Gestalt Warlock help

[CryptbornAkryea]

My buddy wants to play a warlock, ranged + hellfire. He has no idea how gestalt it for my game, and to tell the truth, neither do I...

I should mention that his biggest concern is penetrating spell resistance.

A little help, giants?

[Snowbluff]

"Innate" is a funny word. Supernatural Transformation: EB. Iffy but a goody.

Vitriolic Blast.

Heads up, the other half could easily be straight binder, with a vestige to recover the Con from hellfire. You can also look for passive bonuses based on Cha. (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=4369.0)

Does he have anything specific in mind? I can make it happen.

[CryptbornAkryea]

He is thinking something psionic, possibly. Definitely ranged.

He has 6 levels to work with and I'm allowing level adjustment buy off. He doesn't even know what race.

I have no problem with Strongheart Vest and/or other tricks.

[adriana]

He is thinking something psionic, possibly. Definitely ranged.

He has 6 levels to work with and I'm allowing level adjustment buy off. He doesn't even know what race.

I have no problem with Strongheart Vest and/or other tricks.

Is he dead set on ranged? If you allow claws to work with hellfire

1. Warlock 1// Warblade 1
2. Warlock 2// Binder 1
3. Warlock 3// Warblade 2
4. Warlock 4// Warblade 3
5. Warlock 5// Warblade 4
6. Warlock 6// Enlightened Spirit 1
7. Warlock 7// Enlightened Spirit 2
8. Warlock 8// Enlightened Spirit 3
9. Warlock 9// Enlightened Spirit 4
10. Warlock 10// Enlightened Spirit 5
11. Warlock 11// Enlightened Spirit 6
12. Warlock 12// Enlightened Spirit 7
13. Warlock 13// Enlightened Spirit 8
14. Warlock 14// Enlightened Spirit 9
15. Warlock 15// Enlightened Spirit 10
16. Hellfire Warlock 1// Warblade 5
17. Hellfire Warlock 2// Warblade 6
18. Hellfire Warlock 3// Warblade 7
19. Warlock 16// Warblade 8
20. Warlock 17// Warblade 9

This is a fairly decent build when combined with feats like beast strike.

if he's absolutely set on ranged then nvm. It's worth considering though. :smallbiggrin:

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

A gestalt Warlock should always consider going Warlock//Enlightened Spirit as early as possible. Everything Enlightened Spirit gives is different from Warlock class features, and will stack with everything you get from Warlock. The EB bonus damage is just extra damage, not the advancement of the class feature as it doesn't increase your caster level for it. The bonus invocations known are specific invocations gained and doesn't progress the general number-of-invocations that a Warlock normally has. For this reason, particularly the lack of progressing caster level, it's a terrible class normally but it's perfect for a gestalt character. Also note that at Warlock 10// Anything 5/ Enlightened Spirit 5 he'll get a bonus greater shape invocation, meaning he gets access to greater invocations at Warlock 10 instead of Warlock 11. His Warlock 10 general invocation known can be a greater invocation.

I'd make the build something like Warlock 15/ Hellfire Warlock 3/ Warlock 2// Binder 1/ Sorcerer 4/ Enlightened Spirit 10/ Sorcerer 3/ Paragnostic Apostle 1/ Dragon Devotee 1. You'll want to bind Naberius for fast ability healing once you start taking Hellfire Warlock. Pick utility spells from Sorcerer such as Nerveskitter, Benign Transposition, and Wings of Cover. From Paragnostic Apostle you want Spatial Awareness, which benefits your Celestial Flight invocation from Enlightened Spirit. Dragon Devotee gives you +2 Cha, though it wouldn't hurt to get one more level of Paragnostic Apostle instead.

[Cowardly Griffo]

I'm going to be a total dork and suggest Fighter. Rays are a valid choice for the Weapon Focus tree, so why not. :smallcool:

[CryptbornAkryea]

He just shut down ES, he doesn't want to be Good.

[adriana]

He just shut down ES, he doesn't want to be Good.

