Need help with 3.5 Warlock

[egyas]

I love the Warlock class, but it's a bit on the weak side when it comes to damage. We get so few feats that there is limited ability to buff that damage. I'm looking for a way to min-max this 'Lock a bit so that I'm actually helpful to the party in combat, not just the occasional "pink!" of damage. I mean really, I feel like I'm shooting a .22lr in a tank battle here. lol

So, my understanding is that the errata for Complete Arcane allows Warlocks to apply meta-magic feats and the like to their Eldritch blast. My first question is, "Is that correct?"

Assuming it is, I would use a feat for "Split Ray" to fire two Eldritch Blasts. Now, assuming that's legit, can I use my next feat to apply "Twin Spell" tp essentially fore two, double Eldtrich Blasts?

Legit, or cheesy pipe-dream?

[genericwit]

I love the Warlock class, but it's a bit on the weak side when it comes to damage. We get so few feats that there is limited ability to buff that damage. I'm looking for a way to min-max this 'Lock a bit so that I'm actually helpful to the party in combat, not just the occasional "pink!" of damage. I mean really, I feel like I'm shooting a .22lr in a tank battle here. lol

So, my understanding is that the errata for Complete Arcane allows Warlocks to apply meta-magic feats and the like to their Eldritch blast. My first question is, "Is that correct?"

Assuming it is, I would use a feat for "Split Ray" to fire two Eldritch Blasts. Now, assuming that's legit, can I use my next feat to apply "Twin Spell" tp essentially fore two, double Eldtrich Blasts?

Legit, or cheesy pipe-dream?

If your DM allows homebrew, there are a couple good Warlock fixes on this site. I personally like TG Oskar's, it gives you the ability to fire multiple Eldritch blasts in a round and gives you a few more invocations.

[AmberVael]

So, my understanding is that the errata for Complete Arcane allows Warlocks to apply meta-magic feats and the like to their Eldritch blast. My first question is, "Is that correct?"
No. The Errata only changes the effective spell level of Eldritch Blast. It is still a spell-like ability, and thus ineligible for metamagic feats. With this change, however, it is now far easier to apply spell-like ability metamagic, like Quicken Spell-Like Ability or Empower Spell-Like Ability.

Generally, the preferred methods for increasing warlock damage are to use Eldritch Claws (Dragon Magazine) or Eldritch Glaive (Dragon Magic), and/or to add in Hellfire Warlock (Fiendish Codex II) to get full attacks and bonus damage. Generally, some way to negate Hellfire Warlock's con damage is used, such as the somewhat controversial Strongheart Vest (Magic of Incarnum) or a Binder dip to make a pact with Naberius (Tome of Magic)

[Pilo]

Cheesy pipe-dream.

Warlock invocations are spell like abilities and eldricht blast is an invocation.

However, you may ask your DM to use this kind of feats (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsterFeats.htm#empowerSpellLikeAbility) (there are some in monster manual and others in savage species). Unfortunatelly for you, the equivalent spell level of your eldricht blast is half your level rounded down minimum 1. So RaW, you will never be able to use metaspell-like abilities on your eldricht blast.
Maybe you can ask your DM to lower the spell level of your eldricht blast and its dammages.
Otherwise, you can use metaspell-like abilities on your other invocations like a quicken summon swarm at level 12.

[AmberVael]

However, you may ask your DM to use this kind of feats (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsterFeats.htm#empowerSpellLikeAbility) (there are some in monster manual and others in savage species). Unfortunatelly for you, the equivalent spell level of your eldricht blast is half your level rounded down minimum 1. So RaW, you will never be able to use metaspell-like abilities on your eldricht blast.

This is what I was referring to with the errata, actually. In the errata, the equivalent spell level of your eldritch blast (unless modified by blast shapes or essences) is changed to 1. So it becomes quite possible to apply the metamagic spell-like ability feats.

[Bakkan]

The errata does not allow you to apply metamagic feats to your eldritch blast since it isn't a spell. What is does allow you to do is take SLA feats like this (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsterFeats.htm#quickenSpellLikeAbility) one once you reach a high enough level. These can work, but it's limited in its uses per day.

As far as damage goes, you have a few options. The first is Hellfire Warlock from Fiendish Codex II. This class gives you (among other things) the ability to take Con damage in order to add +2d6 to +6d6 damage to your eldritch blast. Ways of mitigating the Con damage are highly recommended, from UMD'ing a wand of Lesser Restoration, Using a Rod of Bodily Restoration (MiC), taking levels of binder or a couple feats and binding Naberius, or taking the Shape Soulmeld (Strongheart Vest) feat. Note that the last option is the best if it works, but there is some disagreement about the legality of using it in combination with Hellfire Warlock. If you're not lactose-intolerant, consider taking levels in Legacy Champion after finishing Hellfire Warlock in order to pump up your damage to truly ridiculous levels. Note that the rules-legality of this, like the Vest, is a matter of debate.

Your next option is to be a Glaivelock, picking up the eldritch glaive invocation from Dragon Magic, which allows you to make a full attack with your eldritch blast as if you were wielding it as a reach weapon, and yolu get a threatened area with the glaive until your next round. This is the easiest way to get additional uses per turn of your eldritch blast damage.

