Almost three years into our main campaign, my DM and I came to the realization that I picked the wrong class. I was undecided between Barbarian and Warlock, and I ended up choosing Barbarian because it would have been my first character in 5E and I wasn't that sure about spellscasting. Now I'm more than ready.
Some context
We're currently level 13 and we're trying to escape Tartarus, the divine prison plane: we were trying to restore the Old God of Chaos, and each of our characters represents one of its aspects. Mine is Destruction, the others are Creation, Protection and the four elements.
Every character will have to become immortal somehow, either by stealing power from the other denizens or by forging pacts with them. Our party managed to defeat Charon the Ferryman, so our Wizard became the new Death incarnation; we ended up killing an ancient cyclops who was the old god of Blacksmithing, so now our Fighter is more or less Hephaestus.
Now I have the possibility to make a pact with a lovecraftian Old God of Destruction, who came before our chaotic god; I could be remade as a Warlock, but I'll have to wield my Axe of Chaos, that was the choice weapon of BOTH gods. The Hexblade patron feels appropriate here, and said axe is a two-handed weapon so I'll have to pick the Pact of the Blade.
The issue
Back in our first session we rolled our stats, and before racial modifiers I have 17 - 15 - 17 - 8 - 12 - 10. My Barbarian is a Half-Orc, so I ended up with STR 19, DEX 15, CON 18, INT 8, WIS 12, CHA 10.
My DM will let me shuffle the numbers around, so I was thinking something along the lines of STR 8, DEX 15, CON 18, INT 12, WIS 10, CHA 19. With my three ASIs I could grab +1 CHA +1 CON, Great Weapon Master and Resilient (CON), gaining proficiency in concentration saves and ending up with STR 8, DEX 15, CON 20, IN 12, WIS 10, CHA 20.
My Eldritch Invocations could very well be: Devil's Sight, Eldritch Smite, Lifedrinker, Thirsting Blade, Agonizing Blast just to have a ranged option, then either Maddening Hex or Relentless Hex; at level 15 I could get Shroud of Shadow to cast Invisibility at will, and at level 18 the one I missed between Maddening Hex or Relentless Hex.
That uneven 15 DEX really grinds my gears. Anyway, with the next two ASIs at level 16 and 19 I could get War Caster and maybe Alert. With a mundane Half-Plate armor I'd have just 17 AC, so I'd really love to wear a Sentinel Shield, but with a two-handed weapon I can't use one, sadly. I'll rely on Shadow of Moil (Concentration) + Devil's Sight + Armor of Agathys to protect myself, I guess.
So, community, please help me to optimize this soon-to-reborn Bladelock of Destruction. My party is quite optimized, my Barbarian was a beast in combat and this new version deserves to be one as well.
I'd definitely be looking into the invocation Thirsting Blade to get an extra swing, I'd want Eldritch Smite to smite with my axe of doom. I'd consider Improved Pact Weapon to use the axe as my focus, but that's not scrictly necessary. Don't forget that hexblade warlocks get access to the shield spell too. I might consider a dip into sorcerer just to get some extra low level spell slots specifically for more shield. Low numbers of spell slots on warlocks are my on real complaint with the class, so I usually prop mine up with a dip into another spell caster specifically for hexing, shield and the like.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
I'd definitely be looking into the invocation Thirsting Blade to get an extra swing, I'd want Eldritch Smite to smite with my axe of doom. I'd consider Improved Pact Weapon to use the axe as my focus, but that's not scrictly necessary. Don't forget that hexblade warlocks get access to the shield spell too.
I forgot to add my Invocations list to the main post. Done now, thanks! Yup, I know about Shield but with 3-4 slots I can't cast it freely, it would just be a last resort option.
I might consider a dip into sorcerer just to get some extra low level spell slots specifically for more shield. Low numbers of spell slots on warlocks are my on real complaint with the class, so I usually prop mine up with a dip into another spell caster specifically for hexing, shield and the like.
