Drow warlocks and etc.

[Red_Dog]

Hello everyone! As I continue to "flesh out" my undead army (get it? flesh out? .... Ok I'll stop now >>), I am setting my sight to other residence of the under region of my campaign. Namely a small population of Drows.

There brief fluff [still not 100% on it though, its like ONE faction that in the beginning of the campaign I said to myself "Hey underdark means drow right?" and than forgot to make a backstory for them >_>] is that thier "house" was at the confrontation [like any other normal drow house] on the grounds of them embracing psyonics and inner magic instead of embracing lolth as thier power-source. So at some point (right before they were going to be erased from the plane) they fled using a help of a certain outsider (a conniving efreeti) into a "safe" location. I am unsure of for example which entity will thier power come from. Feys actually does not sound like too bad idea as NOT NEARLY all feys are good. Most of them are *****. And there is a fey faction in this campaign so potential interactions could be cool RP.

So with this in mind... I am trying to build an army of "half-elite" character using warlocks and psyoinics. There leaders I got taken care of. However as usual the rank-n-file are an issue. Mainly due to the fact that I am trying to avoid multiclassing penalties(drow and thier favorite class >_>).

Ok so I need some help in creating a lvl8-9(character levels, preferably 8) rank-n-file warlock. am ignoring the pesky LA(taking away thier will save bonus and SR) They can be psionic.

Currently I have 2 builds. I would like any opinion possible or perhaps different builds. Goal is to make a versatile force that can be good at range and melee. It can be better at one aspect than the other, but preferably not by TOO much.

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Build ONE
Stats Str>Con>Dex rest debatable
Warlock 8/Fighter 1
Feats[4+1]: Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, Hold the Line, 2 Extra Invocations (at 6 and 9 lvl)

BAB +7, 2-3 AoO per round at least, RAW blast 5d6(w/ lesser item)+2d6 potential fire.
Invocation=>
Least[5]> Glaive, See the Unseen, Spiderwalk, Entropic Warding, Spear
Lesser[2]> Brimstone Blast, Flee the Scene

Pros=> Lesser Invocations! 2 Extra Invocations! Very well rounded with ability be just as good in melee as from range. Also ability to have GREAT range and get to it, using Flee the scene if needed.
Cons=> Hard to do without that blasted tacked on fighter lvl... Hold the line with Glaive is just too awesome. Plus it makes a 9th lvl for the much needed another invocation...

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Build TWO
Str>Dex>Wiz than con... fairly MAD.
Warlock 5/Ardent 4
Feats[4+1]: Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, Hold the Line, Practiced Manifester
BAB +6, 2-3 AoO per round at least, RAW blast 4d6(w/ lesser item)
Invocation=>
Least[5]> Glaive, See the Unseen, Spiderwalk
PP=>17+some wizdom. Fair amount IMO, since powers will be cheap.
Mantles=> Creation, Force, Light n Darkness (secondary)
Powers
Force Screen, Astral Construct, Minor Creation, Control Light, Psionic Fabricate

Pros=>Doubles the squad Numbers as at Manifester lvl 8, the construct can stick around long enough. Gives fabricate and minor creation which gives a lot of fluff background and ability to well build stuff easily.
Cons=> Invocation straved. I am also somewhat new to ardents and probably didn't picked "good mantles". Light n darkness I guess could be swapped to Time. Obviusly Good mantle (and similar mantles are of the table). Also no expansion is pretty damn bad.

=====================>
Build THREE
Stats Str=Dex than Con rest debatable
Warlock 5/Fighter 4
Feats[4+3]: Hidden Talent(Expansion), Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, Meditation(move action to refocus), Point Blank, Psionic & Greater Psionic shots.

BAB +7, 3-4 AoO per round at least, RAW blast 4d6(w/ lesser item)+4d6 psionic shot
Invocation=>
Least[3]> Glaive, Spiderwalk, Spear
Powers>Expansion (2/day)

Pros>Powerful range especially for a squad at a long range. Can still easily handle their own in Melee due to expansion, High BAB and PA... But melee is NOT preferred place for them. w/ Psionic shot trick, they pretty much thow almost an equivalent level untapped single target fireballs at people.
Cons>VERY VERY utility limited. Spiderwalk and natural Darkvision will make them survive the underdark... but certainly not rule it.
================================================== ==>

So yeah I kinda need help w/ all of this... I hope you guys have some ideas ^^. All builds are pretty decent on their own too... At least it seems that way to me... So yeah... any ideas/help is welcomed ^^

[gorfnab]

Take a look at the Demonbinder prestige class from Drow of the Underdark. It could add some flavor to your semi-elite Drow Warlocks.

[umbergod]

I believe there was actually a lesser house in menzoberranzan that boasted use of psionics, though I am not sure if they were ever written up beyond what was talked about in the novels.

[Red_Dog]

Take a look at the Demonbinder prestige class from Drow of the Underdark. It could add some flavor to your semi-elite Drow Warlocks.

