Can you play a solo ranged Warlock?

[Failedlegend]

I love aura warlock.

Trust me i get WHY the aura-lock is so popular, hell its basically a better version of what my Wiz/Fighter was designed to do I just really want to play a ranged/chain Lock. I'm sure I'll play a Aura Warlock at some point too

[donblas]

Fiend
Pros: WE'RE ON FIRE BABY! Also Binding Chain and Hurl Through Hell are useful.
Cons: a lot of mobs have fire resist/immunity, Pact damage targets Fortitude saves which tend to be higher than Will saves

Tiefling tree has a way to make mobs vulnerable to fire damage.

[unbongwah]

I'm going to make my Warlock neutral so I can swap to any other pact if necessary (w/ feat swap)

Unfortunately it's not that simple; you can't swap a feat if it's a pre-req for another feat you already have. So it's the same issue which clerics have with domain feats; you can't swap your original Pact feat once you start getting your other Pact feats.

You can change your mind at level one:



But not at level 4:



[These are different toons so don't be thrown off by the other feats not matching.]

Notice that my Pact feat isn't listed and I can only swap Thought Shield for...Thought Shield. So effectively you have to make up your mind what Pact to use by level 3; after that, the only way to swap Pacts is lesser reincarnation.

[Failedlegend]

Unfortunately it's not that simple; you can't swap a feat if it's a pre-req for another feat you already have. So it's the same issue which clerics have with domain feats; you can't swap your original Pact feat once you start getting your other Pact feats.

Oh dang, I'm probably going to go GOO hopefully that works out We'll see how long it takes me to grind for my Epic TR maybe it'll be fixed by than lol

[KoobTheProud]

Just stack Light and Pact spellpower and use Utterdark Blast which turns your main blast damage into evil damage. Cone shape and blast and you'll be fine. You'll be better than fine you'll be good (to borrow a line from Ren and Stimpy.)

If I wasn't hopelessly addicted to EK/PM's this is what I would be doing.

[Failedlegend]

If I wasn't hopelessly addicted to EK/PM's this is what I would be doing.

I feel you spellblade, swiftblade, eldritch knight, etc. FTW, I'm actually going to be TRing a former Wiz/Fighter (VERY old build) into this Lock, just gotta drag his outdated butt from 28 to 30 so i can grab an Epic TR whilst im at it.

[unbongwah]

Drow for Arcane Fluidity if you decide to pick up medium armor proficiency manually rather than via Enlightened Spirit tree thus saving APs for moar DPS in the other two trees.

Just to elaborate on this: let's say you're worried that pure warlock in light armor is too squishy and wish to upgrade to medium armor for the higher base PRR and uncapped MRR limit; but don't want to spend 22 APs into Enlightened Spirit for the proficiency and arcane spell failure reduction. Here's one way drow can achieve that:

Drow FeyLock
Warlock 20
True Neutral Drow




Stats
               28pt     30pt     32pt     Level Up
               ----     ----     ----     --------
Strength         8        8        8       4: CHA
Dexterity       10       10       10       8: CHA
Constitution    12       13       14      12: CHA
Intelligence    16       16       16      16: CHA
Wisdom           8        8        8      20: CHA
Charisma        20       20       20      24: CHA
                                          28: CHA


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  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  23
Perform   2     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     11
Heal      1  1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1     1  11
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
 3        : Empower Spell
 6        : Quicken Spell
 9        : Heighten Spell
12        : Spell Penetration
15        : Armor Proficiency: Medium
18        : Spell Focus: Enchantment OR Greater Spell Penetration
21 Epic   : Epic Eldritch Blast
22 Destiny: Epic Arcane Eldritch Blast
24 Epic   : Burst of Glacial Wrath
25 Destiny: Hellball OR Crush Weakness
27 Epic   : Ruin OR Intensify Spell
28 Destiny: Arcane Pulse OR Deific Warding
30 Epic   : Greater Ruin OR Embolden Spell
30 Legend : Scion of: Feywild OR Plane of Fire


 1 Warlock: Pact: Fey




Enhancements (Spent: 80 +0r +0u / Max: 80 +0r +0u AP)


Tainted Scholar (42 AP)
Tainted Spellcasting, Tainted Lore, Stanch, Tainted Lore II, Blood Component, Heretical Lore
Feigned Health III, Command III, Strong Pact
Utterdark Blast, Stunning Blast III, Strong Pact, Wand and Scroll Mastery III
Confusion III, Strong Pact
Bewitching Blast III, Strong Pact
Eldritch Power, Eldritch Ball III, Mass Confusion III

Soul Eater (23 AP)
Inhuman Understanding, Inhuman Nature, No Worse Fate, Inhuman Nature II
Consume, Subtle Spellcasting I, Taint the Blood
Stricken III, Feeding Frenzy
Strickened Soul, Your Flesh Is Weak: Blood Feast, Burning Blood, Eldritch Cone Shape
Greater Hunger

Enlightened Spirit (11 AP)
Eldritch Aura, Aura of Courage, Shape Vestments
Resilience of Body II, Resilience of Soul II
Resist Energies I, Power of Enlightenment III

Drow (4 AP)
Spell Resistance
Arcane Fluidity III

Leveling Guide
SE0 Inhuman Understanding; SE1 Consume; SE1 Taint the Blood
SE1 Subtle Spellcasting I; SE2 Stricken I, II, III
SE2 Feeding Frenzy; SE3 Eldritch Cone Shape
SE3 Burning Blood; SE3 Blood Feast
TS0 Tainted Spellcasting; TS1 Strong Pact; SE0 Inhuman Nature
SE0 No Worse Fate; TS1 Feigned Health I, II, III
TS0 Tainted Lore; TS2 Stunning Blast I, II, III
TS0 Stanch; TS3 Confusion I, II, III
TS2 Utterdark Blast; TS2 Strong Pact
TS3 Strong Pact; TS4 Strong Pact
TS2 Wand and Scroll Mastery I, II, III; TS1 Command I
TS0 Tainted Lore II; TS1 Command II, III; TS4 Bewitching Blast I
TS5 Eldritch Ball I, II, III; TS4 Bewitching Blast II
TS4 Bewitching Blast III; TS5 Mass Confusion I, II, III
TS5 Eldritch Power; SE3 Strickened Soul
Dro0 Spell Resistance; Dro1 Arcane Fluidity I, II, III
SE0 Inhuman Nature II; SE4 Greater Hunger; ES0 Eldritch Aura
TS0 Blood Component; ES1 Resilience of Body I, II; ES1 Resilience of Soul I
ES1 Resilience of Soul II; ES0 Aura of Courage; ES2 Resist Energies I; ES2 Power of Enlightenment I
TS0 Heretical Lore; ES2 Power of Enlightenment II, III; ES0 Shape Vestments

At level 16, you can equip a -10% ASF Sapphire which stacks with -15% ASF from Arcane Fluidity. That opens up a bunch of 25% ASF medium armor options like Blessed Vestments or Enforcer's Coat. Technically you could take medium armor proficiency at level 12 and equip a -5% augment but the 20% ASF medium armors don't seem that interesting to me; plus the 100 MRR cap on light armor isn't usually an issue that early on.

The 11 APs in Enlightened Spirit are optional but in this configuration they buy you: +4 PRR, +14 MRR, +5 heal amp, +20 HPs, +15 Light Spellpower, and Resist Energies SLA. If you find you don't need those bonuses, you can ditch the Spirit tree and spread those APs elsewhere: e.g. 42 Tainted Scholar / 31 Soul Eater / 7 drow.

And before someone else points it out: Fatesinger has The Sonata to Serve; at rank 3, "If you are actively using the Mantle of Sound & Fury you are now immune to Arcane Spell Failure." So why bother with drow for Arcane Fluidity? But (A) you can't take that until level 24 whereas my build can start wearing medium armor after level 15 and (B) it pigeon-holes you into using Fatesinger's Mantle which might not be the best choice for warlock - although since this is a sonic-focused Fey'lock, maybe it is, I'm not sure yet.

BTW this would also work for Dragonmarked half-elf if you want to be extra-FLAVORFUL.

HElf Celestial Warlock
Warlock 20
Neutral Good Half-Elf




Stats
               28pt     32pt     Level Up
               ----     ----     --------
Strength         8        8       4: CHA
Dexterity        8        8       8: CHA
Constitution    14       16      12: CHA
Intelligence    14       14      16: CHA
Wisdom           8        8      20: CHA
Charisma        18       18      24: CHA
                                 28: CHA


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
Bluff     4  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  23
UMD       4  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  23
         ------------------------------------------------------------
         16  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4  4




Feats


 1        : Maximize Spell
 3        : Empower Spell
 6        : Quicken Spell
 9        : Heighten Spell
12        : Least Dragonmark: Storm
15        : Armor Proficiency: Medium
18        : Spell Focus: Evocation
21 Epic   : Epic Eldritch Blast
22 Destiny: Epic Arcane Eldritch Blast
24 Epic   : Burst of Glacial Wrath
25 Destiny: Crush Weakness OR Hellball
27 Epic   : Ruin OR Intensify Spell OR Epic Damage Reduction
28 Destiny: Deific Warding OR Arcane Pulse
30 Epic   : Greater Ruin OR Embolden Spell
30 Legend : Scion of: Plane of Air OR Plane of Fire


 1 HalfElf: Half-Elf Dilettante: Paladin OR Artificer


 1 Warlock: Pact: Celestial




Enhancements (Spent: 80 +0r +0u / Max: 80 +0r +0u AP)


Tainted Scholar (42 AP)
Tainted Spellcasting, Tainted Lore, Stanch, Tainted Lore II, Blood Component, Heretical Lore
Feigned Health III, Command III, Strong Pact
Utterdark Blast, Stunning Blast III, Strong Pact, Wand and Scroll Mastery III
Confusion III, Strong Pact
Bewitching Blast III, Strong Pact
Eldritch Power, Eldritch Ball III, Mass Confusion III

Soul Eater (26 AP)
Inhuman Understanding, Inhuman Nature, No Worse Fate, Inhuman Nature II
Consume, Subtle Spellcasting I, Taint the Blood
Stricken III, Feeding Frenzy, Taint the Aura
Your Flesh Is Weak: Blood Feast, Burning Blood, Eldritch Cone Shape
Greater Hunger, Steal Life Force III

Half-Elf (12 AP)
Versatile Nature
Lyrandar Dragonmark Focus III, Improved Dilettante: Paladin, Arcane Fluidity III
Lesser Dragonmark of Storm
Greater Dragonmark of Storm

[Mindos]

https://ddowiki.com/page/Proficient at the bottom lists non-proficiency penalties and mentions to check the prr page for more info. But there isn't more info there or I missed it. So, question: Is there really a PRR penalty when not proficient with armor?

[unbongwah]

I could've sworn you needed armor proficiency to get full PRR but maybe they got rid of that restriction and I didn't notice. TBH it's been a really long time since I tried to play "armored pure arcane caster" because I always seem to wind up playing gishes.

[Failedlegend]

I could've sworn you needed armor proficiency to get full PRR but maybe they got rid of that restriction and I didn't notice. TBH it's been a really long time since I tried to play "armored pure arcane caster" because I always seem to wind up playing gishes.

You'd still need enough ASF reduction to use it effectively though

[KoobTheProud]

When I was playing a Sun Elf or Drow warlock I would often take Arcane Fluidity 3 and use a -15% Spell Failure gem and wear Heavy Plate - with the 3 feats required to do so and also use a Skyvault Shield and have a heavy armored blaster or burster running around with 4% ASF. There was also a piece that I was able to fit in that gave a -5% stacking ASF that got me to 0% ASF.

I did this for two reasons when I was doing it. First, the Shadowscale Heavy armor upgrade to Shadow Guardian gave DR 30/Epic and DR 60/Epic when under 75% health and that was really good at the time. Second, there was no MRR cap for Heavy armor and it was easier to cap PRR with Heavy than Medium. Subsequent gearing options made it much easier to cap PRR with Medium as well and some of the distinction between the two went away.

[unbongwah]

You'd still need enough ASF reduction to use it effectively though

Right but non-proficiency penalty definitely applies to attack rolls which would be a no-no for, say, Eldritch Knight.

If Mindos is correct about getting full PRR without proficiency feat, then you can drop medium armor proficiency and grab another caster feat.

[mr420247]

solo ranged shiradi boss killer sure dump chain u wont need it

go 12 lock 6 wiz 2 fvs your welcome

spam mms mms procs then ruins and everything u can for free holy fireballs n hellballs if u just don't care go all out

dots dots dots for all the evasion mobs n bosses wiz pl stronger then ever

max fire power max light power n force or posi crits n done

tiefling for fire stripping then use sun pillars and ea for your cc primal for your heals

n primal tier 4 can get u evasion if u want that

And your sw filigree setup should be 5 ds n 3 coal then any u want ele avatar maybe

[MyStiK-GaMeR]

Welcome back! Yes ranged (blaster) warlock is extremely solo friendly and an easier class to get back into ddo with. Unbongwah already provided a breakdown of the pacts including the newer 3. My personal fav remains Great Old One (GOO) because will saves are extremely easy, your blasts are considered level 9 spells and against monster will saves you really don't need gear to hit very consistently with that extra pact damage, in addition acid hits virtually everything so you won't have to toggle your pact on/off too often.

When you left there's a good chance warlock was the most solo friendly class but that's changed now largely due to updated damage on spells. Strimtom recently did a video on the current strength of Favored Soul and he's not wrong. They're very durable, fast, high single target damage, high AOE damage, it beats out the warlock everywhere, and of course the self/group healing is not even comparable. It's slower than sorc but looking at all-around strengths its solo friendly king for the moment.

[Carpone]

Oh dang, I'm probably going to go GOO hopefully that works out We'll see how long it takes me to grind for my Epic TR maybe it'll be fixed by than lol

Nothing to fix. It's working as intended. If you want to change your pact, then you have to lesser or epic reincarnate.

[Whitering]

DDO Builder certainly thinks you need Armor Proficiency to get the PRR, if that is not working properly, then ya, needs to be fixed. The Wiki says you get a partial benefit, but never explains what that means. I know on all my characters back in the day I would craft in Planeforged Armor of Invulnerability and with ASF Reduction for casters and Balance for non Casters, was epic lol, you could use it at level 2. Then they added a level requirement to the armor tiers that couldn't be overwritten by crafting

I can maybe do some testing after raids tonight, I have 4 characters at level 30 with tons of stuff in the their TR Cache including ShadowDragon Plate