Warlock question!

[Krafen]

And, as the rogue IMC has come to realize, damage subject to special resistances tends to be least effective when you need it most.

If Eldritch blast is subject to SR then most golems are immune (SR:infinity except against select spells), dragons, celestials and fiends ignore it 25-50% of the time (assuming appropriate CRs), and it is defeated in most cases by Minor Globe.

Hey, if it's been errated to be a 1st level spell then does that mean that Spell Immunity and Spell Turning can protect against it?

Warlock: "Hah, I eldritch blast you!"
BBEG: "Hmmm, guess my Ring of Spellturning will zap that back at you. It can do that another 8 times if you'd care to continue."
Warlock: "Ouch! Guess I'll blast your cleric companion!"
BBEG'sCC: "Ho-hum. I saw you blasting our minions so much that I made myself immune to it."
Warlock: "Well, crap!"

I don't think spell turning would work.

The warded creature is immune to the effects of one specified spell for every four levels you have. The spells must be of 4th level or lower. The warded creature effectively has unbeatable spell resistance regarding the specified spell or spells. Naturally, that immunity doesn’t protect a creature from spells for which spell resistance doesn’t apply. Spell immunity protects against spells, spell-like effects of magic items, and innate spell-like abilities of creatures. It does not protect against supernatural or extraordinary abilities, such as breath weapons or gaze attacks.
Only a particular spell can be protected against, not a certain domain or school of spells or a group of spells that are similar in effect.
A creature can have only one spell immunity or greater spell immunity spell in effect on it at a time.

Although it can protect against "innate spell-like abilities of creatures", it protects against "one specified spell"(per 4 levels). As Eldrich Blast is not a spell and does not duplicate the effects of a spell, I don't think it can be chosen. I understand the spell description to mean if you choose a particular spell to be immune to, you are protected from that spell regardless of whether it is cast directly or comes from a magic item or a spell-like ability.

Yes, spell turning would be effective, as long as the Eldrich Blast was not shaped into a cone or burst. Keep in mind, though, Eldrich Blast will often have a higher effective level than one as both Essence Invocations and Blast Shape Invocations increase the effective level.

Finally, the Vitrolic Blast Essence Invocation transforms the Eldrich Blast into nonmagical acid and is, therefore, unaffected by SR.

Yes, there are certainly defenses against Eldrich Blast and the Warlock does have some ability to adapt to those defenses.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Although it can protect against "innate spell-like abilities of creatures", it protects against "one specified spell"(per 4 levels). As Eldrich Blast is not a spell and does not duplicate the effects of a spell, I don't think it can be chosen. I understand the spell description to mean if you choose a particular spell to be immune to, you are protected from that spell regardless of whether it is cast directly or comes from a magic item or a spell-like ability.

Keep in mind that the warlock was made after spell immunity got written up. There was no caster who didn't cast spells. There is now. I don't think invocations should be excempt from everything that targets spells. Spell Immunity (Eldritch Blast) should work, by the spirit, if not necessarily by the letter, of the rules.

 

[Krafen]

Keep in mind that the warlock was made after spell immunity got written up. There was no caster who didn't cast spells. There is now. I don't think invocations should be excempt from everything that targets spells. Spell Immunity (Eldritch Blast) should work, by the spirit, if not necessarily by the letter, of the rules.

You make a good point. On the other hand, not all spell-like abilities duplicate specific spells, even without taking the Warlock into account.

Here are a few examples:

Black Dragon - Corrupt Water
White Dragon - Freezing Fog

I don't have any of the monster manuals handy, so that's what I found in the SRD. Granted they are rare, but they do exist.

 

[Particle_Man]

I'm not sure whether Essence Invocations can be combined with Hideous Blow, but if they can that would be an interesting direction to go for the Rogue/Warlock.

Yep, an essence can be mixed in. So you can have Vitriolic Blow, Utterdark Blow, etc.

Hmmm...that anti-magic could be tough. But Anti-Magic Field works on almost anything (wizard or warlock), so at least the warlock would have more hp than the wizard, if both are stuck in an anti-magic field (mind you, I think that there are a few wizard spells that work even in an anti-magic field (the prismatic ones and wall of force?).

Dispel Magic is working vs. the Warlock's caster level, not the level of the invocation.

But that spell turning would be nasty...and I am not sure whether or not Spell Immunity would work. If it does, that would be VERY nasty. Luckily I am also getting Chill Tentacles when I get high enough. And Vitriolic Blast, for those enemies with SR. (For those enemies with Acid resistance/Acid Immunities and high SR, I have Flee the Scene - but no one character is good at meeting every challenge, after all. That's why they travel in groups).

I am deciding whether to trade in Hideous Blow at 11th for Leaps and Bounds (spending 2 skill points for 1 rank in Tumble). By that time I will have Sudden Still as a feat, and my concentration will be high enough to invoke on the defensive. But I have time to think about that one.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

You make a good point. On the other hand, not all spell-like abilities duplicate specific spells, even without taking the Warlock into account.

Here are a few examples:

Black Dragon - Corrupt Water
White Dragon - Freezing Fog

I don't have any of the monster manuals handy, so that's what I found in the SRD. Granted they are rare, but they do exist.

And I think that's the point: They are rare. And the examples you have given are not really primary abilities. But with the warlock, we're speaking about something that might be quite common in the campaign - one or more of the players will be one, for example, and if a base class like warlock is used in the campaign, they should have at least some regularity (otherwise it wouldn't be a base class, would it?). So what we're talking about here is no rare ability, it's uncommon at least (to use the rarity classifications used by trading cards and D&D Miniatures), maybe even common. And a common spell-like ability that is quite similar to the usual blast spells, but that cannot be defended against as well as the rest - don't think we want that.