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Admiral Squish
2008-02-02, 01:28 AM
I'm back! I'm making a fifth level gnome warlock mounted upon a dire badger. Which is fun. Anyway. Help me optimize this guy.

Are there any feats that apply to SLAs? Metamagic-esque effects? How would I convert metamagic feats to SLAs?

Should I take Point-blank shot+precise shot? Would ride feats serve better? Any others that would be nice to learn? I'm also debating burrow friend for races of stone, but I'm unsure.

Skill point investment? Concentration maxed, of course. But I don't have that many more skill points left after that, due to the low skill point/level a warlock gets.

Weaponry? Equipment? Magic items? Keep it cheap, folks. No specific limit, but it's gotta be cheap.

leperkhaun
2008-02-02, 01:38 AM
hmmmm, check out the Wizards CO forums and look for the warlock handybook.

Its basically a optimization guide for warlocks... i dont happen to have the link handy atm.

Alleine
2008-02-02, 01:39 AM
A few metaSLA's can be found on the SRD in the monster section.

I'd say precise shot isn't really worth it, since you're using touch attacks and at higher-ish levels its completely wasted.
In the BoVD, iirc, there is a feat called mortal bane which allows you to apply some extra d6 to your eldritch blast(not specifically) three times a day vs. living opponents...

Skills, go for bluff/intimidate to complement your CHA and become the party face if you want to. Also, UMD.

Chasubel of fell power to boost EB damage... wands, scrolls, whatever you need. Can't think of anything else off the top of my head...

EDIT: here's some handy links
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=393586
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=782272
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=703767

sonofzeal
2008-02-02, 01:45 AM
Woah, your Warlock is riding? What happened to Fell Flight?

"Quicken Spell-Like Ability (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsterFeats.htm#quickenSpellLikeAbility)" is right in the SRD.

PBS + Precise Shot are a decent combo for you, but remember that you're throwing out the Touch Attacks, so even with the -4 for shooting into melee you shouldn't be missing much. Many would argue that a properly optimized Warlock will skip these feats. "Ability Focus" is good though, if you use Invocations that have saving throws.

Skill points.... Concentration is not nearly as important for you as for a wizard or Cleric. UMD is essential though. You also have the potential to be a very effective Face, so consider investing in Diplomacy and Bluff and picking up Beguiling Influence if you want to go that route.

Weapons - pack some daggers, just in case you get swallowed and need to carve your way out. Otherwise, just Eldritch Blast away, you'll be more accurate and do more damage.

Other equipment - your UMD is one of your strong points, so get yourself some wands and scrolls. Otherwise, equip yourself like you'd equip a ranged rogue. The few warlock-specific items are generally not "cheap".

leperkhaun
2008-02-02, 04:49 AM
I forgot to add. In MiC there is an item called warlock rod or something. It gives you +1 to touch attacks and you can increase your EB damage by 1d6 by spending charges. You get 3 charges/day and you can burn them all at the same time for 3d6 damage.

Cant remember the price.

Neo
2008-02-02, 05:52 AM
yeah, the only other two i'm aware of is the scepter thing which is as above but 50 charges, no recharge. Also the Casuble of fell power which ups blast damage, but the last 2 are 18k, the first is probably about there too.

ZeroNumerous
2008-02-02, 08:23 AM
Chausable of Fell Power, Lesser and Chausable of Fell Power, Greater add 1d6 and 2d6 to your EB damage.

JeminiZero
2008-02-02, 10:23 AM
IMHO, Extra Invocation Feats are always good. But are only available after level 6. Maximize SLA is good, but is also only available afer level 6. There is the Fey Tree of Feats from Complete Mage. But the one you want is Fey Power which grants +1 to Invocation level, with only non-lawful requirements.

Illiterate Scribe
2008-02-02, 10:56 AM
Flyby attack plus fell flight is good, but then there's this riding thing.

mabriss lethe
2008-02-02, 02:40 PM
There's another item in Complete Mage...and some nifty, if not completely useful invocations. Worth checking out if you don't already own it.

