Hi everyone, I was working on making a melee warlock and came up with the following build (using 32-point buy). I haven't chosen the invocations or higher-level feats for the most part, and the ability scores might need some rebalancing.
This character is designed as an Eldritch Glaive usiner.
Human
Warlock 4/ Cleric 3/ Eldritch Disciple 9/ Hellfire Warlock 3/ Binder 1
STR: 16 DEX: 10 CON: 12 INT: 12 WIS: 14 CHA: 14
1-Warlock 1- Battle Caster, Mortalbane
2-Cleric 1-
3-Warlock 2- Zen Archery
4-Warlock 3- [+1 Wis]
5-Warlock 4-
6- Cleric 2- Ability Focus (Eldritch Blast)
7- Cleric 3-
8-Eldritch Disciple- [+1 Wis]
9-Eldritch Disciple-
10-Eldritch Disciple
11-Eldritch Disciple
12-Eldritch Disciple - [+1 Con]
13-Eldritch Disciple
14-Eldritch Disciple
15-Eldritch Disciple -
16-Eldritch Disciple [+1 Cha]
17-Hellfire Warlock
18-Binder -
19-Hellfire Warlock
20-Hellfire Warlock [+1 Cha]
Final ability scores- STR: 16 DEX: 10 CON: 13 INT: 12 WIS: 16 CHA: 16
This build grants invocations as a 16th level warlock (up to a single Dark Invocation, most likely Utterdark Blast), Warlock features up to Deceive Item (although the character has UMD as cross class for most of the build), Hellfire warlock abilities, ability score regeneration via Naberious, and casting as an 11th level cleric, including boosts to BAB via Divine Power.
Putting 2 points in Wis allows for 6th level spells, while the 2 in CHA improves save DC's. The single point in CON ensures that HP doesn't fluctuate up and down while using Hellfire Blast.
As for feat choices, while this character could easily take feats to take advantage of Divine Metamagic, I'd prefer not to.
Any assistance is welcome, and I thank you ahead of time.
binder 1/warlock 6/ur priest 2/eld disc 9/hellfire warl 2. is also a good option. u get 9th lvl divine spells, 17th level invocations, +4d6 hellfire.
If you use Warlock 4/ Cleric 3/ Eldritch Disciple 9/ Hellfire Warlock 3/ Binder 1, won't you get an XP penalty from the moment you take the level of Binder at lvl 18?
I was about to say something like the ur priest/binder/warlock/eld disciple/hellfire lock build, but i got beaten to the punch....
By an hour. 
Ah, yes, how could I forget the Ur-Priest? It would be strictly better than a cleric in terms of spellcasting. Plus, it might be even easier to come up with a roleplay justification.
My only fears about the Ur-Priest are that it stretches the character's skill points and stats very thin. I could only get away with a 10 dex when proficiency with heavier armor was granted, and since the character is a melee build?
Perhaps I should elaborate on the campaign- it is fairly high-powered, probably going to start fairly low-level, but with rapid advancement, and we don't play with multiclassing penalties.
Could anyone recommend a different stat array to improve survivability at lower levels? Maybe by binding Aym for the armor proficiencies?
Also, wouldn't it theoreically be possible to take a level of Ur-Priest after only 1 level of binder and 4 warlock? That would give you the save bonuses, and as a human with a 12 INT, just enough skill points to get meet the requirements if you temporarily gimp Concentration and UMD. This would allow the third level of Hellfire Warlock and the extra 2d6, right?
Also, wouldn't it theoreically be possible to take a level of Ur-Priest after only 1 level of binder and 4 warlock? That would give you the save bonuses, and as a human with a 12 INT, just enough skill points to get meet the requirements if you temporarily gimp Concentration and UMD. This would allow the third level of Hellfire Warlock and the extra 2d6, right?
yes you can do that, i just copies it from another build idea that i had, and i was trying to get lesser invocations as soon as possible. your way is efinitely more optimized, and technically sound.
Technically you wouldn't even need to take the level of binder to offset the hellfire damage, you could just take the feat Bind Vestige: Naberius. You could then go with Warlock 6/ Mindbender 1/ Ur-Priest 2/ Eldritch Disciple 9/ Hellfire Warlock 2 or if you want to go with Binder then it would be possible to go Warlock 4/ Binder 1/ Ur-Priest 2/ Eldritch Disciple 10/ Hellfire Warlock 3 which would probably be the optimal choice.
Edit: After reading posts and checking ToM you would actually need the level of Binder to get Naberius full abilities to offset the Hellfire Warlock damage. So then I would suggest going with Warlock 4/ Binder 1/ Ur-Priest 2/ Eldritch Disciple 10/ Hellfire Warlock 3. 9th level divine spells, 1 dark invocation, 8d6 eldritch blast and 6d6 hellfire. Not too shabby.
Technically you wouldn't even need to take the level of binder to offset the hellfire damage, you could just take the feat Bind Vestige: Naberius.
I'm pretty sure that's not right. You only get a few minor abilities from the feat, not the full blown vestige powers.
Technically you wouldn't even need to take the level of binder to offset the hellfire damage, you could just take the feat Bind Vestige: Naberius.
