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Quellian-dyrae
2013-05-15, 06:06 PM
Design Notes and Goals:

This is meant to be a higher-powered version of the warlock, one that can serve as an effective ranged striker by dealing reliable at-will damage and debuffs, with some good utility thrown in. It plays up the notion of the warlock drawing on the power of a greater entity, adding a few ways of quantifying the nature of the pact.

It also greatly expands the possible Invocations by tying them directly to spells. This is kinda the mechanical "point" of the class, a bit of an experiment; is it possible, with some tweaks and limitations, to use spells as a list of capabilities that could be available at-will. So of course, any commentary on that end (including any obvious abuses I missed) is particularly welcome.

I did try and get fairly iconic effects that had previously been unique warlock invocations into the class features so those didn't get left by the wayside. Likewise, keeping everything at-will on the warlock's end (and maintaining balance around that) is an important goal.


Warlock

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Warlocks have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Charisma is the most important ability score for a Warlock, governing almost all of their powers. Constitution is always useful to improve durability, and more martially inclined warlocks may wish to consider Strength and Dexterity as well.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6.
Starting Age: As bard.
Starting Gold: As rogue.

Class Skills
The Warlock's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...
Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana, Religion, Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (N/A), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

The Warlock
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial

1st
+0
+0
+0
+2Devotion, Invocations (1st), Eldritch Blast, Patron's Blessing (Skill).

2nd
+1
+0
+0
+3Channel Blast.

3rd
+2
+1
+1
+3

4th
+3
+1
+1
+4Patron's Blessing (Protection).

5th
+3
+1
+1
+4Invocations (2nd).

6th
+4
+2
+2
+5Shape Blast.

7th
+5
+2
+2
+5

8th
+6
+2
+2
+6Patron's Blessing (Mobility).

9th
+6
+3
+3
+6Invocations (3rd).

10th
+7
+3
+3
+7Persistent Blast.

11th
+8
+3
+3
+7

12th
+9
+4
+4
+8Patron's Blessing (Preservation).

13th
+9
+4
+4
+8Invocations (4th).

14th
+10
+4
+4
+9Selective Blast.

15th
+11
+5
+5
+9

16th
+12
+5
+5
+10Patron's Blessing (Immortality).

17th
+12
+5
+5
+10Invocations (5th).

18th
+13
+6
+6
+11Scaled Blast.

19th
+14
+6
+6
+11

20th
+15
+6
+6
+12Ascension.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Warlocks are proficient with simple weapons and light armor, but not with shields.

Devotion: Warlocks are expected to develop their powers - their patrons expect some degree of a return on their investment, after all. They don't tend to favor dabblers. A multiclassed warlock treats its Charisma modifier as capped by its class level for all purposes relating to its class features.

Invocations (Sp): As a warlock, you are granted the ability to wield a number of magical abilities by your patron, tapping directly into your patron's power to channel them. Collectively, these abilities are called Invocations.

Gaining Invocations

Warlocks have a very limited selection of Invocations. You begin with a number of 0-level Invocations equal to your Charisma Modifier, plus one first-level Invocation. At every odd level past first, you gain an additional Invocation of up to the highest level you can gain, as indicated on Table: The Warlock. Each time you gain a class level, you may exchange one of your Invocations for another Invocation of the same level.

Additionally, you have a single bonus Invocation of the highest level you can gain. Whenever you gain a new level of invocations, this migrates up to the next highest level.

Choosing Invocations

You may choose Invocations from the Wizard, Cleric, and Druid spell lists. If a spell appears on multiple lists, use whichever is more beneficial. You may not choose spells that have a casting time of less than one standard action or greater than one full round. You may not choose spells that have expensive material components, expensive focus components, unique or priceless components, or XP costs. You may not choose spells that conjure, create, or transform objects and have an Instantaneous duration.

You may not choose spells that increase your basic stat calculations (BAB, HD, Skill Points per level, or Saving Throw progressions).

Polymorph Invocations must use the Pathfinder Polymorph rules.

If you choose a Summon Monster, Summon Nature's Ally, or similar spell as an Invocation, it must be placed in your migrating bonus slot. However, it functions as the relevant summon spell of half your class level, rounded up (at 19th level, this allows you to summon 1d3 creatures from the 9th level list, or 1d4+1 creatures of a lower list).

Converting Invocations

Some spells have special rules when converted to Invocations.

Any spell that causes detrimental effects allows a saving throw to resist. If a save was not previously allowed, the save used should best represent the nature of the spell (spells that affect the physiology should be Fortitude, spells that affect the mind Will, spells that create some tangible effect over an area Reflex, etc). If the spell normally allows a touch attack and not a save, the target may choose to either roll the newly allowed save or force you to make a touch attack, but it doesn't gain both defenses. Detrimental effects that could apply to characters outside the immediate area of the spell (such as a cloud blocking vision or a wall blocking passage) are not subject to this rule. If the spell creates an effect that affects an area for a duration (such as most fog spells), and a save is not normally allowed, a successful save only resists the effect for the first round of the spell's duration. Thereafter, if the target has not left the area, or if new characters later enter the area, normal effects apply with no further save.

A successful saving throw against an Invocation allows the character to completely ignore the effect, even if the spell normally causes half or partial effect on a successful save. A character who succeeds three saving throws in a row against an Invocation becomes immune to that Invocation from that warlock for 24 hours.

Only one instance of an Invocation may be in effect at any given time. If the Invocation is used again, the previous instance's duration immediately expires (instantaneous Invocations, obviously, are not subject to this limitation, and the effects of spells that can last beyond their normal duration, such as a Stinking Cloud's nausea, still do so). Invocations that have Targets, cause primarily detrimental effects, and do not provide the caster with ongoing control or influence over the target, are also exempt from this rule.

Invocations with a duration of one round per level or more may be maintained constantly upon yourself if desired (this counts as the single allowed instance of the Invocation).

Invocations that provide healing instead grant the target temporary hit points. These temporary hit points last for one hour and do not stack with each other. Once the hour is up, any temporary hit points that remain are converted to actual hit point healing. If the target receives actual healing while it has these temporary hit points remaining, each point of healing can also convert one temporary hit point to an additional point of healing. This effect is not recursive.

Using Invocations

Using an Invocation is an action with the normal casting time of the spell. Invocations are spell-like abilities and follow all normal rules for such. They may be used at will. For situations where an Invocation's spell level is relevant, you may consider its spell level to be either its normal level, or one-half your class level, rounded up, whichever is most beneficial. The save DC for an Invocation is 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Charisma modifier. Your caster level is equal to your class level.

If the spell an Invocation is based on normally uses its components directly in its function (for example, it turns the component into the effect of the spell, or the choice of component impacts the spell's results), you must provide the component when using the Invocation.

Eldritch Blast (Sp): Most warlocks use their limited Invocations for tactical, support, and utility magic. For directly attacking their foes, they can simply draw upon their patron's power and unleash it in blasts of energy. Using an Eldritch Blast is a standard action that affects a single target in Medium range, dealing 1d6 damage per odd-numbered class level, plus additional damage equal to your Charisma modifier. The blast deals one additional point of damage per die at 6th level and every five levels thereafter. The target receives a saving throw, DC 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Charisma modifier to negate the effect.

Different warlocks can command different energy types. Different types of energy are subject to different resistances, target different saving throws, and have different special effects, as follows. You may choose which energy type you can use upon gaining your first warlock level. You may select additional energy types at the cost of a 0-level Invocation each, but you may only use one energy type at a time.

In addition to direct offensive blasts of energy, you can also create minor displays, such as a fire warlock invoking a spark to light a candle, or a cold warlock chilling a drink. You may likewise reduce the damage of an energy invocation by lowering the dice you roll and/or refraining from adding your Charisma modifier to the damage.

