Warlock: 70% off makes me an OP newbie - How do I warlock and when do I win?

[MacRighteous]

Hi

As title indicates, I'm finally getting on the warlock train due to the 70% off sale (which probably means they are nerfing the class (again) next update - lol)
Anyways - a bit of research revealed a lot of data on the class - but much of it is from a year or more ago and I'm wondering about relevancy - 'specially since even I, in my cave of solace in solo-land have heard the wails against a few heavy handed nerfs in a row - or so I gathered from my research.

Any-hoot... What does today's warlock build look like? I liked the videos I watched by that ginger guy and I think that might be a good build for me since I like the in your face melee game style - but IDK? Maybe the point of playing different classes are to experience different playstyles? However I am definitely NOT a caster or stealth player, trying PM and AM taught me that - I'm clumsy; sloppy; awkward; loud; careless; forgetful; indecisive and particularly uncommitted. My players skillz change daily: mostly from bad to worse but occasionally from bad to lucky AsF - So maybe I need to stick to tanking it up and swinging a weapon whilst I does AoE with auras and blasts and ****z- or whatever you crazy warlocks are saying these days.

Ok people - that's it... Please /teach

thx
/mac

[C-Dog]

Any-hoot... What does today's warlock build look like?

No diff, really. They went from controversially OP to just arguably OP, but the builds work the same.

o https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...=1#post5759371

[MacRighteous]

No diff, really. They went from controversially OP to just arguably OP, but the builds work the same.

o https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...=1#post5759371

Thanks C-Dog...

I rolled a test build based on my understanding of Spyce's CON build last night and Wow-wee - I get both arguments now.
On one hand it seems to do everything some of my other classes do - only better.
Better range+kitting than my AA Ranger, handles undead better than my divines,
CC's better than my Bard, Auras and bursts kill things faster than IPS + Manyshot... things just run up to me and fall over dead without me even doing anything to them...
Only downside I've noticed so far is some single target boss fights are dicey and if i don't play smart I could - maybe - take some damage.
I don't even feel squishy or gimped in melee - and I'm a caster class using MT to wield a shield for fooks sake.
In my 6 hour play session last night, I leveled to 8th level on a hard bravery streak and barely broke a sweat - I had zero deaths and the only time I got into panic mode was in one of the Depths quest and that named Troll kind of took me by surprise and gave me a bit of a fuss before I could regroup and dust him...
I can understand why players in groups might get annoyed at warlocks - nobody likes a show off and everybody hates hot-dogging... except for the person doing it. And that boils down the argument on the other side - it's just fracking fun - period.

IDK if I'm going to keep this build or not - but here is the rundown... How does it look?

New Build
Warlock 20
True Neutral Drow


Stats
. . . . . . . .28pt . . Level Up
. . . . . . . .---- . . --------
Strength. . . . .8. . . .4: CON
Dexterity . . . 10. . . .8: CON
Constitution. . 16. . . 12: CON
Intelligence. . 16. . . 16: CON
Wisdom. . . . . .8. . . 20: CON
Charisma. . . . 16. . .




Skills
. . . . . 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
. . . . .------------------------------------------------------------
Concent . 4. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 23
Spellcr . 4. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 23
UMD . . . 4. . .1 .2 .1 . . 1. 2. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 23
Heal. . . 2. . .1 . . 1. . .1 . . 1. . .1 . . 1. . .1 . . 1. . .1 . . 11
Jump. . . 2. 1. . .1 . . 1. . .1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Perform . . .1 . . . . . . . . . . . 1. . . . . .1 . . . . . 1. . . . .4
Spot. . . . . . . . . . .1 . . . . . . . . 1. . . . . .1 . . . . . 1. .4
Tumble. . 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
. . . . .------------------------------------------------------------
. . . . .20. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5




Feats


.1. . . . : Maximize Spell
.1 Warlock: Pact: Fey
.3. . . . : Empower Spell
.6. . . . : Shield Proficiency
.9. . . . : Mental Toughness
12. . . . : Shield Mastery
15. . . . : Quicken Spell
18. . . . : Improved Shield Mastery




Spells

1. Master's Touch, Nightshield, Obscuring Mist
2. Blur, Fog Cloud, Blindness
3. Dark Discorporation, Stoneskin, Slow
4. Evard's Black Tentacles, Teleport, Greater Dispel Magic
5. Tenser's Transformation, Waves of Exhaustion, Otto's Sphere of Dancing
6. Wail of the Banshee, Trap the Soul, Otto's Irresistible Dance

Enhancements (80 AP)


Enlightened Spirit (51 AP)

• Eldritch Aura, Aura of Courage, Shape Vestments, Aura of Menace, Celestial Spirit, Ultimate Enlightenment
  
