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Etrivar
2010-10-24, 11:34 AM
After playing the Warlock for a while, I noticed that you don't have many real protections:smallfurious:. There are a few, (Entropic Warding, Dark Foresight) but those aren't particularly good at just plain old keeping you from getting hit. So, in an attempt to fix this problem, I've created three new invocations; Eldritch Spell-Shield, Eldritch Retribution, and Fiend-Form.

Eldritch Spell-Shield:
Dark 8th?
You may craft an Eldritch Spell-Shield, which will protect you from incoming Spells and Spell-like effects. By spending a standard action you create an effect which will block one spell level per die of damage dealt by your Eldritch Blast. If you are targeted by a spell effect with a level greater than the remaining levels in your ES-S, only a fraction of the effect gets through, as per the spell turning spell. Your ES-S will last a number of rounds equal to your Cha modifier.

Fiend-Form:
Greater (6th)
Duration: 5 rounds
Your DR increases by 2 + 1/5 levels, you gain an enhancement bonus to natural armor of 2 + 1/5 levels, you gain darkvision, you grow claws with which you can make a natural attack which does 1d6+5, the claws are treted as magical for the purpose of overcoming DR, and you gain one-half of your charisma modifier as a bonus to all of your saves (Min 1).

Eldritch Retribution:
Shape Invocation, Greater (6th)
you cloak yourself in eldritch power, which will strike back at anyone who strikes you. Whenever, during the effect of this invocation, you are struck by a weapon (melee or ranged) this invocation automatically fires an Eldritch Blast back at the attacker. you can modify this with essence invocations. This invocations lasts a number of rounds equal to one-half your invoker level. If you use your eldritch blast before the duration expires, the effect immediately ends.

Edit: OK, I've removed eldritch armor, and added the fiend form, let me know how fiend form is doing. Should it be dark instead of greater? I've also added Eldritch Retribution, but I'm not quite as fond of it, because it requires you to get hit, but there it is.

Too powerful? Not powerful enough? Please, critique me, give me feedback! PEACH!

T.G. Oskar
2010-10-24, 12:40 PM
After playing the Warlock for a while, I noticed that you don't have many real protections. There are a few, (Entropic Warding, Dark Foresight) but those aren't particularly good at just plain old keeping you from getting hit. so in an attempt to fix this problem, I've created one new feat, and one new invocation; Eldritch Spell-Shield and Eldritch Armor, respectively.

Eldritch Spell-Shield:
requirements: Eldritch Blast 1d6
Benefits: you may craft an Eldritch Spell-Shield, which will protect you from incoming Spells and Spell-like effects. by spending a standard action you create an effect which will block one spell level per die of damage dealt by your Eldritch Blast. If you are targeted by a spell effect with a level greater than the remaining levels in your ES-S, only a fraction of the effect gets through, as per the spell turning spell. Your ES-S will last a number of rounds equal to your Cha modifier.

Eldritch Armor:
Least (2nd)
You create a force effect identical to the spell mage armor, except that the duration is 24 hours.

Too powerful? Not powerful enough? Please, critique me, give me feedback!

I wouldn't go with the feat. It's a tad too powerful, and it's basically Spell Turning at very early levels, sans the turning effect.

I'd rather make a defensive blast shape invocation, which allows as a move action to build a barrier out of your Eldritch Blast. The first creature that attacks you takes the full brunt of your Eldritch Blast if it succeeds on your attack.

It's a tad less powerful than ESS (it doesn't block spells, and it works mostly against melee characters), but it allows you to use invocations (and even a regular Eldritch Blast) while still providing damage and defense. However, it's not that binary as ESS (since you'd be also affecting incoming beneficial spells).

Eldritch Armor, however, is GOOD. As in, why did WotC didn't thought of it before!? I'm a bit torn on the effect (it's really good at the beginning, but later on it's not that hot, and you'll basically use it once per day so it's not exactly the best way to use it), but it's still awesome nonetheless. I wouldn't reduce it on the duration; rather, I'd revamp the invocations to allow them to work more than once instead of simply giving them 24-hour durations and at-will uses so that you can essentially use them...once.

I'd change the name of ESS; maybe call it "Fiendish Armor". Good call on that one, though.

Jane_Smith
2010-10-24, 01:17 PM
Or you could just copy the psionic version of mage armor, forgot the name, that grows based on caster level. 4 + 1 armor bonus to AC per 5 caster levels. Total of 8 by level 20. Still not enough to play with the big dogs, but its something.

Epsilon Rose
2010-10-24, 02:03 PM
Or you could throw in a greater version they could swap it for later.

Eldan
2010-10-24, 02:05 PM
or make a fiend form invocation, which gives the caster natural armour, a few other defences and maybe a natural attack.

Xefas
2010-10-24, 02:24 PM
or make a fiend form invocation, which gives the caster natural armour, a few other defences and maybe a natural attack.

I like Eldan's approach.

Currently, that Eldritch Armor invocation is awful. Keep in mind that Mage Armor grants an 'armor' bonus to AC, which doesn't stack with other 'armor' bonuses. Meaning that, since Warlocks can wear light armor without penalty, they can just wear a Chain Shirt for the same armor, but without having to spend one of their precious invocations.

Etrivar
2010-10-24, 04:09 PM
I see what you mean about the Armor Bonus, and I agree that the fiend form idea is much more workable. Thank You.

Fizban
2010-10-24, 09:21 PM
I'd say that one of the reasons warlocks aren't considered very powerful (aside from not being very powerful), is that they don't have any uber defenses. Just like non-casters, they have to rely on their wits and equipment to keep them alive, instead of being able to layer multiple miss chances and immunities.

