Historically my favorite character to play was a Half-Elf Hexblade Warlock with the Urchin background. This allowed me a great amount of flexibility in the game I played, being able to be a melee figher, a mage, a party face, and a thief. Not as good at any one thing as a specialist, but a pretty good all rounder. Also, unlike many characters who are forced into a certain role as the campaign continued, the ability to swap out invocations and spells on level up allowed a far greater degree of flexibility in party role.
My motto for play is simple. First, be sneaky. You can't get into trouble if nobody sees you. Secondly, if they do see you, be glib. You can avoid trouble if you talk your way out of it. Thirdly, if all else fails, fight like you're the third monkey on the Ark, and it's starting to rain.
Still, everything changes, and so I'm looking at rebuilding my character using 2024 rules. Half-Elf is no longer an official species, and, although Hexblade is legacy material, it is still easy to convert to 2024 rules. Basically just moving its level 1 features to level 3.
This is a monoclass build, so no fighter dip for armor proficiencies and weapon masteries.
For species, instead I'll go with High Elf. Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, Keen Senses: Perception, and Trance are all great abilities.
The ability to choose any Wizard cantrip on a Long Rest, 20 to choose from, provides even more flexibility. Detect Magic is a ritual spell, and can be very helpful. Misty Step is one of the best combat positioning spells in the game.
Languages, Common and Elvish obviously.
Background. I like my character being a skill monkey, so the Skilled feat appeals, and obviously as a Warlock we're wanting to put our bonuses into Charisma and Dexterity. Of the backgrounds in the book, avoiding any argument over building a custom background, that gives us Charlatan. That gives us proficiency in Sleight of Hand, Deception, and the Forgery Kit. From the Skilled feat we'll take proficiency in Thieves' Tools, and proficiency in Stealth and Persuasion. We have the sneaky skills covered, and the social ones. We'll take the 50 gold.
We will take the +2/+1 stat bonuses, and put the +2 into Dexterity, and the +1 into Charisma.
Using Points Buy, we will start with Str 8, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16.
From Warlock we'll take proficiency in Arcana, and Intimidation. We have all the social skills covered. Sometimes we'll convince people, sometimes we'll lie to them, and sometimes we'll terrify them into compliance. It's a living. We'll take the 100 gold, giving us 150 gold to start with.
Starting equipment. We don't need to worry about weapons, we're a Pact of the Blade Warlock. Weapons are our religion. Likewise we don't need a spellcasting focus, because we're a Pact of the Blade Warlock. Some light armor, leather, with a dagger (a practical utensil). traveller's clothes, an explorer's pack, and thieves' tools. That takes 49 gold, leaving us with 101.
The new rules around Ritual Casting does benefit Warlocks with their "two spell slots per short rest". They can contribute outside of combat without depleting their primary resource.
Planning advances from level 1 to level 12, since campaigns don't usually go much further than that. Mainly feats and invocations, since spells may be campaign dependant.
Level 1. Spells: Eldritch Blast, Mage Hand, Hex, Armor of Agathys. Invocation: Pact of the Blade (obviously).
Level 2. 3 Invocations: Pact of the Blade, Agonizing Blast (Eldritch Blast), Mask of Many Faces (my favorite invocation).
Level 3. Hexblade. We gain proficiency with martial weapons, medium armor and shields. We gain access to Hexblade's Curse and the Hex Warrior ability (of marginal utility, since most of its benefits were rolled into Pact of the Blade). We have the following spells added to our known spells: Shield, Wrathful Smite, Blur, Shining Smite (was Branding Smite). We should grab a shield, at least, to bump up our AC.
Level 4. We take the Polearm Master feat, adding +1 to our dexterity to bring it to 18. Although we cannot use heavy weapons with our weedy 8 strength, we can use PAM with a quarterstaff or spear as our pact weapon. That allows us to make either a d8 attack using two hands, or a d6 with one while using a shield, and using the bludgeoning end for d4 damage as a bonus action. We don't have weapon masteries, so no Nick exploitation, so we're doing it old school.
