my idea was to hex + shoot from distance (taking e.g. of longbow) I can hit crits on 19/20 , got dedicated feats for range weapon and add my proficiency score to damage and charisma yes? Eldritch Smite + Improved Pact Weapon + Lifedrinker: + Thirsting Blade: feats: mainy sharpshoter /and or crossbow master
but now i can see that i NEED to THINK to calculate this damage - and with Blast i can just, basicly start blasting anyway .....
my idea was to hex + shoot from distance (taking e.g. of longbow) I can hit crits on 19/20 , got dedicated feats for range weapon and add my proficiency score to damage and charisma yes? Eldritch Smite + Improved Pact Weapon + Lifedrinker: + Thirsting Blade: feats: mainy sharpshoter /and or crossbow master
Keep in mind that Hexblade's Curse has a 30 foot range to activate, which is going to limit how far away you can realistically be; this is why personally I wouldn't go all-in on ranged only, I'd just use eldritch blast for ranged then switch to a melee hex weapon if/when you have to (ideally summoning it, because that's cooler).
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Branding and Banishing Smite are the only two smite spells that don't limit themselves to melee weapons, so I think they're good to pick up (replacing Branding with Banishing at level 9) to give on demand damage spikes. In theory you could have Improved Pact Weapon, Thirsting Blade, and Eldritch Smite at level 5, but I find it hard to give up Agonizing Blast and Mask of Many Faces.
Since they can be used with melee or ranged weapons you're not locked into a particular style of combat. Branding Smite gives 2d6 damage with second level spells, 3d6 at third level, and 4d6 with fourth level. Banishing gives 5d10 with your fifth level spell slots. Eldritch Smite gives 1 + slot level d8, so 4d8 when you can first access it at level 5. ES is better than Branding once you can access it, especially since it's Force instead of Radiant damage. With fifth level slots the average of 5d10 for Banishing is 27.5, and for 6d8 it's 30.
Thank you all for replies - yeah i did calculation and it seems to be (on average) almost flavor case - I can hit regulary good amount of damage with EB and finish job with Fiend burn spells (as I currently play Fiend warlock - comparing it to hexblade with smiting) or do almost the same "average" damage output with good played out melee or range haxblade - the only damage spike is this sun-in-the-face smiting thing plus case of rolling crit.
and yeah giving up Agonizng Blast is painful to me - so i think in case of specific HEXBLADE warlock - best it combining EB and melee 2h \(sheer numbers probably are in favor of some great axe bigass sword, but i like Spear, as I am HEMA practising historic nerd guy and i love queen of battlefield - Spear! FTW!)
So I was thinking about "best hexlade weapon" as something like range to just smiting and punishing for afar being able to put hex and curses from safe distance...
plus how cool could be a "Percy" alike warlock with daemonic gun :D yeah?
At distance you will do more damage, and more consistently with the Eldritch Blast.
On the other hand, if you want to activate the smite you are going to spend one of your limited spell slots. That is, you will be able to do it twice for short rest during almost your entire career. And if you want to conjure hex on top, you'll only have one slot left for the smite.
If you want to build a hexblade with a ranged weapon, your best option is sharpshooter + elven accuracy feat. But still, I prefer eldritch blast if you're going to go ranged. With spells like Sickening Radiance + repelling blast, the damage you're going to do is much higher than what you'll do with one or two smites and/or shapshooter. And also you don't have to worry about ammunition, you control the battlefield, etc...
That's not necessarily correct.
