Warlock

[Vincent07]

So, it has been asked of me a time or six, if Warlock was possible to do on our server.  After some recent frustrations with my inability to make Tempest work in the manner in which I want it to, I decided to take a look at what I might be able to do to make Warlock a possibility.  After a bit of thought, I realized that I could in fact code most of their abilities, even allowing for some various blast shapes and essences without too much headache.  That being said, there are a few issues.

First.  I can not allow for spell selection, as I cannot give them a proper spell book.  What does this mean?  Well, it means that all Warlocks will more or less get the same list of available abilities.  This is similar to what I had to do with Swordmage.

Second:  Because all of these abilities are spell-like feats, which is the only way we have to do them within NWN, they are not subject to Arcane Spell Failure, or disruption via damage.  The former I will kludge with a check that simply disables the class abilities if they put on medium or heavy armor, or equip any shield.  I may allow them use of a small shield. (I'll just add a new feat that lets them equip those, not the large/tower shields.)  The latter is a bit more problematic, and I'm not sure there is anything I can do about it.  We are after all, constrained to the tools we have at hand.  You may notice I included a rank of Uncanny Dodge. As I have said when adding it to other classes recently via the /command, this is due to NWN's proclivity to flat-footing PCs at for what seems to be little to no reason due to combat shoving.

All that said, here is what I have worked out so far.  Do keep in mind this is still very much a work in progress, in fact I threw all of this together within the last 24 hours, much of it based off of the NWN2 implementation.  So much of this may see changes before it is live on the server. I may add more Invocations via feat selection, though I do not want to overload the class.


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Warlock - NWN 3.5 Conversion for CD
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HitDie: d6

Alignment Restriction:  Any Evil or Chaotic

BAB Progression: +3/4 (Medium)

Skill Points: 2 + Int Mod

Saves: Will

Proficiencies: Light Armor, Simple and Rogue Weapons (Possibly Small Shields)

Class Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Disguise, Heal, Intimidate, Lore, Knowledge (Arcana), Spellcraft, Taunt, Use Magic Device

Invocations:

A Warlock does not prepare or cast spells as other wielders of arcane magic do. Instead, he possesses a repertoire of attacks, defenses, and abilities known as invocations that require him to focus the wild energy that suffuses his soul. A Warlock can use any invocation he knows at will.

Invocations are Spell-like abilities that take a standard action to cast.
Invocations are subject to spell resitance unless otherwise noted.
A Warlock's caster level is equal to his class level
The DC for an invocation (if it allows a save) is 10 + equivalent spell level + Warlock's Charisma modifier.
Warlock invocations suffer armor related spell failure (from medium and heavier armor and shields) in the same way as arcane spells.  A Warlock can cast in light armor without a chance of arcane spell failure as long as they do not equip a shield.
(Due to the nature of how warlock abilities have to be implemented, ASF will be a kludge.  Equipping anything heavier than light armor, or a shield will simply disable a warlock's abilities.  I may allow them use of a small shield/buckler, we'll see.

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Abilities:
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Level:

1: Edritch Blast: 1d6, Warlock Pact, Entropic Warding
2: Devil's Sight
3: Edritch Blast: 2d6, Darkness
4: Deceive Item, Uncanny Dodge I, Walk Unseen, See the Unseen
5: Edritch Blast: 3d6, Draining Blast [Essence]
6: Brimstone Blast [Essence]
7: Edritch Blast: 4d6
8: Fiendish Resilience I, The Dead Walk
9: Edritch Blast: 5d6, Hellrime Blast [Essence]
10: Energy Resistance 5, Flee The Scene
11: Edritch Blast: 6d6, Vitriolic Blast [Essence]
12: Wall of Perilous Flame
13: Edritch Blast: 7d6, Fiendish Resilience II
14: Eldritch Cone [Shape]
15: Edritch Blast: 8d6, Devour Magic
16: Utterdark Blast [Essence]
17: Edritch Blast: 9d6
18: Fiendish Resilience III, Edritch Doom [Shape]
19: Edritch Blast: 10d6
20: Energy Resistance 10, Dark Foresight
21: Edritch Blast: 11d6
22: Bonus Feat
23: Edritch Blast: 13d6
24: Bonus Feat
25: Edritch Blast: 15d6, Energy Resistance 15

Warlock Feats:
Hideous Blow [Shape]
Eldritch Chain [Shape]
Epic Fiendish Resilience
Eldritch Master
Maximize Spell-like Ability (Eldritch Blast)
Quicken Spell-like Ability (Eldritch Blast)
Invocation Focus
Greater Invocation Focus
Epic Invocation Focus
Chilling Tentacles [Greater]


Eldritch Blast:
A Warlock attacks his foes with Eldritch power, using baleful magical energy to deal damage and sometimes impart other debilitating effects. An Eldritch blast deals 1d6 points of magical damage at 1st level and increases in power as the Warlock rises in level (up to 15d6 by level 25). There is no Saving Throw with this attack, but Spell Resistance can negate it. This power can be used at will.

