Warlock (no, not that Warlock)

[brian c]

This thread is for my homebrewed Warlock class. It is not at all based on the WotC class from CArc, nor does it use similar mechanics. The Warlock is a spontaneous caster for my setting (Suraen, links in my sig). Short descriptions is that sorcerers get power from draconic heritage, and warlocks get power from fiendish heritage. Many of the mechanics are the same. References are made to gods and races as they are within my setting. Without further ado...


The Warlock

Warlocks are arcane magicians similar to sorcerers. Both have inherent magical powers because of their ancestry, but while sorcerers have their connection with dragons, warlocks are descended from demons or devils. This heritage, and the way in which a warlock's powers are used, lead to their being shunned by society. Warlocks tend to be loners, or are associated with small, secretive cults to the dark gods.

Adventures: Warlocks are likely to become adventurers, for varying reasons. Many warlocks ally themselves with demons and/or devils, and adventure in order to work towards the goals of those races and their gods. Other warlocks are forced to leave their homes if their magical powers become known, and adventuring is their only choice. There are some warlocks who turn away from the evil ways of their ancestors, adventuring for self-improvement and empowerment, search for knowledge, treasure, or other reasons.

Characteristics: A warlock's personality depends on whether his magical heritage is from devils or demons. Devil-descended warlocks are cunning and patient, making plans and biding their time. Demon-descended warlocks are unpredictable and vicious, often quick to anger and slow to forgive. All warlocks tend to be somewhat egotistical, desiring personal gain and glory.

Alignment: Warlocks who claim demonic heritage are usually chaotic, while those with devilish heritate are usually lawful. These are not absolutes though, and while neutrality between law and chaos is most common, there are some warlocks who break the stereotypes. However, all warlocks are non-good in alignment. Warlocks who become good cannot learn any more magical abilities due to their ancestry.

Religion: Warlocks almost universally worship Nalat, Kifan or Brask. Often all three are worshiped in different ways. The only other deity with a fair number of followers among warlocks is Srohlak, who is revered by some of the more savage Orcs.
Religion is important to a warlock, but they rarely devote themselves fully to their god. warlocks generally aim to gain power, and this conflicts with aiding one's deity. Among other religions, warlocks get along best with worshipers of Kashil and Srohlak. They frequently clash with worshipers of Baal and Rabel, and even more so with Thosas and Sholana.

Background: Warlocks have their magical abilities because there is a demon or devil as one of their ancestors. Sometimes, generally with orcs, this is well-known and acceptable. However, especially among Rabelian humans, the connection to the dark gods is often unknown or covered up. Many warlocks are forced to flee their homes and have very few positive interactions with other people. As such, they become spiteful and uncaring about others, if they were not so to begin with. Other warlocks may be following in a family tradition, whether secretive or admitted, and are experts at manipulating people.

Races: Warlocks are most common among orcs, half-orcs and humans. Elves and dwarves are generally not willing to associate with demons or devils in any way, and even a child created from a forced union would be destroyed. Orcs usually do not have problems with necromancy, though individual warlocks tend to have sadistic streaks that can alienate even orcs. The majority of humans disapprove of warlocks, but most are able to blend in to human society without being noticed.

Other Classes: Warlocks are most similar to sorcerers; they tend to get along very well with evil sorcerers, since their abilities are from the same type of source. Warlocks also make friends with clerics or mystics of evil gods, and more generally anyone who worships the same god that they do. Barbarians are straightforward, which warlocks appreciate. Clerics, mystics and paladins of Good gods almost always fight with warlocks. Like sorcerers, warlocks dislike wizards because they feel that only those natural blessed with magic should use it.

[brian c]

Game Rule Information

Warlocks have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Charisma determines how powerful a spell a warlock can cast, and how hard those spells are to resist. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a warlock’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the warlock’s Charisma modifier. Intelligence helps a warlock be more skillful, while Wisdom and Strength are generally their weaker abilities. Constitution is important for hitpoints and bonus spell point pools, and Dexterity is important for armor class and touch attacks.