I did even before I posted this... Imo that class REALLY blows... The potential type'O of no limit on what you can bind of that list as long as you have enough points is kinda nice and may help dipping... But by god does the options just suck... Basically IMO from "useful options" it has Marilith
It is why one would consider this in the first place. Multiweapon fighting (IF the DM lets you do that) is kind of nice... For high Charisma "anti-paladin" that adds charisma to dmg as free action by burning turning attempts is somewhat nice. The odd +8dmg turns into 48 with first wave hitting... Not TOO bad. Blasting feature is situational at BEST. And if you are dipping you at most will be able to JUST get this bind off once a day.

So yeah... short on options...


I believe there was actually a lesser house in menzoberranzan that boasted use of psionics, though I am not sure if they were ever written up beyond what was talked about in the novels.

I am not sure what is it you refering to?O_o

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After some reading, I came across a mechanical question... If I to use ze old darkness into deeper darkness thru drow feat [but of course use it with the warlock's darkness] and than to take devil sight... what would happen? As far as I can see from description => nothing.

As in, I get a 60ft cloud of magical darkness that no-one besides devils and me and someone packing true seeing should not be able to see thru. That's THE idea, however as Darkness reads=>
Everyone gets concealment... And I ignore everyone's concealment.

This seems EXTREMELY weak for sinking a feat and 2(!) Invocations.

What confuses me however is this paragraph from DMG=>

The adventurers are exploring a cavern passageway when a whispered
spell in the shadows extinguishes Jozan’s daylight spell,
plunging the chamber into complete darkness. The soft jingle of
mail and rasp of swords drawn from scabbards announces a drow
attack.
Darkvision allows many characters and monsters to see perfectly
well without any light at all, but characters with normal
vision (or low-light vision, for that matter) can be rendered completely
blind by putting out the lights. Torches or lanterns can be
blown out by sudden gusts of subterranean wind, magical light
sources can be dispelled or countered, or magical traps might
create fields of impenetrable darkness.
In many cases, some characters or monsters might be able to
see, while others are blinded. For purposes of the following points,
a blinded creature is one who simply can’t see through the surrounding
darkness.
—Creatures blinded by darkness lose the ability to deal extra
damage due to precision (for example, a ranger’s favored enemy or
a sneak attack).
—Blinded creatures are hampered in their movement, and pay
2 squares of movement per square moved into (double normal
cost). Blinded creatures can’t run or charge.
—All opponents have total concealment from a blinded creature,
so the blinded creature has a 50% miss chance in combat. A
blinded creature must first pinpoint the location of an opponent
in order to attack the right square; if the blinded creature launches
an attack without pinpointing its foe, it attacks a random square
within its reach. For ranged attacks or spells against a foe whose
location is not pinpointed, roll to determine which adjacent
square the blinded creature is facing; its attack is directed at the
closest target that lies in that direction.
—A blinded creature loses its Dexterity adjustment to AC and
takes a –2 penalty to AC.
—A blinded creature takes a –4 penalty on Search checks and
most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks, including any
with an armor check penalty. A creature blinded by darkness automatically
fails any skill check relying on vision.
—Creatures blinded by darkness cannot use gaze attacks and
are immune to gaze attacks.

Its funny but I never had to deal with darkness TOO much. So which is it? I have no clue on what would be here. Also if deeper Darkness is just range, than the warlock would not really need to spend a feat to make it into deeper? Or would it just be so it would cancel a daylightspell?

So yeah. I am no sure if I want to invest in this combo (devilsight+darkness) as it could be interesting depending on how the rules work.

Thanks in advance guys ^^

[Yuukale]

I believe there was actually a lesser house in menzoberranzan that boasted use of psionics, though I am not sure if they were ever written up beyond what was talked about in the novels.

House Oblodra, it got obliterated by lolth during the time of troubles cuz they tried to rebel against house Baenre. So far, the only survivor to this house was Kimmuriel Oblodra, he teamed up with Jarlaxle.

a bit of google-fu and: Psionics among the drow (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/frcc/20070703)

there's not much in other supplements, but try 2e drow of menzoberranzan, drizzt do urden guide to the underdark, 3e underdark...

[Kuulvheysoon]

I believe there was actually a lesser house in menzoberranzan that boasted use of psionics, though I am not sure if they were ever written up beyond what was talked about in the novels.

It *was*, I believe, House Oblodra. They were never mentioned much for one reason - canon, they were literally eliminated after the Time of Troubles because Psionics (unlike divine and arcane magic) wasn't affected by the Godswar. They were threatening to take over the city when the Time of Troubles ended, so Lolth and the rest of the city razed them to the ground for their impertinence. And since the vast majority of FR books (that deal with the Underdark, Menzoberranzan in particular) are post-Godswar, they're never mentioned.

Kimmuriel, one of Jarlaxle's lieutenants, is one of the few surviving Oblodras.

Edit: Damn, swordsage'd