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OMG PONIES
2009-11-10, 03:22 PM
So, I've decided to play an unoptimized warlock in a gestalt game, and I am curious...would a rogue/warlock get to apply sneak attack to Eldritch Blasts? Would this apply to other class features (sudden strike, skirmish, etc)?

Lastly, what are the best ways to get eldritch blasts up to an ungodly amount of d6s? I think there were some items that are currently escaping my memory...and I think I'll be taking the Hellfire Warlock PrC for extra kaboom.

Any other helpful hints?

Footnote: Can Warlocks benefit from Quicken Spell-Like Ability? Would this allow me 2 eldritch blasts in a round? An eldritch blast and an invocation? Two invocations?

Eldariel
2009-11-10, 03:48 PM
Answer to pretty much all you ask in your post is "Yes". Hellfire Warlock is v. good, provided you have means to get rid of the ability damage.

Helpful hints? Flyby Attack is nice. Invocations are good. Vitriolic Blast is a must. That's about it. Oh yeah, and Use Magic Device is pretty nice, esp. with Take 10.

Glimbur
2009-11-10, 03:50 PM
Yes to everything.

Specifically, since you're making an attack roll, if the foe qualifies to be Sneak Attacked (is flat footed or whatever) you may sneak attack provided you're within 30'. The exception is volley attacks like Scorching Ray.

There's the questionably kind idea of taking Legacy Champion from... Weapons of Legacy? It progresses abilities from another class... simply progress Hellfire Warlock and you get silly amounts of d6.

Buy a Chasuble of Fell Power for another d6 or two.

lsfreak
2009-11-10, 03:57 PM
If your game lasts that long, topping off with Crusader for Aura of Chaos can be hilariously fun. Not as fun as a full sneak attacker, but still fun.
EDIT: Of course, after posting I realized this requires you to be a glaivelock, which it doesn't seem you are.

OMG PONIES
2009-11-10, 04:02 PM
I wasn't going to be, but now I'm toying with a Warforged Warlock/Hellfire Warlock//Rogue/Warforged Juggernaut/Crusader...if only I can find a way to ignore the arcane spell failure from my skin. Since Warforged Juggernaut requires Adamantine Body, I'll be casting in full armor. Warlocks can ignore ASF from light armor, and Battle Caster would bring it up to medium, but can I take that feat twice to cast in heavy armor with no ASF? Or is there another option for being a Warforged Juggernaut with no arcane spell failure?

Lycanthromancer
2009-11-10, 04:04 PM
(Greater) Chasuble of Fell Power. There are a number of very cheap items in the MIC, too, for several d6's worth of damage. Get multiples of each, if you can afford them (the gauntlets of giant felling only work vs larger enemies - so go Tiny, and there's a cloak that works only if you're on higher ground). I forget which the last one is, however...

There are feats to help, too. Craven (+1 per rogue level), Aligned Attack (+1d6 and turns your attack aligned), Psionic Shot (+2d6 damage), Greater Psionic Shot (+2d6 damage on top of Psionic Shot).

Prime32
2009-11-10, 04:06 PM
Invocations are spell-like abilities (and an eldritch blast is an invocation). You can apply Quicken Spell-like Ability to them, but you have to choose one invocation for the feat to apply to.

More useful are the feats like Violate Spell-like Ability in BoVD, which apply to all of your SLAs separately.


If you're going hellfire warlock, either take a level of binder and bind Naberius (Tome of Magic, auto-heal 1 point of ability damage per round) or take the Shape Soulmeld feat to get the Strongheart Vest soulmeld (Magic of Incarnum, reduce ability damage by 1). The latter is easier, but stands on shakier ground rules-wise.


If you're going the psionic route with Psionic Shot, I recommend a half-giant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicRaces.htm#halfGiants) with the primordial giant template from Secrets of Xen'drik.


Oh, and why are you asking for optimisation advice on an "unoptimised warlock"? :smalltongue:

EDIT: You can't have a prestige class on both sides of a gestalt level. You may, however, be interested in this fighter variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#fighter).
Finally, warlock handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2915.0).

Starbuck_II
2009-11-10, 04:28 PM
So, I've decided to play an unoptimized warlock in a gestalt game, and I am curious...would a rogue/warlock get to apply sneak attack to Eldritch Blasts?

Yes, but You'd need to be invisible or somehow gain ability to sneak attack.

Prime32
2009-11-10, 04:33 PM
Yes, but You'd need to be invisible or somehow gain ability to sneak attack.Thankfully warlocks have an invisibility invocation usable at will. :smallbiggrin:

Lycanthromancer
2009-11-10, 04:38 PM
Thankfully warlocks have an invisibility invocation usable at will. :smallbiggrin:Ah. Good. That means he can fire off an eldritch blast about every other round.

Tavar
2009-11-10, 04:46 PM
Yeah, for a rouge warlock to be really viable you either want to go pixie(greater invisibility) or Eldritch glaive. The last isn't always that good, though.

Of course, the other option is Scout, which synergies fairly well.

Emmerask
2009-11-10, 04:51 PM
Yes, but You'd need to be invisible or somehow gain ability to sneak attack.

A blink ring would work too although then you would have to deal with the miss chance (is there a ring of greater blink?)

Lycanthromancer
2009-11-10, 04:53 PM
Yeah, for a rouge warlockA cross-dressing warlock? I guess that gives a new meaning for "I sneak attack with my eldritch spear," yeah.

OMG PONIES
2009-11-10, 05:27 PM
Thankfully warlocks have an invisibility invocation usable at will.

And that is precisely the invocation I was thinking about quickening. Also, I plan on taking the levels in such a progression that I (hopefully) meet the prestige class "one at a time" rule.

Any ideas on avoiding arcane spell failure in my heavy metal body?

Lycanthromancer
2009-11-10, 05:40 PM
Any ideas on avoiding arcane spell failure in my heavy metal body?Would the Supernatural Transformation feat work? I dunno the prereqs or the requirements on that one.

Prime32
2009-11-10, 05:42 PM
Would the Supernatural Transformation feat work? I dunno the prereqs or the requirements on that one.That only works on SLAs that come from your race.



Any ideas on avoiding arcane spell failure in my heavy metal body?I don't really think it's worth it - those armour check penalties make it hard to hide, and you'll be slow too. Unless you have eldritch glaive you won't be making full attacks, so it's better to combine fell flight and Flyby Attack to stay as mobile as possible. Plus warforged juggernaut makes your build more complicated.

OMG PONIES
2009-11-10, 05:46 PM
Hide? Slow? Those are of no concern to me. I'm playing a tank. Not like "suboptimal character building technique," but more like "be made out of metal, be immune to lots of stuff, shrug of magical and physical damage, and BLAST EVERYTHING TO RUBBLE."

Edit: Level 15 gestalt makes this easy...I think I've got the build locked at Warlock 12/Hellfire Warlock 3//Hexblade 3/Crusader 2/Warforged Juggernaut 5/Rogue 3/Crusader 2 since we're starting at level 15. Evasion, Mettle, some DR, fast healing, a little Sneak Attack, and a delayed damage pool should make taking me down a little harder.