I'd like to avoid multiclassing with this character, because story-wise it would make no sense. Also, we already have a Sorcerer / Warlock in our party, together with a Wizard, a Cleric / Paladin, a Fighter, two Rangers and a Rogue.
We have a sword&board dwarf Fighter who likes to tank, so that wouldn't be an issue. My current role is what I like to call The Pouncing Lion: dash to the most dangerous enemy using my Eagle Totem, reduce it to reddish paste with Rage + Reckless Attack + GWM, rinse and repeat.
My weapon choice is tied to the story: the two-handed Axe of Chaos is an artifact that is a constant across our group's campaigns, sometimes as a villain by itself, other times as a simple weapon wielded by heroes, foes or anti-heroes.
I added my choice of invocations to the main post, and I'll probably steer away from Improved Pact Weapon and Superior Pact Weapon because I already have a magic weapon, and a two-handed axe can leave one hand free for the occasional spellscasting.
Nice catch on Devil's Sight, but we're part of a Drow family so Underdark trips are quite common, and the perfect night-vision would be great.
I'll pitch the sacrifice-STR-to-get-CHA idea to my DM, and while I'm at it I'll ask him to let me have CON and CHA / WIS saving throw proficiency: CON from my Barbarian days, CHA or WIS from the Warlock class. This way I'll not be tied into taking Resilient (CON), and by level 12 I could have GWM, War Caster and an ASI to round up both CHA and DEX.
STR 10, DEX 16, CON 18 (+2 from my Belt), INT 8 (+2 from a possible Ioun Stone), WIS 12 and CHA 20: not too bad, I guess. I could switch STR, INT and WIS around if my DM will let me change my skills choice, though, to better complement the party skills.
At level 16 and 19 I could grab Medium Armor Master, to bank on that +3 DEX and wear a Half-Plate with some dignity and gravitas, and maybe Sentinel or a +2 CON to free up one attunement slot.
Remember that even though Hexblade allows you to use Charisma as your combat stat, you don't have to.
You can retain your 19 strength and fight with your Axe of Chaos, which I presume is not a sentient weapon so you're able to use it as your pact weapon.
17, 17, 15, 12, 10, 8.
Put the 17s into strength and charisma. Put the 15 into constitution. 8 into intelligence, 10 into wisdom, 12 into dexterity. That'll give you 19,12,16,8,10,17. One set of ASIs will put your strength to 20 and charisma to 18. Another will bump your dexterity to 14. Then take GWM. You're fighting with a two-handed weapon so you can't use a shield, and if you're not using a shield you don't really need War Caster.
Invocations: Thirsting Blade and Lifedrinker are obvious. Agonizing blast to boost your eldritch blast damage. Eldritch Smite is... situational. You'll rarely have enough spare Warlock slots to make it worthwhile, but it can come up clutch occasionally. Devil's Sight in a setting where you're frequently in darkness never hurts.
You won't be as durable as you are a Barbarian of course, so charging right in won't be a good option.
Remember that even though Hexblade allows you to use Charisma as your combat stat, you don't have to. You can retain your 19 strength and fight with your Axe of Chaos, which I presume is not a sentient weapon so you're able to use it as your pact weapon.
[...]
You're fighting with a two-handed weapon so you can't use a shield, and if you're not using a shield you don't really need War Caster.
While I'd love to keep my STR score and my role as the go-to guy when it comes to physical strength, the core strength of the Hexblade subclass is its SADness: you can use Charisma to attack and cast spells, you don't need Strength / Dexterity. That Axe of Chaos is actually the daughter of the dual-faced old god of Destruction -my future Patron-, but she's more than willing to be wielded as a Pact Weapon by her Father's harbinger. That is to say that my DM would allow that.
War Caster would allow me to make concentration saves with advantage, that's why I'm considering taking it.
War Caster is still great even if you don't use a shield. You gain advantage on CON saves to concentrate on spells like Hex and you can use Booming Blade and similar for your opportunity attacks.
