warlock scout questions

[calighis]

I am considering making a warlock scout for my next character but i have some questions regarding eldritch blast and skirmish.
1) Do they mix? eldritch blast is considered a spell likel ability and not an attack per se. Skirmish requires an attack according to the RAW.

2) If Eldritch blast and Skirmish don't mix then does Hideous blow and Skirmish mix

3) Skirmish boots: does the bonus to skirmish damage apply to eldritch blast?

4) If I use a Warlock's spell that targets an enemy and the spell succeeds does skirmish damage still apply if i move ten feet?

5) What race would be best suited for this mixture?

6) What reasonably priced Magic items should I be looking to obtain during early levels.

7) Which levels should I take in each class and what feats should I take at those levels

Thanks

 

[concerro]

I am considering making a warlock scout for my next character but i have some questions regarding eldritch blast and skirmish.
1) Do they mix? eldritch blast is considered a spell likel ability and not an attack per se. Skirmish requires an attack according to the RAW.

2) If Eldritch blast and Skirmish don't mix then does Hideous blow and Skirmish mix

3) Skirmish boots: does the bonus to skirmish damage apply to eldritch blast?

4) If I use a Warlock's spell that targets an enemy and the spell succeeds does skirmish damage still apply if i move ten feet?

5) What race would be best suited for this mixture?

6) What reasonably priced Magic items should I be looking to obtain during early levels.

7) Which levels should I take in each class and what feats should I take at those levels

Thanks

1. Anytime you have to make an attack roll it is an attack. If you crit you do double damage. You should also be taking precise shot if you plan on shooting into melee. Skirmish applies.

2. If it requires an attack roll it does.

3. yes

4. see number 2

5. Small races get bonuses to hit for being small. Whispergnome would be great if the DM allows it.

6. I will have to get back to you. Does the DM allow MiC?

7. That depends on what you want your character to be able to do. This class combination may not be the best one for you needs.

 

[Eldritch_Lord]

I am considering making a warlock scout for my next character but i have some questions regarding eldritch blast and skirmish.
1) Do they mix? eldritch blast is considered a spell likel ability and not an attack per se. Skirmish requires an attack according to the RAW.

Anything that requires an attack roll is an "attack" for purposes of sudden strike, sneak attack, and skirmish; Complete Arcane explains how all that works in the Feats section.

3) Skirmish boots: does the bonus to skirmish damage apply to eldritch blast?

If you use skirmish and eldritch blast together, yes; I don't have it in front of me, so I don't know whether it applies to just eldritch blast by itself.

4) If I use a Warlock's spell that targets an enemy and the spell succeeds does skirmish damage still apply if i move ten feet?

Again, if it has an attack roll, it applies.

5) What race would be best suited for this mixture?

You're going to want a race with a bonus to Dex...and that's pretty much all you need to worry about. I'd say a small race would be good for the attack boost, so perhaps a Strongheart Halfling--small size, Dex bonus, and gets a bonus feat like a human does.

6) What reasonably priced Magic items should I be looking to obtain during early levels.

7) Which levels should I take in each class and what feats should I take at those levels

It depends on what you're going to be taking first; a scout/warlock is going to want different items and a different level balance from a warlock/scout. Which would you prefer?

 

[calighis]

I think to really nerf this guy I would want him to be mostly warlock with levels in scout and maybe even rouge. I say rouge because i noticed a neat little trick the warlock can do with creating magical darkness and then being able to see through magical darkness both at will.
Levels in rouge can make playing in the dark fun. Infinite sneak attacks and skirmished eldritch blasts with hideous blow in the dark sounds fun.
however if i get up close and personal with hideous blow I can channel frightful blast and add skirmish damage so it still hurts plenty and the bad guys still have to roll a save so that sounds fun too and doesn't require so much multiclassing. The big problem with that type of build is that it takes a lot of melee'ing which I think this character could easily do without being that he is stuck in light armor.
I like the warlock/Scout but I really feel like the party could benefit more from a scout heavy build (find and disable traps etc..) then a heavy blaster build. So it comes down to this, I want a utility heavy scout that can blast for plenty of damage. Any suggestions?

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Keep in mind that darkness is actually more like dim lighting. Creatures can still generally see in it, you just have concealment to them (which allows hiding and sneak attacking, yes) and them to you (which would normally mean no SA, but the devil's sight invocation takes care of that).

Far as build, do a few warlock levels and the rest in rogue or scout if your party needs a rogue so much. Ask the DM to let you use the Practiced Spellcaster feat for Warlock, so you can get a better eldritch blast.

As for Hideous Blow...it's an awful invocation. It only allows one attack per round, and iirc, using it requires a concentration check or else aoo/lose the usage, like a normal spell casting.
I think it's called Eldritch Glaive, in one of the splatbooks. That invocation basically just turns your EB into a spear-like weapon you can full attack with (doing base weapon damage equal to your EB damage), instead of just tacking it on to a regular weapon attack like Hideous Blow. Note, if you crit with HB, only the weapon's damage would multiply, since the EB is added dice damage. With the invocation I'm talking about, a crit would double the EB damage, as that IS the base weapon, just as would happen if you were using it in the normal ray form.

 

[Nedz]

Adding in Rogue levels will not increase your eldritch Blast damage over an equal number of Warlock levels - if thats why you're doing this.
Hideos Blow with a reach weapon is good at 1st level, and you can swap it out later.
Eldritch Glaive will not get you additional attacks at low level - obviously.
Best race might well be Human - for the extra feat.

 

[calighis]

hideous blow requires a melee attack i thought.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Levels in rouge can make playing in the dark fun. Infinite sneak attacks and skirmished eldritch blasts with hideous blow in the dark sounds fun.

Forgot to mention, you do not necessarily need invocations ot either create darkness or see in it. You can use wands to do this with spells if you wished. Warlock lets you always take 10, so all you need is a +10 use magic device check.

For darkness, there's the darkness spell. You would definitely want to upgrade to a wand of deeper darkness (Cleric 3, min. CL 5) as soon as possible for a much bigger radius and 5 DAY duration. Cast in on a rock and keep in in your pocket or something when you don't want the darkness out.

For seeing in magical darkness, there is ebon eyes from Spell Compendium, a level 1 cleric spell that lasts 10 min/level. If you rely on this to see in magical darkness, I'd recommend getting two wands. One at CL 1 to cast during a fight or in a prep round. One at CL 6+ so it lasts at least an hour. For dungeons where you think one use of the latter will last the entire dungeon, use it. For situations like overland travel where you're travelling for possibly hours before getting into a fight, use the former once combat breaks out.

By relying on wands for your "I can see you!" trick, you can free up one or both of those invocations for other things if you wish.

 

[Eldritch_Lord]

I think it's called Eldritch Glaive, in one of the splatbooks. That invocation basically just turns your EB into a spear-like weapon you can full attack with (doing base weapon damage equal to your EB damage), instead of just tacking it on to a regular weapon attack like Hideous Blow.

Important note: You don't get to full attack per se. It lets you make a number attacks based on your BAB as a full-round action, so while you get to make all of your iterative attacks, you don't get any extra ones (from haste or whatever) and it doesn't necessarily count for abilities that require/alter full attacks.

 

[pawsplay]

Keep in mind that darkness is actually more like dim lighting. Creatures can still generally see in it, you just have concealment to them (which allows hiding and sneak attacking, yes) and them to you (which would normally mean no SA, but the devil's sight invocation takes care of that).

Actually, concealment does not allow sneak attacking.