A level 1 Hexblade attacks for +5 to hit (charisma), and does d8+3 damage. A level 1 Genie attacks for +5 to hit (strength or dex), and does d8+3 damage, plus +2 once per turn. The Genie is literally "online" for higher damage right from level 1.
At level 4 with POB and Improved Pact Weapon, a Hexblade attacks for +7 to hit, and does d8+4+1 damage. A Genie attacks for +7 to hit, and does d8+4+1 damage, plus +2 once per turn. Genie still higher.
At level 8 with POB, Improved Pact Weapon, Thirsting Blade, a Hexblade attacks for +9 to hit twice, and does d8+5+1 twice. A Genie attacks for +9 to hit twice, and does d8+5+1 twice, and another +3 damage once/turn. Genie is still higher.
At level 12 with POB, Improved Pact Weapon, Thirsting Blade, and Lifedrinker, a Hexblade attacks for +10 to hit twice, and does d8+5+1+5 twice. A Genie attacks for +10 to hit twice, and does d8+5+1+4 twice, and another +4 damage once/turn. Genie is still higher.
I'm not following what our two warlocks are armed with, to be honest. For one-handed swords, the Hexlock would be wielding a shield for +2 AC, but if all we're analyzing is stabbery, a greatsword is a pretty sane default, I think. And why are we ignoring both Maddening Hex and Hexblade's Curse? At level 12, things get even weirder, as the Hexlock no longer needs any ASIs for anything, and can just take feats, any number of which can do crazy things to expected damage out. Once the Hexlock can replace Maddening Hex with a source of bonus action pact weapon attacking (crossbow mastery, polearm mastery) and/or can add severe damage spiking (sharpshooter, great weapon mastery) things get even funkier. Insisting the Hexlock has to play by the Genielock's rules is weird.
Note that since a Greatsword deals 2.5 damage more than a Rapier, prior to level 5 this is better than the Genie buff (2.5 > 2) and as of level 5 it's also better (5 > 3). The Genie "catches up" at level 13, by which point not only is Lifedrinker on board, the Hexlock's had the level 12 ASI/feat to buy something shiny with. This ignores the admittedly challenging math on deciding how to count the Hexblade's Curse and the Specter (don't forget, at this point the Specter has +9 to hit for 10.5 necrotic), as both are limited resources.
They have significant advantages and they come with significant costs. Even from a math perspective. You don't get to start out with medium armor as a hexblade. You have to purchase it or acquire it from loot or a hand me down. You don't get to start with a shield. Neither of those options are available as starting equipment on any warlock. If you want to start with it, you will have to choose gold and purchase those options and 50 gp is a significant cost. The other build can simply start with starting gear, take leather, upgrade to mage armor at 2, "upgrade" to studded leather or some sort of magic armor when it is more available.
A hexblade can't put anymore CON into a build than any other warlock. They are capped at 20 just like anyone else. They can have a higher CON and CHA earlier, but that only matters to the other warlock if they ALSO want CHA that early. If they don't, it's a null point. Both builds can easily have a 16 attack stat, 14 CON, and 14 non-attack stat DEX/CHA. It's only an advantage for non hexblades that also want to have higher CHA. That may have been the case between those two specific builds, but it isn't a requirement. The non Warlock doesn't need to put more into invocations for defense. I outlined that in my last post. When it makes a bigger difference is early when the offensive invocations aren't available and the utility ones are dependent on party composition. The hexblade is just as dependent on defensive invocations if they can't acquire the gear, and if they can acquire the gear, the non hexblade can acquire better gear, too. Perhaps not in specific instances, but generically speaking. The shield is a nice boost and Shield is lovely as well, but both of those can be achieved in other ways. Between pure warlocks, both are nice for melee, but neither is a prerequisite and can be offset through other circumstances. Both are better if the warlock wants to simply stand and fight as opposed to acting more like a skirmisher and both have their own costs. Sword and board makes spellcasting harder and every Shield cast is not used on Hex or another spell. The presence of Shield puts pressure on the player to keep a spell slot open in case it is needed.
