Link to my Google Document: The Expanded Warlock Class Ver. 1-2
Well... Here is my take on converting the 3.5 Warlock, from Dungeon & Dragons: Complete Arcane, to Pathfinder: First Edition. I'm going to state up front, that this is not a straight 1:1 conversion, although you will find something akin to that in the very back of the document. Instead, this document was intended not only to convert the 3.5 Warlock, but also update and expand the class to be at the same level of the updated Core Classes as well as the base classes published by Paizo.
That wouldn't have been possible, keeping the Warlock as a straight 1:1 conversion. The class, in its original form, was simply too weak. Warlock's in D&D 3.5 were often pigeon holed into either being an okay damage dealer, with Eldritch Blast, or having a few really good "save or suck" invocations. Every melee warlock used Eldritch Glaive or Eldritch Claws. The class really didn't have a whole lot to do, besides, Eldritch Blast.
So what's different?
1st: All warlocks have Patrons now with whom they form a pact with. No longer are you railroaded into having your powers granted by chaotic fey creatures or devils. You get to choose from 6 different Patrons: The Celestial, The Fiend, The Archfey, The Great Old Ones, The Shadow and the Undead. All who add their own unique powers to the Warlock class. What makes them different from Sorcerers? Sorcerer's get their magic through inheritance, with magic being in their bloodlines. Warlocks make Pacts with these Patrons to get their abilities. A subtle but meaningful difference.
2nd: The Eldritch Blast has been reworked. Gone is the wonky progression that slowed down after level 11. The Eldritch blast now progresses at every odd level up to 10d6 at level 19. Also, blast shapes and essence invocations have been moved into a new al-carte feature, called Eldritch Secrets, which are very similar to alchemist discoveries, rogue talents, and other "pick and choose" lists that Pathfinder classes are known for. This means you no longer have to choose between being good with the Eldritch Blast vs. having useful invocations. It gives the warlock more options which helps to expand its play-ability.
3rd: Eldritch Secrets gained at every even level. As stated previously these are very similar Alchemist Discoveries, Rogue Talents or any other "pick and choose" list. They are meant to help you customize your warlock with various abilities that don't necessarily fit within the scope of an invocation.
4th: Expanded Invocations. I really tried to expand the Warlock's invocation options, giving them more to choose from. This was a delicate balancing act, since warlocks can use their invocations "at will". That meant I had to be very careful when it came to buffs, or anything that dealt damage. Still I hope the expanded invocations will prove to be useful. You may notice that you get 2 invocations at level 1, and cap out with 13 invocations at level 20. This was done intentionally to expand the warlock's versatility, especially at the early levels, but also because blast shapes and essences where reworked into the Eldritch Secrets, so you don't get access to them until level 2.
Finally This is meant to be a comprehensive guide. I did my best to make sure anyone wanting to play with this class has all the materials they will ever need in this document. That means feats that are specific to the Warlock. Warlock specific Magic items. Race specific favored class bonuses. Everything this class needs, should be in this guide.
Now I finally feel like this document is ready for presentation. So I've linked the PDF above. Please feel free to download it and play with it. Test it out. See what works and what doesn't. I'm really hoping some of you die hard warlock fans will test out this conversion, because I would really like feedback.
PLAY TESTING
I'm going to check in on this thread from week to week. If you decide to play test this creation of mine, post your observations and results. Tell me if something is broken or doesn't work. I feel as though the conversion has reached a point where the only way to trouble shoot it, is through play-testing. So lets play test it and post our results.
Once I have gathered a enough feed back, I will look at going back into the document to edit and revise it further.
Enjoy
-AK