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View Full Version : Feats for a Hellfire Warlock (Shackled City spoilers)



Telonius
2010-07-16, 07:10 AM
I'm currently running the Shackled City campaign for a group of five players. (If you're in the campaign with two people connecting by Skype, please leave!)

Since the players have been improving their play and optimization, I've been re-building some of the more important and memorable NPCs to be a bit more powerful and survivable. Currently we're in Occipitus, and I'm giving Kaurophon a re-write. Kaurophon is a human half-fiend interested in gaining control of the plane. He's the final fight at the end of the Test of the Smoking Eye. He was originally statted up as a Sorcerer, but I think Hellfire Warlock (with a level of Binder for Naberius) would suit the character much better.

The party is composed of:
Human VOP Monk/Sorcerer*
Warforged Warblade
Halfling Druid (shapeshift variant) with Dire Toad companion
Dwarf Rogue/Artificer/Paladin
Couatl (rescued from Occipitus and helping the party, played by a new player who will be joining as a regular character when we get back to Cauldron)

(*Due to houserules this does not suck nearly as much as it looks - this is actually our party optimizer, who's trying very hard not to overshadow the rest of the party)

Currently I have Kaurophon as:

Warlock10/Binder1/Hellfire Warlock 3
Invocations:
Least
Earthen Grasp (to be used on self to prevent being bullrushed into the plasms by an over-enthusiastic Warforged)
Devil's Sight
Darkness
Beguiling Influence (extra invocation)
Entropic Ward (extra invocation)
Lesser
Hellrime Blast
Walk Unseen
Charm
Greater
Enervating Shadow
Repelling Blast

Note that Kaurophon gets a flight speed for being a half-fiend, so no Fell Flight necessary. I've also given him the False Theurgy skill trick, so the party thinks he's been casting Magic Missile when he's been using his Eldritch Blast. For the final fight, if someone can throw another character into a gusher of evil energy (plasms) they gain the Smoking Eye template and can take control of the plane. Kaurophon is trying to do that to the party while trying to prevent someone doing that to him. I'm planning on using a combination of Darkness, Devil's Sight, and Enervating Shadow to make things difficult for the party, while sniping away with Hellfire Repelling Blasts for 12d6 each (plus change from items like chasuble, scepter, etc).

What I'm having trouble with is the feat selection. So far this is what I have:
1 Spell Penetration
1 ?
3 ?
6 Extra Invocation
9 Extra Invocation
12 ?

I hate to just load him up with Improved Initiative and Weapon Focus (ray) - there's got to be something better out there. What else is good for a Warlock in this situation?

ex cathedra
2010-07-16, 07:44 AM
Empower, Maximize, and Quicken Spell-Like Ability (Eldritch Blast), Mortalbane, and similar damage boosters are always decent picks, at least.

Telonius
2010-07-16, 07:48 AM
I'd looked at those, but I'm not sure how they'd help. EB is equivalent to a spell half the Warlock level, rounded down, in this case 6. I'd need to be CL 16th in order to empower it, and CL 20th in order to Quicken it, wouldn't I?

EDIT: Ah, errata! It's actually level 1. That makes much more sense.

super dark33
2010-07-16, 07:55 AM
you should get him an acid burst cuz it overcomes spell resistence

ex cathedra
2010-07-16, 07:56 AM
That was fixed with errata. You can find that here. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/er/20040125a) The errata makes EB the equivalent of a first level spell.

Telonius
2010-07-16, 08:03 AM
Okay, so for the feat structure:

1 Spell Penetration
1 Mortalbane
3 Extra Invocation (get a useless one, switch it out to the one I want at 6)
6 Extra Invocation
9 Empower SLA
12 Quicken SLA

Looks great, thanks!

gorfnab
2010-07-16, 08:04 AM
I hate to just load him up with Improved Initiative and Weapon Focus (ray) - there's got to be something better out there. What else is good for a Warlock in this situation?
Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot so you don't hit your party members.