Hi everyone, this is my first post here, My name is Antonio, i write from Italy, and i hope we will share our knowledge on any aspect of the game. For now, im trying to build a character for a campaign that will start kinda soon, this is my first "mechanical" idea of a melee hexblade that (in my mind) shouldn't cry compared with the range eldricht blast option, often twinned in the sorclock, and shouldn't be too bad also compared with the sorcadin (assuming always 6 fights a day before a long rest, with no more than 2 short rest between one and other long rest):
Basically the idea is to mix it with Battlemaster for some more short rest resource and Divine Soul for some spells, better saves, extended and quickened metamagic, and for the chance to use the Trance of the elf (that need to be in trance for just 4 hours for gain the benefits of a long rest) for keep 4 hours every night (that mean 4 short rest) for convert short rest slots in Sorcery Points and than the SP in temporary slots (with some loss, as he can't have more SP than his maximum, but being in practice for free this don't seem to be a big problem).
The most obvius split seem to be HB 13/BM 3/DS 4 getting pact of the blade. Starting Warlock for WIS saves, but adding immediatly fighter 1 after it, getting blind fighting style (or defence as it gonna wear medium armors for better initiative, for get WIS saves and for better saves on dex, but blind fighting style let me choose some other cool invocation instead than devil's sight. Superior Tecnique was something i also was thinking about), than 4 lv more of Hexblade for 3rd lv spells, thirsting blade, eldricht mind, improved pact weapon, hex warrior and 2 very important spells like Hex and Armor of Agathys (in this way till lv 7 he will almost never use the shield spell, but my campaign starts at lv 5 so probably it's not a big deal for me). Here we gonna add 4 lv of DS for get metamagic and spiritual weapon (also Aid, especially when we get also fiendish vigor later on, and Warding Bond are very nice spells) for a good use of our Bonus Action, we also add some slots for have much more shield spell casted during battle and from lv 8th we can start to use metamagic for create more slots after a long rest of 4 hours, lv 9 gives us 2nd lv DS spells and lv 10 a feat. At this point we gonna add 2 lv more of Battle Master, for get action surge and manuvers that recharges also with short rest (Brace, Precision Attack and Riposte i suppose), than all in for the Hexblade till lv 13 where we get lifedrinker and forcecage (Hexblade 1/Fighter 1/Hexblade 4/ Divine Soul 4/Battle Master 2/Hexblade 8).
Asi's should be Elven accuracy +1 CHA @5, GWM @10, +2 CHA @15, Lucky @19 (or whatever give us +1 wis, but i believe Lucky is better) Stats are rolled and should be 11 STR, 14 DEX, 16 CON, 12 INT, 13 WIS, 17 CHA (including already racial bonuses, and i choose, with tasha's custom lineage, an elf with +2 CHA and +1 CON). Can be done with point buy anyway with 8 str, 14 dex, 14 con, 10 int, 11 wis, 17 cha (or dumping int for more wis).
As i said we start from lv 5. The first lv i'll play is bad (however Booming Blade and/or GFB can help to mitigate the gap), but than things seem going better. I would choose mostly spells with a long duration (for use extended metamagic efficiently), especially the concentration ones (hex, especially in the beginning is a big help), for exemple from lv 6 he is able to cast Summon Fey (1 hour duration), i would choose the trickery, with blind figting style he can cast darknes on the character 5 ft square, attack, and than run away from the obscured square (the character simply let him pass) without get OA's. In this situation our warlock have advantage to hit and disadvantage to be hitted by things that dont have blindsight and similar, without affecting anyone else with the darkness, while the fey is kinda safe thanks to that 5 ft of darkness, running away without risks + he boost its damage if the fey gonna hit (was also thinking about warding bond with the fey, but im not sure it's a great idea). Later on, with Spiritual Weapon and manuvers he gonna fill its bonus action and its reaction for more damage and short rest resources, and once he get GWM he should be kinda powerful, as also about defense (hight AC) and CON saves it is pretty good with +3 on the stat, advantage (eldricht mind) and eventually the 2d4 from DS, plus he get adavantage on being charmed becouse it is an elf and it have proficiency in WIS saves. I give up things like spirit guardians for the short duration, however in campaigns that don't get lv 20 is probably good to go till lv 5 DS or even more.
All this said, do you think it gonna work enough well? Do you have some advice to make it better? Some very weak lv over 5th (considering the campaign starts from 5th lv)?
As arcanum i thought to get soul cage and forcecage is kinda mandatory, Catnap is other spell i would get for sure once i get the manuvers. The patron is not mandatory as long as it get extra attack somehow from other class.
I was also thinking to go without fighter, so only hexblade/sorcerer (in this scenario probably i won't maximize CHA for add Sentinel at lv 15), or to choose Hunter ranger for just 3 lv for horde breaker (Hunter/Hexblade) for a better progression spell, also becouse the combo with the trickery fey will be not working well at higher levels when many creatures start to have blindsight and similar. True he can still cast protection from evil and good, that in practice give disadvantage to hit him to almost all that creatures with blindsight and similar, and intellect fortress against casters, or the evergreen hex, but he gonna lack a font of advantage for his attacks (except flanking, we play with flanking rules, but our party is only made by 3 players) and with elven accuracy this may hurt a lot.
PS I would avoid using paladin for the build, also becouse im not that interested in nova damage and much more focused in deal constant damage every round.
