This Build is now updated to include Update 28 Patch 1 changes. I updated enhancements, epic destinies, gear, light spellpower, etc.
QUICK NOTE
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This is a DC conjuration focused Eldritch Aura Build using the aura along with other burst SLAs and single-target SLAs. I give up some DC by running in enlightened spirit instead of tainted scholar, but it increases my survivability and I believe is better dps overall despite the loss of 30% extra crits. I tested the combination of Souleater (Tier 5) with Tainted Scholar (Capstone) 39/41 AP split - and although it's the best DPS potential of any warlock build - I found this build better overall and the difference in DPS is minimal, however, the Souleater (39)/ Tainted Scholar (41) split does have better dps. There are no builds on the forum with this split, but it's fairly easy and will be the most common build for pure warlocks.
If you value higher PRR/MRR and survivabiliy this is another option 17 warlock / 3 fighter or 17 / 3 paladin. The DPS is still solid, but not quite as good, however defenses are much better: https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthread.php/460700-Pure-Casting-Warlock-DC-Eld-Blast-Build?p=5708220&viewfull=1#post5708220
Basically the fighter option gives you shield proficiency, tower shield proficiency and 2 fighter feats which presumably would be shield mastery and improved shield mastery. In all cases you must use the EE Skyvault shield which gives no arcane spell failure at level 28. Lower level version of this are available starting at min level 13. If you go with paladin levels instead you either give up 2 conjuration dc for the shield feats or alternatively you give up the extra PRR from the shield feats and twists. PRR/MRR bonus is as follows:
I play this build as Randowl on Sarlona as a pure 20 Warlock.
Pure Warlock 20 (in all cases Master's Touch spell is used for tower shield proficiency)
-No shield / No feats / No twist: 0
-Shield with no proficiency, no feats and not twists: PRR 15 / MRR 15
-Shield with 3 feats taken in place of 3 conjuration DC (shield proficiency, shield mastery, improved shield mastery): PRR 30 / MRR 15
-Shield with 3 feats taken in place of 3 conjuration DC (shield proficiency, shield mastery, improved shield mastery) with legendary shield twist from Unyielding Sentinel: PRR 45 / MRR 15
17 Warlock / 3 Fighter (Master's Touch spell not necessary)
-No shield / No feats / No twist: 0
-Shield with no feats and not twists: PRR 15 / MRR 15
-Shield with shield mastery/improved shield mastery for bonus feats : PRR 30 / MRR 15
-Shield with shield mastery, improved shield mastery and legendary shield twist from Unyielding Sentinel: PRR 45 / MRR 15
Basically you take this option for the defense stance and feats so you don't have to give up conjuration DC.
17 Warlock / 3 Paladin (in all cases Master's Touch spell is used for tower shield proficiency)
-No shield / No feats / No twist: 0
-Shield with no proficiency, no feats and not twists: PRR 15 / MRR 15
-Shield with 2 feats taken in place of 2 conjuration DC (shield mastery, improved shield mastery): PRR 30 / MRR 15
-Shield with 2 feats taken in place of 2 conjuration DC (shield mastery, improved shield mastery) with legendary shield twist from Unyielding Sentinel: PRR 45 / MRR 15
Basically you take this option for the defense stance and +14 saves (11 from divine grace with cap and 3 from defense stance)
This build will let you switch between cc and higher defense with a shield during an etr since race and class split is identical. The one drawback of eldritch blast is that everytime I interrupt it to cast a higher dps spell I feel like there is a delay and I am losing dps. This is why I prefer enlightened spirit pure warlock 20 DPS build using aura rather than blast. While the aura is passively at work I use low cost spells and slas for more dps.
Results of U28 Patch 1 testing comparing different class/enhancement splits: https://www.ddo.com/forums/showthrea...=1#post5710879
With the second nerf to Enlightened Spirit I thought for sure this build concept was dead, but due to the superior light spell power of Enlightened Spirit plus the fact that my SLA rotation fully supports maximize/empower the DPS is very similiar to souleater/tainted scholar which relies heavily on the cone basic eldritch blast pew pew which doesn't support empower or maximize. Additionally I am casting spells constantly so the aura ends up being bonus dps on top of my regular dps. All of these facts make this build close to souleater/tainted scholar in terms of dps while providing other survivability benefits.
The basic idea is to keep the aura going and use other spells instead of alternating between the eld blast and other spells. This does cost more sp, but I use mostly low costs slas and free warlock clickies. Ruin is very nice, but it drains your sp in a hurry. I took it in my original build, but dropped it in place of epic damage reduction for 10 more PRR. I am not missing Ruin and find I have less sp issues since the easy-button temptation of Ruin is gone.
The aura and blasts charge up empyrean magic and blood and radiance. The reborn in light epic moment is worth taking. Basically, the aura blasts and self healing will keep you at 10 stacks of everything. The DPS is higher than the 17 warlock / 3 paladin and 17 / 3 fighter versions, but PRR, MRR and saves are lower. Still it's a very survivable build with the great self healing and hp bonus from enlightened spirit. It really depends on your personal play style which is best to play. I strongly prefer the pure 20 warlock versions on a character with divine/pdk past lifes. If you don't have past lifes you can use one of the shield options listed above - either for just 15 PRR/MRR or more PRR if you give up conjuration DC and possibly a twist. Every so often you will fail a save and die, but for the most part with a few PDK/Divine past lifes you will have a solid PRR/MRR and high hp, but saves are a bit weak.
The aura keeps ticking and acts as a burst.
My spell rotation for bursts is:
Divine Wrath - 40 sp
Spirit Blast- 0 sp
Eldritch Burst 0 sp
Energy Burst 20 sp (Cold is my default element, but I can switch to acid or fire as needed since I have solid spellpower and crits for all 3)
Single target spells:
Avenging Light - 3sp
Consume - 0 sp
Stricken - 0 sp
Mass CC and Survivability Spells:
Evard's Black Tentacles + Sleet Storm (only use sleet storm if your party has fom)
I throw this when I am approach a big mob - and my priority is making sure I get casters so they can't exploit my low fort and reflex saves. Sleet Storm slow enemies which allows me to avoid damage as I can move freely with fom boots
Single Target CC
Otto's Irresistable Dance
Power Word Stun
Delerium (0 sp but with chance enemy breaks free on damage)
Web (rarely use this)
Irresistable Dance and Power Word Stun have spell pen checks. Web has a reflex save followed by a strength check. Delerium has no save, but has a 10% chance to be broken by damage.
Escaping a mob of hostiles: Misty Escape which comes with fey. This ability saved me many times. It allows me to burst in mobs and if I get surrounded and trapped I can use this ability to break free. I love abilities that allow me to take more risks by giving me an escape button.
Raising yourself from the dead: Yes you have that. Reborn in the light lets you raise yourself from the dead on steroids every 10 minutes. It gives you 2 minutes with big benefits including 100 light spellpower. Again I love this because it allow me to take more chances when it's not on a timer knowing I can just raise myself and get stronger in the process.
Sustainable light spellpower is about 600 before metamagic. It's over 800 with metamagic and max potential with reborn in the light and other non-sustainable buffs and potions is over 1000. The exact break-down is detailed further down in this post.
RACE: Drow
Starting Stats
Str: 8
Dex: 8
Wis: 8
Con: 14
Int: 16
Char: 20 (All level ups)
GEAR
Goggles: Intricate Optics Ins Charisma +3 (dex + 8 / draconic soul gem slotted)
Helm: Sightless (power 250 and str +8 slotted)
Necklace: Epic Noxious Embers (Ins Con +2 and Sonic Resistance 40 Slotted)
Trinket: Manual of Stealthy Pilfering (for bonus to spellcraft basically - spellpower trade off for 1 dc) (Fire Resist 40 Slotted)
Cloak: Mysterious Cloak (Heal +15 and Armored Agility +2 slotted - armored agility increases dodge cap by 2)
Belt: Epic Chord of Reprisals (Deathblock and Natural Armor 8 slotted)
Ring: EH Ring of Shadows (Cold Resist 40 slotted) - basically for ghostly
Gloves: Iron Mitt (spellcraft 15 slotted)
Boots: Boots of Blessed Travels (Globe of True Imperial Blood and Greater Evocation slotted)
Ring 2: Lantern Ring (Greater conjuration and int +8 slotted)
Bracers: Dissolution (Feather Falling and Protection +8 slotted)
Epic Energized Scalemail Armor(HP 40 slotted) - Also Cold and Fire versions for swap items.
Epic Rod of Mythant with +4 mythic bonus (Meridian Fragment slotted)
Epic Doused Club with +2 mythic bonus / 156 Glaciation 23% ice lore (Devotion 138 slotted)
There is alot of raid gear, but you don't need any of it really. One thing to be careful of regarding TOEE set is that the enhancement bonus is only +7 vs. +12 for thunderforged. I am using +12 Epic Rod of Mythant in my main hand and get my implement bonus from that. If you are using a shield or orb and getting implement bonus from TOEE weapon you are losing 15 spellpower from implement bonus so only benefiting +7 net from the set bonus (EE Skyvault Shield is also only +7 and orbs don't have an implement bonus as far as I can tell).
