Help with expanding options for an epic warlock

[Phelix-Mu]

In picking up a long-dormant epic campaign, one of my players is going to reprise an epic warlock character. Back when we played, warlock looked strong. Now, we rather know otherwise, and I have offered the player a chance to rebuild feats and invocations (though it seems he is going to stick to all or mostly warlock levels in 25 levels).

So, I am interested in whatever you all have used, web content, homebrew, third party, or so forth, to ratchet up the resources that warlock has access to. Links appreciated, as usual. As I mentioned, it seems the final build is likely to be almost all warlock, but if you have useful dips, feel free to mention them.

A general sketch of the character from what I recall:

- High elf clawlock 25.

- Dex-oriented.

- Tomb-Tainted Soul houseruled to allow self-healing via Utterdark Blast (in conjunction with bone ring).

- Eldritch Doom houseruled to allow the 20' radius to drop anywhere within the default range of 60' (which to me seems RAW, but I seem to recall others around here arguing otherwise...but that was some time ago, so I might just be misremembering).

- Possible inclusion of quasilycanthrope template, houseruled to be acquired, probably with the LA bought off.

Any help or comment is, as always, most appreciated.

[nolongerchaos]

Well there's this: http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ei/20061027a

Some decent options for an Epic Warlock, and it wouldn't be WotC without some incredibly lousy ones as well.

[nedz]

I'd normally recommend adding a template which adds more SLAs, to give them more options.

My normal recommendation of Half-Fey is probably not going to cut it at level 25 owing to most of these being enchantments.

There are a number of further options, depending upon what you are looking for.
Half Celestial or Half Fiend add a few useful options but are expensive for what you get.

Can you give us some more background on the character and the nature of the game please ?

[Phelix-Mu]

I'm staying away from high-op options, and encouraging my players not to build to the full extent of our mastery. I can handle the higher-op stuff, but the tenor of the previous campaign was pretty low-to-mid op, so I don't want a complete break in tone, even as we try to be more effective.

And here is part of the reason, the rest of the party, not yet complete:

VoP Exalted Spellscale Cleric/Rimefire Witch with maybe a dip in rogue levels (not clear why he did that in retrospect, but that character was rebuilt several times in the previous campaign)... no DMM Persist, as I don't allow that.

Athasian halfling druid/druidic scion (3rd party prc that, in retrospect, was horribly borked after I modified it...sadly, I truly didn't understand the full extent of druid's triple threat back then...though I did tack on a +2 LA after the capstone that turned the character into an elemental, since that plus full casting, plus full AC, plus full Wild Shape, plus plus plus, was crazy OP back then).

Illithid Paladin/Grey Guard (not much threat here, except for the illithid stuff, which I am nerfing down a bit to help ameliorate the racial HD and LA issues).

So there is a huge op-ceiling at play here, and I don't want the mostly-warlock to be stuck entire tiers behind the admittedly unoptimized cleric and druid. I've told the others to keep it under control, and I will move to enforce that, but want to give the warlock a leg up so I don't have to curbstomp the other others down quite so far.

The character herself is a CN high elf whose abilities come from ties to demonic heritage. She has familial insanity issues, is a bit randy, and miscarried near the end of the last campaign (which led her to skirt the edges of CE and go on a near-suicidal purge of the Lower Planes, since she broadly blamed outsiders for her miscarriage (also killed some celestials, but that happened largely off-screen to avoid arousing hostility in the party)). She is friends with her succubus ancestor, and has an aquatic elf paramour/almost father of her child. Generally, she is an individualist, an anarchist, and enjoys blowing stuff up, in all its simplistic and unoptimized glory.

Clawlock was a result of her getting wounded by a lycanthrope, and a scare with the full afflicted lycanthrope. She gained a wolf totem later that buffed her blasting damage (homebrew, I think it was +1/1d6 of damage, with some small scaling based on how many allies she had in the area...trying to encourage her to play on the team without forcing her to do so).

She almost betrayed the party on several occasions, but mostly on the spur of the moment or out of a desire to survive a difficult moment, so no alignment change followed after she reneged on the deals.

