The Warlockopedia: A Comprehensive Warlock Handbook

[Troacctid]

Let me know if you ever iron out a homebrew version, Troacctid.

I'd be definitely interested in porting it in my games!

For a quick fix, try this. Increase skills per level from 2 to 4. Increase hit die from d6 to d8. Add an additional invocation or two at each grade to fill in unexciting levels (possibly restricting the extras to shapes and essences). Change the blast progression to 1d6 every odd level, like the rogue's sneak progression. And finally, give my homebrew stuff a spin—I designed it with the class's gaps in mind, so it consciously includes a lot of stuff I feel is conspicuously absent from the existing offerings, rather than just "Oh, wouldn't this be cool" (although there is some of that too).

[Dimers]

Care to share a favorite warlock build?

I like mixing warlock levels with paladin of freedom and putting a fey flavor on everything. E.g. "weird word" instead of "baleful utterance", that kind of thing. Made a half-crazy old lady character who enjoys making the world more sparkly and awesome.

[danielxcutter]

The blast damage isn't an update, it's like that in the original version. Well, sort of—the original version had, like, a typo in it that had to be fixed by errata. So, the blast damage is like that in the errata'd version. The bonus feats are an update, but not a super meaningful one because it doesn't change the evaluation of any options in any especially notable way.

Fair enough, but getting Superior Initiative without pre-reqs seems like a steal to me.

Also, I'm assuming that hideous blow-based Warlocks(Blowlocks?) are played a bit like strike-focused martial adepts? Just one hit, yes - but a pretty heavy one, possibly with a rider effect as well. And hey, you're a little less hosed if you get stuck in an antimagic field, I guess. Hmm... if you treat Warlock as a non-associated class for giants, Primordial Giants could use that...

Speaking of that template, by the way - isn't the CL of your racial SLA based on your RHD? Or does that have a minimum CL, so it still works with Half-Giants?

Lolth isn't in Eberron; the template has suggestions to tie it in with the Fury, Vulkoor, or a cult of The Dragon Below.

[Troacctid]

Fair enough, but getting Superior Initiative without pre-reqs seems like a steal to me.

Already got that in the feat spreadsheet!

Also, I'm assuming that hideous blow-based Warlocks(Blowlocks?) are played a bit like strike-focused martial adepts? Just one hit, yes - but a pretty heavy one, possibly with a rider effect as well. And hey, you're a little less hosed if you get stuck in an antimagic field, I guess. Hmm... if you treat Warlock as a non-associated class for giants, Primordial Giants could use that...

If you can get the -4 Strength penalty from the template removed with ray of resurgence, then it's pretty nice, yeah. If your DM only lets you remove the -2 overall penalty to get back to +0, a little less exciting but still pretty solid. If you're stuck with the -2, then I'd probably pick something else.

Speaking of that template, by the way - isn't the CL of your racial SLA based on your RHD? Or does that have a minimum CL, so it still works with Half-Giants?

It's equal to your RHD + 1, so with zero RHD, it's just 1.

[Troacctid]

Nice compendium!
I was wondering where you found the +0 LA for the Vhaerath template?

Template says the rest of the creature's statistics are unchanged.

[danielxcutter]

If you can get the -4 Strength penalty from the template removed with ray of resurgence, then it's pretty nice, yeah. If your DM only lets you remove the -2 overall penalty to get back to +0, a little less exciting but still pretty solid. If you're stuck with the -2, then I'd probably pick something else.

I was talking about giants, not half-giants. Y'know, for a DM.

Still, Blowlocks do work a bit like martial strikes, right? Didn't get an answer to that question.

It's equal to your RHD + 1, so with zero RHD, it's just 1.

Oh yeah, Magical Knack. Nice.

By the way, if the Primordial Giant template gives Warlock as an additional favored class, that makes for an amusing combo:

1. Be a Primordial Half-Giant Warlock/Wizard/Eldritch Theurge.
2. Cast dweomer of transference on yourself.
3. ???
4. Laugh.

Even without buy-off, you still get 9th-level spells at ECL 20.

