The Newest Warlock Handbook [3.5]

[Snowbluff]

Fair enough. The Warlock Circle II stopped updating in.... I believe 2007 or 2008, I'd have to check. That said, I should find the link again for posterity. When all is said and done, I do love the idea of providing a guide for the warlock. It's one of my favourite arcane classes.

Yeah, I'll link it at the least. If it's no longer updating, I'll see about adding some peach homebrew. I don't know much about HB, and I suck at it (See the link in my sig spoiler), so I'll ask around for help.

I love the Warlock. I just think it suffers from a lack of splat support and community support. 2 previous handbooks are now defunct/no longer updating, and this one's owner was banned, so I picked it up for him.

[Morcleon]

Blech blech blech. Add this to my list of things, and repost it, please.

Updated list of things for Snow to do!

Spoiler

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• Finish spoilering dips and PrC.
• Finish comments on dips and PrCs.
• Add a Class Skills section.
• Add an Epic Feat section.
• Add Sudden Metamagic feats.
• Add Whisper Gnome.
• Add Mindbender PrC.
• Delete the out-of-place period between "Introduction" and "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants"
• Normalize spacing between spoilers.
• Properly spoiler the greater invocation Caustic Mire.
• Add Vael's stuff (Travel Devotion, Ability Focus, Utterdark Blast healing undead, etc)
• Write a forward for the handbook.
• Feats -> Abberant Dragonmark, Dragonmarks: *Useful.
• Dark Transient also gives greater plane shift, but it's still not enough to bump it up to blue.
• Morpheme Savant should be blue for social focused warlocks, if only for the +(Cha x 2) to Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate.
• Souleater Incarnate goes up to low black if used in a heavily incarnum focused game. Still meh.
• Add Epic Extra Invocation. Goes from red to blue, depending on which invocation you take with it. Useful for meeting prereqs for other epic feats, though.

[Byzantine]

Ah, found it: The Warlock Circle II Guildhouse

I also found Rich Baker's reposted Q&A about warlocks, their design and various interactions; Warlock faq by Rich Baker

Overall, good links to have around. TWC also has/had related warlock links should you wish to add (and check, since they're from before the forum revamp, so many have been deleted.) As far as splatbook support, I know that Dragon Magic, despite being subpar overall in my opinion, has some warlock stuff. I'll take a look through what I have to see if there's anything else that covers them.

[AmberVael]

Overall, good links to have around. TWC also has/had related warlock links should you wish to add (and check, since they're from before the forum revamp, so many have been deleted.) As far as splatbook support, I know that Dragon Magic, despite being subpar overall in my opinion, has some warlock stuff. I'll take a look through what I have to see if there's anything else that covers them.

Well, all the invocations from other sources have already been covered in this guide, at least. Those are the main things to look at.

Just for quick reference, invocations can be found in:

Cityscape
Complete Arcane
Complete Mage
Dragon Magic
Drow of the Underdark
Magic of Incarnum


Edit: Though come to think of, the Eldritch Claws feat comes from dragon magazine... maybe there is more warlock material to be found there?

[Snowbluff]

Guys, all of the Warlock specific and official material has be search trhoug hfor the material in the guide. Just a heads up.

[Cranthis]

Where in Races of Ebberon is this Daelkyr half-blood?

[Dusk Eclipse]

They are in Magic of Eberron, not Races of Eberron.

[Cranthis]

Ah. The post says Races of Eberron. But I have found it, thanks.

[Snowbluff]

Ah. The post says Races of Eberron. But I have found it, thanks.

Fixed it. Now MoE.

[Kane0]

Hey there, liking your work on the handbook.

Question though: are you thinking of referencing or linking homebrew material for the warlock at the end? As a dm and warlock fan id like to see some recommended brew or other supplementary material for poor Morthos and those like him.

[Snowbluff]

I'll be making a peach homebrew section at a later date.

[only1doug]

My warlock Homebrew

2 bits of Homebrew, the floating Invocation Feat chain and an Enlightened Spirit (PRC) modification.