The bonus damage per hit is only available on the cursed creature and makes it superior on sturdier enemies. The Genie also gets to add bonus damage, but it's only once per turn. However, it is available on every creature that they attack, not just the one that is cursed. If the creature that was cursed dies (say from another character decided to go nova and critting at the same time), moves out of attack range somehow, or otherwise becomes immune to damage, the hexblade doesn't get the bonus damage while they attack other creatures. The genie character does.
THP is nice, but a Fiendlock also gets that option and doesn't have to have the creature that they cursed be the one that dies. In fact, the creature doesn't have to even die, it just has to be reduced to 0 HP by the warlock. They can leave that creature alive but unconcious and the fiendlock still gets the THP. But they do have to be the one that reduces the creature to 0 HP, whereas the hexblade doesn't. Both have advantages and both have disadvantages. Neither matters if they are using another spell or feature that cares about the presence of specific THP, like Armor of Agathys. The THP angle is nice, but it eliminates options or reduces the importance of those THP feature if it doesn't get used.
These are all math options. Unlimited extra damage against a target that doesn't exist is zero extra damage. THP that doesn't get used is the same as zero THP. Better armor is only better if it is used and you can't use it if you don't have it. 0 AC is precisely the same as 100 AC if you are never attacked. The situations matter, the campaign will matter, and the party composition will matter. A white room hexblade pact of the blade is better than a white room non hexblade pact of the blade in melee combat, but the amount that those advantages actually matter will depend on a number of factors. The significance of those advantages are completely dependent on what exactly happens and what changes a player might make based on taking either route. It depends on what costs they are willing to pay to gain the benefits associated with the other options.
It's not just math that will be a factor, it's a question of where you want to apply your math to matter the most. Hexblade is the easiest subclass to build an effective melee warlock that isn't solely reliant on melee, particularly without multiclassing. It does a great job of multiclassing with characters that want to focus on Charisma and still be able to attack in Melee, whether that means being a social beast, whether that means having insane Paladin Auras, whether that means being more of a gishy character, or some combination of the three. It is the 1A of Warlock melee characters, but that doesn't mean that others can't be built to be a 1B. It doesn't mean that others aren't in a position to be as effective melee fighters in a slightly different role. And that is before considering other factors than just math.
Of course, a lot of this difference of opinion can be cleared up by defining what the parameters make up "a significant difference". If an average of .5 points of damage is enough to be significant (ie, I have to have the Greatsword because it gives me better damage than a Great Axe), then hexblade is definitely the option that you want. If significant is a lot closer to a few points of damage (ie, I'll go with the flail because it gives me the option to go with bludgeoning damage, the possibility of getting a [Tooltip Not Found] without changing much about my melee attacks, and I really like the idea of swinging around a ball and chain to smash someone, even if it costs me 2.5 points of damage), then it's not likely to make much difference.
My only point with the CON is they can afford to put more into it much earlier and even later as they pretty much just need to max CHA then can increase CON with the rest of their ASI.
Where as the Genie will need to max DEX/STR and CHA to get the most out of the Pact of Blade as Lifedrinker keys off CHA.
If you dump CHA early in the genie build you are worse off at 12th level if you want to take Lifedrinker. If you don't then thats fine but you will drop in damage comparisons pretty rapidly from your weapon compared to hexblade at that time.
This doesn't matter if you are going thematic play or you enjoy the versaility of the genie (which is a lot...the container is crazy good early on) but it is going to come at the cost of damage later on.
Again this is completely fine and as I have shown I myself went down this route but I understood what I was trading off for that change.
It also doesn't matter if you never get to warlock 12 for whatever reason. And if you do, then sure the CON comes into play an you trade a couple of HP for a couple of points of damage.
