Warlocks

[Veknironth]

Well, I know the obvious reason is that they don't want to, but what is it that keeps Warlocks from ruling the world? Their level 7 and 8 spells are DEVASTATING. They could easily wipe out and fortifications or masses of soldiers against them. They can ruin or help crops and agriculture. If you make it to level 9, you can summon a greater elemental, which is even more powerful than you. What am I missing?

-Vek
"Could use some warlocks in the southern USA."

[Library Ogre]

Bad planning?

Warlocks are wicked powerful, and the main thing that opposes them is other warlocks (and, really, Summoners, who can be a warlock if he needs to be). Their main limitation is that it's not clear how they actually come to be... I maintain that one is born with the potential to be a warlock, which is either nurtured or suppressed, but if you get a cadre of warlocks with a will to power, they're going to be hard to stop.

[Veknironth]

Well, I hadn't thought about how one becomes a Warlock. The only real limitation seems to be minimum stats needed to have two elements. The minimum for a single element Warlock are laughable. An ME of 10 and an IQ of 6. SIX! That's unpresidented! It's sort of worrying that you can have someone with a 6 IQ running around with River of Lava in his or her pocket.

Tornado is also super devastating. There are some questions about other spells, though. I'll ask them in another thread.

-Vek
"Warlocks must laugh at siege weapons."

[kiralon]

From what I understood they are priests of the elements so anyone could be one, and it took someone special to be twin elemental sign. It is surprising that the western empire doesn't have warlocks to control the weather for comfort, and that warlocks seem to be mostly used as an accompaniment to boating.

As has been mentioned before the palladium world didn't evolve, it came into being a couple of hours ago and has never had warlocks/wizards/mindmages/summoners/priests do anything real nasty as none of the cities or towns have any protection vs magic or psionics. 1 pissed off warlock/summoner could destroy any of the towns easily. River of Lava would be freakin scary.
Maybe every place has a wizard who can cast anti magic cloud.
I have also been using builders with magical building techniques based around the foundation stone of a house, and using different substances and shapes to build upon it.
The builders from the different countries have different secret building techniques that give different protections. They aren't really magic users themselves but get magical effects from the way they do things, and all the cities have magical response groups to respond to magical attacks (and use divination and commune regularly to try and pick upcoming events).

[Veknironth]

Well, the Warlocks could rebuild what they destroy pretty quickly. With their ability to manipulate stone and earth in particular, they'd be able to create all manner of edifices.

-Vek
"I like the hours old world arguement."

[kiralon]

Well, the Warlocks could rebuild what they destroy pretty quickly. With their ability to manipulate stone and earth in particular, they'd be able to create all manner of edifices.

-Vek
"I like the hours old world arguement."

Warlocks aren't as effective at that as they were in first ed. The wall spells aren't permanent and dirt to clay then clay to stone is time consuming because of the little amount done. Their best bet is summoning elementals to do so.

and I think its hours old because of the things I have had characters do in the first couple of hours of gameplay that screw things up, not to mention long running campaigns, and when a character can cast multiple river of lava's its all about the ouch. There shouldn't be player available you're dead with no save in a big area spells, except for high level maybe (character level 12 or higher, even then it should have drawbacks)

[drewkitty ~..~]

Warlocks have a limited spell selection. And as such having their more potent spells at a lower level is in keeping with the class concept.

Becoming a Warlock…is sort of like becoming a priest…the elemental SN entity has to grant the char the elemental magic of the class. (page 7 MoM1, granted magic)

[Sir_Spirit]

Eh, warlocks have to sleep. And trying for say, a elemental body guard can go wrong in too many ways. It's easier to join the army and get promoted for being badass. Or join ghe navy and get well paid, depending on your element.