Musical Warlock Build, have a plan -need some help.

[Jiruharudo]

Hey guys and lasses,

My DM is starting up a new campaign, and its going to be a undead heavy one.

Seeing I've always been the rogue, I think is a perfect moment to change my pace.

I've been rather envious of my fellow Warlock being able too see all the invisible crap that floats right abile my cutting steel, so I wanted to take a closer look at it.

And since the Radiant Servant is taken and we already have a paladin undead hunter...

Warlock as some neat utility features and neat flavor. But sadly ..slightly boring when not in combat (though this might be my fellow gamer)

Since Im totally into skills, and wanted to play a not overly complicated spellcaster, Im thinking to mix it up with a Bard.

I am well aware this has been done. But hear me out!

The Build:

Warlock 6/Bard 1/Virtuoso 10(advancing Warlock) 3 (amount of levels in warlock are debatable)

Pretty straitforward no?

What I like about this build is that i'll be able to support my party nicely, and annoy my foes. And if all else fails, blast some tasty Eldritchs while rocking out.

Now for my plan:

I replace the bardclass facinate with Healing Hymn, which I think is irrelevant because i get it again with Virtuoso.

NOW, I read about a invocation in Eldritch Diciple;

Healing Blast: In place of applying an eldritch essence invocation to your eldritch blast, you can change it into a healing blast. The blast heals living creatures instead of dealing damage to them (the damage healed is equal to the damage normally dealt). Against undead, the healing blast deals damage as normal; against constructs or objects, the healing blast has no effect. Your deity must be non-evil for you to select this gift.

So my thought is, I start wailing out, and shoot and i get a Healingblast + damage amount of perform i have. (heals party members, melts undead)

The tricky..

Getting that ability.
Its a divine class, and it'll mess up the straitforwardness by adding cleric stuff.

Is there a feat/item/abilty or so that allows me to change my blasts into positive energy?

I read about the gauntlet that allows me to transform it into fire etc ..but yah. not it.

Please help me out on this.

[Ellowryn]

Unfortunately Eldritch Disciple is the only way to get that invocation.

If you still want your bardlock build and are willing/able to sacrifice 2 levels you could take ur-priest. Oddly enough as long as you are of an evil alignment but worship a non-evil good you can get both abilities. The flavoring is kinda odd as you are an evil person who worships a non-evil god that steals power from other gods to heal his allies, but fluff is mutable.

[Troacctid]

Healing Hymn only applies to Conjuration (Healing) spells. It doesn't work with spell-like abilities. So it's not a combo with Healing Blast, I'm afraid. If you took Eldritch Theurge, you could attach a healing spell to your Eldritch Blast, though. It still takes a standard action to use Healing Hymn, so I'm skeptical that it would be an effective combat tactic.

[Jiruharudo]

@Ellowryn

Yeah, I was afraid of that much..

Still the Ur-Priest isnt a bad idea, since the Fochlucan Lyrist is a (weird) PAIN to get into (for music progression)

I'll look into it, but I gotta admit that my plan isnt THAT amazing to remodel the whole thing.

@Troacctid

Ah drat, I figured it would count as a spell effect, well caught Ser.
And my compliments for bringing up such a simple workaround ..hadn't thought of that.
Does a Bard spell have any other spells that could make this trick worth it though?

Since I will need to have 4 levels bard for the second level arcane, right?

And if so, would a build; Bard 4, Warlock 3, Eldritch Theurge 5, Virtuoso X be of much use, or am I losing too much focus?

[Troacctid]

If you went Eldritch Theurge, you would do better to go Prestige Bard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/prestigiousCharacterClasses.htm#prestigeBard). It adds all the bard spells to your class spell list, which gives you your cure spells, but it lets you use another arcane spellcasting class as the base, which matters very much if Eldritch Theurge is going to be advancing it for 10 levels.

It breaks your skill points and bardic music, though. I'm not sure it's worth losing so much focus and slowing down the build like that. My instinct is to just be satisfied with improving your allies' cure spells with your Warlock 6/Bard 1/Virtuoso 10 plan, and not worry about stapling cure spells to your own attacks.

If you did do an Eldritch Theurge build with bardic music, it should involve Sublime Chord somehow.