By 12, you can have Dex or Cha maxed at 20, have Con at 18, and the other stat at 15. You can go 20, 16, 17. There are quite a few ways that you can spend your 15, 14, and 13 from standard array, your racial stat bonuses, and your ASIs. The lifedrinker route will give you 3 less damage per attack with a 15 versus an 20, which can be traded for 12 HP at that point for each point of damage that you want to come up. And that only matters if you are taking hits and doesn't factor what support choice changes will be made by allies.
It doesn't matter if the campaign ends by then, or if you multiclass before that.
90% end by 10th level so for me I generally consider 1-10 as a realistic goal post for a build. 8th level builds in Genie and Hexblade will likely be mostly similar with the Genie coming out ahead with versatility and the Hexblade coming out ahead on damage.
Overall I love both builds and I think we both agree on that front.
Yes. It's primarily a flavor difference until 12 with lifedrinker kicking in, especially on single target extended fights. Hexblade's Curse does refresh on a short rest as well as a long rest, so it's not as limited as Chicken_Champ was thinking, but it's also not as far ahead outside of that since Genie's wrath is always on, once per one of their turns. Hexblade also benefits if their hex target provokes an OA, since their damage boost isn't limited to their turn. Getting PAM does increase the number of attacks that the hexblade can make to give them more applications of their bonus damage during that 1 minute window once per rest. This definitely helps their nova ability as does an Ally with Catnap, especially one that benefits from a short rest outside of healing or one that doesn't regularly use their spell slots.
If you like that single target nova ability with the flexibility to cast and attack with the same stat while having more options with your ASIs and being able to be more relaxed in melee, hexblade probably works best, unless your DM targets those dex saves more frequently. A melee build with another pact will be more streamlined in the decision making process and have to give up on either progression, Con or Charisma, but that typically just means that the roll that it will play will be slightly different. It's damage will be better across targets and during non curse situations outside of specific builds, thanks to Genie's Wrath, but some of that disappears with the flexibility to switch up weapons across the finesse/non-finesse lines and in Nova situations. If there is pressure to pump casting stat, melee stat, constitution, and AC stat (in the case of a Strength build without heavy armor) then the ability to choose feats instead of stat increases with ASIs decreases and starts to favor hexblade if something like PAM is desired along with a primarily warlock build.
A level 1 Hexblade attacks for +5 to hit (charisma), and does d8+3 damage. A level 1 Genie attacks for +5 to hit (strength or dex), and does d8+3 damage, plus +2 once per turn. The Genie is literally "online" for higher damage right from level 1.
At level 4 with POB and Improved Pact Weapon, a Hexblade attacks for +7 to hit, and does d8+4+1 damage. A Genie attacks for +7 to hit, and does d8+4+1 damage, plus +2 once per turn. Genie still higher.
At level 8 with POB, Improved Pact Weapon, Thirsting Blade, a Hexblade attacks for +9 to hit twice, and does d8+5+1 twice. A Genie attacks for +9 to hit twice, and does d8+5+1 twice, and another +3 damage once/turn. Genie is still higher.
At level 12 with POB, Improved Pact Weapon, Thirsting Blade, and Lifedrinker, a Hexblade attacks for +10 to hit twice, and does d8+5+1+5 twice. A Genie attacks for +10 to hit twice, and does d8+5+1+4 twice, and another +4 damage once/turn. Genie is still higher.
I'm not following what our two warlocks are armed with, to be honest. For one-handed swords, the Hexlock would be wielding a shield for +2 AC, but if all we're analyzing is stabbery, a greatsword is a pretty sane default, I think. And why are we ignoring both Maddening Hex and Hexblade's Curse? At level 12, things get even weirder, as the Hexlock no longer needs any ASIs for anything, and can just take feats, any number of which can do crazy things to expected damage out. Once the Hexlock can replace Maddening Hex with a source of bonus action pact weapon attacking (crossbow mastery, polearm mastery) and/or can add severe damage spiking (sharpshooter, great weapon mastery) things get even funkier. Insisting the Hexlock has to play by the Genielock's rules is weird.
