you want that at some point. Unfortunately, unless you're playing a race with flight, you don't qualify until level 6+ (when you can get Fell Flight). In a lot of ways, warlocks (other than the melee versions, which are a bunch of multiclassed mutts by then end anyway) are like Druids. No real great feats before level 6. After level 6, so much stuff that's nice. (I've noticed the same thing for many archers, whose best feats all seem to require BAB +6 or feats that require BAB +6).

 

[Herobizkit]

Silly me. In this case, the OP should still use his skill points for UMD and shouldn't be shy in adding a few bonus points to Int - especially if he chooses to go the Knowledge route.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

As usual, I'll voice a contrarian opinion.

I actually like Precise Shot for any caster/manifester who is going to be doing a lot of ranged touch attacks, and the eldritch blast definitely counts.

Then again, I see a lot of PCs get nailed by well-intentioned partymates who don't have that feat, but fire into melee anyway.

And yes, I've been on both sides of that.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Silly me. In this case, the OP should still use his skill points for UMD and shouldn't be shy in adding a few bonus points to Int - especially if he chooses to go the Knowledge route.

Well, a Warlock also NEEDS Concentration. So barring a high int, can't get many more skills after keeping UMD and Concentration. And a warlock otherwise gets little benefit from int, so it's not really a good idea to put a very high score into that just ot be the party pokedex. You're already an inadequate substitute for a wizard, why try and illustrate that further?

I'd say grab those two, use the rest on spellcraft and maybe cross class on Tumble (it's that good), and just focus on making your warlock as a "unorthodox" archer or melee fighter. If going the melee fighter route, you can retain a good amount of ranged options, so even then you'll be fighting largely skirmish-style. Because you really can't fill a tank on a d6 HD.

As usual, I'll voice a contrarian opinion.

I actually like Precise Shot for any caster/manifester who is going to be doing a lot of ranged touch attacks, and the eldritch blast definitely counts.

Then again, I see a lot of PCs get nailed by well-intentioned partymates who don't have that feat, but fire into melee anyway.

And yes, I've been on both sides of that.

It's good, especially if you have teamwork benefits, then it opens up one of them to give the entire party half the feat's benefit if one party member actually has it.

But the whole hitting allies if you don't take -4 is a houserule, probably not applicable ot the OP. The RAW is that you MUST take -4, and you can never hit allies. You have no option to get a higher chance to hit in exchange for endangering your friends. The only way in RAW to hurt your allies with a ranged weapon is if firing into a grapple, which is actually one of those rare cases where a warlock can really find himself unable to do much. Actual bow and arrow archers can get Seeking on their weapons or eventually have the BAB for Improved Precise Shot. A warlock is mostly left unable to safely use EB, and must rely on his other invocations if an ally is grappling the enemy. Depending on what invocations you chose, you may not have many options in that scenario, especially if you picked offensive invocations that particular enemy is immune to (like if it's an undead and your best offensive invocation was Charm).