Warlock Pact: Xoriat

[Magrok]

Alignment: non-Lawful
Eldritch Blast Pact Damage: Chaotic (pink)
Pact Damage Save: Will
Pact Save Bonus: Will ("Daelkyr's Insanity")
1st-level spell (level 2): Chaos Bolt
2nd-level spell (level 5): Hypnotic Pattern
First Special Ability (level 6):

• Wondrous Power: (Activation Cost: 10 Spell Points. Cooldown: 1 minute.) Gain an effect from the Potion of Wonder list, using your Caster Level (max 25).

3rd-level spell (level 9): Greater Color Spray
4th-level spell (level 14): Cyclonic Blast
Second Special Ability (level 15):

• Artistic Creation: (Activation Cost: 20 Spell Points. Cooldown: 25 seconds.) Turn yourself or an ally into a Taken, gaining +1d4+1 alchemical bonus to each ability score and +25% Fortification. Lasts 1 minute per Caster Level (max 20 minutes). Hidden Effect: 5% chance it's wearing a hat like in the fashion show!

5th-level spell (level 17): Turn to Frog
6th-level spell (level 19): Prismatic Spray

This was originally going to just be a suggestion for a warlock pact with a pink damage color, but then I realized, given I'm ME, I should really just write up the whole thing.

 

[Magrok]

Helpful, but not as actionable as I was thinking. It sounds like there needs to be

• Some changes to how pacts work underneath it all,
• Better pact spells across the board, and
• An Epic Destiny geared towards Warlock to help with late game.

I'm not sure what to go for on the latter; it seems 4E was pretty sparse on warlock-specific destinies itself. But it's something to get started on.

 

[l_remmie]

Warlock is a tricky class to balance.
It has innate versatility withpacts, spells and manafree damage. It shouldn't beat other classes at their specialties.
But there is design space left to make it better and more fun in its own niche.

I'd like to see a warlock spellbook like alchemist.

 

[Magrok]

Am I on the right track?

General​

• By default, pact damage scales with the higher of <element> and Force Spell Power. (This does not change for Utterdark Blast.)
• Pact damage is not subject to Evasion, Improved Evasion, or Mettle (if they ever add that).
• Pacts add a new special ability at 12th level, which is the same for all existing pacts: Every fifth eldritch blast strips immunity to <pact element> for 5 seconds.

Pact Spells​

Fey​

1 (1st-level) Obscuring Mist
2 (3rd-level) Slow
3 (6th-level) Greater Dispel Magic
4 (7th-level) Otto's Sphere of Dancing
5 (8th-level) Otto's Irresistible Dance
6 (9th-level) Summon Nature's Ally IX

Fiend​

1 (1st-level) Command
2 (3rd-level) Rage
3 (nth-level) Binding Chain
4 (5th-level) Greater Command
5 (8th-level) Fire Storm
6 (9th-level) Power Word: Kill

Great Old One​

1 (1st-level) Entangle
2 (2nd-level) Animal Trance
3 (4th-level) Phantasmal Killer
4 (6th-level) Mass Suggestion
5 (7th-level) Destruction
6 (9th-level) Acid Well

Celestial​

1 (1st-level) Bless
2 (3rd-level) Prayer
3 (5th-level) Divine Punishment
4 (7th-level) Greater Restoration
5 (8th-level) Holy Aura
6 (9th-level) Divine Wrath

Abyss​

1 (1st-level) Chill Touch
2 (2nd-level) Lesser Death Aura
3 (4th-level) Death Aura
4 (6th-level) Necrotic Ray
5 (8th-level) Symbol of Death
6 (9th-level) Rend the Soul

Carceri Storm​

1 (1st-level) Niac's Cold Ray
2 (2nd-level) Creeping Cold
3 (5th-level) Niac's Biting Cold
4 (6th-level) Greater Creeping Cold
5 (8th-level) Polar Ray
6 (9th-level) Iceberg

 

[Phoenicis]

Am I on the right track?

General​

• By default, pact damage scales with the higher of <element> and Force Spell Power. (This does not change for Utterdark Blast.)
• Pact damage is not subject to Evasion, Improved Evasion, or Mettle (if they ever add that).
• Pacts add a new special ability at 12th level, which is the same for all existing pacts: Every fifth eldritch blast strips immunity to <pact element> for 5 seconds.

