Optimize My Warlock - Rise of Skynet

[tedcahill2]

The first half dozen comments won't make any sense because I cannibalized another post I had about optimizing an archer, cause I'm not playing one anymore.
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Starting a game this weekend in a generic setting. I got permission to play a warforged despite not being Eberron.

I'm going to be a warlock but instead of using invocations like fog and tentacles I'm sticking to things that are thematically sci-fi. I am not going to play this like I was a contruct given life by fiendish magic, this magic provided power to my "weapons systems" (I'm sure playing iron man has been done, but not by me or my group, so I'm calling dibs).

We're playing E6 so I will eventually have plenty of feats, but I could use a hand here.

I rolled an 18, 17, 14, 14, 12, 12. Was planning Str 18, Dex 18 (with level 4 point), Con 16 (with racial), Int 14 , Wis 10 (with racial), Cha 10 (with racial). I don't plan to use any invocations that allow a save, so low Cha won't be an issue.

So far I was thinking of getting Mithril Body (1st level), and Shocking Fist (6th level) for feats. Not sure what else to get, was thinking wild talent and eventually psionic shot, or maybe quicken/maximize spell-like ability.

Was going to take Hideous Blow, Entropic Warding, See the Unseen and Fell Flight for invocations. Even though hideous blow is considered weak it combines really nicely with shocking fist to net me 5d4+3d6+STR damage with my slam attack.

We get to start with level 5 starting gold. So far I've enhanced my armor plating, got an artificer's monocle, gloves of eldritch admixture, a repair belt (a warforged version of healing belt that the DM okayed), and an eternal wand of repair light wounds. I have about 4k gold remaining, not sure how to spend it. Was thinking a heward's handy haversack and some potions of repair.

I want to stay away from anything that feels to magic-y, and stick to things that my character can write off as being mechanical.

Thanks!

[tedcahill2]

Is this for 3.5? What sources are allowed?

3.5 all official sources.

[ATHATH]

Via a sequence of 1-level dips, you can actually manage to snag 6d6 SA in E6. Lemme see if I can find it.

IIRC correctly, I think it's (Trickster) Spellthief 1/Rogue 1/(Hit and Run) Sneak Attack Fighter 1/Psychic Rogue 1/Shadowthief of Amn 1/something else 1, not in that order. Some bloodline levels might have been thrown in there as well.

[ATHATH]

Oh, and pick up Craven while you're at it- 6 extra damage per SA is actually kind of decent.

You might want to just go straight Hit and Run Sneak Attack Fighter 6. You'd reach 6 BAB, which would effectively almost double your SA to 6d6-per-full-attack anyway, and things like Craven would get to add damage twice (once per attack, IIRC).

[gorfnab]

I'm thinking about playing a archer type character, with the leadership feat, with a blink dog as a cohort.

My thought was to have the blinkdod dimension door behind an enemy, then I can attack it with my bow (or whatever). So my initial thought was to go straight rogue for the sneak attack damage that I'd get from the blink dog.

Flanking is melee only unless you have an ability like the Whisperknife's (RotW) Ranged Flank or the Ranger's Distracting Attack ACF (PHB2, usually you're considered to be your own ally).

[DEMON]

When it comes to E6 archery, BAB 6 is very handy. Not because of the extra attack at -5, but mostly because it qualifies you for Improved Rapid Shot and Woodland Archer, which are huge.

With that in mind, let's look at some of the full BAB classes and what they have to offer:

Fighter - Sneak attack and Hit-and-Run tactics ACFs provide up to 3d6 SA and DEX to damage against flat footed enemies, not too shabby. Add Craven, Weapon Specialization for extra oomph. If capstone feats are available, Fighter 6 also qualifies you for Ranged Weapon Mastery (and Greater Weapon focus FWIW).

Ranger - The extra archery feats aren't that hot in E6, since you should have plenty of feats available eventually (and you should have high enough Dex to meet the prereqs, unless you're going for a Zen Archery build), but they let you get the good stuff (Improved Rapid Shot and Woodland Archer) a bit faster. The main draw are the archery spells you can use from wands. They also get nice skills and plenty of skill points (spot, hide, move silently and knowledges are all archer's friends) and an animal companion (a Cooshee isn't quite Blink Dog, but it's a nice little doggie in it's own right), that can also be traded for some nice ACFs (Distracting Attack is okay, Shooting Star substitution level 4 is great). As usual, the obligatory Mystic Ranger clause: It's the king of E6, it's Dragon Mag material, it most likely won't be allowed at your table.

Barbarian - Whirling Frenzy gives you an extra attack at -2. With Improved Rapid Shot and Whirling Frenzy, you're looking at 3 attacks at +4 and 1 attack at -1. That's about it.

Warblade - Lot's of good stuff that can be useful for archers, just look through the stances and maneuvers, such as boosts and counters.

Mix and match to your heart's delight based on your preferences.

Fighter 6 is perfectly acceptable (if capstone feats are available, otherwise the 6th level is wasted and should be replaced by one of the other 3 classes), as is Ranger 6. A 2/4, 3/3 or 4/2 combo of Barbarian or Warblade is also nice. And a Ranger 1 / Barbarian 1 / Warblade 1 / Fighter 3 build would give you Whirling Frenzy (take Extra Rage to use it more than once a day), access to Ranger spells (through wands), 1 stance, 3 maneuvers (nice recovery method) and 2d6 SA (+ Craven) and Dex to damage.

Also, a list of some good (or necessary) archery related feats:
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Rapid Shot
Manyshot
Improved Rapid Shot
Woodland Archer
Knowledge Devotion

Might also consider Coordinated Shot and Sharp-Shooting.
For Rangers, add Extra Favored Enemy and Improved Favored Enemy to the list. For Fighters that qualify, add Weapon Specialization and Ranged Weapon Mastery.

[tedcahill2]

I appreciate all the of replies so far, but I'm switch gears from archery to warlock for this character. I have updated my original post accordingly.

[Gruftzwerg]

Consider Eldritch Claws (feat from Dragon Magazine) instead of Hideous Blow. Cause HB causes either an AoO or a Concentration Check (casting defensively). And not to forget you get 2 claw attacks for a full attack and may use it for AoO.

Eldritch Claws gives you "unarmed + Eldritch Blast" dmg.

To push your dmg get a monk's belt (= 5th lvl monk unarmed dmg) and go for:

Beast Strike (feat) lets you add Claw dmg to unarmed strikes = 2x unarmed + EB dmg
(note: BS needs BAB of +5, may be not possible if you intend to go full caster/warlock progression. but warlock 4 / full-BAB 2 could work here)

Eldritch Claws need 2d6 EB dmg as requirement, so you can take it at lvl 3 and at lvl 6 you can go for Beast Strike. (Note that BS uses your regular full attack for unarmed strike from your BAB instead of the 2 claw attacks regular Eldritch Claws get).

Since Eldritch Claws are invoked as free action (and BS is a non-action), you can still combine it with Hideous Blow if you insist (e.g. for the initial charge).

Eldritch Claws/Beast Strike deal piercing dmg and thus can be used in a dive (charge) attack for 2x dmg since you aim for Fell Flight. Combine with "Sandals of the Tiger Leap" to get 3x multiplier for diving charges.

IMHO, get fly via magic item later and go for warlock 4 and 2 into Crusader or Warblade for some nice maneuvers and a stance.

[tedcahill2]

Consider Eldritch Claws (feat from Dragon Magazine) instead of Hideous Blow. Cause HB causes either an AoO or a Concentration Check (casting defensively). And not to forget you get 2 claw attacks for a full attack and may use it for AoO.

Eldritch Claws gives you "unarmed + Eldritch Blast" dmg.

To push your dmg get a monk's belt (= 5th lvl monk unarmed dmg) and go for:

Beast Strike (feat) lets you add Claw dmg to unarmed strikes = 2x unarmed + EB dmg
(note: BS needs BAB of +5, may be not possible if you intend to go full caster/warlock progression. but warlock 4 / full-BAB 2 could work here)

Eldritch Claws need 2d6 EB dmg as requirement, so you can take it at lvl 3 and at lvl 6 you can go for Beast Strike. (Note that BS uses your regular full attack for unarmed strike from your BAB instead of the 2 claw attacks regular Eldritch Claws get).

Since Eldritch Claws are invoked as free action (and BS is a non-action), you can still combine it with Hideous Blow if you insist (e.g. for the initial charge).

Eldritch Claws/Beast Strike deal piercing dmg and thus can be used in a dive (charge) attack for 2x dmg since you aim for Fell Flight. Combine with "Sandals of the Tiger Leap" to get 3x multiplier for diving charges.

IMHO, get fly via magic item later and go for warlock 4 and 2 into Crusader or Warblade for some nice maneuvers and a stance.
I'm not building a melee warlock, I'm building range. I'm just taking hideous blow to combine with shocking fist as a back up in case someone gets close.

[Gruftzwerg]

I'm not building a melee warlock, I'm building range. I'm just taking hideous blow to combine with shocking fist as a back up in case someone gets close.

sry that I got the wrong impression (Iron Man, HB , Slam Attack .. I thought it was more melee focused).

But I would still suggest Eldritch Claws instead of HB, cause invoking HB (when someone gets close) causes either a AoO against you or you need to do an Concentration check for casting defensively. And as said, you can AoO with Eldritch Claws. HB can't be used for AoO until you reach warlock epic feats..

For a ranged warlock I would suggest "Fly By Attack" feat, cause it works with your Eldritch Blast (standard action).

Btw, I find it odd that if you don't intend to go melee on a regular base, to rely on a warforged with Str 18 that further invests into melee (HB, Mitril Body) from his very limited resources (E6 & warlock) from lvl.
But on the other side E6 is limiting the access of most cool stuff for blast locks. Not much available here.

Maybe consider a switch to Dragonfire Adept. Imho better at the low lvl ranged builds compared to warlock (due to AoE breath shapes). You could still get a fly invocation at lvl 6 and combo it with Fly By Attack.

