I believe this might help people to understand what Hellcaller is all about in terms of WoW’s history. I cracked out my Dark Factions book, from the World of Warcraft RPG, where the Hellcaller shows up as a option that Satyr Player Characters can use to augment their Arcanist (Warlock) class choice. THIS is the Hellcaller I imagined when I saw the talent tree names.
Satyr hellcallers do not gain the fel companion arcana at 1st level, the enslave outsider arcana at 8th level, or the demonologist arcana at 12th level. Instead, a hellcaller gains the following class features, at the indicated levels:
(Note: Fel Companion was summoning demons. Enslave Outsider was Subjugate Demon, and Demonologist buffed your Summon spells, in D&D language!)
1st Level - Summon Entropic Fire: The hellcaller can sear his enemies with blasts of entropic fire. The hellcaller spends an unused warlock spell slot to do so, and doing so is like casting a spell with somatic and verbal components and with the fel descriptor. Creatures can interrupt the hellcaller’s attempt to summon entropic fire, just as if he were casting a spell; the spell level is equal to the level of the spell slot the hellcaller spent to use this ability.
The entropic fire manifests in one of two ways: Either a greenish fireball shoots from the hellcaller’s fingers, or a blast of entopic flames suddenly and briefly engulfs his enemy. In the former case, the hellcaller must make a ranged touch attack to hit with the blast; in the latter case, the opponent receives a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the hellcaller’s Int modifier + the entropic fire’s effective spell level) to resist the fire and negate the damage.
In either case, the entropic fire deals 2d6 points of fel damage per its effective spell level. (For example, if the hellcaller spends a 2nd-level spell slot to create the entropic fire, it deals 4d6 points of fel damage.)
1st Level - Extra Burn: At 1st level, the hellcaller can choose to permanently remove all conjuration (summoning) and conjuration (calling) spells from his warlock spell list. If he does so, his entropic fire deals an additional +1 point of damage per damage die (4d6+4 for a 2nd-level spell slot, for example). He must make this decision at 1st level and cannot change it thereafter.
4th Level - Fan of Fire: At 4th level, when the hellcaller summons entropic fire, instead of manifesting it as a fireball or as a blast, he can manifest it as a fan-shaped sheet of flames. If he does so, the fire extends out in a 15-foot cone. Creatures in the area receive Reflex saves for half damage.
8th Level - Fel Substitution: At 8th level, whenever the hellcaller prepares an arcanist or warlock spell with the fire descriptor, he may have the spell use entropic fire instead of normal (magical) fire. If he does so, the spell has the fel descriptor and deals fel damage rather than fire damage. He must make the decision when he prepares the spell, as if this ability were a metamagic feat.
12th Level - Entropic Puissance: At 12th level, when the hellcaller summons entropic fire, he gains a +2 bonus to overcome spell resistance. He also gains a +2 bonus on his ranged touch attack roll to hit or a +2 bonus to the fire’s save DC.
Even ingame, Hellcaller’s usually reflected this theme the RPG focused on, almost always casting Fire spells and nothing else. There are a few outliers of course, such as the Bleakheart Hellcaller summoning Imps and Voidwalkers; Fallenroot Hellcaller’s using Shadow Bolts; Hatefury Hellcaller’s summoning a ‘Burning Minion’, or Legashi Hellcaller casting Shadow Bolt (though in Classic he cast Fireball and Rain of Fire).
Point is, there are about double that many Hellcaller NPCs in the game (all generic Satyrs), who ONLY cast Fire abilities, usually Rain of Fire and Fireball, some casting Fire Shields, others casting renames of those spells, and so forth. Its all about FIRE. Thats the Hellcaller, but Blizzard in this Hero Spec is combining it with the general theme of Satyrs as being corruptive and inflicting curses and agonies on people, which sure, it makes sense to include Affliction in on this, but it absolutely steps away from the traditional Hellcaller we’ve seen in game and seen older published material related to WoW.
