How will they differ Demon Hunter vs Warlock interaction with demons?

[Drakile]

Taking a look at the class hall screenshots (granted it is alpha and nothing is final etc.) Demon Hunter seemed to have a variety of demons imprisoned around their class hall. Where as the warlock class hall, which looks like it needs alot of work still, has demons being used as guards and such, also the we only see one NPC there, which is also interesting but can also be chocked up to early alpha, still needs alot of work.

I always saw warlocks as draining the power from demons to strengthen themselves, either via using demonic spells, or by physically draining their own demon to empower themselves, using their minions somewhat like a battery.

Now Demon Hunters, I thought were are all about just killing demons but if that were the case I am not sure why we would see so many demon prisoners in the DH hall, I can understand extracting information, like an inquisitor, but it seems they just have a bunch of demons around them. I thought DHs could tap into their own inner demon to empower themselves, but they can also draw power from slaying a demon, do you think DHs can directly drain power from a demon the way a lock can? I guess another question would be, are demon hunters just going to be melee warlocks, as in they know and can do everything a warlock can but with physical prowess and agility added ontop of that? I am not saying this would or should affect actual in game spells, but more so lore wise.

[Gaidax]

Well both really study demons to empower themselves one way or another.

I guess, in addition DH would have more focus on finding their weaknesses, while warlocks focus on enslaving and using them.

[CthulhuFhtagn]

Warlocks bend demons to their will, but it's only a part of their repertoire, their main souce is Fel magic which they use for spellcasting.

Demon Hunters use superior martial skills to kill demons and absorb their power for themselves (any prisoners the DH take are likely for questioning).

So warlocks seek to control demons, while demon hunters, as per their name, hunt down and kill them. What I would love to see is an interaction between a warlock and a demon hunter, I imagine they would disagree with each other's methods.

Warlocks most likely view DHs as reckless meatheads, absorbing demonic energies they don't fully comprehend, while DHs would view Warlocks as puppets to the Legion for using fel magic and consorting with demons instead of destroying them.

[Fallensaint]

Warlocks seek power through means that are considered forbidden or too dangerous by other casters. Part of that is the control of demons and fel magic.

Demon Hunters are driven to kill demons. However, this isn't a simple task. Outright killing a demon is typically a short-term solution, as it's soul returns to the Twisting Nether to recover and create a new physical form. You can kill them permanently, but that means you need to find them in the Twisting Nether, which is no small feat. A better solution is to imprison them permanently until they inevitably escape.

Demon Hunters also struggle with their internal demons. By using fel energy directly, their souls are partially corrupted and there's a risk that they may turn fully into demons if their will falters. Warlocks avoid this issue by using soul shards, which allows them to convert the souls of their enemies into fel energy without risking their own soul usually (see: Kanrethad).

[Adoxe]

Warlocks enslave demons to do their bidding. Demon Hunters slay them and absorb their power to use against them. Similar in nature but still very different.

[Fang7986]

Warlocks enslave demons to do their bidding. Demon Hunters slay them and absorb their power to use against them. Similar in nature but still very different.

Demon Hunters are demon eating vampires, "Locks are demon slave masters (or Pimps where the succubus is concerned)

[Imnick]

I think the demons locked up in the Demon Hunter class hall are just a less hologram-y version of the legion bestiary you can find in the Exodar.

[Ailil]

don't forget that the demon hunters are illidari
that's why they have some demons ally, those are the demons free from fel taint by illidan

the ones that are bounded are probably there for study

[Grizelda]

Are we their natural allies or enemies?

[Kirroth]

Warlocks look at the power of the Legion and say, "They have so much strength, we should steal their tools and enslave their minions so we're a match for them." Demon Hunters look at the power of the Legion and say, "They have so much strength, we should kill them and eat their souls to copy their abilities so we're a match for them."