The item is called something like the Rod of Edritch Might. They start at 4K and go up to 64K. Each one contains either a shape or essence invocation usable 5/day. The price is dependent upon the level of invocation used. least 4k, lesser 16K, greater 32K, Dark 64K....I think.

The_Snark
2008-02-02, 04:32 PM
A Rod of Magical Precision (Complete Mage) essentially gives you the Precise Shot feat for your eldritch blast. Worth getting at middle levels, especially if you didn't take Precise Shot earlier.

I think he's riding a dire badger because this is level 5, and Fell Flight isn't available until level 6... or later, if he wants to take some other invocation first.

Admiral Squish
2008-02-02, 10:13 PM
I'm riding a dire badger, because it's a city campaign. Buildings tend to have roofs, and such. Not much use for fell flight, just yet. Of course, I'm still gonna get it. It's better than spiderwalk, and I can use the space spiderwalk held for 'Call the Beast' Or whatever, the one for Complete Mage that gives you speak with animals for a full day.

the_tick_rules
2008-02-03, 02:13 AM
a lot of people here will say (or think) the best way to optimize him is to kill him and play a real caster, like a wizard.

Zincorium
2008-02-03, 02:22 AM
a lot of people here will say (or think) the best way to optimize him is to kill him and play a real caster, like a wizard.

No. It's true that a warlock has less direct power than a wizard, but in certain campaigns they have undeniable advantages.

Warlocks are the monk to the wizard's warblade.


Having played a warlock that survived 3 almost TPKs, the trick is to play to your strengths and know when to use your unrivaled mobility and endurance to get out of dodge. The rest of the time, eldritch blast does enough to be worth having you in a fight.

At low levels, summon swarms. They're incredibly dangerous to massed enemies who don't have special attacks that work against them.

mabriss lethe
2008-02-03, 02:29 PM
At low levels, summon swarms. They're incredibly dangerous to massed enemies who don't have special attacks that work against them.

This works well even if they do have special attacks that work against swarms. It means that they have to blow an attack just to deal with something you can recreate on a whim. You really don't lose anything, while they've missed a shot at taking down a party member.

Sometimes the best niche a warlock can fill is "enemy irritant". Your invocations may not do a whole lot on their own, but they're amazing ways to aggravate an opponent. they either have to live with what you're throwing at them, or stop and deal with it. If they dispel or otherwise negate what you've done, you can do it, or something else, all over again the next round. The enemy has to burn resources or actions to deal with your grief that they could be spending causing bodily harm to the party. Invest in sneaking and quick getaways, you'll probably need it once the enemy figures out who's causing so many irritations.

Burley
2008-02-04, 11:23 AM
RELENTLESS DISPELLING! I know you won't get it for another level, but dispelling against a caster is awesome, especially if you took that Fey Heritage feat that gives you a +1 to caster level. It counterspells this round, and counterspells next round AUTOMATICALLY! That means, if you roll well, they fail their casting twice and you get a free round to blast something, hopefully that Wizard who's about to Rage. :smalltongue:

Starbuck_II
2008-02-04, 12:06 PM
At low levels, summon swarms. They're incredibly dangerous to massed enemies who don't have special attacks that work against them.

Even better: Summon Swarm is faster for a Warlock to cast than Wizard:
Wizard/Sorc=full round action
Warlock=Standard

But the Summon Swarm will attack allies if enemies dead, but warlock can just stop concentrating.

I do have one wonder:
Why would any choose rats over spiders and bats?

Kurald Galain
2008-02-04, 12:13 PM
I'm in favor of the always-available flight and invisibility invocations. Well, those and the Baleful Shatter :)

Zincorium
2008-02-04, 12:15 PM
I do have one wonder:
Why would any choose rats over spiders and bats?

Lack of imagination/rules comprehension?

Bats are awesome with regards to mobility, and their wounding property means that you only have to hit each enemy once to really ruin their day.

Spiders are immune to weapon damage. Unless the enemy has readily weaponizable fire or magical blasts of some sort, there's nothing they can do.