Any time you use a spell, invocation, or other ability that deals energy damage, you may convert the energy to your chosen type. This may change the saving throw allowed by the effect (if any), and adds the special effect of your energy invocation to any targets who fail the save. If no save is allowed, the target receives one to avoid any non-damage special effects.

If you deal energy damage multiple times per round to the same target, it only receives the special effects once.

Fire (Ref/Fire): Deal additional damage equal to either your class level or your Charisma modifier.

Cold (Fort/Cold): Target Slowed for one round.

Electricity (Ref/Electricity): Target Staggered for one round.

Acid (Ref/Acid): Target takes additional damage at the start of your turn for next three rounds equal to either your class level or Charisma modifier.

Sonic (Fort/Sonic): Attack ignores hardness and deals full damage to objects.

Force (Fort/Force): Attack can affect ethereal and incorporeal creatures without a miss chance.

Positive (Will/Positive): Living allies receive temporary hit points instead of damage, following the rules for healing Invocations. Living foes still take damage. Undead always take damage, and receive extra damage equal to either your class level or Charisma modifier.

Negative (Will/Negative): Undead targets do not receive damage. They either receive temporary hit points, following the rules for healing Invocations, or are Rebuked for the rest of the encounter if they fail their save. Undead may add their Turn Resistance to this save, and three successful saves in a row renders that undead immune for 24 hours.

Water (Fort/Physical - Bludgeoning): Target knocked prone.

Wind (Ref/Physical - Slashing): Target knocked back 5' per two points it fails its save by.

Earth (Fort/Physical - Piercing): Target immobilized (unable to move from its current space, but still able to act) for one round.

Light (Ref/Fire): Target loses all Concealment for one round if it fails its save, and is also Blinded if sensitive to light, and takes maximum damage if vulnerable to sunlight.

Dark (Ref/Cold): Target Blinded for one round.

Holy (Will/Physical - Good Aligned): Attack deals +2 damage per level against Evil creatures and Undead, maximum damage against Evil Outsiders and Evil Undead.

Unholy (Will/Physical - Evil Aligned): Attack deals +2 damage per level against Good creatures and Fey, maximum damage against Good Outsiders and Good Fey.

Axiomatic (Will/Physical - Lawful Aligned): Attack deals +2 damage per level against Chaotic creatures and Aberrations, maximum damage against Chaotic Outsiders and Chaotic Aberrations.

Anarchic (Will/Physical - Chaotic Aligned): Attack deals +2 damage per level against Lawful creatures and Constructs, maximum damage against Lawful Outsiders and Lawful Constructs.

Telekinetic (Fort/Physical - Magic): Make free Combat Maneuver against target, substituting your caster level for your BAB, your Charisma modifier for your Strength modifier, and your base Will save modifier for your Size modifier.

Telepathic (Will/Mind Affecting): You can target effects with this energy type with either line of sight or line of effect, you do not need both (though you do need to know what it is you are targeting if you can't see it).

Poison (Fort/Poison): Target takes damage to chosen ability score equal to half your Charisma modifier.

Arcane (Ref/Untyped): Target loses its Spell Resistance until the end of your next turn.

Patron's Blessing (Su): At its most basic, a warlock's pact is a spiritual link. The warlock draws upon the nigh-limitless ambient power of its patron to power its magic, and in return the patron siphons a constant tithe of energy from the warlock's spirit. While this tithe isn't enough to harm or hinder the warlock, receiving such from several warlocks adds up to a substantial energy reserve for more powerful effects.

It is, thus, in a patron's best interest for its warlocks to live and grow in power. Many patrons, however, want more from their warlocks, and offer blessings in return for an agreement. This agreement often takes the form of a certain code of conduct, devised by the player with DM approval, providing a general outlook the warlock should maintain, an alignment it should remain within one step of, and a few specific things it shouldn't do or should do at every reasonable opportunity.

As long as the warlock adheres to the terms, it receives blessings from its patron. If the warlock breaks its oath, it loses the blessing for as long as it continues acting in opposition to the oath, and for twenty-four hours thereafter.

Blessing of Skill

A first level warlock is a minor investment, but the potential is there. The patron shares some small portion of its own prodigious knowledge and power, granting one of the following blessings:

Combat: You substitute your Charisma modifier for your Strength or Dexterity modifier on attack rolls, and add your Charisma modifier to all weapon damage rolls. You also gain an Armor bonus to AC equal to your Charisma modifier (naturally, this bonus does not stack with other armor bonuses - including from Bracers of Armor and similar effects - but can stack with armor enhancement bonuses, and doesn't actually prohibit wearing armor). Unlike normal armor, this bonus does apply to your touch AC. These effects do not stack with any other abilities that add an ability modifier to damage rolls or AC.

Body: You may add your Charisma modifier to all Strength and Dexterity checks, skill checks based on those ability scores, and miscellaneous opposed checks based on those ability scores.

Mind: You may add your Charisma modifier to all Intelligence and Wisdom checks, skill checks based on those ability scores, and miscellaneous opposed checks based on those ability scores.

Soul: You may add your Charisma modifier to all Constitution and Charisma checks, skill checks based on those ability scores, and miscellaneous opposed checks based on those ability scores.

Blessing of Protection

A fourth level warlock has proven that it has some value, and is worth protecting. You receives one of the following abilities:

Backlash: You are surrounded by a harmful aura. Any time you take damage, the aura backlashes on the attacker as long as it is within Close range, dealing damage of the same type as your Eldritch Blast (but without the special effects) equal to half your (Charisma modifier plus class level).

Damage Reduction: You gain Damage Reduction equal to half your (Charisma modifier plus class level). Choose a special material (silver, cold iron, or adamantine) and an alignment opposed to your own (lawful, chaotic, good, or evil; a neutral character may choose any). Weapons with either of those qualities bypass the DR.

Fast Healing: You gain Fast Healing equal to half your (Charisma modifier plus class level), as long as you are below half your normal hit points.

Luck of the Favored: All attacks and targeted spells used against you have a 20% miss chance. This does not stack with other forms of miss chance or effects (such as mirror image) that might cause an attack to miss.

Magic Resistance: You gain five points of Energy Resistance per point of your Charisma modifier, divided among Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire, and Sonic damage as you choose. You also gain SR equal to your Charisma modifier + your class level.

Patron's Grace: You add your Charisma modifier to a single type of saving throw (Fortitude, Reflex, or Will). You may change the save as a full-round action.

Resilience: Each round, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier plus your class level. These do not stack, they simply refresh every round.

Blessing of Mobility

An eighth level warlock has proved its value, and may even be occasionally contacted by its patron or its patron's followers and allies for assistance. To improve this, the warlock is blessed with a special mode of movement.

Burrowing: You gain a Burrow speed equal to your base land speed, and Tremorsense out to 10' per point of your Charisma modifier. You may Burrow through loose earth, or any solid material with a Hardness less than or equal to your Charisma modifier. You may choose whether or not you leave a tunnel while burrowing.

Flight: You gain a Fly speed equal to twice your base land speed, with Perfect maneuverability. You may manifest wings of a type appropriate to your patron as part of this blessing.

Phasing: You may concentrate to become Incorporeal. While incorporeal, you have a Fly speed equal to your base land speed with Perfect maneuverability.

Teleportation: Any movement you take may be made as teleportation, allowing you to move in any direction, circumvent difficult terrain, and avoid attacks of opportunity. As a standard action, you may teleport up to Medium range. As a full-round action, you may teleport up to Medium range and leave behind an Area or Effect Invocation you know, centered on your previous location. You must have line of effect to any location you teleport to with this ability.

