What would fix warlocks?

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I've inverted the warlock's primary and secondary stats, making it an 'A' class instead of a 'V' (i.e. Int is the primary stat and Con and Cha are secondary).

Game effects:

• All warlocks have higher ACs since Int is now primary.
• Star pact warlocks are now much more viable since, as mentioned above, they have competitive ACs and are equally effective with Con- and Cha-based powers. The star pact warlock is now much more akin to the resourceful warlord in the way its stats contribute to the character (much more mechanically sound in my opinion).
• Different primary/secondary stats leads to a change to 'best skills'.

This is an extremely low maintenance change: updating the powers by making Con/Cha references Int while Int references become Con or Cha, depending on which primary stat that power formerly used.

But then we don't have a class anymore that uses CON for its attacks! I like the flavor implied by that.

But it would certainly work.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

But then we don't have a class anymore that uses CON for its attacks! I like the flavor implied by that.

But it would certainly work.

I've also made Wardens Con-based! I've reversed the roles of Str and Con for that class. The modification was as painless as the Warlock change.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I've also made Wardens Con-based! I've reversed the roles of Str and Con for that class. The modification was as painless as the Warlock change.

Not a bad idea, either, I think.

I hope that some of the upcoming (whenver that will actually be) Elemental classes will also use Constitution. There is no need for smart, charms or wisdom when it comes to channel lightning bolts through your body.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

I hope that some of the upcoming (whenver that will actually be) Elemental classes will also use Constitution. There is no need for smart, charms or wisdom when it comes to channel lightning bolts through your body.

I hear you... Con doesn't get enough love. Primal and Elemental seem to me to be power sources that would favour Con as a primary (hence my retooling of the Warden).

 

[BlindGeekUK]

My son plays the warlock in our game, and has struggled to get any kills, so we came up with (and modified from other homebrew sources):

New Class Features:

Pact Dagger
Once per day, as a Minor action, you may slash yourself with the dagger (for the usual damage of your pact weapon, typically 1d4+Str mod+magical bonus). The damage counts as and replaces any magic bonus of the Pact Dagger for attack and damage rolls until the end of your next turn. There is no attack roll needed to slash yourself. The damage dealt cannot be healed until you take an extended rest.

Deadly Curse
Once per day, after hitting a target under your Warlock’s Curse but before rolling damage, you may choose to automatically deal maximum Curse damage while using the wand. If this attack kills the target, you gain double the effect for your pact (Teleport up to 6 squares if Fey, gain double the temp HP if Infernal, and gain a +2 bonus for the Star Pact, etc)

New feats:

Vicious curse:
Benefit: The extra damage dice from your Warlock's Curse class feature increase from d6s to d8s
(basically replaces the rod in our campaign)

Amplify Curse
Benefit: Gain 'Amplify Curse' at-will action

Amplify Curse - At-Will
Minor Action, Personal, Arcane
The extra damage die from your Warlock's Curse class feature increases a size (from d6 to d8, d8 to d10 etc), but you do not gain the benefit of your Pact Boon if you reduce the target to 0 hit points.

Sacrificial Curse
Benefit: Once per encounter, by sacrificing a healing surge, the next time you apply your Warlocks Curse it does double damage OR maximum damage.

Eldritch Chain
Benefit: When you hit a target with your eldritch blast spell, adjacent enemies take half the damage you dealt to the original target from the eldritch blast spell itself. Extra damage from your warlock’s curse, some other feature or item is not inflicted on the adjacent enemies.

 

[keterys]

Change curse from an extra +1d6/2d6/3d6 to give vulnerable to the warlock's attacks or just to apply to all targets, for starters, so they can do AoE more respectably like the sorcerer. Or both.

Prime Shot giving +5 damage at 11th level makes a big difference. Could make that part of the base class or a heroic feat.

If their pact boons were more damage oriented, as well as utilitarian. Or if they got a big damage boost on a target in the round they curse it.

One trick about the warlock is that you need to be careful with dire radiance and hellish rebuke so that you don't double up on damage... I made a 12th level warlock the other day who does 40 damage a round single target no problem cause of doubling up of bonuses.

 

[keterys]

Actually, yeah, playing with it a little bit...

Using your Int-based warlock:
1) Warlock Curse damage applies to all targets they hit on their turn
2) Placing warlock curse gives a target Vulnerability to the warlock's attacks equal to the warlock's Charisma until the end of the warlock's turn
3) The warlock applies Con damage as a bonus to damage on an attack that hits when Prime Shot applies

So that gives the warlock lots of reason to move around to pick up targets and curse things and get prime shot, makes multiple stats a little more worthwhile, and makes their 'close' attacks have an actual punch.

But change Hellish Rebuke and Dire Radiance to be a flat damage on trigger, instead of a damage roll. Ie, like 5 + Int/Cha/Con (whatever) damage instead of 1d6+.

 

[Garthanos]

Me likes the flavor of conlocks -- One such
Channelling the power through the purity of his flesh and blood itself (is there a con based divine class?)
Focusing through the pain as it courses through his body he is the powers gateway to this world.

or is that two distinct options?

 

[Saeviomagy]

Regarding warlocks vs sorcerors:

warlocks are behind sorcerors in single target damage by precisely the amount that giving them a d6->d8 striker feat would fix. While there is a rod that does the same thing, it's not a good thing to tie an entire class to using a single item.

Beyond that, I'm not sure I see the problem.

Sure a starlock has bad AC and reflex, but he's also a ranged class with concealment all the time who has a good will and fort.

 

[FireLance]

Instead of just increasing the damage die or applying a flat damage bonus, I would rather go with the following feats, which play off the warlock's ability to curse multiple opponents at the same time:

Resonating Curse
Prerequisites: warlock, warlock's curse class feature
Benefit: When you deal warlock's curse damage, you gain a +1 bonus to damage for every additional opponent you have cursed. For example, if you have cursed three opponents, you deal +2 damage with your warlock's curse. This bonus damage increases to +2 at 11th level, and +3 at 21st level.

Repeated Curse
Prerequisites: warlock, warlock's curse class feature
Benefit: When you deal warlock's curse damage, you deal the same amount of damage to one other opponent you have cursed.​

Both these feats require the warlock to work harder to get his higher damage than the rogue or the ranger, but cause him to be more effective in fights against multiple opponents (and conversely, less effective in fights with smaller numbers of opponents and towards the end of fights). I think they would help play up the more controllery aspect of the warlock.