Alignment: Any non-good; see class abilities. Any warlock who becomes Good in alignment may not longer progress in the warlock class, but retains all class features and abilities.

Hit Die: d6

Class Skills: The warlock’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (Religion, Arcana, The Planes) (Int), and Intimidate (Cha).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4+ Int modifier.

Proficiencies: A warlock is proficient with simple weapons and no armor.



Warlock

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|
Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Eschew Materials, Magical Blood
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Ancestral Knowledge +1, Bloodline ability

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Arcane Exhaustion

4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Bloodline ability

5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|DR 1/-

6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Bloodline ability

7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Hurried Metamagic

8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|Ancestral Knowledge +2, Bloodline ability

9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Improved Arcane Exhaustion

10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|DR 2/-, Bloodline ability

11th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|

12th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+4|
+8|Bloodline ability

13th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+4|
+8|Greater Hurried Metamagic

14th|
+7/+2|
+4|
+4|
+9|Ancestral Knowledge +3, Bloodline ability

15th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+9|DR 3/-

16th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+5|
+10|Bloodline ability

17th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+5|
+10|Greater Arcane Exhaustion

18th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11|Bloodline ability

19th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11|Summon Demons

20th|
+10/+5|
+6|
+6|
+12|Ancestral Knowledge +4, DR 4/-[/table]

[brian c]

Abilities

Eschew Materials: At 1st level, a warlock gains the feat Eschew Materials as a bonus feat.

Magical Blood: At 1st level, a warlock must designate whether his ancestry is from Demons or Devils. The alignments and associated elements are as follows:

{table=head]Ancestry|Elements|Alignment|Other allowed alignments

Demon|
Fire, Electricity|
CE|
CN, NE

Devil|
Acid, Cold|
LE|
LN, NE[/table]

Warlocks gain a +2 to all diplomacy checks with evil outsiders of their type. This quality does not let the warlock qualify for racial feats as a demon or devil, and does not give him any proficiencies or any other benefits. His type does not change.

Ancestral Knowledge: At 2nd level, warlocks gain a +1 competence bonus to Knowledge(Arcana) and Knowledge(The Planes) checks. These bonuses increases by +1 every six additional levels.

Bloodline Ability: At 2nd and 4th levels, a warlock can choose one of the abilities below:

Elemental Resistance (Su): The warlock gains resistance 5 to his associated elements. This ability can be taken a second time to give resistance 20.

Darkvision (Su): The warlock gains Darkvision to a distance of 60 feet. This ability can be taken a second time to give Darkvision to 120 feet.
Bonus Feat: A warlock may choose to select any metamagic feat, Vile feat, or Heritage feat for which he meets the prerequisites, subject to the DM's discretion.

At each even-numbered level past 4th, the warlock gains additional bloodline abilities, adding the following choices:

Improved Metamagic: The warlock masters his ability to use metamagic feats with his spells. Any spell with a metamagic feat only costs 2 additional spellpoints instead of 3 (after the increase for the metamagic feat itself). This ability can be taken a second time to lower the metamagic cost to 1 additional spell point.

Armored Caster: Many warlocks choose to wear light armor, and grow used to casting spells with armor on. This ability grants proficiency in light armors, and decreases the rate of arcane spell failure in light armor to 0%.

Fiendish Spell Power: By the powers of their devilish or demonic blood, warlocks can cast certain spells much more effectively than others. A warlock who takes this ability increases the saving throws on all his spells from two schools- demonic warlocks gain increases to Evocation and Conjuration, devilish warlocks gain increases to Enchantment and Necromancy. The first time this ability is taken there is an increase of +1 to spell save DCs. This ability can be taken up to two more times, each one adding +1 more to the save DCs of spells in the same schools.

Arcane Exhaustion: A warlock may in times of need use more magical energy than is normally possible. At 3rd Level and above, a warlock gains an extra pool of spell points equal to his constitution modifier plus half his warlock level, rounded down. If any of these spell points are used, the warlock is exhausted for the rest of the day. Spells and abilities which normally would reduce or eliminate exhaustion do not work for this effect; the warlock can only become fully energized again by resting. At 9th level, the warlock learns to master this ability so that he is only fatigued after using it. These spellpoints do not regenerate every day as normal spellpoints do; after being used they regenerate at a rate per day equal to 1 + the warlock's constitution modifier, minimum of 1 per day.