Travel: You double your base land speed, gain a Climb and Swim speed equal to your full land speed, no longer need to eat, sleep, or breathe, and may act while climbing, swimming, and balancing as if on stable ground.

Blessing of Preservation

A twelfth level warlock is a valuable asset to any patron. It may violate its pact once per week without penalty, and its Blessing of Protection is improved:

Backlash: Your backlash damage is increased by one-third the damage done to you.

Damage Reduction: Your DR now requires weapons with both chosen qualities to bypass. Further, you take half damage from all nonmagical weapons.

Fast Healing: Your fast healing now works even if you are above half your normal hit points. Additionally, every time you take damage, you instantly heal a number of hit points equal to half your fast healing, up to a maximum amount of healing equal to the damage taken. If you have fast healing, regeneration, or other constant healing effects from other sources, they add to this total.

Luck of the Favored: Attacks and targeted spells that miss due to your miss chance are redirected at a target of your choice within their normal range.

Patron's Grace: Your Patron's Grace now applies to all of your saving throws. Alternately, you can still apply it to a single saving throw at a time; when doing so, if you succeed the save, you suffer no effects, even if a successful save would normally result in a reduced or partial effect. Changing from all saves to a single save is a full-round action, as is changing saves.

Resilience: Each encounter, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to half your normal hit point total. These temporary hit points don't stack across multiple encounters, but do stack with the per-round temporary hit points from your basic Resilience (which are lost first).

Blessing of Immortality

A sixteenth level warlock is too valuable to lose, and its patron works to makes it nigh-impossible to kill. You no longer age or receive ability modifiers for aging, and you gain one of the benefits listed below. You may also violate your pact once per week per two points of your Charisma modifier without penalty.

Cohesive Swarm: At will as a standard action, or as an immediate action when brought below 0 hit points, you can disperse into a swarm. By default, this is a swarm of Fine or Diminutive Flying creatures. Your swarm attack deals damage as if from your Eldritch Blast, but your class level is reduced to one-third normal for this purpose. If the swarm is Tiny or non-flying, this changes to one-half normal. If the swarm is both Tiny and non-flying, it becomes two-thirds normal. Your Distraction DC is the same as your Eldritch Blast DC, and targets who are distracted sustain any special effects from your Eldritch Blast (those who are not distracted may ignore the special effects unless they wish to be affected by them).

If you are reduced to 0 or fewer hit points as a swarm (or become a swarm upon reaching 0 or fewer hit points), your swarm body disperses. Over the course of one hour per hit point you are below 0, the swarm regathers, and eventually reforms your body. By default, you reform at the location you dispersed, but you still have sufficient control over the myriad creatures that make up your swarm to reform elsewhere if you wish. This adds the travel time to reach that location to the time it takes to recover.

An area attack that reduces you to -10 hit points kills you by annihilating your swarm. While in swarm form, you may only use your standard action each round for movement, but your abilities are otherwise unrestricted. Your equipment provides no material benefits while in swarm form, but magical bonuses remain effective.

Construct Body: Your mind and soul have been removed from your fragile flesh and placed in a durable construct of metal. You gain the Construct type and all attendant benefits. You also gain Hardness equal to your Charisma modifier, and you may use half your Charisma modifier in any place that you would normally use your Constitution modifier. However, your Hit Dice do not change and you do not get bonus hit points from your size.

Disembody: Your mind and soul are freed of your flesh. You gain the Undead type and subtype. You may perform a one-hour ritual to imbue an unattended object with the Ghost Touch property whenever you wear or hold it. You also gain an Incorporeal Touch attack that causes damage and effects as your Eldritch Blast, but using a touch attack rather than a save. You may also use half your Charisma modifier in any place that you would normally use your Constitution modifier. However, your Hit Dice do not change.

[i]Regeneration: You gain Regeneration equal to twice your Charisma modifier, overcome by a single alignment opposed to your own (neutral Warlocks may choose any one alignment.

Rejuvenation: You gain a Phylactery like that of a lich, restoring you to life if you die following the same rules. In addition, your killer is immediately struck by a chosen Invocation, or other at-will Spell-like or Supernatural ability you possess, and takes a penalty on its save to resist it equal to half your Charisma modifier. While you are dead, your soul resides in your Phylactery; you cannot move under your own power, but you possess Blindsight out to 10' per class level and can use your Invocations and other powers normally.

Soul Swap: When killed, you can attempt to swap souls with your killer as an immediate action. The target must make a Will save, DC 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Charisma modifier. If it succeeds, you die normally. If it fails, you swap souls at the last moment; it inhabits your body and dies, and you possess its body following the rules for a Magic Jar spell. Your possession of the new body is permanent. However, you gain any racial Hit Dice or Level Adjustment appropriate to your new body, with an additional Level Adjustment of +1 per full six points its base physical ability scores exceeded your own. For each ECL you are above where you should be from XP, you suffer one negative level, which never results in level loss but cannot be removed except by earning enough XP to properly earn your new ECL. You also cannot gain additional class levels until you have earned enough XP to have removed all the negative levels.

If you lose ECL as the result of a Soul Swap, you may take additional class levels to make up the difference.

Transcendance: You transcend your mortal state, gaining the Outsider type, the Native subtype (but you don't need to breathe, eat, or sleep), alignment subtypes corresponding to your own alignment, and a subtype for a chosen kind of Outsider (such as Angel, Demon, Modron, etc). You receive all the benefits of the Outsider type and the chosen subtypes. You gain Energy Gestalt as a bonus feat, keyed to the energy type of your alignment subtype (if you have two alignment subtypes, you choose which you gain the feat for).

Undead Body: Your body dies, but your soul lives on. You gain the Undead type with all attendant benefits, and once per round when you deal damage with an Eldritch Blast, you may heal yourself one-third the damage done. You may also use half your Charisma modifier in any place that you would normally use your Constitution modifier. However, your Hit Dice do not change.

Eldritch Channel (Sp): Starting at second level, if you are wielding a magic weapon, you can cast the energy through the weapon, basically firing it from the weapon rather than from your hand. This adds the weapon's enhancement bonus to your Charisma modifier for purposes of the blast. Additionally, weapon enchantments that improve the weapon's attacks, such as Flaming, Ghost Touch, or Wounding, can apply to your blast. Enchantments that involve actual attack resolution (such as Speed, Vorpal, and Brilliant Energy) cannot improve Eldritch Blasts. If your weapon deals damage of a certain energy type, you may change the type of energy you invoke to that type.

Shape Blast (Sp): A sixth level warlock may shape its Eldritch Blasts to affect a larger area. Invoking a shaped blast is a one-round action rather than a standard action, but the blast is targeted upon completion, not at the start. Your Eldritch Blast affects an area as if you had applied the Shape Spell metamagic feat to it.

Persistent Blast (Sp): Starting at tenth level, you can persist a Shaped Blast over an area. You may only have one Persistent Blast active at a time, and it lasts until you end it or it is dispelled by an outside force. Anyone who begins its turn within the area of the blast, or who enters the area of the blast, sustains the full damage of the blast automatically, and must make a save or sustain the special effects of the blast.

Selective Blast (Sp): At fourteenth level, your control over your Eldritch Blast is perfect. Your Shaped Blasts only affect those in the area you wish to affect. A Persistent Blast is only selective on the first round of its existence; thereafter, you must concentrate to make it selective for another round, or it affects all within normally.

