Warlock?

[Scholar & Brutalman]

However, I'm concerned that the warlock class will be too much like the one presented in the Complete Arcane. The CA warlock seemed to consist mainly of the ability to shoot "arcane blasts". The whole arcane blast concept never sat well with me. Besides making the warlock a one trick pony, the ability seemed like something that belonged more to a superhero comic book than a dark, fiendish wizard. How does the concept of shooting arcane energy fit with a dark wizard who makes fiendish pacts?

Will the 4e warlock be a dark wizard or will he be an arcane blaster?

In response to a similar question on warlocks on the Wizards' boards, Christopher Perkins wrote:

In general, it would be a mistake to assume that [insert class here] in 4E works exactly like its 3E counterpart.

So in light of Rich Baker's comment today, I think "Dark Wizard" looks more likely.

 

[Lackhand]

And the villagers rejoicéd.

 

[Rechan]

As a side note, it was pointed out in another thread that some legends say Merlin was half-fiend, and that's where his magic comes from.

Just sayin'.

 

[WayneLigon]

Pretty interesting post from Baker, and also indicates that the flavor is not set in stone. Just the name is.

I played a warlock for the first time a couple weeks ago at a day-long one-shot game. It was a fun and interesting class to play. The blast is just the same thing that wizards generally do, only with a different flavor and mechanic: it does damage. Not very much different that loading up with a couple wands of scorching ray. The real fun was deciding what special powers and invocations to take; there is a potential to really have a very customized arcane class built around spell-like abilities there. I liked it a lot.

 

[Rechan]

There's a Warlock PC in one of my games.

I like the class, but the invocation selection is very narrow; you have to have a very specific build and progression in mind or you end up looking like the Bard: spread too thin.

I hope the 4e warlock doesnt' suffer this. But more importantly, I hope the 4e Warlock is not just a Wizard with a black hat and no staff. I want the Wizard and Warlock to Different abilities.

To put it another way. The Fighter and Paladin are both Defenders, but they both do it different ways. The Ranger and Rogue are pretty much strikers, but I'm certain they do it different ways. If the Warlock and Wizard are controllers, I hope they do it in different ways.

 

[Exen Trik]

Seeing as how Warlock is now core, I'm really hoping it has more options besides the fiendish route. Just as how the paladin is no longer tied to only being lawful good, I'd like to see warlocks able to be bound to non-infernal powers.

I would make them the thematic reverse of a cleric: instead of invoking the power of the gods whose planes lie in the astral sea, warlocks channel the forces within the elemental tempest, which includes the Abyss. That would also help suggest an association between divine magic with the "upper" astral side of reality, and arcane magic with the "base" elemental side, a concept I regard as "spiffy".

 

[Rechan]

Seeing as how Warlock is now core, I'm really hoping it has more options besides the fiendish route. Just as how the paladin is no longer tied to only being lawful good, I'd like to see warlocks able to be bound to non-infernal powers.

I would make them the thematic reverse of a cleric: instead of invoking the power of the gods whose planes lie in the astral sea, warlocks channel the forces within the elemental tempest, which includes the Abyss. That would also help suggest an association between divine magic with the "upper" astral side of reality, and arcane magic with the "base" elemental side, a concept I regard as "spiffy".

While I like that notion, I have the feeling Warlocks are going to be tied to devils, reflecting Pacts, and tieflings.

 

[Exen Trik]

While I like that notion, I have the feeling Warlocks are going to be tied to devils, reflecting Pacts, and tieflings.

If that is the case, expect some new warlock variants from me within a couple days of the 4e release.

If not sooner.

 

[Baron Opal]

On that note, if the warlock kills the binder and takes his stuff, I'll be a happy DM.

 

[TwinBahamut]

Warlocks mugging the Binder is indeed a good idea.

I also like the idea of Warlocks drawing powers straight from the corrupted elemental energies at the fringes of the Abyss.

I can't say whether they would work better as Arcane or Divine characters... Need more information...

I am excited though, since my longest running D&D character ever happened to be a Warlock.