Level 5. 5 Invocations: Pact of the Blade, Agonizing Blast, Mask of Many Faces, Thirsting Blade (of course), One with Shadows (I think this should get the prize for the most improved invocation. In 2014 it was worthless. Now, unless there's absolutely no shadows anywhere, it's on demand invisiblity. Those of us who've played BG3 as a Duergar know how good that is). Spells: Fly, Hunger of Hadar. We also gain the known spells: Blink and Elemental Weapon.
Level 6. Accursed Specter.
Level 7. 6 Invocations: Pact of the Blade, Agonizing Blast, Mask of Many Faces, Thirsting Blade, One with Shadows, Eldritch Smite (still a bit of a trap option, since we have so few spell slots to spare, but it can come in clutch sometimes). Known spells added: Phantasmal Killer and Staggering Smite.
Level 8. Add +2 to Charisma to bring it to 18.
Level 9. 7 Invocations: Pact of the Blade, Agonizing Blast, Mask of Many Faces, Thirsting Blade, One with Shadows, Eldritch Smite, Lifedrinker. Known spells added: Banishing Smite and Cone of Cold.
Level 10. Armor of Heroes.
Level 12. Resilient: Constitution bringing Con to 14. 8 Invocations: Pact of the Blade, Agonizing Blast, Mask of Many Faces, Thirsting Blade, One with Shadows, Eldritch Smite, Lifedrinker, Devouring Blade.
At level 12 the character is capable of making four attacks a turn, three with a d6/d8 dice, one a d4, adding d6 damage from Lifedrinker, and potentially d6 from Hex (which lasts all day at this point provided concentration doesn't fail). They can add damage by expending a slot for Eldritch Smite, or one of the Smite spells if those effects seem beneficial.
That's decent enough, and certainly adequate for me given the other tools the character brings to the game. If Tasha's is available then Spirit Shroud can add 2d8 damage per hit, replacing Hex.
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Historically my favorite character to play was a Half-Elf Hexblade Warlock with the Urchin background. This allowed me a great amount of flexibility in the game I played, being able to be a melee figher, a mage, a party face, and a thief. Not as good at any one thing as a specialist, but a pretty good all rounder. Also, unlike many characters who are forced into a certain role as the campaign continued, the ability to swap out invocations and spells on level up allowed a far greater degree of flexibility in party role.
My motto for play is simple. First, be sneaky. You can't get into trouble if nobody sees you. Secondly, if they do see you, be glib. You can avoid trouble if you talk your way out of it. Thirdly, if all else fails, fight like you're the third monkey on the Ark, and it's starting to rain.
Still, everything changes, and so I'm looking at rebuilding my character using 2024 rules. Half-Elf is no longer an official species, and, although Hexblade is legacy material, it is still easy to convert to 2024 rules. Basically just moving its level 1 features to level 3.
This is a monoclass build, so no fighter dip for armor proficiencies and weapon masteries.
For species, instead I'll go with High Elf. Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, Keen Senses: Perception, and Trance are all great abilities.
The ability to choose any Wizard cantrip on a Long Rest, 20 to choose from, provides even more flexibility. Detect Magic is a ritual spell, and can be very helpful. Misty Step is one of the best combat positioning spells in the game.
Languages, Common and Elvish obviously.
Background. I like my character being a skill monkey, so the Skilled feat appeals, and obviously as a Warlock we're wanting to put our bonuses into Charisma and Dexterity. Of the backgrounds in the book, avoiding any argument over building a custom background, that gives us Charlatan. That gives us proficiency in Sleight of Hand, Deception, and the Forgery Kit. From the Skilled feat we'll take proficiency in Thieves' Tools, and proficiency in Stealth and Persuasion. We have the sneaky skills covered, and the social ones. We'll take the 50 gold.
We will take the +2/+1 stat bonuses, and put the +2 into Dexterity, and the +1 into Charisma.
