Warlock advice

[evisiron]

In an up and coming game I am playing a Gnomish Warlock (3rd level). I have built the character for ranged combat, though the DM has let me have natural Attack claws (d4 damage then -1 for strength) and an extra 2 invocations known. He has also decided to give the players a single free +1 item.

So I ask:
-What +1 item should I go for? Armour seems to be a waste due to low cost.
-What Invocations should I pick?
-What other stuff should I buy at normal WBL?
-Is there anything else I should know about Warlocks?

[Kurald Galain]

Those claws are irrelevant, since your eldritch blast deals more damage.

Commonly good low-level invocations are Baleful Utterance, Spiderwalk, Summon Swarm, Entropic Warding, and perhaps Eldritch Spear. Plus Beguiling Influence if you want to be party face.

For a +1 item, I'd recommend a cloak of resistance. Or, if some variation is allowed, the chasuble of fell power, which does +1 die of eldritch blast damage. Mundane equipment tends to be irrelevant to a warlock.

[Ned the undead]

If you are in a natural enviourment nothing beats earthen grasp.
It's a really good anti-caster invocation. Kurald's suggestion are good and he's right the calws are useless when your a Warlock. As for the +1 Item a Cloak of Resistance is also a good idea of his or a Cloak of Charisma wouldn't either. If your going for a Blasterlock then pick up Eldritch Spear and Sickening Blast. The Sickening Blast can stop rouges and wizards and Eldritch Spear gives nice range. As for feats, you can't go wrong with Weapon focus and Weapon Specialization (Ray) and Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization (Ranged Spell) which al together give you a +10 bonus on your Eldritch Blast. Also take Empower Spell-like Ability and Quicken Spell-like Ability on your Eldritch Blast. Nothing is more fun than leting of a Quickened, Empowered, Chain, Vitriolic, Eldritch Blast as a free action.

This of course is also future advice on your warlock as well.

[KillianHawkeye]

You can't stack Weapon Focuses and Weapon Specializations of different "weapons". How is a Warlock going to take Weapon Specialization anyway???

Unless you are referring to some other feats with similar names?

[Ned the undead]

In CA they give you feats for ranged spell specialization and weapon focus.
Also you can weapon focus rays so why not specialize them as well?

[Nebo_]

Also you can weapon focus rays so why not specialize them as well?

Because that would be a waste of a feat.

Anyway, if you don't have baleful utterance, get it. It's the single most useful invocation ever.

[UserClone]

You can't weapon focus rays, IIRC; that was one half of the 3.0 version of Weapon Focus: Ranged Spell, the other (equally defunct) half being Weapon Focus: Energy Missile.

[FlyMolo]

Because that would be a waste of a feat.

Anyway, if you don't have baleful utterance, get it. It's the single most useful invocation ever.

Agreed. Instead of getting weapon focus, get Supernatural Transformation from SS. Any spell-like you have (EB!) becomes a supernatural ability. The upside? No SR allowed. The other upside? no AoO. Melee-lock away.

[SCPRedMage]

Agreed. Instead of getting weapon focus, get Supernatural Transformation from SS. Any spell-like you have (EB!) becomes a supernatural ability. The upside? No SR allowed. The other upside? no AoO. Melee-lock away.

Sorry, man, Eldritch Blast doesn't work that way... Besides, you have to pick ONE innate spell-like ability for the feat to apply to, so even if invocations DID count, you'd only get ONE of them as supernatural ability.

Can a warlock qualify for the Supernatural Transformation feat (Savage Species, page 39) and change one of his invocations into a supernatural ability?
No. The warlock’s spell-like abilities are learned (from class levels), not innate (that is, part of his racial traits).

[monty]

Sorry, man, Eldritch Blast doesn't work that way... Besides, you have to pick ONE innate spell-like ability for the feat to apply to, so even if invocations DID count, you'd only get ONE of them as supernatural ability.

On the other hand, if his DM allows it, he's basically trading meta-SLAs for the ability to rape SR monsters and fight safely in melee.

[SCPRedMage]

On the other hand, if his DM allows it, he's basically trading meta-SLAs for the ability to rape SR monsters and fight safely in melee.

If I thought for a second my GM would let me get away with it, I'd have jumped on the chance to make my EB a supernatural ability...

[Chronicled]

If you are in a natural enviourment nothing beats earthen grasp.
It's a really good anti-caster invocation.

As for feats, you can't go wrong with Weapon focus and Weapon Specialization (Ray) and Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization (Ranged Spell) which al together give you a +10 bonus on your Eldritch Blast.

All of this is grossly incorrect.

[SCPRedMage]

As for feats, you can't go wrong with Weapon focus and Weapon Specialization (Ray) and Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization (Ranged Spell) which al together give you a +10 bonus on your Eldritch Blast.

First, Complete Arcane establishes "ranged spells" and "touch spells" as the ONLY weapon-like spell choices for feats like Weapon Focus and Improved Critical. Secondly, Eldritch Blast is NOT a ray. Thirdly, you'd need four levels of Fighter to take Weapon Specialization. And finally, Weapon Focus provides a +1 to HIT, Weapon Specialization provides a +2 to DAMAGE. Even if the "ray+ranged spell" combo DID work, that would be +2 to hit and +4 to damage, or a +6 even IF it was all to one of the two.

In other words, your math is atrocious.

[Nebo_]

Secondly, Eldritch Blast is NOT a ray.

The third sentence of Eldritch Blast is thus: "Eldritch blast is a ray with a range of 60 feet"

Thirdly, you'd need four levels of Fighter to take Weapon Specialization. And finally, Weapon Focus provides a +1 to HIT, Weapon Specialization provides a +2 to DAMAGE. Even if the "ray+ranged spell" combo DID work, that would be +2 to hit and +4 to damage, or a +6 even IF it was all to one of the two.

In other words, your math is atrocious.

You only need CL4 to get touch spell specialisation. I can agree that his maths it terrible and his advice is no good, but if you're going to correct someon, at least do it properly.

[SCPRedMage]

The third sentence of Eldritch Blast is thus: "Eldritch blast is a ray with a range of 60 feet"

Bah, memory was off...

You only need CL4 to get touch spell specialisation. I can agree that his maths it terrible and his advice is no good, but if you're going to correct someon, at least do it properly.

You need CL4 to take Touch Spell Specialization. You nee Fighter 4 to take Weapon Specialization. You were right about the ray bit, but if you're going to correct someone, at least do it properly.

[Solo]

In an up and coming game I am playing a Gnomish Warlock (3rd level). I have built the character for ranged combat, though the DM has let me have natural Attack claws (d4 damage then -1 for strength) and an extra 2 invocations known. He has also decided to give the players a single free +1 item.

So I ask:
-What +1 item should I go for? Armour seems to be a waste due to low cost.
-What Invocations should I pick?
-What other stuff should I buy at normal WBL?
-Is there anything else I should know about Warlocks?

PM Burley Warlock for advice.