Yup, that's the main reason I'd be taking War Caster. I'd use Shadow of Moil for most fights, so I'd have to roll concentration saves quite often.
War Caster is still great even if you don't use a shield. You gain advantage on CON saves to concentrate on spells like Hex and you can use Booming Blade and similar for your opportunity attacks.
Hex, Darkness / Shadow of Moil and other concentration spells. And yeah, I'm taking the Booming Blade cantrip precisely to stop foes who try to run away, or flying enemies: "Oh, you want to flee or fly away? That's fine, take this damage and this addictional damage if you don't stop immediately."
Apart from Devil's Sight I really can't find any Eldritch Invocations listed there. Did you perhaps forgot to save the edit?
Hmm, something wierd is going on. Anyway, I'm considering Thirsting Blade, Lifedrinker, Devil's Sight, Agonizing Blast, Eldritch Smite and Relentless Hex; at level 15 I could take Shroud of Shadow and Witch Sight, or maybe Shroud of Shadow and Maddening Hex.
Fair enough. That said you have high enough rolls that there's not really much to distinguish between using strength and charisma. +5 vs +4 isn't a big difference.
My favourite Sorcerer is a Mountain Dwarf Storm Sorcerer. 18/14/12/8/8/18 at level 8. Whacks everyone with his warhammer of whackingness.
Advantage on saving throws for maintaining concentration is nice, however if you're able to keep proficiency with con saves then that's better than advantage under most circumstances anyway. Remember also that booming blade might encourage an enemy not to leave your space, but you're not a Barbarian anymore. No rage damage reduction, no self healing, a D8 for your wounds. A Hexblade isn't a tank. Your best AC with standard equipment is 17 sans shield (same as my dwarf). You are marginally less squishy than the Wizard, but only marginally. The enemy won't be trying to get away from you often.
Advantage on saving throws for maintaining concentration is nice, however if you're able to keep proficiency with con saves then that's better than advantage under most circumstances anyway. Remember also that booming blade might encourage an enemy not to leave your space, but you're not a Barbarian anymore. No rage damage reduction, no self healing, a D8 for your wounds. A Hexblade isn't a tank.
You're right! So, even if my DM will not allow me to keep my CON proficiency, I guess I could go with: STR 10, DEX 15, CON 19 (17+2), INT 8, WIS 12, CHA 18 (17+1). I just swapped the numbers around, no changes.
First ASI: +2 CHA to get to 20. Second ASI: GWM, as I did during my "Barbarian life". Third ASI: Resilient (CON), so now I have 20 CON and proficiency in CHA, WIS and CON saving throws.
At level 16 and 19 I could go for Medium Armor Master and maybe a half-feat to round that Dexterity UP. My AC would be 18 without any kind of magic item, or 22 with a +3 Half-Plate and my Ring of Protection. Not that squishy, hopefully!
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Almost three years into our main campaign, my DM and I came to the realization that I picked the wrong class. I was undecided between Barbarian and Warlock, and I ended up choosing Barbarian because it would have been my first character in 5E and I wasn't that sure about spellscasting.
Now I'm more than ready.
Some context
We're currently level 13 and we're trying to escape Tartarus, the divine prison plane: we were trying to restore the Old God of Chaos, and each of our characters represents one of its aspects. Mine is Destruction, the others are Creation, Protection and the four elements.
Every character will have to become immortal somehow, either by stealing power from the other denizens or by forging pacts with them. Our party managed to defeat Charon the Ferryman, so our Wizard became the new Death incarnation; we ended up killing an ancient cyclops who was the old god of Blacksmithing, so now our Fighter is more or less Hephaestus.
Now I have the possibility to make a pact with a lovecraftian Old God of Destruction, who came before our chaotic god; I could be remade as a Warlock, but I'll have to wield my Axe of Chaos, that was the choice weapon of BOTH gods. The Hexblade patron feels appropriate here, and said axe is a two-handed weapon so I'll have to pick the Pact of the Blade.
The issue
Back in our first session we rolled our stats, and before racial modifiers I have 17 - 15 - 17 - 8 - 12 - 10. My Barbarian is a Half-Orc, so I ended up with STR 19, DEX 15, CON 18, INT 8, WIS 12, CHA 10.
My DM will let me shuffle the numbers around, so I was thinking something along the lines of STR 8, DEX 15, CON 18, INT 12, WIS 10, CHA 19. With my three ASIs I could grab +1 CHA +1 CON, Great Weapon Master and Resilient (CON), gaining proficiency in concentration saves and ending up with STR 8, DEX 15, CON 20, IN 12, WIS 10, CHA 20.
My Eldritch Invocations could very well be: Devil's Sight, Eldritch Smite, Lifedrinker, Thirsting Blade, Agonizing Blast just to have a ranged option, then either Maddening Hex or Relentless Hex; at level 15 I could get Shroud of Shadow to cast Invisibility at will, and at level 18 the one I missed between Maddening Hex or Relentless Hex.
That uneven 15 DEX really grinds my gears. Anyway, with the next two ASIs at level 16 and 19 I could get War Caster and maybe Alert. With a mundane Half-Plate armor I'd have just 17 AC, so I'd really love to wear a Sentinel Shield, but with a two-handed weapon I can't use one, sadly. I'll rely on Shadow of Moil (Concentration) + Devil's Sight + Armor of Agathys to protect myself, I guess.
So, community, please help me to optimize this soon-to-reborn Bladelock of Destruction. My party is quite optimized, my Barbarian was a beast in combat and this new version deserves to be one as well.
I'd definitely be looking into the invocation Thirsting Blade to get an extra swing, I'd want Eldritch Smite to smite with my axe of doom. I'd consider Improved Pact Weapon to use the axe as my focus, but that's not scrictly necessary. Don't forget that hexblade warlocks get access to the shield spell too. I might consider a dip into sorcerer just to get some extra low level spell slots specifically for more shield. Low numbers of spell slots on warlocks are my on real complaint with the class, so I usually prop mine up with a dip into another spell caster specifically for hexing, shield and the like.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
I forgot to add my Invocations list to the main post. Done now, thanks! Yup, I know about Shield but with 3-4 slots I can't cast it freely, it would just be a last resort option.
I'd like to avoid multiclassing with this character, because story-wise it would make no sense. Also, we already have a Sorcerer / Warlock in our party, together with a Wizard, a Cleric / Paladin, a Fighter, two Rangers and a Rogue.
We have a sword&board dwarf Fighter who likes to tank, so that wouldn't be an issue. My current role is what I like to call The Pouncing Lion: dash to the most dangerous enemy using my Eagle Totem, reduce it to reddish paste with Rage + Reckless Attack + GWM, rinse and repeat.
My weapon choice is tied to the story: the two-handed Axe of Chaos is an artifact that is a constant across our group's campaigns, sometimes as a villain by itself, other times as a simple weapon wielded by heroes, foes or anti-heroes.
I added my choice of invocations to the main post, and I'll probably steer away from Improved Pact Weapon and Superior Pact Weapon because I already have a magic weapon, and a two-handed axe can leave one hand free for the occasional spellscasting.
Nice catch on Devil's Sight, but we're part of a Drow family so Underdark trips are quite common, and the perfect night-vision would be great.
I'll pitch the sacrifice-STR-to-get-CHA idea to my DM, and while I'm at it I'll ask him to let me have CON and CHA / WIS saving throw proficiency: CON from my Barbarian days, CHA or WIS from the Warlock class. This way I'll not be tied into taking Resilient (CON), and by level 12 I could have GWM, War Caster and an ASI to round up both CHA and DEX.
STR 10, DEX 16, CON 18 (+2 from my Belt), INT 8 (+2 from a possible Ioun Stone), WIS 12 and CHA 20: not too bad, I guess. I could switch STR, INT and WIS around if my DM will let me change my skills choice, though, to better complement the party skills.