Any other questions?

[nedz]

Hellfires a bit obvious, so you've probably thought of that — it's also a bit bland and short.

Demonbinder sounds like it fits the character perfectly, though it would need some finagling since it's Drow only. One lost Invocation level, so you need to work out how many Warlock class features, other than invocations and blast dice, you want.

My worry though is that she will lack options, it theurging possible or would that break the character concept ?

None of these reflect on the lycanthropy, but it sounds like you are done with that.

[Phelix-Mu]

Hellfires a bit obvious, so you've probably thought of that — it's also a bit bland and short.

Demonbinder sounds like it fits the character perfectly, though it would need some finagling since it's Drow only. One lost Invocation level, so you need to work out how many Warlock class features, other than invocations and blast dice, you want.

My worry though is that she will lack options, it theurging possible or would that break the character concept ?

None of these reflect on the lycanthropy, but it sounds like you are done with that.

Hellfire is problematic from a plot perspective...the Nine Hells were really the schtick of a different character, now retired/dead. Also, without binder, it's not that hot, and with binder it rather eclipses the effectiveness I am hoping to impart (also, way too much influence on damage on a character concept that has already sunk too much into that in the first place). But I might suggest it, as a subplot from before had to do with the origin of hellfire (and thus it is miraculously topical).

Demonbinder is likely closer to the mark. I can definitely wave the Drow bit in light of her family heritage, and her present association with demons. Although the one succubus ancestor is a CN rebel against the Abyss, so maybe that won't work out so hot after all.

Lycanthropy options are good. I might even just refluff Demonbinder into a Totemist-lite, and allow it to further augment her melee and out-of-combat options via drawing on her bestial side. That actually sounds rather promising....

Anyway, good thoughts so far. Thanks.

[nedz]

There are likely to be a large number of CN rebels against the Abyss she could bind ? Her ancestor may even be able to furnish a list ?

It would take a bit of homebrew, but maybe you could adapt Demonbinder into SlaadBinder or something ?

OR, to turn the concept around a little, some kind of Spellbinder — where you bind living spells.

[Phelix-Mu]

There are likely to be a large number of CN rebels against the Abyss she could bind ? Her ancestor may even be able to furnish a list ?

It would take a bit of homebrew, but maybe you could adapt Demonbinder into SlaadBinder or something ?

OR, to turn the concept around a little, some kind of Spellbinder — where you bind living spells.

All good alternate fluffing. I am liking Demonbinder more and more, but not sure if the player will take it.

Any other thoughts on this topic?

[Phelix-Mu]

Bump to see if any new ideas came up. It now transpires that a more-or-less full warlock will be playing in the same group as a warlock/sorcerer/eldritch theurge.

So, I am already looking at giving the full warlock some bonus invocations to even the obvious disparity, but that only a start. I will likely also keep the theurge from taking the epic feat options from the web article on epic warlocks, since his sorcerer casting is basically everything someone could ask for anyway.

Any other thoughts on bringing a warlock up a tier or two, ones that don't involve binding and hellfire but maybe can include homebrew or houserules to make the warlock more versatile? As I said, I changed the warlock progression for the full warlock so that the final invocations look like 4/4/4/4. Only a start, though.

[nedz]

2 levels of chameleon ?

Also regular feats can be spent on Extra Invocation, from level 6. Which is a pretty powerful use of a feat. The Eldritch Theurge is going to be feat hungry anyway.

[Phelix-Mu]

2 levels of chameleon ?

Also regular feats can be spent on Extra Invocation, from level 6. Which is a pretty powerful use of a feat. The Eldritch Theurge is going to be feat hungry anyway.

I may drop a floating feat in as part of the homebrewed warlock capstone I am working on. Would add great versatility with a fairly low ceiling, op-wise. Thanks for the idea.

[Snowbluff]

Phelix, Human Heritage + Necropolitan would allow for a much stronger option over Tomb Tainted. A Half Drow should qualify for that and Demonbinder.

The shadow Epic Feat would be great. No sorc needed, if you don't want it.