[3.PF] Warlock

[bartman]

Simple enough, how would you convert the 3.5 Warlock to Pathfinder? I know it works reasonably well already, but with all the other classes getting changes, how woud you think the Warlock should be changed?

[Grynning]

I imagine it would replace the DR and Fiendish Resilience with different abilities gained at the appropriate levels based on your pact type, kinda like the sorcerer bloodlines. Warlock isn't OGL so we'll never get an official conversion, but you could come up with something pretty easily.

Pathfinder also has the Witch (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/witch) base class, so I guess going off of just PF material, a Warlock is a male Witch. It's an alright little class, be good for a horror game or a more medieval-folklore inspired game (rather than the typical high-fantasy).

[Sir Swindle89]

don't change any thing? you did label the thread 3.PF rather than simplt PF or Pathfinder

[Psyren]

Warlock could use a buff, they're pretty weak. Pathfinder's theme seems to be making it attractive to stay in your base class rather than jumping at a PrC, so buffing their useless class features is a good start.

For instance, Fiendish Resilience - what a cesspit. I would up this to just be constant Fast Healing, or at the very least give more uses/day. If the latter, it should be Fast Healing 2/4/6/8/10 instead of a ridiculous Fast Healing 5 at 18. Similarly, the DR is pathetic; 5/cold iron at 19 is laughable. And the energy resistance should be switchable each day.

Eldritch Blast should get iteratives and/or do more damage.

The Detect Magic ability should upgrade as you level, becoming Arcane Sight and then Greater Arcane Sight.

[Halae]

Warlock could use a buff, they're pretty weak. Pathfinder's theme seems to be making it attractive to stay in your base class rather than jumping at a PrC, so buffing their useless class features is a good start.

For instance, Fiendish Resilience - what a cesspit. I would up this to just be constant Fast Healing, or at the very least give more uses/day. If the latter, it should be Fast Healing 2/4/6/8/10 instead of a ridiculous Fast Healing 5 at 18. Similarly, the DR is pathetic; 5/cold iron at 19 is laughable. And the energy resistance should be switchable each day.

Eldritch Blast should get iteratives and/or do more damage.

The Detect Magic ability should upgrade as you level, becoming Arcane Sight and then Greater Arcane Sight.
This. Psyren is most certainly making all the correct points

[gorfnab]

Eldritch Blast progression on the odd levels, like a rogue's sneak attack (so 10d6 instead of 9d6).
One new invocation learned every level (so 20 invocations instead of 12).
Acrobatics as skills since Jump is part of Acrobatics.
Fly as a class skill.

[true_shinken]

Psyren is right that detect magic should upgrade itself and Grynning is right that you should trade DR/fast healing for fiendish/fey specific powers.
An extra invocation of each level wouldn't hurt as well; Warlocks have nice stuff, but since they get so few slots, sometimes you miss on good utility.

[Person_Man]

IMO, the Dragonfire Adept (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060912a&page=2) is the best guide for this. The biggest fix is that it gains Invocations (8) and Breath Effects (6) on two separate tracks. This gives him more powers then the Warlock, who gets a total of 12 Invocations. And it also enforces a more flexible and optimal build, as a noobish player can't accidentally load up on nothing but one or the other.

With this in mind, I think it would be prudent to separate Warlock Invocations into Eldritch Essenes/Shapes (let's just call them Essenes for short) and Invocations, and provide progression for each.

They also just need more raw power. Way too many levels where they're just gaining minor bumps in Eldritch Blast damage or DR/ER.

Maybe something like this:

{table=head]Level | BAB | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | EB Damage | Invoc Known| Essences Known
1st | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Eldritch Blast Invocation (Least) 1d6 | 1d6 | 1 |
2nd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | Detect Magic | | 1 | 1
3rd | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Energy Resistanec 5 | 2d6 | 2 |
4th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Deceive Item | | 2 |
5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | DR 5/Cold Iron | 3d6 | 2 | 2
6th | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 | Invocation (Lesser) | | 3 |
7th | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5 | Arcane Sight | 4d6 | 3 |
8th | 6 | 2 | 2 | 6 | Energy Resistanec 10 | | 4 |
9th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | Smite Opposition (1/day) | 5d6 | 4 |
10th | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 | Imbue Item | | 4 | 3
11th | 8 | 3 | 3 | 7 | Invocation (Greater) | 6d6 | 5 |
12th | 9 | 4 | 4 | 8 | DR 10/Cold Iron | | 5 | 4
13th | 9 | 4 | 4 | 8 | Smite Opposition (2/day) | 7d6 | 6 |
14th | 10 | 4 | 4 | 9 | Greater Arcane Sight | | 6 |
15th | 11 | 5 | 5 | 9 | Wings 8d6 | | 6 | 5
16th | 12 | 5 | 5 | 10 | Invocation (Dark) | | 7 |
17th | 12 | 5 | 5 | 10 | Spell Resistance 25 | 9d6 | 7 |
18th | 13 | 6 | 6 | 11 | Smite Opposition (3/day) | | 8 |
19th | 14 | 6 | 6 | 11 | Telepathy | 10d6 | 8 |
20th | 15 | 6 | 6 | 12 | Regeneration 5 | | 8 | 6
[/table]

Energy Resistance: Against 2 types, your choice.

Arcane Sight/Greater Arcane Sight: Psyren's sugestion. As per the spells, at will.

Smite Opposition: Cha bonus to hit, Warlock level to damage. If you're Chaotic, it's Smite Lawful. If you're Evil, it's Smite Good.

Spell Resistance 25: Self Explanatory.

Wings: Fiendish Bat wings or Fey Butterfly wings, your choice. Fly Speed of 60 with average maneuverability.

Telepathy: Continuous, with a range of 100 feet.

Regeneration (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Regeneration) 5: Cold Iron, Good, and/or Lawful weapons damage you normally (It only needs to be one of the three). Everything else is non-lethal damage, which you heal at a rate of 5 points per turn.

[Last Laugh]

Smite Opposition: Cha bonus to hit, Warlock level to damage. If you're Chaotic, it's Smite Lawful. If you're Evil, it's Smite Good.

Would a CE warlock only be able to smite LG? Or does he get to choose between the two?

[Psyren]

I would rather put the wings onto the Fell Flight invocation (and let you choose bat or butterfly with that.)

For one, the fey or fiend in your ancestry might not even be a flier, and for two, getting natural flight makes the invocation redundant.

Smite would be a nice way to boost EB's damage but I'm not fully on board with the flavor. "Smite" is an ability more fitting of very combative classes, and Warlocks (especially fey ones) seem to be a more tricky class.

[bartman]

Wow, lots of really good replies, thanks everyone. I especially like Person_Man's reply, very well thought out, Thank you good sir. I will have to show this to our DM and see what he thinks.