Note that since a Greatsword deals 2.5 damage more than a Rapier, prior to level 5 this is better than the Genie buff (2.5 > 2) and as of level 5 it's also better (5 > 3). The Genie "catches up" at level 13, by which point not only is Lifedrinker on board, the Hexlock's had the level 12 ASI/feat to buy something shiny with. This ignores the admittedly challenging math on deciding how to count the Hexblade's Curse and the Specter (don't forget, at this point the Specter has +9 to hit for 10.5 necrotic), as both are limited resources.
Yeah I have been purposefully been avoiding the SR resource talk but you are right...it adds a good amount of damage per hit.
Overall its hard to compare to the genie as it wholly depends on combats per Short Rest and rounds per combat which is very campaign dependent.
We're ignoring it because its a once/day ability, on one enemy (until high levels) which competes with the action economy of casting Hex. Hexblade's Curse basically has almost no relevance to a Hexblade's potential as damage dealer, other than in one boss fight per day. You can spike higher than the Genie, but 99% of the time, you do less than the Genie, so it's not worth talking about.
I'm not insisting that the Hexblade play by the Genie's rules. I'm asking that you tell me what Hexblade build specifically you want to hold up as the comparison, so that I can show that for any given Hexblade focus, there is a Genie build that does the same. Every time I offer a comparison, the answer seems to be "but what about this other thing that Hexblade could have done?!", and its feeling like whackamole.
A genie can do great things with a dex-based Rapier, wearing light armor or Mage Armor.
A genie can do great things with a str-based polearm, wearing heavy armor, with PAM, GWM, etc.
A genie can do great things with a dex-based longbow or crossbow, with Sharpshooter and Crossbow Xpert.
Where's this supposed niche for Hexblades that a Genie can't also be built for? I'm just not seeing it. Genies do more damage round to round, and they have a damage resistance, and they fly. Hexblades do more damage to one target/day, and they dodge attacks, and have a ghost. They're different, but equal-ish.
Cantrips irrelevant, spells irrelevant. Five Invocations, assumed to be Agonizing Blast, IPW, Thirsting Blade, Eldritch Smite, and some other thing the Hexlock doesn't care about or use. Uses a Glaive for Polearm Muenster, so 1d10+6 twice at a +10 to hit (5 CHA, 4 Prof, +1 IPW). It also swings for 1d4+6 at the same +10 for a bonus action from Polearm Muenster. Averages ~32 damage a round with glaive attacks, an additional 12 if it can use its reaction. It can add proficiency to damage with attacks once per rest against a single target, and that target has a rougher time hitting the Hexlock.
Genie, assuming Standard Array, Half-Elf because NO NEED FOR FEAT NONSENSE, Lv. 10 8 | 15 (16) | 13 (14) | 10 | 12 | 14 (16). 16AC w/Mage Armor DEX +2 (ASI, lv. 4) (17AC) CHA +2 (ASI, lv. 8) -OR- Mobile
Cantrips include Booming Blade. Spells irrelevant. Five Invocations, assumed to be Agonizing Blast, IPW, Eldritch Smite, Armor of Shadows, and whatever else the Genie finds amusing. Uses a Rapier for 1d8+5 at a +9 to hit (4 DX, 4 Prof, +1 IPW), and adds 1d8+4 additional damage on a hit. ~18 damage a round, with another 9 if the Booming Blade rider triggers. Since we're assuming the Polearm Muenster guy gets his reaction (not at all a guarantee outside once or twice a fight), we can assume the Booming Blade Genie gets her rider at least once.
That does seem pretty shit, since the Hexblade PAM guy is devoting his every single resource to damage...but in just one more level the Genie gets another 1d8 to both primary and rider damage, and if she's taken Mobile instead of chasing numbers her rider becomes as reliable if not more so than Polearm Muenster reaction damage. So add another 9 damage, being 18+18=36 to the PAM guy's 42. Still a loss.
BUT! The Genie is not burning her bonus action and her reaction every turn to do that damage. She can cast bonus-action spells such as Hex or use her Elemental Gift to fly without concentration, and when in the air and evading counterattacks with Mobile, the Genie is much better overall at maintaining concentration. And unlike the Hexblade, who loses ALL his damage if he uses anything but that glaive, the Genie can take to the skies with a Pact longbow or her Eldritch Blast and not worry overmuch.
White room math, yes. The Hexblade deals superior damage. In real games of D&D where combat is messy, shit misses, and you don't have the luxury of squaring up and exchanging blows in a line Final Fantasy-style? Dealing ~80% of the damage with vastly improved options for mobility and a lessened dependence on a single specific overtuned combo is the better play pretty much every time.
Cantrips irrelevant, spells irrelevant. Five Invocations, assumed to be Agonizing Blast, IPW, Thirsting Blade, Eldritch Smite, and some other thing the Hexlock doesn't care about or use. Uses a Glaive for Polearm Muenster, so 1d10+6 twice at a +10 to hit (5 CHA, 4 Prof, +1 IPW). It also swings for 1d4+6 at the same +10 for a bonus action from Polearm Muenster. Averages ~32 damage a round with glaive attacks, an additional 12 if it can use its reaction. It can add proficiency to damage with attacks once per rest against a single target, and that target has a rougher time hitting the Hexlock.
Genie, assuming Standard Array, Half-Elf because NO NEED FOR FEAT NONSENSE, Lv. 10 8 | 15 (16) | 13 (14) | 10 | 12 | 14 (16). 16AC w/Mage Armor DEX +2 (ASI, lv. 4) (17AC) CHA +2 (ASI, lv. 8) -OR- Mobile
Cantrips include Booming Blade. Spells irrelevant. Five Invocations, assumed to be Agonizing Blast, IPW, Eldritch Smite, Armor of Shadows, and whatever else the Genie finds amusing. Uses a Rapier for 1d8+5 at a +9 to hit (4 DX, 4 Prof, +1 IPW), and adds 1d8+4 additional damage on a hit. ~18 damage a round, with another 9 if the Booming Blade rider triggers. Since we're assuming the Polearm Muenster guy gets his reaction (not at all a guarantee outside once or twice a fight), we can assume the Booming Blade Genie gets her rider at least once.
That does seem pretty shit, since the Hexblade PAM guy is devoting his every single resource to damage...but in just one more level the Genie gets another 1d8 to both primary and rider damage, and if she's taken Mobile instead of chasing numbers her rider becomes as reliable if not more so than Polearm Muenster reaction damage. So add another 9 damage, being 18+18=36 to the PAM guy's 42. Still a loss.
BUT! The Genie is not burning her bonus action and her reaction every turn to do that damage. She can cast bonus-action spells such as Hex or use her Elemental Gift to fly without concentration, and when in the air and evading counterattacks with Mobile, the Genie is much better overall at maintaining concentration. And unlike the Hexblade, who loses ALL his damage if he uses anything but that glaive, the Genie can take to the skies with a Pact longbow or her Eldritch Blast and not worry overmuch.
White room math, yes. The Hexblade deals superior damage. In real games of D&D where combat is messy, shit misses, and you don't have the luxury of squaring up and exchanging blows in a line Final Fantasy-style? Dealing ~80% of the damage with vastly improved options for mobility and a lessened dependence on a single specific overtuned combo is the better play pretty much every time.
Thats fair as white room is white room but Hexblade can do more and generally will do more in a lot of situations.
Honestly I love both builds and I know pact of blade is super invocation heavy anyway when you can do like 95% of the damage with just Eldritch Blast so it does generally beg the question of why go Pact of Blade at all if you don't just love the theme behind it.
