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Bago!!!
2008-08-20, 06:56 PM
Hello ladies and gents. A friend of mine is running a gauntlet game to try out stuff he really wants to try. I was invited, and after much thought, a warlock seemed like the best choice. So, I already have sort of an idea of what I want to do. Use Magic Device, duel wands, hellfire adept. The problem? I don't know what to start out with. What invocations should I start with?

Tar Palantir
2008-08-20, 07:04 PM
Depends on the level. For least invocations, the darkness/devil sight co bo works great, and devil's sight lasts for 24 hours. Turn out the lights and blast away. Another nice combo is devil's flight (lesser) and eldritch spear, allowing you to attack at great range with nigh impunity. Later on, grabbing vitriolic blast can be a lifesaver against creatures with high spell resistance. For first level, I'd go with darkness, followed up soon by devil's sight. After that, base your choices off of what he throws at you. If he throws tons of undead, stick away from hellrime blast, as many undead are immune to cold. If he uses elementals, though, elemental invocations are great. I don't know much about hellfire adept, so I can't help you there. Good luck!

Bago!!!
2008-08-20, 07:22 PM
Hellfire Adept lets the warlock use hellfire with his blast, adding 2d6 for every level into the class. Its untyped so it overcomes fire immunity and resistance. Its a 3 level prestidge class. Full invoker levels. The cost is 1 con damage, repairable by a lesser restoration spell or scroll. You also get all sorts of nasty abilities, like imbueing a charged magic item with a metamagic feat, even if you don't own it. You also get restance to fire, and the ability to blast a target that hit you in melee with hellfire blast.

That darkness and devils sight may work early on, since I am starting at level 2.

Which is better? Hellrime blast or Brimestone blast? (I probally got the last one wrong).
I'll keep the fell flight and eldritch spear idea close to mind.

Whats a good start with feats for a human? I need two weapon fighting for duel wand wielder, which lets me use two wands in one turn.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-08-20, 07:24 PM
Ignore the previous poster. Summon Swarm rocks at 1st level, but gets weaker later on. I wouldn't take it if the game is 3rd or higher. Don't take any shapes or essences for your blasts till you've got some other invocations. Baleful Utterance is awesome throughout the game, take it. If you're going melee take Elderich Glaive(melee touch attack with reach that deals your EB damage and allows iteratives), if ranged take Chain. Either way you probably want to build to Hellfire Warlock, which is always nice. If you've got Cha, take the Invocations that allow saves, but don't bother with too many of them, if you don't, focus on the self-buffs. You'll want the quicken/empower/maximize SLA feats to deal massive damage with a hellfire blast, and FlyBy Attack to let you use the 24-hour flight invocation to move out from cover and back. Warlock is incredibly versatile, so pick what you want to do, and we'll help you out.

Bago!!!
2008-08-20, 07:47 PM
Doesn't Summon Swarm require you to keep concentrating on it to sustain and move it around?

Baleful Utterance.... hhhhmmm.... Will go next to eldritch spear. Ahhhh Chain. good as always. What about that lesser teleport one?

I want to avoid front combat as much as possible. I have a d6 hit die, so I will get killed if I get too close, and this gauntlet game is really just me in it, as far as I know and thats what I need to base my build on, part of the reason why I picked warlock, since they can self-sustain themselves pretty well with their all day powers and use magic device.

Damn, I may not use the 2-wand trick, merely because I will be hard pressed with feats as it is. (To get duel wand as a warlock, I will need 2 feats, one which will have to wait to get till 6th level).



(Forgot to say this but, Plantir, GREAT AVATAR!)

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-08-20, 07:55 PM
If you can, snag Elderich Glaive anyways. It's only a least invocation, but it gives you something to do while surrounded. You'll need a way to heal yourself(Wands of Lesser Vigor). Summon Swarm is only really good at first/second level, when 1d6 damage is pretty good with no to-hit roll, and the saves are failable. As you're solo, definitely grab flight ASAP and stay away from everything.

Bago!!!
2008-08-20, 08:01 PM
If I get ever get surrounded, I should be finding a way out of the situation, instead of fighting the guys. But its worth a shot. Will need to get combat reflexes to make it worth it.

Stupendous_Man
2008-08-20, 09:25 PM
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=751117

warlock handbook is better than (soem of) the advice you'll get here.

Burley
2008-08-21, 08:05 AM
If you're worried about getting out of tricky situations take... Um... What's it called? I feel like a fool now. Hold, please, lemme research...

Doo doo Dum deedleDumdoodee ~Bing!~

Flee the Scene! It's a good'n. I never actually took it when I played warlocks, because I never got to the point that I got 2 Lessers, and Fell Flight should always come first, ALWAYS!

Least Invocations that I suggest:
Baleful Utterance, Eldritch Glaive, See the Unseen (Keeps it's usefulness longer than the other one), Summon Swarm.

Be forewarned: If you take Eldritch Glaive, you really should take Weapon Finesse. Without it, you'll have to use your Strength mod (which should be your dump stat) to hit. It is lame because you won't be adding that number to damage. So, take weapon finesse so you can beef up that Dex score.

(Many people don't seem to realize that Dex effects important skills, AC, ranged and melee (with the WF feat, which you should take) and Reflex saves, which'll be your most common save at low levels.)