Are Warlocks supposed to be able to wear heavy armor?

[archlyte]

Warlocks can wear heavy armor and not suffer effective penalties to any of their inherent abilities. With very little tweaking a Warlock can be super effective without taking the proficiencies for heavy armor or the enhancements that reduce spell failure. Is this how the class was intended to work? If so why have sorceror or wizard when you can blast away as warlock with high PRR? Also why do other classes have to have the feat for the armor when this class doesn't?

[PermaBanned]

Also why do other classes have to have the feat for the armor when this class doesn't?

Huh?

[Chai]

artificer also experiences this.

inherent abilities as well as spells listed as transfusions are not effected by spell failure.

Right or wrong, bug or wai, this has been part of the meta since 2011 and did not just enter the game with warlocks.

[Lonnbeimnech]

Warlocks can wear heavy armor and not suffer effective penalties to any of their inherent abilities. With very little tweaking a Warlock can be super effective without taking the proficiencies for heavy armor or the enhancements that reduce spell failure. Is this how the class was intended to work? If so why have sorceror or wizard when you can blast away as warlock with high PRR? Also why do other classes have to have the feat for the armor when this class doesn't?

Warlocks still get arcane spell failure in heavy armor, just like sorc and wizards. Not having proficiency means you don't get the full benefit of prr since you don't get the bab portion. You can do the same thing on a sorc or wizard tho, and even get lower asf with access to eldritch knight, which warlocks don't get.

Not sure what your point is...

[Maatogaeoth]

Also why do other classes have to have the feat for the armor when this class doesn't?

Anyone can wear any armor (unless race restricted, etc of course), with penalty if they aren't proficient.

The problem with Warlocks is that the penalty doesn't have any real effect on their ability to do their job.

What should happen is if you're not proficient with an armor type, you get no PRR/MRR benefits.

[Renvar]

Warlocks have 35% ASF when wearing heavy armor, same as other arcane casters. They will also get ASF on medium armor unless they have the enhancement in the ES tree that gives them Medium armor.

The only real difference is that the Warlock eldritch blast/aura affects are not impacted by ASF, and that is the primary source of DPS for the class. Spell casting is more of a secondary feature for them. They actually function pretty much the same as Bards. No ASF for light armor and an enhancement extends that to medium. ASF does not affect a bard's song abilities, but does affect their spell casting. So a swash/warchanter bard can melee and sing in heavy armor with no impact.

Keep in mind that armor proficiency does not affect ASF. Having heavy armor proficiency removes the Armor Check Penalty to attack rolls and also adds 6+BAB to your PRR. So, if you are going to be a warlock or bard in heavy armor, it is a good idea to splash a class that gets Heavy Armor Proficency (Pally/Fighter/Cleric) or take the feat. Especially if you will be meleeing. But the PRR bonus alone makes the feat worthwhile.

To get rid of ASF you will need enhancements or gear (augments of spell agility for example).

[archlyte]

Ok so looks like it is working as intended. That was mainly what I wondered. Feels broken but whatever.

[Steve_Howe]

I think it bears repeating that for Warlocks, the Arcane Spell Failure (ASF) chance DOES apply to the Warlock's spells like Shield and Sleep. It does NOT affect any form of a Warlock's Eldritch Blast (ranged or aura).

[archlyte]

I think it bears repeating that for Warlocks, the Arcane Spell Failure (ASF) chance DOES apply to the Warlock's spells like Shield and Sleep. It does NOT affect any form of a Warlock's Eldritch Blast (ranged or aura).

Yeah but the eldritch blast is sufficient, the occasional failure to cast the spells is a minor inconvenience compared with the ability to don Heavy Armor with no prof and blast things to no end. The class should have had penalties to EB dmg for wearing non-proficient armor.

[CThruTheEgo]

Warlocks are so totally over-the-top overpowered whether they are wearing armor (light, medium, or heavy) or not. ASF not applying to eldritch blast is not what makes them overpowered lol.

[Chi_Ryu]

So, if you are going to be a warlock or bard in heavy armor, it is a good idea to splash a class that gets Heavy Armor Proficency (Pally/Fighter/Cleric) or take the feat. Especially if you will be meleeing. But the PRR bonus alone makes the feat worthwhile.

#1: You can't just take the feat, unless you are Warforged or Bladeforged; sadly, you'd need to take Light Armour Proficiency, then Medium Armour Proficiency, and then finally Heavy Armour Proficiency.

