SPoD
2011-02-26, 02:25 PM
I recently created a warlock for an epic PbP game, and I noticed some real gaps in what sort of feats they could or could not take. I designed these last night to fill those gaps. They may not be as sexy as a prestige class dripping with fluff, but I think they're what the warlock needs.
If you're not familiar with the existing epic warlock feats (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ei/20061027a), you should probably skim them before critiquing.
Epic Warlock Feats
All of the following feats are added to the list of epic bonus feats that a warlock can select.
Epic Ability Focus [Epic]
Your innate power is even harder to resist.
Prerequisites: Ability Focus in the special attack selected.
Effect: Add +2 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against one special attack to which you have applied Ability Focus. This stacks with the bonuses from Ability Focus.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a different special attack. A warlock may select this feat, choosing his eldritch blast or any one invocation.
Warlocks (and monsters) need to be able to keep up with the spellcasters.
[HR]
Epic Fey Heritage [Epic, Heritage]
The light in your eyes marks you as the descendant of fey royalty.
Prerequisites: Non-lawful alignment, Fey Heritage, one other feat that lists Fey Heritage as a prerequisite.
Effect: If you have spell resistance from your type, subtype, race, or class, it increases by 2 for every feat you have that lists Fey Heritage as a prerequisite (including such feats that you take after gaining this one).
Your natural weapon attacks, as well as any weapons you wield, are treated as chaotic-aligned for the purposes of overcoming damage resistance.
Any spell-like abilities you gain from other feats that list Fey Heritage as a prerequisite can now be used three times per day. In addition, once per day, you can use the following spell-like abilities: feeblemind, repel metal and stone, summon nature's ally VIII, veil. Your caster level equals your character level.
Basically just extending the concept of the fey heritage upwards. While the warlock doesn't get spell resistance normally, there are plenty of races and classes that do.
[HR]
Epic Fiendish Heritage [Epic, Heritage]
Your ancestor's blood is more apparent than ever.
Prerequisites: Non-good alignment, Fiendish Heritage, one other feat that lists Fiendish Heritage as a prerequisite.
Effect: If you have damage reduction from your type, subtype, race, or class, it increases by 1 for every feat you have that lists Fiendish Heritage as a prerequisite (including such feats that you take after gaining this one).
Your natural weapon attacks, as well as any weapons you wield, are treated as evil-aligned for the purposes of overcoming damage resistance.
Any spell-like abilities you gain from other feats that list Fiendish Heritage as a prerequisite can now be used three times per day. In addition, once per day, you can use the following spell-like abilities: charm monster, plane shift (self plus 50 lb. of ojects only), greater teleport (self plus 50 lb. of objects only), summon monster VIII (fiendish creatures only). Your caster level equals your character level.
Again, just extending the concept of the fiendish heritage upwards.
[HR]
Fey Beauty [Epic, Heritage]
Your countenance is so unearthly that none can stand to harm you.
Prerequisites: Cha 27, non-Good alignment, Epic Fey Heritage, Fey Heritage, two other feats that lists Fey Heritage as a prerequisite.
Effect: You gain a deflection bonus to your Armor Class equal to your Charisma bonus plus 1 for every feat you have that lists Fey Heritage as a prerequisite (including such feats that you take after gaining this one).
This is pretty strong, but it's the end result of a heavy feat investment. Plus, as a deflection bonus, it won't stack with those rings of protection +9 that epic level characters can get.
[HR]
Fiendish Invincibility [Epic, Heritage]
As long as one drop of your ancestor's blood remains unblessed, you will return.
Prerequisites: Con 27, non-Good alignment, Epic Fiendish Heritage, Fiendish Heritage, two other feats that lists Fiendish Heritage as a prerequisite.
Effect: You gain regeneration. The amount of nonlethal damage you heal each round is equal to the number of feats you have that lists Fiendish Heritage as a prerequisite (including such feats that you take after gaining this one). Attacks that are good-aligned deal normal damage to you.
This one is pretty strong, too, but the amount of healing you get per round won't save you from going to unconscious in an epic battle. It will just make sure you are still alive afterwards.
[HR]
Heighten Invocation [Epic]
You have mastered putting the full weight of your power behind every invocation.
Prerequisites: Spellcraft 26 ranks, ability to use dark invocations.
Effect: All of your invocations (including your eldritch blast) count as being the spell level of the highest invocation you can use.
Helpful for increasing save DCs and defeating things like globe of invulnerability.
[HR]
Hexgorger [Epic]
Your ability to devour magic has become more powerful than ever as the voices from beyond urge you to eat, eat, EAT!
Prerequisites: Spellcraft 24, otherworldly whispers, voracious dispelling, devour magic, caster's lament invocations.
Effect: Your bonus to knowledge checks when using otherworldly whispers increases to +12, and now applies to all Knowledge skills and Spellcraft.
Your voracious dispelling invocation now acts as greater dispel magic.
When using devour magic, you may exceed the normal maximum caster level of +20. Any day in which you devoured 10 or more levels of spells counts as a day that you ate and drank, for purposes of starvation or thirst. If you consume an epic spell, you gain all of the benefits of a heroes' feast in addition to the normal benefits of devouring a 10th level spell.
Your caster's lament invocation can now be used to counterspell spells of any level (but not epic spells).
This is basic clean-up; none of these powers are the slightest bit useful in an epic game as they were originally presented. This feat at least allows them to scale properly into epic levels.
[HR]
Indomitable Blast [Epic]
The power of your eldritch blasts cannot be denied.
Prerequisites: eldritch blast 9d6, any four Eldritch Essence invocations.
Effect: You may choose to make your eldritch blast an indomitable blast. If you do so, your eldritch blast ignores spell resistance.
Antimagic field does not automatically suppress an indomitable blast. When your blast encounters an antimagic field, the antimagic field makes a dispel check as a 20th level caster against a DC of 11 + your caster level. If it succeeds, it suppresses your blast as normal. If it fails, your eldritch blast can affect creatures inside the antimagic field.
Making your blast an indomitable blast counts as applying an Eldritch Essence invocation to your eldritch blast.
Since warlocks already have the ability to use vitriolic blast to overcome spell resistance, that part of the feat only applies to creatures with both SR and acid resistance. The antimagic portion mimics what spellcasters can already do with their epic spells.
[HR]
Intensify Spell-Like Ability [Epic]
One of your innate magic powers can be raised to the highest efficiency.
Prerequisites: Empower Spell-like Ability, Maximize Spell-like Ability, Spell-like ability at caster level 21 or higher.
Effect: Choose one of the creature’s spell-like abilities, subject to the restrictions below. The creature can use that ability as an intensified spell-like ability three times per day (or less, if the ability is normally usable only once or twice per day).
All variable, numeric effects of an intensified spell are maximized, then doubled. You can’t combine the effects of this feat with any other feat that affects the variable, numeric effects of a spell.
The creature can only select a spell-like ability duplicating a spell with a level less than or equal to half its caster level (round down) -7.
Good for warlocks and monsters. Note that the minimum caster level to get this feat for eldritch blast is 32nd level, because that counts as being a 9th level spell by the time the warlock gets to epic levels.
[HR]
Quicken Invocation [Epic]
You summon the darkness within in a mere moment.
Prerequisites: Spellcraft 30 ranks, Quicken Spell-Like Ability, able to use dark invocations.
Effect: You may use any of your Least or Lesser invocations as a swift action. This does not apply to your eldritch blast, even if you are applying a Least or Lesser blast shape or eldritch essence invocation to it.
Automatic Quicken Spell for warlocks. For the most part, being able to quicken invocations doesn't really increase offense much; at epic levels, it mainly just allows you to escape after attacking or put your invocation-based buffs back after a dispel magic. Still, you can spam Charm every round until it works without giving up your other actions.
[HR]
Epic Skill Usage: Use Magic Device
{table]Simplify Scroll|30 + caster level
Conserve Scroll|35 + (2 x caster level)
Conserve Wand|30 + (2 x caster level)
Conserve Staff|30 + (2 x caster level) + (10 x number of charges)
Amplify Scroll|35 + (3 x caster level)
Quicken Wand|50 + (5 x caster level)[/table]
Simplify Scroll: Normally, using a scroll incurs the possibility of arcane spell failure if you are wearing armor. By making a Use Magic Device skill check, you can simplify the ritual described so that you may cast it while wearing light armor.
Conserve Scroll: With a successful Use Magic Device skill check, you can prevent the writing on scroll that you successfully activate from disappearing, allowing you to use it again later.
Conserve Wand: As a standard action, you may activate a wand without expending a charge by making a successful Use Magic Device skill check.
Conserve Staff: As conserve wand, above, except that using a spell that would drain more than 1 charge from the staff is more difficult.
Amplify Scroll: Make an additional Use Magic Device skill check; if successful, you may use your own caster level to determine the spell's effects (rather than the level at which it was scribed). If you have more than one caster level (e.g. you are a multiclass cleric/wizard), use the highest. If you do not have a caster level at all, you may not attempt to amplify a scroll.
Quicken Wand: As a swift action, you may attempt to activate a wand in your hand. If you fail, you have used your swift action for that turn. If you succeed, you expend 2 charges from the wand. You may not make a skill check to conserve wand charges when trying to quicken a wand. The DC for this usage is reduced to 25 + (2 x caster level) if the wand contains a spell that normally has a casting time of one free, swift, or immediate action.
