Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 BRJN Mar 26, 2010 23:10:31	If your Warlock's patron is a bit bland - he offers you raw power but no flavor behind it - consider these.  Constructive criticism invited. Proposed edits to existing powers: Eldritch Rain           L3 You rain down eldritch power on several foes. Encounter * Arcane, Implement Standard Action       Ranged 10 Target: One creature, or two creatures no more than 5 squares apart from each other Attack: ATT vs Reflex, one attack per target Hit: 1d10 + ATTmod damage Special: This power uses the same attribute as does your Eldritch Blast. Eldritch Immobilization     L9 You generate a blast of power from the infernal regions and hurl it at your foe.  Transfixing clothing, armor, flesh, or skin, it pins him to the spot where he stands. Daily * Arcane, Implement Standard Action * Ranged 10 Target: One creature Attack: ATT vs Reflex Hit: 3d10 + ATTmod damage, and the target is immobilized (save ends) Miss: Half damage, and the target is not immobilized. Special: This power uses the same attribute as does your Eldritch Blast. Eldritch Skirmisher            L13 You fire arcane bolts at your enemies before moving away. Encounter * Arcane, Implement Standard Action * Ranged 10 Target: One, two, or three creatures Attack: ATT vs Reflex, one attack per target Hit: 1d10 + ATTmod damage Effect: You may shift 1 square per target you hit Special: This power uses the same attribute as does your Eldritch Blast. Warlock’s Bargain   L17 You forge a link between your enemy’s soul and your own, then surrender it to your patron.  It hurts you, but he suffers more. Encounter * Arcane, Implement Standard Action * Ranged 10 Target: One creature Attack: ATT vs Fort Hit: The target takes 3d10+ATTmod damage plus extra damage equal to half your level, and you take damage equal to your level. Special: This power uses the same attribute as does your Eldritch Blast. Eldritch Force         L19 You create an eldritch force that hurls your foe through the air. Daily * Arcane, Implement Standard Action * Ranged 10 Target: One creature Attack: ATT vs Fort Hit: 6d10 + ATTmod damage, and you knock the target prone and push it a number of squares equal to your INTmod. Miss: Half damage, and you push the target 1 square. Special: This power uses the same attribute as does your Eldritch Blast. Proposed new power: Eldritch Bomb                     L27 Back at the beginning of your career, your patron taught you how to access eldritch power.  Now all may see what you have learned on your own. Encounter * Arcane, Implement Standard Action * Ranged 15 Target: One creature Attack: ATT vs Refl Hit: 7d10 + ATTmod damage Miss: Half damage Special: This power uses the same attribute as does your Eldritch Blast.  Proposed feat: Eldritch Ability: You gain +1/tier to-hit and +1/tier damage with any ranged untyped arcane attack power.
#2 Cohen95 Mar 27, 2010 12:45:10	Well, right away I'm not a huge fan of all of the powers being d10 damage. Not sure why, just seems odd. I think the single-target encounters could stand to do a bit less damage and have some sort of rider, like perhaps a small amount of "splash" damage on all enemies adjacent to the target.
#3 BRJN Mar 28, 2010 19:46:02	Mmph, some of the explanatory text did not make it from my home computer to the boards. These powers are supposed to be enhancements to a Warlock's Eldritch Blast.  As you get more practice and experience, you can do more than just ping away at somebody.  You can learn to shoot several targets, or pin a given foe down, or whomp on him.  If I spent more time with the existing powers lists and the conditions, I could come up with more stuff.  Consider these a creativity-sparker. Given the 4e mechanics, you can't get Eldritch Skirmisher as an at-will (although I would like to), but once a fight you can unload some of the tricks you have learned. I'm using Xd10 to indicate a bigger zap, but clearly from the same source, compared to Eldritch Blast.
#4 Cohen95 Mar 29, 2010 10:30:01	Hmm, perhaps some sort of power that allows you to add conditions or more damage to a target? I'm thinking an encounter/daily power, free action, with the target being someone under your warlock's curse who you have hit with Eldritch Blast this turn, with simply an Effect of, "The target is X until Y." where X is one or more conditions, depending on level/frequency of the power, and Y is either the end of your next turn or save ends, again depending on level/frequency. It sounds like you're trying to add some control to the Warlock, which isn't a bad idea. You may also want to consider adjusting the White Lotus Wizard Daily attack 1 power, Wizard's fury. It basically allows you, once per turn, to cast Magic Missile (which is wizard for EB) as a minor action. It's a daily, and it lasts until the end of the encounter. You could also use feats not unlike the Rogue feats. If you crit someone with EB, they're knocked prone, and things like that. Just some alternatives. It's not necessarily all that great of an option to have a series of Warlock powers that A) play down the pact aspect, and B) make EB redundant.
#5 759mages Mar 30, 2010 2:38:55	To respond to Cohen's point on downplaying pacts, you could add EB modifications that depend upon the pact...Hellfire Blast (infernal pact, adds fire damage not subject to fire DR), Blast of the Ancients (vestige pact), Blast of the Black Night (star, cold and radiant again no DR), and Feywild Blast (adds psychic damage etc.) or something of that nature. I do have to agree with Cohen here, that if you're trying to add flavor you're falling short a little and simply making a bigger badder EB. I like the powers as is, but I think you have more options you can consider. You could also make it a daily utility with an effect line for each pact stating that it affects EB until the end of the turn (or less likely or at a higher level, until the end of the encounter). Pact Blast Level X Utility Your eldritch patron left his mark on you, and your abilities sometimes carry his calling card. Daily * Arcane, Implement, Varies Free * Personal Effect: Until the end of your next turn, your eldritch blast attack power gains a boon, dependent upon your pact. Fey: When you use your eldritch blast attack, you become invisible to the target until the end of your next turn. When the effect ends, the target takes your Charisma modifier in psychic damage. Infernal: Your eldritch blast attacks do an additional 1d8 + Con modifier fire damage. This damage is not subject to damage reduction. Star: Your eldritch blast attack does cold and necrotic damage equal to your Cha mod + Con mod. The target is dazed until the start of your next turn. Actually, I don't see a reason you couldn't add riders to the powers you've got there that would be pact-dependent. It would add awesome flavor to the powers (especially eldritch bomb) and would give them a little more of a control element or more striker element. I like the attacks as written, but I see a couple other ways you could write them if so inclined. I like the feat option proposed by Cohen. You could also write them as utilities like the ones I proposed above. Also, you could build them as attack powers used WITH EB. For an example of what I mean, check the Duskblade class built by Wyld Mutation below...look at his Channeled powers. community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/758... Hope that helps.
#6 Cohen95 Mar 30, 2010 10:08:48	You could, alternatively, roll Warlock's Curse and Eldritch Blast together into one power. House rule WC to do no damage, and house rule EB to be a free action, target, someone under your WC, effect, they take d6 damage (d8 with a feat). Then it may feel a bit more striker-ish. Also, it would also the character to, effectively, dual-wield powers (targeting one baddy with WC, and the other with another at-will). This will help add the controller-flavor you seem to be looking for, without severely affection the class. Actually, now that I think about it, that's how they should have done it. Rolled Warlock's Curse and Eldritch Blast together into something like Flurry of Blows.