Post/Author/DateTime	Post
technodemon 11-18-07, 12:42 PM	We are about to start a seafaring campaign soon I am thinking about creating a warlock. The character concept is a seafarer either be it a pirate or privateer. Could warlocks work in a seafaring campaign with the right choices of invocations? I want him to be good in combat, melee and ranged, and have invocations that will benefit in nature situations in both land and sea. thanks for the help.
Vapthorne 11-18-07, 02:08 PM	Thematically, Warlocks gain their powers through a supernatural agent. Complete Arcane primary mentions Demon or Fey, but there are other. This could work well within a seafaring campaign since there are many supernatural creatures that are ocean bound. A seafaring fey-warlock's power could be the influence of a Siren. Outside of the water-based invocations (Swimming the Styx), there are many charisma-based invocations that'll fit such a concept (Beguiling Influence, Charm, Bewitching Blast). A seafaring demon-warlock's power could easily be Lovecraftian in nature. I'm thinking: Otherworldy Whispers, Hellrime Blast, and the Dead Walk would work in concept. In general I think a warlock would do fine in a sea-faring campaign. A lot of their powers are universal in terms of usefulness. Fell Flight (Just good for flying), Brimstonw Blasts (Burning ships), Chilling Tenticles (Great for slowing down boarding parties).
Terjon of the Blue Rose 11-23-07, 11:06 PM	Depending on where you come from (geographically) in the world you may well be someone with powers common if distant lands but strange and dark in the ones you live in. If you use the traditional sources of warlock powers these may be powers you bargained for or even were granted as a prize when you travelled. As for how the powers fit I'd say a hellrime eldritch spear would be perfect for targetting an enemy ship's sails and there is a power that lets you deal full damage to objects you'll want to pick up not to mention adding that damage to a melee swing (cutlass crit range with extra dice of damage). I wouldn't bother quite as much with things like darkness or the various spying invocations but fell flight or the dimension door with illusion (can't recall name) fit very well into a swashbuckling campaign.
Moosh Nailo 11-25-07, 03:32 PM	Should work fine! As they guys above mentioned, just try find some kind of overall theme for your invocation selection. In dragon magic, there is an invocation that allows you to use your eldritch blast as a melee glaive, with full Bab attacks and everything. Hideous blow, if you'd rather wield something else. I believe hammer blast is the invocation that allows full damage to objects (complete mage?) Personally, I would play it as water themed as possible. The tentacles invocation, swimming the styx, breath of the night etc. Definitely maximize the fluff potential of swimming the styx; fins, scales, flippers, gills, second eyelids, glistening skin, and so forth. For background, anything from the cliche "born on a ridiculously stormy night at sea" to being the herald of a water elemental kindgom, or something. Maybe you are lucky enough to be blessed by the love of a siren/nixie/wet pretty thing! Perhaps the chosen soul of a coven of sea hags, with a role as of yet undetermined in their plans? How about those stories of sailors lost overboard who are brought to underground warrens, caves with air and all, and live there with mermaids/men and such until they can escape back to the world above. On another note, in Stormwrack there is some excellent stuff for any water-based campaign, and is most definitely worth a look. If you take swimming the styx, see if your DM will allow that to count as a swim speed for the various feats therein, which would open up another world of possibilities. I know I'd allow it.