Finally, you can multiclass into something that gives you precision damage (ideally, sneak attack) and work to get the extra damage added. If you're not using eldritch glaive, consider taking a couple of feats from Drow of the Underdark that will allow you to (sort of) hide in plain sight by expending a use of your darkness SLA as a swift action. Doing this every round might give you fairly reliable extra damage.

Note that you can use any combination of the above ideas, including all three at once if you can fit all that into one build. Don't forget the standard magic items, the Chasuble of Fell Power and the Greater version from the Magic Item Compendium.

[Kaje]

taking levels of binder or a couple feats and binding Naberius,

Feats don't work for this.

[nedz]

However, you may ask your DM to use this kind of feats (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsterFeats.htm#empowerSpellLikeAbility) (there are some in monster manual and others in savage species). Unfortunatelly for you, the equivalent spell level of your eldricht blast is half your level rounded down minimum 1. So RaW, you will never be able to use metaspell-like abilities on your eldricht blast.
Maybe you can ask your DM to lower the spell level of your eldricht blast and its dammages.
Otherwise, you can use metaspell-like abilities on your other invocations like a quicken summon swarm at level 12.

This got errated, as others have said.
The equivalent spell level of EB is 1, or the ESL of any shapes or essences, which ever is the higher.
There is a table in the back of the MM which shows this, or you can look on the SRD. Quicken SLA is here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsterFeats.htm#quickenSpellLikeAbility).
This shows that you need to be a 10th level Warlock to Quicken a basic EB, or 16th to Quicken an Eldritch Chain (ESL 4th), etc.

[BowStreetRunner]

Eldritch Blast is an invocation equivalent to a 1st-level spell that takes a standard action to use. The reason you cannot use metamagic feats is that they require you to use a higher spell slot, and you don't have any to use. There are a number of ways to make your Eldritch blasts more potent.

Essence Invocations - these can add additional effects besides just the standard damage, although they raise the effective level of the blast.
Blast Shape Invocations - these can make a blast affect more targets, although they raise the effective level of the blast.

You can use the SLA versions of metamagic feats...

Empower Spell-Like Ability (MM303) increases damage inflicted by 1/2
Maximize Spell-Like Ability (CArc 81) max out the damage as if all your d6s rolled a 6.
Quicken Spell-Like Ability (MM303) use an Eldritch blast as a swift action so that you can get off a second as a standard action on the same turn.

...or you can use the Sudden versions of Metamagic feats, as these do not require an increase in spell slot.

Sudden Empower (CArc 83) increases damage inflicted by 1/2
Sudden Maximize (CArc 83) max out the damage as if all your d6s rolled a 6.
Sudden Quicken (CArc 83) use an Eldritch blast as a swift action so that you can get off a second as a standard action on the same turn.

You can also use weaponlike spell feats.

Weapon Focus (Ranged Spells) (See CArc 71-72) +1 to attack
Ranged Spell Specialization (CArc 82) +2 to damage
Improved Critical (Ranged Spells) double crit range (from 20 to 19-20)
Point Blank Shot (PHB) +1 to attack and damage within 30 ft

There is also the Hellfire Warlock from Fiendish Codex II p 89 which can get you +6d6 damage.
The Mortalbane feat (BoVD p 49) can give you +2d6 damage against living non-outsiders 5 times per day.
A Greater Chasuble of Fell Power (MIC 85) can give you +2d6 damage to your blasts.

[eggs]

I love the Warlock class, but it's a bit on the weak side when it comes to damage. We get so few feats that there is limited ability to buff that damage. I'm looking for a way to min-max this 'Lock a bit so that I'm actually helpful to the party in combat, not just the occasional "pink!" of damage. I mean really, I feel like I'm shooting a .22lr in a tank battle here. lol
Yeah, that can be a problem. Melee warlocks (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159708) using Eldritch Glaive or Eldritch Claws are usually an easier way to get damage out; and if you want to blast at a range, Eldritch Theurge can work nicely (though it's usually more of a caster build that incidentally has Eldritch Blast than it is a Warlock).

And there's always Hellfire Warlock+Legacy Champion/Uncanny Trickster trickery, if you're into that. It's definitely abusive, but it doesn't have to break anything, so YMMV.

[Sugashane]

Feats don't work for this.

No, he would take a level of Binder and bind to Naberius for the faster ability healing. Hellfire Warlock drains Con by 1 point when used. Binding to Naberius allows 1 point to be healed per round, so he could use it once a round without worry.

[Sugashane]

Hellfire Warlock and Legacy Champion can add significant damage. I just had a thread much like this one.

Here:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=14277542#post14277542

[Kelb_Panthera]

Have you seen the New Warlock Handbook, as posted by Thiago_Martell?

Googling that or looking up Thiago in the user directory (link in his sig) may prove enlightening.

[AmberVael]

The New Warlock Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=252715) is here if you wish to peruse it.

I will note however, that while it is one of the newest, most well organized, and complete Warlock guides that I am aware of, I disagree with a not insignificant portion of its evaluations. It offers a number of interesting and useful insights, but I believe the general conclusions of some of the other warlock resources, such as the Warlock Information Compilation (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2915.0) are more accurate.

[Dsurion]

If your DM allows homebrew, there are a couple good Warlock fixes on this site. I personally like TG Oskar's, it gives you the ability to fire multiple Eldritch blasts in a round and gives you a few more invocations.This (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=212830) is the one being referenced. There is also this one (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226021).