[Jiruharudo]

You might be right there Troacctid, I thought/wanted to add my perform skills to something usefull besides Bardic music and ofcourse, flavor.

Adding those skillpoints to my own damage output AND my healing based Radiant Servant seemed like a neat plan. Mostly because it was my primary attack that does it.

But yeah, dont think I should overcomplicate the build by mixing so much classes, my plan is just not THAT amazing. Much thanks for coming up with the workaround though!

Still, loopholes other trickery to use Perform are welcome. :D

[Deadline]

Still, loopholes other trickery to use Perform are welcome. :D

You could use it to kill your enemies (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=16084344&postcount=270). The gist is being a bard/warblade and using Undersong to substitute Perform for Concentration checks, and then use the Insightful Strike and Greater Insightful Strike maneuvers.

[Jiruharudo]

Haha, Dang Deadline, that is one glorious build!

Sadly, the DM wont allow me Warblade and Thrall of Orcus will prolly wont net me the love and respect from my fellow undead hunting compatriots.
(Unless ofcourse, bardic trickery ..but no. :P)

Still, the concentration shift to perform helps me out ..Im thinking of some classed that use con for ...stuff. Looking into this! Thanks!

[Troacctid]

Melodic Casting is a pretty good way to use Perform. So is the Virtuoso's Persuasive Song. You could also take a few feats to upgrade your inspire courage to a swift action (Martial Study, Martial Stance, and Song of the White Raven).

[Jiruharudo]

Yeah, I supose I shouldnt be so greedy. Basicly I am a spellessbard that is able to hit my enemies with blasts and escape/evade through Warlock trickery.

...
On a sidenote, I started off with a Warlock Troubadour-of-stars (Warlock fey flavor)

Has pretty holy flavored music skills

And Warlocks detect magic allows me to see when to dodge a sword or not when wearing "Starmantle" (magical? Dodge it, non magical ..let them waste the weapon.)

And when I get the spell/ability "Eladrin form" I transform into a flying untouchable ball of light that can still use spell like abilities

http://dndtools.eu/classes/troubadour-of-stars/

Sadly, i found out that the arcane preq. doesnt count for warlock spell progression..

[Troacctid]

That plan is also flawed in that detect magic takes a standard action to use each round, so in order to find out if their weapon is magic, you have to waste multiple turns concentrating on it. You'd need permanencied arcane sight for it to be effective.

Now, if you want a flying untouchable ball of light that can use spell-like abilities, you can take Obtain Familiar and Celestial Familiar and get one as your familiar. Then it can use detect magic for you and save you your actions. It can also use detect evil, faerie fire, and dancing lights at will, and share all of your skill ranks so you have the perfect pickpocketing buddy. It speaks all languages, which is great for bluff and diplomacy checks, and it comes with a free always-on magic circle against evil.

[Jiruharudo]

Ser Troacctid, I think that nails it perfectly!

And it could also make use of my perform skills and benefit from my bardic music, no?

It cant shoot Eldritch blasts though, since those arnt technically spells?

Dang. You win the cake. I think I will go with this. :D

[Deadline]

Ser Troacctid, I think that nails it perfectly!

And it could also make use of my perform skills and benefit from my bardic music, no?

It cant shoot Eldritch blasts though, since those arnt technically spells?

Dang. You win the cake. I think I will go with this. :D

I had an Exalted Bard in one of my campaigns who buffed the Wizard's Lantern Archon familiar. With Words of Creation fuelled inspire courage, that damn thing was doing more damage with its light rays than some members of the party. :smalltongue:

[Ellowryn]

Don't forget about Dragonfire Inspiration from Dragon Magic, yeah it reqires you to be Dragonbooded (stupidly easy enough) but you are adding extra d6's of dice to all your parties attacks. You would obviously not be optimizing it with your current build but with what you have you could easily add at least 5d6.

[Troacctid]

Ser Troacctid, I think that nails it perfectly!

And it could also make use of my perform skills and benefit from my bardic music, no?

It cant shoot Eldritch blasts though, since those arnt technically spells?