Speaking of Eldritch Theurge, wouldn't Warlock/Sorcerer/Eldritch Theurge have more Charisma synergy? If you're a Kobold, the Greater Rite of Passage can either make up for the lost advancement a bit, or let you drop another CL for some sort of prestige class or whatnot.

Edit: Oh yeah, Satyr Pipes say "the DC is Charisma-based." Which, depending on your build, can be quite high indeed.

[Aetis]

Troacctid, I really liked some of these homebrew invocations you wrote, and I was wondering if you are okay with me uploading them to my site here. https://d20celerity.net/

It's just a set of homebrew rules I use as reference material.

[Troacctid]

Still, Blowlocks do work a bit like martial strikes, right? Didn't get an answer to that question.

I'd lean more towards a duskblade comparison than anything else, but yeah, you get the idea. By adding the weapon into the mix, you lose some accuracy, but you gain a lot of extra damage, especially at low levels when the weapon itself can be dealing an average of like 13 damage to the blast's 3.5. Then at later levels you can start enhancing the weapon to make it deal extra damage and give it things like sudden stunning, while also enhancing the blast itself with eldritch essences. Plus, there's exotic weapons like the ritiik and pincer staff. I think it's underrated.

Speaking of Eldritch Theurge, wouldn't Warlock/Sorcerer/Eldritch Theurge have more Charisma synergy? If you're a Kobold, the Greater Rite of Passage can either make up for the lost advancement a bit, or let you drop another CL for some sort of prestige class or whatnot.

That sounds like an interesting sample build.

Edit: Oh yeah, Satyr Pipes say "the DC is Charisma-based." Which, depending on your build, can be quite high indeed.

Does it? Hmm. Okay.

Troacctid, I really liked some of these homebrew invocations you wrote, and I was wondering if you are okay with me uploading them to my site here. https://d20celerity.net/

It's just a set of homebrew rules I use as reference material.

Thanks for asking. As long as it's properly attributed, it's fine by me!

[skunk3]

Some thoughts:

1. I actually really like the Venomous Blood ACF. Fiendish Resilience isn't all that great and being able to do significant STR damage to potentially several enemies at once is pretty damn sweet. Of course you basically HAVE TO go straight Warlock 20 to take advantage of it and also pump your CHA as high as you can, but still. It also doesn't specifically say that one must be playing a Drow to use this ACF but I think it was likely intended to be so, but oh well... I am currently running a character with this ACF that is a non-Drow. Also, the damage at level 18 is 1d6 initial AND secondary, I do believe.

2. Using magenta as "it depends" instead of "good regardless of build" is confusing as I naturally assume that magenta screams "take this!" I would reverse what the colors are supposed to signify.

3. I don't agree with quite a few of your rankings/classifications regarding invocation options, but that's personal opinion. For instance, I think that Spiderwalk is basically crap because you get flight not too long after and it becomes kinda pointless, and See The Unseen is pretty awesome if not a must-have. Being able to see invisibility is extremely useful.

I also must have imagined this but isn't there a least invocation known as "Hideous Shot" which is essentially the exact same as Hideous Blow, except with ranged weapons?

[danielxcutter]

So... if Gauntlets of Eldritch Energy are incompatible with blast essences, that means the fire version is strictly worse than a Least Rod of Eldritch Power(Brimstone Blast), and the same with the cold version and a Least Rod of Eldritch Power(Hellrime Blast), then? The Gauntlets don't have their rider effects, and to add insult to injury, actually cost more, after all.

[Troacctid]

Some thoughts:

1. I actually really like the Venomous Blood ACF. Fiendish Resilience isn't all that great and being able to do significant STR damage to potentially several enemies at once is pretty damn sweet. Of course you basically HAVE TO go straight Warlock 20 to take advantage of it and also pump your CHA as high as you can, but still. It also doesn't specifically say that one must be playing a Drow to use this ACF but I think it was likely intended to be so, but oh well... I am currently running a character with this ACF that is a non-Drow. Also, the damage at level 18 is 1d6 initial AND secondary, I do believe.

It's definitely not exclusive to drow. Problem though is it does close to nothing until level 18, which is kind of a bummer?