Hurried Metamagic: Beginning at 7th level, warlocks can cast a metamagic spell without increasing the casting time. All spells take the same amount of time to cast, whether there was a metamagic feat applied or not. This does not apply to the metamagic feat Quicken Spell. At 13th level, the warlock gains the ability to use the Quicken Spell metamagic feat to reduce the casting time of a spell.

Greater Arcane Exhaustion: At 17th level, the warlock gains another extra pool of spell points equal to his constitution modifier plus half his warlock level. These spell points can be used if the first pool of extra spell points is empty (or in conjunction with those points to cast a single spell). If the warlock uses any of these points, he must make a Fortitute save with DC = 20 + number of spell points used from this pool. If he passes the save he is exhausted as per Arcane Exhaustion; if he fails the save he is dropped to -1 hitpoints, unconscious and dying after the spell is cast. If the warlock is then healed to consciousness, or if he has any feat or ability that allows him to remain conscious at negative hitpoints, he is considered fatigued because of the usage of his first bonus pool. These regenerate at the same rate as the first bonus pool.

Summon Demons/Devils (Su): At 19th level, a warlock gains the ability to summon forth demons or devils to aid him. Once per day as a full-round action, a warlock can use this ability. Any summoned monsters appear at a designated spot within 30ft of the warlock. If the number of monsters summoned is less than 1, the result is no summoned monsters, but the ability has been used for the day.
A devil-descended warlock choose to summon one of the following: 2d6+2 Imps, 1d6 Barbazu, 1d3-1 Erinyes, or 1d3-2 Cornugons (Horned Devils).
A demon-descended warlock may choose to summon one of the following: 2d6+2 Quasits, 1d6-2 Babau, 1d4-2 Vrocks, or 1d3-2 Mariliths.

[brian c]

So that's the class. It's still a work in progress, but I'm presenting it here because I'm in a bit of a rut. I'm not entirely satisfied with the slate of special abilities; they seem a bit too strong, but I can't think of anything better. ANy comments, questions or suggestions are welcome.

[Rigon]

And what are the spells?
armored casting... i would kinda change that. why can they cast in armor? i'm not against it, i think it only need some explanation. BUT i would remove the light armor proficiency part and make it a prerequisite. maybe make it available multiple times to ignore medium and heavy armor too.

the second time resistance of 20 sounds kinda big... 15 maybe?

darkvision 60 and 120 as a nonracial ability sounds kinda long... 30 and 60 maybe?

fiendish spell power sounds weak compared to spell penetration.

will the summoned outsiders act friendly/hostile/undefined? i think that needs some explanation.

[brian c]

And what are the spells?
armored casting... i would kinda change that. why can they cast in armor? i'm not against it, i think it only need some explanation. BUT i would remove the light armor proficiency part and make it a prerequisite. maybe make it available multiple times to ignore medium and heavy armor too.

Spells are sorc/wiz. Using spellpoints instead of slots; I'll probably end up having them get the same spellpoints as recommended for Sorcerers, but maybe a little more or less. I think that's the sort of thing that will require playtesting.

As for medium/heavy armor, there's already a feat for that in Complete Arcane I believe. Increases the level of armor you can wear without ASF by one category.


the second time resistance of 20 sounds kinda big... 15 maybe?

darkvision 60 and 120 as a nonracial ability sounds kinda long... 30 and 60 maybe?

fiendish spell power sounds weak compared to spell penetration.

I may decrease the darkvision a bit; resistance amount was one of the other things I wasn't so sure about. Fiendish spell power is basically two Spell Focuses, and can be taken up to +3 total, I'd say that's a pretty good ability.


will the summoned outsiders act friendly/hostile/undefined? i think that needs some explanation.

They're friendly, similar to a Summon Monster/Summon Planar Ally spell.

