[3.5] Which Prestige Classes Do Warlocks Qualify For?

[HaikenEdge]

Ignoring for the moment whether a prestige class is good or bad, exactly which prestige classes can a straight Warlock qualify for? I know they can't qualify for spellcasting PrCs unless casting from a wand, staff or scroll is allowed to meet the prerequisite, but beyond that, I'm basically looking for a laundry list of classes I can present to a fellow player, who is asking me about his options (DM said everything WotC and Dragon is allowed, but isn't helping the player beyond that), and I felt I would be remiss if I didn't ask the Playground to help with the list, given that I'll likely forget something or another.

[Ardantis]

The prestige classes you'd want to use advance Warlock invocations, of which there are scant few, all in the Warlock book (Complete Arcane?) Maybe there's one in the Dragonfire Adept book (Dragon Magic?)

[gorfnab]

The Warlock Information Compilation (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2997.0) has a list of prestige classes for Warlock.

[HaikenEdge]

The prestige classes you'd want to use advance Warlock invocations, of which there are scant few, all in the Warlock book (Complete Arcane?) Maybe there's one in the Dragonfire Adept book (Dragon Magic?)


Warlocks benefit in a specific way from prestige classes that have “+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class” or “+1 level of existing spellcasting class” as a level advancement benefit. A warlock taking levels in such a prestige class does not gain any of his class abilities, but he does gain an increased caster level when using his invocations and increased damage with his eldritch blast. Levels of prestige classes that provide +1 level of spellcasting effectively stack with the warlock’s level to determine his eldritch blast damage (treat his combined caster level as his warlock class level when looking at Table 1–1: The Warlock to determine eldritch blast damage) and his eldritch blast caster level (half his total caster level from his warlock levels and his levels in the prestige class that grant him an increased spellcasting level). A warlock also gains new invocations known at these prestige class levels as though he had gained a level in the warlock class.

This means any class that progresses arcane or unspecified spellcasting will progress a Warlock's eldritch blast damage, CL, as well as invocations, not just PrCs that specify progressing invocation-progressing classes. The primary barrier to the list is the number of books, and having to dig through every one to find the PrCs that allow entry either without spellcasting prerequisite (Uncanny Trickster, for example), or with prerequisites for Caster Level or SLA only (CArc PrCs, Sand Shaper, etc), which is why I'm requesting assistance.



The Warlock Information Compilation (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2997.0) has a list of prestige classes for Warlock.

Beautiful, thank you.

[Chronos]

Warlocks can qualify for PrCs that call for "caster level", "arcane caster level", or the ability to cast a specific spell which is mimicked by an invocation. They cannot qualify for PrCs that call for "Able to cast X level spells". Any class that advances unspecified spellcasting or arcane spellcasting can advance a warlock's invocations, giving new invocations known, higher grades of invocation, increased caster level on invocations, and increased eldritch blast damage as if you had gained warlock levels.

Some specific examples of classes that a warlock can qualify for include Acolyte of the Skin, Mindbender, Enlightened Fist, and Sandshaper.

[RedMage125]

Complete Mage also gives us 3 prestige classes that one must EXPLICITLY be a warlock to qualify for:

Eldritch Theurge (Arcane caster/Warlock)
Eldritch Disciple (Divine Caster/Warlock)
Enlightened Spirit (Holy Warlock, gimps your invocation progression, but gives you some new invocations, and REALLY pumps up your Eldritch Blast when combined with the Practiced Spellcaster feat)

[LentilNinja]

There are plenty of options, it all depends on how you want to play. Imo though, any Warlock who wants to focus on damage should pick Hellfire Warlock. -1 CON for a free 6d6 damage after 3 levels is pretty good.

As mentioned above, ED and ET are REAL good for Warlocks (dual progression is too good to pass up). ES is alright, but more something to pick up if you max Warlocks CL thus maximizing number of Invocations & EB damage.

[RedMage125]

Enlightened Spirit is otherwise a pretty terrible PrC. If they changed it so that it added "effective warlock level for EB and Invocations", and simply added the new invocations as bonus ones known, it would be better balanced and more attractive as a PrC.

Wouldn't get the cheesyness of taking Practiced Spellcaster that way, though.

As it is, a Warlock10/Enlightened Spirit10 with Practiced Spellcaster gets an EB damage output of 12d6. Which is pretty awesome. Just not quite awesome enough to make it worth losing everything else that you lose.

Maybe if you went whole hog on Fey Bloodline feats, though, your character would not be as gimped, and would make for some cool roleplaying (basically the 3e version of a Fey pact warlock). But being able to make a non-crappy character with that PrC does not make the PrC less crappy

[Urpriest]

Enlightened Spirit is otherwise a pretty terrible PrC. If they changed it so that it added "effective warlock level for EB and Invocations", and simply added the new invocations as bonus ones known, it would be better balanced and more attractive as a PrC.

Wouldn't get the cheesyness of taking Practiced Spellcaster that way, though.

As it is, a Warlock10/Enlightened Spirit10 with Practiced Spellcaster gets an EB damage output of 12d6. Which is pretty awesome. Just not quite awesome enough to make it worth losing everything else that you lose.

Maybe if you went whole hog on Fey Bloodline feats, though, your character would not be as gimped, and would make for some cool roleplaying (basically the 3e version of a Fey pact warlock). But being able to make a non-crappy character with that PrC does not make the PrC less crappy

What does Practiced Spellcaster do in this combo? Eldtrict Blast damage isn't caster-level dependent.

[Red Fel]

Enlightened Spirit is otherwise a pretty terrible PrC. If they changed it so that it added "effective warlock level for EB and Invocations", and simply added the new invocations as bonus ones known, it would be better balanced and more attractive as a PrC.

It's kind of rubbish as a stand-alone PrC, but a bit of awesome in a gestalt. Because both Warlock and Enlightened Spirit have staggered EB progression, (I think) it's possible to have levels of both in a gestalt, provided they're not advancing EB at the same time.

[RedMage125]

What does Practiced Spellcaster do in this combo? Eldtrict Blast damage isn't caster-level dependent.

Eldritch Blast damage IS, in fact, caster-level dependent. Back when Sage Advice was run by Andy Collins, they clarified that Practiced Spellcaster would allow a warlock to increase caster level for invocations, and increase EB damage, but not grant new invocations known.

Eldritch Blast is essentially an invocation, and the damage it does is based on the warlock's "caster level".

Since Enlightened Spirit has a separate progression of increase to EB damage, it would not hinder the lock from taking PS. So a warlock 10/Enlightened Spirit 10 has 7d6 EB from warlock levels, as a level 14 warlock, plus 5d6 from ES levels.

So the potential for EB damage is nice. Which does not, unfortunately, undo all the rest of the gimpededness of the PrC.

[Urpriest]

Eldritch Blast damage IS, in fact, caster-level dependent. Back when Sage Advice was run by Andy Collins, they clarified that Practiced Spellcaster would allow a warlock to increase caster level for invocations, and increase EB damage, but not grant new invocations known.

Eldritch Blast is essentially an invocation, and the damage it does is based on the warlock's "caster level".

Since Enlightened Spirit has a separate progression of increase to EB damage, it would not hinder the lock from taking PS. So a warlock 10/Enlightened Spirit 10 has 7d6 EB from warlock levels, as a level 14 warlock, plus 5d6 from ES levels.

So the potential for EB damage is nice. Which does not, unfortunately, undo all the rest of the gimpededness of the PrC.

Eldritch Blast is dependent on class level the way it's written, not caster level. Remember, Sage Advice is just an interpretation: if they don't go back and errata things to match that interpretation, then the actual rules aren't affected.