How/Why would you?... Complete/Core Warlock

[Albions_Angel]

I am very aware that Warlocks are some of the most underpowered characters for their fluff. You read their spec, look at their pics and think "I am going full level cold-hearted, blast it with shadows, piss me off and open the gates to hell, Sith-Lord level repulse, boil the water in someones eyes badass." Then you try and do it and you end up underpowered, running around occasionally shooting purple lines at people.

A source book and a magazine supplement sort of fixed that, turning it into a close range gish-style class. And its the only thing you can find a handbook on.

The only other viable option people talk about is Hellfire, and again, if you have a limited selection of books, there isnt a hope in hell you have access to that.

The group I play with is a Core and Complete group only. Well, ok, often we have 2 or 3 others (stormwrack, frostfell and sandstorm) but thats as maybe.

Occasionally epic builds crop up, but lets be honest here, how often do campaigns actually start at level 20?

So, here is my challenge. If you had to build a blaster warlock from Core and Complete, how and why would you do it?

Im talking taking the Warlock back to its roots. Just how scary can you make a standard warlock. I want to see warlocks backing people into "defensible" positions before having the floor erupt in eldritch tentacles, ripping them apart. I want barbarians charging down a lock, only to have him raise a hand and melt a hole through his attackers face. I want the darkness to rise, the room to grow cold, shadows to spill from the walls, torches to go out, evil laughter to ring round the hills, the whole lot. I want that cover picture. I want to stand in purple glowing armour marching out to destroy the forces of evil (or good, whatever really) with glowing hands of purple energy.

Come on Giants, if anyone can do this, you can. Bring the Warlock home.

[weckar]

One thing to remember is that a warlock has access to his tricks as often as he wants. Make use of that. Effect duration is but a number to you.

[NotScaryBats]

To the best of my knowledge, Summon Swarm can get you through the early levels. It causes you to ... summon a swarm... and that is pretty metal.

[Zaq]

What level are you looking to start at? Once Greater invocations are on the table, you've got no shortage of nice debuff/BfC tricks, but at lower levels, what you see is what you get.

Quicken SLA, Maximize SLA, and Empower SLA (all from the Monster Manual) can add a little bit of oomph, but of course, they're limited in how many times per day they work.

It can be kind of fun to hang Sneak Attack onto EB, but since SA doesn't scale any faster than EB does (and you can't make multiple attacks with EB without Eldritch Glaive), that's not going to give you a lot of power that you wouldn't have gotten from just going straight Warlock, unless you dip around for a lot of frontloaded bonuses (and destroy your BAB in the process, unless you use fractional).

Ranged Spell Specialization (CArc) is a pretty tame bonus, but it's still a bonus.

Is SRD content available? (Greater) Psionic Shot is +2d6 (+4d6) damage on a single ranged attack when you expend your psionic focus. Toss in Psionic Meditation to regain your focus as a move action, and that's a pretty big bonus to your EB.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Baleful Utterance can be quite useful, just beware you don't destroy good things.
Vitriolic Blast is high level, but critical is making a blasterlock work as it bypasses SR.
Chilling Tentacles provides that sweet BFC.

It is just a matter of picking your role and picking the best invocations for it. Blasting is typically weak without tools and makes for a better backup option.

[Albions_Angel]

Im not looking for a build per se. I have all my characters for now. But I mean ground up, ie assume starting level 1.

And no SRD unfortunately. I want to play with Psions so much but no go I am afraid.

[D4rkh0rus]

I assume you're talking about the 3.5 warlock... if so... read on.

Ahhhh.... the warlock.... Some people hate it, some people love it.

I myself, Like the warlock. The Glaive-lock to be precise. But you dont have access to dragon magic, so now we're in a bind.
I find the warlock to be a class that benefits spending a few levels with it then prestige'ing out something else. Usually, a dual progression PrC.

I don't view the warlock as a main course, but rather as that really expensive side dish that tastes awesome.

What do I mean by this? The warlock only has a few "tricks" which make it viable, and even quite powerful for a non-9th lvl spellcaster, the problem is that those come online at later levels or require DM Houseruling. By this I mean things like Dark Foresight, the foresight spell at will? that means your group will never be surprised. Chilling tentacles becomes your main means of combat. So, to make best use of it, you dont have it be the core, but rather, the support to a more full class. Its tricks are few and rather pidgeon-holed, its damage is mediocre at best, since the Eldritch blast scaling isn't that great. if you're in a party with half optimized tier 3 characters... you will literally feel like a 5th wheel. heck, you'll probably feel more useful UMDing wands until you reach 11th lvl and get access to chilling tentacles.


What I propose is simple, Prestige out. There are many other base classes that offer a specialized role, and can be improved with the random tricks the warlock can throw at them.

Of these, Warlock 4/Binder 1/Ur-Priest 2/Eldritch Disciple 9 is the one I find the more fun to play. (Although your mileage may vary, Depending on allowed material, for example, I use Eldritch glaive and the DM allows power attack to work with it, so I have a dedicated healer with healing blast). you get 2 of the 3 good things warlocks have, Take 10 on UMD and invocations. and you gain 9th lvl cleric casting and some vestiges to bind.
In terms of requirements, Otyugh hole is in complete scoundrel and gives access to the iron will feat for free, and Binder is from tome of magic, if you dont have access to that book, any class with +2 fort save at lvl 1 works, so take your pick.

While this isn't a pure warlock build, I just wanted to show an alternative to building the pure warlock. If you are adamant about doing so, then don't pay attention to this, But, at least the way I see it, you just don't have a good amount of invocations at your disposal as a pure-lock, so you end up feeling like a one-trick pony. (round one, chill tentacles, round 2, chained, vitriolic blast, rinse and repeat....). also, cleric spellcasting gives access to stuff like desecrate and other undead army spells, so you can make your own undead army of doom while you're at it, just keep tons of onyx gems with you.

[Albions_Angel]

Thanks. Sorry for getting people a little confused. I meant more pure in essence than pure in "Must be Warlock 20". I love the fluff of a warlock. Its modelled like the "other half" of your classic necromancer.

Your classic necromancer spends half his time animating dead things, the other half literally throwing around shadows. Like shadows running down the walls, springing up to absorb arrows and spells, something D&D doesnt do. But the Warlock almost does. Blasts of dark energy, ground turning to some sort of Cthulhu portal, about the only thing it lacks is that famous sith-lord level repulse ability (person gets buried under small opponents, purple lines spill out between the bodies, with a scream, bodies are thrown across the room, warlock left floating several inches above the ground). They are written almost like dark Super Seyans.

Just wish they actually did what they said they did. One day, maybe. A caster class that deals in more or less just force effects and lasers would be nice. Throw in some tentacle goodness. Sigh.

[D4rkh0rus]

Thanks. Sorry for getting people a little confused. I meant more pure in essence than pure in "Must be Warlock 20". I love the fluff of a warlock. Its modelled like the "other half" of your classic necromancer.

Your classic necromancer spends half his time animating dead things, the other half literally throwing around shadows. Like shadows running down the walls, springing up to absorb arrows and spells, something D&D doesnt do. But the Warlock almost does. Blasts of dark energy, ground turning to some sort of Cthulhu portal, about the only thing it lacks is that famous sith-lord level repulse ability (person gets buried under small opponents, purple lines spill out between the bodies, with a scream, bodies are thrown across the room, warlock left floating several inches above the ground). They are written almost like dark Super Seyans.

Just wish they actually did what they said they did. One day, maybe. A caster class that deals in more or less just force effects and lasers would be nice. Throw in some tentacle goodness. Sigh.

What you're looking for sounds like shadowcraft mage.

[Troacctid]

It's honestly the same as building a Hellfire Warlock, except with less damage, fewer Rods of Bodily Restoration, and you don't have to waste an invocation slot on Brimstone Blast.

Hellfire Warlocks and Glaivelocks are the best ways to make Warlocks do a lot of damage, but damage isn't what makes a Warlock a Warlock anyway. The point of being a Warlock is having sweet abilities that you can spam all day long, and you can do that without even leaving Complete Arcane. You want damage? Take Vitriolic Blast + Eldritch Chain, grab a Warlock's Scepter and a Chasuble of Fell Power, and call it a day. Your enemies will be tangled up in black tentacles 60 feet away anyway, so who cares if it takes an extra round to finish them off?


about the only thing it lacks is that famous sith-lord level repulse ability (person gets buried under small opponents, purple lines spill out between the bodies, with a scream, bodies are thrown across the room, warlock left floating several inches above the ground)..

You mean a Repelling Blast Eldritch Doom? Yeah, they totally have that.

[Red Fel]

The thing is, it sounds like you're visualizing a Warlock as a terrifying, shadowy, borderline-demonic blasting murder machine. And at the end of the day, Warlock damage isn't going to outstrip that of the rest of the party. You can do fair damage, but you'll be outperformed by the dedicated melees and the blaster casters.

What gives a Warlock his utility isn't necessarily the damage output of his Eldritch Blast/Glaive/Claws. It's his toolbox. Like others have said, even in the book itself, Warlocks have a slew of abilities that can get them around any obstacle, unheard and undetected; they can spot any challenge and scout out any terrain; they can create illusions and creepy bug swarms that are everywhere ohgodmakeitstop; and they can do it all over and over and over again. Shatter doors with a word. Crawl on walls like a creepy girl in a Japanese horror film. Teleport away while leaving an illusion of yourself in place. Animate a skeletal giant eagle to serve as your trusty mount. (They fly, it's cool.) Communicate telepathically with the entire party.

A Warlock isn't powerful because of his pewpew. He's powerful because he is prepared for that eventuality. Yes, that one. He smirks, strokes his goatee, and speaks the words that begin the end of all things.

[Petrocorus]

Warlock is actually quite fine at low-mid level.
It can have perma-fly, perma-invisibility or at will dimension hop at level 6.

You can make stealthy builds out of it, or hit-and-run builds.

I believe that Eldritch Chain may be the best way to improve the damage at those levels.