Scaled Blast (Sp): At eighteenth level, you gain the ability to Eldritch Blast blasts of tremendous size and power. For each additional round spent invoking the blast, you double the affected area, increase the damage by your Charisma modifier, and increase the save DC by 1. You may spend a maximum number of rounds on a blast no greater than your Charisma modifier. Scaling a blast renders you fatigued for one minute per round spent. If you are already fatigued, you instead become exhausted. If you are already exhausted, you fall unconscious.

Ascension (Su): As a twentieth level warlock, you are your own master, a respected ally and partner of your patron. You are freed of your Oath's restrictions (but still receive all the benefits of your Patron's Blessings), and gain a new, powerful Invocation, which may be of a spell with a maximum level of up to one-third your class level, rounded up. You may change this invocation whenever you gain a warlock level.

Epic Warlocks: An epic warlock's caster level and Eldritch Blast damage continues to increase every level. At 21st level, the warlock can gain sixth level Invocations, and it adds another level of Invocations every four levels thereafter. It gains new Invocations following its normal pattern. At 22nd level, and every four levels thereafter, the warlock gains a bonus epic feat. At 24th level, and every four levels thereafter, the warlock gains another Patron's Blessing, choosing a new option from a blessing set it has already received.

Alternate Class Features (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15244086#post15244086)

Kane0
2013-05-15, 06:23 PM
Wow, you have a lot of stuff going on here. I'll have to take my time and get back to you. From the bits that I have skimmed though, if a bit complex.

Okay, ill be doing this bit by bit.

Chassis
d6 HP, cool
4 skills/level, cool
class skills: You have a lot, but your not an Int based class so not too bad
BAB, cool
saves, cool
proficiencies: weapons/shields are ok, but no armor at all? looks out of sync with the hit die and BAB

Class abilities
Devotion. looks a little out of place, but i get the idea that you are trying to minimize dipping.

Invocations
Woah, this is a doozy. Ill split this down further
cantrips, cool
one invocation every two levels, cool
choose from a whole bunch of spell lists, with restrictions, cool (though cant select feather fall and the like because of the standard action spell limitation, which sounds odd)
bonus invocation of highest level known, cool
Focusing on more or fewer incovations changes both the chassis and the playstyle. I recommend having these as ACFs/Archetypes removed from the core class.

Converting invocations
looks like you are trying to put spellcasting balance in as well as a base class. You might want to leave that in a spoiler for DMs concerned with their players abusing their options

Eldritch blast
1d6 damage/level is cool, but its medium range and has a save to deal no damage. I recommend bringing the range back to short and changing the save to half damage, or to make the damage 1d6/2 levels and no save.
you may also want to simplify (i'm a fan of simplicity and elegance, you will probably hear about this a few times) the part about adding EB to a weapon attack. Swift action to add EB damage to weapon attacks for one round, or something like that.

Energy types.
Cool idea, but here is where the warlocks' list of options start to get very, very big. We like a lot of options, but be careful not to overload the class with so much that it becomes a task to built one. Plus, every invocation or EB will have a rider effect, which may or may not get crazy.

Patrons Blessing
You have three different options here too. I suggest putting the Soul selling and personal power options as ACFs outside of the main class.
The blessings themselves are very powerful and come at low levels. Fast healing was the one that really jumped out at me, but all of them push the warlock further and further into the land of the OP. Be very careful, you will probably want to scale a lot of these back.

Curse
The curse is cool, but you already have your EB, evergy type and invocations to choose from. The curse becomes gravy at this point, you may want to cut it out or have it as an ACF for EB. Or you could transfer it to a hexblade fix so he dosent feel even more left behind than he is already.

Witch's brew
Free crafting feat, i can see the synergy being set up here. But it dosent feel like it fits the class fluff, and you already have tons of options already.

Deceive Item
Standard warlock ability, cool

Blast shaping
looks like you are nerfing the EB here, as well as making if more complex than it needs to be. Sacrificing the D6s to change the area is a cool mechanic, but you already have plenty of new mechanics and toys introduced as is. Maybe give just a couple shapes and at later levels the area of effect grows.

Augment item
Looks like it's stepping in on the artificer here, but ok. Although the invocations and other stuff he has means that using magic items dosen't seem to be his class focus any more.

Improved Curse
As curse

Imbue Item
As deceive item, but also as witch's brew and augment item

Blast scaling
cool, but might fit better as a feat

Renew item
As imbue item

Greater curse
as curse

Rebuild item
okay, so you are determined to be a crafter/item user as well as caster and gish. You are covering a lot of roles and doing them all solidly, especially since the bonuses you get from your blessings put you into a position where you are a scary opponent even before you touch skills, feats and magic items. The warlock is looking really busy right now.

Ascension
so you turn into the patron now, cool.
The problem is that you in essence reverse a whole bunch of your class features, in some cases nearly rewriting your character sheet. It is a cool capstone though.
And as always, beware leadership.

Warlock feats
they look mostly balances and usable, but suffer from the warlocks business and complexity. Also paves the way for optimizers to make the warlock even more scary than currently.

To be honest, you have a lot of good ideas in here, but they don't seem refined yet. There is a lot of differing abilities flying around, a lot of powerful abilities added in and a lot of customization that allows someone that has sufficient (in this case, a lot of) game mastery utterly bewilder the average player or DM.

I hope I haven't come off as nasty, i do like most of what I see, it's just that I can see this being much more awesome than it is currently.

Quellian-dyrae
2013-05-15, 08:09 PM
Wow, you have a lot of stuff going on here. I'll have to take my time and get back to you. From the bits that I have skimmed though, if a bit complex.

One of my biggest weaknesses :smallamused:.


Class abilities
Devotion. looks a little out of place, but i get the idea that you are trying to minimize dipping.

Yeah. Specifically, I hate MAD and having to wait for three levels to alleviate it is particularly irksome in low-level games (where you have to sit through two levels of uselessness because you get ability scores at 1st level and it's silly to waste points on a score that you won't use past third), but a one-level dip for Cha-to-X is too good.


choose from a whole bunch of spell lists, with restrictions, cool (though cant select feather fall and the like because of the standard action spell limitation, which sounds odd)

Heh, that is kinda weird.


Focusing on more or fewer incovations changes both the chassis and the playstyle. I recommend having these as ACFs/Archetypes removed from the core class.

Good idea.


Converting invocations
looks like you are trying to put spellcasting balance in as well as a base class. You might want to leave that in a spoiler for DMs concerned with their players abusing their options

Well...sorta. The thing is, these spells are usable at will, which changes the balance point substantially. Even though you get fewer than most mages, and they're lower level, there's still going to be balance concerns without some conversion rules.

Spoiling them simply for cleanliness is a good idea though.


Eldritch blast
1d6 damage/level is cool, but its medium range and has a save to deal no damage. I recommend bringing the range back to short and changing the save to half damage, or to make the damage 1d6/2 levels and no save.

1d6 per level I feel is important, because that's actual halfway decent damage (can still be dwarfed with sufficient optimization of course, but it's nothing to scoff at for an at-will). Making it save negates puts it more in line with weapon attacks, which can miss outright. Basically, it's meant to be a solid at-will attack, not guaranteed damage.


you may also want to simplify (i'm a fan of simplicity and elegance, you will probably hear about this a few times) the part about adding EB to a weapon attack. Swift action to add EB damage to weapon attacks for one round, or something like that.

Yeah, I'm bad at simplicity :smallbiggrin:. In this case, there are two things this is meant to do.

1) If you're wielding a magic weapon, it can make your blast a bit stronger. This is your basic "I fire a bolt from my magic staff" thing.

2) An actual channel the blast through the weapon. This is a swift action (or immediate off-turn, so you can AoO with it once), and adds the blast explicitly to one attack (because a full attack with +1d6/level on each attack is too strong, by my mind).


Energy types.
Cool idea, but here is where the warlocks' list of options start to get very, very big. We like a lot of options, but be careful not to overload the class with so much that it becomes a task to built one.

Yeah, end of the day, I like there to be choices. It makes sense to me that an angelic warlock would be blasting its foes with holy power or divine light, that a demonic or draconic warlock will throw flame, and so on.

Still, might be better as an alternate class feature, just to keep the main section of the class from bloating.


Plus, every invocation or EB will have a rider effect, which may or may not get crazy.

They're pretty tame, though, nothing that outright prevents action. Useful, sure, but shouldn't be too terrible, I think.


Patrons Blessing
You have three different options here too. I suggest putting the Soul selling and personal power options as ACFs outside of the main class.

Again, good idea.


The blessings themselves are very powerful and come at low levels. Fast healing was the one that really jumped out at me, but all of them push the warlock further and further into the land of the OP. Be very careful, you will probably want to scale a lot of these back.

This...I'm not sure I agree on. Things like DR, Fast Healing, and similar abilities, to me, have always seemed like they needed to be boosted basically across the board.

Although, I do seem to have forgotten my usual stance of "just because you have no problem with infinite out of combat healing doesn't mean other DMs do" when putting in the fast healing, so I should go back and do something to mitigate that.


Curse
The curse is cool, but you already have your EB, evergy type and invocations to choose from. The curse becomes gravy at this point, you may want to cut it out or have it as an ACF for EB. Or you could transfer it to a hexblade fix so he dosent feel even more left behind than he is already.

Fun fact, the "trade fewer invocations for a better chassis", "channel an Eldritch Blast through a weapon", and Curse features are largely intended to make this class something of a stealth Hexblade fix as well.

Personally, I just feel curses are so appropriate to the theme of a warlock that it deserves to be a primary feature.


Witch's brew
Free crafting feat, i can see the synergy being set up here. But it dosent feel like it fits the class fluff, and you already have tons of options already.

Deceive Item
Standard warlock ability, cool

Augment item
Looks like it's stepping in on the artificer here, but ok. Although the invocations and other stuff he has means that using magic items dosen't seem to be his class focus any more.

Rebuild item
okay, so you are determined to be an infinite spellcaster, a competent gish and a crafter/item user. You are covering a lot of roles and doing them all really well, especially since the bonuses you get from your blessings put you into a position where you are a scary opponent even before you touch skills, feats and magic items. The warlock is looking really busy right now.

Brewing potions tends to be a fairly typical witch thing, and it leads in to the other item abilities.

That being said, I only really included the item abilities because they were such a key part of the previous warlock class. Perhaps moving the lot of them to an alternate class feature (maybe, another option for trading out the Patron Blessings) would be better, so they're there for the purists, but come at the cost of another powerful ability set, rather than just stacking on.


Blast shaping
looks like you are nerfing the EB here, as well as making if more complex than it needs to be. Sacrificing the D6s to change the area is a cool mechanic, but you already have plenty of new mechanics and toys introduced as is. Maybe give just a couple shapes and at later levels the area of effect grows.

Definitely wouldn't call this a nerf, although yeah, the area effect comes at a cost (however, you don't have to use it).

Basically, I like the idea of someone who is channeling raw magical energy being able to shape it basically how it wishes, but yeah, there probably are more streamlined ways to do it (say that they can apply the effects of Shape Spell to their blast, perhaps, with ways to increase the area later).


Blast scaling
cool, but might fit better as a feat

Could be.


Ascension
so you turn into the patron now, cool.
The problem is that you in essence reverse a whole bunch of your class features, in some cases nearly rewriting your character sheet. It is a cool capstone though.
And as always, beware leadership.

Sounds like I was unclear on that one. You don't change the previous benefits of your Patron's Blessing, you just get the stated new capabilities. Basically, all the old powers remain, but they now stem from you.

And yeah, the Leadership one has its normal issues, but for the flavor of it, it's an issue I'm willing to deal with at 20th level :smallcool:.


Warlock feats
they look mostly balances and usable, but suffer from the warlocks innate business and complexity. Also paves the way for optimizers to make the warlock even more scary than currently.

Noted.


To be honest, you have a lot of good ideas in here, but they don't seem refined yet. There is a lot of differing abilities flying around, a lot of powerful abilities added in and a lot of customization that allows someone that has sufficient (in this case, a lot of) game mastery utterly bewilder the average player or DM.

I hope I haven't come off as nasty, i do like most of what I see, it's just that I can see this being much more awesome than it is currently.

Not at all, a very thorough and useful review with several good ideas. Thanks!

EDIT: Missed one. The reason for no armor is because of the Combat Blessing, which at the time I believe I had figured all warlocks would receive. Since it's only an option now, they should get light armor proficiency.

Kane0
2013-05-15, 09:31 PM
Glad to see I wasn't taken the wrong way. I'm no master brewer, but I love me my warlocks.



Well...sorta. The thing is, these spells are usable at will, which changes the balance point substantially. Even though you get fewer than most mages, and they're lower level, there's still going to be balance concerns without some conversion rules.

Spoiling them simply for cleanliness is a good idea though.

Fair enough, but remember he is only getting 11 + cantrips, not counting the more invocations ACF. Maybe rolling up a list of spells he can pick from would be easier than saying 'any while following these rules'.



1d6 per level I feel is important, because that's actual halfway decent damage (can still be dwarfed with sufficient optimization of course, but it's nothing to scoff at for an at-will). Making it save negates puts it more in line with weapon attacks, which can miss outright. Basically, it's meant to be a solid at-will attack, not guaranteed damage.
The damage itself is fine, the problem is that its a save or nothing as a standard action, meaning if it fails then he did nothing that round. Besides, saves don't usually do that, it's what ACs job is. perhaps make it target regular AC instead of touch if you want it to be a challenge.



Yeah, I'm bad at simplicity . In this case, there are two things this is meant to do.

1) If you're wielding a magic weapon, it can make your blast a bit stronger. This is your basic "I fire a bolt from my magic staff" thing.

2) An actual channel the blast through the weapon. This is a swift action (or immediate off-turn, so you can AoO with it once), and adds the blast explicitly to one attack (because a full attack with +1d6/level on each attack is too strong, by my mind).

Then why have the option to use it without a weapon at all? Just have two options: Shoot as ranged attack using weapon or add to weapon damage.



Yeah, end of the day, I like there to be choices. It makes sense to me that an angelic warlock would be blasting its foes with holy power or divine light, that a demonic or draconic warlock will throw flame, and so on.

Still, might be better as an alternate class feature, just to keep the main section of the class from bloating.

I have nothing against that, except a holy warlock could pick say dark and poison. Maybe have four categories that have smaller lists. Your Devotion ability at level 1 determines which lists you can pick from. This may also extend to available invocations to pick from and other things.



They're pretty tame, though, nothing that outright prevents action. Useful, sure, but shouldn't be too terrible, I think.

But it happens every time, at no extra cost. Imagine every one of your attacks knocking an opponent prone or staggering for a round. And the save scales.



This...I'm not sure I agree on. Things like DR, Fast Healing, and similar abilities, to me, have always seemed like they needed to be boosted basically across the board.

Although, I do seem to have forgotten my usual stance of "just because you have no problem with infinite out of combat healing doesn't mean other DMs do" when putting in the fast healing, so I should go back and do something to mitigate that.

In the case of DR, yes by all means it needs a bit of a kickstart. Others like the Combat, Luck of the Favored, Patron's Grace, Magic Resistance, and the Immortality ones should probably be taken back a little. Theres a lot to be gained from them that make the Warlock very powerful for free. And Fast healing 6 should be fairly easy to get by level 4, which is pretty good no matter how you look at it.