If you're not familiar with the existing epic warlock feats (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ei/20061027a), you should probably skim them before critiquing.
Epic Warlock Feats
All of the following feats are added to the list of epic bonus feats that a warlock can select.
Epic Ability Focus [Epic]
Your innate power is even harder to resist.
Prerequisites: Ability Focus in the special attack selected.
Effect: Add +2 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against one special attack to which you have applied Ability Focus. This stacks with the bonuses from Ability Focus.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a different special attack. A warlock may select this feat, choosing his eldritch blast or any one invocation.
Warlocks (and monsters) need to be able to keep up with the spellcasters.
[HR]
Epic Fey Heritage [Epic, Heritage]
The light in your eyes marks you as the descendant of fey royalty.
Prerequisites: Non-lawful alignment, Fey Heritage, one other feat that lists Fey Heritage as a prerequisite.
Effect: If you have spell resistance from your type, subtype, race, or class, it increases by 2 for every feat you have that lists Fey Heritage as a prerequisite (including such feats that you take after gaining this one).
Your natural weapon attacks, as well as any weapons you wield, are treated as chaotic-aligned for the purposes of overcoming damage resistance.
Any spell-like abilities you gain from other feats that list Fey Heritage as a prerequisite can now be used three times per day. In addition, once per day, you can use the following spell-like abilities: feeblemind, repel metal and stone, summon nature's ally VIII, veil. Your caster level equals your character level.
Basically just extending the concept of the fey heritage upwards. While the warlock doesn't get spell resistance normally, there are plenty of races and classes that do.
[HR]
Epic Fiendish Heritage [Epic, Heritage]
Your ancestor's blood is more apparent than ever.
Prerequisites: Non-good alignment, Fiendish Heritage, one other feat that lists Fiendish Heritage as a prerequisite.
Effect: If you have damage reduction from your type, subtype, race, or class, it increases by 1 for every feat you have that lists Fiendish Heritage as a prerequisite (including such feats that you take after gaining this one).
Your natural weapon attacks, as well as any weapons you wield, are treated as evil-aligned for the purposes of overcoming damage resistance.
Any spell-like abilities you gain from other feats that list Fiendish Heritage as a prerequisite can now be used three times per day. In addition, once per day, you can use the following spell-like abilities: charm monster, plane shift (self plus 50 lb. of ojects only), greater teleport (self plus 50 lb. of objects only), summon monster VIII (fiendish creatures only). Your caster level equals your character level.
Again, just extending the concept of the fiendish heritage upwards.
[HR]
Fey Beauty [Epic, Heritage]
Your countenance is so unearthly that none can stand to harm you.
Prerequisites: Cha 27, non-Good alignment, Epic Fey Heritage, Fey Heritage, two other feats that lists Fey Heritage as a prerequisite.
Effect: You gain a deflection bonus to your Armor Class equal to your Charisma bonus plus 1 for every feat you have that lists Fey Heritage as a prerequisite (including such feats that you take after gaining this one).
This is pretty strong, but it's the end result of a heavy feat investment. Plus, as a deflection bonus, it won't stack with those rings of protection +9 that epic level characters can get.
[HR]
Fiendish Invincibility [Epic, Heritage]
As long as one drop of your ancestor's blood remains unblessed, you will return.
Prerequisites: Con 27, non-Good alignment, Epic Fiendish Heritage, Fiendish Heritage, two other feats that lists Fiendish Heritage as a prerequisite.
Effect: You gain regeneration. The amount of nonlethal damage you heal each round is equal to the number of feats you have that lists Fiendish Heritage as a prerequisite (including such feats that you take after gaining this one). Attacks that are good-aligned deal normal damage to you.
This one is pretty strong, too, but the amount of healing you get per round won't save you from going to unconscious in an epic battle. It will just make sure you are still alive afterwards.
[HR]
Heighten Invocation [Epic]
You have mastered putting the full weight of your power behind every invocation.
Prerequisites: Spellcraft 26 ranks, ability to use dark invocations.
Effect: All of your invocations (including your eldritch blast) count as being the spell level of the highest invocation you can use.
Helpful for increasing save DCs and defeating things like globe of invulnerability.
[HR]
Hexgorger [Epic]
Your ability to devour magic has become more powerful than ever as the voices from beyond urge you to eat, eat, EAT!
Prerequisites: Spellcraft 24, otherworldly whispers, voracious dispelling, devour magic, caster's lament invocations.
Effect: Your bonus to knowledge checks when using otherworldly whispers increases to +12, and now applies to all Knowledge skills and Spellcraft.
