Kali's Warlock Fiend CC + Insta-kill + Offensive Caster build

[Kalibano]

Filigree suggestion:

- Lunar Magic set
+ To Hell and Back/Embraced by Light rare to Artifact
+ To Hell and Back +1 Cha rare
- Eye of Beholder +2 PRR/+3MRR
+ EoB/Grave raid rare +2 Int +8USP
+ 1 Cha any rare filigree

+2 Cha, +8USP, +1 Spellcraft, +1MRR, +3PRR

8)

Thanks for the suggestion

Looking more closely, as I do want to maximise spell DCs more than anything, but SPw is also an important secondary aim, so suggestions that can reach these aims will definitely be helpful!:

Currently:
+1 CHA: Lunar Magic 1
+1 CHA: Lunar Magic 2
+100 SPs (2 pieces set bonus)
+10 SPw: Lunar Magic 3
+1 DCs: (3 pieces)
swap Eye PRR: +2 INT (=1 SPw) +8 SPw: Eye/Grave rare
[Total 2 Spell DCs]
[Total 19 SPw]
[+100 SPs]

Your suggestion:
+2 CHA: Hell 2/Embrace 2 rare
+5 HAmp (2 piece Embrace)
+5 PRR (2 piece Hell)
+1 CHA: Hell 3
+10 MRR (3 piece Hell)
+2 INT (=1 SPw) +8 SPw: Eye/Grave rare
+1 CHA: Embrace 3
+10 SPw (3 piece Embrace)
[Total 2 Spell DCs]
[Total 19 SPw]
[0 SPs]

Extra defenses could potentially be nice, as this caster resides at melee range a lot, but mobs are always CCed when I get to them to start dishing out dmg, so can't say I see defenses as essential, in general terms. When I DPS bosses, I stay at range for the aura, but not in front of dmg.

I do value spell points a lot on this Warlock, as I cast insta-kills and spells all the time, while the aura does dmg passively. Warlocks don't inherently get a particularly large SP pool. There is no active blasting.

Mmmm, will have to consider this a bit more carefully, but at the moment still leaning towards my set-up purely because of the spell points, based on my experience with this at mid-high reaper.

Thanks for the input Fisto!

 

[Fisto Mk I]

+2 Cha provide additional spellpoints too, just need check as much.

 

[Fisto Mk I]

Oh, when i type +1Cha rare any filigree really i mean +1 Cha Embraced by Light, it provide another +10 USP from set bonuses. 8)

 

[Kalibano]

Oh, when i type +1Cha rare any filigree really i mean +1 Cha Embraced by Light, it provide another +10 USP from set bonuses. 8)

Nice one.

It just occurred to me that, if I change the current Eye PRR for Eye/Grave rare, I get +9 SPw as well, so it ends up like this:

Currently:
+1 CHA: Lunar Magic 1
+1 CHA: Lunar Magic 2
+100 SPs (2 pieces set bonus)
+10 SPw: Lunar Magic 3
+1 DCs: (3 pieces)
swap Eye PRR --> +2 INT (=1 SPw) +8 SPw: Eye/Grave rare
[Total 2 Spell DCs]
[Total 19 SPw]
[+100 SPs]

Your suggestion:
+2 CHA: Hell 2/Embrace 2 rare
+5 HAmp (2 piece Embrace)
+5 PRR (2 piece Hell)
+1 CHA: Hell 3
+10 MRR (3 piece Hell)
+2 INT (=1 SPw) +8 SPw: Eye/Grave rare
+1 CHA: Embrace 3
+10 SPw (3 piece Embrace)
[Total 2 Spell DCs]
[Total 19 SPw]
[0 SPs]

 

[Fisto Mk I]

Yea, change to raid EoB/Grave in your setup provide more USP. I initially want provide only this suggestion, but always i try max results.

Ah, +2 Cha must provide 32 spellpoints too for lvl 32 toon afaik.

 

[Kalibano]

Yea, change to raid EoB/Grave in your setup provide more USP. I initially want provide only this suggestion, but always i try max results.

Ah, +2 Cha must provide 32 spellpoints too for lvl 32 toon afaik.

Always appreciate your input, thanks dude

 

[Kalibano]

More stat breakdowns were added.

Enjoy!

 

[Kalibano]

U66 changes (updated in the forums and DDOBuilder file)
Some changes to both Epic Destinies used by this build.

> The key active changes I made were:

• Exalted Angel
  • I've done some re-shuffling and additions, since the were a few changes/adjustments:
    • the most notable (and costly): the inclusion of a pre-requisite arrow from T1 Bane of Undeath and T2 Endless Turning.
    • T2 Divine Protection gained an extra rank (so also more costly).

• Draconic Incarnation
  • Dragon Breath moving down to tier 1 and being cheaper made it possible to make a minor addition:
    • an extra rank for T2 Draconic Presence

Pre-U66:

... with the changes indicated above:

> The key passive changes imo were overall positive, despite the adjustments to Dragon Breath:

• Exalted Angel
  • Bane of Undeath now allows you to use your character level instead of your class level for Turn Undead
  • Metamagic Attunement II in tier 5 no longer grants spell power (was moved to tier 2 Divine Protection)
  • Divine Protection is now: +1/2/3 Armor Class and Physical and Magical Resistance Rating. Rank 3: +5 Fire, Light, Positive, Alignment and Universal Spell Power.
  • Shadows Upon You now also reduces Armor Class and Physical and Magical Resistance Rating by 1 per stack.
  • Delayed Judgement DC scaling is now enchantment
  • Holy Fireball damage adjusted to 1d6+4 Fire and 1d6+4 Light damage per caster level. Cooldown Adjusted to 10 seconds.
  • Ascendance is now: Epic Moment. For the next 20 seconds, your single-target Cure Wounds spells you cast on any target now instead apply to all allies. These spells cannot crit. For the duration of this ability, Raise Dead and Resurrection also raise your target to full HP like True Resurrection does. Finally, your Turn Undead can now turn any type of creature regardless of genus, can destroy things it turns, and you gain +3 to each Turn Undead stat per Religious Lore feat.

• Draconic Incarnation
  • Dragon Breath and Attune the Arcane have swapped places in the tree.
  • Dragon Breath is now a 1-rank, 2AP Ability.
  • Dragon Breath damage adjusted to 1d6+5 damage per caster level.
  • Dragon Breath cooldown adjusted to 12 seconds.
  • Dragon Breath now has its intended max caster level of 20 to match the other Epic Strikes. All Epic Strikes should now have a Maximum Caster Level of 20.
  • Draconic Breath's Energy Vortex now does damage even if the player had themselves or an ally targeted when the skill was triggered.
    • very hopeful this specific change will make the Vortex work more reliably: I'm a huge fan of vortex on melee/hybrid builds
  • Inevitable is now on its own damage channel and should therefore no longer conflict with other damage over time abilities
    • very hopeful this will have fixed the conflict with Dripping With Magma

 

[Kalibano]

Screenshots updated with the U66 changes

 

[Grimstad]

Screenshots updated with the U66 changes

I am new to warlock, working toward completionist, therefore only leveling to 20, then moving on to the next class.

With that in mind, how do you play your warlock, especially in lower levels? Do you depend on your aura for AOE damage and melee close combat with a weapon? Or are you ranging using the Eldritch blast? Are there many DPS spells at low level? Seems to be mostly buffs and CC.

Thanks in advance.

 

[DBZ]

TNT force spams tempests n tentacles every pack

 

[Kalibano]

I am new to warlock, working toward completionist, therefore only leveling to 20, then moving on to the next class.

With that in mind, how do you play your warlock, especially in lower levels? Do you depend on your aura for AOE damage and melee close combat with a weapon? Or are you ranging using the Eldritch blast? Are there many DPS spells at low level? Seems to be mostly buffs and CC.

Thanks in advance.