The good part is just fluff. You could easily reword it to make it more "evil" that's an easy GM call. It's just that ES is such a good class to use gestalt wise.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

He just shut down ES, he doesn't want to be Good.

Make an evil adaptation. Let's look at what it grants:

Aura of Good, same as the Paladin class feature, so change it to Aura of Despair from Blackguard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/blackguard.htm).

Aura of Menace, same as Archons (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/archon.htm) get, there doesn't appear to be an evil equivalent to this but since it only affects hostile creatures it can easily be left alone, just change the flavor text from 'righteous aura' to 'malignant aura'.

Spirit Blast: You could easily leave this unchanged. A possible adaptation would be to remove the bonus damage versus undead, make it still avoid incorporeal miss chance, and it also makes EB able to strike ethereal opponents, in which case you could name it Transdimensional Blast.

Spirit Armor: Change it from a sacred bonus to a profane bonus, done.

Celestial Flight: Evil outsiders have wings, too. Just change their appearance.

Holy Blast: If you're LE, it works on CE and good outsiders; if you're CE, it works on LE and good outsiders; if you're NE, it works on nonevil outsiders. If you're CN for some reason, it works on nonchaotic outsiders.

Nothing else it grants needs to be changed.

[CryptbornAkryea]

Okay, progress has been made. We have a race.

Unseelie Fey Tiefling

How would
WarlockX/HFW3/WarlockX//Scout5/ES10/Scout5
look?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Okay, progress has been made. We have a race.

Unseelie Fey Tiefling

How would
WarlockX/HFW3/WarlockX//Scout5/ES10/Scout5
look?

Put a level of Binder in there and you're good. If you're going to use HFW you need a way to either avoid (which may not even work) or heal the ability damage it does. Binding Naberius gives you Fast Ability Healing 1, so you heal one point of ability damage to each stat per round.

Actually, make it Wildshape Ranger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#ranger) 1/ Binder 1/ Scout 3/ ES 10/ Wildshape Ranger 5, with Swift Hunter and Expeditious Dodge.

[CryptbornAkryea]

Could Strongheart Vest negate the need for the Binder dip?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Could Strongheart Vest negate the need for the Binder dip?

No, that doesn't work.


The strongheart vest protects you from attacks that would
reduce your ability scores.


Would the strongheart vest soulmeld (MoI 89) protect
you from the ability damage of the hellfire warlock’s
hellfire blast ability (FCII 90)?

The strongheart vest soulmeld reduces the amount of
ability damage you receive from an attack; however, it does not
keep you safe from the costs of hellfire blast because the ability
damage you are taking is not from someone attacking you.

[CryptbornAkryea]

Good point. Heh

[Snowbluff]

No, that doesn't work.
Using Eldritch Blast is an attack. Hellfire specifies that you have to be using EB. So it could be argued otherwise.

[Rijan_Sai]

Celestial Flight: Evil outsiders have wings, too. Just change their appearance.
Just one point here: just grant Fell Flight as a bonus Invocation..Celestial Flight is already the refluff! :smallsmile:


Not, that doesn't work necessarily. This is heavily debated, as many people do not consider the FAQ to be Rules text.
:smallcool:No malice, just pointing out that this is the case. Myself, I'm on the fence with it, as I see both sides of the argument. I would generally recommend Binder first, though, just to avoid the problems...

That said, this:


He is thinking something psionic, possibly. Definitely ranged.

He has 6 levels to work with and I'm allowing level adjustment buy off. He doesn't even know what race.

I have no problem with Strongheart Vest and/or other tricks.
As the DM, that is entirely within your right! If you are okay with it, it becomes the cost of a feat vs. the cost of a level.

[Snowbluff]

Just one point here: just grant Fell Flight as a bonus Invocation..Celestial Flight is already the refluff! :smallsmile:


They were already suggesting taking the PrC for EB stuff. The flight ability just frees up the invocation slot. It's gravy.

[CryptbornAkryea]

You guys are great! I look forward to talking this all over with my player. I already sent him the link to this thread.