Pure Casting Warlock DC Eld Blast Build

[Spekdah_NZ]

How is self healing in heroic, especially around lvls 16-19 before you get access to ED's?

I was thinking of WF, but reconstruct would eat a precious lvl 6 slot. As well as using the lower level repairs while levelling until they were switched out. BF eats AP plus a heart and are stuck with fey without a alignment change as well. I guess there is always halfing and human. UMD is going to be good enough for no fail scrolls with drow. But is there enough heal in the enhancement options?

[slarden]

How is self healing in heroic, especially around lvls 16-19 before you get access to ED's?

I was thinking of WF, but reconstruct would eat a precious lvl 6 slot. As well as using the lower level repairs while levelling until they were switched out. BF eats AP plus a heart and are stuck with fey without a alignment change as well. I guess there is always halfing and human. UMD is going to be good enough for no fail scrolls with drow. But is there enough heal in the enhancement options?

I don't have any experience playing warlock in heroic, but there is quite a bit of self healing in Enlightened Spirit and Souleater. I would probably use those 2 trees in heroic where the eldritch blast should be very effective and take advantage of the temp hip and vampirism abilities for self healing.

I can't say for sure it is good self healing, but it looks like it to me. The loss of the Cure Moderate Wounds SLA is definitely significant - especially at heroic levels.

I wouldn't go BF for a DC caster, but it is the ideal race for a shiradi caster. As far as I know Warlock doesn't have access to the reconstruct or any repair spells so a warforged would need to rely on scroll reconstructing and the abilities in the warlock tree.

[Red_Knight]

I don't have any experience playing warlock in heroic, but there is quite a bit of self healing in Enlightened Spirit and Souleater. I would probably use those 2 trees in heroic where the eldritch blast should be very effective and take advantage of the temp hip and vampirism abilities for self healing.

I can't say for sure it is good self healing, but it looks like it to me. The loss of the Cure Moderate Wounds SLA is definitely significant - especially at heroic levels.

... You do realize that between Enlightened Spirit tree and Soul Eater tree there's a grand total of one heal right? Brilliance is renewing temp hit points, so it's more ablative armor then health. And the T5 ability is also temp hit points. Granted, it's a lot of temp hit points. But it's still temp hit points so again more of ablative armor. It also has the stacking cost of reducing your max health until you rest. So over use could be really bad.

[jalont]

... You do realize that between Enlightened Spirit tree and Soul Eater tree there's a grand total of one heal right? Brilliance is renewing temp hit points, so it's more ablative armor then health. And the T5 ability is also temp hit points. Granted, it's a lot of temp hit points. But it's still temp hit points so again more of ablative armor. It also has the stacking cost of reducing your max health until you rest. So over use could be really bad.

The devs are pushing the power creep hard. I've been fooled by this before with barb and the original enhancement pass. It doesn't matter what it looks like on paper, I can assure you it will be overpowered and over perform.

[Red_Knight]

The devs are pushing the power creep hard. I've been fooled by this before with barb and the original enhancement pass. It doesn't matter what it looks like on paper, I can assure you it will be overpowered and over perform.

From my testing so far, Brilliance was handy for small groups on epic normal. Any more then 3 enemies though, and they tend to chip into your actual health. Although a vampirism weapon can counteract that nicely. Used a dagger with it when running some tests. Also got in trouble from overusing Shining Through. Yeah it was giving 300+ temp hit points each time. But I found my max health was down to 150 or so without them. Not sure yet if you can kill yourself using it too often. Planning on testing that out too.

Wait... I may be thinking of the T3 core for tainted scholar, which is very useful too.

[slarden]

From my testing so far, Brilliance was handy for small groups on epic normal. Any more then 3 enemies though, and they tend to chip into your actual health. Although a vampirism weapon can counteract that nicely. Used a dagger with it when running some tests. Also got in trouble from overusing Shining Through. Yeah it was giving 300+ temp hit points each time. But I found my max health was down to 150 or so without them. Not sure yet if you can kill yourself using it too often. Planning on testing that out too.

Wait... I may be thinking of the T3 core for tainted scholar, which is very useful too.

Your point is certainly good that self-healing will be better at epic levels than it will be at heroic levels. I was quite happy with the cure moderate wounds SLA. Now that it's gone I'll have to play around with the best heroic build and self-healing might well be a weak point of the build at heroic levels.

[slarden]

I was wrong on my Eld Blast DC calculation based on Varg's most recent comment on it. I am adjusting the original post:

Heighten and other metamagics don't affect Eldritch Blast. It's considered a level 9 spell when that matters (which is part of the formula that makes it 19 base DC+ other factors).

To clarify, the damage from Pacts is triggers much the same way as Shiradi abilities; either both trigger or neither will. For Eldritch Blast, it doesn't matter if the enemy saves or evades - at that point those triggers have already happened.