Going form three spell powers to one? WITH an auto strip? AND immune to evasion? Awesome.

NEVER gonna happen.

 

[Magrok]

But is it what Warlock needs for pacts to be viable?

 

[Phoenicis]

But is it what Warlock needs for pacts to be viable?

Funny thing is, I don't think that would make them viable.

 

[Belenian]

I like your ideas. It's a good first step. I don't think its going far enough, to be honest.

The Eldritch Blast animation is clunky, slow and locks you into the animation for far too long.
The damage of the class is avarage with not much way to increase it drastically (no epic destiny support).
Going DC caster is probably viable? But why go Warlock and completely ignore eldritch blasting? Just go Wizard then.

Im all for giving some love to Warlocks. They badly need a class pass and a destiny.

A "Hexblade" style Warlock with a melee eldritch blast shape that either just replaces your melee weapon with eldritch blast damage or adds (part of) the eldritch blast damage to your weapon would maybe see Warlocks raise in popularity again.

 

[l_remmie]

Good thinking as a game designer.

Negating evasion is thinking outside the box and is a possible solution to a current problem. However Evasion is very much a core rule within the game for decades. You do not break these rules without a very good reason.
It's use a drawback does serve a purpose. I'd attack this problem in another way; for example with spells or abilities that lower reflex saves. Or buffs elsewhere to balance the drawback.

Immunity stripping is by this point a must have for any caster that specializes in an element. Granting access to this for warlocks is the most logical way to improve them. People understand this and want this. Making them happy is a good idea.

Warlocks however should not get this easy and early though, mages should be best at this. Requiring AP or a feat investment is fair.
I do really love your idea though, it's elegant. It forces you to commit to blasting with a start up time and stops quickly if you no longer commit.
Flavorwise it's excellent because such an overwhelming elemental assault should break down any defenses eventually.
It's very hard to design elegance.

I don't like giving warlocks full access to immunity stripping at 12. Best to me seems limited access with a tier5 ability and your idea at core 18.
Core 18 gives you a little bit of a splash for build diversity versus a core20.

 

[l_remmie]

I like the changes you made in the spell selection.

Fiend gets firestorm but NOT meteor shower. That is good compromise.

GOO does get acid well because it does really need it. It gets balanced with epic destinies.
(A tree ability changing the blast from Evocation to Conjuration would be amazing too)

Celestial would like bombardment for the damage but it shouldn't get it. Divine wrath is just fine, and fits the more tanky enlightened spirit playstyle. All the other spells are useful. You could have gone for electric spells but SSG didn't either.

Carceri seems a bit too good to me. It gets the full package of DoTs and hard hitters.
I think both polar ray and ice berg together is a bit too much.
You get them late though and i don't have much epic expertise with cold casters at end game. It might be fine and needed.

 

[Magrok]

With the spells, I was mainly trying to get the power levels higher - so an 8th and a 9th for most every pact at 5th and 6th, etc. Again, my experience playing warlock is highly limited, so going by vibes + others' advice is about all I have.

I like the idea of moving the immunity strip up in level, but linking it to the enhancement trees means it has to be in every enhancement tree or whatever one does have it would be an auto-take. Maybe just add it to the class features themselves, at 16th - 19th level somewhere.

My concern on Reflex penalties or similar solutions ("disadvantage" on the Reflex save?) would be how it affects non-Evasion enemies too. But, if it's something across the board, penalties against pact saves regardless of Ref/Fort/Will, I could see that being flavorful and having the same hidden effect.

 

[Magrok]

Next up is the special abilities, if anyone has any input before I do those, and then finally the new epic destiny, which'll be a doozy. I'll have to come up with a hook from scratch, and make sure its design supports other casters as well. Wish me luck.

 

[Smokewolf]

So why does the game need another warlock-pact when the class as a whole has so many issues that the Dev's are loathed to do anything about?

Top four, right of the top off my head...

