A Idea someone else has probably already had. [Warlocks, UMD and Scribe Scroll]

[Erik Vale]

A Warlock Idea that has been bouncing around in my head for a few days actually.

At Level 12, a Warlock can create a scroll of any arcane or divine spell they want [provided they pass a UMD check they can take 10 on.]

Just with a poor start of a not trying optimiser, At level 12 you can easily have 18 Charisma granting a 19 UMD [15 Ranks.]

This means at level 12, you are making [10+19-15=] 14th level arcane scrolls [Scribe scroll has no level cap. And you 'know' a 14th level spell, the cost is 12*level*25 = 4200 gp and 168 XP for level 14, or 2700 gp and 108 xp for wish] and [10+19-25] 4th level divine scrolls. While Divine isn't game breaking, with Arcane you can craft Wish scrolls with several levels of metamagic if your willing to bite the XP cost, 4 levels before the resident wizard can cast a normal wish. [However, you only want to craft a level 9 scroll [Say, unmodified wish] if you want to cast it reliably]

So I'm asking 3 things:
1) What are some ways to easily negate the XP cost [And pathfinder has some other weird looking warlock that cant craft, so don't say just use the PF version]?
2) With optimization, what is the highest someone can get their UMD?
3) Can a Warlock fake knowing a spell with metamagic he doesn't have [say, because it's useless for him.]

And of course, you can link me to a thread that has already had this discussion and boo me down if you want. Links to threads discussing UMD optimization and XP cost reduction are also fine.

[Erik Vale]

Ok, bumping this before I let it die.

[Seer_of_Heart]

Just with a poor start of a not trying optimiser, At level 12 you can easily have 18 Charisma granting a 19 UMD [15 Ranks.]

3) Can a Warlock fake knowing a spell with metamagic he doesn't have [say, because it's useless for him.]

And of course, you can link me to a thread that has already had this discussion and boo me down if you want. Links to threads discussing UMD optimization and XP cost reduction are also fine.

@ Optimizing UMD you can buy an item of + to umd checks up to 30 for bonus^2*100, also you can pick up an item familiar which you can get another +15

3. I do not think the warlock can fake spells with metamagic but I could be wrong, it certainly might be possible

[Gildedragon]

I think there's some feat in BoVD that lets you sacrifice people for item-crafting/spell casting XP; so that could work.
As to the 14th level scroll crafting it sounds mighty odd. I am not familiar with the warlock's powers but is this really the case? it feels like there's something off with that being possible.

[Seer_of_Heart]

Also, this guide may be useful. It has ways to reduce exp costs and get rid of exp costs with some investment.

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=7274.0

[Erik Vale]

I think there's some feat in BoVD that lets you sacrifice people for item-crafting/spell casting XP; so that could work.
As to the 14th level scroll crafting it sounds mighty odd. I am not familiar with the warlock's powers but is this really the case? it feels like there's something off with that being possible.


mbue Item (Su): A warlock of 12th level or higher can use his supernatural power to create magic items, even if he does not know the spells required to make an item (although he must know the appropriate item creation feat). He can substitute a Use Magic Device check (DC 15 + spell level for arcane spells or 25 + spell level for divine spells) in place of a required spell he doesn’t know or can’t cast.

I would say so. However, given that their is an epic feat to allow the scribing of scrolls 'beyond that usually possible, but not epic', so scribe scroll might be capped out at level 9 [It doesn't say so on the feat] until the warlock hits level 21 for epic scribe scroll.

However with +100, it is safe to say that if it's not an epic spell, a warlock optimizer can craft it. And if it isn't a epic item, a warlock makes it.
Heck, at this point, warlocks are probably making spells that don't exist yet.

Thanks playground.

[ahenobarbi]

You could be Artificer (Eberron Campaign Setting) and do the same thing, only better :smallsmile:

Now if you want to play warlock and do this:
@1 Liquid pain / ambrosia (from Books of Vile/Exalted Deeds) can replace crafting XP but... they are slow to obtain. So you want to buy them or have your minions collect them for you.
@2 Charisma, ranks (3+level), item familiar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm) (level/2), custom item of competence (+31 (item +32 would be epic)) or Guidance of Avatar (spell (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20010504a), +20 competence)
@3 No. The ability doesn't say anything about allowing this.


Also check out Chameleon PrC (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20041210b) @level 2 you get bonus feat... which you can change every day. So you can use this feat to craft whatever you want to craft. Or for something else when you are not crafting.

[Snowbluff]

Level 12 Warlocks spent all of their time in their mothers' basements crafting items that no one else can make yet, while sipping Mountain Dew Thought Bottle.