Versatility granting items for Warlock

[Mooseh]

Hi All,

One of the players in the game I'm playing in is playing a very EB focused Warlock and is starting to hit some issues due to lacking versatility. The majority of his invocations are buffs that he has on all day (See the Unseen, Walk Unseen, Flight etc) or things to change his Eldritch Blast (Eldritch Spear and the like). But he's starting to lose interest due to lacking versatility; every fight is the same, he flies about 200ft above the fight and EBs people from the sky. Particularly when we come up against stuff that has decent amounts of SR, he feels increasingly useless and like a one trick pony.

Luckily, he has high amounts of UMD and the party has just completed an encounter that's probably worth a lot more than our equivalent WBL increase should be (poss ~100k to spend for 12th lvl chars), so he's got quite a lot of cash to splash to try and solve his issues. So my question is this; are there any items you'd recommend to overcome his shortcomings (good Wands? Staffs? Other stuff?) or anything that might let him fullfil a role other than being the guy at the back casting the same SLA over and over again?

Cheers for your time!

[Eldan]

If he wants truly amazing versatility in a convenient package, he could get a Wand of Shadow Conjuration (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shadowConjuration.htm), perhaps one of the most versatile spell around: it can blast, it can summon, it can control the battlefield.

[Mooseh]

If he wants truly amazing versatility in a convenient package, he could get a Wand of Shadow Conjuration (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shadowConjuration.htm), perhaps one of the most versatile spell around: it can blast, it can summon, it can control the battlefield.

Thanks for that Eldan, not sure how effective it'll be at L12 - that Will save doesn't seem massive for most of the stuff we're facing but at least it'll be a good start to give him something else to do (and some decisions to make in combat!)

[Sacrieur]

Give your character some flavor. Do outlandish or silly things during battle, and try to perform things that you haven't before. Just because you're not necessarily good at something doesn't mean you shouldn't try it once or twice. Perhaps get creative? Try to have fun.

I play a Heroes game with an insanely powerful telekineticist. I tripped people, tapped them on the shoulder, tied their shoe laces together, etc... Just because I can pick them up and slam them through a building doesn't mean I necessarily should =P.

Ever try undoing someone's armor with animate rope? Man, and this is just the stuff I think up now.

[MammonAzrael]

First, I recommend he pick up vitriolic blast. It is the only eldrtich essence that bypasses spell resistance.

second, he should look at trading in one of his early invocations for baleful utterance. Shatter at will can do a lot of things. Destroy holy symbols, doors, nails, the floor someone is standing on...there are 1001 uses for it. Personally I'd suggest trading in his eldritch spear for it. Is there any benefit to be gained at 200' that he isn't getting at 60'?

As a final invocation question, does he should get a shape like eldritch chain, which is quite good.

Unfortunately, if you don't play with some inventiveness and imagination, a warlock can get pretty stale. Warlocks can be a one-trick pony if built to focus on just their blasting. Does he want to be doing different things in battle, or in social situations, or what?

You two could talk it out and his character could pick up a life-changing prestige class. I suspect my shaman of wrath (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192464) would be quite the fun change for him.

[Darth Stabber]

Grab yourself a holy avenger, you can use it. Grab any scroll or wand you can get your grubby little mits on. Also, after checking with your gm, grab some metamagic rods, you might be able to metamagic your EB. Also grab some craft feats (Particularly Craft:Wonderous), You have a class ability that lets you craft as though you had any spell, so make the most fun stuff you can come up with. Again, balefull uterance comes up, Break everything. Seriously, you can shatter every turn. If the gm asks you what you are doing and you aren't in combat rounds, you answer should be "Knocking this wall through to give the room a more open feel"

So my advice is make or break (or both).

[MammonAzrael]

Grab yourself a holy avenger, you can use it. Grab any scroll or wand you can get your grubby little mits on. Also, after checking with your gm, grab some metamagic rods, you might be able to metamagic your EB. Also grab some craft feats (Particularly Craft:Wonderous), You have a class ability that lets you craft as though you had any spell, so make the most fun stuff you can come up with. Again, balefull uterance comes up, Break everything. Seriously, you can shatter every turn. If the gm asks you what you are doing and you aren't in combat rounds, you answer should be "Knocking this wall through to give the room a more open feel"

So my advice is make or break (or both).

He can learn several different invocations that are dispel magic plus, I wouldn't recommend spending roughly 140% of his WBL on an item that he wouldn't get much use out of.

Metamagic does not apply to EB, period. It is an SLA, not a spell. You might be able to make some rods that apply to SLAs, but that doesn't really solve the probem at hand.

Making things can be fun, but the problems there are that it requires a lot of down time, and it drains his XP. So he is stuck with the same tricks, longer.

Oh, for a cheap option, consider bracers of the entangling blast, MIC page 80. Bracers of the Blast Barrier are another option.

There are also some unique rods out there that he might like, from the
rod of viscid globs to the rod of transposition.

[Re'ozul]

Oh, for a cheap option, consider bracers of the entangling blast, MIC page 80. Bracers of the Blast Barrier are another option.

I wholeheartedly second the entangling bracers. maybe charge slightly more for an at-will version (if you have lots of fights per day).