(1)The warlock blast / animation is so laughably slow that players and mobs can simply outrun it. (2)The undead Pact is considered a form, and incompatible with other Warlock abilities that give forms. (3)Eldritch ability can not be used to Empower a weapon, and thus allow for a valid melee option that players have long asked for. (4)Acolyte of the Skin attempts to turn blaster builds into some weird demon melee, while sucking at both.

In short, other that a hand full of veteran players and builds, there is no longer a reason for players to take a Warlock to Epics. Which is so bad that the Dev's spitefully have chosen to use it as part of the next icon race. How is that for irony?

 

[l_remmie]

So why does the game need another warlock-pact when the class as a whole has so many issues that the Dev's are loathed to do anything about?

Top four, right of the top off my head...

(1)The warlock blast / animation is so laughably slow that players and mobs can simply outrun it. (2)The undead Pact is considered a form, and incompatible with other Warlock abilities that give forms. (3)Eldritch ability can not be used to Empower a weapon, and thus allow for a valid melee option that players have long asked for. (4)Acolyte of the Skin attempts to turn blaster builds into some weird demon melee, while sucking at both.

In short, other that a hand full of veteran players and builds, there is no longer a reason for players to take a Warlock to Epics. Which is so bad that the Dev's spitefully have chosen to use it as part of the next icon race. How is that for irony?

It's a creative excercise for fun. Nobody is expecting devs to ever read the fora let alone implement something.

 

[Smokewolf]

It's a creative excercise for fun. Nobody is expecting devs to ever read the fora let alone implement something.

Granted and good point.

 

[Magrok]

Whoakay, that was. A lot. I'm sure feedback will be all over the place, and that's fine; hopefully this solves some of the issues with warlock not having epic destiny support? And I imagine dark apostates would be interested too, so it's not just for a single class.

Incarnate Hexer​

Other people sling curses as a means to an end; to you, curses are an art form. Your canvas is the people around you, an endless tapestry of vile wonderment. It is a performance art, though not one with willing participants.​

Core abilities

• Incarnate: You gain the Magical Training feat. Each core of this tree, including this one, grants the following:
  
  * +1 Epic bonus to all Spell DCs​
  * +50 Maximum Spell Points​
  * +5 Melee Power​
  * +5 Ranged Power​
  * +5 Force, Evil, and Universal Spell Power​
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 0 Requires: None​
• Cursecasting: +10 MRR and MRR Cap. The spells Bane, Bestow Curse, and Doom no longer cost any spell points.
  
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 5 Requires: Incarnate, Character Level 23​
• Curseblooded: +10 MRR and MRR Cap. Whenever you are under a curse, you heal 2d10 Positive Energy (Negative Energy if you are undead) every 6 seconds, scaling with Spell Power. Whenever you are under a healing curse, you instead gain a +50 insight bonus to Universal Spell Power.
  
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 10 Requires: Cursecasting, Character Level 26​
• Hexblast: +10 MRR and MRR Cap. Your Eldritch Blasts now benefit from the Maximize Spell, Empower Spell, and Intensify Spell metamagics if you own those feats. This does not cost Spell Points, and you do not need the Feats toggled on to gain their effects on Eldritch Blasts.
  
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 1 Progression: 20 Requires: Curseblooded, Character Level 32​

Tier 1 (Requires Character Level 20)

• Cursed Body: +2/4/6 MRR. If you have the Channel Power feat, double these bonuses.
  
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 1 Requires: None​
• Cursed Wellspring: +30/60/100 Spell Points. Rank 3: +5 Force, Evil, and Universal Spell Power.
  
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 1 Requires: None​
• Dark Arts: Incarnate Hexer Destiny Mantle: You gain Eldritch Blast: Focused at 3d8 eldritch blast damage, or if you already had it, +15% Spell Critical Damage with eldritch blasts. While in this Mantle, every fifth eldritch blast strips immunity to curses, you gain fear immunity, +10% concealment, and +30 MRR Cap.
  
  EDP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 1 Requires: None​
• Epic Strike: Multiselector: With what paintbrush do you ply your curses?
  
