Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Nostra 01-22-08, 09:11 AM	Hello everyone, I'm a fairly new DM (i'm doing it for about 1 year now) and everything is going quite ok. I know the d&d universe quite well. Recently a player asked me if he could play as a warlock, since he is getting quite tired of the 'classic' classes. Now this player i more experienced in d&d and roleplaying then me and i know him to be a bit of a 'power player'. Always wants to be the one who does something special, wants best loot or the most dmg or charm everything in sight. Now i allowed him to play the warlock class. But i'm a bit afraid he will unbalance the gameplay. Since i'm not that familiar with the warlock class i'm asking you guys on a few tips to keep him under control (spells, items, spell checks etc). I'm reading up on the warlock class but a bit a help from this community can't hurt. Thank you in advance.
Lord Karsus 01-22-08, 09:32 AM	-Firstly, check out these two articles, written by Eytan Berstein. They talk about how to really integrate the class into the Realms. Excellent stuff: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/frcc/20070328 http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/frcc/20070314 -Anyway, Warlocks definitley have the potential to be abused. I am currently playing in a campaign as an overpowered warlock in order to get back at a DM who constantly does the same kind of overpowered shenanigans when playing a characer. I am only first level, and though the use of one of the Warlock special powers, I can do 1d8 (morningstar)+ 1d6 (Eldrich Blast) points of damage with one attack. I also have a range of my Eldrich Blast of 200'+ -To counter some of these benefits, I'd recommend making a ruling that Dead Magic Zones, Dispel Magic and things to that effect affect the Warlock. Perhaps have a BBEG carry an item that renders magic temporarily inaccessable as a sort of Kryptonite? They don't have very many HP, so throwing in enemies that fighting in melee range will throw them off.
Bluenose 01-22-08, 10:39 AM	I wouldn't worry too much. Warlocks start of strong, compared to more traditional arcane casters, but they really aren't that powerful in the long run. It's not impossible to abuse the class, and if he starts to talk about rogue or swordsage levels you should begin to worry, but a straight warlock is not particularly powerful. You may want to check this (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=393586) as it gives an idea of ways to abuse it - taken from the character optimisation boards :P
Fabius Maximus 01-22-08, 10:41 AM	Warlock powers shouldn't work in Dead Magic Zones and the like. But Warlocks are a rather weak class, and their "sweet spot" is around level 5. Remember, their enhancing powers only work on themselves, and the damage dealing isn't that good. They work well as battlefield controllers or as archer-substitutes, though.
18DELTA 01-22-08, 01:43 PM	-Dont forget the Errata (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/er/20040125a) for Complete Arcane. Know it!!!:teach: Yeah if you really want to know the full potential check out The Character Ops boards. LORD DELTA;)
Lord Karsus 01-22-08, 01:54 PM	-Dont forget the Errata (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/er/20040125a) for Complete Arcane. Know it!!!:teach: Yeah if you really want to know the full potential check out The Character Ops boards. -Yeah, I guess if anyone would know how to shut down a Warlock the best, it'd be those guys.
Nostra 01-23-08, 05:04 AM	Thank you all for the answers the read has been very usefull. I'm still looking for something though, the warlock is supposed to have a charm spell of some kind no? I found the spell 'charm' in the other thread, but there is no description of it. Can it charm any monster or only humanoids? Saves? etc. Anyhas has a description of the spell? Because the player in my campaign is spamming it like crazy, even on dragons and hydra's and stuff, hoping i would roll 1 i think ^^
Lord Karsus 01-23-08, 06:34 AM	Charm Lesser, 4th You can beguile a creature within 60 feet. The creature must succeed on a Will save or instantly come to regard you as its comrade. This is a language dependent ability. Other than these differences, this ability works as the Charm Monster spell. You can never have more than one target charmed at a time with this ability. If a second creature is charmed, you lose your hold on the first creature. Pg. 132 -From what I see, you are being a bad DM. You are allowing the player to try to trick you, into giving him an advantage, as he is using an ability that you do not know anything about. In the future, as a rule, do not allow any players to use abilities/spells/feats that you do not understand without having either the appropriate book, or a copy of the specific passage with them, for you to look at.
Nostra 01-23-08, 08:33 AM	Well yes he is using the spell, i thought i knew it quite well but i started doubting it. And i prefer to keep things moving then pauze my session to get that one rule or spell correct. Actually the player who is doing this was our previous dm who got tired of it, so thats why keeping him udner control is quite hard as he has more experience then me. But you are right, i should have rechecked it before the session started, wich won't happen again trust me. Learning every day :) I acted now before it completely got out of hand. A question on the spell though, "Language dependent" wich means the creature should be able to understand you? So actually the hydra can't be charmed be the spell at all.
Lord Karsus 01-23-08, 08:41 AM	And i prefer to keep things moving then pauze my session to get that one rule or spell correct. Actually the player who is doing this was our previous dm who got tired of it, so thats why keeping him udner control is quite hard as he has more experience then me. But you are right, i should have rechecked it before the session started, wich won't happen again trust me. Learning every day :) I acted now before it completely got out of hand. -What you should do is lay down a new rule before the game starts next time. Tell all players that, at all times, they need to have all necessary books/copies of all character abilities they have. Someone needs to have a PHB around, if you are unsure about something, say, a Druid can do. Someone has to have Complete Arcane, if you are unsure about something, say a Warlock can do. And so on. A player in a game I am playing in was playing a Warmage, from CA. Our DM only has the three Core Books, so he didn't know about a lot of the Warmage's special abilities, and was taking the player's word for it. We began getting suspicious, when it seemed there was nothing that character could do, so we all chipped in and got that book. Turns out the players was cheating, and badly so, because no one could say, "No, according to page XYZ, blah blah blah..." A question on the spell though, "Language dependent" wich means the creature should be able to understand you? So actually the hydra can't be charmed be the spell at all. -Right. If it can't understand you, it doesn't work. If you don't speak Elven, and the Elf in question only speaks Elven, the effect doesn't work.
Nostra 01-23-08, 08:48 AM	Thanks for all the tips Karsus, i will do as you sugested.
Lord Karsus 01-23-08, 09:23 AM	-No problem.