If you want to build a Bladelock based on UA smites that is not Hexblade you should watch this video. You have to pause it a lot to read the side notes, but it has detailed explanations. The revised UA changed Mace of the Dispater to Eldritch Smite. Also there is a minor mistake in the ability array that was corrected in the comments. STR 15 DEX 8 CON 13 INT 10 WIS 12 CHA 14
Here are the highlights of the build and the changes of the revised UA from what you see in the video.
Half-Elf +2 CHA +1 STR +1 CON
Darkvision, Fey Ancestry
2 Fighter 18 Warlock
Eldritch Blast for ranged attack ability, Hex for early levels until Eldritch Smite. Fly, Counterspell, Dispell Magic, Command will be useful later in the build, but Smites use all the spell slots in this build.
Heavy Armor, Shield, Martial Weapons
Dueling fighting style, Second Wind, Action Surge
Fiend Patron for Dark Ones Blessing, Dark Ones Own Luck, Fiendish Resilience, Hurl Through Hell
Pact of the Blade, Thirsting Blade, Lifedrinker, Improved Pact Weapon for +1 weapon and its a spell casting focus now.
Spell slots used for Smites at 5th level. Mace of the Dispater didn't have a 5th level requirement this is a nerf, but with 2 levels of fighter you were going to be level 5 anyway. [EDIT] I was incorrect. Multiclassing fighter with warlock means the Eldritch Smite 5th level prerequisite means you have to be at the warlocks 5th level. This prerequisite nerf ruins this build. Just use Eldritch Blast all the time instead. [EDIT]
Eldritch Smite can knock a target that takes damage prone for advantage on next attack.
Cloak of Baalzebul was replaced with Cloak of Flies in the revised UA. This is a real bad nerf because it can only be cast once per rest now so no repeat bonus action.
Superior Pact Weapon was cut in the revised UA and is another nerf to the build because you cannot get a +2 weapon.
Tomb of Levistus remains the same in the revised UA. This is your reaction spell when you get into trouble.
Ultimate Pact Weapon was cut in the revised UA. This is a nerf because you can no longer gain a +3 weapon.
Overall Pact of the Blade got a huge nerf in the Revised UA with the loss of +2 and +3 weapon progression.
This build is very tanky. It takes off at 5th level with smites, and then gets a good boost at level 7 with improved pact weapon and thirsting blade.
If anyone sees a mistake here please let me know and I will correct it. I'm curious to hear what people think about this build compared to just going with Hexblade at level 1.
If you want to build a Bladelock based on UA smites that is not Hexblade you should watch this video. You have to pause it a lot to read the side notes, but it has detailed explanations. The revised UA changed Mace of the Dispater to Eldritch Smite. Also there is a minor mistake in the ability array that was corrected in the comments. STR 15 DEX 8 CON 13 INT 10 WIS 12 CHA 14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVVtNNeTK1c
Here are the highlights of the build and the changes of the revised UA from what you see in the video.
If anyone sees a mistake here please let me know and I will correct it. I'm curious to hear what people think about this build compared to just going with Hexblade at level 1.
The advantage of going Hexblade instead is the ability to use your spellcasting stat for melee combat.
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