Dang. You win the cake. I think I will go with this. :D

It can't shoot eldritch blasts, but it has magic missile 3/day, and it shares your Use Magic Device ranks, so it can use wands. And it does benefit from your bardic music, so I guess you could give it a tiny crossbow to pew-pew with, or have it use a wand of a weaponlike spell. Although I believe it drops all its items if it turns incorporeal, so watch out for that.

[nedz]

You could always use the Divine Bard ACF - UA p50 and also here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#bardVariantDivineBard) , in the SRD.

This doesn't solve all of your problems, but you would be a divine caster.

[Jiruharudo]

@Troacctid
yeah, Im totally going with that familiar now. Thanks for all the advice!
-Sidenote, meaning to tell you your avatar is pretty clever.

@ Nedz
Indeed, thought up that myself ..sadly, I also need Turn undead to get the PrC, and I need a Arcane spellcasting class to get in Virtuoso.
Still thanks for the heads up. :)

[Jiruharudo]

Hey guys, imma need your help one more time.

When reading on the Coure Eldrin and noticed the Firre Eladrin.

Who has some neat flavor features like Song & bardic music!

http://dndtools.eu/monsters/book-of-exalted-deeds--52/firre--18/

It seems like a longshot, but since Im considdering Nymph's kiss (which Im not sure counts, because sometimes i read Eladrin are Fey-like and somethimes they are just celestial/eladrin)
It seemed like a nice match.

And think of all the horrid worldplay and puns..

Do you guys know of a way to get a Firre isntead of a Coure?

(Damn Im a greedy bugger, no wonder I'm always the rogue..)

[nedz]

Hey guys, imma need your help one more time.

When reading on the Coure Eldrin and noticed the Firre Eladrin.

Who has some neat flavor features like Song & bardic music!

http://dndtools.eu/monsters/book-of-exalted-deeds--52/firre--18/

It seems like a longshot, but since Im considdering Nymph's kiss (which Im not sure counts, because sometimes i read Eladrin are Fey-like and somethimes they are just celestial/eladrin)
It seemed like a nice match.

And think of all the horrid worldplay and puns..

Do you guys know of a way to get a Firre isntead of a Coure?

(Damn Im a greedy bugger, no wonder I'm always the rogue..)

Firre Eladrin have 8 RHD and 10 LA, so you'd start as an ECL 18 character.
This is probably not a good idea, except maybe a Gestalt game — and probably not even then really.

[Jiruharudo]

Yeah, I was afraid of such.

Shame. the Firre seems to be the only creature with a Song-like ability that I can find.

Still, coure will do nicely. :D

[Deadline]

Yeah, I was afraid of such.

Shame. the Firre seems to be the only creature with a Song-like ability that I can find.

Still, coure will do nicely. :D

Are you wanting such a thing for a familiar, or as a race to play? Because there are a few options for the latter.

[Jiruharudo]

Mhhh, I doubt my DM will let me get away with it ..but you have my attention Deadline. :)

[Deadline]

Mhhh, I doubt my DM will let me get away with it ..but you have my attention Deadline. :)

The Firre Eladrin is obviously one such example (and you could ask your DM to whip up a class progression via Savage Species for it, but it would be an 18 level class, which doesn't leave you much room to add class levels). Aside from that, there are a few creatures that are musically inclined. Satyrs, Glouras, Lillends, Air Mephlings, and Harpies (kind of), all have innate Bardic casting, or music related abilities. There's also an undead in either the monster manual 4 or 5 called the Spectral Lyrist that is kind of like an undead Bard, but I don't believe you could play as one of those. Every single one of the above is probably not worth the trade if you are mostly looking to do a Bard.

And if the Tome of Battle is available, a Bard 2/Warblade 18 mix with the Song of the White Raven feat is pretty fantastic (albeit a more martial option instead of spellcasting).

[Jiruharudo]

Hey Deadline,

Sadly we start at lvl 11. :)

Still, it might be some nifty goal I'll be going for.
Firre's seem pretty awesome.

His name will be Gavin Lukah. And he will travel the planes to entertain and teach people not to fear evil.
He is a great supporter of the Eladrin's Knights Court and is also a supporter of Lathander.

And this will be his nr 1 hit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCAFD8mMqls

Thanks everyone for your tips and tricks, I appricate it a lot!