Warlocks are too anime and overpowered

[Jackinthegreen]

For those of you about to take Dandu seriously on this one, DON'T! Have a laugh at the notion of people thinking warlocks are too anime and overpowered, because they are clearly not so.

 

[Deset Gled]

In short, I hate warlocks because their flavor and power level does not fit in with my medieval European inspired fantasy world with kung-fu monks.

As much as I appreciate the sarcasm, I view this as a perfectly coherent and valid reasons for disliking Warlocks and disallowing them in a particular campaign. If you have created a setting and/or playstyle that encourages martial arts and other cinematic physical combat, randomly throwing a Warlock into the mix would seriously screw things up.

And the Warlock may not be truly over-powered by most definitions, but it is certainly differently-powered from anything in the core books. It combines magical abilities and staying power in a way that had never been seen before in 3.x. In many ways they're the polar opposite of the 3.x psion, who could blow their load all at once in a major show of power but couldn't hold out for more than a couple of rounds of combat before they're left with nothing to do.

D+D is not completely modular. Despite what some people may want to think, you can't just combine any random material from any books and have them work harmoniously. And there's nothing wrong with preferring some material to others, as long as you realize that others may have a different opinion that is also completely valid.

 

[xigbar]

This is the best thread.

 

[Ragmon]

There are so many animes that you can fit any mold.

These are all off the top of my head.
Barbarian - Every character in an anime that gets pissed, that or if you want something specific then Orson from Record of Lodoss Wars
Bard - Tapion from Dragonball Z, Oji Tanaka (The Legend of Black Heaven)
Binder - Shaman King & Full Metal Alchemist (the rune drawing part).
Cleric - there are a lot of animes with god worshiping fanatics and healers.
Fighter - Berserk, Record of Lodoss Wars...and so on.
Monk - Every one in the DragonBall sagas.
Ninja - *rolls eyes*
Paladin - Vash the Stampede, and just about every other protagonist would fit i guess.
Rogue - Every anime has at least one. XD
Samurai - Samurai Champloo, Afro Samurai, Gintama
Wizard & Sorcerer - Dark Schneider (Bastard), cause he is awesome.


That and Warlock is a Tier 4 Class, a fighter could kill it with ease.
That and, we play D&D here as a role playing game and not a 'hack and slash' so class powers isn't that much of a big deal.

 

[Holy Bovine]

8.5/10.

5.5/10

/Russian judge

 

[Dausuul]

And the Warlock may not be truly over-powered by most definitions, but it is certainly differently-powered from anything in the core books. It combines magical abilities and staying power in a way that had never been seen before in 3.x. In many ways they're the polar opposite of the 3.x psion, who could blow their load all at once in a major show of power but couldn't hold out for more than a couple of rounds of combat before they're left with nothing to do.

I think the idea that there's something novel about the warlock's staying power is vastly overblown. A fighter with a few magic items, or an eldritch knight with a few long-duration buff spells (e.g., overland flight), can match a warlock quite well, including in damage output, special abilities, and staying power.

If you don't like the warlock concept, of course, you should absolutely ban them from your game. And if you don't like the mechanics, same thing. But balance-wise, there's nothing earthshaking going on. The warlock isn't doing anything radically different.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

And Here I used the Warlock To Make Ceiling Cat that Shoots Lasers.
@Dandu , thank you for showing Warlock love, wrapped up in Warlock loathing. Any chance you can point me to whatever threads inspired this rant?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I never liked the 3.5Ed Warlock, but its power or "anime-ness" wasn't why.

 

[Greenfield]

I've been playing D&D since, well, pretty much since there was D&D.

Back in the 1980s there was this national frenzy over D&D being Satanic. Crazy stuff, media driven. Jack Chick tracts portrayed D&D as teaching real magic, complete with dark rituals, player suicide and human sacrifice.

So, to put this simply, the Warlock class is exactly what mommy warned you about D&D. Pacts with the devil.

It is exactly what the authors of earlier editions strove to avoid.

So regardless of its playability or lack thereof, I avoid it in my games. Take that for whatever it's worth.

 

[Dandu]

And don't forget about the sexual unorthodoxy.