Your voracious dispelling invocation now acts as greater dispel magic.
When using devour magic, you may exceed the normal maximum caster level of +20. Any day in which you devoured 10 or more levels of spells counts as a day that you ate and drank, for purposes of starvation or thirst. If you consume an epic spell, you gain all of the benefits of a heroes' feast in addition to the normal benefits of devouring a 10th level spell.
Your caster's lament invocation can now be used to counterspell spells of any level (but not epic spells).
This is basic clean-up; none of these powers are the slightest bit useful in an epic game as they were originally presented. This feat at least allows them to scale properly into epic levels.
[HR]
Indomitable Blast [Epic]
The power of your eldritch blasts cannot be denied.
Prerequisites: eldritch blast 9d6, any four Eldritch Essence invocations.
Effect: You may choose to make your eldritch blast an indomitable blast. If you do so, your eldritch blast ignores spell resistance.
Antimagic field does not automatically suppress an indomitable blast. When your blast encounters an antimagic field, the antimagic field makes a dispel check as a 20th level caster against a DC of 11 + your caster level. If it succeeds, it suppresses your blast as normal. If it fails, your eldritch blast can affect creatures inside the antimagic field.
Making your blast an indomitable blast counts as applying an Eldritch Essence invocation to your eldritch blast.
Since warlocks already have the ability to use vitriolic blast to overcome spell resistance, that part of the feat only applies to creatures with both SR and acid resistance. The antimagic portion mimics what spellcasters can already do with their epic spells.
[HR]
Intensify Spell-Like Ability [Epic]
One of your innate magic powers can be raised to the highest efficiency.
Prerequisites: Empower Spell-like Ability, Maximize Spell-like Ability, Spell-like ability at caster level 21 or higher.
Effect: Choose one of the creature’s spell-like abilities, subject to the restrictions below. The creature can use that ability as an intensified spell-like ability three times per day (or less, if the ability is normally usable only once or twice per day).
All variable, numeric effects of an intensified spell are maximized, then doubled. You can’t combine the effects of this feat with any other feat that affects the variable, numeric effects of a spell.
The creature can only select a spell-like ability duplicating a spell with a level less than or equal to half its caster level (round down) -7.
Good for warlocks and monsters. Note that the minimum caster level to get this feat for eldritch blast is 32nd level, because that counts as being a 9th level spell by the time the warlock gets to epic levels.
[HR]
Quicken Invocation [Epic]
You summon the darkness within in a mere moment.
Prerequisites: Spellcraft 30 ranks, Quicken Spell-Like Ability, able to use dark invocations.
Effect: You may use any of your Least or Lesser invocations as a swift action. This does not apply to your eldritch blast, even if you are applying a Least or Lesser blast shape or eldritch essence invocation to it.
Automatic Quicken Spell for warlocks. For the most part, being able to quicken invocations doesn't really increase offense much; at epic levels, it mainly just allows you to escape after attacking or put your invocation-based buffs back after a dispel magic. Still, you can spam Charm every round until it works without giving up your other actions.
[HR]
Epic Skill Usage: Use Magic Device
{table]Simplify Scroll|30 + caster level
Conserve Scroll|35 + (2 x caster level)
Conserve Wand|30 + (2 x caster level)
Conserve Staff|30 + (2 x caster level) + (10 x number of charges)
Amplify Scroll|35 + (3 x caster level)
Quicken Wand|50 + (5 x caster level)[/table]
Simplify Scroll: Normally, using a scroll incurs the possibility of arcane spell failure if you are wearing armor. By making a Use Magic Device skill check, you can simplify the ritual described so that you may cast it while wearing light armor.
Conserve Scroll: With a successful Use Magic Device skill check, you can prevent the writing on scroll that you successfully activate from disappearing, allowing you to use it again later.
Conserve Wand: As a standard action, you may activate a wand without expending a charge by making a successful Use Magic Device skill check.
Conserve Staff: As conserve wand, above, except that using a spell that would drain more than 1 charge from the staff is more difficult.
Amplify Scroll: Make an additional Use Magic Device skill check; if successful, you may use your own caster level to determine the spell's effects (rather than the level at which it was scribed). If you have more than one caster level (e.g. you are a multiclass cleric/wizard), use the highest. If you do not have a caster level at all, you may not attempt to amplify a scroll.
Quicken Wand: As a swift action, you may attempt to activate a wand in your hand. If you fail, you have used your swift action for that turn. If you succeed, you expend 2 charges from the wand. You may not make a skill check to conserve wand charges when trying to quicken a wand. The DC for this usage is reduced to 25 + (2 x caster level) if the wand contains a spell that normally has a casting time of one free, swift, or immediate action.