If the warlock has good Charisma for DCs, then nothing beats "Devil's whispers" (Cityscape) for non-combat invocations in my opinion.

Its Suggestion as the spell (at-will due to being an invocation).
But the fun part is that the subject makes another will-save (at a -5 penalty) after the fact. If it fails that one, it thinks the actions were its own idea. You can get into all kinds of shenanigans with that.

The same book also has the lesser Thief's bane, which duplicates hold-portal.
The warlock can still use the door normally, but if anyone else forces the door open or dispels the effect - BOOM - 5d6 damage as the door explodes. This one is fun in dungeons with intelligent monsters. Trap the door then make a ruckus before initiating combat.

[Xefas]

Is there any benefit to be gained at 200' that he isn't getting at 60'?

At his level, Close Range spells fire at a max of 55ft. So, with a move action (or not, in 2 levels) a caster can shoot him down with various close range spells. At 200 feet, it requires significantly more effort. Longbows will take a -2 penalty against him. Shortbows a whopping -6. Darts take -18. There are very few ranged monster abilities that reach to 200 feet - manticore spikes, dragon's breath, etc.

[Veyr]

But it's rare to have the luxury of engaging at those ranges.

[Fearan]

If he wants truly amazing versatility in a convenient package, he could get a Wand of Shadow Conjuration (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shadowConjuration.htm), perhaps one of the most versatile spell around: it can blast, it can summon, it can control the battlefield.

No can do. Wands = 3rd level spells or lower

[Veyr]

You could make a Scepter, or better a Staff, of it, though.

[MammonAzrael]

At his level, Close Range spells fire at a max of 55ft. So, with a move action (or not, in 2 levels) a caster can shoot him down with various close range spells. At 200 feet, it requires significantly more effort. Longbows will take a -2 penalty against him. Shortbows a whopping -6. Darts take -18. There are very few ranged monster abilities that reach to 200 feet - manticore spikes, dragon's breath, etc.

True, but given that he is a 12th level warlock, the party should be thrilled that the enemies are focusing on him instead of what are likely the much bigger threats on the ground. Focusing on the flying guy that is dealing ~21 damage a turn instead of the other party members is likely to be a deadly mistake.

Any spell that requires a save is typically not a good idea to put into a wand, given that the save will be terrible. For example, any item that casts Shadow Conjuration will have a DC 16 Will save. Which should be pretty near to nothing at 12th level.

[Douglas]

No can do. Wands = 3rd level spells or lower
No, it's 4th level or lower. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wands.htm)

[Re'ozul]

Give him Horizon Goggles (Complete Mage I think) for 8000gp

They increase his range by 50% so a normal blast would give him 90' which still keeps him out of close range against spells. Arrows are harder to go up against. Entropic warding is your friend there. potentially the (otherwise mostly useless) darkness+devils eye combo, though he won't have the invocation space for that.

[Fearan]

No, it's 4th level or lower. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wands.htm)

Whoah, now THAT was a fail. Apologies to OP

[thompur]

For his next feat, get Arcane Mastery. This will allow him to bypass most level appropriate SR. Also, I like Gauntlets of Ghost Fighting, so he can ignore miss chances due to incoporeality.
(My Warlocks always take Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration, too. Can you tell I hate missing after I hit?)

[RndmNumGen]

Whoah, now THAT was a fail. Apologies to OP

You may be thinking of potions; those are 3rd or lower.

[TurtleKing]

I have a question. What role in the party does he fill? If he is just hanging out in the back sniping at the enemies then why not send him to go scouting. Basically instead of having him in the back send him up ahead of the party. He has flight and substantial range attack. A simple change of roles from ranged artillery to scout could be enough of a change. He already has the invocations to pull this off. If he does exchange the spear invocation for another having the feat Flyby Attack can help with that. With that feat he can do hit and run attacks without even needing the range of 250'. The reason why I say this is my baby black dragon character makes use of this tactic when in combat. He also has the means to out-manuever them so he can pull off a pincer move. So with his flight, invisibility, and other factors he can pull off some crazy tactics. Who knows might be able to make one guy think he was attacked by one of his buddies when it was him.

[mabriss lethe]

I'm going to second the rod of viscid gobs, bracers of entangling blast/blast barrier. Give your boy some battlefield control.

[AmberVael]

It's also worth noting that he can pick up some more blast shapes and eldritch essences by use of Rods of Eldritch Power, from Complete Mage (page 127). Given that he's EB focused, appropriate choices of extra essences or blast shapes could give him some more options.

With UMD, it is also possible for him to use Eternal Wands from the MIC, which essentially are a lot like regular wands, but 2 uses per day as opposed to 50 total charges. With a few good selections there, he can add some interesting tricks to his repertoire (focus on spells that don't involve DCs or high level dependencies, like more battlefield shaping spells, or utility and buff magics).

[Zaq]

You want two rods: the Rod of Viscid Globs (MIC) and the Rod of Ropes (CSco). They make any character more interesting.

You can also do some interesting things with a Thorn Pouch (MIC), at least if you're creative. Its strange activation time (free or swift action, I forget which, but a delay of one round) can be a blessing or a curse.

There are some fun things in MIC, really. Just keep your eyes peeled for them.