How is warlock a strong class? I'm lvl 4 but I do horrible DPS. Any tips?

[SerPounce]

Sorcerer is definitely better. But more skill Dependant, and more gear heavy.

This is basically the same thing people are trying to explain to you re: ES vs. SE. the high DPS/CC/instakill SE build leans on all the defensive and DC bonuses from PLs and reaper AP as well as kiting/positioning skills. ES is still my #1 caster recommendation for new players. I wouldn’t personally use ES as a leveling build on one of my mains, but it has it’s place.

[xBunny]

The end result is 41 into tainted scholar and 39 into soul eater...

New to warlocks. Just interested in general info. Which tree T5 to go with TS or SE? Core 6? And what about ED to go with for DPS - Shiradi? Acid\Fire pact to get sp from Burnscar Sash ?

[mr420247]

If you just want dps there is only 1 good ED Drac heals and dcs go ea tank us

But for drac you need to be able to brute force your evoc n conj dcs you can always dump spell pen if you have to if thats what u want

I prefer ES at cap for R7-10s being able to survive 1 shot can help alot

[Chai]

Just please... For the love of all of humanity... DONT go enlightened spirit.

So many warlocks will go enlightened spirit and claim its good dps...

Thats how it got nerfed. People claimed you could AFK with a ton of mobs on you in reaper and prevail.

[Alled78]

Pshaw. Enlightened Spirit is PLENTY of DPS for Heroic Normal...

I go ES from lvl 12 and is really fun.
I think he would try and chose his playstile. The nice thing with warlock is the features are the same for any build, so it is fast to change enhacements to try a different set.

I dont like cone (i dont want to follow enemies to kill them, in that case i play melee) so i use chain blast till 12 running my way to end

And i prefer fire warlock. He should try all then decide.

[C-Dog]

A bit late to the party, but I'll toss this out...

Is it the same thing as wizard that I need to wield a 2 handed Axe in the low levels?

At level 1 and 2, yeah, kinda. Locks have no AoE attack and just don't have the juice to kill fast enough, at least not to solo Elite very easily (which is kinda the benchmark). They even can have a tough time Soloing Cannith Crystal, which is enough to make anyone sad.

However, starting before Level 3, you have enough AP (minimum 5) to start getting Chain and Utterdark, which is where the change starts (min 9 AP total*). Another 2 AP gets you your 2nd Strong Pact before Level 4, 11 AP and you're set.

(* if you only have 2 AP in Feigned Health, which is workable to start with. 10 AP if/when you put all 3 AP there, or you can grab the 2nd Core first if you prefer for a larger Depravity pool. But we're splitting hairs at this point, ymmv.)

When I'm making a disposable Favor Runner with Vet 1 (starting Level 4, 12 AP), I'll often start Barb 1/Warlock 3, and that crushes everything in any Level 2 quest out there on Elite (or even R1, if I'm bored of E). I can take Barb 1 (for the run speed) without hurting my AP spending, and it actually helps when I have to kite the occasional group of champs/reapers. This is obviously a 1st life build, and could be 28 pts np (in fact, I prefer Drow for this, but ymmv).

For this, 1 Feat is Evocation, to reduce saves by -1 (but you could do both for -2). At this level, gear can be all droploot - +3 Charisma, +1 Evoc, +~50 Fort, +Con, some false life, and a pair of decent Spell Power/Lore weapons. If(!) you want to get serious, farm up a Runic Trinket for +14 to each spellpower, done. There is certainly room for other useful/desirable effects like Featherfall or +Jump, or +Str for Carrying Capacity, etc., but that's all gravy.

On top of that, I have useless spells.

Lowbie 'locks don't have "attack" spells, they have defense/utility spells, which are far from "useless".

• Shield (critical if going Reaper)
• Jump (to get out of awkward kiting situations)
• Web (for an unreliable* CC - but it helps, esp if you can keep kiting your pursuers back through it)

(* If you started with 20 Charisma, and can find room to slot a +Conjuration item (or take Feat(s) +Conjuration), then it becomes far more reliable - ymmv as to those tradeoffs. The inevitable problem is that altho' it is initially a Ref ST, mobs then get Str checks to break free, so it all depends who/what you're trying to web.)

I then slot the auto-granted Featherfall on a handy hotbutton, and spam it for a cheap "Mass" Feigned Life. (Other spells vary w/ Pact, but again, none are "useless".)


But, the bottom line is - yeah, shortly after hitting level 2, and with a little (droploot) gear, Locks are just fine as-designed.

[Alled78]

A bit late to the party, but I'll toss this out...


At level 1 and 2, yeah, kinda. Locks have no AoE attack and just don't have the juice to kill fast enough, at least not to solo Elite very easily (which is kinda the benchmark). They even can have a tough time Soloing Cannith Crystal, which is enough to make anyone sad.

However, starting before Level 3, you have enough AP (minimum 5) to start getting Chain and Utterdark, which is where the change starts (min 9 AP total*). Another 2 AP gets you your 2nd Strong Pact before Level 4, 11 AP and you're set.

(* if you only have 2 AP in Feigned Health, which is workable to start with. 10 AP if/when you put all 3 AP there, or you can grab the 2nd Core first if you prefer for a larger Depravity pool. But we're splitting hairs at this point, ymmv.)

