Multiclassing A Warlock?

[newsman77]

Hi Fellow Gamers,

Your advice is greatly appreciated here. I'm playing a Warforged Warlock (18/18/18/18/12/11) in a sort of superhero d&d campaign (Level 6 so far) and I need a little help deciding which multiclass is the better route: Incarnate or Cloistered Cleric/Eldritch Disciple.

We have no real dedicated healer... we have items that provide decent healing so far.

My biggest worry with the Eldritch Disciple is going into it at level 7... my wisdom isn't high enough to support high level spells, but the healing beam is super attractive for our group. Could I be ok as the cleric?

On the other hand... the Incarnate class seems very fun, and helps add to the flexibility and utility of a warlock.

Help a gamer out with any advice or experience you have playing these classes?

[Socratov]

Well, to me a warlock is as good as he has invocations and invoker levels, unless you dip. Now to me the only multi-classing that actually helps is Hellfire Warlock (coupled with 1 lvl of Binder) and Chameleon (post lvl 12). The warlock is a phenomenal dip but when you have taken so many levels the old adage "Thou shalt not lose caster-levels" becomes more and more true. hell, Chameleon only gets away with it because of the interaction between Imbue Item and Floating Feat.

[Tokiko Mima]

One thing I should warn you about Healing Blast: Each use consumes a turn attempt, so you could only heal 3/day, unless you have some other method (Nightsticks, Extra Turning feat, etc.) for getting more of those.

Based on your ability scores and desire to be a healer, might I also suggest going down the Eldritch Claws/Beast Strike feat route and taking a level of Unarmed variant Swordsage and then Shadow Sun Ninja(ToB) PrC? You will be limited to single target melee range, but you can heal every other round as a swift action, and on the rounds you can't attack you deal your unarmed damage in negative energy as a touch attack. This way you are not leaning on your CHA and WIS scores at all for anything beyond some invocations.

[newsman77]

One thing I should warn you about Healing Blast: Each use consumes a turn attempt, so you could only heal 3/day, unless you have some other method (Nightsticks, Extra Turning feat, etc.) for getting more of those.

Based on your ability scores and desire to be a healer, might I also suggest going down the Eldritch Claws/Beast Strike feat route and taking a level of Unarmed variant Swordsage and then Shadow Sun Ninja(ToB) PrC? You will be limited to single target melee range, but you can heal every other round as a swift action, and on the rounds you can't attack you deal your unarmed damage in negative energy as a touch attack. This way you are not leaning on your CHA and WIS scores at all for anything beyond some invocations.

Wow, this is awesome! I'll look into this.

My DM said I could use practiced spellcaster to make up the lost Warlock levels to cleric... in order to get to Eldricth Disciple. Plus I have Undeath Domain... which is extra turning, and a nightstick. So that helps.

[Warlocknthewind]

You have deceive item.

Buy a wand of cure x wounds

That makes you as good a healer as any, really.

[Grayson01]

You have deceive item.

Buy a wand of cure x wounds

That makes you as good a healer as any, really.

I second this!

I would say Hellfire warlock and a wand of restoration to go with the Cure X

[Greymane]

I second this!

I would say Hellfire warlock and the Bind Vestige feat for Naberius to go with the Cure X

FTFY :smalltongue:

[Tokiko Mima]

Wow, this is awesome! I'll look into this.

The fun part of the combo is that Eldritch Claws lets you gain a claw attack with a damage equal to your unarmed damage + eldritch damage. Beast Strike lets your unarmed strike base damage be equal to your existing unarmed damage, plus any claw damage. So now when you use Eldritch Claws your base unarmed attack damage is twice your normal unarmed damage plus eldritch blast damage. With Touch of the Shadow Sun as a Standard action you can hit a foe for that much damage as a touch attack (very unlikely to miss with your stats.) The following round, you DON'T activate Eldritch Claws, and get to touch an ally as a swift action to heal them for the damage inflicted last round. You can then full attack, Eldritch Glaive, Eldritch Blast, whatever. You pretty much will only ever touch attack with this combination.