Also, as a rule of thumb, secondary damage doesn't matter.

2. Using magenta as "it depends" instead of "good regardless of build" is confusing as I naturally assume that magenta screams "take this!" I would reverse what the colors are supposed to signify.

Woah, woah, hold on now, blue is like, totally standard!

3. I don't agree with quite a few of your rankings/classifications regarding invocation options, but that's personal opinion. For instance, I think that Spiderwalk is basically crap because you get flight not too long after and it becomes kinda pointless, and See The Unseen is pretty awesome if not a must-have. Being able to see invisibility is extremely useful.

You can retrain spiderwalk after getting flight, so that's not a big deal. Seeing invisibility is fine but niche—better to smell invisibility with serpent's tongue and have an invocation that does something in other situations, too. Then you can get see invisibility in a scroll or a scout's headband or whatnot.

I also must have imagined this but isn't there a least invocation known as "Hideous Shot" which is essentially the exact same as Hideous Blow, except with ranged weapons?

Nope! It's probably a commonly homebrewed one, though, I'm guessing, giving the pretty obvious design space. Maybe you got a wire crossed somewhere.

So... if Gauntlets of Eldritch Energy are incompatible with blast essences, that means the fire version is strictly worse than a Least Rod of Eldritch Power(Brimstone Blast), and the same with the cold version and a Least Rod of Eldritch Power(Hellrime Blast), then? The Gauntlets don't have their rider effects, and to add insult to injury, actually cost more, after all.

Lesser invocations need a lesser rod for 16k gold.

[Bartmanhomer]

Ok I'm might get a better chance to ask you this question as I mention in my Optimizing A Female Human Warlock thread. What are the critical of the Eidritch Blast? I can find it in your guide.

[danielxcutter]

Ok I'm might get a better chance to ask you this question as I mention in my Optimizing A Female Human Warlock thread. What are the critical of the Eidritch Blast? I can find it in your guide.

Rays in general threaten a critical on a natural 20 and do double damage on a successful crit. Actually, I'm pretty sure that's the case for all attacks unless stated always.

[Mordaedil]

Ok I'm might get a better chance to ask you this question as I mention in my Optimizing A Female Human Warlock thread. What are the critical of the Eidritch Blast? I can find it in your guide.

Think of it like this. A Ranged Touch Attack is a weapon that has a special properties of being able to hit Touch AC as if it was a brilliant weapon, has a critical threat of 20, damage multiplier of x2 and deals damage based on inhereted properties and has a range inherited from whatever activates it. Because it is a ranged weapon it uses your dexterity to hit and it is not thrown, so it does not get a benefit from your strength. Basically as if fired from a crossbow.

You can improved the threat range by taking Improved Critical (Ranged Touch Attack) and you can get bonus to-hit by taking Weapon Focus (Ranged Touch Attack) and Point Blank Shot applies to both to hit and damage for any attack that is resolved by Ranged Touch Attack. Precise Shot also applies to hit more likely.

[danielxcutter]

Think of it like this. A Ranged Touch Attack is a weapon that has a special properties of being able to hit Touch AC as if it was a brilliant weapon, has a critical threat of 20, damage multiplier of x2 and deals damage based on inhereted properties and has a range inherited from whatever activates it. Because it is a ranged weapon it uses your dexterity to hit and it is not thrown, so it does not get a benefit from your strength. Basically as if fired from a crossbow.

You can improved the threat range by taking Improved Critical (Ranged Touch Attack) and you can get bonus to-hit by taking Weapon Focus (Ranged Touch Attack) and Point Blank Shot applies to both to hit and damage for any attack that is resolved by Ranged Touch Attack. Precise Shot also applies to hit more likely.

I'm fairly sure Eldritch Blast is a ray, so Weapon Focus(ray) and Improved Critical(ray), but otherwise yeah. Y'know, I think there's a couple of ray-specific feats in Complete Mage or maybe Complete Arcane...

[Troacctid]

I'm fairly sure Eldritch Blast is a ray, so Weapon Focus(ray) and Improved Critical(ray), but otherwise yeah. Y'know, I think there's a couple of ray-specific feats in Complete Mage or maybe Complete Arcane...

