Warlock Knight (PrC 3.5)

[desero clades]

I'm just jotting down some quick ideas for a melee warlock PrC. I'd appreciate any ideas and help.


Prerequisites
Must know Hideous Blow Invocation.
Must be proficient with at least 1 martial or exotic melee weapon.
Feats: Battle Caster
Skills: 8 ranks in Sense Motive


Warlock Knight
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |
Spellcasting

1st|+1|+2|+0|+2|Swift Hideous Blow, Improved Battle Caster|
+1 level of existing spellcasting level

2nd|+2|+3|+0|+3||
+1 level of existing spellcasting level

3rd|+3|+3|+1|+3|Eldritch Assault|
+1 level of existing spellcasting level

4th|+4|+4|+1|+4||
+1 level of existing spellcasting level

5th|+5|+4|+1|+4|Eldritch Whirlwind|
+1 level of existing spellcasting level

[/table]
Hit Die: 1d8

Class Skills:
Class Skills: As Warlock
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier

Swift Hideous Blow: When using the invocation Hideous Blow, you may activate it as a swift action.

Improved Battle Caster: You may now wear up to heavy armor with no arcane failure with your warlock abilities.

Eldritch Assault: You may (oncer per round) up to your Warlock Knight levels per day, add your eldritch blast damage to all your melee attacks for 1 round. Activating this ability is a free action.

Eldritch Whirlwind: You may (as a free action) artificially increase the reach of any melee weapon you wield by 5ft with eldritch energy. If the weapon leaves your hands the reach is returned to normal.
In addition once per day you may attack every enemy you threaten in melee with a single attack roll.

[Kane0]

Seems alright, though the sense motive pre-req seems a little out of place.

Thought: why not throw in the ability to have your Eldritch Glaive as another weapon as well?

Thought2: Why not change eldritch assault to be able to add EB damage to melee attacks for x rounds per day? Then you can maybe bring in another buff to Hideous blow at 4th level that allows you to add EB damage + essence to a single attack (ala smite)?

Edit:
Would these pre-reqs fit better?
BAB +6
Battle Caster Feat
Eldritch Glaive or Hideous Blow Invocation

[LordErebus12]

it should prolly lose out on one casting level at the first level of this class, similar to how the Eldritch Knight does.

[desero clades]

Honestly, sense motive was really just left over from an earlier version of this.
The 6 BaB makes a straight warlock have to wait till level 10 to enter the class. I was aiming toward level 6 entry if possible. Any other thoughts? Maybe intimidate instead?

I like your change to eldritch assault, consider your idea adopted!

@LordErebus12
I mean look at abjurant champion, he has full BaB and full caster levels. Sor/Wiz are wayyy stronger than warlock so I don't think it is needed to weaken this class really.

[bobthe6th]

See, the difrence is that warlocks have class features. Some of which don't suck. Wizards have a few bonus feats, and sorcerers have nadda. Fast healing is very nice(at its lowest level healing upwards of 200 HP, and at best 1000...)

Also... the features aren't amazing. A Duskblade does it better from level 1...
And we already have the duskblade. I would suggest something more focused on the fiendish portion of the warlock. Like some nat AC, maybe some useful natural attacks, free scaling fire damage, or some bleed stuff.

[AmberVael]

I'm not sure that Swift Hideous Blow does what you think it does. Or if you intended it that way, I'm not entirely sure I think it is a good idea. Just to be absolutely clear- yes, Hideous Blow is a standard action. But that standard action includes an attack. So, as a single standard action, you use your weapon and your eldritch blast at the same time.

So... Swift Hideous Blow means you can use your eldritch blast and your weapon as a swift action. And then as a standard action, you can do it again.
I don't think attacking as a swift action is necessarily unbalanced, but it does seem a little odd.

Ironically, this does help out with one of more annoying problems with Hideous Blow, namely that it provokes an AoO to use- since swift action spells and spell-likes don't provoke AoOs, this removes this difficulty.



As for the rest... this is really just Eldritch Glaive: The Class, but with a few adds on and some large nerfs. I don't see it being very worthwhile, really.

[desero clades]

No, I do know how hideous blows. I wanted that double attack, (if you wanted to use both your swift and standard actions.)

I still want to add more abilities to make it a better warlock gish. Just trying to think a way to add balanced stuff, probably some way to heal with your EB x times a-day, some DR, and such.