Hi everyone, this is my first post here, My name is Antonio, i write from Italy, and i hope we will share our knowledge on any aspect of the game. For now, im trying to build a character for a campaign that will start kinda soon, this is my first "mechanical" idea of a melee hexblade that (in my mind) shouldn't cry compared with the range eldricht blast option, often twinned in the sorclock, and shouldn't be too bad also compared with the sorcadin (assuming always 6 fights a day before a long rest, with no more than 2 short rest between one and other long rest):
Basically the idea is to mix it with Battlemaster for some more short rest resource and Divine Soul for some spells, better saves, extended and quickened metamagic, and for the chance to use the Trance of the elf (that need to be in trance for just 4 hours for gain the benefits of a long rest) for keep 4 hours every night (that mean 4 short rest) for convert short rest slots in Sorcery Points and than the SP in temporary slots (with some loss, as he can't have more SP than his maximum, but being in practice for free this don't seem to be a big problem).
The most obvius split seem to be HB 13/BM 3/DS 4 getting pact of the blade. Starting Warlock for WIS saves, but adding immediatly fighter 1 after it, getting blind fighting style (or defence as it gonna wear medium armors for better initiative, for get WIS saves and for better saves on dex, but blind fighting style let me choose some other cool invocation instead than devil's sight. Superior Tecnique was something i also was thinking about), than 4 lv more of Hexblade for 3rd lv spells, thirsting blade, eldricht mind, improved pact weapon, hex warrior and 2 very important spells like Hex and Armor of Agathys (in this way till lv 7 he will almost never use the shield spell, but my campaign starts at lv 5 so probably it's not a big deal for me). Here we gonna add 4 lv of DS for get metamagic and spiritual weapon (also Aid, especially when we get also fiendish vigor later on, and Warding Bond are very nice spells) for a good use of our Bonus Action, we also add some slots for have much more shield spell casted during battle and from lv 8th we can start to use metamagic for create more slots after a long rest of 4 hours, lv 9 gives us 2nd lv DS spells and lv 10 a feat. At this point we gonna add 2 lv more of Battle Master, for get action surge and manuvers that recharges also with short rest (Brace, Precision Attack and Riposte i suppose), than all in for the Hexblade till lv 13 where we get lifedrinker and forcecage (Hexblade 1/Fighter 1/Hexblade 4/ Divine Soul 4/Battle Master 2/Hexblade 8).
Asi's should be Elven accuracy +1 CHA @5, GWM @10, +2 CHA @15, Lucky @19 (or whatever give us +1 wis, but i believe Lucky is better)
Stats are rolled and should be 11 STR, 14 DEX, 16 CON, 12 INT, 13 WIS, 17 CHA (including already racial bonuses, and i choose, with tasha's custom lineage, an elf with +2 CHA and +1 CON). Can be done with point buy anyway with 8 str, 14 dex, 14 con, 10 int, 11 wis, 17 cha (or dumping int for more wis).
As i said we start from lv 5. The first lv i'll play is bad (however Booming Blade and/or GFB can help to mitigate the gap), but than things seem going better. I would choose mostly spells with a long duration (for use extended metamagic efficiently), especially the concentration ones (hex, especially in the beginning is a big help), for exemple from lv 6 he is able to cast Summon Fey (1 hour duration), i would choose the trickery, with blind figting style he can cast darknes on the character 5 ft square, attack, and than run away from the obscured square (the character simply let him pass) without get OA's. In this situation our warlock have advantage to hit and disadvantage to be hitted by things that dont have blindsight and similar, without affecting anyone else with the darkness, while the fey is kinda safe thanks to that 5 ft of darkness, running away without risks + he boost its damage if the fey gonna hit (was also thinking about warding bond with the fey, but im not sure it's a great idea). Later on, with Spiritual Weapon and manuvers he gonna fill its bonus action and its reaction for more damage and short rest resources, and once he get GWM he should be kinda powerful, as also about defense (hight AC) and CON saves it is pretty good with +3 on the stat, advantage (eldricht mind) and eventually the 2d4 from DS, plus he get adavantage on being charmed becouse it is an elf and it have proficiency in WIS saves. I give up things like spirit guardians for the short duration, however in campaigns that don't get lv 20 is probably good to go till lv 5 DS or even more.
All this said, do you think it gonna work enough well? Do you have some advice to make it better? Some very weak lv over 5th (considering the campaign starts from 5th lv)?
As arcanum i thought to get soul cage and forcecage is kinda mandatory, Catnap is other spell i would get for sure once i get the manuvers. The patron is not mandatory as long as it get extra attack somehow from other class.
I was also thinking to go without fighter, so only hexblade/sorcerer (in this scenario probably i won't maximize CHA for add Sentinel at lv 15), or to choose Hunter ranger for just 3 lv for horde breaker (Hunter/Hexblade) for a better progression spell, also becouse the combo with the trickery fey will be not working well at higher levels when many creatures start to have blindsight and similar. True he can still cast protection from evil and good, that in practice give disadvantage to hit him to almost all that creatures with blindsight and similar, and intellect fortress against casters, or the evergreen hex, but he gonna lack a font of advantage for his attacks (except flanking, we play with flanking rules, but our party is only made by 3 players) and with elven accuracy this may hurt a lot.
PS I would avoid using paladin for the build, also becouse im not that interested in nova damage and much more focused in deal constant damage every round.