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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Well, I'm not sure how much value my opinion is going to be, since we seem to value slightly different balance points (mine is a bit lower than yours, though not by a ton), but I've read through and I've got a lot of experience playing Warlocks at a fairly wide level range, so here we go...
Even if we have slightly different balance points, extra eyes are always appreciated. Particularly experienced eyes. And I love in-depth critiques, so thank you! :smallsmile:
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Probably the only potential issue here is Arcane Soul, which vastly improves the Warlock's power level when using spell-trigger items and allows Titan-blooded Warlocks to create scrolls of spells one level higher than any other class using Imbue Item. This can cause some game imbalances, obviously; having access to Greater Teleport, Greater Plane Shift and/or True Seeing before anyone reasonably should can cause serious problems for GMs not aware of the possibility and for prewritten modules. Changing the ability to apply only when activating items or using invocations would remove these problems.
Caster level has nothing to do with using Imbue Item. Titan warlocks can start trying to scribe 9th level scrolls at 12th level if they want to. Imbue Item has always been like that. I think you're not only worrying overmuch about the crafting ability (which is more limited by XP and Gold available, plus the feat cost), but forgetting that you can simply
buy the scrolls you need. By 12th level scrolls of 7+ level spells are easily affordable. Heck, you can pick up Scout's Headband for 3400 gp and have
true seeing up to a minute per day. Any prewritten modules set at 12th+ level should be prepared for these spells, as they are a reality of the game.
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
The Aberrant Lineage's Unnatural Essense is more than a little overpowered at 2nd level, with a -2 on Attack and Damage combined with a half-decent AC to begin with largely invalidating most CR1-2 monsters. I'd suggest swapping it with the much less disruptive Mind Strike, and doing the same with the first Improved Unnatural Essense and Aberrant Resistance. Otherwise there's nothing too troublesome here. Great Lineage.
Point. Additionally, it makes Mind Strike more...striking, as confusion is not a common effect at level 2, so it'll stand out nicely.
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Angelic is fine; the Capstone is amazingly powerful, but it's a capstone. It should be.
...Gah. Just killed the rest of my post. Point-form comments:
Angelic needs to be able to suppress or stop its' protective aura. You don't want to have to have a Dispel ready every time you want to stop blocking out low-level spells with Globe of Invulnerablility.
I glad to meet someone who shares my opinions on capstones. :smallbiggrin:
Good catch on suppressing the aura, I'll add that.
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Demonic should not be able to match or exceed the damage of a mid-op Charger or Blaster without making use of limited-per-day resources. Both of the above possess limitations and drawbacks that the Warlock does not. Also, at 20th level deals enough damage on average with vitriolic blast+greater Chasuble of FP to one-shot most CR20 enemies. Not a good out-of-the-box balance point, especially considering potential to add more damage with Empower SLA, Gloves of Eld. Ad. and Warlock's scepter. All combined, damage-per-round exceeds 800 at minimal cost, with virtually no chance of failure against all not immune to acid. Needs to be scaled back, or unplayable outside of high-op games.
You raise a good point here, though I think the math may be off, due to misunderstandings. Assuming a Greater Stole of Arcane Power, a Demonic Warlock can fire off 5 EBs, for a total 60d12 or ~390 damage. Assuming he uses all three Empower SLAs, that adds an extra ~117 damage. Vitriolic Blast would add ~35 acid damage per round for 3 rounds. Warlock's Scepter And the Gloves don't work, as they require a swift action to activate. I may need to update that so it doesn't compete with Eldritch Volley. Regardless, even if it did work it would only add ~17.5 damage.
Note that as it stands, Stole of Arcane Power is the only thing that adds extra dice to an EB, everything else adds a preset amount of damage. Vitriolic Blast still only does 2d6 acid damage per round, even if your EB deals d12s of damage.
Regardless of this, you're correct that it's an excessive amount of damage. I didn't readjust it at all when I added an extra attack to Eldritch Volley, and didn't anticipate 5 EBs a round. I may need to do something other than iterative attacks for the demonic capstone, as that seems to be the biggest problem. And to be honest, I'm still undecided on if Eldritch Volley should grant 2 extra attacks at high levels.
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Draconic should try to limit or prevent Conjuration and Transmutation spells with permanent effects from being chosen. PAO, Stone Shape and Wall of Stone are good enough without being usable thousands of times per day.
Hmm...True that spells like those are some of the most awesome choices you could make, but the question is how to limit it? Limiting it by Range, Target, or Duration catches way too many viable options in the crossfire. Honestly I'm inclined to leave it as is, but make a note that DMs should feel free to nix choices that are too strong for their game, like the spells you mentioned.
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Fey should switch the DR and Woodland Stride. DR5 at level 2 will wreck published adventures and give your DM fits trying to challenge you without killing your allies. Also, consider replacing the Improved SR with the ability to raise and lower SR as a Free action that can be taken out of turn. SR15+level has heavy implications for both enemy and friendly casters, and SR10+level is usually enough to discourage SR: Yes spells to begin with. I'd also suggest allowing creatures with True Seeing effects to make Disbelief saves as soon as they perceive the illusion; otherwise many illusions become impossible to see through. Effect remains very powerful.
While I disagree that DMs would have fits harming a lv 2 Fey Warlock with published modules (just given enemies cold iron weapons!), you aren't the first person to note how awesome DR is at that level. I think I'll switch the two for that reason and because woodland stride is more feyish for an introductory ability.
Fair enough point that SR10+ is usually enough. I don't think that suppressing/raising SR whenever is strong enough at that level...perhaps when a spell fails to penetrate their SR they can create a
major image as an immediate action that make it appear as if the warlock had bee affected...
I know that disbelieving illusions is a grey area ruled by DM preference, but I can see automatically getting a save upon viewing (many DMs play this way with illusions straight up).
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Infernal currently does not allow a saving throw to avoid Suggestion effect; wording causes targets to be treated as if they already failed a save. I suggest including a save, and causing a successful save to make the target immune for at least a minute or two. As-is, effect will break every campaign involving any intrigue or diplomacy.
Yeees, I can do that. They should be offered saves, and temporary immunity sounds fine. Particularly since saving against it won't screw a warlock...at least as long as their suggestions are reasonable enough that one could conceivably make them without magic.
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Titan is fine and damned cool. Capstone is incredibly powerful, but again, it's a capstone.
:smallbiggrin: Yeah, I'm quite happy of how Titan turned out.
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Undead may be too powerful as a 2-level dip for great immunities and Invocations. Suggest moving Poison immunity to level 8. You should clarify whether Life Sight allows you to see Invisible creatures; I would suggest no. Final stage of Improved Deathly Caress needs to have a saving throw to avoid Paralysis; otherwise, automatic victory against anyone not immune. Not good for game-flow.
Hmm, that is a powerful dip. I might reduce the bonus to saving throws to +2, given that immunity to poison has just about become irrelevant by 8th level.
Point on Life Sight.
While I disagree on automatic victory (see White Raven Hammer), it should offer a save. Paralysis is better than Stun, and at 16th level that is just super powerful.
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Scalding Gust is the best Invocation by far at level 1-2, allowing automatic no-save damage scaling better than Magic Missile at-will. Suggest making damage equal to .5*CL*3 rounded down for better balance at low levels.
I'm not sure I agree. 2/4/6 damage unconditionally is nice, but awfully low-impact. Scalding Gust as it originally stood was
terrible precisely because the damage it dealt had virtually no impact. And dealing 1/3/4/6/7 damage at low levels both requires more complex math, and is not something very good to do with your standard action. The utility of gust of wind just doesn't make up for it. And any shenanigans, like a readied action against small targets to just kite them to death works regardless of the damage dealt.
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Earthen Grasp is also extremely powerful at level 1, auto-beating most other casters. Suggest returning it to the old version; it was already worth taking. Otherwise, everything looks good.
Already worth taking? It provoked when attempting a grapple and only deals damage on a successful pin. I agree it's good against casters. Removing the reflex save doesn't do much to make it worse against casters, it just makes it less good against melee brutes. Though perhaps it should be limited to only one at a time, like other invocations that conjure things.
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Humanoid Shape is overpowered for DFAs and it's overpowered here. Oh well.
For those that want to abuse Alter Shape, they can. For those that want to just have the utility intended, they can. I'm not going to try and fix the polymorph system, I'll just let DM's previous established preferences cover it. :smallsmile:
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
No Relentless Dispelling makes me a sad panda.
Relentless Dispelling is in Complete Mage, and will be included. :smallsmile:
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Enervating Shadow provides Concealment that can never be ignored, which conveniently makes you outright immune to Sneak Attack, Skirmish and Sudden Strike. Combined with Darkness and the Infernal Lineage, grants 50% miss chance against all attacks, no matter what. As-is, it's an auto-pick and by far the best of the Invocations. Easily equivalent in power to a 9th-level spell. Needs nerfing, not sure how.
Never be ignored? It only last for 5 rounds and can be seen through by anything that sees through magical darkness. Perhaps I just need to remove the partial concealment clause, as that is something I added to the original. If I do though, how do I prevent the invocation from being completely useless in brightly lit areas (which are common enough for adventuring parties)?
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Love the change to Devour Magic
Seriously. A range of touch made Devour Magic so freakin' impractical. Now, while it has a limited range, at least it has range! Plus, you can eat your own stuff for temp HP if you want. I figure if you're spending your turn doing that and not attacking that's ok.
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Anscestral: Make sure to add clarification to Dark Discorporation allowing you to dismiss it. Not being able to un-discorporate by RAW is a big problem with the official Dark Discorporation spell.
Ahh yes, because you can't use standard actions while in bat form. I'll add a clause.
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
I'd suggest giving the Angelic anscestry access to Impenetrable Barrier. As-is, Titan has only 3 invocations to choose from at this level, suggest giving him Word of Changing to reflect mastery of physical form.
Ancestral access is somewhat limited at this point, particularly for the non-evil lineages, but that will change as I start adding homebrew invocations. I could see Angelic have Impenetrable Barriar, if it weren't for the total blackness of it. But that's probably just me being weird and having fluff hang ups. :smalltongue:
I can see Titans with Word of Changing - They have powerful forms and altering others is a pretty distilled essence of arcane might.
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Originally Posted by
DaedalusMkV
Sorry for the point-form review and terseness. It's already way past my bed time, and I didn't have time to be more thourough.
I
loved your review! point-by-point is generally the way I approach critiques myself, and you had a whole lot of great thoughts. Thank you for taking the time to go through it all! :smallbiggrin: