Homebrew DesignRoll up your sleeves and get working: there's lots of homebrewin' to be done! Post your custom creation for critiques or review those of your peers.
Forward: I drank like a liter of Mountain Dew and wrote this up. The objective is too increase the warlock's base versatility and optimization ceiling with common sense changes, new, flavorful abilities, and some bud nipping. I'll make a proper chart if this ever turns into an entire class of its own. This what I have right now,though, and I'll be sure to add more and correct mistakes as I go on.
This is my first attempt at homebrew, so please go easy on me.
Arcane Caster: Warlocks are considered Arcane Spell Casters, and have a Caster Level. Warlocks can receive benefit from Prestige Class that offer Spells per Day/Spells Known, Spellcasting, etc. progression increase the Warlock’s Invocations Known and Caster level.
Spoiler
Pretty much what this is trying to say is that anything an Arcane Spell Caster can qualify for, a Warlock can qualify for with out jumping through hoops. I am going to work on better and/or more inclusive wording.
Additionally, you can used Practiced Spellcaster, Ioun Stones the like to increase your caster level. Who need to homebrew an Invoker Specific Feat when we can just let Invokers use existing material?
The level of their Invocations can be used to qualify to allow entry into Feats and Prestige Classes that require the ability to cast certain level of spells. If an Invocation replicates the ability of a spell, it counts as a spell from the school that you are replicating for the purposes of qualifying for Prestige Classes and Feats. If the Warlock qualifies and enters a Prestige Class this way, he may only apply the Prestige Class’s increase to Caster Level/Spells Know/(Progression in general) to the Warlock progression.
Eldritch (SLA): This ability effectively replaces the Eldritch Blast ability. It starts at 1d6 damage. For every other caster levels for Warlock, the number of d6 increases by 1 (For example, at 3 CL it is 2d6, at 7 CL it is 4d6). This determines the damage of certain abilities and effects.
At levels 1, 4, and 8 the Warlock gains a function of this ability of their choice.
Spoiler
Eldritch Blast: This functions in the same way as the original Eldritch Blast, except that the damage is based on the Eldritch ability.
Eldritch Claws: The Warlock gains Eldritch Claws as a bonus feats. The Eldritch Claws will deal damage equal to the Warlock’s Unarmed Strike plus the Warlock’s Eldritch ability dice.
Eldritch Glaive: The Warlock gains Eldritch Glaive as an additional Invocation. Additionally, he may invoke the Glaive as a Standard Action to make a Standard Attack (as opposed to normally invoking it as a Full Action to make a Full Attack). The Eldritch Glaive deals damage equal to the Warlock’s Eldritch ability dice.
Invocations: A new invocation is learned at every level. In addition, one is learned at 1,6,11,16. You may forgo taking an additional Invocation Known at 1, 6, 11, or 16 to gain a Meta-SLA feat as a bonus feat.
Spoiler
The things at 1,6,11 and 16 might get made into a bonus feat option, instead.
Pay With Madness (Su): Each of the follow abilities may be taken in place of an Invocation Known. Each one has a Grade, which determines at what level of invocation slots a Warlock may obtain it (For example, one the Warlock has access to Greater Invocations at level 16, he may take a greater Pay With Madness ability).
Pay 1 Wisdom Damage to power these abilities. Each time these are used in an encounter, increase the Wisdom (Or Constitution) cost by 1 (For an example, a Warlock who has used this ability 3 times in an encounter must pay 4 Wisdom/Constitution to activate it again). If the Warlock does not have a Wisdom score, he instead pays in Constitution Damage instead. If he has neither a Wisdom or Constitution score, he can not activate these abilities.
If he is immune to the damage, he may forgo his immunity and take the damage anyway to active the ability regardless of immunities. Additionally, if he has an effect that otherwise reduces the ability damage taken (Such as the Strongheart Vest Soulmeld) or heals the damage (Such as the Niberius Vestige), it does not interfere with the use of this ability.
Spoiler
Unto the Arcane: (Lesser) This ability is a free action. Activating this ability can only be done if the uses of a Meta-SLA has been expended. Upon using this ability, the Warlock may apply the Meta-SLA once more. This ability may only be used one per round.
Unto the Divine: (Lesser) This ability is a free action. Activating this ability grants the Warlock one Turn/Rebuke undead attempt. The warlock may use this ability multiple times to gain multiple Turn/Rebuke Attempts per round. This allows the Warlock to spend 1 Turn/Rebuke Attempt to Turn/Rebuke Undead as a cleric of level equal to the Warlock level plus any level increasing the Warlock’s level for Invocations (Example Warlock3/Wizard3/Eldritch3 would be considered a level 6 cleric for Turning/Rebuking)
All turn attempts are lost at the end of the round. This ability can only be used during an encounter.
