D&D 3.5 Warlock gear question.

[LordBlade]

So, what sort of gear should a Warlock be looking at getting?
I mean, beyond just adding pluses to my armour. :p

So far my Warlock has basically been a one trick pony. I go into battle, toss Eldritch Blasts at stuff, and call it a day. I haven't even really thought of an actual weapon to use. I have a Heavy Pick (I'm a Kobold), I think I've swung it once so far. I'm level 4 now. :)
He's being built into a Leadership type of character, working towards getting his own kingdom going (show them big brutes that Kobolds are more than just level 1 adventure fodder). :p

[RoboEmperor]

Greater Chasuble of Fell power for +2d6 eldritch blast damage.

A bunch of utility gear spelled out here:http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?187851-3-5-Lists-of-Necessary-Magic-Items

I personally get Stone of Controlling Earth Elementals (from d20srd) for a permanent expendable and renewable Huge Earth Elemental minion, but this is not an optimal use of wealth. It's more personal preference and for fun.

Glaive Warlocks I believe have their own special Glaive weapons?

[Troacctid]

Warlocks don't generally use weapons unless they're a specialized build based on hideous blow. Their version of a weapon is a warlock's scepter and chasuble of fell power, with side helpings of rod of magical precision, gloves of eldritch admixture, and/or rod of eldritch power.

Consumable items are usually key to Warlocks because their Deceive Item ability allows them to use spell trigger and spell completion items from any class's list via Use Magic Device. Stock up on wands; you only need +10 on UMD to take 10 on them. Scrolls require more investment but can give you access to higher-level spells.


Glaive Warlocks I believe have their own special Glaive weapons?
That's eldritch glaive. Invocation, not a weapon.

[Fizban]

If you want a weapon as your "weapon," then you want a Warlock's Scepter (or a pick that's been turned into one). Otherwise, Gauntlets of Eldritch Admixture are the cheaper/flexible option for boosting damage, before getting the Chasuble later.

If you want things that aren't eldritch blast damage, then. . . get things that aren't eldritch blast damage. You haven't mentioned your level, build, party, or anything else- you know what you have, try to get stuff that covers what you don't have like any other character.

[RoboEmperor]

That's eldritch glaive. Invocation, not a weapon.

Yeah I'm not up on my dragon mag reading.

But Troacctid is right, Warlocks can craft any item in the game, so use that to craft any scroll in the game and just dominate.

[Blue Wizard]

If you want to pick up Craft Wondrous Item you can use an item out of Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, without ever actually having to go anywhere near Ravenloft.

It's a book that gives you an extra Least Invocation, costs 20,000gp (10,000gp if you make it yourself, less with item cost reducers, like if you make it out of Fey Cherry you can chop 10% off that price, and save another 1,000gp. Joining the right mage college can easily chop off as much again without costing you any more feats. Toss two feats at it and you can chop off 50% more!).

Because nothing beats standing in Darkness that you can see through tossing Eldritch Spears from 200+ feet away!

[Troacctid]

Yeah I'm not up on my dragon mag reading.
I don't think I've seen "dragon mag" used as a shortened form for Dragon Magic before. :smalltongue:


If you want to pick up Craft Wondrous Item you can use an item out of Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, without ever actually having to go anywhere near Ravenloft.

It's a book that gives you an extra Least Invocation, costs 20,000gp (10,000gp if you make it yourself, less with item cost reducers, like if you make it out of Fey Cherry you can chop 10% off that price, and save another 1,000gp. Joining the right mage college can easily chop off as much again without costing you any more feats. Toss two feats at it and you can chop off 50% more!).

Because nothing beats standing in Darkness that you can see through tossing Eldritch Spears from 200+ feet away!
I'm not a fan, honestly. It's way too expensive for what it does IMO. Imagine how many wands you could buy for that kind of money.

[Vizzerdrix]

It is hard to go wrong with a gauntlet stacked with init boosters. tack on stunning just in case something gets up in yer face.

[Hunter Noventa]

If you get your hands on something that allows you to fly, you can free up an invocation since you don't have to take Eldritch Flight.

But really, beyond the items that boost your eldritch blast, you'll want to boost you Cha for the saves attached to your invocations, if you took any, and then focus on your defenses.

[Falontani]

If he is a dwk then there is an invocation that allows alter self at will. I think it was a least and official? Might have been a magazine. Shrouding Transformation I believe it was called. Turning into a 5 hd Dragon could be useful

[RoboEmperor]

If he is a dwk then there is an invocation that allows alter self at will. I think it was a least and official? Might have been a magazine. Shrouding Transformation I believe it was called. Turning into a 5 hd Dragon could be useful

That invocation sadly is not official

http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/lists/invocations

[Telonius]

That invocation sadly is not official

http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/lists/invocations

Yeah, I've seen it crop up a few times in discussions about Warlocks, but it's not an official thing. I think I may have found the original source of the thing here (http://dnd.kermodebear.org/InvocationLists). Looks like somebody's houserules. There are a few others on there that aren't official stuff either, like "Vile Darkness" and "Warlock's Lock."

[Falontani]

Yeah, I've seen it crop up a few times in discussions about Warlocks, but it's not an official thing. I think I may have found the original source of the thing here (http://dnd.kermodebear.org/InvocationLists). Looks like somebody's houserules. There are a few others on there that aren't official stuff either, like "Vile Darkness" and "Warlock's Lock."

Reason that it crops up so much is that all 3 of those are on the same site that you can easily reach if you just google warlock invocations; comes with a link to each one in more detail, and a summarized version of each. It's a really handy site, if you know... they were all official

[Fuzzy McCoy]

Bracers of the blast barrier are also a good option, as well bracers of the entangling blast.

[LordBlade]

I'm a Dragonwrought Earth Kobold. I have wings (I know they're not needed, but they fit my character for RP reasons).
Basically just focusing on hiding the back and blasting everything.
I've got Charisma pumped (also have 18 Dex and wearing a Chain Shirt). Going for Leadership, so that I can basically get my own town/army going at some point.

Basically my character's sick of Kobolds always being seen as "fodder", so he plans on forming his own nation that tries to abolish racial hatred.
There's already a nation like that from an old campaign (basically the characters back then founded it and now rule it), so I figured I'd try to set up some political alliances and that sort of thing, which could lead into a lot of non-combat adventures (not that politics isn't lethal in its own way with factions and nobles vying for power).

So while straight up combat items are great to know about so I can add them to my wishlist, anything that might help on a more RP side would be awesome too.

[Blue Wizard]

I'm not a fan, honestly. It's way too expensive for what it does IMO.

Perhaps. What I like most about it is that it fits perfectly into the formula given in the Arms & Equipment Guide for how to design items granting feats. It costs 10,000gp (the upper end of the spectrum given in A&EG) to grant what is essentially the feat Extra Invocation, only doubled cost because the item (a book you can leave at home if you want to) does not take up a slot.

I like it because I can take that to my DM and say, "Look, here! This is what they've done!" and once that is established, well, there are a fair number of tweaks that can be applied once the formulas are known. Like, what if I don't mind the object taking up an item slot? I've just cut the price I pay in half.

Or say I want six of these. I could make them each individually for full cost, or I could make one book and apply the Multiple Similar Effects rule so I pay full price for the first invocation, then 75% for the second, then 50% for all follow-on ones.

I like it because it gives me options. And I like options. That's why I play 3.x rather than the glorified board-games that followed.

[LordBlade]

Are there any good enchants I can add to an item to improve my Eldritch Blast? Either damage-wise or improving hit chances?

[Troacctid]

Are there any good enchants I can add to an item to improve my Eldritch Blast? Either damage-wise or improving hit chances?
I think all the main ones have been mentioned already. The rest would mostly be generic items, like gloves of dexterity.

[LordBlade]

Would I be able to enchant something with Maximize Spell Like Ability?

[Troacctid]

That would either be a custom item or a normal Metamagic Rod of Maximize. Ask your DM.

[LordBlade]

Metamagic, Maximize: The wielder can cast up to three spells per day that are maximized as though using the Maximize Spell feat.

Strong (no school); CL 17th; Craft Rod, Maximize Spell feat; Price 14,000 gp (lesser), 54,000 gp (normal), 121,500 gp (greater).