Spoiler

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Floating Invocation Feat Chain:
These feats are designed to give the warlock some much needed versatility, by having one Invocation of each grade be changeable (on a daily basis).

Floating Invocation (Least)
Prerequisite: Access to Least Invocations, Invoker Level 3 or Higher, 2 Least Invocations.
Benefit: Choose one of your existing Least Invocations, This is now changeable on a daily basis: once every 24hrs you may change your Floating Invocation to a different Least Invocation. This process takes 1hr and can only be done after getting a good nights sleep. This Feat may only be taken once.

Floating Invocation (Lesser)
Prerequisite: Access to Lesser Invocations, Floating Invocation (Least)
Benefit: Choose one of your existing Lesser Invocations, This is now changeable on a daily basis: once every 24hrs you may change your Floating Invocation to a different Lesser Invocation. This process takes 1hr and can only be done after getting a good nights sleep. You can change any or all of your Floating Invocations during the same time period. This Feat may only be taken once.

Floating Invocation (Greater)
Prerequisite: Access to Greater Invocations, Floating Invocation (Lesser)
Benefit: Choose one of your existing Greater Invocations, This is now changeable on a daily basis: once every 24hrs you may change your Floating Invocation to a different Greater Invocation. This process takes 1hr and can only be done after getting a good nights sleep. You can change any or all of your Floating Invocations during the same time period. This Feat may only be taken once.

Floating Invocation (Dark)
Prerequisite: Access to Dark Invocations, Floating Invocation (Greater)
Benefit: Choose one of your existing Dark Invocations, This is now changeable on a daily basis: once every 24hrs you may change your Floating Invocation to a different Dark Invocation. This process takes 1hr and can only be done after getting a good nights sleep. You can change any or all of your Floating Invocations during the same time period. This Feat may only be taken once.


Enlightened Spirits:
The biggest problem with this PRC is that it doesn't advance your Invocation Level for warlock invocations if you continue with warlock after leaving this class.

Homebrew Solution: the following line of Text should be added to the Enlightened spirit class:

Enlightened Spirits who return to the warlock class may add their Enlightened Spirit class levels to their Warlock class levels for the purposes of determining the maximum grade of Invocation known.

[Jackalope]

Snow, since you pointed me over to here, will you be adding my thought? For those who didn't see it since I posted in the old thread, the idea is that adding the Morphing enhancement to a Warlock's Scepter (both are light weapons since the scepter is a light mace) allows it to become a spiked gauntlet, which allows holding weapons in hand including an Eldritch Glaive if your DM is picky about you needing two free hands to use it.

[Morcleon]

Snow, since you pointed me over to here, will you be adding my thought? For those who didn't see it since I posted in the old thread, the idea is that adding the Morphing enhancement to a Warlock's Scepter (both are light weapons since the scepter is a light mace) allows it to become a spiked gauntlet, which allows holding weapons in hand including an Eldritch Glaive if your DM is picky about you needing two free hands to use it.

Could just take the warlock scepter's unique magic and stick it onto a +1 gauntlet...

[Snowbluff]

Can I get the rules source for doing this?

[Fable Wright]

Coming in with PrC evaluations:

From Shinken's Guide to Melee Warlocks (He also did Thayan Gladiator, but since I don't have that book, I'm not going to mention it):

Ruathar (Races of the Wild): One of the easiest to qualify prestige classes ever written. The class features are nothing to write home about and it only has a d6 hit die, like Warlock. It does have a good skill list while progressing invocations. If only it had movement skills, then it would be perfect. This can help you qualify for Cyran Avenger.

Cyran Avenger (Five Nations): Full base attack bonus and an increase in hit dice are already good, but the Charisma synergy is amazing. If you are a melee warlock specialized in essences that force saves, Cyran Avenger will benefit your damage potential. 4/5 invocation progression, a built-in smite that goes up to +5d6 damage (uses per day depend on your Charisma). You get extra action points and the like.
I really, really like Cyran Avenger for melee Warlocks in Eberron. Qualifying can be a bit of a bitch, sure - BAB +5 and Survival 8 are kinda hard to achive.
A two-level dip in Ranger could qualify you at Warlock 4/Ranger 2, if you are desperate for some avenging. I don't think it's worth it, though. The real strenght of Cyran Avenger comes from the syngery with your Warlock abilities - the Ranger dip makes Cyran Avenger a 4/7 invocation progression, basically, almost the same as one of those 'full-bab half-casting' you find every now and then.
Warlock 4/Ruathar 3 qualifies a level later and only loses a single invocation level (when it enters Cyran Avenger).

Eldritch Disciple (Complete Mage): This advances Cleric and Warlock while granting extra goodies. Remember to have Knight's Move prepared.
Eldritch Disciple is very effective and allows you to pull some tricks. Wild Frenzy is pretty good, and I believe you'd get twice the damage bonus with eldritch claw (once for the unarmed strike, once for the eldritch blast) - you get it kind of late for it to matter, though. Healing Blast makes your party happy; as an essence, it can still be combined with eldritch glaive, for lots of healing from a (small) distance. Not recommended to use with eldritch claw, since your unarmed strike would still deal damage.
Eldritch Spellwave spares you a known invocation for eldritch chain, since you can just tack essences on Mass Inflict Light Wounds. I like this for taking out mobs with Vitriolic Blast or Utterdark Blast. With Vitriolic, it's hilarious - mass inflict them with acid and become invisible. Wait safely to see if they die. Rinse and repeat. Not very melee-ish, of course, but you can save your awesomeness for the big bad evil guys - play cat and mouse with mooks.

Personally, I would make Cyran Avenger and Eldritch Disciple as Purple, and Ruathar as Black; the only purpose of Ruathar is to get the skills for Cyran Avenger without losing caster levels. Eldritch Disciple is a powerhouse; if you use it to advance Ur-Priest, you suddenly became terrifying. With less cheese and going with Cleric, you get access to Divine Power, swift action movement spells like Knight's Move that are critical for Glaivelocks, and open up Turn/Rebuke undead abuses (even just Travel Devotion for the movement). In addition to the excellent suite of abilities the class provides.

Cyran Avengers are awesome because they are full BAB, 4/5 Casting progression, and have useful class features; for a Charisma-based warlock, they provide bonus damage, and bonuses to hit on both melee attacks and ranged attacks with some non-negligible bonus damage.

For base classes, Swashbuckler and Hexblade are both Red. Swashbuckler doesn't get you anything; Insightful Strike only works with Light weapons (aka NOT Weapon-Like Spells), weapon finesse is useless, and the saves, even with Grace, are terrible. Hexblades aren't as bad; a two-level dip gets you Cha to Saves against spells and spell-like effects, third level gives you the rare Mettle ability, and fourth level gives you 1st level spells (to qualify you for prestige classes) and a neat walking debuff. Why is this red? Because you invested 4 levels for moderate bonuses, spells that you could have gotten with a 1-level dip, and not much else. I guess Warlocks who wanted to dip Paladin until they found out about the Alignment requisistes could take it for the bonuses to saves could use it, but it's just not as good as continuing base warlock.

Warshaper I would put as Red. First, the class is only open to Changelings and Shifters, both of which are suboptimal choices. Second, the class's main draws are that you get an untyped bonus to Strength and Constitution, Fast Healing, and the ability to grow natural weapons. For everything except Clawlocks, that's terrible. You don't apply strength to damage for Eldritch Blasts, you're already hitting touch ACs so bonuses there are relatively useless, and Eldritch Blast (including Glaive) is not used as an interive attack, so the grown natural weapons are useless. If you're a Clawlock, it's Good to Excellent, as you can use extra natural attacks, and the bonuses to stats and physical abilities are very useful. If you're a Changeling Clawlock, this class is pretty good; to everyone else, avoid it like the plague.

Demonbinders are pretty good; they grant almost full Invocation progression, some DR, and some nifty immunities. The Demon forms each grant temporary hit points, a passive demon-themed ability, and all save one grant you the ability to use a small ability 1/encounter. The passive and active abilities can be useful, going from Tongues to True Sight to Gaseous Form, and giving you bonus damage or, at higher levels, EB attacks. While not as powerful as Hellfire Warlock or as versatile as any of the spellcasting theurges, it's very solid. (Blue.)

I also think that Bard should be moved down to Blue from Purple; it isn't an auto-include in any builds that qualify, nor is it something extremely powerful to build around. It's solid, but you lose an Invocation level to qualify, more as part of the class, and only moderate bonuses to show for it. It's still a good class, but it's not as good as the other Purple classes.

[Jackalope]

Can I get the rules source for doing this?

The morphing enhancement is in MiC, page 39. It's a +1 that allows changing the weapon into another of the same category (light, 1h, 2h) and size based on the wielder (medium, large, etc). Since the Warlock's Scepter is a light mace, it's a light weapon as is a spiked gauntlet. Since a spiked gauntlet is just a regular gauntlet with spikes (as per the illustration on PHB 119), it's entirely reasonable to think that using a weapon in that hand works because regular gauntlets can do that (or else the gauntlets that come with all medium and heavy armors except the breastplate are pretty much useless, as perhaps are Gauntlets of Ogre Strength).

As for Morcleon's suggestion, it's debatable whether taking a unique enhancement and putting it on another weapon is possible. In my experience even if it might be RAW it's not well tolerated, but that's only what I've seen so far so it may not be statistically relevant. Hence why I didn't go that route and instead went with "enhance the weapon that already has a unique enchantment" since that has more support.

[Morcleon]

Can I get the rules source for doing this?

It's logic. The fact that you can add magical abilities to items implies that you can remove them as well. There is also nothing saying that you can't switch items, although that may require a cost increase.

Yes, it would be a custom magic item.

[Snowbluff]

Cyran Avengers are awesome because they are full BAB, 4/5 Casting progression, and have useful class features; for a Charisma-based warlock, they provide bonus damage, and bonuses to hit on both melee attacks and ranged attacks with some non-negligible bonus damage.


I also think that Bard should be moved down to Blue from Purple; it isn't an auto-include in any builds that qualify, nor is it something extremely powerful to build around. It's solid, but you lose an Invocation level to qualify, more as part of the class, and only moderate bonuses to show for it. It's still a good class, but it's not as good as the other Purple classes.

Cyran Avenger is horrible. Easily red. "Class features" is a funny way of putting what they have. I don't think Survival is a class skill, and they don't net a feat gain. Even if you don't dip to get in, lost CL. Possible use as scout.

While we are quoting external handbooks, read an IC handbook. I think +10/+10 is something you can build around PrC Bard. I'll consider changing it to blue.

Eldritch Dsciple simply is not as good as its contemporary, the Eldritch Theurge. Kind of Disappointing. For some reason loses a CL. Potential for purple if we dd not consider the entry options.

Cleric: Wis is not a stat for warlocks.

Favored Soul: The Cleric list is weak without domains. Stat synergy is existent here... or would be if Wis wasn't a part of their casting.

Archivist: 2 Casting stats that dod not line up with Warlock. Meh.

Shugenja and Wujen are still classes, right? At least one of them is divine...

[Jackalope]

Shugenja is a class, yes. Its casting is entirely cha-based, so it has potential with warlock.

Wu Jen is arcane and relies on int, so it might not mesh well depending on the warlock's stats. However, it does have a 7th level spell called Giant Size which makes the caster Huge or larger, so it might oddly work on a grapplock build via Eldritch Theurge.

[Snowbluff]

It's logic. The fact that you can add magical abilities to items implies that you can remove them as well. There is also nothing saying that you can't switch items, although that may require a cost increase.

Yes, it would be a custom magic item.

In that case I'll add it to the lists, right next to our Continuous Ring of Truestrike and Truespell.

Shugenja is a class, yes. Its casting is entirely cha-based, so it has potential with warlock.

Wu Jen is arcane and relies on int, so it might not mesh well depending on the warlock's stats. However, it does have a 7th level spell called Giant Size which makes the caster Huge or larger, so it might oddly work on a grapplock build via Eldritch Theurge.

OKay, thanks. I'll work with this for the new ED entry.

[Jackalope]

Shugenja for ED will require some work since it doesn't have Turn/Rebuke Undead. Sacred Exorcist can be used to get Turning, but by the time a Shugenja gets Dismissal, it's at 8th level which puts SE's entry at 9th. After that is a warlock level at 10th, and then ED is 11-20. Such a build wouldn't primarily be a warlock, but it still has some potential since it barely manages to get 9th level spells at 20.

Alternately, one could refluff a Shugenja's Sense Elements to qualify in place of Turn/Rebuke Undead for ED. There's the slight issue of SE not scaling at all with Cha like Turning does, so the uses based on that will be limited, which limits the class features of ED. I know of no official source that gives extra uses of Sense Elements.

[Fable Wright]

Cyran Avenger is horrible. Easily red. "Class features" is a funny way of putting what they have. I don't think Survival is a class skill, and they don't net a feat gain. Even if you don't dip to get in, lost CL. Possible use as scout.

That's why Ruathar is mentioned as a Warlock PrC. Qualifying to enter is easy as breathing, they do have Survival as a class skill, and it's worth it for the mostly full Invocation progression and full BAB. They have feat parity, getting Heroic Spirit to get back Track, and Heroic Spirit is not a bad feat. The smite is extra, but because of the Warlock's lack of heavy dependence on just about any stats, they can easily afford to get a +2 or +4 Cloak of Charisma at this level, and of those smites are rather worth it for 5 levels.

While we are quoting external handbooks, read an IC handbook. I think +10/+10 is something you can build around PrC Bard. I'll consider changing it to blue.

Right. Warlock bards totally have Inspirational Boost. Words of Creation is allowed at every table. More likely, the Warlock can get +2 to attack and damage at 6th level, and get another +1 every 4 or 5 levels. I don't agree that it's worth 5 lost CL (including the one lost from the spellcaster dip), a feat to get Perform on the necessary skill lists, Bard battlegear isn't useful for the warlock, nor is Snowflake Wardance, especially when you say that 4/5 progression for invocations and useful class features is by no means worth it. I'm not saying it's terrible; it's better than a lot of options. It's not worth Purple rating, though.

Eldritch Dsciple simply is not as good as its contemporary, the Eldritch Theurge. Kind of Disappointing. For some reason loses a CL. Potential for purple if we dd not consider the entry options.

Cleric: Wis is not a stat for warlocks.

Favored Soul: The Cleric list is weak without domains. Stat synergy is existent here... or would be if Wis wasn't a part of their casting.

Archivist: 2 Casting stats that dod not line up with Warlock. Meh.

Shugenja and Wujen are still classes, right? At least one of them is divine...

Again, the Warlock's lack of focus on stats helps a bit here. If you can afford a +4 item to Wis and started with an 11 in Wis, a one level dip in Cleric and taking the full Eldritch Theurge class gets you all the spells you need. Your saving throws are crap, but you're focused on buffs, not offensive spells, like you should, you get significant bonuses from the dip. Cleric is already a good dip, and when all of your spells are buffs, they do quite a lot of good complementing the Warlock.

[Snowbluff]

Shugenja for ED will require some work since it doesn't have Turn/Rebuke Undead. Sacred Exorcist can be used to get Turning, but by the time a Shugenja gets Dismissal, it's at 8th level which puts SE's entry at 9th. After that is a warlock level at 10th, and then ED is 11-20. Such a build wouldn't primarily be a warlock, but it still has some potential since it barely manages to get 9th level spells at 20.

Alternately, one could refluff a Shugenja's Sense Elements to qualify in place of Turn/Rebuke Undead for ED. There's the slight issue of SE not scaling at all with Cha like Turning does, so the uses based on that will be limited, which limits the class features of ED. I know of no official source that gives extra uses of Sense Elements.

