[3.5] Pseudodragon Warlock

[Thurbane]

Hey Playgrounders...

Assume you were allowed to play a Pseudodragon with LA +0, and you wanted to play a Warlock. Aside from the 2RHD sucking a bit, how would you build this character?

Assume all official 3.0 (non-updated) and 3.5 sources except Dragon mag are allowed, but preferably with no Psionics, Incarnum or other susbystems in play.

I assume it would be much like a standard Warlock build, but any tips or tricks to take advantage of being a Pesudodragon (other than "don't"!).

Cheers - T


https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d4/36/61/d43661bb908bd5cc65d6872b7d84aad6--dragons-concept-art.jpg

[Segev]

Get eldrich cone to simulate a breath weapon.

Darkness to blind foes that you still use blindsense to locate well enough to include in said cone.

Chilling Tenracles complements a zone of darkness well, too.

Spiderwalk complements your size and flight well, letting you land literally anywhere solid.

Otherwise, yeah, whatever you like from a standard warlock build. You won’t need fell flight, see the unseen, or a couple others. Your sleep sting doesn’t complement much, and still doesn’t make hideous blow worthwhile. Ironically, turning invisible stacks with your chameleon-like racial bonus to hide, though it probably isn’t worth dipping rogue for sneak attack anyway.

You can also consider dragon fire adept instead of warlock for thematic reasons.

[Feantar]

Eldritch claws anyone?

[umbergod]

Eldritch claws anyone?

OP specified no Dragon Mag content, which those are

[Rijan_Sai]

While it doesn't add any range, you're a natural shoe-in for Mindsight (LoM 126)!
For those time when you really need to know just what you're (blind)sensing! Compliments well with Darkness, too!


Telepathy (Su)

Pseudodragons can communicate telepathically with creatures that speak Common or Sylvan, provided they are within 60 feet.

Otherwise, yeah... they seem pretty "standard" for a Warlock; maybe see if you can roll/point-buy your own stats?

[TalonOfAnathrax]

Every Pseudodragon should be taking Mindsight, it's an amazing feat. It also seems to work through walls.
Get an item of Venomfire as soon as possible.

Then I suggest going for an Eldritch Glaive build. You do have 2 natural weapons, after all. Being Tiny should also help with your AC, as well as Hide Checks: maybe take the Darkness Invocation and the Blend into Shadows feat from Drow of the Underdark (get Hide in Plain Sight, basically).

EDIT: Wait, Eldritch Glaive maybe Dragon. Eldritch Claws? Not sure which one is Dragon content. Check out a proper handbook.

Otherwise a Pseudodragon would be perfect as a scout. Natural abilities and warlock access to HiPS synergise very well for this.

[umbergod]

EDIT: Wait, Eldritch Glaive maybe Dragon. Eldritch Claws? Not sure which one is Dragon content. Check out a proper handbook.

Eldritch Glaive is from Dragon Magic. Eldritch Claws is from Dragon Magazine #358

[Troacctid]

1. You're naturally stealthy, so I would be inclined to lean into that and take Blend into Shadows as a feat. Hide in plain sight as a swift action. Add in Darkstalker to support it and go into a prestige class that has Hide as a class skill, like ruathar.
2. Telepathy means definitely take Mindsight, it's very good.
3. That poison sting is seriously potent. I would for sure be taking hideous blow to combine it with blasts. Save or lose at such a low level? 😘👌
4. A fast natural flight speed combined with a powerful melee sting attack makes Flyby Attack very attractive.
5. Alternatively, being Tiny, you could go for Underfoot Combat + Confound the Big Folk, assuming you can get Tumble as a class skill, which would probably require either Apprentice (Martial Artist) or Martial Study (Desert Wind).

[TheCount]

you can play familiar to your friend/bodyguard/cohort/slave and let everyone attack them.....ofc thats evil and you should feel ashamed even thinking about it (if you have any shame left (: )

i have a weak spot for them, so excuse me fore this:

BE A THIEF!!!

*ahem* now that thats out of the way, warlock is kinda hard to go wrong. just take invocations that fit thematically and have some syneregy as well, just dont pigeonhole yourself in a niche role.

[Thurbane]

Great suggestions so far, keep 'em coming! :smallsmile:


Otherwise, yeah... they seem pretty "standard" for a Warlock; maybe see if you can roll/point-buy your own stats?

Normal method for our table would be rolling (for a PC) or elite array (NPC). Rolling varies by DM, but is generally 4d6 best 3, arrange in any order, re-roll any one die during the process. Pseudodragon would get Str -4, Dex +4, Con +2, Wis +2 on top of the rolls/array. Wis would be a dump stat. Cha > Con > Dex > Int > Str > Wis.

Is there any ways to take advantage of being of the Dragon type? Any feats or combos that would be opened up?

[Troacctid]

Is there any ways to take advantage of being of the Dragon type? Any feats or combos that would be opened up?
For a lesser dragon? Not really. There's (Improved) Rapidstrike, which doesn't work with your sting; Infernal Adept, which is fine for humanoid shape but not super exciting at the level you get it; and the Epic Dragon prestige classes, which, besides being Epic content, mostly don't work with warlock.

[Thurbane]

For a lesser dragon? Not really. There's (Improved) Rapidstrike, which doesn't work with your sting; Infernal Adept, which is fine for humanoid shape but not super exciting at the level you get it; and the Epic Dragon prestige classes, which, besides being Epic content, mostly don't work with warlock.

Hmm, fair enough.

I assume a tiny dragon has the same body slots available for items that a humanoid does? Obviously weapons and armor would need to be of appropriate size, and tiny armor would suffer the usual AC bonus reductions? A tiny mithril shirt would only provide a base AC bonus of 2, for example? Armor would mainly be for stacking effects on, not for the AC bonus itself...

[Jack_Simth]

For a lesser dragon? Not really. There's (Improved) Rapidstrike, which doesn't work with your sting; Infernal Adept, which is fine for humanoid shape but not super exciting at the level you get it; and the Epic Dragon prestige classes, which, besides being Epic content, mostly don't work with warlock.

Well... if you can find a way to get Alter Self, it's very useful: burrow, climb, and swim speeds are easily available from one spell, and any Small sized True Dragon shape will get you more natural attacks (Bite / Claw / Claw) with normal reach, plus some modest Natural Armor (your native form has better...). It's a 2nd level Arcane spell, so maybe an Eternal Wand or two plus UMD puts it in reach.

Edit: Just for the Core True Dragons, limiting to the ones you have available:
Tiny or Small dragons have three natural attacks.
Wyrmling Black gets Swim-60, Fly 100, walk-40, and +3 Natural Armor.
Wyrmling Green gets Swim-40, Fly 100, walk-40, and +4 Natural Armor.
Wyrmling White gets Burrow-30, Fly 120 (150, capped at 120), walk-60, and +2 Natural Armor.
Wyrmling Brass gets Burrow-30, Fly 120 (150, capped at 120), walk-60, and +3 Natural Armor.
Wyrmling Copper is "just" Fly 100 , walk-40, and +4 Natural Armor

Mind you, you've already got 4 points of natural armor in your native form, and Fly-60 (Good), so the ground speeds don't usually matter (although it can - a Brass dragon's land speed matches your fly speed, and sometimes that's useful) - you'll usually want them for the Swim speeds (black is great there), burrow speeds (Brass is best of the core list), or the much faster Fly speeds (again, Brass is best, there).

Note that getting underground is a GREAT way to avoid getting hit if you need to retreat for a little bit.

[Feantar]

OP specified no Dragon Mag content, which those are

Eldritch Glaive is from Dragon Magic. Eldritch Claws is from Dragon Magazine #358

I completely forgot that eldritch claws are from dragon magazine. Curses. Since the dragon has natural flight, this might be one of the few cases were ranged warlock (eldritch spear) is actually better than glaivelock? At least for the first few levels.


While it doesn't add any range, you're a natural shoe-in for Mindsight (LoM 126)!

...that would be a weird version of mindsight - being able to pinpoint only those who speak common or sylvan. Or does it count like the standard telepathy?


For a lesser dragon? Not really. There's (Improved) Rapidstrike, which doesn't work with your sting; Infernal Adept, which is fine for humanoid shape but not super exciting at the level you get it; and the Epic Dragon prestige classes, which, besides being Epic content, mostly don't work with warlock.

The ambiguity of sovereign archetypes (which, seem to be intended for true dragons but, if I recall correctly, don't directly come out and say so) might allow them some lee-way. Specifically the wyrm of war would give some semi-useful feats. But they are very Eberron specific so...

[Troacctid]

I completely forgot that eldritch claws are from dragon magazine. Curses. Since the dragon has natural flight, this might be one of the few cases were ranged warlock (eldritch spear) is actually better than glaivelock? At least for the first few levels.
...Ranged warlock is always better than glaivelock for the first few levels. You don't get a second attack with eldritch glaive until level 9. In fact, I would say eldritch glaive is actually substantially worse than hideous blow here. Also, typically, ranged warlocks use eldritch chain, not eldritch spear.


...that would be a weird version of mindsight - being able to pinpoint only those who speak common or sylvan. Or does it count like the standard telepathy?
Mindsight detects any creatures within range of your telepathy, so the language barrier shouldn't be a problem.

[Yogibear41]

I think you would have more fun as a DFA than as a Warlock. IMO. Little baby dragon flying around annihilating everything. :)


If you are forced to take the RHD, then you might look at the boost from Richard Baker about Practiced Spellcaster catching up your eldritch blast damage. Its not official but it was the warlock designers intent. Also as has been said before: Mindsight.

[Mr Adventurer]

I guess you'd have the Dragonblood subtype? Might be yuseful for something.