I'm pretty sure that's not right. You only get a few minor abilities from the feat, not the full blown vestige powers.
thats exactly how the feat works. you get to shape the soulmeld but you cannot bind it to any chakra. shaping the strongheart vest allows you to reduce ability damage by 1 point.
the reason why binder is in that build is because of the +2 to fort save (which you need in order to get into ur @ lvl 6) and the thematic fit for the ur priest.
Technically you wouldn't even need to take the level of binder to offset the hellfire damage, you could just take the feat Bind Vestige: Naberius.
I'm pretty sure that's not right. You only get a few minor abilities from the feat, not the full blown vestige powers.thats exactly how the feat works. you get to shape the soulmeld but you cannot bind it to any chakra. shaping the strongheart vest allows you to reduce ability damage by 1 point.
May want to see what feat they're talking about.
Regardless, the Bind Vestige feat doesn't give you the ability you want. You need a level in Binder to do that.
thats exactly how the feat works. you get to shape the soulmeld but you cannot bind it to any chakra. shaping the strongheart vest allows you to reduce ability damage by 1 point.
You are confusing two different things. This has absolutely nothing to do with soulmelds. They're not even in the same book as binders and vestiges. That's from Magic of Incarnum, not Tome of Magic. The bind vestige feat does not work like that. You don't get the full abilities of the vestige. Go look in the book.
thats exactly how the feat works. you get to shape the soulmeld but you cannot bind it to any chakra. shaping the strongheart vest allows you to reduce ability damage by 1 point.
You are confusing two different things. This has absolutely nothing to do with soulmelds. They're not even in the same book as binders and vestiges. That's from Magic of Incarnum, not Tome of Magic. The bind vestige feat does not work like that. You don't get the full abilities of the vestige. Go look in the book.
Ah, now I see how Bind Vestige feat works. After reading posts and checking ToM you would actually need the level of Binder to get Naberius full abilities to offset the Hellfire Warlock damage. So then I would suggest going with Warlock 4/ Binder 1/ Ur-Priest 2/ Eldritch Disciple 10/ Hellfire Warlock 3. 9th level divine spells, 1 dark invocation, 8d6 eldritch blast and 6d6 hellfire. Not too shabby.
thats exactly how the feat works. you get to shape the soulmeld but you cannot bind it to any chakra. shaping the strongheart vest allows you to reduce ability damage by 1 point.
You are confusing two different things. This has absolutely nothing to do with soulmelds. They're not even in the same book as binders and vestiges. That's from Magic of Incarnum, not Tome of Magic. The bind vestige feat does not work like that. You don't get the full abilities of the vestige. Go look in the book.
d'oh.. you are 100% correct.. sorry! i was confusing the two!
You've got to admit, the combination of warlock, binder, ur-priest, and hellfire warlock really fits the theme of someone who is really greedy for power without much regard for the consequences.
Only one thing bothers me thematically, though. The Eldritch Disciple has a requirement that the character worship a god of a specific alignment (any chaotic or evil). The Ur-priest isn't really supposed to worship a god, because he steals from them. Weird, huh?
Build-wise. the Binder has a number of advantages over the Soulmeld feat- it has versatile abilities useful in the earlier levels (Survivability from Aym, better ranged attacks from Leraje, etc.) while being less steeped in controversy. Plus, I'm not familiar with anything really in Incarnum. Only what was read on the boards.
I would like to thank everyone for the weigh-ins. The ur-priest build is a monster. With a Divine Power, the character can dish out 14d6 damage (16d6 with a Greater Chausuble of Fell Power) four times a round, for the frightening total of 56d6 (or 64d6) damage in a single round. Frightening.
Also, I have a couple of quick rules questions. One, does Hellfire count as an essensce, or can you stack on another essence like Vitriolic or Utterdark Blast. Secondly, although this probably wouldn't work for an evil Ur-Priest, could you use the Eldritch Disciple's healing blast with the iterative attacks of Eldrich Glaive to heal your friends by whacking them repeatedly with a glaive-shaped blast of energy? Because that is A) funny and B) pretty decent healing potential
Only one thing bothers me thematically, though. The Eldritch Disciple has a requirement that the character worship a god of a specific alignment (any chaotic or evil). The Ur-priest isn't really supposed to worship a god, because he steals from them. Weird, huh?
There is an adaptation for the Ur-Priest that worships a dead god that he wants to ressurect. That might work to fulfill both.
Build-wise. the Binder has a number of advantages over the Soulmeld feat- it has versatile abilities useful in the earlier levels (Survivability from Aym, better ranged attacks from Leraje, etc.) while being less steeped in controversy. Plus, I'm not familiar with anything really in Incarnum. Only what was read on the boards.
I am a huge fan of Malphas and Balam. The scouting ability offered by Malphas is nothing short of incredible, and I love the reroll 1/5 rounds with Balam. Tenebrous is pretty damn good too, especially his 1/day ability.
Yeah, I love the flavor of all this stuff and how it combines. I'm playing a Binder/Ur-Priest/Anima Mage in a PbP on another board.