FEATS:
1) Empower
3) Maximize
6) Conjuration Focus (Shield Proficiency if wanting max shield PRR bonus)
9) Quicken
12) Force of Personality
15) Heigten
18) Improved Spell Focus Conjuration (shield mastery if wanting max shield PRR bonus)
21) Epic Eldritch Blast
24) Epic Spell Focus Conjuration (improved shield mastery if wanting max shield PRR bonus)
26) Epic Arcane Eldritch Blast
27) Epic Damage Reduction
28) Spell Power Light
If you have completionist and/or past life wizard you can substitute in place improved and/or epic spell focus conjuration focus since the 2 past life feats help evard's and eldritch blast pact damage.
EPIC DESTINY
As shown above my epic destiny of choice is exalted angel. If you are finding certain content difficult due to enemy damage, you can run in unyielding sentinel for more PRR/HP and survivability. If you do this twist in the 30 spellpower from exalted angel. You lose some dps, but it will enable you to complete the quest and your dps wll still be solid.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT EXALTED ANGEL
You should always keep the Angelic Presence stance on for more charisma. You should always keep Astral Vibrance off by default due to the sp draining. I don't bother with Ascendance although it's turned on automatically with Reborn in the Light.
The reborn in the light epic moment has some inconsistent behavior where it leaves astral vibrance on after the 2 minute epic moment is up. Towards the end of the epic moment I always turn off Astral Vibrance. If you don't do this your sp can run out really quick. Astral Vibrance should be off by default.
EPIC DESTINY TWISTS
Energy Burst (Cold is main element and switch to acid or fire situationally also)
Empyrean Magic
Fey Form (or Conjuration specialist for more DC)
Rejuvenation Cocoon
* Drop Fey form if not epic completionist or if you don't have enough points
SPELLS
1: Obscuring Mist (Fey), Master's Touch, Nightshield, Obscuring Mist (Tainted Scholar)
2: Blindness (Fey), Blur, Invisibility (command undead if planning to run with CC in MOD) Web (Tainted Scholar)
3: Slow (Fey), Displacement, Dimension Door, Crushing Despair (Tainted Scholar)
4: Greater Dispel Magic (Fey), Evard's Black Tentacles (Flesh to Stone if planning to run with CC in MOD) Dimension Door, Deathward (Tainted Scholar)
5: Otto's Sphere of Dancing (Fey), Mass Invisibility, Mind Fog,
6: Otto's Irresistable Dance (Fey), Power Word Stun, Mass Hold Monster
Self Healing
- Cocoon (great for topping off in battle since it has the "over time" effect)
- Maximized/Empowered Mass Cure Moderate Wounds spell from Exalted Angel (big emergency heal ability for 35 sp)
- Divine Wrath (getting some extra heals while in combat)
* I don't take shirning through but it's another option - I don't need it beyond heroics
With the second Enlightened Spirit DPS nerf in U28 patch 1 I decided to sqeeze some more spellpower into this build although there isn't much left to do:
Spellpower Light
Item: 144
Spellcraft: 91 (with GH)
Power of Enlightenment Tier 2 Light Spellpower: 15
Power of Enlightenment Tier 2 Universal Spellpower: 6
Power of Enlightenment Tier 3 Light Spellpower: 15
Power of Enlightenment Tier 3 Universal Spellpower: 6
Ultimate Enlightenment Light Spellpower: 20
Ultimate Enlightenment Universal Spellpower: 10
Tainted Spellcasting: 17
Inhuman Understanding: 15 (5 increase)
Hungry for Destruction Tier 1: 6
Hungry for Destruction Tier 2: 6 (6 increase)
Eldritch Focus: 3 (3 increase)
TOEE Set Bonus: 20 (20 increase)
Epic Rod of Mythant Mythic Bonus: 4 (4 increase)
TOEE weapon Mythic Bonus: 2 (2 increase)
Exalted Angel: Radiant Power: 30
Past Life Morninglord Active Feat: 30
Epic Spellpower Light Feat: 20
Spellcasting Implement: 36
Guild Ship Buffs: 15
Fey Form: 15
Tome of Universal Spellpower: 2
Total Before Sustainable Effects and Potions: 528 (40 increase)
Blood and Radiance: 30
Empyrean Magic: 20
Potion of Greater Brilliance: 20
Total Before Metamagic: 598 (40 increase)
Maximize: 150
Empower: 75
Total Sustainable Spellpower: 823 (40 increase)
Reborn in Light Epic Moment: 100
Tainted Spellcasting: 25
Meridian Fragment: 24
Commendation Potion of Universal Spellpower: 25 (yes it stacks with the other potions)
Using Potion of Irian's Light instead of Potion of Greater Brilliance: 5 (5 increase)
Almond-Coated Shadow Apple (until it disappears later this year): 10 (10 increase)
Total Burst Light Spellpower: 1012 (55 increase)
Note: I am currently using past life Energy Criticals since I am using Energy Burst. If you aren't using energy burst you can get 9 more spellpower by using past life enchant weapon which gives +3 weapon bonus which equates to 9 more spellpower from implement bonus. Humans can boost this with 20 by taking human versatility spellpower boost. In addition 2 more is available with a +4 mythic bonus on the TOEE weapon instead of +2. Also a tier 2or 3 thunderforged radiance weapon would increase spellpower by 2 more. Gauntlets of the Arcane Soldier will add 5 more spellpower. With these boosts you can get a max burst light spellpower of 1050. I am sure I am missing something also.
Obviously the commendation potions are not sustainable to run continuously and the Epic Moment is only available 2 out of 10 minutes.
PRR
Medium Armor with Resilience of Body: 42 (BAB full 24 * 1.5)
Spiritual Bastion: 13
Sightless: 35
Epic Damage Reduction: 10
Resilience of Body: 6
TOEE Armor - Mythic Upgrade: 2
Past Lifes: 0 - 36 Divine/PDK
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Total PRR depending on past lifes: 108 - 144 (+ 15- 45 for EE Skyvault tower shield option)
If you run the alt sheld (instead of conjuration) feat setup (shield proficiency, shield mastery, improved shield mastery and twist in legendary shield mastery this adds 45 PRR and regardless of past lifes you have a very solid PRR for EE content).
MRR
Paragon's Aegis Feat x 5: 25
Sightless: 35
Shape Vestements: 10
Resilence of Soul: 6
Spiritual Ward: 13
Mysterious Cloak: 25
Past Lifes: 0 - 9
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Total MRR depending on # of warlock past lifes 114- 123
Resistances:
Fire/Cold/Acid/Electric/Sonic
Mix of Draconic Soul Gem and 40 Resist Augments
Ship Buffs: 15
Ranger Past Lifes: 6
Sonic Only: Fey Resistance: 5
Fire: 61
Cold: 61 (30% absorb slotted)
Acid: 51
Electric: 51 (30% absorb slotted)
Sonic: 66
SAVES
Saves are a definite weak spot of this build. With GH (from scroll or draconic necklace swap) saves are:
Fortitude: 58
Reflex: 57
Will: 73
I have 4 ways to mitigate problems from my low saves:
1) CC: I have power word stun, otto's irresistable, dark delerium and black tentacles. This takes care of most any enemy that can exploit my low saves. It obviously won't help me against red names,.e.g, the boss in EE what goes up - if he throws a flesh to stone at me I am dead.
2) High DPS. It goes without saying that the faster I take down an enemy the shorter amount of time they have to do damage to me.
3) MRR: 109-118 MRR reduces a good amount of incoming spell damage by 52% or so. High MRR is a class feature of warlock.
4) Recovery: One feature of the Reborn in Light epic moment is that I can use it while dead to revive myself to full, give me 100 light spellpower, 50% incorporeality and 100 positive spellpower. Basically it's my "do over" button. This is a great feature of someone that solos because we all know stuff happens sometimes - lag, unexpected players actions changes enemy ai, etc. I prefer to group and solo mainly for challenge, but even in a group it's helpful to have this ability. It also helps at the end fight of defiler of the just if the party wiped due to lag and the bosses big ability. It gives you a non-jibbers option.
If Paladins and Barbarians are "A" builds, warlock is probably an "A-" or "B+". The defenses are solid, but fortification save is a major weakness. AOE dps closely matches thf paladins and barbarians, but single-target dps is lower than most well-built melees. However, the great cc from evard's is a huge benefit which makes this build close to or maybe even on-par with paladin/barbarian depending on your playstyle preference.
Note on Race Selection
Human is probably the best race in restrospect. I am not taking any racial enhancements so I only benefit from the +2 charisma and +2 int. This means my starting stats as a drow are 20 charisma, 16 int and 14 con. With human it would be 18 charisma, 16 int and 16 con, but I get a bonus feat which will improve my DC by 1 for everything but energy burst and divine wrath. In addition I get the 20 spellpower action boost x6 for 1 AP and more hp. For now I am sticking with drow, but if I ever find myself wanting to TR I would try human out.