Level 1-2 assuming CHA of 17 Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast = 1d10+3 = 8.5 average damage No ranged weapon for the Hexblade unless you want to use a Sling lol
Level 3 assuming CHA of 17 Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast = 1d10+3 = 8.5 average damage Longbow + Improved Pact Weapon = 1d8+4 = 8.5 average damage
Level 4 assuming CHA of 19 Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast = 1d10+4 = 9.5 average damage Longbow + Improved Pact Weapon = 1d8+5 = 9.5 average damage
Level 5-7 assuming CHA of 19 Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast = 2x(1d10+4) = 19 average damage Longbow + Improved Pact Weapon + Thirsting Blade = 2x(1d8+5) = 19 average damage
Level 8-10 assuming CHA of 20 Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast = 2x(1d10+5) = 21 average damage Longbow + Improved Pact Weapon + Thirsting Blade = 2x(1d8+6) = 21 average damage
Level 11 assuming CHA of 20 Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast = 3x(1d10+5) = 31.5 average damage Longbow + Improved Pact Weapon + Thirsting Blade = 2x(1d8+6) = 21 average damage
Level 12-16 assuming CHA of 20 Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast = 3x(1d10+5) = 31.5 average damage Longbow + Improved Pact Weapon + Thirsting Blade + Lifedrinker = 2x(1d8+11) = 31 average damage
Level 17-20 assuming CHA of 20 Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast = 4x(1d10+5) = 42 average damage Longbow + Improved Pact Weapon + Thirsting Blade = 2x(1d8+11) = 31 average damage
So you can see, only from level 17 on Eldritch Blast truly outdamages a Longbow Hexblade. However we didn't consider feats like Sharpshooter etc nor potential magical weapons. Both things that don't apply to Eldritch Blast and can easily not just make up for the missing T4 damage but also push the numbers in favor of the Longbow in earlier tiers. Plus there's also Eldritch Smite which can increase your damage by a LOT which also doesn't apply to Eldritch Blast.
What Eldritch Blast offers is utility (push/pull/slow invocations) and reliability (from level 11 on due to having more attacks instead of bigger attacks).
Eldritch blast is better because with Repelling Blast and/or Grasp of Hadar (better Repelling Blast), you have great tactical control over the battlefield. If we add to that that warlocks have fantastic spells like Sickening Radiance, there can be no doubt. But even if you don't cast Sickening Radiance or another similar spell, it doesn't matter. Being able to move a creature without it being able to do anything to prevent it (unless it has some kind of immunity), is fantastic.
I've even seen lvl11+ warlocks poke an enemy in and out of Sickening Radiance, or move them by Spike Growth (Genie Dao), and it's terrible.
Now if you want to go with a ranged weapon because you feel like it, your best option is to go with Sharpshooter + Elven Accuracy. And if not, with a bow as a secondary pact weapon for when you're not in melee, it's a decent option too. But EB is better.
The answer is the Lance btw. 1d12, 1 handed when on a horse but you van 2 hand it on the ground... you just have to deal with 5ft disadvantage. Get a horse.
If you really want to lean into it and can be confident your DM will get you a magic weapon that fits your style, hand crossbow with crossbow expert and sharpshooter is solid probably the best option, if playing a elf elven accuracy as well. Yeah your charisma is sort of stuck at 16 for most of the game as an elf but by the math triple advantage is worth it. Polearm does more damage with the same number of feats but not worrying about range is worth the small damage difference.
A single level of fighter for archery fighting style would really help with the hand crossbow route. But personally I'd only do that if I saw my character as 90% weapon attack guy.
In the issue of whether EB is better than a ranged weapon, I really have no doubt. The EB does not spend resources (arrows), it is magic force damage, and it allows you to push the opponent (placing him where you want).
If you are going to spend a spell slot, better on an area spell that lasts 1 minute or more, than on a smite.
The ranged weapon build can work, but it's worse than an EB Warlock.
In the issue of whether EB is better than a ranged weapon, I really have no doubt. The EB does not spend resources (arrows), it is magic force damage, and it allows you to push the opponent (placing him where you want).
If you are going to spend a spell slot, better on an area spell that lasts 1 minute or more, than on a smite.
The ranged weapon build can work, but it's worse than an EB Warlock.
Spending arrows was rarely if ever a problem in my games to be honest and force damage is resisted more often than magical b/p/s.
The smite is just an option, not a requirement for the Longbow to keep up with Eldritch Blast. You can spend your spell slot on the same spell as Bladelock as you can as Eldritch Blaster.
Pushing/Pulling is literally the only argument in favor of Eldritch Blast which is opposed by the options of taking feats and magical weapons with fancy effects.
Also Eldritch Blast can get counterspelled, though I don't really like to use this as argument since it's kinda controversial. Sure it's a counterspell against "just" a cantrip but it also is a cantrip that's your main source of damage (potentially the only one this turn). This is a whole separate topic and a can of worms I'd rather not open here right now.
Again though, Eldritch Blast is not the topic here. It's about weapons.
Never thought about that to be honest. I play I think at least 50 oneshots with Warlock (srsly at least 50) and NEVER ever get hit by counterspell on EB. But as far as I know yeah you definitly can counter cantrip...
Never thought about that to be honest. I play I think at least 50 oneshots with Warlock (srsly at least 50) and NEVER ever get hit by counterspell on EB. But as far as I know yeah you definitly can counter cantrip...
A caster can definitely counterspell a cantrip, but they'd be throwing a 3rd-level spell slot at something the target can do as often as they like, so it's rarely going to be worth it. Most casters can also only counterspell once per round, so burning it on a cantrip means opening themselves up to something potentially a lot worse; in that respect while having your main attack for the turn dispelled will suck, you've still achieved something by creating that opening assuming your party can exploit it.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Never thought about that to be honest. I play I think at least 50 oneshots with Warlock (srsly at least 50) and NEVER ever get hit by counterspell on EB. But as far as I know yeah you definitly can counter cantrip...
A caster can definitely counterspell a cantrip, but they'd be throwing a 3rd-level spell slot at something the target can do as often as they like, so it's rarely going to be worth it. Most casters can also only counterspell once per round, so burning it on a cantrip means opening themselves up to something potentially a lot worse; in that respect while having your main attack for the turn dispelled will suck, you've still achieved something by creating that opening assuming your party can exploit it.
Understood. One more question: can counterspell affect hurling someone via Hell ad Fiend Warlock? I am just looking thru my campaign logs looking for all casted counterspells, and I found like year ago one DM "countered" my friends Fiend final skill
Understood. One more question: can counterspell affect hurling someone via Hell ad Fiend Warlock? I am just looking thru my campaign logs looking for all casted counterspells, and I found like year ago one DM "countered" my friends Fiend final skill
Counterspell (and dispel magic) only work on spells, so even features described as magical and which have spell-like effects, cannot be affected by them. For that you need something like an antimagic field, which I think would prevent Hurl Through Hell since it's teleportation/planar travel.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
A feature other than "you can cast x spell" cannot be countered with a counterspell or dispelled with dispel magic.
Only whatever is specifically a spell. In fact, in the case of the hypothetical feature that allows you to cast x spell, what you can counter is the spell itself, not the feature. And another thing, counterspell always targets a spell, not the caster.
Well, if you get someone to spend their counterspell on your EB, you're already doing the job. They are resources that you burn to him, and the chance to suffer another spell cast by a teammate.
And the next turn, another EB that is free for you. And let him spend a counterspell again if he wants.
I think Glaive and Halberd will be your best bet if you go variant human/custom lineage
If you don't do that, double bladed scimitar is pretty good
I am replying only to see if I am still wrong:
my idea was to hex + shoot from distance (taking e.g. of longbow) I can hit crits on 19/20 , got dedicated feats for range weapon and add my proficiency score to damage and charisma yes? Eldritch Smite + Improved Pact Weapon + Lifedrinker: + Thirsting Blade: feats: mainy sharpshoter /and or crossbow master
but now i can see that i NEED to THINK to calculate this damage - and with Blast i can just, basicly start blasting anyway .....
Keep in mind that Hexblade's Curse has a 30 foot range to activate, which is going to limit how far away you can realistically be; this is why personally I wouldn't go all-in on ranged only, I'd just use eldritch blast for ranged then switch to a melee hex weapon if/when you have to (ideally summoning it, because that's cooler).
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Branding and Banishing Smite are the only two smite spells that don't limit themselves to melee weapons, so I think they're good to pick up (replacing Branding with Banishing at level 9) to give on demand damage spikes. In theory you could have Improved Pact Weapon, Thirsting Blade, and Eldritch Smite at level 5, but I find it hard to give up Agonizing Blast and Mask of Many Faces.
Since they can be used with melee or ranged weapons you're not locked into a particular style of combat. Branding Smite gives 2d6 damage with second level spells, 3d6 at third level, and 4d6 with fourth level. Banishing gives 5d10 with your fifth level spell slots. Eldritch Smite gives 1 + slot level d8, so 4d8 when you can first access it at level 5. ES is better than Branding once you can access it, especially since it's Force instead of Radiant damage. With fifth level slots the average of 5d10 for Banishing is 27.5, and for 6d8 it's 30.