Yep, they are pretty bad.

[danielxcutter]

Yep, they are pretty bad.

Well probably, yeah. Just saying.

[Troacctid]

New sample build posted: The Bearlock. I've also updated the homebrew with some new stuff, plus director's commentary and a changelog.

[danielxcutter]

I don't remember if these were in the guide, but there are two Warlock-specific feats in Dragonmarked - Eldritch Dragonbane and Eldritch Mark.

[Troacctid]

I don't remember if these were in the guide, but there are two Warlock-specific feats in Dragonmarked - Eldritch Dragonbane and Eldritch Mark.

Yep, already got 'em. They're aggressively terrible.

[danielxcutter]

Yep, already got 'em. They're aggressively terrible.

..."Aggressively" terrible?

[ShurikVch]

There are some more feats (just for completeness):

Enemy of Good (Elder Evils): +2 DC vs. Good enemies
Favored Magic Foe (Complete Mage): +1 to overcome SR, enemy got -1 on saves
Hellsworn (Exemplars of Evil), Brimstone Caress: +1 CL on [evil] abilities, 1/encounter - spell gets +1 DC and half of damage is unholy
Incorporeal Spell Targeting (Ghostwalk): re-roll incorporeality-induced miss (possible on multiple targets at once - i. e. Eldritch Chain)
Multivoice (Savage Species): if you have 2+ heads, you will be able to use EB 2/turn
Pernicious Magic (Player's Guide to Faerûn): helps overcome SR (for Shadow Weave users)
Spell-Like Ability Focus (Races of Faerûn): +2 DC
Ranged Recall (Complete Mage): Reroll miss on ranged attack up to 30' with 5 penalty
Steam Magic (Stormwrack): way to use Brimstone Blast while underwater

[Troacctid]

Enemy of Good (Elder Evils): +2 DC vs. Good enemies

Seems bad. It's like Infernal Affinity, which I already left out on purpose because of how bad it is, and that's a warlock-specific feat!

Favored Magic Foe (Complete Mage): +1 to overcome SR, enemy got -1 on saves

Against one type of creature though. When would you take this? Fey Power applies against everything, and it's medium. The most common type of enemy in most campaigns is humanoid (human) and they don't have spell resistance. After that it's maybe undead, and they're immune to most of your save-negates effects.

Hellsworn (Exemplars of Evil), Brimstone Caress: +1 CL on [evil] abilities, 1/encounter - spell gets +1 DC and half of damage is unholy

I don't think there are any [evil] invocations.

Incorporeal Spell Targeting (Ghostwalk): re-roll incorporeality-induced miss (possible on multiple targets at once - i. e. Eldritch Chain)

Ehhh. It's not like melee types are exactly clamoring to take Blind-Fight, and concealment is way more common than incorporeality. Hard to imagine this being worth a feat. Even in a Ghostwalk campaign it's basically on the level of Resist Ghost.

Multivoice (Savage Species): if you have 2+ heads, you will be able to use EB 2/turn

Multitasking works because there are decent ways to get extra arms. How do you get extra heads?

Pernicious Magic (Player's Guide to Faerûn): helps overcome SR (for Shadow Weave users)

Yeah but that's two feats so it's basically like taking Spell Penetration twice which seems bad. Also it only works on casters. I'd leave this one for the shadow adepts that get it as a bonus feat.

Spell-Like Ability Focus (Races of Faerûn): +2 DC

This one I can add.

Ranged Recall (Complete Mage): Reroll miss on ranged attack up to 30' with 5 penalty

Might be questionably worth one feat but not close to being worth two or three. I can add it to say it's bad.

Steam Magic (Stormwrack): way to use Brimstone Blast while underwater

Why would you even want to use it underwater, though? Just use a different essence, right? Like, I mean, you clearly have a feat slot to spare, so even if you don't have one already, you could take Extra Invocation. I'm not impressed.

