melee warlock build request

[guitrdave1]

Hi ,Can anyone post a MELEE warlock build. I am 32 pt. and have decent gear. I play a dwarf guards-tank type of melee w/con- to-damage although I am open to anything. Multiclass is OK too.

[unbongwah]

All of the melee warlock builds I've seen are based on Enlightened Spirit, simply because the aura lets you passively proc Eldritch Blast damage while you melee; all of the other blast shapes force you to choose between melee OR blasting. The main issue with a melee-based ES warlock is the melee DPS bonuses in the warlock PrEs are pretty blah, IMO; but if you do a heavy MC for better melee DPS, you're given up a significant amount of caster / EB DPS as well as the higher-level ES cores. In particular, losing the extra HPs from ES capstone is...unfortunate; although if you're doing a warlock / ftr or pal hybrid you could take Tenacious Defense instead. Then there's the question of APs, feats, gear, etc.

That said, there's plenty of melee warlock builds on the forums already:
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...lock-with-soul!
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...mpanion-thread
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...2-TYWA-Warlock
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...-melee-warlock
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...ic-Bladesinger

[guitrdave1]

All of the melee warlock builds I've seen are based on Enlightened Spirit, simply because the aura lets you passively proc Eldritch Blast damage while you melee; all of the other blast shapes force you to choose between melee OR blasting. The main issue with a melee-based ES warlock is the melee DPS bonuses in the warlock PrEs are pretty blah, IMO; but if you do a heavy MC for better melee DPS, you're given up a significant amount of caster / EB DPS as well as the higher-level ES cores. In particular, losing the extra HPs from ES capstone is...unfortunate; although if you're doing a warlock / ftr or pal hybrid you could take Tenacious Defense instead. Then there's the question of APs, feats, gear, etc.

That said, there's plenty of melee warlock builds on the forums already:
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...lock-with-soul!
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...mpanion-thread
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...2-TYWA-Warlock
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...-melee-warlock
https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...ic-Bladesinger

Thanks for links and ideas. I'm leaning towards pure for simplicity and spell-aura/burst focused. Meleeing w/shield for minimal dps and more survivability (like gingerspyce). I've only played melee dwarves ,so will use D-axes. I will mostly dump charisma, use TYWA and SF pots. I don't have any caster PL's or DC's so hope it won't matter much. For a flavor build do you see any blatant mistakes?

[unbongwah]

Personally I'm not wild about the S&B warlock builds: you have to contend with arcane spell failure and it's the lowest of the melee DPS options on a build concept which has low melee DPS to begin with; in which case, why are you even bothering with melee at all? In one of those threads, I posted a TWF PDK CHA-based ES warlock wielding dual Celestias. While it's still pretty much a flavor build, I would adapt that concept to TYWA dwarf.

[Enderoc]

I did a recent ER on my Drow warlock I will decide whether to TR soon with. Basically a TWF rapier/shortsword user focusing on racial enhancements, enlightened spirit , and tainted scholar. I took quick draw, combat casting, and mobile spell casting to be ultra mobile and recover quick from spells, scrolls, and yes even shuriken throwing to be able to switch weapons or go back to immediate combat.

Maybe a Con based Dwarven thrower would work, still would have con damage to melee axes or hammers. Thing is you would want a shield or TWF anyway in order to have at least one casting implement in hand while having a more damage specced weapon in the other.

Bad thing about using racial enhancements to empower weapon damage though is that it takes from other warlock trees that increase your Eldritch attack damages. But it's not much. I think I am missing like a d4 right now.

If I don't like it I will TR. It's a good thing I chose a heroic race in order to do so. Might do that when I want to experiment more. Go with trusted concepts up to 30 iconic or not, and experiment with heroic races after an ER. Not with Iconics though. It will be hard to gimp it all the way to 30 again.

So far though it's better for single targets. But the chain attack was probably more solo efficient. The active aura however is more party friendly.

If you go the Melee route, I would do my best to max spell power and lore in light and your fiend pact damage... If at all possible. Also you might want to focus on tainted and enlightened solely even if you are melee. I am thinking of switching to do just that, keeping my enhancements prior to my ER.

Doing that I can chain blast or melee, and especially with bosses melee is more DPS. I twisted improved power attack and grim precision with cocoon. Good options I think. In Droconian Lineage if you spent for your dragon breath to paralyze it also affects your aura. That gives you another AOE option with a paralyzing aura. Awesome for a melee warlock.

*stun instead of paralyze works too even on undead, but procs less and the duration is shorter I think. However if you splash warlock simply for the Aura on Rogue... You can make use of SA and bonuses to damage on helpless creatures. Only with it twisted or in draconian lineage though. Not sure if it's 4th or 5th tier, so might not be able to be twisted.

[guitrdave1]

Personally I'm not wild about the S&B warlock builds: you have to contend with arcane spell failure and it's the lowest of the melee DPS options on a build concept which has low melee DPS to begin with; in which case, why are you even bothering with melee at all? In one of those threads, I posted a TWF PDK CHA-based ES warlock wielding dual Celestias. While it's still pretty much a flavor build, I would adapt that concept to TYWA dwarf.

At lvl 14 or so my S/B paly was better than my pre-updated TWF fighter. I could just block and my guards would do damage and I was MUCH more survivable.I want to try a warlock and have only played con -based dwarves, and know if I don't have high DC's I will epic fail casting spells (and I have zero caster gear/PL's)that's why I'm stuck on making it work. I'm beginning to think I'm shining a turd. Maybe I'll go basic pew-pew OP warlock human caster,although I heard they keep nerfing the class.