DND 3.5 Clawlock ideas

[Rerednaw]

Okay well my wizard just bit the dust in an EL+6 Encounter ( the next session of this thread: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?516897-So-L-Red-Dragon-and-our-party-is-about-bingo-on-consumables-suggestions ) 2 Thoqquas, 1 Efreet, 6 Mephits, 3 Salamanders, a L7+ Evoker (dropped 2 walls of fire so had to be at least 7th), plus another boss that we never identified inside an active volcano (save every round or fall prone, lava everywhere, jump checks to avoid falling in) noxious gasses (everyone sickened) and other goodness. And oh we were short 2 characters this week. My wizard had the highest AC in the party. Not great AC but AC 27 isn't that bad at L6. Or so I mistakenly thought cause he dropped during the first round before he even got to act. (He was going to go total defense).

So anyway...I'm debating on a clawlock build. Pretty much warlock 1-20 with the Eldritch claws feat. He'd be 7th so normal wealth by level.

I've read the New Warlock Handbook and while I do like some of the suggestions some are not available (the 3.0 claws of the beast for example)

So far I'm thinking:

Race: Halfling (maybe Strongheart for the feat)

Flaw (maybe?)

Feats:
Eldritch Claws (required)
Improved Natural Attack (claws)
Power Attack (not sure...-1 for +1 not great deal...especially with 2/3 BAB...but it is vs. touch AC so maybe?)

Items:
Chasuble, Lesser (does this work with claws?) If not then drop.

He's feat-poor so not thinking IUS and Superior IUAS is worth 2 feats for +1d6...at least not now.

Other than say a wand of Magic Fang (or I suppose a custom at-will item is cheaper in the long run) what else would you folks recommend?

I'm also stuck on his only Lesser Invocation selection. I like Walk Unseen so he can set up his attacks...but there are better choices. I'm sorely tempted with the Dead Walk because our DM loves waves of foes. But being able to fly and get out of dodge would also be nice....though I suppose I can blow 13k for a winged mask. The whole 'zombie dire bat' won't work because I cannot simply find the right critter to animate sadly.

Note as-is he has 2 claw attacks vs. Touch AC for 6d6 each (4d6->6d6 INA) which is fairly substantial at his level...though granted it won't drop foes fast enough in this nightmare mode campaign...

Ideas and suggestions welcome!

[Dagroth]

Okay well my wizard just bit the dust in an EL+6 Encounter ( the next session of this thread: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?516897-So-L-Red-Dragon-and-our-party-is-about-bingo-on-consumables-suggestions ) 2 Thoqquas, 1 Efreet, 6 Mephits, 3 Salamanders, a L7+ Evoker (dropped 2 walls of fire so had to be at least 7th), plus another boss that we never identified inside an active volcano (save every round or fall prone, lava everywhere, jump checks to avoid falling in) noxious gasses (everyone sickened) and other goodness. And oh we were short 2 characters this week. My wizard had the highest AC in the party. Not great AC but AC 27 isn't that bad at L6. Or so I mistakenly thought cause he dropped during the first round before he even got to act. (He was going to go total defense).

So anyway...I'm debating on a clawlock build. Pretty much warlock 1-20 with the Eldritch claws feat. He'd be 7th so normal wealth by level.

I've read the New Warlock Handbook and while I do like some of the suggestions some are not available (the 3.0 claws of the beast for example)

So far I'm thinking:

Race: Halfling (maybe Strongheart for the feat)

Flaw (maybe?)

Feats:
Eldritch Claws (required)
Improved Natural Attack (claws)
Power Attack (not sure...-1 for +1 not great deal...especially with 2/3 BAB...but it is vs. touch AC so maybe?)

Items:
Chasuble, Lesser (does this work with claws?) If not then drop.

He's feat-poor so not thinking IUS and Superior IUAS is worth 2 feats for +1d6...at least not now.

Other than say a wand of Magic Fang (or I suppose a custom at-will item is cheaper in the long run) what else would you folks recommend?

I'm also stuck on his only Lesser Invocation selection. I like Walk Unseen so he can set up his attacks...but there are better choices. I'm sorely tempted with the Dead Walk because our DM loves waves of foes. But being able to fly and get out of dodge would also be nice....though I suppose I can blow 13k for a winged mask. The whole 'zombie dire bat' won't work because I cannot simply find the right critter to animate sadly.

Note as-is he has 2 claw attacks vs. Touch AC for 6d6 each (4d6->6d6 INA) which is fairly substantial at his level...though granted it won't drop foes fast enough in this nightmare mode campaign...

Ideas and suggestions welcome!

I do believe that Eldritch Claws are not Touch Attacks. Eldritch Glaive is though.

Yes, Chasuble works with claws.

[tokyooo23]

Just tossing this out here, you might find a use for it :P

http://www.realmshelps.net/charbuild/feat/Beast_Strike

[Rerednaw]

I do believe that Eldritch Claws are not Touch Attacks. Eldritch Glaive is though.

Yes, Chasuble works with claws.
Oh they aren't...dang it..back to the drawing board. Then he'll need finesse to have a chance of hitting too...

Maybe he should go glaive then. But small means no improvement with enlarge for reach....k. more research needed.

[Gruftzwerg]

I do believe that Eldritch Claws are not Touch Attacks. Eldritch Glaive is though.

Yes, Chasuble works with claws.

^This.

Eldritch Claws:
- profit from Str
- normal 2x Claw attacks as full action
- normal attack against full AC

Eldritch Glaive:
- touch attack
- 10ft reach, can't attack 5ft.
- no Str bonus

If you go Eldritch Claws, I would highly recommend to dip (1-2 lvl) monk or unarmed swordsage. Than you take "Beast Strike" feat to add claw damage to unarmed attacks.
Since Eldritch Claws do (unarmed + Eldritch Blast) now you got:

unarmed strike = (base unarmed damage + Eldritch Blast) + base unarmed damage
unarmed strike = 2x(base unarmed damage) + Eldritch Blast

To further increase the your damage you should take Enlightened Fist as prc. Progresses monk/swordsage unarmed damage + warlock invocation & Eldritch Blast progression.

Most important item:
Necklace of Natural Attacks +X & "sizing"

Sizing allows you to change the size of the weapon (your unarmed strike/Beast Strike) as you wish. Each size increase is a stacking -2 penalty. Since your unarmed damage is doubled, your profit is doubled. Further, unarmed strikes always count as "light weapon", even when you are wilding colossal size hands/claws. It works a bit like Power Attack, just -2 steps and weapon size increase instead of flat dmg increase. (note that the Eldritch Blast Part of Eldritch claws isn't affected by size).

If you wanna go melee clawlock, than you should really make a full gish out of it.

[Dagroth]

Oh they aren't...dang it..back to the drawing board. Then he'll need finesse to have a chance of hitting too...

Maybe he should go glaive then. But small means no improvement with enlarge for reach....k. more research needed.

Consider a Dorge (or whatever they are) with Expansion (Psionic Power) that has enough PP/Manifester/whatever) to increase size by 2 levels.