In general, there are a lot of bad feats in the game, and I don't see much reason to clog up the list with entries that only exist to dunk on them, especially if they're not even warlock-specific. We'd be here all day talking about how no, you should not take Whirlwind Attack.

[ShurikVch]

I don't think there are any [evil] invocations.

The Dead Walk.

Multitasking works because there are decent ways to get extra arms. How do you get extra heads?

Vestigial Twin, Multiheaded Creature, Symbiotic Creature, Sharn, Dvati

[Troacctid]

The Dead Walk.

Oh hey, you're right! Feat tax seems real bad though, especially considering how poorly it compares to Fiendish Power, which gives +1 to CL and DC for all invocations, all the time, only taxes you for one feat, and doesn't prevent you being raised from the dead.

Vestigial Twin, Multiheaded Creature, Symbiotic Creature, Sharn, Dvati

I don't think it works for dvati because they still only have one head per body—for most purposes they are two separate creatures that share a build, and neither twin qualifies for the feat individually. Sharn and vestigial twin aren't realistically accessible for PCs, and multiheaded is questionable at ECL 4. Symbiotic might work. I can add a section for it.

[danielxcutter]

Hmm... Well, I'd say that some of those super-specific feats might be useful in the hands of a DM, and they probably are, but at the same time I'm not sure if a DM would really need to use most of them, either.

[Zaq]

That Bearlock build is a thing of twisted beauty. It totally shifts focus without a clutch right around when bear form comes online, and yet it somehow still feels natural and appropriate. Love it.

Damn shame it needs magazine content to really tick, but wholesale skill list expansion is not a trivial thing if you need multiple new skills and City Slicker or Education aren't going to cut it.

[skunk3]

Personally I think that the best overall feat that Warlocks can take is Extra Invocation, in most cases. There's plenty of feats that work well in *highly* specific builds but are otherwise kinda worthless. Extra Invocation is a good choice no matter what the build, especially at higher levels because gaining an unlimited, at-will ability is generally going to be vastly superior than the relatively minor boosts that other feats will provide.

[maruahm]

TIL there is an epic warlock progression.

Also, that Shadowmaster feat.

Edit: Aha, the epic warlock progression is in the original sourcebook. That's what I get for relying on Google for these classes.

[Troacctid]

That Bearlock build is a thing of twisted beauty. It totally shifts focus without a clutch right around when bear form comes online, and yet it somehow still feels natural and appropriate. Love it.

Damn shame it needs magazine content to really tick, but wholesale skill list expansion is not a trivial thing if you need multiple new skills and City Slicker or Education aren't going to cut it.

Thanks! I'm quite proud of the sample build section overall. Not all of them are winners, but I think some of them turned out very well, and it's always a fun exercise to create them. I think the Bearlock is one of the more powerful ones—partly because I let loose and gave myself permission to use flaws, and partly because the prestige class has so much raw power. It's similar to the Arachnolock in a lot of ways, except the skill points are much smoother. If I were doing the Bearlock without magazine content, I'd probably switch out Academy Graduate for Able Learner and grab Knowledge (Nature) via a dip into Visionary Seeker, with the intention of entering Sentinel of Bharrai a level late. I could also see a marshal dip at level 1—it has the class skills we need, plus Skill Focus (Diplomacy) and Motivate Charisma for some very silly Diplomancy action. Cloistered cleric could work too, with Magic Domain letting us not worry about putting ranks in UMD, Knowledge Domain turning into Knowledge Devotion, and...some other domain, uh, doing some other thing.

Personally I think that the best overall feat that Warlocks can take is Extra Invocation, in most cases. There's plenty of feats that work well in *highly* specific builds but are otherwise kinda worthless. Extra Invocation is a good choice no matter what the build, especially at higher levels because gaining an unlimited, at-will ability is generally going to be vastly superior than the relatively minor boosts that other feats will provide.

It is very good.

TIL there is an epic warlock progression.

Also, that Shadowmaster feat.

Edit: Aha, the epic warlock progression is in the original sourcebook. That's what I get for relying on Google for these classes.

Warlocks might have the largest 20 -> 21 power spike in the entire game. Those epic feats. 🥜🥜🥜