  Dark Lance: Epic Strike: SLA. Deals 1d6+6 Evil damage per character level to a single target, scaling with Evil Spell Power. Cooldown: 6 seconds, cost 5 SP.​
  Arcane Lance: Epic Strike: SLA. Deals 1d6+6 Force damage per character level to a single target, scaling with Force Spell Power. Cooldown: 6 seconds, cost 5 SP.​
  Desecrate Ground: Epic Strike: SLA. The ground you are standing on becomes desecrated. Enemies on desecrated ground take 1d4 Evil damage per character level every 3 seconds, scaling with Evil Spell Power. Cooldown: 20 seconds, cost 10 SP. Duration: 15 seconds.​
  EDP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 1 Requires: None​
• Trade Secrets: +2/4/6 Spellcraft and +1/2/3 Use Magic Device. Rank 3: You are immune to magic missiles.
  
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 1 Requires: None​

Tier 2 (Requires Character Level 20, 5 points spent in tree)

• Inescapable Pact: +2/4/6 pact damage DC. Rank 3: +5 Force, Evil, and Universal Spell Power.
  
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 5 Requires: None​
• Unholy Health: +5/10/15 Positive and Negative Healing Amplification. Rank 3: If you have the Crush Weakness feat, +10 Melee and Ranged Power.
  
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 5 Requires: None​
• Pact of the Curse: Toggle: While in your Incarnate Hexer Destiny Mantle, you gain a curse pact at 1d6 Evil damage. If you already have a pact, this instead changes your pact damage to Evil.
  
  EDP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 5 Requires: Dark Arts​
• Inevitability: +1/2/3 Spell Penetration.
  
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 5 Requires: None​
• Guarded Mind: +2/4/6 Will Saves. Rank 3: You no longer fail Will Saves on a Natural 1.
  
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 5 Requires: None​

Tier 3 (Requires Character Level 23, 10 points spent in tree)

• Strong Arts: +1/2/3 Eldritch Blast dice and if you have a pact, +1/2/3 Pact dice.
  
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 10 Requires: None​
• Symbology: Multiselector:
  
  * Your Symbol spells now deal 1d6 Force damage per character level to all targets.​
  * Your Symbol spells now deal 1d6 Evil damage per character level to all targets.​
  EDP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 10 Requires: None​
• Merciless Arts: While in your Incarnate Hexer Destiny Mantle, you deal +5/10/15% bonus damage to the Helpless.
  
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 10 Requires: Pact of the Curse​
• Maestro of Hexes: Gain a Hex spell. Hexes require two curse removal effects within 10 seconds in order to be broken. Multiselector:
  
  * Hex of Death: Target takes 1d6/2d6/3d6 Constitution damage every 5 seconds for 60 seconds. This ability damage scales with 50% of Universal Spell Power. No saving throw. Cooldown: 20 seconds, Cost: 40 Spell Points.​
  * Hex of Geas: As Dominate Monster, but if the target would break free it is instead Dazed for 3 seconds, and must save again every 10/20/30 seconds or be dominated again. Will save DC (20 + Highest of INT/WIS/CHA + Enchantment bonuses).​
  * Hex of Humility: Target is Slowed for 20/40/60 seconds, and each time it attacks it gains 1 stack each of Vulnerability, Armor Destruction, and Shattermantle.​
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 10 Requires: None​
• Spell Focus: Multiselector:
  
  * +1/2/3 Conjuration DCs.​
  * +1/2/3 Enchantment DCs.​
  * +1/2/3 Evocation DCs.​
  * +1/2/3 Necromancy DCs.​
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 10 Requires: None​

Tier 4 (Requires Character Level 26, 20 points spent in tree)

• Strong Curse: Multiselector:
  
  * +1/2/3 Imbue dice​
  * +1/2/3 Pact dice​
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 20 Requires: None​
• I Will Find You: +5/10/15% Fortification Bypass and +3/6/10% Universal Spell Critical Chance.
  
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 20 Requires: None​
• Double Hex: Multiselector: Choose a second Hex spell you don't already have.
  