That said, some defensive invocations would be nice. The fiendform (feyform? feralform?) could also increase their damage reduction to a usable amount while giving some token claw attacks or something. I'd actually really like a shapeshift invocation or three, like wildshape into a single form, while retaining invocations. Unfortunately, most animal forms are not much of an increase in defense, if any. I like the idea of a blast shape that turns your blast into armor but makes it unavailable while in use, forcing you to rely on your other invocations: maybe +1 deflection/1d6 and some other benefits.

Violet Octopus
2010-10-24, 11:23 PM
You could also have Feyform, which decreases your size by 1 or 2 categories (thus giving size bonuses to AC and to-hit), and some spell resistance, which is the only trait common to the MM fey that warlocks don't have access to, IIRC.

other common types of defences: fortification, energy resistance. How about an invocation that lets you draw upon the power of Limbo to make your form chaotic and mutable? Something like light or medium fortification, your energy resistance class feature improves, and you can spend an action (swift? standard?) to change the resistance to two other energy types.

Etrivar
2010-10-25, 06:32 AM
Alright, I've struck eldricth armor (in accordance with Xefas's statement), added a Fiend-Form (in accordance with Eldan's statement), and added Eldritch Retribution (in accordance with T.G. Oskar's statement).

Please review them and give me more feedback.

P.S. thank you to all of you who have given me feedback.

Zaydos
2010-10-25, 07:12 AM
Is it an enhancement bonus to natural armor, if so it should state it? Also why the random +5 to claw damage (also give the claws a way to overcome DR /magic)? Finally I think stacking Charisma to saves on this might be just a little too much.

Etrivar
2010-10-25, 07:33 AM
Yes, the bonus is enhancement (will be changed), the plus +5 to the claws was just an attempt to make them less weak (but I have no qualms with changing it), good point on treating them as magic, and I'll drop the bonus to saves to 1/2 your Cha Mod, Min 1.

Thanks for the critique!

Zaydos
2010-10-25, 07:53 AM
Not sure if you need to remove the +5, it just seemed odd to have a +5 hanging on to the die.

On Eldritch Retribution maybe make it a greater invocation that lasts 1/2 level rounds and if someone makes a melee or ranged attack against you it immediately fires an eldritch blast back at them. This is assuming it doesn't let you use your eldritch blast while it's up.

Etrivar
2010-10-25, 08:40 AM
I like the automated fire-back idea. You could enact this, and that would give you a chance to buff yourself (with what few buffs you get), because while invoking your buffs you won't be fireing your EB's anyway. plus it will get back at those pesky archers, instead of just melee attackers.

DracoDei
2010-10-25, 10:18 AM
But most warlock buffs are 24 hours, right? What am I missing?

Zaydos
2010-10-25, 10:22 AM
Well I'd still suggest that it should be a Greater not Lesser Invocation as it can get a lot of free attacks each round (at a heavy cost) especially if you choose to provoke AoOs.

Also while warlock buffs are 24 hours (for the most part, exceptions include Retributive Invisibility) it works with their polymorph invocations which allows them to use it then turn into a hellcat and wade into melee using invisibility for a miss chance, and then firing back free eldritch blasts when attacked. It also works while they use their non-eldritch blast attacks (baleful utterance, word of changing, chilling tentacles, wall of perilous flames, unending sleep of the ages, their curse ability) some of which are touch range which means it also offers security against the ensuing touch attacks (or at least repays damage).

Etrivar
2010-10-25, 10:32 AM
Forgot about the lesser/greater thing, I agree, and will bump it up presently.

Etrivar
2010-10-25, 10:53 AM
Also, I'm looking for more feedback on the ES-S. Should it be made an invocation? Does the base idea behind the effect work? Should it be scrapped? What ideas does everyone have for protecting the warlock from spells?

Because, while what we've been discussing is a great start, meet one wizard with a disintegrate and I'm hosed. I'd like something to at least mitigate the effects of spells, and that was the purpose behind ES-S. By having it block only as many levels as you have die of damage, it keeps you from becoming untouchable, and because you have to choose between this and another invocation or EB every round, you can't both attack and deffend at the same time. So, to maintain this against a constant magical assault, you would have to do nothing but create ES-S's. This will give you a round or two before you start getting affected by spells, and while that time can be precious if you use it wisely, it isn't that monumental a change. I think it's pretty balanced.

Thoughts?

Etrivar
2010-10-25, 05:48 PM
Please? Any and all questions, comments, concerns, corrections, complaints, and or contributions are more than welcome; they are appreciated!

Havvy
2010-10-25, 06:21 PM
Eldritch Spell Shield makes you immune to other warlock's eldritch blast that are not beefed up. (EB is a 1st level SLA post-errata).

Zaydos
2010-10-25, 06:25 PM
Eldritch Spell-Shield will never get used by Warlocks that don't optimize Charisma and it's not that hard for those that do to get a Charisma of 29+ at which point they just do it every ~minute outside of battle and are completely immune to the first (at Lv 20) 11 levels of spells cast on them. Personally I'd say it's a little too strong for a feat being in essence at-will spell turning (without the reflection). Maybe as some sort of high grade invocation.

At low levels even with 18 Charisma you can prep it every 4 rounds and have a decent chance of having it active during the 1st round of combat at least and be completely immune to casters for one round (and chausable of fell power only makes it more powerful).

Etrivar
2010-10-26, 06:15 AM
Well, I designed ES-S with the standard, 9d6 at lvl 20, warlock in mind, so at 20, you would only cancel out 9 levels. So, if you're using a modified EB dice progression, (11d6 at 20, for example) simply up the requirements to EB 3d6, and say that it will block levels equal to your damage dice -2. That way, at 20, it will still only cancel out nine.

And changing it into an invocation is not a bad idea, but would it be greater, or dark?