For best results, get a Monk's belt and Chausible of Fell Power: they both increase your healing.

[Gildedragon]

I second this!

I would say Hellfire warlock and the Bind Vestige feat Binder 1 for Naberius


FTFY :smalltongue:

FTFTFYFY, the feat doesn't give that ability


As to good Classes. Well what concept ya got? IIRC there are a fair number of warlock friendly(able) theurge classes

... of which eldritch disciple is one: what are you thinking of multiclassing it with?
If you're worried about low wis, use an alternate base stat divine caster. There is archivist for Int and some for Cha

[Mnemnosyne]

Use Ur-Priest with Eldritch Disciple instead of cloistered cleric to solve the late entry problem, so you can wind up with full spellcasting. A +6 wisdom item will bump your wisdom up high enough to cast 8th level spells, then invest an inherent or level bonus for 19 wis. Ideally you'll want to get that inherent bonus to +4 at least, and focus your 8, 12, 16, and 20 level-boosts into wisdom. That'll have you wind up with a final wisdom of 26. Or get a +5 inherent and put only 3 of those level-boosts into Wis.

[Socratov]

Use Ur-Priest with Eldritch Disciple instead of cloistered cleric to solve the late entry problem, so you can wind up with full spellcasting. A +6 wisdom item will bump your wisdom up high enough to cast 8th level spells, then invest an inherent or level bonus for 19 wis. Ideally you'll want to get that inherent bonus to +4 at least, and focus your 8, 12, 16, and 20 level-boosts into wisdom. That'll have you wind up with a final wisdom of 26. Or get a +5 inherent and put only 3 of those level-boosts into Wis.

It's not like Warlock needs any abilities, so why not take wisdom to begin with?

[newsman77]

It's not like Warlock needs any abilities, so why not take wisdom to begin with?

Well we started at 3... and I was specced to be a melee kinda guy with Eldritch Claws with no real prestige in mind. My DM recommended Incarnate... which seems to meld well with my build... eventually taking the prestige that gets you souldmeld levels + arcane caster levels (warlock). That seemed very cool... until I stumbled upon Eldritch Disciple. That seems better for the group... to keep our heavy hitters up. There's 3 of those, me and a psionic guy.

I guess I should list my feats... lol I have Adamatine Body (which was enchanted to be Weightless), Eldritch Claws and Flyby Attack.

I would change some stuff around, but I don't know if my DM will let me, since we're 3 levels in.

[weckar]

My DM recommended Incarnate... which seems to meld well with my build...
:smallbiggrin:

[Doc_Maynot]

If you are a melee guy you could get the martial stance that lets you heal a nearby ally when you make a successful melee attack.

[A_S]

Warlock makes a pretty good base for an Intimidate build (gets it as a class skill, +6 from Beguiling Influence, and a couple of fear abilities in-class). This is generally something you would want to build for from the beginning, though. If you did go this route, you'd probably want to dip into Marshal for Motivate Charisma, Binder for Naberius, and Hellfire Warlock because Hellfire Warlock. Possibly also Uncanny Trickster for skill tricks and extra HFW advancement.

[Undead_Assassin]

I second this!

I would say Hellfire warlock and a wand of restoration to go with the Cure X

Add a improved familiar with a rod of bodily restoration, prepare for complaints of cheese :P

Hellfire warlock is the only way to play a warlock in 3.5, (In my opinion) they really need that damage boost. Plus Hellfire shield and Hellfire infusion are pretty neat abilities. Start glaving or clawing people for decent damage and use wands for heals if you need it! Plus, an improved familiar can also use your wands (by using your skill ranks, I'm assuming you're maxing out UMD like any warlock worth his salt should) to assist in your healing endeavors!

[Malroth]

You don't even need improved familiar, a standard raven familiar can talk and use your UMD skill ranks and can carry a couple wands.

[Socratov]

if you bind Naberius (because intimidate is also boosted by Naberius' silver tongue), why waste feats on getting a familiar and to do what you can already do at your own...