The approaches aren't entirely dissimilar, but we've got how many classes that trade in hitting their enemies with sharp pieces of metal? I think there's room for two classes that deal with fel magic, as long as it's done right. I'm actually hoping we get more insight into the Burning Legion's internal politics this expansion. Illidan had demons working for him back in Outland, which I never really understood since he was supposed to be hiding out from Kil'Jaden's wrath, and from the look of it the Demon Hunters continue to have some in their employ. I want to know what those demons are getting out of it, and what the real differences are between the Demon Hunter alliances and the Warlock bindings.

[Deleted]

So warlocks seek to control demons, while demon hunters, as per their name, hunt down and kill them. What I would love to see is an interaction between a warlock and a demon hunter, I imagine they would disagree with each other's methods.

Warlocks most likely view DHs as reckless meatheads, absorbing demonic energies they don't fully comprehend, while DHs would view Warlocks as puppets to the Legion for using fel magic and consorting with demons instead of destroying them.

It'd actually be interesting to have an Illidari dropout. Someone who tried to become a student of Illidan, didn't make the cut and then turned to the powers of Warlocks to still somehow fight the Legion. And then we could have a DH that actually made it coming back and they're old friends/former lovers/family. There could be some really cool quest chains based on their personal relation, as well as the classes differences.

But this is Blizzard writing. Ain't gonna get good stuff from that bunch.

[Rakaji]

The way I see it, Warlocks of the Alliance and Horde and the Illidari all share the same general interest: to use the powers of Demons against Demons. The way they go about doing so is pretty different, and that's all that really separates them.

Warlocks are more about using Fel magics and employing the services of demons, but skirting the cost of using such magics through less self-depreciating means. Life Tap is meant to symbolize blood sacrifice across the board. Outside that, Affliction empowers its magics through use of the captured souls of enemies. Demonology is about bargaining contracts with demons (and is rightly why the rework of Demonology in Legion makes so much more sense than Metamorphosis ever did,) and Destruction pays the cost of its magics with the intense pain inflicted upon the Warlock's enemies. Warlocks however, unlike Demon Hunters, are not really obsessed with eradicating Demons. They're simply using a powerful source of magic to dispatch anything that gets in their way.

Demon Hunters seem to be more about self-sacrifice and giving in to the deepest powers of Fel magics to essentially become demons themselves, while practicing rituals and such to keep them from falling under the service of the Legion. It's a much more direct "fight fire with fire" approach, and Demon Hunters - as their name implies - are doing this specifically to destroy other Demons.

[Prada]

Well considering that demon hunters are a cross between warrior/rogue and warlock, it wont be unreasonable for them to perform similar to warlocks in some aspects.

[Yorindesarin]

Basically, as far as I understand. Demon Hunters killy stabby demons. Warlocks enslave and abuse demons. It gets a bit grey when it comes to fel/fel corruption though. For some reason we warlocks no longer get any fel corruption even though it's been in our lore that we have and that we revel in it.

[Sci Fi Samurai]

Warlocks are intrepid scientists, studying forbidden magic and pursuing dangerous knowledge, often for the power, but other times for the scholarly pursuit of it. You'll find a mix of imbalanced brilliant meth heads among them as well as genius social outcasts. Anything less tends not to stick around very long; it is not a path for the weak, timid, or reckless (well sometimes reckless).

Their use of fel energy has traditionally been very broad while demon hunters are much more focused. Warlocks study and experiment with a subject, discovering a variety of avenues in which it can be used, DH's absorb the fel power into themselves for the singular purpose of gaining power. There's overlap, except that, for DH's, power serves the purpose of destroying demons and is combined with more overt martial prowess. Think of DH's as just taking a piece of what a warlock does and then combines it with some rogue skills.

So, it's not unusual for warlocks to have demon servants as well imprisoned demons, whereas DH's would likely find it a waste of time and energy to do anything other than use demons to advance their abilities in killing demons. Really, I'd see DH's, DK's, and spriests likely arguing with each other over methodology and utilization of dangerous powers while the warlock would sit quietly taking notes. Or have his hot succubus secretary taking notes for him, she probably has better handwriting anyway.