So I'd just need the lesser, right? Because as I recall Eldritch Blast counted as a level 1 spell like ability, right?

[LordBlade]

Oh, and about the Warlock's Scepter.
The item is a +1 mace that adds the nice bonuses, unless you use all the charges, then it's just a +1 light mace until recharged.
Question is, does it have to be?

Can you put the bonuses on a different weapon (which would need to be +1 to get misc enchants)?
Or can you improve the enchant on the light mace (up to +5)?

[Troacctid]

Oh, and about the Warlock's Scepter.
The item is a +1 mace that adds the nice bonuses, unless you use all the charges, then it's just a +1 light mace until recharged.
Question is, does it have to be?

Can you put the bonuses on a different weapon (which would need to be +1 to get misc enchants)?
Or can you improve the enchant on the light mace (up to +5)?

DM discretion.

[LordBlade]

Wait... I'm DM! Mwahahaha!!!
What would the cost be then? Price of a warlock's scepter minus the 1000g for +1 and whatever the light mace costs I suppose?

[Rijan_Sai]

Metamagic, Maximize: The wielder can cast up to three spells per day that are maximized as though using the Maximize Spell feat.

Strong (no school); CL 17th; Craft Rod, Maximize Spell feat; Price 14,000 gp (lesser), 54,000 gp (normal), 121,500 gp (greater).

So I'd just need the lesser, right? Because as I recall Eldritch Blast counted as a level 1 spell like ability, right?
Mostly... just remember that if you add any shapes and/or essences to it, it uses the highest level from those, which may take it out of lesser rod range.


Wait... I'm DM! Mwahahaha!!!
What would the cost be then? Price of a warlock's scepter minus the 1000g for +1 and whatever the light mace costs I suppose?

I believe this would be correct. Subtract the cost of the +1 light mace, the add the difference to the other item. (Reverse Engineering costs from basic weapons is fairly easy; something like Hank's Energy Bow is a bit more difficult...)

[Kelb_Panthera]

That would either be a custom item or a normal Metamagic Rod of Maximize. Ask your DM.


Metamagic, Maximize: The wielder can cast up to three spells per day that are maximized as though using the Maximize Spell feat.

Strong (no school); CL 17th; Craft Rod, Maximize Spell feat; Price 14,000 gp (lesser), 54,000 gp (normal), 121,500 gp (greater).

So I'd just need the lesser, right? Because as I recall Eldritch Blast counted as a level 1 spell like ability, right?

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but the maximize spell feat can't be applied to spell-like abilities. Consequently, neither can a maximize rod. You're looking for a custom item of the feat maximize spell-like ability.

Same goes for all of your standard metamagic.

[Troacctid]

Well yeah that's why you gotta ask your DM. There's enough wiggle room in the rules that you could make it work with SLAs if you really want.

[LordBlade]

Yeah, as DM I don't see any reason why Maximize Spell and Maximize Spell Like Ability wouldn't just be slight variations on the same item. They're pretty much the same thing, just depending on whether the spell is "natural" or not. So if you can get a thing that does MS, I would allow MSLA for the same cost.

[TalonOfAnathrax]

What invocations do you have?

If you're looking for combat gear, here are what I consider "essentials" (they're cheap, always useful and good to get as long as you don't have anything else in that slot):
Healing Belt (750gp, magic item compendium)
Ankhlets of Translocation (1400gp, magic item compendium)
Wand of Cure light wounds (if you took Use Magic Device)

If your GM allows custom items, I suggest asking for an amulet of Protection from Evil. Super cheap (2000gp by RAW) but unless enemies cast Dispel Magic on you first or tear your gear off, you're mostly immune to all mind-affecting magic and get +2 to AC against some enemies.

Pearl of Speech (600gp, magic item compendium) if you're a social warlock
Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis (if you're a stealth/scout Warlock) - it gives you Hide in Plain Sight, which can be combined with the Darkness invocation or a wand (and good Hide checks) to get you what amounts to always-on Invisibility.

EDIT: AS a warlock, playing the long game is usually better for you (your attacks almost always hit and never run out, even if your damage isn't always great). So try to increase your survivability as much as possible without neglecting your attacks too much. Defensive gear of all stripes is great!