  1. Resilience of Body III, Spiritual Defense III, Resilience of Soul III
  2. Spiritual Bastion III, Power of Enlightenment III, Shield
  3. Eldritch Burst III, Spiritual Ward III, Power of Enlightenment III, Constitution
  4. Medium Armor Proficiency, Spiritual Retribution III, Brilliance, Constitution
  5. Spirit Blast III, Beacon, Shining Through, Displacement

Tainted Scholar (22 AP)

• Tainted Spellcasting, Tainted Lore, Stanch, Tainted Lore II
  
  1. Feigned Health III, Strong Pact, Eldritch Focus II
  2. Utterdark Blast, Eldritch Chain Shape, Stunning Blast III, Strong Pact
  3. Strong Pact

Drow (7 AP)

• Spell Resistance, Charisma, Spell Resistance II, Charisma, Spell Resistance III

Thanks
/Mac

[Morroiel]

DPS focused: 41 points in tainted scholar (don't take tier 5 but take capstone), 39 points in souleater (take lvl 18 core). Fey or Goo Shiradi (Fey is a lot easier to play but less damage)

DC Specced: 41 Points in Souleater (capstone), 12 points (dragonborn), rest in tainted scholar, go GOO or Fiend run in Exalted Angel (or shiradi if / when you need damage boosts)

ES Specced: Don't do it. It was horrible before the nerf compared to what you can get from other specs. It is garbage tier compared to other warlock specs now. (this is a noob trap)

DC Specced > DPS Focused >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ES Specced

[slarden]

DPS focused: 41 points in tainted scholar (don't take tier 5 but take capstone), 39 points in souleater (take lvl 18 core). Fey or Goo Shiradi (Fey is a lot easier to play but less damage)

DC Specced: 41 Points in Souleater (capstone), 12 points (dragonborn), rest in tainted scholar, go GOO or Fiend run in Exalted Angel (or shiradi if / when you need damage boosts)

ES Specced: Don't do it. It was horrible before the nerf compared to what you can get from other specs. It is garbage tier compared to other warlock specs now. (this is a noob trap)

DC Specced > DPS Focused >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ES Specced

When warlock first came out ES outperformed a typical 39/41 shiradi build when I tested at epic levels. Of course that was prior to reaper which changes everything. SE/TS was always best for heroic leveling and I almost always used that while leveling even with a build that would ultimately become an ES build.

At the beginning it was better dps and much better survivability. With the removal of some favorable bugs and at least 4 rounds of nerfs targeting mostly ES (for good reason) - it's obviously weak now for dps, but I ran an ES survivable necro build for fun recently and did really well - much better than I expected in reaper. In fact now I am running a variant of my SE necro warlock build and missing that ES survivability and the DC is nearly identical.

the thing now is that if you equip a 5 piece LGS ender set with the big hp bonus you really don't need ES survivability. Still ES is the most survivable tree and you can make some solid toons if you are Charisma/DC based.

The optimal toon is the one that is most fun and in some cases that involves surviving more.

[MacRighteous]

DC Specced > DPS Focused >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ES Specced

Wow - If DC or DPS specced builds are really that much better than the ES build - then I might as well not even log-on and just assume I DC'ed warlocked and won DDO because I can't imagine things being any easier than mobs running up to me and dying, without me even pushing a key...

I thought my Acid Arrow was an easy button, but I at least have to line things up to pew pew them - But now my "garbage build" has this chain feat or EnH and I can blast-blast around corners and kill things I can't even see...

The optimal toon is the one that is most fun and in some cases that involves surviving more.

Then Yahtzee!!!!
12 levels in 2 days (10 hours: that's a record for me) I'm surviving and thriving and having fun.... I guess I iz optimal!!

I'm running this CON build and digging it because I wants to - just for fun...
I'm a casual soloer, I don't have to be better than the best build and player out there - I only have to beat the dungeon i'm in and lovingly finger and fondle the fat lootz I procure.

Besides I have CHA Paladins, PDK CHA Fighters, CHA Bards...
My only other CON build is a TYWA Dwarf Cleric. Its nice to have a Con build that doesn't sook.

Thanks for the tips guys, I really appreciate it - I have read both of your words in many threads on the subject: /Respect.
But as I go along, I'm finding this class also teaches itself.

I'm going to TR at 20 and prolly try out a DPS specced lock just to compare and then do what I always do: gimp a solid class by frankensteining an original flavor build together with some bad choices and incompatible classes...

Right off the bat I'm thinking SWF Swash-lock or maybe a Rog-lock Knife fighter? Or even a EK Paladin-Soc-lock kind of thingy...
IDK - there must be 100 ways to ruin this class....

/Mac

[apocaladle]

just build a voodu warlock

https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...mpanion-thread

requires zero past lives and no more than random gen gear and you will be able to solo epic elite underlevel with zero problem.

I am playing one at the moment and its down right silly this made it past the devs QA team because this is by far the most easybutton build I have ever played.