[CthulhuFhtagn]

Warlocks are intrepid scientists, studying forbidden magic and pursuing dangerous knowledge, often for the power, but other times for the scholarly pursuit of it. You'll find a mix of imbalanced brilliant meth heads among them as well as genius social outcasts. Anything less tends not to stick around very long; it is not a path for the weak, timid, or reckless (well sometimes reckless).

Their use of fel energy has traditionally been very broad while demon hunters are much more focused. Warlocks study and experiment with a subject, discovering a variety of avenues in which it can be used, DH's absorb the fel power into themselves for the singular purpose of gaining power. There's overlap, except that, for DH's, power serves the purpose of destroying demons and is combined with more overt martial prowess. Think of DH's as just taking a piece of what a warlock does and then combines it with some rogue skills.

Well said. They both "fight fire with fire", just go about it in different ways. Warlocks are the nerds while DHs are the jocks

So, it's not unusual for warlocks to have demon servants as well imprisoned demons, whereas DH's would likely find it a waste of time and energy to do anything other than use demons to advance their abilities in killing demons. Really, I'd see DH's, DK's, and spriests likely arguing with each other over methodology and utilization of dangerous powers while the warlock would sit quietly taking notes. Or have his hot succubus secretary taking notes for him, she probably has better handwriting anyway.

I don't think it's her handwriting skills that got her the job

- - - Updated - - -

It'd actually be interesting to have an Illidari dropout. Someone who tried to become a student of Illidan, didn't make the cut and then turned to the powers of Warlocks to still somehow fight the Legion. And then we could have a DH that actually made it coming back and they're old friends/former lovers/family. There could be some really cool quest chains based on their personal relation, as well as the classes differences.

But this is Blizzard writing. Ain't gonna get good stuff from that bunch.

I don't think Illidari can drop out. They've got more of a "succeed or die trying" approach. Still, would be a great story.

[MikeBogina]

Demon Hunters and Warlocks learn from and siphon from Demons. There's much knowledge and power to be gained. But their goals are different.

Warlocks learn from and siphon from to gain more power, most of the time to kill the Legion's enemies but also when independent to be assholes to everyone around them.
Demon Hunters learn from and siphon from to gain more power, most of the time to kill demons... and still end up being assholes to everyone around them.

[demonicpanda]

You're essentially asking what the difference is between a mage and a battlemage. A demon hunter is the fel equivalent of the battlemage. Lore-wise, very little difference between the two.

While a DH/Battlemage would focus more on the combat oriented aspects of the magic, and improved martial abilities, Warlocks/Mages would focus less on direct combat aspects, and more scholarly pursuit of it, like portals, conjuration, etc.

As for gameplay differentiation, there's plenty they could do, but what it seems like they're doing is making DH a rogue, but with cool tattoos and changing the damage type from "physical" to "shadow"... because that totally demonstrates a difference between the two...

[Keldion]

Well said. They both "fight fire with fire", just go about it in different ways. Warlocks are the nerds while DHs are the jocks

Nerds and jocks? That calls this old gem back to mind.

[bio347]

Aside from the primary-caster/primary-non-caster divide, the major difference is that DHs eat the demons and warlocks don't. Warlocks use soul shards as a power source because they're not fully bathing in fel - they're skirting the edges, stealing, manipulating, dominating, and having someone else pay the price for their power grabs. DHs go all-in.

It's notable that warlocks also take inspiration from elsewhere. The whole "Legacy of the Masters" thing in the green fire quest has the Council of the Black Harvest looking at a variety of different power sources (Ragnaros, Twilight's Hammer/Old Gods, Illidan) to come up with modern techniques for an ever-changing world.


If fel energy is an apple tree, a warlock is throwing the apples at you while a DH is eating the apples and then punching you with his superior apple-based health plan.