[Feralthyrtiaq]

Will definitely reference this build upon release.

[Red_Knight]

Also keep in mind that right now the pact damage is slightly bugged. The bug as I'm seeing it is that the type of save doesn't actually matter. Evasion mobs are still evading great old one and fiend pact damage, despite them being will and fortitude saves. Evasion is also currently allowing the avoidance of the base force damage too when it happens.

[slarden]

There are a few changes to the enhancement tree from Lamannia which I will update this weekend. I believe the net of these changes is to lower eldtrich blast DC by 2 while enchantment DC remains the same, but I will be able to confirm it this weekend.

I also want to fit in the new feats that add to eldtrich blast damage.

[Rubix]

Also keep in mind that right now the pact damage is slightly bugged. The bug as I'm seeing it is that the type of save doesn't actually matter. Evasion mobs are still evading great old one and fiend pact damage, despite them being will and fortitude saves. Evasion is also currently allowing the avoidance of the base force damage too when it happens.

Did this bug make it to live?

Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised if it did. I'd really like to know because I'll have to play Warlock to get my completionist back, but will hold off if the class is seriously buggy now.

[HuneyMunster]

Your build points are off, Drow start with 10 dex. If this is a 32 point Drow build you also have 2 spare points.

[slarden]

Your build points are off, Drow start with 10 dex. If this is a 32 point Drow build you also have 2 spare points.

Thank you. A guildy also pointed this out to me. Unfortunately something came up for me at work and I will be working all weekend. I am going to try to squeeze a few hours in to play and make a few adjustments due to changes between the last Lamannia bulid and what we have on live.

I am also questioning whether Eld Blast DC is working exactly like the Rune Arm blast in which case many part of the DC calculation are ignored.

[mobilemuppet]

Thanks, yours was one I was looking closely at. Did you take the spell pen feats in the end, I was hoping not have to run more past lives (for the win feats).

What wpn sets would you look for end game?

Thanks

[HuneyMunster]

Thanks, yours was one I was looking closely at. Did you take the spell pen feats in the end, I was hoping not have to run more past lives (for the win feats).

What wpn sets would you look for end game?

Thanks

Apart from Drow in Underdark there is not much need for spell pen, but with epic Shavarath I would think there is a good chance that you will. You could just take 1 spell pen feat so you are able to twist in the spell pen from Draconic and Magister when needed (they require the feat unlike EA spell pen). If you do take only 1 spell pen I would take it at 15 at the latest incase you need to feat swap in greater spell pen later.

[HuneyMunster]

With Eldritch Blast DC of 72+ do you really need to twist precise evo? This depends on if Spiritual Retribution procs Empyream, then the up to an extra 10% spell crit would maybe be a better option as a twist.

[Red_Knight]

Did this bug make it to live?

Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised if it did. I'd really like to know because I'll have to play Warlock to get my completionist back, but will hold off if the class is seriously buggy now.

Been doing more testing on Live servers. Helps that you can fire only one blast at a time now, instead of the 2nd and 3rd ones firing at the same time. After tracking number of blasts fired, number of times Evasion shows, and then going through combat log, it looks like the EVASION message is popping up even when a mob doesn't have evasion, nor did it make the save. But when it pops up, it looks like it's just the message. The mob isn't actually avoiding any damage. Many times when I've seen Evasion I end up doing full damage, meaning they failed the will save to begin with.

What might be happening is the mob rolls the proper save, but the displayed message is comparing their reflex save bonus.

Started testing this due to seeing CR 0.25 zombies getting Evasion messages. And I'm pretty sure kobolds in the harbor don't have Evasion either. Dang sure that the end boss of Kobolds New Ringleader doesn't have evasion, yet to see an ogre that does have it.

[jambajuicey]

I built up nearly identical to this, but was hoping to see if there is anything I can do to boost my eldritch blast damage. I dont have quite all the gear but am sitting at 302 sonic, 361, 300 positive - is there any other way to enahnce standard eldritch damage? I did twist in sense weakness.

[Red_Knight]

Uhm, besides spell power and spell crit, not much. There's the Strong Pact enhancements from tainted scholar. A couple enhancements, one a core, in Enlightened Spirit that add 3d6 light damage each too. One of the T5 tainted scholar enhancements adds to the base force damage of your blast. Then there's a couple epic feats to add to your blast's base force damage. The SLA attacks can be meta magiced with maximize and empower, giving them the potential for burst damage.

Well, most of them anyway. The healing one from soul eater can't use maximize or empower it seems.

[jambajuicey]

Also - I think the OP maybe dated? I couldn't get spiritual retribution in without getting 3 of 3 in 3 previous tiers (9 points) is 3d6 light damage worth that?