#2: If splashing 1 Paladin/Fighter/Cleric, then you lose the capstone, which for Enlightened Spirit gives you full BAB, instead of 3/4 BAB (and an extra +20% HP, +10 Melee Power, +20 Light, +2 Con & Cha, etc.). That's quite a sacrifice for a gain of 14 PRR*, and 10 MRR.

Also, it has been noted in the Known Issues that ASF shold affect Eldritch Blasts**, and that this is a bug - none of the enhancements decrease the ASF on shields or Heavy Armour. Something to consider.

As for wearing Heavy Armour without proficiency, that is only better than wearing medium armour up until level 12, for a pure Warlock, and has the cost of a much lower max dex bonus (reducing both Dex AC and Dodge).

* A 19/1 War/Pal or equivalent has a BAB of 15. That makes 51PRR and 30MRR, versus 37PRR and 20MRR with medium armour and the proficiency enhancement.
** "Arcane Spell Failure incorrectly fails to apply to basic attack forms of Eldritch Blast."

[Qhualor]

Yeah but the eldritch blast is sufficient, the occasional failure to cast the spells is a minor inconvenience compared with the ability to don Heavy Armor with no prof and blast things to no end. The class should have had penalties to EB dmg for wearing non-proficient armor.

For me, I had to roll something like a 25 or higher at level 15. It's not occasional failure. That's why when I did WF and BF warlock I just took light armor to avoid that.

[unbongwah]

From the Known Issues list: "Arcane Spell Failure incorrectly fails to apply to basic attack forms of Eldritch Blast." This implies that ASF is supposed to affect EB, which makes sense since there's clearly a somatic component. Doesn't indicate if SLAs, Spirit Burst, etc. are also supposed to be affected by ASF, though.

[Pnumbra]

From the Known Issues list: "Arcane Spell Failure incorrectly fails to apply to basic attack forms of Eldritch Blast." This implies that ASF is supposed to affect EB, which makes sense since there's clearly a somatic component. Doesn't indicate if SLAs, Spirit Burst, etc. are also supposed to be affected by ASF, though.

This is the best statement; a reminder that ASF should affect Warlocks.

Not sure why the Devs won't fix this in a hotfix.

[JOTMON]

Warlocks can wear heavy armor and not suffer effective penalties to any of their inherent abilities. With very little tweaking a Warlock can be super effective without taking the proficiencies for heavy armor or the enhancements that reduce spell failure. Is this how the class was intended to work? If so why have sorceror or wizard when you can blast away as warlock with high PRR? Also why do other classes have to have the feat for the armor when this class doesn't?

It was reported on the known issues when Warlock first came out.


https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...l-Known-Issues
Classes:
•Warlock:
•Arcane Spell Failure incorrectly fails to apply to basic attack forms of Eldritch Blast.

[Tlorrd]

This is the best statement; a reminder that ASF should affect Warlocks.

Not sure why the Devs won't fix this in a hotfix.

Just look at the devs thinking with AA. They're clearly considering those changes heavily with monkchers in mind even though from a base standpoint AA is a ranger or elf feature, but since they're (or at least were) so many monkchers, the devs are making enhancement decisions based on this multiclass build.

So it will be the same with this issue. Warlock heavy armor builds are the staple of many different warlocks/multiclass warlock builds. They won't change it any time soon.

[Pnumbra]

Just look at the devs thinking with AA. They're clearly considering those changes heavily with monkchers in mind even though from a base standpoint AA is a ranger or elf feature, but since they're (or at least were) so many monkchers, the devs are making enhancement decisions based on this multiclass build.

So it will be the same with this issue. Warlock heavy armor builds are the staple of many different warlocks/multiclass warlock builds. They won't change it any time soon.

I can't argue against your statement, but isn't this part of the power creep problem? As a Warlock, I am saddened that monkchers are dictating game culture. This game needs boundaries.

[redoubt]

Anyone can wear any armor (unless race restricted, etc of course), with penalty if they aren't proficient.

The problem with Warlocks is that the penalty doesn't have any real effect on their ability to do their job.

What should happen is if you're not proficient with an armor type, you get no PRR/MRR benefits.

Give -50% run speed for non-proficient... lol...

[draven1]

Give -50% run speed for non-proficient... lol...

Good idea!

[Tlorrd]

Give -50% run speed for non-proficient... lol...

Lol, but some warlocks float!