Cryomancer
Arcane
here are many definitions of warlock. But for this topic, i will define warlock as a otherworldly version of a wizard. Just like a druid is a natureish version of divine caster. Often their eldritch knowledge involves becoming a apprentice/servant of a otherworldly being. They are not clerics that draws their power from a deity. Otherwise, what is the difference between being a Raven Queen warlock and a Raven Queen servant?
The first iteration of warlock on D&D was on 3.5e Complete Arcane sourcebook. Warlocks in that edition had no limit on how much invocations thay can cast and their invocations was good as Sorcerer's/Wizards spells and some times better versions of the Sorcerer's/Wizards.
The first CRPG which i saw warlock was the NWN2 but i din't liked warlocks on nwn2. I only started to love the class once i found the warlock reworked mod. Which fixes a lot of problems like >
Pathfinder Kingmaker received a kineticist class which is not nerfed compared to P&P but has no elements like chaos, aether and wood.
D&D 5e received massive changes to warlocks. They no longer have unlimited power BUT their power can be regain in a short rest instead of a long rest from other casters. 4e IDK much about warlocks on 4e, but in general, a lot of DM's was reluctant on allowing 3.5e warlocks and now, seems that DM's encourages players to be warlocks over wizards
But in general, everything that is possible to do with 3.5e warlocks, you can do in 5e with less raw destructive eldritch power. Including a melee warlock with the pact of the blade. A pact of blade warlock is not the eldritch claive monster of 5e, but is a amazing warrior with supporting magic that CAN'T BE DISARMED. The damage of Eldritch Blast is lower but still formidable. A lv 17 warlock on 5e can be deadly as a squad of 4 heavy crossbowmans with force crossbows and unlimited ammo.Warlocks has way less versatility than Wizards BUT only needs a short rest to regain most of his powers up to tier 5 spells.
DDO also butchered D&D rules but warlocks are amazing in DDO. On DDO Warlocks also doesn't have 4 tiers of invocations(least/lesser/great/dark) nor 9 like on 5e, they have 6 but they can learn powerful spells like Mordenkainen's Disjunction, Trap the Soul and Wail of the Banshee https://ddowiki.com/page/Warlock_spells
Despite only having 3 pacts to choose form, each pact changes a lot on the gameplay. To not say that i hate all rule alterations, DDO did some things that i loved. For example, Eldritch Blast now has partially force damage and partially elemental. The pact also gives unique spells.
source https://ddowiki.com/page/Warlock
I personally don't like much the number inflation of DDO, nor cooldowns. But DDO has one of the best warlock iterations if compared to complete butchering like nwn2. Other amazing implementation of warlocks is the NWN1 - PRC mod. The mod adds so many new things and includes even epic feats. World of changing can transform the enemy into a chicken, permanently which is far worst than die IMO,; like on P&P. And you can summon summon armies. PRC also did a amazing job with other classes;
Pathfinder 1e also has a class similar to 5e warlock. Witches. There are differences, like instead of Eldritch Blast, he/she can use Hexes at will and her familiar works like a wizard spell book. The mod call of the wild offers a witch. And Witches will be available on the new Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous game Game, according to their kickstarter page. I plan to do a winter witch using major-ice-tomb hex.
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TL;DR - The point of being a warlock is to throw tentacles into succubus and a overall analyzes of warlocks in many games.
The first iteration of warlock on D&D was on 3.5e Complete Arcane sourcebook. Warlocks in that edition had no limit on how much invocations thay can cast and their invocations was good as Sorcerer's/Wizards spells and some times better versions of the Sorcerer's/Wizards.
The first CRPG which i saw warlock was the NWN2 but i din't liked warlocks on nwn2. I only started to love the class once i found the warlock reworked mod. Which fixes a lot of problems like >
- The DC of your Eldritch Blast is bugged
- The game threats you as a half level caster to overcome spell resistance.
- lot of invocations that on P&P are improvements over Sorc/Wiz spells like wall of Wall of Perilous Flame are NERFED in relation to Sorc/Wiz spells. World of change is probably the most extreme case of a huge nerf. A DARK invocation that you can only obtain at lv 16+, near end game, would be only useful among lv 1 to 6 thanks to his nerfs.
- Other invocations are nerfed on warlock and on "sorc/wiz" counterpart. Tentacles having a fix +5 AB means 5% change of hitting any enemy with more than 25 AC. And allowing a fort save instead of a grapple check kills the invocation. On P&P is caster level + 8 to hit and the grapple also scales with CL.
- The dead walk limited to only one summon.
- You can't get feats that you can on P&P like point blank attack
- A lot of things like Eldritch Glaive that allow you to excel on melee got removed from the game.
- (...)
- Deadly earth is similar to chilling tentacles
- Wall infusion to the wall of perilous flame
- A lot of form infusions, resembles the eldritch blast shape invocations on 3.5e
Pathfinder Kingmaker received a kineticist class which is not nerfed compared to P&P but has no elements like chaos, aether and wood.
D&D 5e received massive changes to warlocks. They no longer have unlimited power BUT their power can be regain in a short rest instead of a long rest from other casters. 4e IDK much about warlocks on 4e, but in general, a lot of DM's was reluctant on allowing 3.5e warlocks and now, seems that DM's encourages players to be warlocks over wizards
But in general, everything that is possible to do with 3.5e warlocks, you can do in 5e with less raw destructive eldritch power. Including a melee warlock with the pact of the blade. A pact of blade warlock is not the eldritch claive monster of 5e, but is a amazing warrior with supporting magic that CAN'T BE DISARMED. The damage of Eldritch Blast is lower but still formidable. A lv 17 warlock on 5e can be deadly as a squad of 4 heavy crossbowmans with force crossbows and unlimited ammo.Warlocks has way less versatility than Wizards BUT only needs a short rest to regain most of his powers up to tier 5 spells.
DDO also butchered D&D rules but warlocks are amazing in DDO. On DDO Warlocks also doesn't have 4 tiers of invocations(least/lesser/great/dark) nor 9 like on 5e, they have 6 but they can learn powerful spells like Mordenkainen's Disjunction, Trap the Soul and Wail of the Banshee https://ddowiki.com/page/Warlock_spells
Despite only having 3 pacts to choose form, each pact changes a lot on the gameplay. To not say that i hate all rule alterations, DDO did some things that i loved. For example, Eldritch Blast now has partially force damage and partially elemental. The pact also gives unique spells.
- The archfey gives SONIC, a element rarely resisted BUT subjected to evasion and improved evasion
- The great old one, ACID damage. And has a WILL save.
- The fiend, FIRE damage and has a FORT save. Synergies well with tieflings
source https://ddowiki.com/page/Warlock
I personally don't like much the number inflation of DDO, nor cooldowns. But DDO has one of the best warlock iterations if compared to complete butchering like nwn2. Other amazing implementation of warlocks is the NWN1 - PRC mod. The mod adds so many new things and includes even epic feats. World of changing can transform the enemy into a chicken, permanently which is far worst than die IMO,; like on P&P. And you can summon summon armies. PRC also did a amazing job with other classes;
Pathfinder 1e also has a class similar to 5e warlock. Witches. There are differences, like instead of Eldritch Blast, he/she can use Hexes at will and her familiar works like a wizard spell book. The mod call of the wild offers a witch. And Witches will be available on the new Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous game Game, according to their kickstarter page. I plan to do a winter witch using major-ice-tomb hex.
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TL;DR - The point of being a warlock is to throw tentacles into succubus and a overall analyzes of warlocks in many games.
Though you could inherit the Pact or have an enigmatic Patron. Or you could try to play 4D Chess like Ammon Jerro.