[tedcahill2]

sry that I got the wrong impression (Iron Man, HB , Slam Attack .. I thought it was more melee focused).

But I would still suggest Eldritch Claws instead of HB, cause invoking HB (when someone gets close) causes either a AoO against you or you need to do an Concentration check for casting defensively. And as said, you can AoO with Eldritch Claws. HB can't be used for AoO until you reach warlock epic feats..

For a ranged warlock I would suggest "Fly By Attack" feat, cause it works with your Eldritch Blast (standard action).

Btw, I find it odd that if you don't intend to go melee on a regular base, to rely on a warforged with Str 18 that further invests into melee (HB, Mitril Body) from his very limited resources (E6 & warlock) from lvl.
But on the other side E6 is limiting the access of most cool stuff for blast locks. Not much available here.

Maybe consider a switch to Dragonfire Adept. Imho better at the low lvl ranged builds compared to warlock (due to AoE breath shapes). You could still get a fly invocation at lvl 6 and combo it with Fly By Attack.

I had looked at taking DrA instead of warlock, but the dragon themed class features didn't work as well for me. With the warlock I have the ability to "scan" for magic auras with detect magic, and with my artificer's monocle I can "scan" an item to identify it.

Entropic warding is my "force field", fell flight is being refluffed to be my "rocket boots", see the unseen are again me "scanning" for hidden threats.

I dumped charisma because the various blast essences didn't fit my concept thematically. I couldn't justify having a fear causing blast as a robot.

I originally was going con 20 str 14, but switched them because I liked the idea of being really strong, again fitting the robot thing.

A lot of warlock guides I read implied that the usually ranged feats like point black shot and precise shot, weren't needed because EB is already a touch attack.

I'm not married to shocking fist, I just thought having the option to deal 5d4+3d6+4 damage would be a sick melee attack for the occasions I need it.

[CozJa]

I had looked at taking DrA instead of warlock, but the dragon themed class features didn't work as well for me. With the warlock I have the ability to "scan" for magic auras with detect magic, and with my artificer's monocle I can "scan" an item to identify it.

Entropic warding is my "force field", fell flight is being refluffed to be my "rocket boots", see the unseen are again me "scanning" for hidden threats.

I dumped charisma because the various blast essences didn't fit my concept thematically. I couldn't justify having a fear causing blast as a robot.

I originally was going con 20 str 14, but switched them because I liked the idea of being really strong, again fitting the robot thing.

A lot of warlock guides I read implied that the usually ranged feats like point black shot and precise shot, weren't needed because EB is already a touch attack.

I'm not married to shocking fist, I just thought having the option to deal 5d4+3d6+4 damage would be a sick melee attack for the occasions I need it.

Why don't you buy a Battlefist? It's only 2600 and gives a perfect upgrade for your melee attacks.
The only real problem with Hideous Blow is that it provokes Attacks of Opportunity, therefore you incur in the risk of losing it;

Later in the game you could take Improved Unarmed Strike and Eldritch Claws as feats.
The battlefist is already +1, renders your slam attack more powerful and make your Unarmed strike count as one cathegory larger.
In that way, a possible Full attack action in melee would mean: Unarmed strike with Eldritch Claws + Slam attack: 1d4+3d6+Str+1(for the battlefist) and the Slam becomes 1d8+4d4+1/2Str with Shocking fist. Sure, hitting with a -5 for a secondary natural attack is quite difficult...

Oh, and seconding Flyby Attack!

[tedcahill2]

What's so great about fly-by attack? It's just spring attack for flyers, and since I'm using ranged weapons what's the point?

[CozJa]

What's so great about fly-by attack? It's just spring attack for flyers, and since I'm using ranged weapons what's the point?

No, it is not: Spring Attack lets you take an Attack action during movement, and is quite limited in its scope, because you can't do nothing else than attacking. Flyby, instead, lets you take a Standard Action during movement. For Example, you can use Eldritch Blast, or you can use a Wand, or you can use whatever else you think may be useful, as long as it is a standard action.

Even by using you Eldritch blast, consider Fell flight. you may have a decent enough speed to take a lot of advantage from the fact of being able to move wherever you want and shoot your eldritch blast in range.

[Gruftzwerg]

What's so great about fly-by attack? It's just spring attack for flyers, and since I'm using ranged weapons what's the point?

1. Spring Attack is limited only to a single attack action, Fly By Attack gives you a standard action to play with (EB or other invocation or something else worth a standard action).

2. Spring Attack has 2 other meh feats as requirement. Fly By Attack does not and is thus much more worth the lil investment (of a single feat compared to 3 feats on the Spring Attack side).

A good use of Fly By Attack is to move into EB range (maybe with spear shape for extra range), attack and move after out of the enemy attack range/sight (or at least give em higher penalties for bigger distance).
If there is place to cover, you can move out of cover > attack > move back into cover.

[VisitingDaGulag]

Go the typical mega-man route