Using Points Buy, we will start with Str 8, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16.
From Warlock we'll take proficiency in Arcana, and Intimidation. We have all the social skills covered. Sometimes we'll convince people, sometimes we'll lie to them, and sometimes we'll terrify them into compliance. It's a living. We'll take the 100 gold, giving us 150 gold to start with.
Starting equipment. We don't need to worry about weapons, we're a Pact of the Blade Warlock. Weapons are our religion. Likewise we don't need a spellcasting focus, because we're a Pact of the Blade Warlock. Some light armor, leather, with a dagger (a practical utensil). traveller's clothes, an explorer's pack, and thieves' tools. That takes 49 gold, leaving us with 101.
The new rules around Ritual Casting does benefit Warlocks with their "two spell slots per short rest". They can contribute outside of combat without depleting their primary resource.
Planning advances from level 1 to level 12, since campaigns don't usually go much further than that. Mainly feats and invocations, since spells may be campaign dependant.
Level 1. Spells: Eldritch Blast, Mage Hand, Hex, Armor of Agathys. Invocation: Pact of the Blade (obviously).
Level 2. 3 Invocations: Pact of the Blade, Agonizing Blast (Eldritch Blast), Mask of Many Faces (my favorite invocation).
Level 3. Hexblade. We gain proficiency with martial weapons, medium armor and shields. We gain access to Hexblade's Curse and the Hex Warrior ability (of marginal utility, since most of its benefits were rolled into Pact of the Blade). We have the following spells added to our known spells: Shield, Wrathful Smite, Blur, Shining Smite (was Branding Smite). We should grab a shield, at least, to bump up our AC.
Level 4. We take the Polearm Master feat, adding +1 to our dexterity to bring it to 18. Although we cannot use heavy weapons with our weedy 8 strength, we can use PAM with a quarterstaff or spear as our pact weapon. That allows us to make either a d8 attack using two hands, or a d6 with one while using a shield, and using the bludgeoning end for d4 damage as a bonus action. We don't have weapon masteries, so no Nick exploitation, so we're doing it old school.
Level 5. 5 Invocations: Pact of the Blade, Agonizing Blast, Mask of Many Faces, Thirsting Blade (of course), One with Shadows (I think this should get the prize for the most improved invocation. In 2014 it was worthless. Now, unless there's absolutely no shadows anywhere, it's on demand invisiblity. Those of us who've played BG3 as a Duergar know how good that is). Spells: Fly, Hunger of Hadar. We also gain the known spells: Blink and Elemental Weapon.
Level 6. Accursed Specter.
Level 7. 6 Invocations: Pact of the Blade, Agonizing Blast, Mask of Many Faces, Thirsting Blade, One with Shadows, Eldritch Smite (still a bit of a trap option, since we have so few spell slots to spare, but it can come in clutch sometimes). Known spells added: Phantasmal Killer and Staggering Smite.
Level 8. Add +2 to Charisma to bring it to 18.
Level 9. 7 Invocations: Pact of the Blade, Agonizing Blast, Mask of Many Faces, Thirsting Blade, One with Shadows, Eldritch Smite, Lifedrinker. Known spells added: Banishing Smite and Cone of Cold.
Level 10. Armor of Heroes.
Level 12. Resilient: Constitution bringing Con to 14. 8 Invocations: Pact of the Blade, Agonizing Blast, Mask of Many Faces, Thirsting Blade, One with Shadows, Eldritch Smite, Lifedrinker, Devouring Blade.
At level 12 the character is capable of making four attacks a turn, three with a d6/d8 dice, one a d4, adding d6 damage from Lifedrinker, and potentially d6 from Hex (which lasts all day at this point provided concentration doesn't fail). They can add damage by expending a slot for Eldritch Smite, or one of the Smite spells if those effects seem beneficial.
That's decent enough, and certainly adequate for me given the other tools the character brings to the game. If Tasha's is available then Spirit Shroud can add 2d8 damage per hit, replacing Hex.