[Rigon]

Spells are sorc/wiz. Using spellpoints instead of slots; I'll probably end up having them get the same spellpoints as recommended for Sorcerers, but maybe a little more or less. I think that's the sort of thing that will require playtesting.
i think the same as sorcerers will do... because this warlock has no familiar.


As for medium/heavy armor, there's already a feat for that in Complete Arcane I believe. Increases the level of armor you can wear without ASF by one category.
I may decrease the darkvision a bit; resistance amount was one of the other things I wasn't so sure about. Fiendish spell power is basically two Spell Focuses, and can be taken up to +3 total, I'd say that's a pretty good ability.
oops i have to read that complete arcane ... well i borrow it later from someone.


They're friendly, similar to a Summon Monster/Summon Planar Ally spell.
i think this will need more playtesting than balancing the spellpoints.

[Lady Tialait]

Summoning Rigon I've never had a problem with(lack of experience in the field more then anything) ...as for everything else it looks nice. I never cared for Spellpoints..then again that's your call.

This class has one thing that bothers me tho. the Arcane Exhaustion. I see this overused. unless you just want to expect them to use their Spellpoints as fast as possible then exhaust themselves later. I would add a CL penalty to it too.

[brian c]

i think this will need more playtesting than balancing the spellpoints.

Heh, true. I couldn't really think of a good capstone, so that's what I have for now. Any suggestions would be welcome. Also, please check out the sorcerer re-write that goes with this, if you haven't already. It's linked in my sig.

[Rigon]

i posted that because i myself (as a poor excuse for a DM) am afraid of summoned creatures. it means another party member with special features i have to check. i even try to make the spellcasters drop their familiars for some other feat.
imho summoning is for the villains :smallamused:

[brian c]

Summoning Rigon I've never had a problem with(lack of experience in the field more then anything) ...as for everything else it looks nice. I never cared for Spellpoints..then again that's your call.

This class has one thing that bothers me tho. the Arcane Exhaustion. I see this overused. unless you just want to expect them to use their Spellpoints as fast as possible then exhaust themselves later. I would add a CL penalty to it too.

As I said, the summoning may stay or go, or may get changed. I like the flavor for it, the mechanics are a bit iffy.

I don't like familiars; it's a clunky feature leftover from 1e I suppose (never actually played it, so someone tell me when familiars were introduced to D&D). My caster classes for this setting don't have familiars at all, ever.

As for arcane exhaustion, here's how I see it. The party is at the end of their journey, fighting the BBEG, hacking and blasting away. Suddenly, the sorcerer runs out of spellpoints (or spells). Sorry guys, he can't do anything anymore. Arcane Exhaustion lets him summon his last reserves of magical energy to cast another spell or two. This is definitely staying, but I'm thinking of adding a temporary Con penalty.

As for spellpoints in general, I feel that they model spontaneous (innate) casters better than spell slots do. Prepared (learned) casters such as Wizards keep using spell slots; they have to categorize their magic, it's part of how they use it. Sorcerers have the energy within them, it doesn't make sense to me that they would have "spell levels" other than knowing that some spells are more powerful and take more energy to cast than others do. I think I went into more detail about this in the thread for my Sorcerer.

[Yakk]

So your position seems to be "The Sorcerer Class needs a serious Buffing Up"?

Ie, in what way is this class weaker than the sorcerer?

[Lady Tialait]

I see where your going with the liking of spellpoints, but arn't they almost exactly like Powerpoints, I like the switch of system.......yes....yes i do use psionics in my games.

[brian c]

So your position seems to be "The Sorcerer Class needs a serious Buffing Up"?

Ie, in what way is this class weaker than the sorcerer?

It's not. Have I mentioned that my setting is a bit on the high-powered side? The only way this is weaker than the default sorcerer is because I'm changing spells (the same sane houserules a lot of people use, no polymorph, wish, celerity, MMM, etc).

Also, this is not intended to replace the sorcerer. This class exists alongside my sorcerer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42964)

[brian c]

Once again, by posting my work in the middle of the night I fear I have kept people by seeing it, since by daytime it's pushed all the way down the list of threads. Please notice me! :smalltongue: