Playing a warlock ... as I see it

[Lady Crankenstein]

I want to thank you all very much for sharing a lot of very intelligent thoughts ... Thoughs which make me ... the player... Wonder how to best portray my character... It was a disturbed teenage girl, who , without all the schooling , books,training, and knowledge that so many around her seem to have, can not understand the immense dangers that she is in from her fellow players... Much less the seductive and powerful force inside her... Sounds like ya gonna have a witch hunt soon ...
Unless she sees what is coming and ... Well not gonna tell ya ! Hehaahea !
LC

[Blindhamsterman]

perhaps, its something we'd benefit from having a clear ruling on then?

as currently, if a cleric cast a clerical spell and I successfully IDd it, I'd assume I knew enough to know if such a spell was possible for wizards to emulate (such as healing) and be able to infer if it was clerical or wizardly in nature from that (note - by clerical i mean divine and wizardly i mean arcane). The same would be true of warlock abilities as while sure a wizard can make a spell to do somewhat similar stuff - even under the spell creation rules in most cases warlocks 'it's on all the time' type stuff couldn't be emulated.

I guess checking what the exact descriptors for eldritch blasts are would be sensible (as thats the sort of information I'd expect spellcraft to give)

e.g.

Magic Missile
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: Up to five creatures, no two of which can be more than 15 ft. apart
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

A missile of magical energy darts forth from your fingertip and strikes its target, dealing 1d4+1 points of force damage.

The missile strikes unerringly, even if the target is in melee combat or has less than total cover or total concealment. Specific parts of a creature can’t be singled out. Inanimate objects are not damaged by the spell.

For every two caster levels beyond 1st, you gain an additional missile—two at 3rd level, three at 5th, four at 7th, and the maximum of five missiles at 9th level or higher. If you shoot multiple missiles, you can have them strike a single creature or several creatures. A single missile can strike only one creature. You must designate targets before you check for spell resistance or roll damage.

would likely result in a successful ID giving the following IMO:
Power of the caster (worked out by the number of missiles, if a caster can ID the spell - they know enough to know a powerful caster would create 5 missiles and an apprentice would give 1... they wouldnt know 'he's level 5' just that they're skilled or unskilled.
-Evocation spell of the force subtype
-'first circle' spell. (common description IC used by wizards and clerics alike to describe spell levels)
- Arcane spell - this would probably be from 'infering' much as Swift said.



p.s. there are examples in more than a few FR related books where casts cast a spell and another caster knows exactly which spell it is (down to exact name). As you never roll knowledge arcana to ID spells - they did this via spellcraft. Though admittedly books are not always the best of sources, it does help to back my oppinion based on the rules

[Lady Crankenstein]

I greatly thank you for all your agreement not to meta game meta kill.

It is starting to occur to me that the real dangers are more in my Rp and what may be revealed through that... Than all the other mechanics discussed.
I am beginning to appreciate the need for Rp deception and secrecy.
I just recently saw a character pick a lock so fast it did not even slow us down... Which tells me just about everything about that character.
In much the same way ... I need to be careful
LC

[Lady Crankenstein]

One of those characters pictured in my forum avatar is actually me ... NOT gonna tell you which one ! Hahahehee !
LC

[Heero]

In civilized lands known warlocks should be taken into custody then hung.

[Lady Crankenstein]

Ok as I said ... One day that point of reckoning may come ,... All that I humbly ask is y
That ya make it server wide witch trial , after dragging the accused through the streets in. Chains while rotten apples are thrown at her... With religious zealots on both sides yelling at each other ...
Now THAT would be. Rp well worth it !

LC

[Heero]

Ya that sounds semi-legit. None of these trials involving modern western justice and civil rights coming into play that ALFA is so fond of. Those trials are lame for the setting. The known warlock (or other criminal) should be brought before the lord, his/her crimes made known, maybe given a chance to say something on his/her behalf, then promptly sentenced by the Lord. Thats how justice should be working with capital punishment being much more prevalent.

Fin.

[Blindhamsterman]

warlock != auto-badguy

just sayin'

[Heero]

Fine, fine, fine...before being drug through the streets to sentencing, they should have a confession beaten or tortured out of them.

[Castano]

please for the love of god no more trial/jail plots....it's such an alfa cliche at this point. And people whined about the undead zombie army plots being cheesy when I proposed them (you whiners know who you are).

Arrest the PC if they have commited some offense, give them some chance to escape (it's DnD after all), or just run them out of town followed by a mob of peasants with torches...all are more interesting that extended weeks in a cell and a trial...

[Brokenbone]

Ignorant peasants need the occasional witch/warlock who sickens the cows and ruins the harvest and whatnot to burn at the stake. Fuddy duddy wizards with their big fat tomes hardly match the description, neither really do blaster sorcerers. Warlocks though with their fiendish beguiling influences or resistance to normal damage or other "weird stuff", hey, drown them in a tub and see if their fiendish patrons rescue them.

Not much place for a "witch hunty" concept without the occasional "arcane type who is just bad by nature", like would apply for call it 1/4 to 1/3 of the divine godly sorts... the evil pantheons meaning.

[Heero]

please for the love of god no more trial/jail plots....it's such an alfa cliche at this point. And people whined about the undead zombie army plots being cheesy when I proposed them (you whiners know who you are).

Arrest the PC if they have commited some offense, give them some chance to escape (it's DnD after all), or just run them out of town followed by a mob of peasants with torches...all are more interesting that extended weeks in a cell and a trial...

Evil PCs caught doing horrible evils in good lands just be promptly executed when caught.

[Burt]

I intend to PK all warlocks on sight with great prejudice. I have IC justification because a warlock once ate my PC's sandwich.

[kid]

That was on ALFA 1 Burt.

Though... I guess that counts.
Have at it.

[johnlewismcleod]

In all seriousness, LC...you're hot in a wolf costume.

No...I meant to say there are many (too many IMO, but I'll not belabor that further ) warlocks IG that have proven the class can be long lived. Yours may do similarly well.

It is important, however, to be aware of the baggage that comes with the class. Faerun lore states clearly that warlocks are generally abhorred, feared, and persecuted when discovered by any but the most chaotic (and even chaotic evils may come after a warlock if they discover he/she has betrayed their chaotic heritage and gone lawful).

Maybe your PC doesn't know this IC yet, but hopefully for his/her sake he/she will soon and make appropriate adjustments going forward.

It is also important to note that it is not

immense dangers that she is in from her fellow players

that he/she has to worry about, but the danger of IC discovery by any non-chaotic, be they PC or NPC. Players aren't "out to get" PC's (at least I like to believe none are), but they have to honour immersive RP when confronted with IC circumstances.

All players that choose to play a warlock or evil must go into it knowing they have chosen to enrich our gameworld by playing something that will most likely end at the knot of a hangman's noose.

Have fun, play free of meta, and enjoy the ride

Oh...and as Heero so eloquently said earlier...Faerun is medieval justice system. Unless your PC is a (real) noble, very high status hero, or extremely wealthy and connected with aristocracy you can't expect anything resembling a trial as we know them today