Unto the Ignorant: (Lesser) This ability is a free action. Activating this gives +1stacking bonus to Saves and AC versus Arcane Spells/Spell Like Abilities (Such as those of a Warlock) for one round. Additionally, the Warlock gains a +1 stacking bonus to attack versus creatures able to cast Arcane Spell/SLAs.
Unto the Profane: (Lesser) This ability works as Unto the Ignorant, except replace the words “Arcane” with “Divine”.
Unto the Helpless: (Greater) This ability is a Standard action. As a ranged touch attack, deal positive energy damage equal to your Eldritch damage. This ability heals living creature and Harms Undead. You may apply Blast Shapes and Meta-SLA (Even though it is Supernatural) to this ability as if it was was Eldritch Blast.
Unto the Broken: (Greater) This ability functions as Unto the Helpless, but deals Negative Energy rather than Positive Energy, healing Undead and damaging living creature.
Pay With Flesh (SU): Each of the follow abilities may be taken in place of an Invocation Known. Each one has a Grade, which determines at what level of invocation slots a Warlock may obtain it (For example, one the Warlock has access to Greater Invocations at level 16, he may take a greater Pay With Flesh ability).
These function similarly to the Pay with Madness abilities, except that Constitution is the resource expended. Activating each ability takes a variable amount of Constitution. If the Warlock does not have a Constitution score, he may pay with his Wisdom score instead. If he is immune to the ability damage, he may ignore his immunity and take the ability damage anyway, and if he does not, he cannot activate the ability.
Spoiler
For Hellfire in the Veins: (Greater) Activating this ability is a free action that can be done once per turn. You may pay 1 Constitution Damage for every 4 caster levels in warlock you have. For every point of constitution damage you pay, increase your caster level for determining your Eldritch dice by 3.
Spoiler
I baked in Hellfire Warlock, made it cost more Constitution, and nipped any arguments concerning the constitution loss at the bud.
For Brimstone in the Eyes: (Lesser) Activating this ability is a free action that can be done once per turn. May pay 1 Constitution Damage for every 3 caster levels in warlock you have. For every point of Constitution Damage you pay, you increase your caster level for the purpose of overcoming Spell Resistance for one round.
Spoiler
Names aren't final. This might be change to something else in the eyes, and Brimstone will be reused for a Strength based bonus.
For Focus in the Hands: (Lesser) This ability can be activated while using a Wand, Staff, or other Spell Trigger item to cast a spell. The Warlock may pay 1 Constitution Damage per 4 caster levels in Warlock. This ability allows the warlock to add metamagic to the spell cast by the item of up to a total level adjustment equal to the Constitution payed.
Metamgic that may be added to the item's spell are: Extend Spell, Empower Spell, Repeat Spell, Heighten Spell, Maximize Spell, Chain Spell. The Warlock does not need the Metamagic Feat to apply it to the item's spell.
For the Devil in Me: (Least) Activating this ability is a Swift action. You may pay 1 Constitution Damage per 3 caster levels in Warlock you have. For every point of Constitution damage you pay, you gain a +1 bonus to Charisma based skills and checks.
Also, you also get a cool alibi if anyone catches you doing horrible things. Not that it will work, but it will make for nice last words.
Your first point is mostly unnecessary. Warlocks already count as arcane casters with a caster level, and can use Practiced Spellcaster just fine. The only addition is the idea that invocations count as a spell of their level for pre-reqs, which I don't see a general problem with, but might require a lot of checking for interactions with PrC abilities that weren't designed to interact with invocations.
Your first point is mostly unnecessary. Warlocks already count as arcane casters with a caster level, and can use Practiced Spellcaster just fine. The only addition is the idea that invocations count as a spell of their level for pre-reqs, which I don't see a general problem with, but might require a lot of checking for interactions with PrC abilities that weren't designed to interact with invocations.
Practiced Spellcaster Requires them to be, you know... spell casters. They have a Caster Level, but not a spellcaster level, IIRC.
As for interactions with abilities, they just can't use most abilities. The fact of other matter is there abilities are still SLAs, and therefore don't interact for most things. You could, however, get into Initiate of the Seven Fold Veil to use the nifty Wards, but the entry will be very tricky (I don't think they even have 5 Abjuration SLAs ).
So are there any other changes to it? Do they still get spell DR and other nifty abilities, the ability to use magic devices, etc?
Also, 24 Invocations + Eldritch Glaives seems like a bit much. Do they still get the ability to replace invocations?
These are changes. Things that aren't noted are unchanged.
24 isn't much, IMO. They are weak due to lack of options. More invocations give them more to look forward to each level, and they are not s strong as spells anyway.
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