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 20 Requires: Maestro of Hexes​
• Improved Strike: Multiselector:
  
  * Your Dark Lance is upgraded to deal 1d6+10 damage per character level, applies 5 stacks of Vulnerable, and counts as an Eldritch Blast for all effects that occur on those.​
  * Your Arcane Lance is upgraded to deal 1d6+10 damage per character level, applies 10 stacks of Shattermantle, and counts as an Eldritch Blast for all effects that occur on those.​
  * Your Desecrated Ground now Confuses and Paralyzes enemies when they first take damage, on a failed Will save DC (20 + Highest of INT/WIS/CHA mod + Necromancy bonuses).​
  EDP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 20 Requires: Epic Strike​
• Epic Improved Metamagics: Choose a heroic Metamagic to discount. Note: stacks with the heroic version. Multiselector:
  
  * Efficient Empower: Using the Empower Spell Metamagic costs you 2/4/6 fewer Spell Points.​
  * Efficient Maximize: Using the Maximize Spell Metamagic costs you 3/6/9 fewer Spell Points.​
  * Efficient Quicken: Using the Quicken Spell Metamagic costs you 1/2/4 fewer Spell Points.​
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 20 Requires: None​

Tier 5 (Requires Character Level 30, 30 points spent in tree)

• Permanent Hex (Epic Moment): For 30 seconds, your eldritch blasts apply your Master Hex, which has no duration, save, or removal. It stacks up to 5 times, but each opponent can only receive one stack every 10 seconds. In addition, while this is active your pact changes to Bane damage. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
  Master Hex: -20 Melee Power, Ranged Power, Universal Spell Power, Physical Resistance Rating, and Magical Resistance Rating.
  
  EDP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 30 Requires: None​
• Curse of Petrification: SLA: Flesh to Stone, Mass. (Cost: 60 Spell Points, Cooldown: 60 seconds.) Up to six nearby enemies are turned to stone for 30 seconds on a failed Fortitude saving throw vs. DC (20 + Highest of INT/WIS/CHA mod + Transmutation bonuses). Bosses are instead stunned for 6 seconds on a failed save. On recovery, non-boss foes have their current health cut in half.
  
  EDP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 30 Requires: None​
• Witchspell: +10 Force, Evil, and Universal Spell Power. Your critical hits with Eldritch Blast proc an Unholy Blight effect centered on their primary target.
  
  EDP Cost: 2 Ranks: 1 Progression: 30 Requires: None​
• Epic Improved Metamagic: Multiselector: Intensify or Embolden
  
  * Epic Improved Intensify: Using the Intensify Spell Metamagic costs you 2/4/6 fewer Spell Points.​
  * Epic Improved Embolden: Using the Embolden Spell Metamagic costs you 1/2/4 fewer Spell Points.​
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 30 Requires: None​
• Hexer's Focus: +1/2/3 Spell DCs.
  
  EDP Cost: 1 Ranks: 3 Progression: 30 Requires: None​

Let me know what you think! I'll get to pact special abilities next, though they seem less important now by comparison.

 

[Frantik]

Why not Greater Color Bomb at level 19?

A blend of GCS and Prismatic Spray as a standard aoe spell which also works with Wild Mage T3 extra chaos damage? You know, something strong and fun?

 

[Magrok]

Why not Greater Color Bomb at level 19?

A blend of GCS and Prismatic Spray as a standard aoe spell which also works with Wild Mage T3 extra chaos damage? You know, something strong and fun?

Wait, why make it synergize with a Tier 3 enhancement from Wild Mage if it requires 19 levels of Warlock and that'd be 3 levels of Wild Mage?

I was originally trying not to rock the boat by creating new spells for this. I'm open to that now, though from the rest of the feedback I'm considering moving Turn to Frog to level 19 instead of Prismatic Spray.

 

[Frantik]

Wait, why make it synergize with a Tier 3 enhancement from Wild Mage if it requires 19 levels of Warlock and that'd be 3 levels of Wild Mage?

I was originally trying not to rock the boat by creating new spells for this. I'm open to that now, though from the rest of the feedback I'm considering moving Turn to Frog to level 19 instead of Prismatic Spray.

Oops, er, yes

 

[Magrok]

Special Abilities: My main thought is to swap the two Fey ones, and maybe raise the numbers on the first ability passives. Is there anything significantly wrong about the other second abilities - Hurl Through Hell, Channel the Abyss, etc.?

 

[Svirfneblin]

I like it but make all the other warlock pacts this good first