Is Warlock / Arcane Trickster possible?

[TheDwarfGristle]

As the title says. It looks like it isn't, but I want to be sure

Sorry if I'm asking simple questions. I'm a simple person

[TheDwarfGristle]

And an added question, if it's not possible, can it be made possible? Or is there strong reasoning why it shouldn't be?

[Deathgrowl]

Arcane Trickster has a requirement of being able to cast level 3 arcane spells. Warlock isn't actually a spellcaster (is magic is spell-like abilities), and therefore doesn't qualify. Warlock's magic is arcane, but there's no spells, and there aren't spell levels.

For reasons not to allow it beyond that: Warlock is already ridiculously powerful, being able to dish out large amounts of magical/energy/elemental damage on touch attacks while also having spammable control spells if you go for a charisma based warlock, and being able to achieve high defensive capabilities. Giving it even more damage with arcane sneak attacks doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

There is daggerspell mage, but it sacrifices some to get into it, which makes it less of a problem balance wise.

For context, my character Hozad is a warlock, so when I say I find it already very powerful it comes from that experience.

[TheDwarfGristle]

That's fair. Thank you for your response and explanation.

I'm not much of a powerbuilder (and even if I were, I'd be able to tank a perfectly good build with my horrid playing style), so those are not things I worry myself with too much.
But I understand you have to cater to the community as a whole

[Deathgrowl]

I don't particularly enjoy powerbuilds myself, although it's very hard to screw up a warlock, to the point that you can build powerful warlocks with dexterity, constitution or charisma, and basically be pure warlock. It gets even more powerful when you add blackguard (like I have done) for the charisma one, or shadowdancer for the dexterity one. Are these powerbuilds? Depends a little bit on the approach, but again it's hard to screw up a warlock.

Mechanics are more objective than thematics, so it was an easier argument to present here, besides the point about warlocks not actually being spellcasters. I can expand on that as well. The PnP requirements of Arcane Trickster is "ability to cast mage hand and at least one spell of 3rd level or higher". Warlock cannot cast mage hand to begin with - it's a cantrip. It's very much a class designed to fit into the thief/mage dual class of AD&D.

While we don't actually have this on BGTSCC, the PnP version of Arcane Trickster can pick locks or disable traps from a distance, for example:

Ranged Legerdemain
An arcane trickster can perform one of the following class skills at a range of 30 feet: Disable Device, Open Lock, or Sleight of Hand. Working at a distance increases the normal skill check DC by 5, and an arcane trickster cannot take 10 on this check. Any object to be manipulated must weigh 5 pounds or less.

An arcane trickster can use ranged legerdemain once per day initially, twice per day upon attaining 5th level, and three times per day at 9th level or higher. He can make only one ranged legerdemain skill check each day, and only if he has at least 1 rank in the skill being used.

This is just an example of one of the reasons why thematically Mage Hand is a requirement for the class.

So basically, the thematics of Arcane Trickster is someone using magic to do the rogue tricks. Warlock provides practically nothing to that, besides the fact that it isn't even a spellcaster.

[TheDwarfGristle]

That is a really comprehensive explanation. Thank you!
That also explains a lot about the background of the class, and why the two don't really mix.