-An Eldritch Blast is a ray with a range of 60ft.

-It is a ranged touch attack that affects a single target.

-It is a weapon-like spell. (Critical hit on a roll of 20, double damage.)

-One Eldritch Essence may be toggled on, which will apply the listed effects to your Eldritch Blast.

-A Blast Shape will channel your Eldritch Blast in the listed manner, along with the effects of the currently toggled Eldritch Essence.

Fiendish Resilience:
Once per day, for 20 rounds, the warlock gains fast healing. The value is 1 point from 8th level, 2 points from 13th level and 5 points from 18th level.

Energy Resistance:
The Warlock gains 5 points of damage resistance to two of the following elements: Fire, Cold, Acid, Electrical or Sonic. This bonus increases to 10 at level 20, and 15 at level 25.

Deceive Item:
Warlocks can take 10 on UMD checks.


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Blast Shapes:
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Hideous Blow: [Least]
Selectable feat. Requires Warlock level 2.
Channels the Warlock's Eldritch Blast damage through their melee weapon. This ability is self-only and will not stack with any other weapon damage enhancement.

Eldritch Chain: [Lesser]
Selectable feat. Requires Warlock level 6.
Eldritch Blast jumps to caster level/5 secondary targets. All secondary targets take half damage.

Eldritch Cone: [Greater]
Eldritch Blast takes the shape of a 30-foot cone. This is not a ray attack, so it requires no ranged touch attack. Any creature in the area of the cone can attempt a Reflex save for half damage.

Eldritch Doom: [Dark]
Eldritch Blast takes the shape of Eldritch Doom. This causes bolts of mystical power to lash out and savage all targets within a 20 foot area. This is not a ray attack, so it requires no ranged touch attack. Each target can attempt a Reflex save for half damage.

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Eldritch Essences:
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Draining Blast: [Least]
Target must make a will save or be slowed for 1 round.

Brimstone Blast: [Lesser]
Eldritch Blast damage changes to Fire Damage. Target takes 2d6 Fire damage/round until he succeeds at a Reflex save. Lasts 1 round/level.

Hellrime Blast: [Lesser]
Eldritch Blast damage changes to Cold Damage. Target must make a Fortitude save or take -2 to Dexterity for 3 rounds.

Vitriolic Blast: [Greater]
Eldritch Blast damage changes to Acid Damage. Target takes 2d6 Acid damage/round per 5 Warlock levels. Ignores Spell Resistance.

Utterdark Blast: [Dark]
Eldritch Blast damage changes to Negative Energy Damage. Target must make a Fortitude save or gain 2 negative levels. Will heal targeted undead.

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Other Invocations:
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Entropic Warding: [Least]
20% Ranged Concealment for 1 turn/level.  (May add some Armor AC to this, similar to Mage Armor.)

Devil's Sight: [Least]
Ultravision for 24hrs.

Darkness: [Least]
Darkness, as the spell.

Walk Unseen: [Lesser]
Invisibility, as the spell.

See the Unseen: [Lesser]
See Invisibility, as the spell.

The Dead Walk: [Lesser]
Similar to Animate Dead. Animates an undead servant to aid the Warlock. This servant will scale in power with the Warlock every few levels. (Probably every 4-5.)

Flee The Scene: [Lesser]
Self-Only Dimension Door effect that applies a 20% concealment for 3 rounds. (Supposed to be Major Image, but we can't seem to do that effectively.)

Wall of Perilous Flame: [Greater]
A Modified Wall of Flame that does 2d6 + Charisma Modifier fire damage/round for 3 rounds. Undead take double damage. Half the damage is magical.

Devour Magic: [Greater]
Touch Range Greater Dispel.

Dark Foresight: [Dark]
Damage Reduction. Probably scaled somewhere between G.Stoneskin and Premonition.


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Warlock Feats:
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Epic Fiendish Resilience:
Selectable feat. Requires Warlock level 16 & Epic Character.
Increases the Regeneration amount of Fiendish Resilience to 25.

Eldritch Master:
Selectable feat. Requires Warlock level 16.
Eldritch Blast damage increased by 50%.

Maximize Spell-like Ability (Eldritch Blast)
Selectable feat. Requires Warlock level 10.
Maximizes Eldritch Blast damage. This only maximizes Eldritch Blast and has no effect on Blow, Chain, Cone or Doom shapes.

Quicken Spell-like Ability (Eldritch Blast):
Selectable feat. Requires Warlock level 8.
Quickens Eldritch Blast. This only effects Eldritch Blast, not the various other shapes.

Invocation Focus:
Selectable Feat. Requires Warlock.
Increases Invocation DC by 2.

Greater Invocation Focus:
Selectable Feat. Requires Invocation Focus.
Increases Invocation DC by 4.

Epic Invocation Focus:
Selectable Feat. Requires Greater Invocation Focus, Warlock level 16 and Epic Character.
Increases Invocation DC by 6.

Chilling Tentacles: [Greater]
Selectable feat. Requires Warlock level 11.
Invocation, as Evard's Tentacles with additional 2d6 + Cha Mod Cold damage/round.


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Warlock Pacts:
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A Warlock must make a pact with some manner of outsider, fey or other power to gain their magical abilities.  The warlock will gain various abilities based upon the pact chosen at level 6, 11 and 16.  Pact selection cannot be changed.


Dark Pact: (Demons)
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Noxious Blast: [Essence] Eldritch Blast dazes on a failed fort save.

Wraithform: Gain concealment.

Darkwalker: Utterdark does increased damage and drains additional levels.


Infernal Pact: (Devils)
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Aura of Flame: Fire surrounds you, damaging foes that hit you in melee.

Hellfire: Brimstone now does additional Hellfire damage.

Word of Changing: Change into a Cornugon, gaining an extra attack, temporary hp and extra damage.


Fey Pact: (Fey)
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Bewitching Blast: [Essence] Eldritch Blast confuses on a failed will save.

Eyebite: Blinds targets on a failed fort save.

Will of the Feywild: Dominates the target.


Star Pact: (Old Ones / Far Plane)
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Frightful Blast: [Essence] Eldritch Blast fears on a failed will save.

Doomsayer:  Lowers AB and saves of target.

Starless Void: Cloak yourself in the void, gaining concealment and dealing cold damage to any who hit you in melee.

[goodapollo]

Any evil means LE as well, yes? Please? This looks great.

[Valimar Dragonbane]

Pretty rad, Vincent.  I can't wait to give it a go.

[Edge]

Feb 4, 2015 15:53:33 GMT -5 goodapollo said:

Any evil means LE as well, yes?

Yup. Warlocks can be LE, NE, CE, CN, or CG.

[Deleted]

Initial impression is that this is as close as we'll come in NWN1.  I really like the implementation of the different class abilities.

I assume we'll have to at least have 1 other class first, for character creation.

There are warlock feats that allow it to damage undead more, etc.  Also ones for allowing good-aligned warlocks.  Maybe we can open the alignment range a bit?

[Vincent07]

Well, any chaotic does allow for CG Warlocks.    NG, LG etc doesn't strike me as the type to really go for Warlock pacts.

More feat suggestions would be great. I haven't looked through the PnP  Warlock feat lists yet.

[Edge]

I know there's an invocation that basically casts Fly and a few others I could look up later.

[Deleted]

NG and LG warlocks get it from celestial powers, with similarly-flavored invocations, in Complete Mage.  Though I think that required a PrC.

[Edge]

It did, yes.

[Vincent07]

There are a lot of invocations I left out, the Flight one being one of them, as they have mobility via Flee the Scene.  I can certainly make some available via selected feats, as I did with Chilling Tentacles, Hideous Blow and Eldritch Chain.

[goodapollo]

Uh, warlock feats, some made up and some from other sources, like this:

Concussive Blasts: A burst of wind buffets your foe to the ground. Blast deals half damage, reflex save vs knockdown.

Eldritch Empowerment: The warlock adds 1d6 to their blast damage, +1d6 per five levels.

Eldritch Soul: His warlock caster level and the caster level of any magical item he uses is considered to be 2 higher

Eldritch Heritage: A 3-4 feat chain that grants new warlock abilities based on their magical lineage.
Examples: Angelic- gives bonuses vs evil, undead, area healing.
Demonic- Bonuses to hideous blow and blast damage, retributive damage, etc
I can be more specific if it's wanted, but you get the idea.

Word Of Changing: Baleful Polymorph

Eldritch Penetration: +4 Bonus vs spell resistance

'Spell Focus' Invocation: +2 bonus to warlock dcs. Greater and epic versions.

[Edge]

Most of these would be limited or impossible due to the nature of NWN.

Concussive could probably be done by giving them Gust of Wind or Iron Horn or something.

We can't adjust the caster level on items on the fly so Eldritch Soul is unlikely to be used.

This look feasible but what I wonder is how many glitches it would do with standard spell systems and so on.  But we'll figure that out.  This looks fun Vincent.

[Fire Wraith]

I'm pretty sure we could adjust it on the fly, since we've already rethreaded all the scripts to use a custom caster level function.

[Vincent07]

Yeah, none of this would impact existing stuff in any manner aside from adding a check for the new class into the caster level function.