Viabale PVE Only Temptation Build?

tyria501 · April 2015

I am hesitant to ask here because most threads devolve into how the class does in PVP which is ultimately useless to how I enjoy playing. We have a channel for warlocks now but I actually found it less then helpful. When I asked about PVE builds I was basically told it does not matter. Some of us PVEers are actually very proud of our builds and set ups and put a lot of time and effort into them. We may not require as exacting a set up as PVP but we still like to have the best possible for what we are doing.

That out of the way I would like to ask if anyone has discovered a post Mod 6 PVE only build for temptation yet? Is this build path viable in PVE at all anymore? If not, fine. A simple 'Yes, these are the feats you want' or 'No, change build/scrap the warlock' would be great. Thank you.

denvald · April 2015

Hello Tyria, no offence, but I was that person who gave you that answer in the chat. I'll try to give a better explanation of what I tried to tell you in a few words last time but this time better explained. Sorry for the confusion

The truth is that all the trees are all viable, but it depends on what you want to do. what you do believe is the best warlock? The one that deals the most damage? the one that survives better than the other warlocks? the one that supports his party while dealing damage? Or do you want to play tag with a soul puppet? This is part of the reason why people don't talk alot about PvE warlocks, all of them are good depending what you want to do with them. In short, there really isn't a *bad* warlock spec, it's about how you want to play it

Hellbringer focuses on DPS,
Soulbinder focuses on self-survival.

Fury is all out DPS
Damnation is a hybrid between surviving and DPS
Temptation is a party buffer and has the off-healing role.

Since your question is about temptation I'll give you a more detailed answered on that tree:
1. Since warlocks heal trough Life steal, that makes life steal a very important defence stat for you.
2. Temp heals trough damage
3. Do not expect that your warlock will keep your party alive trough the current content. You will *help* your main healer doing it's job, you will do damage and help healing.
4. Temptation is extremely dependant on gear. Until you get very high Gear, your performance as a temptation will mostly be your DPS. Which Fury do better. So if you're a low gear warlock I suggest you out of this tree for the moment, because it's not that good otherwise.
5. Both soulbinders and Hellbringers do good at temptation. HB deals more damage = more healing. SB has sparks which increases life steal in combat = more healing. SB survives better though.
6. For solo play soulbinders are vastly superior to Hellbringers until high gear score levels. For lower gear players soulbinder will make your life solo'ing 10 times easier.

Let's crunch some numbers.
a low geared warlock may have 3-4k life steal, that translates into about 8% life steal. Without boons enchants and other gear you might be able to push it up to 5k which is about 12% base with the feats you could take. Then Sparks gives 0.13% LS per spark(temp feat) x 30 = 3.9% bonus life steal at full sparks. so about 16%.

you do 500k damage, you heal 80k HP. Thats how much damage you need to heal someone to full with your current life steal score, hence why temp only gets good at higher gear levels.

Now let's look at a high gear score + boons warlock temp.
3.9% sparks + 12k life steal (30%) + 4% Tyranny boons (the last one goes to 10% increased healing) + Lifedrinker transcendent 5% + 5% temptation aura of cruelty (affects self) = 48% life steal

For the same 500k damage you now heal 250k, that's much more potent, also keep in mind it's easier to reach 500k damage at higher gear levels. You could opt out of lifedrinker for a DPS enchant (I use perfect plague fire but I haven't figured out which is the best for PvE yet)

I hope that explains better, respond to me with which path you want to play and I'll give you a short drawing of how I'd spec my character with that particular build feat and powers wise. (also mention me which race you play, if you're human the heroic feat choics are different)

Cheers

tyria501 · April 2015

denvald, thank you very much for the response, this is extremely helpful. Certainly all this would be difficult to convey over the limits of a channel (which is what we have forums for, right?). I like to run a Tempt party support and was speced in Hellbringer. Missing a few boons but this should help get my warlock back on track.

My warlock is a Teifling to previously take advantage of con.