At level 16 and 19 I could grab Medium Armor Master, to bank on that +3 DEX and wear a Half-Plate with some dignity and gravitas, and maybe Sentinel or a +2 CON to free up one attunement slot.
Remember that even though Hexblade allows you to use Charisma as your combat stat, you don't have to.
You can retain your 19 strength and fight with your Axe of Chaos, which I presume is not a sentient weapon so you're able to use it as your pact weapon.
17, 17, 15, 12, 10, 8.
Put the 17s into strength and charisma. Put the 15 into constitution. 8 into intelligence, 10 into wisdom, 12 into dexterity. That'll give you 19,12,16,8,10,17. One set of ASIs will put your strength to 20 and charisma to 18. Another will bump your dexterity to 14. Then take GWM. You're fighting with a two-handed weapon so you can't use a shield, and if you're not using a shield you don't really need War Caster.
Invocations: Thirsting Blade and Lifedrinker are obvious. Agonizing blast to boost your eldritch blast damage. Eldritch Smite is... situational. You'll rarely have enough spare Warlock slots to make it worthwhile, but it can come up clutch occasionally. Devil's Sight in a setting where you're frequently in darkness never hurts.
You won't be as durable as you are a Barbarian of course, so charging right in won't be a good option.
While I'd love to keep my STR score and my role as the go-to guy when it comes to physical strength, the core strength of the Hexblade subclass is its SADness: you can use Charisma to attack and cast spells, you don't need Strength / Dexterity. That Axe of Chaos is actually the daughter of the dual-faced old god of Destruction -my future Patron-, but she's more than willing to be wielded as a Pact Weapon by her Father's harbinger. That is to say that my DM would allow that.
War Caster would allow me to make concentration saves with advantage, that's why I'm considering taking it.
Yup, that's the main reason I'd be taking War Caster. I'd use Shadow of Moil for most fights, so I'd have to roll concentration saves quite often.
Hex, Darkness / Shadow of Moil and other concentration spells. And yeah, I'm taking the Booming Blade cantrip precisely to stop foes who try to run away, or flying enemies: "Oh, you want to flee or fly away? That's fine, take this damage and this addictional damage if you don't stop immediately."
Hmm, something wierd is going on. Anyway, I'm considering Thirsting Blade, Lifedrinker, Devil's Sight, Agonizing Blast, Eldritch Smite and Relentless Hex; at level 15 I could take Shroud of Shadow and Witch Sight, or maybe Shroud of Shadow and Maddening Hex.
Fair enough. That said you have high enough rolls that there's not really much to distinguish between using strength and charisma. +5 vs +4 isn't a big difference.
My favourite Sorcerer is a Mountain Dwarf Storm Sorcerer. 18/14/12/8/8/18 at level 8. Whacks everyone with his warhammer of whackingness.
Advantage on saving throws for maintaining concentration is nice, however if you're able to keep proficiency with con saves then that's better than advantage under most circumstances anyway. Remember also that booming blade might encourage an enemy not to leave your space, but you're not a Barbarian anymore. No rage damage reduction, no self healing, a D8 for your wounds. A Hexblade isn't a tank. Your best AC with standard equipment is 17 sans shield (same as my dwarf). You are marginally less squishy than the Wizard, but only marginally. The enemy won't be trying to get away from you often.
You're right! So, even if my DM will not allow me to keep my CON proficiency, I guess I could go with: STR 10, DEX 15, CON 19 (17+2), INT 8, WIS 12, CHA 18 (17+1). I just swapped the numbers around, no changes.
First ASI: +2 CHA to get to 20. Second ASI: GWM, as I did during my "Barbarian life". Third ASI: Resilient (CON), so now I have 20 CON and proficiency in CHA, WIS and CON saving throws.
At level 16 and 19 I could go for Medium Armor Master and maybe a half-feat to round that Dexterity UP. My AC would be 18 without any kind of magic item, or 22 with a +3 Half-Plate and my Ring of Protection. Not that squishy, hopefully!