Thank you all for replies - yeah i did calculation and it seems to be (on average) almost flavor case - I can hit regulary good amount of damage with EB and finish job with Fiend burn spells (as I currently play Fiend warlock - comparing it to hexblade with smiting) or do almost the same "average" damage output with good played out melee or range haxblade - the only damage spike is this sun-in-the-face smiting thing plus case of rolling crit.
and yeah giving up Agonizng Blast is painful to me - so i think in case of specific HEXBLADE warlock - best it combining EB and melee 2h \(sheer numbers probably are in favor of some great axe bigass sword, but i like Spear, as I am HEMA practising historic nerd guy and i love queen of battlefield - Spear! FTW!)
Eldritch blast is better because with Repelling Blast and/or Grasp of Hadar (better Repelling Blast), you have great tactical control over the battlefield. If we add to that that warlocks have fantastic spells like Sickening Radiance, there can be no doubt. But even if you don't cast Sickening Radiance or another similar spell, it doesn't matter. Being able to move a creature without it being able to do anything to prevent it (unless it has some kind of immunity), is fantastic.
I've even seen lvl11+ warlocks poke an enemy in and out of Sickening Radiance, or move them by Spike Growth (Genie Dao), and it's terrible.
Now if you want to go with a ranged weapon because you feel like it, your best option is to go with Sharpshooter + Elven Accuracy. And if not, with a bow as a secondary pact weapon for when you're not in melee, it's a decent option too. But EB is better.
The answer is the Lance btw. 1d12, 1 handed when on a horse but you van 2 hand it on the ground... you just have to deal with 5ft disadvantage. Get a horse.
Check out my DnD and Gaming channel: https://www.youtube.com/@deadmanfredtv2062
If you really want to lean into it and can be confident your DM will get you a magic weapon that fits your style, hand crossbow with crossbow expert and sharpshooter is solid probably the best option, if playing a elf elven accuracy as well. Yeah your charisma is sort of stuck at 16 for most of the game as an elf but by the math triple advantage is worth it. Polearm does more damage with the same number of feats but not worrying about range is worth the small damage difference.
A single level of fighter for archery fighting style would really help with the hand crossbow route. But personally I'd only do that if I saw my character as 90% weapon attack guy.
In the issue of whether EB is better than a ranged weapon, I really have no doubt. The EB does not spend resources (arrows), it is magic force damage, and it allows you to push the opponent (placing him where you want).
If you are going to spend a spell slot, better on an area spell that lasts 1 minute or more, than on a smite.
The ranged weapon build can work, but it's worse than an EB Warlock.
Never thought about that to be honest. I play I think at least 50 oneshots with Warlock (srsly at least 50) and NEVER ever get hit by counterspell on EB. But as far as I know yeah you definitly can counter cantrip...
A caster can definitely counterspell a cantrip, but they'd be throwing a 3rd-level spell slot at something the target can do as often as they like, so it's rarely going to be worth it. Most casters can also only counterspell once per round, so burning it on a cantrip means opening themselves up to something potentially a lot worse; in that respect while having your main attack for the turn dispelled will suck, you've still achieved something by creating that opening assuming your party can exploit it.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Understood. One more question: can counterspell affect hurling someone via Hell ad Fiend Warlock? I am just looking thru my campaign logs looking for all casted counterspells, and I found like year ago one DM "countered" my friends Fiend final skill
Counterspell (and dispel magic) only work on spells, so even features described as magical and which have spell-like effects, cannot be affected by them. For that you need something like an antimagic field, which I think would prevent Hurl Through Hell since it's teleportation/planar travel.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
A feature other than "you can cast x spell" cannot be countered with a counterspell or dispelled with dispel magic.
Only whatever is specifically a spell. In fact, in the case of the hypothetical feature that allows you to cast x spell, what you can counter is the spell itself, not the feature. And another thing, counterspell always targets a spell, not the caster.
Well, if you get someone to spend their counterspell on your EB, you're already doing the job. They are resources that you burn to him, and the chance to suffer another spell cast by a teammate.
And the next turn, another EB that is free for you. And let him spend a counterspell again if he wants.