Hey there, happy to clarify and share some thoughts, as warlocks (especially the Enlightened Spirit type) are not particularly intuitive for those who have not played them before

In heroic levels, the DPS is basically from
> the Eldritch aura (which ticks faster as you progress levels and take higher core abilities)
> the 'cleave' magical attacks (which don't require melee combat) from T3 'Edritch Burst' and T5 'Spirit Blast'
> the extra dmg from the imbue you get from T4 'Spiritual Retribution'

- this is dished out automatically via the aura, as well as via the Eldritch Burst and Spirit Blast attacks (the only imbue that lets you do that!)​

- this scales with spellpower, which the Enlightened Spirit tree helps boost​

- the number of imbue dice can be increased via the tree as well (e.g. core 5 grants +3 imbue die), but the vast majority of the die increase will come from epic/legendary levels​

> a very limited number of spells, such as Evard's Tentacles and Arcane tempest, as the vast majority of the spells (as you pointed out) are buffs, de-buffs, CC an insta-kills,
> insta-kill spells (for things that are not immune to it, insta-kill is a great form of DPS)

This build does NOT do any melee combat with a weapon. This is a caster, for all intents and purposes.

So you throw a de-buff (e.g. 'Hypnotism', and later levels 'Crushing Despair'), followed by a CC spell (e.g. at low levels 'Command' and 'Web', then 'Evard's', 'Hold Monster', and 'Howl of Terror'), and close in at melee range for the aura dmg to passively proc automatically, basically freeing you to be a proper caster, and cast insta-kills and de-buffs as you progressively get them in your spell book.

---

The fully-realised concept here is to dish out free automatic dmg via the eldritch aura (inc a bunch of dmg effects that proc on spellcasting, such as Dripping with Magma; Draconic Incarnation Mantle, etc.), while the warlock:
- CC mobs
- insta-kills with several spells
- casts some damage-dealing Epic Destiny spells (one of which is the Dragon Breath Vortex, which works like an aura as well)

---

A couple of things to bear in mind:

1. the disclaimer I shared right at the start of the build:
I absolutely and categorically detest Eldritch Blasting! I personally find the animation very slow, robotic, and monotonous/tedious. It also makes casting spells very clunky because of the pauses between stopping blasting - casting - starting blasting again. Using the aura is the only way I can stand to play Warlocks. I have actually grown to love the aura, as I can cast freely while it passively deals AoE damage every 2 seconds for me. Combined with Dragon Breath: Energy Vortex, playing this char feels great! This may not be considered by some as the 'most efficient' way to play this class and/or this build, but I don't really care (forgive my sincerity). It's a fun way to play it, and it works very well for the aims I propose below. Hope you enjoy it if you decide to give it a go!

If you can bear using Eldritch Blasting from range, that playstyle could potentially work better at very low levels ref DPS (in which case you might want to go with a different tree as the main tree for a while, then reset into this build once you get enough APs and CC/insta-kill spells). When I levelled my char the imbue dmg did not exist in the tree, so aura dmg has been boosted a little since then: might be worth giving Enlightened Spirit a try.


2. this build really shines later in the game, particularly once it gets access to Epic Destiny damage dealing spells. You mentioned wanting to go only up to level 20, so some trying & testing might be the best way for you to gauge if the speed and amount of DPS you are used to will be found in this build.

Hope this was useful, and that, if anything, the build helps you discover your way around the Warlock class and inspire the choices you make

 

[Kalibano]

I am new to warlock, working toward completionist, therefore only leveling to 20, then moving on to the next class.

With that in mind, how do you play your warlock, especially in lower levels? Do you depend on your aura for AOE damage and melee close combat with a weapon? Or are you ranging using the Eldritch blast? Are there many DPS spells at low level? Seems to be mostly buffs and CC.

Thanks in advance.

Forgot to mention a couple of things:

You can get access to Scorch, from the Tiefling racial tree, as a damage dealing spell pretty early on. The T4 Improved Scorch upgrades it, and is also a must, as it will strip fire immunity from mobs, allowing the fire pact damage from your aura and eldritch 'cleave' attacks to be far more efficient, and therefore, your DPS increased.

Also, since you are new to Warlock: the Enlightened Spirit tree gives a large amount of defense, including the T4 'Brilliance' and T5 'Shining Through', which are two amazing abilities for survivability via temporary hit points. Also, it's all about not forgetting to CC mobs before going into melee range to have your aura passively deal dmg. Just thought I'd mention this, as it would seem to be pretty risky being told by someone to go into melee range with a 'traditional' caster, who are normally squishy. This is not a squishy caster