Again, thank you and good luck.

vasdamas · April 2015

Building your warlock for PvE isn't as hard as for PvP, that's why there was treatment like this in the chat I guess. Temptation is a very viable in PvE as both secondary dps and heal. It just takes huge contribution into lifesteal stat to make the best use of it as a support role. Lifedrinker enchantment or holy avenger enchantments are our friends too. (I find holy avenger still better though)

tyria501 · April 2015

Just because it is not as hard or exacting does not mean that people like to be brushed off when they ask. It is anything but helpful.

vasdamas · April 2015

tyria501 wrote: »

Just because it is not as hard or exacting does not mean that people like to be brushed off when they ask. It is anything but helpful.

Alright, what kind of stupid dramma exactly happened in there? And not everyone acts like that, you've just been not lucky enough to catch somebody less PvP oriented around that time. It's not PvP SW chat only, unlike some people may think.

denvald · April 2015

tyria501 wrote: »

denvald, thank you very much for the response, this is extremely helpful. Certainly all this would be difficult to convey over the limits of a channel (which is what we have forums for, right?). I like to run a Tempt party support and was speced in Hellbringer. Missing a few boons but this should help get my warlock back on track.

My warlock is a Teifling to previously take advantage of con.

Again, thank you and good luck.

In this picture I took 5x determined casting and 5x blood pact because you're hellbringer I assume you wanted to focus on more DPS, determined casting does exactly that.

This is how I'd spec my character for HB temptation. There are some alternatives (if you want more group buffs compounded soul, soul breaker, and aura of despair are good options, but personally I think DPS is better than those feats - you heal trough damage after all.)

As for Dailies, Tyranical threat never leaves your bar, the second daily is up to you, you won't use it alot (if at all). I like to put accursed souls there cause if I have emergency healing to do I can use it as a panic button. If you're using flames of empowerement you won't be using your dailies alot anyways.

Feats: No Pity no Mercy
Flames of empowerement/Shadow Walk.

Disregard all the other feats they suck compared to those two. You're gunna be switching out powers depending on the context, for example if you know you're gunna agro the scorpion in elol you want more movment to use less stamina to escape from it.

Powers, Dreatheft and Warlocks bargain never leaves your bar, ever. The last power is up to you, since you're temptation it doesn't have to be a necrotic type power. I like to use blades of vanquished armies alot personally

at wills hand of blight and rebuke

For PvE, to be a good warlock it's mostly about player skill, and what gear you use. How you use tyranical threat and manage agro, and how much stats you got. The class doesn't have much going for it and left or right got the same potential. So it's really about how you're gunna play it that'll make the difference. Since you're HB I recommend you look into a good healer companion (like angel) to help you solo'ing until you're very geared out

deceondarkblade · April 2015

thank denvald, I feel like I've been going a bit blind since Mod 6 dropped, and they modified how LS works. I've been built as a HB Templock and decided to just keep at that as long as I could until it was not longer viable. Admittedly I'm moving pretty slow through the content and it's been tough parsing through the comments and complaints. I'm at level 67, just about to finish up the Reclamation Rock content. Right now I've running with Draconic Templar set, my old Mod 5 artifact MH and OH, plate band of constitution and the burning shore ring/neck set. My GL is a little under 2k. So far the only places in this content that I've had issue is when I pull multiple mobs and at the bosses (who hit like a truck for my 38k HP). I've been wondering how much longer I'd be able to run a Templock and how much longer until I'd start to have to replace my gear with the newer stuff. So far I've been doing ok, and just now a few of the drops are exceeding the GL on my existing gear. I'm still hesitant to switch because in most cases it mean either dropping an enchant slot of dropping a set bonus. I'm now wondering how much longer before I'll have to start making swaps. Right now my goal it get new pants and shirts and be able to crafts rings by the time I get to the point where I have to make swaps.

With all the complaints about difficulty and me not having what I consider to me huge issues (yes I die, but not tons), I lead to believe it's all the post-70/end game content that most people are complaining about. Amiright?

denvald · April 2015

deceondarkblade wrote: »

With all the complaints about difficulty and me not having what I consider to me huge issues (yes I die, but not tons), I lead to believe it's all the post-70/end game content that most people are complaining about. Amiright?

That is correct, level'ing is pretty easy compared to the lv 70 zones and 70 dungeons. With the right companion, it's pretty smooth sailing. I think then angel of protection is the best companion (I've tried so far) for solo'ing. For group play I might be more encline to ioun but.. I havent figured that out completely yet

Viabale PVE Only Temptation Build?

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