Yet another warlock build question

[Darkaxis]

Hello I am pretty new at this of optimization but I need your help for a clawlock or glaivelock build.

I have seen many guides but they use classes and feats from books we don't have physically and our DM does not roll well without the actual books in his hands.

We don't have neither tome of battle nor magic of Incarnum.

So the thing is I never played a warlock but I want to try it and I am looking for an easy build with a progression explanation from level 1 to 12 including feats and at what levels dip into other classes and if its not to much to ask recommended further progesion though the story is intended to end around level 12.

It would be of real help if you can suggest a glaivelock build and a clawlock build best used for that level cap because most guides show the complete build to level 20, I have seen many post in this forum but they are so full of info that makes me dizzy hahaha.

Thank you for your help

[The Insaniac]

The most important thing we need to know is whether or not you have Fiendish Codex II. If you have it, do you also have Tome of Magic?

[Malroth]

and the dragon magazine articles that had eldritch claw and beast strike?

[Snowbluff]

Which are mutually exclusive.

[Kane0]

Will your DM allow homebrew? If so, you can pick one from our 'brew section here and minimize splat-diving. Just print it off and give a copy to your DM for double-checking purposes.

[nedz]

I thought Eldritch Glaive was in Dragon Magic ?
You will need access to this book to reference this invocation.

[Socratov]

I thought Eldritch Glaive was in Dragon Magic ?
You will need access to this book to reference this invocation.

it is, though a resourceful person with minimal google skills can pretty much find any invocation, reference document or dnd related content. Of which classes and feats are easiest to find. For a 10th of a second longer you can easily find all the invocations. *cough* Though I recommend gaining access to the books themselves, if only for the artwork alone...

[nedz]

it is, though a resourceful person with minimal google skills can pretty much find any invocation, reference document or dnd related content. Of which classes and feats are easiest to find. For a 10th of a second longer you can easily find all the invocations. *cough* Though I recommend gaining access to the books themselves, if only for the artwork alone...

I know this, but what I don't know is if that book is open for the OP's campaign.

[Darkaxis]

The most important thing we need to know is whether or not you have Fiendish Codex II. If you have it, do you also have Tome of Magic?


Yes we have those books

[Darkaxis]

and the dragon magazine articles that had eldritch claw and beast strike?

We don't have any dragon magazines, but I can talk him about the eldritch claw and if its sounds reasonable he can accept it, we have used dragon magazine for a 4.0 game where he allowed the assasin class which I believe was from the dragon magazine

[Darkaxis]

Will your DM allow homebrew? If so, you can pick one from our 'brew section here and minimize splat-diving. Just print it off and give a copy to your DM for double-checking purposes.

He does not allow homebrew, just what the books says, although sometimes he does some small homebrew things but nothing as feats or other things that have major impact on the game

[Tryxx]

As far as feats and invocations for a 1st through 12th level Clawlock build:

1: Improved Unarmed Strike (SRD)
3: Eldritch Claws (Dragon 358)
6: Superior Unarmed Strike (Tomb of Battle)
9: Beast Strike (Dragon 355)
12: Improved Natural Attack (Unarmed Strike) (SRD)

Invocations Known: Least - Balefull Utterance, Entropic Warding, See the Unseen; Lesser - Fell Flight, Flee the Scene, Voracious Dispelling or Walk Unseen; Chilling Tentacles or Vitriolic Blast.


Improved Unarmed Strike is a prerequisite and it should be pretty obvious why we want it.
Eldritch Claws - the build revolves around this feat.
Superior Unarmed Strike - at the time we take this feat, our Unarmed Strike damage goes from 1d3 to 1d6, and by the time we hit 12th level we're at 1d10 - awesome.
Beast Strike allows you to add your claw or slam damage whenever you deal damage with an unarmed strike or grapple - this DOUBLES your damage output.
Improved Natural Attack further increases your Unarmed Strike damage, and at this point you'll be dealing 2d8+Strength Modifier plus 2d8+Half-Strength Modifier plus Eldritch Blast. If you hit level 16, that turns into 3d6!

I'm not sure I'd even attempt the build without access to Tomb of Battle. Superior Unarmed Strike feels far too necessary when it comes to augmenting your damage output. Same thing with Beast Strike, if you don't have access to either of those I'd probably pass and take a look at the Glaivelock, but I'm not sure where to start there.

[Ellowryn]

Glaivelock relies heavily on Hellfire Warlock to boost damage and uses a 1 level dip into Binder (Or the hotly debated strongeart vest which you conveniently don't have access to) to offset the con damage. From there they use Legacy Champion from Weapons of Legacy and/or Uncanny Trickster from Complete Scoundrel to advance Hellfire Warlock to greatly increase hellfire damage.

[Darkaxis]

Thank you very much all of you, I saw a Hellfire Glaivelock Build that convinced my DM, also I will see if I can talk him into accepting those feats for Eldritch Claw, I would really love to play a Clawlock but most likely I will have to stay with a Glaivelock.

much obliged

[Extra Anchovies]

ETA: Swordsage'd hard. sigh

Glaivelock is generally better than Clawlock, because you're low on hit points. Reach is nice.

Anyways, since you have Tome of Magic and Fiendish Codex II, you can kick all the ass. Warlock 8/Binder 1/Hellfire Warlock 3. Why Hellfire Warlock? Because then when you're using Hellfire your Eldritch Blast deals 12d6 damage by the time you max out the 3-level prestige class, but deals you 1 point of Constitution damage per use. Using Eldritch Glaive is a full-round action of which the attacks are a part, so it's one use of Hellfire per full attack, I think. Pricey? Not with that one-level dip into Binder. There's a Vestige called Naberius, and when you have Naberius bound you heal 1 point of ability damage per round. Yes, at 12th level that means you're use Hellfire Eldritch Glaive every round for two melee touch attacks that each deal 12d6 damage. Toss on Vitriolic Blast and you're ignoring SR (and because they're melee touch attacks, basically ignoring AC, and because it's magical energy, you're ignoring DR) all of the people you hit take an extra 2d6 acid damage per hit for the next 2 rounds. So the total damage you can dish out to one target from a single full attack is 32d6. Not shabby for 12th level.

[Snowbluff]

Needs Ur Priest and Eldritch Disciple... :smalltongue: