Author Topic: Help with my Warforged Warlock  (Read 3530 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Kanenfawder

  • Monkey bussiness
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Help with my Warforged Warlock
« on: October 02, 2008, 01:32:10 PM »
So I recently started in an Eberron campaign that I expect to go to high levels.  Any 4e sources are available (even the FR books).  I've just been noticing that my striker doesn't (and won't) be doing significantly more damage than any of our tanks at any point in his lifetime.  Can anyone please give me some help with it?

Relevant Houserules:
1. Warforged Resolve changed to give a healing surge worth of temp hp
2. Multiclass Feats give a choice of skill, even if a specific one is printed
3. 26 Point Buy
4. Improved Fate of the Void dm ruled to change the pact to +2 to hit instead of adding +1 at the end

Warforged Warlock is pretty much the only thing that is set in stone.  I intend to use 4 rods (or 3 and a shield, if no useful 4th rod presents itself)

My build:
Star Pact
Dark Pact (dual-pact)

Str: 13 (just because robots should be strong -- could swap with dex?)
Con: 15
Dex: 8
Int: 12 (going to 18)
Wis: 13 (for paragon path)
Cha: 18 (going to 26)

Skills: He's the party face, so all of the face skills.  Only importance is intimidate, which is intended to be used in combat (as written with little DM intervention expected)

Feats
--------------
Heroic:
Initiate of the Faith (Diplomacy)
Improved Fate of the Void
Starfire Womb (dragon magazine)
Ritual Caster
Sacrifice to Caiphon (dragon magazine)
Skill Focus (intimidate)
Shield Proficiency (light, heavy) -- only if a 4th rod doesn't present itself
Armor Proficiency (chain, scale, plate)? -- for bonegrim armor (+2 intimidate and more constructy things)

Paragon:
Twofold Curse
Twofold Pact - Dark? (dragon magazine)

Epic:
Student of the Athaneum (dragon magazine)
Epic Resurgence
Blind-Fight

I intend to splash in some warforged feats as well as linguist

Powers
----------
At Will
1   Dire Radiance       (con v fort)               
1   Eldrich Blast       (cha v reflex)

Encounter
1   Warforged Resolve
1   Dreadful Word      (cha v will)      
2   Beguiling Tongue
3   Frigid Darkness    (cha v fort)    (or upsetting onslaught)
7   Far Realm Fantasm   (cha v will)   
10   Troublesome Aid of Calphon
11   Prophecy of Doom
13   Blaze of Ulban      (cha v will)
or16   Infuriating Elusiveness (see below)
17   Strand of Fate      (cha v ref)
23   Dark Transport      (cha v will)
27   Curse of the Fey King   (cha v will)

Daily
1   Dread Star       (cha v will)      
5   Curse of the Bloody Fangs (cha v AC) (or twilight of the soul)      
6   Dark One's Own Luck
9   Thief of Five Fates   (cha v will)
12   Good Omens
15    Curse of the Golden Mist(cha v will)    (or thing from fr)
or16   Eye of the Warlock (see above)
19   Delusions of Loyalty   (cha v will)   (or Dark Side of the Moon)
20   Hammer of Fate      (wis v will)
22   Raven's Glamor (or Wings of the Fiend)
25   Curse of the Twin Princes (cha v will)   
29   Curse of the Dark Delirium (cha v will)

I intend to go Divine Oracle to take advantage of all those v Will, and I'm thinking Demigod or Radiant One.  Not sure yet....

Anyway, I'm just hoping there's something big I overlooked, because it just doesn't feel like he's doing very much damage.  Looking for build improvements as well as item suggestions.  Also, I don't intend to use ~Rod of Corruption + Rod of Reaving~ to instabamph all minions simply because my DM will stop putting them out.  So that frees up at least 1 rod slot.

Thanks in advance!

anomalousman

  • That monkey with the orange ass cheeks
  • ****
  • Posts: 253
Re: Help with my Warforged Warlock
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2008, 01:49:19 AM »
Taking a second pact requires being a tiefling, so that's out.

If I were you, I'd focus on boosting Con over intelligence, start with more Con (at expense of a Str and a Wis - note that you'll get Wis 13 for the paragon path at level 11 anyway) and use the warforged bonus on Con to some benefit.  A lot of the star pact goodies are Con.  And many infernal powers are great.  Without Dark Pact specialisation, Cha will be less important to you.

veekie

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 9034
  • WARNING: Homing Miko
Re: Help with my Warforged Warlock
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2008, 02:56:30 AM »
Taking a second pact requires being a tiefling, so that's out.
They fixed that. It's race independent now.
The mind transcends the body.
It's also a little cold because of that.
Please get it a blanket.

I wish I could read your mind,
I can barely read mine.

"Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. At 2:15, it begins rolling up characters."

[spoiler]
"Just what do you think the moon up in the sky is? Everyone sees that big, round shiny thing and thinks there must be something round up there, right? That's just silly. The truth is much more awesome than that. You can almost never see the real Moon, and its appearance is death to humans. You can only see the Moon when it's reflected in things. And the things it reflects in, like water or glass, can all be broken, right? Since the moon you see in the sky is just being reflected in the heavens, if you tear open the heavens it's easy to break it~"
-Ibuki Suika, on overkill

To sumbolaion diakoneto moi, basilisk ouranionon.
Epigenentheto, apoleia keraune hos timeis pteirei.
Hekatonkatis kai khiliakis astrapsato.
Khiliarkhou Astrape!
[/spoiler]

There is no higher price than 'free'.

"I won't die. I've been ordered not to die."

X-Codes

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 3941
Re: Help with my Warforged Warlock
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2008, 03:10:24 AM »
Taking a second pact requires being a tiefling, so that's out.
No, it doesn't.  All it requires is the Warlock's Curse ability.

If I were you, I'd focus on boosting Con over intelligence, start with more Con (at expense of a Str and a Wis - note that you'll get Wis 13 for the paragon path at level 11 anyway) and use the warforged bonus on Con to some benefit.  A lot of the star pact goodies are Con.  And many infernal powers are great.  Without Dark Pact specialisation, Cha will be less important to you.
This is pretty much right.  Warforged Hellock/Starlock -> Blood Mage is brutal with the stack of temp HP you'll have going at all times.  Power Swap for a Wizard Encounter power and maybe a Wizard Daily to switch to a Encounter with Archmage (if you're so inclined and/or allowed).  This will give you more spells to use Blood Mage abilities with (unless your DM lets you use them on Warlock powers as well, but that would definitely be a houserule).

If you're really sold on Divine Oracle, then consider this instead for something more synergistic: Instead of multiclassing Cleric or Wizard, go Swordmage.  Take the feat Intelligent Blademaster and pick up the Umbiri path.  So long as you move at least 3 squares a turn you get CA against everything, which is a +2 bonus.  That, in turn, is about on par with "reroll, take reroll" or slightly less advantageous compared to "reroll, take best," but gives you Intelligence-based powers instead of a Wisdom-based power and various other things.  You also get to make really good Opportunity Attacks and even get decent effect out of Swordmage powers because your Strength won't be in the toilet.

If you're really sold on being the party face... well, don't bother.  Warforged Warlocks are just so much better off focusing on Constitution than Charisma.

Other suggestions: Ritual Caster or Alchemy.  This is the best way to take advantage of your 4 hour extended rest: by spending the other 2 doing rituals or alchemy for the group.

Kanenfawder

  • Monkey bussiness
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: Help with my Warforged Warlock
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2008, 10:43:43 AM »
Thanks for the input everybody!

Unfortunately, I can't switch out the class, but I will look into blood mage and see what my DM says about the wizard/warlock ability thing.

anomalousman

  • That monkey with the orange ass cheeks
  • ****
  • Posts: 253
Re: Help with my Warforged Warlock
« Reply #5 on: October 05, 2008, 04:38:27 AM »
Taking a second pact requires being a tiefling, so that's out.
They fixed that. It's race independent now.

Maybe I should stop reading the articles as they come out during the month and just read the post-fuss version at the end of the month.  But then who am I kidding?

VennDygrem

  • Member
  • Grape ape
  • *
  • Posts: 1689
    • Email
Re: Help with my Warforged Warlock
« Reply #6 on: December 06, 2008, 03:35:31 AM »
I started making a Hexforged build which was working wonders both in crunch and fluff. Basically, Warforged Hell-lock multiclassed into Fighter. He's not terrific as a party face, obviously, but he's a terrific Striker and Defender. Mixing Shadow Walk with a decent AC and a ton of sources of Temp HP make me a walking Rechargeable Engine of Destruction. If they can manage to hit me, more often than not they either take more damage or recharge my thp. Plus, I was more than decent at both range and close combat :D

The idea was to eventually move into Iron Vanguard (quite literal, no?) and take Fighter powers that heal me up or that push enemies. Of course, this character was conceived when we were playing with limited players and roles so it was somewhat necessary, and during the summer before so many more options came out, but it was working surprisingly well.

Regardless, if you're going with a Warforged Warlock, the best thing to do is to work on Con over Cha, since you get a bonus to it. Can't hurt to keep an OK charisma, but it shouldn't be the priority. Blood mage is definitely fantastic too, and was my second choice when coming up with the above character.

sombrastewart

  • Ring-Tailed Lemur
  • **
  • Posts: 82
    • Email
Re: Help with my Warforged Warlock
« Reply #7 on: December 06, 2008, 03:26:31 PM »
Honestly, if you're looking to do serious damage output, you don't want Star Pact.  Star is more about the effects that come with the attacks.  Second, I'm in agreement with the others here: get Infernal pact with that Con bonus.  I have a warlock in a game that's a Fey/Dark dual pact, and honestly, he just doesn't bring as much damage as he could.  The only reason he's not an Infernalock is precisely because no one else would have been a suitable party face.  Save yourself the Dual Pact feat.

BowenSilverclaw

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 5337
  • Walking that fine line between genius and insanity
    • Email
Re: Help with my Warforged Warlock
« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2009, 01:56:30 PM »
Sorry for the thread necro, but I didn't want to start a new thread just for this question.

In what issue of Dragon is Dual Pact located?
Thanks :)
"Weakness? Come test thy mettle against me, hairless ape, and we shall know who is weak!"

Quote from: J0lt
You caught a fish.  It was awesome.   :lol

Agita

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 5465
  • SFT is mai waifu.
Re: Help with my Warforged Warlock
« Reply #9 on: June 27, 2009, 02:06:20 PM »
Sorry for the thread necro, but I didn't want to start a new thread just for this question.

In what issue of Dragon is Dual Pact located?
Thanks :)
It's in that "Wish Upon A Star" article, I think it was 362 or so.
It's all about vision and making reality conform to your vision. By dropping a fucking house on it.

Agita's Awesome Poster Compilation
Lycanthromancer's Awesome Poster Compilation

PhoenixInferno

  • Hong Kong
  • ****
  • Posts: 1360
Re: Help with my Warforged Warlock
« Reply #10 on: June 27, 2009, 05:08:00 PM »
Twofold Pact - Dragon 366.

BowenSilverclaw

  • Organ Grinder
  • *****
  • Posts: 5337
  • Walking that fine line between genius and insanity
    • Email
Re: Help with my Warforged Warlock
« Reply #11 on: June 27, 2009, 05:13:01 PM »
Thanks PI :)
"Weakness? Come test thy mettle against me, hairless ape, and we shall know who is weak!"

Quote from: J0lt
You caught a fish.  It was awesome.   :lol