Fun fact, the "trade fewer invocations for a better chassis", "channel an Eldritch Blast through a weapon", and Curse features are largely intended to make this class something of a stealth Hexblade fix as well.

Personally, I just feel curses are so appropriate to the theme of a warlock that it deserves to be a primary feature.

I figured, but it should probably be its own class rather than a heavy modified ACF on a warlock fix. Have them be brother classes, each using similar mechanics.



Basically, I like the idea of someone who is channeling raw magical energy being able to shape it basically how it wishes, but yeah, there probably are more streamlined ways to do it (say that they can apply the effects of Shape Spell to their blast, perhaps, with ways to increase the area later).

You could brew up some Warlock Metamagic feats to do this and things like blast scaling. Give him a bonus feat every 4 or 5 levels so he can pick one.



Sounds like I was unclear on that one. You don't change the previous benefits of your Patron's Blessing, you just get the stated new capabilities. Basically, all the old powers remain, but they now stem from you.

And yeah, the Leadership one has its normal issues, but for the flavor of it, it's an issue I'm willing to deal with at 20th level .

It's still a lot of changes to make. By all means, leadership at level 20 sounds appropriate, its just that unfortunately the feat is broken in the wrong hands.

Edit:
Idea:
Have three main directions of the class, using ACFs to differentiate between them. Give them all Invocations and Blessings, but make one focus on blasting, one focused on cursing and one focused on UMD/crafting.
Alternatively make three very similar classes that pursue Blasting (Warlock), Cursing (Hexblade) and Crafting (Artificer) and link them together with fluff.


If you think you could use some inspiration or comparison, try some of the links in my sig, I have two warlock fixes and the CCCC has half a dozen more.

Quellian-dyrae
2013-05-15, 09:44 PM
Have three main directions of the class, using ACFs to differentiate between them. Give them all Invocations and Blessings, but make one focus on blasting, one focused on cursing and one focused on UMD/crafting.

Hmm...maybe. I think the items will fit better pit against the Blessings (I even know how I want to fluff it). Pitting Curse against Blast would be viable, but the Curse would need a bit of a buff. Still, it could afford to be buffed if it was one or the other. And it's not like you can't get some of the functionality of the other one through your Invocations.

Erik Vale
2013-05-15, 09:49 PM
I won't go in depth [mostly skimmed at the moment] but it does seem a little more powerful than it should be.

However, consider this bookmarked for later review and use.

Quellian-dyrae
2013-05-16, 12:18 AM
Huh, hit the post limit.

Alternate Class Features

Hexblade

Patron's Champion [1st; Modifies Chassis and Invocations]: You are a trained warrior who wields your patron's power to support your martial skills. You receive a full Base Attack Bonus, a good Fortitude save, a d10 HD, and proficiency in all simple and martial weapons, light, medium, and heavy armor, and shields (except tower shields), for levels in the Warlock class.

However, you delay the progression of your scaling invocation by two levels (it begins as a zero-level Invocation, becomes first level at class level 3, second level at class level 7, and so on). If you choose a Summon for its scaling invocation, its progression is likewise delayed by two class levels. You also only receive a new Invocation at the levels where you gain a new level of Invocations, rather than every odd level.

Eldritch Strike (Sp) [2nd; Replaces Channel Blast]: Instead of channeling your Eldritch Blast through your weapon, you have learned to channel it into your weapon. As a standard action, you can make a single melee attack that also delivers an Eldritch Blast; a miss wastes the attempt. If your attack hits, the damage of the Eldritch Blast is added to your attack's damage, and your target must also make the normal saving throw or suffer the special effects of your Eldritch Blast. Alternately, as a full-round action, you may make a single charge attack that also delivers an Eldritch Blast. You may use this ability in conjunction with a Spring Attack.

Note that when making an Eldritch Strike, you are adding your Charisma modifier to your attack's damage, which does not stack with the same benefit if received from the Blessing of Combat.

If you have replaced your Eldritch Blast with a Warlock's Curse, this ability allows you to impose a Minor Curse through your weapon. Your attack roll replaces the save, and the number of points your attack succeeds by is used to determine the effects you can impose, rather than the number of points the opponent fails its save by.

Eldritch Flurry (Sp) [6th; Replaces Shape Blast]: You can strike at multiple foes with the power of your patron. As a full round action and a swift action, you may make a full attack action while also delivers Eldritch Blasts. Until the start of your next turn, the first attack you make against any given opponent this round is considered an Eldritch Strike. Once you attack an opponent once, future attacks during the round against that opponent do not carry the effects of the Eldritch Strike, whether your attack succeeds or fails.

Eldritch Fury (Sp) [10th; Replaces Persistent Blast]: At tenth level, you can blast an enemy with power whenever you score a decisive hit. Every critical hit you score is treated as an Eldritch Strike. Each point of your critical multiplier above X2 increases the bonus damage by 50%.

If you have replaced your Eldritch Blast with a Warlock's Curse, use your critical confirmation roll to determine the effective points the target failed the save by. For every point of your critical multiplier above X2, increase the total point value of the curse by 50%.

Eldritch Frenzy (Sp) [14th; Replaces Selective Blast]: You move among your foes in a savage frenzy, hacking them with your weapon and blasting them with eldritch power. As a full round and swift action, you may move up to twice your speed. Each square you move allows you to make a single attack. You may only attack a given opponent once with any given use of this ability. Successful attacks made with this ability deliver the effects of an Eldritch Strike.

Eldritch Counter (Sp) [18th; Replaces Scaled Blast]: You can strike back at your foes when they leave even the slightest opening. When an opponent misses you with an attack while within your reach (or one range increment for a ranged weapon), you can make an attack of opportunity against that opponent which delivers the effects of an Eldritch Strike. You may do this once per round against any given opponent.

Apostle

Patron's Student [1st; Modifies Chassis and Invocations]: You study the powers of your patron intently, at the expense of other skills. You receive a poor BAB, no armor proficiency, and d4 HD. You also gain all Knowledge skills as class skills.

You also delay the progression of your scaling invocation by two levels (it begins as a zero-level Invocation, becomes first level at class level 3, second level at class level 7, and so on). If you choose a Summon for its scaling invocation, its progression is likewise delayed by two class levels.

However, you gain a bonus Invocation at every level that you gain a new level of Invocations.

Eldritch Trigger [2nd; Replaces Channel Blast]: Rather than channeling your blast through a magic weapon, you can channel it through a spell trigger item. Add the level of the stored spell (or the highest level spell, for items with multiple spells) to your Charisma modifier for purposes of the Eldritch Blast. If the spell in the item deals energy damage, you can have your Eldritch Blast deal damage of the same type, rather than its normal type. Additionally, you can trigger the item and use the Eldritch Blast simultaneously by spending both a full-round action and a swift action.

Cultist

Patron's Hunter [1st; Modifies Chassis and Invocations]: You rely more on mundane skills supplemented by the power of your patron. You receive a d8 HD, 6 skill points per level, and a good Reflex save, and four additional class skills of your choice. Additionally, at 3rd level and every four levels therefater, you gain a +1d6 Sneak Attack, as the rogue class feature.

However, you delay the progression of your scaling invocation by two levels (it begins as a zero-level Invocation, becomes first level at class level 3, second level at class level 7, and so on). If you choose a Summon for its scaling invocation, its progression is likewise delayed by two class levels. You also only receive a new Invocation at the levels where you gain a new level of Invocations, rather than every odd level.

Eldritch Surprise [2nd; Replaces Channel Blast]: You have learned to use stealth and cunning to catch your opponents with your Eldritch Blasts, rather than relying on the power of a magic weapon. When using your Eldritch Blast against a target who is denied its Dexterity modifier to AC, you add any Sneak Attack damage you possess to the Eldritch Blast damage, and increase the Eldritch Blast DC by +1 per extra d6.

Warlock's Curse

Warlock's Curse (Sp) [1st; Replaces Eldritch Blast]: Starting at second level, the warlock gains the ability to pronounce crippling curses on its foes. You may pronounce a curse at will on a single target in Medium range. The target receives a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Charisma modifier) to resist. Class features that normally improve your Eldritch Blast apply to your Eldritch Curse instead.

The warlock may call down either a minor, moderate, or major curse. A minor curse is a swift action and lasts one round. A moderate curse is a standard action and lasts for the rest of the encounter, but a character who resists becomes immune to your moderate curses for the rest of the encounter. A major curse is a one-round action and lasts for twenty-four hours, but a character who resists becomes immune to your major curses for twenty-four hours.

If you die, all of your curses are immediately ended. They can also be dispelled, or negated by Remove Curse, Break Enchantment, or similar effects following normal rules.

A curse can impose a variety of effects. Each effect is given a point rating. You can impose a curse with a maximum number of points equal to your Charisma modifier, or the number of points the target fails its save by, whichever is lower. You choose the effects of your curse after seeing the result of the save.

Effects marked with an asterisk can be applied to the same curse multiple times, and stack from multiple curses.

Impose a -2 penalty on a single ability score* (1).
Reduce the target's current and maximum hit points by half your Charisma modifier* (1).
Render the target sickened (1).
Render the target shaken (1).
Render the target entangled (1).
Render the target fatigued (1).
Render the target deafened (1).
Render the target mute (1).
Obscure the target's vision (-5 on Search and Spot checks, all opponents have Concealment) (1).
Remove one special sense the target possesses* (Scent, Tremorsense, Blindsense, Blindsight, etc) (1).
Remove one special movement mode the target possesses* (Climb, Swim, Fly, etc) (1).
Render the target blind (2).
Render the target staggered (2).
Render the target exhausted (2).
Render the target unable to move from its current space (2).
Target has a 50% spell failure chance (2).
Target deals half damage with all attacks and effects (2).
Impose a -2 penalty on a all ability scores* (3).
Target receives one negative level, which cannot kill the target or result in actual level loss* (3).
Render the target confused (3).
Target has a 50% chance to fail all actions (3).
Target takes double damage from all attacks and effects (3).
Render the target nauseated (4).
Render the target dazed (5).
Render the target stunned (6).
Render the target paralyzed (7).
Transform the target as per Baleful Polymorph (7).
Render the target unconscious (8).
Render the target petrified (9).
Impose some creative penalty of your design (DM discretion).

Shape Curse (Sp) [6th; Replaces Shape Blast]: This functions as Shape Blast, but shaping a Minor Curse is a standard action, a Moderate Curse a one-round action, and a Major Curse a two-round action.

Improved Curse (Sp) [10th; Replaces Persistent Blast]: Your curse has grown more potent. Your curses cannot be removed by spells with a spell level than than or equal to one-third your class level, rounded down. Such spells likewise cannot remove the effects of your curse. Your Major Curses do not automatically expire after a day; instead, the target makes a new saving throw. If it succeeds, it throws of the curse. If it fails, the curse persists for another week, at which time the subject gets a third saving throw. If this save fails, the curse lasts permanently until removed.

Additionally, anyone who fails to remove your curse with a spell or ability must make a save or suffer the same effects.

In all of these cases, failing a save fully persists or duplicates the original curse effects, even if this save fails by fewer points than the original save failed by.

Sold Soul

Faustian Pact (Sp) [1st, 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th; Replaces Patron's Blessing]: Rather than swearing an Oath, you have sold your soul to your patron. Upon your death, your spirit is claimed by your patron. This isn't always a bad thing; in most cases, this means your spirit is transformed into a lesser creature of the same Type and Subtypes as your patron (though still an NPC under the DM's - or, more to the point, the patron's - control). Some evil patrons, however, will instead consume, enslave, or sell the soul. The material component cost for resurrecting you is doubled, and the window of time in which you can be resurrected is halved. A resurrection does not get your soul back, it simply further delays your patron's payment.

Your safety isn't necessarily a particular concern for your patron, so you don't receive any blessings. However, your bargain entails greater raw magical power. At every level you would normally gain a blessing, you instead gain +1d6 Eldritch Blast damage and one additional Invocation of the highest level you know. If you have traded your Eldritch Blast for a Warlock's Curse, your Warlock's Curses gain +1 point of effects rather than +1d6 damage.

Owned Soul (Ex) [20th; Replaces Ascension]: At twentieth level, you are powerful enough to claim your soul as your own, denying your patron its prize. You are no longer any harder to resurrect than normal - in fact, you no longer suffer any loss of level or Constitution for being resurrected, and the material components for resurrections are treated as focuses instead - that is, while they must be provided, they are not consumed. You also gain immunity to Charms, Compulsions, Possession, Negative Energy, and Death Effects.

Unbound Warlock

Empty Pact (Sp) [1st, 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th; Replaces Patron's Blessing]: Your soul is marked, but your patron has no claim over you. Perhaps your "pact" was inherited, or maybe you have broken your Oath despite the mark remaining. Regardless, you make your own way without your patron's blessings.

At every level where you would normally gain a Patron's Blessing, you instead receive a +2 bonus to your Charisma score, a +2 bonus to your Wisdom score, and a bonus feat that you qualify for.

If you have taken the Patron's Champion Alternate Class Feature, you receive a bonus to Strength rather than Wisdom.

If you have taken the Patron's Student Alternate Class Feature, you receive a bonus to Intelligence rather than Wisdom.

If you have taken the Patron's Hunter Alternate Class Feature, you receive a bonus to Dexterity rather than Wisdom.

The New Master (Ex) [20th; Replaces Ascension]: At twentieth level, you are powerful enough to become the master in your own right. You lay claim to your patron's holdings. You gain Leadership and Epic Leadership as bonus feats. Your cohort is your former patron - a creature (often an Outsider, but this can vary) with a CR of up to your maximum cohort level. Your followers may either be creatures of the same Type and Subtype as your cohort (with their effective level equal to their CR), or other warlocks.

Independent Warlock

Witch's Brew (Su) [1st; Replaces Patron's Blessing (Skill)]: You don't have a patron at all, rather having a natural knack for magic. Rather than receiving blessings, you are able to use your skills to create magical items. You gain Brew Potion as a bonus feat, and may brew potions of any spell that you can make into an Invocation (that is, all Wizard, Cleric, or Druid spells of up to your maximum Invocation level). You may brew potions of greater than third level when your level becomes high enough. You do not need to pay XP to create potions.

You can also obviate the gold cost of potions by using lesser ingredients, but these potions are temporary. They last for three days, plus one day per three class levels, before they expire. Identifications and other means of discerning what a potion does will likewise reveal their temporary nature, so these potions cannot usually be effectively sold.

Warlocks may create potions of harmful effects. Targeted effects can be used as an ingested or injury poison. Area effects can be thrown with a 20' range increment, bursting into their normal effect on contact. Spells that create Effects generally cannot be made into potions.

Warlock potions are particularly concentrated, and can be used in the same action as drawing them, to a minimum of a swift action.

Deceive Item (Su) [4th; Replaces Patron's Blessing (Protection)]: Starting at fourth level, you can easily commandeer magic items made for other characters. You gain the ability to take 10 on Use Magic Device checks, and may do so even while rushed or threatened.

Augment Item (Su) [8th; Replaces Patron's Blessing (Mobility)]: At eighth level you are so attuned to the magic of items that you can enhance them with your own power. The save DC of any magic item you use becomes 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Charisma modifier. You may also add your Charisma modifier to the caster level of any magic item you use, capping the item's caster level at either your own class level, or twice the item's original caster level, whichever is lower. Any feats or abilities that improve your spells or invocations can be used to improve magic items that create spell effects.

Imbue Item (Su) [12th; Replaces Patron's Blessing (Preservation)]: Starting at twelfth level, you can use your supernatural power to create magical items. You may ignore any spell prerequisites for creating the item, so long as you succeed a Use Magic Device check, DC 20 + twice the spell level of the highest level spell required. On a failed check, you cannot try again for that spell until you gain a level. You must meet all other prerequisites for the item, including having the necessary item creation feat, and must spend all normal gold, XP, and time to create the item.

If you wish, you can obviate the gold and XP costs to create a temporary item. The item lasts for one day per three class levels before losing its power. You must still spend the normal creation time.

You gain a bonus Item Creation feat upon gaining this class feature.

Rebuild Item (Su) [16th; Replaces Patron's Blessing (Immortality)]: At sixteenth level, your proficiency with magical items allows you to repair and restore the tattered threads of destroyed magic. You can restore the effects of destroyed or disjoined magic items. This takes half the normal time that creating the item would take, does not require you meet the item's creation prerequisites, and costs neither gold nor XP. Items that are destroyed, consumed, or otherwise drained of power through normal usage cannot be renewed; this ability lets you repair damaged magic, not recreate expended power. This ability also does not work on artifacts.

Renew Item (Su) [20th; Replaces Ascension]: At twentieth level, you can use your power to restore the expended energy of a charged item. Restoring charges requires twice the time it would normally take to add charges to the item, but does not cost gold, XP, or require you to meet any creation prerequisites.

Warlock Feats

Energy Gestalt

Prerequisites: Eldritch Blast, at least two Eldritch Blast energy types, Warlock Level 6+.

Benefit: You may use two energy types together with your Eldritch Blast (or other energy-based abilities). The combined energy has both special effects, forces the target to use the lower of the two saves, and can use either or both types of energy for purposes of immunities, vulnerabilities, and the like.

Extra Blessing

Prerequisites: Patron's Blessing (Protection).

Benefit: You gain an additional Blessing of Skill.

Special: If you have a greater level of Patron's Blessing, you can instead gain an additional blessing one step lower. For example, if you have Patron's Blessing (Preservation), you can choose an additional Blessing of Skill, Protection, or Mobility. At 20th level, you can choose any type of blessing. You may change the blessing gained through this feat whenever you gain a warlock level.

Killing Curse

Prerequisites: Warlock's Curse, Improved Curse.

Benefit: You can invoke a deadly curse upon the target. This is a full-round action, and always affects a single target. The target immediately receives 1d6 points of damage per class level, with a Fortitude save to negate. If the target fails its save, it must save again, or receive an additional instance of damage. It must continue doing so until it succeeds a saving throw or dies.

Damage from a Killing Curse is always lethal damage, even if the target has abilities (such as regeneration) that normally convert lethal damage into nonlethal damage. It also always damages the target's actual hit points, bypassing temporary hit points from any source. The Killing Curse is a Death effect. Used against an object, it instead becomes a Disintegration effect that utterly destroys as much of the object as is appropriate to the damage dealt, spreading until it destroys the whole object or the object succeeds its save. It deals full damage to objects and ignores Hardness, but the object may substitute its Hardness for its Fortitude save if Hardness is higher.

A target who survives a Killing Curse is thereafter immune for twenty-four hours.

Quellian-dyrae
2013-05-16, 12:49 AM
Glad to see I wasn't taken the wrong way. I'm no master brewer, but I love me my warlocks.

Nope, I appreciate the critique.

...Course, that doesn't mean I agree with everything, or that I won't debate about the things I don't agree with. :smallbiggrin:


Fair enough, but remember he is only getting 11 + cantrips, not counting the more invocations ACF. Maybe rolling up a list of spells he can pick from would be easier than saying 'any while following these rules'.

Yep, but that's what the original one did, and it would be contrary to the whole point (the big reason I wanted to make this class was to see if I could take the existing spells, and with some general rules, make them work for at-will usage).


The damage itself is fine, the problem is that its a save or nothing as a standard action, meaning if it fails then he did nothing that round. Besides, saves don't usually do that, it's what ACs job is. perhaps make it target regular AC instead of touch if you want it to be a challenge.

Yeah, but sometimes you do accomplish nothing in a round, whether using attacks, spells, or whatever. The difference between a warlock and a wizard, is that yeah, a warlock might accomplish nothing if the enemy makes its save, but at least it hasn't also wasted a valuable daily resource doing nothing.


Then why have the option to use it without a weapon at all? Just have two options: Shoot as ranged attack using weapon or add to weapon damage.

Not using it through a weapon isn't really an "option" so much as it's "what happens when you don't have a magic weapon".

In any case, the "add magic weapon effects" is now a separate class feature at level 2, with several alternate class features (one of which being the "cast it as part of a weapon attack").


I have nothing against that, except a holy warlock could pick say dark and poison. Maybe have four categories that have smaller lists. Your Devotion ability at level 1 determines which lists you can pick from. This may also extend to available invocations to pick from and other things.

Nah, because who knows if someone wants to play a warlock who made a pact with, I dunno, a Couatl and has like Good, Telepathy, and Poison blasts or something. Or maybe this specific holy warlock has some other good reason to have Dark and Poison. I'd rather allow for oddball concepts.


But it happens every time, at no extra cost. Imagine every one of your attacks knocking an opponent prone or staggering for a round. And the save scales.

I dunno, it seems fair enough to me. I spend my standard action, guaranteed. If you pass your save, I accomplish nothing. If you fail your save, I deal solid damage and probably a notable, but not utterly crippling, status effect.

If it were something that allows multiple attacks per round, it'd be a different story.


In the case of DR, yes by all means it needs a bit of a kickstart. Others like the Combat, Luck of the Favored, Patron's Grace, Magic Resistance, and the Immortality ones should probably be taken back a little. Theres a lot to be gained from them that make the Warlock very powerful for free. And Fast healing 6 should be fairly easy to get by level 4, which is pretty good no matter how you look at it.

I'll have to give them another look, but I'm still pretty comfortable with these, for the levels you get them at (Protection might be a bit strong for its initial level, and might do better being more level-dependent).


I figured, but it should probably be its own class rather than a heavy modified ACF on a warlock fix. Have them be brother classes, each using similar mechanics.

I'm kinda on a customizable chassis kick recently. Saves space to just let the warrior side of a casting-type class reduce the casting to get the BAB and such (and, I think, holds more true to what the actual comparative benefits of BAB/HD/Proficiencies are). That said, it's all now a full-fledged ACF.


You could brew up some Warlock Metamagic feats to do this and things like blast scaling. Give him a bonus feat every 4 or 5 levels so he can pick one.

Potential option, but with Curse moved to an ACF, I just went with a set of blast adjusting class features. Should be a bit more streamlined than I had it though.


It's still a lot of changes to make. By all means, leadership at level 20 sounds appropriate, its just that unfortunately the feat is broken in the wrong hands.

Not sure I follow on the changes. The Ascension changes amounted to:

Oath: Scratch the Oath off your sheet. Add a new Invocation with a higher level than normal.
Sold Soul: Choose a Blessing of Immortality. Add a list of sweet immunities.
Self Sufficient: Grab Leadership and Epic Leadership. Yeah, do all the work that that entails.

In any case, those have likewise now been shifted around to their own ACFs, so that should make it cleaner.