Ugh. Turn Undead should be renamed Turn Interest. It makes things harder than it should be.

@Dm of Darkness. This is a RAW handbook. Ample allowances are assumed. It's probable that have a +4 Wis item is not allowed on all tables, but that is not what we are here to discuss.

[Fable Wright]

Ugh. Turn Undead should be renamed Turn Interest. It makes things harder than it should be.

@Dm of Darkness. This is a RAW handbook. Ample allowances are assumed. It's probable that have a +4 Wis item is not allowed on all tables, but that is not what we are here to discuss.

There's also the requirement for 15 Int and Wis for the words, the fact the feat recommends DMs to be careful about putting it in their games, and that +4 items of Wisdom are found in Core. Periapt of Wisdom +4. I'm just saying, if the build requires one feat that has a warning to the DM about it in the book to be very good, it's suspect at best.

[Jackalope]

Do you have any plans on adding Primordial Giant? (Secrets of Xen'drik 81)

I know of no LA 0 giants (aside from the DM letting the Half-giant class from CompPsi work at 0 level which is iffy), but two LA+1 races eligible for it are Half-giant and Eneko (Secrets of Sarlona 109). There's also the LA+1 Half-ogre from Savage Species, but it got upped to +2 for some reason in Races of Destiny.

-4 str, -2 con, +4 int, +4 cha, +1 to CL for SLAs, and various other abilities including Favored Class: Warlock can make it exceptionally worthwhile.

Also, you may want to mention the Beast Strike feat is from Dragon 355 since you haven't referenced it.

[Snowbluff]

There's also the requirement for 15 Int and Wis for the words, the fact the feat recommends DMs to be careful about putting it in their games, and that +4 items of Wisdom are found in Core. Periapt of Wisdom +4. I'm just saying, if the build requires one feat that has a warning to the DM about it in the book to be very good, it's suspect at best.

I'll put your concerns etc. in my forward. Like a note saying "if the good options for using x are not available, don't take x", and then I'll point out the important things for each thing.

Do you have any plans on adding Primordial Giant? (Secrets of Xen'drik 81)

I know of no LA 0 giants (aside from the DM letting the Half-giant class from CompPsi work at 0 level which is iffy), but two LA+1 races eligible for it are Half-giant and Eneko (Secrets of Sarlona 109). There's also the LA+1 Half-ogre from Savage Species, but it got upped to +2 for some reason in Races of Destiny.

-4 str, -2 con, +4 int, +4 cha, +1 to CL for SLAs, and various other abilities including Favored Class: Warlock can make it exceptionally worthwhile.

Also, you may want to mention the Beast Strike feat is from Dragon 355 since you haven't referenced it.

Primordial Giant? Yeah, I'll see about prepping that.

[Sgt. Cookie]

I don't know if this helps, but unless I'm mistaken, DFI can be applied to Eldritch Claws, being a natural weapon and all that. Meaning that a Bardlock is much tastier than it first appears.

[Snowbluff]

I don't know if this helps, but unless I'm mistaken, DFI can be applied to Eldritch Claws, being a natural weapon and all that. Meaning that a Bardlock is much tastier than it first appears.

Yes.
It's a build-dependant, which is what DMofDarkness was saying.

[Jackalope]

You mentioned Aberrant Dragonmark in the feats section. Using a variant found at the bottom of http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebee/20050704a, the Aberrant Dragonmark becomes an Aberrant feat that would qualify the character for Inhuman Reach for example, which can be quite nice on a Glaive build since the feat explicitly says gaining the 5 foot increased natural reach adds 10 feet to your reach weapons.

A couple of the aberrant feats grant bonuses to grapple checks too, which would benefit a grapplock.

Other Aberrant feats are found at http://dndtools.eu/feats/categories/aberrant/.

And I'll edit in a writeup on the Shou Disciple since you mentioned it in the feats section. I might also do one for Fist of the Forest since that increases unarmed damage too.