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***Changes made 08/10, added two PrCs at the bottom of the builds section that a Warlock can qualify for.***


There's been a rash in Warlock threads here recently. So, for a class picking up in popularity I thought I start this thread. Warlock is my favorite class, ever.

Currently, search is down. I know alot of good Warlock builds have been posted, so if you posted one and you want it here, please show it.

Warlock Pros.

• A good skill list. It's a Cha based class with good Cha based skills, and it gets the eternally powerful Use Magic Device. Three good solid Knowledge skills (Arcana, Planes, and Religion - almost the Big Four, if only it had Nature).
  
• All their Invocations can be used in Light armor, with no ASF.
  
• Unlimited uses of their Invocations, and Eldritch Blast
  
• Detect Magic at Will, with Caster Level equal to class level.
  
• The ability to take 10 on all UMD checks, even when distracted or threatened. At 4th level (!)
  
• Damage reduction/Cold Iron.
  
• Energy Resistance against two elements
  
• Artificer like ability to craft magic items with UMD.
  

Warlock Cons

• Alignment Restrictions (Chaotic or Evil only)
  
• Low skill points per level
  
• d6 hit die
  
• Very feat dependent for most Warlock Builds.
  
• Lack of good Prestige Classes a Warlock can qualify for. Almost none were printed pre-Complete Arcane
  
• Only 1 good save.
  
• Only gain a total of 12 Invocations
  
• Errata is greatly needed, a very confusing class mechanic. Check my sig for the thread from Richard Baker
  

Dipping into the Warlock:
The basic reason to dip into the Warlock is for a 24 hour self-buff. 1 Level will get you 1 Invocation, and a 1d6 Eldritch Blast (Not all that useful). Good Invocations for this are: Beguiling Influence, Leaps and Bounds, Entropic Warding, See and Unseen, and Spiderwalk, depending on what you are trying to accomplish. A social Rogue, for example, could pick up a +6 unnamed bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate. A warrior could dip in for 1 level to get See the Unseen, which would grant Darkvision and See Invisibility.

Dipping for a second level gets you Detect Magic at will, and a second Invocation.

The max I would go for a dip into Warlock is 4, which nets you 3 Least Invocations, Detect Magic at will, Eldritch Blast 2d6 (Meh) Damage Reduction 1/Cold Iron, and Imbue Item, which gives you the awesome ability to take 10 on UMB checks, something shared only by the Artificier.

Least Invocations

Baleful Utterance: Unlimited Shatters as the spell. very very very useful.

Beguiling Influance: Will see the most use in Warlocks that want to make good negotiator. The use is limited because Diplomacy is not a class skill for Warlocks, sadly. If you add levels of a social class (Rogue, Bard) the usefulness of this Invocation increases.

Breath of the Night: I've not found a use for this Invocation yet. Fog Cloud can be a handy spell, but one that can be more easily duplicated with a magic item.

Dark One's Own Luck: A luck bonus to your saves based on your Charisma for 24 hours, but limited by your class level. It cant be used on more than 1 save at a time. That makes me less than excited about it.

DarknessThe 3.5 version of Darkness is pretty crappy. If you used the 3.0 version.. yeah, go for it.

Devil's Sight: When the Warlock was first introduced, there was alot of excitement about this combined with Darkness, but it turns out that it isnt all it's cracked up to be. There are better things to use your Invocation slots on.

Earthen Grasp: Since the spell sucks, I think this invocation sucks too.

Entropic Warding: This Invocation is so good, I dont know what else to say. 20% miss chance from ranged attacks, leaving no trail, cant be tracked by scent? Wow.

Leaps and Bounds: Might be good for multi-class Warlocks that get those skills on their list. Rogue and Monks come to mind immediately.

Miasmic Cloud: Easy to catch your allies inside, easily dispirsed. Might make a good low level Invocation to swap out later

See the Unseen: One of the best of the Least Invocations. 24 hour See Invisibility -and- Darkvision. I'll take two, and an order of fries.

Spiderwalk: A great power for those Warlocks seeking to enhance their mobility options, esp. in caves, buildings, and cities.

Summon Swarm: A decent low level power, the duration prevents you from summoning 400 Swarms.


Lesser Invocations

Charm: Another solid invocation, this one can give you a temporary cohort. Can also be used to qualify for the Mindbender PrC

Curse of Dispair: Not all that useful, since you need to be close enough to touch the target, but given that Bestow Curse can be a powerful ability, I say it depends on your Warlock-style.

The Dead Walk: If you use the black onyx you can create an undead army in a day. Even without the onyx, it is a good ability to make a quick zombie in the middle of combat. If you take Utterdark Blast, you can heal your undead minions. With Eldritch Chain you can heal mutiple targets. With Eldritch Cone you can heal your undead while affecting your enemies.

Fell Flight The crown jewel of Warlock mobility, the spell can give you flight you can turn on and off all day long. Awesome invocation

Flee the Scene: Another awesome mobility invocation. A good way to create confusion among your enemies. Too bad the range was shortened so much.

Hungry Darkness: I'm not sure what the use of this Invocation is. It only lasts if you concentrate, and it's only Darkness with a bat swarm. Seems useless.

Stony Grasp: Just as useless as Earthen Grasp.

Void Sense: Blindsense is a good ability, but I am not sure I would use an Invocation slot on it. Good candidate for the Extra Invocation feat.

Voracious Dispelling: Good Invocation. with a high spell craft, and a readied action, this Invocation could make a Warlock a good counterspeller. Note that the effectiveness decreases as your increase with level, much like the effectiveness of Dispel Magic diminishes.

Walk Unseen: I love this Invocation, but I never seen to have enough slots to take it. Who doesnt want Invisibility at will?

Wall of Gloom: Not a very useful Wall Invocation, and there are much much better ones at this level you can take.

Greater Invocations

Chilling Tentacles: Awesome, awesome Invocation! This is one of the reasons Warlocks make such good battlefield controllers! Even if someone isnt grappled, they still take cold damage.

Devour Magic: I actully find this Invocation less useful than it's lower counterpart, since it can only be used as a targeted dispel, and as a touch spell. Flexability is just something a Warlock cant give up.

Enervating Shadow: A decent Invocation, but one that requires close proximity again. The Str penalty is nice, but there are better places to spend a Greater Invocation.

Tenacious Plague: A good swarn summoning spell, if that is your thing. The DC boost, and ability to treat the swarm as magical weapons for overcoming DR is pretty good. The number of swarms you summon can be pretty sick too.

Wall of Perilous Flame: Another good battlefield control spell, made even better since half of the damage is not fire damage anymore.

Warlock's call: Uh. Sending isnt that useful anyway, plus it can damage you. Sheer crap.

Dark Invocations

Dark Discorporation: Why, oh why, would you take this? You can only take move actions! Blah! It basically negates your abilities to use Invocations at all. I'd rather not. I've been informed some people prefer this Invocation. Just goes to show you cant take -1- persons opinion as fact. There are instances where Swarm Traits and Immunites will be very useful, and the damage isnt half bad. I prefer to have access to my Invocations and Eldritch Blast.

Dark Foresight: Eh, I wouldnt take it. I've never found Foresight to be all that useful. The Telepathy picks up some of the slack, and is very useful for with the Charm use.

Path of Shadow: The only long range teleportation spell a Warlock gets, and it appears you can take your party along with you. Nice ability.

Retributive Invisibility: Greater Invisibility at will, and it can damage everything around you if it is dispelled. Pretty good

Word of Changing: Probably the most hiliarious ability the Warlock gets, the ability to permanently Baleful Polymorph an enemy is usually too much for me to pass up.

Warlock Theme Builds

Warlock Errata, by Richard Baker

I have to disagree about the Stony Grasp. Its pretty useful since it can come up from just about anywhere except liquids. Its saved my party on a few occassions, nothing like getting flanking with the giant hand. If you're up there in class level (for me I'm the equivalent of a 10th lvl caster, Warlock 9 Acolyte of the Skin 3) it has STR 22, BAB 10+STR bonus, and has 40 HP. The monsters my DM throws against us rarely if ever try to attack it and denying your enemy their movement ability is just nasty. It also helps to split up the enemy.

Tealgorthian]Least Invocations
Dark Discorporation: Why, oh why, would you take this? You can only take move actions! Blah! It basically negates your abilities to use Invocations at all. I'd rather not.

Hold on there cowboy, that's my personal FAVORITE you're talking about!

Yes, when you use it you don't use others, but then again everytime you use invocation X you don't use anything else for that round. Think of it as a constantly cast invocation (that you can turn on\off at will).

Other than that, this invocation gives you:
Flight, Gaseous Form (roughly), blindsens, Tons of immunities not to mention decent area damage. Fighters can't attack you since you are immune to damage and casters will have a hard time casting when you constatly damage them.

Also, don't forget that since this is a transformation, all regular advantages of transformations occur. Example, just dump everything on you then morph and no problem with encum wrote: