U53 First Life Warlock

[Carpone]

I've been playing a first life blaster warlock. I've taken it through R1 raids and enough low skull reapers to get 24 reaper points, and it's performed reasonably well. The built-in Legendary Affirmation from the staff provides a huge survivability boost on top of the Warlock's other temp health abilities. Ruin and Greater Ruin excel at deleting reapers.

The build assumes minimum Epic Destiny AP (53), and assumes no racial or universal AP tomes.

There's a complete breakdown of spellpower, crit chance and damage sources in the build doc. Summary (outside of reaper, does not include Wellspring of Power):

868 Fire Spellpower
054 Fire Spell Crit Chance
175 Fire Spell Crit Damage

801 Radiance Spellpower
052 Radiance Spell Crit Chance
145 Radiance Spell Crit Damage

741 Force Spellpower
051 Force Spell Crit Chance
115 Force Spell Crit Damage

745 Positive Spellpower
051 Positive Spell Crit Chance
115 Positive Spell Crit Damage

100 Evocation DC (includes target debuffs)

I've included past life prioritization as well, if you choose to play this build long-term. There's plenty of growth potential with a whopping 82 Universal Spellpower still to gain from reaper points and the Touch of Power augment set.

My only complaints about Warlock are the same as Eldritch Knight and Pale Master: Damage immunity stripping. Tiefling Ash does not last long enough, especially on red or purple named that are immune to (or worse, healed by) fire. Hopefully we'll see damage immunity stripping as a core mechanic of the Cursekeeper epic destiny tree, whenever that is released. Warlock desperately needs it to get rid of that frustrating aspect of the build, because not using an epic strike and turning off pact dice for mobs healed by fire feels bad.

[C-Dog]

I've been playing a first life blaster warlock...

868 Fire Spellpower
054 Fire Spell Crit Chance...

I'm guessing that's not with "first life" gear.

[Carpone]

I'm guessing that's not with "first life" gear.

What is "first life gear"?

The gearset isn't anything out of the ordinary. The staff takes 8 LH Dryads with optionals. The ring takes 15 LH KTs. I made tier 1 and 2 LGS on the first Shroud run with people passing small and medium mats they didn't need.

[C-Dog]

What is "first life gear"?

Really?

It's stuff that a typical player would accumulate over the course of their 1st life.

The typical player does not take the time to grind for LGS items, much less know to. Not that they can't, they just typically don't.

Specific minor artifacts? Full sets of optimal gear? A ten-set filigree list, all rare? 1st life characters always end up with ten filigree slots in the sentient weapon that they have. Very realistic goal. How long will this "1st life" character be on that one life?


But my point was less about the gear than the build - any build will crush content with the type of gear you're talking about. You couldn't build something that wouldn't. So... where does that leave us?

You want to post 1st-life build numbers, post without gear that is accumulated over a dozen+ lives. You want to show off your gear? Then just say so.

[Artos_Fabril]

Really?

It's stuff that a typical player would accumulate over the course of their 1st life.

The typical player does not take the time to grind for LGS items, much less know to. Not that they can't, they just typically don't.

The fundamental difference between a new player and a first life alt is probably not the point of this thread, and Carpone is generally pretty good about stating his assumptions (and not advocating sweeping nerfs based on theoretical maximums or single screenshot numbers)

I take this as what is presented, the best possible build without TRs and limited Reaper points.

[Carpone]

I provided an effective gear setup that took 4 months to gear out on a fresh account. Not sure why you're so upset about it.

[Artos_Fabril]

I provided an effective gear setup that took 4 months to gear out on a fresh account. Not sure why you're so upset about it.

Aside from the sentient XP (I suspect that even most experienced players won't be able to grind out 725 level 29-30 named items in so short a time without a group willing to pass unneeded drops because they're done leveling their weapons) . But that also strikes me more more as a time issue than anything else. This wouldn't be a 4 month project for the vast majority of players, but if, for instance, you spent a year running Feywild and Saltmarsh slayers solo at 30, You could probably at least get close.

Again, as long as you don't pretend that this is something it doesn't claim to be (a new player build) I don't see the problem with discussing what can be done by choosing a different hamster wheel than constant TRs.

[Carpone]

Do you have something constructive to contribute? The objective of the build is clearly laid out in the build doc. It doesn't take a dozen lives to acquire gear as you claim. Anyone with enough determination can do what I did in a single life. The result is an effective toon that is ready for mid-skull reapers at level cap. Just as the objective states.

The sentient XP is maxed in the guide so players can see the potential. My toon isn't capped on sentience XP. It would be a complete mess to include a dozen different gear sets and calculations on the way to full sentience XP and the end set I included. I've already got 20 hours into the guide between gear tetris, revising it with Shiradi mantle changes, and talking it over with more experienced warlock players. If you can do better, then by all means post your own guide.

[Hobgoblin]

would you make changes on this for a racial completionist?

And is race pretty much set for the bypass?

[Stormraiser]

Aside from the sentient XP (I suspect that even most experienced players won't be able to grind out 725 level 29-30 named items in so short a time without a group willing to pass unneeded drops because they're done leveling their weapons) . But that also strikes me more more as a time issue than anything else. This wouldn't be a 4 month project for the vast majority of players, but if, for instance, you spent a year running Feywild and Saltmarsh slayers solo at 30, You could probably at least get close.

Again, as long as you don't pretend that this is something it doesn't claim to be (a new player build) I don't see the problem with discussing what can be done by choosing a different hamster wheel than constant TRs.

A first life build is not a new player build. this is a I made a new character who has not past lives build.

[Stormraiser]

A first life build is not a new player build. this is a I made a new character who has not past lives build.

The objective is clearly stated as : Objective: For a character with very few past lives be able to solo 1-30 on R1, and be capable of doing mid-skill reapers at level cap.

[noinfo]

Really?

It's stuff that a typical player would accumulate over the course of their 1st life.

The typical player does not take the time to grind for LGS items, much less know to. Not that they can't, they just typically don't.

Specific minor artifacts? Full sets of optimal gear? A ten-set filigree list, all rare? 1st life characters always end up with ten filigree slots in the sentient weapon that they have. Very realistic goal. How long will this "1st life" character be on that one life?


But my point was less about the gear than the build - any build will crush content with the type of gear you're talking about. You couldn't build something that wouldn't. So... where does that leave us?

You want to post 1st-life build numbers, post without gear that is accumulated over a dozen+ lives. You want to show off your gear? Then just say so.

And this is one of the underlying problems, people believe that they should get to 30 or 20 and TR and then complain that it takes them multiple lives to get gear or can't get gear. If you want to play the TR game then great if thats what you want to do. The only real grind is getting a sentient maxed and that will grow on the way, not sure if people would rather a half baked gear set.

Stop making excuses for poorly geared first life toons. Just because you don't start with all the toys does not mean you have to accept it and not go get the gear before you TR.

[Shadospawn]

I've been playing a first life blaster warlock. I've taken it through R1 raids and enough low skull reapers to get 24 reaper points, and it's performed reasonably well. The built-in Legendary Affirmation from the staff provides a huge survivability boost on top of the Warlock's other temp health abilities. Ruin and Greater Ruin excel at deleting reapers.

The build assumes minimum Epic Destiny AP (53), and assumes no racial or universal AP tomes.

There's a complete breakdown of spellpower, crit chance and damage sources in the build doc. Summary (outside of reaper, does not include Wellspring of Power):

868 Fire Spellpower
054 Fire Spell Crit Chance
175 Fire Spell Crit Damage

801 Radiance Spellpower
052 Radiance Spell Crit Chance
145 Radiance Spell Crit Damage

741 Force Spellpower
051 Force Spell Crit Chance
115 Force Spell Crit Damage

745 Positive Spellpower
051 Positive Spell Crit Chance
115 Positive Spell Crit Damage

100 Evocation DC (includes target debuffs)

I've included past life prioritization as well, if you choose to play this build long-term. There's plenty of growth potential with a whopping 82 Universal Spellpower still to gain from reaper points and the Touch of Power augment set.

My only complaints about Warlock are the same as Eldritch Knight and Pale Master: Damage immunity stripping. Tiefling Ash does not last long enough, especially on red or purple named that are immune to (or worse, healed by) fire. Hopefully we'll see damage immunity stripping as a core mechanic of the Cursekeeper epic destiny tree, whenever that is released. Warlock desperately needs it to get rid of that frustrating aspect of the build, because not using an epic strike and turning off pact dice for mobs healed by fire feels bad.

I just wanted to point out I think you accidentally pasted the same enhancements twice (leaving out TS and whatever else).

Not how I like to play warlock (lean more to dc) but good job maxing out spell power etc on a first lifer. While this may not be a typical first life gear setup it does show what is possible, and that you can make up for a gagillion past lives with gear farm (at least to some extent). Curious what is your standing hp (not including stanch/feigned etc).

[Dendrix]

Hi Carpone,
in your writeup you have the same picture twice for your enhancement layout, showing racial+soul eater only.

[Epicsoul]

would you make changes on this for a racial completionist?

And is race pretty much set for the bypass?

You'd want the extra crit chance out of Soul Eater with racial AP available. It's an extra 8% crit chance from core 5 and Tier 5.

As for the race, I'm currently working running this on Human as I do racial past lives. I'm personally considering swapping to Celestial Tabaxi when it's releases, but I got a lot of gearing tetris to work out before doing that.

[Amastris]

people dissing the OP because of their own misconceptions of what a first life character is verses a new to the game character is hilarious. why do people go all mega troll on stupid stuff like this? who cares right? First lifer can be an ALT for god's sake. 5 of my 7 warlock characters are first lifers alts. thing is that i would run this build on any of them and that says a lot for me since i have over 90 lives on my main toon and every single one of my 39 soon to be 42 racial lives was as a warlock. I dont need anyone to tell me how to do a warlock build of any kind but i have the RESPECT for Carpone and his build that i am using it as a base for my main character, Amastris (I've made adjustments for racials and my playstyle though). So it's not about taking a first lifer and going out and getting all the gear. With the exception of raid gear and artifact you just go with a good farming main/alt and gather it up piece by piece and then when you feel comfortable enough you go make the first life toon go do it and switch over the gear and filigrees and augments. so simple but people be 'roid raging on semantics, smh.

Truth be told i pinned the google doc to my browser so i can quick reference it. (so thats me as the anonymous fill in the blank animal name that always shows up when you go to edit the google doc)

[Artos_Fabril]

A first life build is not a new player build. this is a I made a new character who has not past lives build.

I think you are confused. That is precisely the point I was making.

[hit_fido]

At least this guy is posting some original content.

The only thing that would make these kinds of posts more interesting or potentially useful to me is some suggested gear at various stages up the leveling path, or at least whenever some particularly useful item comes available at certain levels.

[C-Dog]

A first life build is not a new player build.

Technically true, however it is misleading. Once upon a time, vets would try out new characters, back when "alts" were a thing - with today's "one and only one primary character" focus, not so much any more.

When most players see "1st life", it's kinda unspoken that it's for new(er) players, i.e. players who only have 1st life as a choice. Most vets who want a secondary alt at 30 would probably go thru the trouble to reincarnate it at least once or twice. Or just see this build as non-1st. <shrug>


BUT, for all those veteran players who 1) want a 1st-life alt at 30, AND want to grind up a whole 2nd set of very specific gear, OR 2) just want a 2nd alt for their own reasons... this is great!

[Jinian]

Thank you for the very helpful build. Could you possibly post the other Enhancement tree? I assume it's 41 points in tainted scholar?