When I'm making a disposable Favor Runner with Vet 1 (starting Level 4, 12 AP), I'll often start Barb 1/Warlock 3, and that crushes everything in any Level 2 quest out there on Elite (or even R1, if I'm bored of E). I can take Barb 1 (for the run speed) without hurting my AP spending, and it actually helps when I have to kite the occasional group of champs/reapers. This is obviously a 1st life build, and could be 28 pts np (in fact, I prefer Drow for this, but ymmv).

For this, 1 Feat is Evocation, to reduce saves by -1 (but you could do both for -2). At this level, gear can be all droploot - +3 Charisma, +1 Evoc, +~50 Fort, +Con, some false life, and a pair of decent Spell Power/Lore weapons. If(!) you want to get serious, farm up a Runic Trinket for +14 to each spellpower, done. There is certainly room for other useful/desirable effects like Featherfall or +Jump, or +Str for Carrying Capacity, etc., but that's all gravy.


Lowbie 'locks don't have "attack" spells, they have defense/utility spells, which are far from "useless".

• Shield (critical if going Reaper)
• Jump (to get out of awkward kiting situations)
• Web (for an unreliable* CC - but it helps, esp if you can keep kiting your pursuers back through it)

(* If you started with 20 Charisma, and can find room to slot a +Conjuration item (or take Feat(s) +Conjuration), then it becomes far more reliable - ymmv as to those tradeoffs. The inevitable problem is that altho' it is initially a Ref ST, mobs then get Str checks to break free, so it all depends who/what you're trying to web.)

I then slot the auto-granted Featherfall on a handy hotbutton, and spam it for a cheap "Mass" Feigned Life. (Other spells vary w/ Pact, but again, none are "useless".)


But, the bottom line is - yeah, shortly after hitting level 2, and with a little (droploot) gear, Locks are just fine as-designed.

+ to all c dog wrote
Then i use barbarian hire lvl 1 and 3 to help a bit with dps

[C-Dog]

Just to spell it out, at Level 4, your enhancements should look a lot like this:

Enhancements (14 of 16 AP)

• Tainted Scholar (13 AP)
  • Tainted Spellcasting, Tainted Lore
    1. Feigned Health III, Strong Pact
    2. Utterdark Blast, Eldritch Chain Shape, Strong Pact
  
  Soul Eater (1 AP)
  • Inhuman Understanding (+5 Spell Power for both Pact and Utterdark)

You're a "long" way from Level 6 and Stanch (and a max 30 Depravity), so after the Tier 3 Strong Pact, grab the 2nd core of Soul Eater (+25% Fort) for now (and 6 more Spell Power*), and respec later if you have to to get Stanch.

(* If you're a Fiend/Fire 'lock, Taint the Blood is huge, handing a -4 to the Fort ST of any target (that lasts long enough) as you blast them. If not Fiend, dealer's choice.)


If you've got that, plus the basic gear I listed, you should be soloing 2's (and many 3's) on Elite np.

[slarden]

Just to spell it out, at Level 4, your enhancements should look a lot like this:Enhancements (14 of 16 AP)

• Tainted Scholar (13 AP)
  
  • Tainted Spellcasting, Tainted Lore
    
    1. Feigned Health III, Strong Pact
    2. Utterdark Blast, Eldritch Chain Shape, Strong Pact
  
  Soul Eater (1 AP)
  
  • Inhuman Understanding (+5 Spell Power for both Pact and Utterdark)

You're a "long" way from Level 6 and Stanch (and a max 30 Depravity), so after the Tier 3 Strong Pact, grab the 2nd core of Soul Eater (+25% Fort) for now (and 6 more Spell Power*), and respec later if you have to to get Stanch.(* If you're a Fiend/Fire 'lock, Taint the Blood is huge, handing a -4 to the Fort ST of any target (that lasts long enough) as you blast them. If not Fiend, dealer's choice.)If you've got that, plus the basic gear I listed, you should be soloing 2's (and many 3's) on Elite np.

I take a slightly different approach.I usually start in SE with 12 points for consume stricken cone and spell power. I take maximize at 1 and empower at 3. Then my consume and stricken spells get a 225 spell power boost and are super strong at low levels - one shotting most things. Feigned health is next priority and I usually take false life level 1 spell and swap it out later. I also move up TS some more but reset once I can take wave and put less in TS until I get more AP.

[C-Dog]

I take a slightly different approach... one shotting most things...

Now on my "to do" list - look forward to trying it, thx!

<TL;DR - listen to Slarden>

[Whitering]

Yes, yes, and Yes but i switched out strong pact recently to go with the Cone eldtritch blast from Chain

Are warlocks really a bit behind at low levels? Or should I go back to Chain?

Start towards bursts, you can do them while jumping and running around. You should have enough AP by level 4 to get the base one. I do find in Epics that cone is superior and I leave that other tree behind for the most part, but through the heroic levels, I tend to stick with bursts. You also get a lot of PRR/MRR (relative to your low level) from that tree. Finally you get medium armor and displacement SLA, which helps your sp pool if you have problems with it. I do think other trees are superior in epic, but in heroics, I do not think so, and I mostly just do chain, to for example, hit creatures on ledges.