I am a huge Warlock fan overall and I think its likely in my top 3 classes overall just do to the cool stuff you can build with it.
We're ignoring it because its a once/day ability, on one enemy (until high levels) which competes with the action economy of casting Hex. Hexblade's Curse basically has almost no relevance to a Hexblade's potential as damage dealer, other than in one boss fight per day. You can spike higher than the Genie, but 99% of the time, you do less than the Genie, so it's not worth talking about.
But it isn't once per day, it's once per short rest - just like your spell slots.
We're ignoring it because its a once/day ability, on one enemy (until high levels) which competes with the action economy of casting Hex. Hexblade's Curse basically has almost no relevance to a Hexblade's potential as damage dealer, other than in one boss fight per day. You can spike higher than the Genie, but 99% of the time, you do less than the Genie, so it's not worth talking about.
I'm not insisting that the Hexblade play by the Genie's rules. I'm asking that you tell me what Hexblade build specifically you want to hold up as the comparison, so that I can show that for any given Hexblade focus, there is a Genie build that does the same. Every time I offer a comparison, the answer seems to be "but what about this other thing that Hexblade could have done?!", and its feeling like whackamole.
A genie can do great things with a dex-based Rapier, wearing light armor or Mage Armor.
A genie can do great things with a str-based polearm, wearing heavy armor, with PAM, GWM, etc.
A genie can do great things with a dex-based longbow or crossbow, with Sharpshooter and Crossbow Xpert.
Where's this supposed niche for Hexblades that a Genie can't also be built for? I'm just not seeing it. Genies do more damage round to round, and they have a damage resistance, and they fly. Hexblades do more damage to one target/day, and they dodge attacks, and have a ghost. They're different, but equal-ish.
Hexblade's curse refreshes on a short rest not a long rest. It's not once per day. It's still limited, but not that limited. Unless DnDBeyond needs to refresh its resource app...
The issue, Optimus, is that you keep saying "al this other stuff is great and cool, I'm not telling you not to use it...but I am telling you it's bad and stupid and if you're not a Polearm Master-abusing Hexblade in half-plate you're warlocking wrong."
So the Hexblade can deal half a dozen more points of damage in a given round, or spike hard on bosses. Who cares. The Genie's sixth-level mobility advantage is absolutely, crushingly undeniable - the Hexblade cannot match innate, non-spell concentration-free flight with hover capability. Mobility wins fights, both in D&D and in the real world. The Hexblade loses all its damage once it's forced to fall back on Eldritch Blast against airborne targets or distant archers it can't reach with its glaive - the Genie just chases those down too, or hits them with a high-damage AoE depending on which element you're a Genielock of.
I'll see your CHA-for-attacks and raise you Tactical Magic Jetpack. And as Champ has been pointing out for half the thread now, an identical Invocation set-up between the two means the Genie does more damage, not less, outside your once-a-day spike. Hell, as I pointed out, the Genie can mostly keep up with Thirsting Blade Hexblades with SCAG cantrips until someone gets Polearm Master involved, at which point the argument becomes "Does Polearm Master, by itself, offer half again the damage of any other possible option for any character involved?", and the answer is "yes." That's not the Hexblade being stronger, that's Polearm Muenster being its usual game-bendingly ridiculous self.
And frankly? IPW, Thirsting Blade, Eldritch Smite, Pact longbow w/Sharpshooter and Tactical Magic Jetpack versus your same set-up on the Hexblade with a glaive and PAM instead. Let's compare apples to apples - one build with an overpowered combat feat versus another with an overpowered combat feat. Tell me - which of those is likely to win more fights overall?
Yes you have to get ADV on your attacks but once you get shadow of moil you are pretty much always getting advantage on your attacks if you really want it...and even without it you are still doing very well damage wise thanks to GWM+PAM.
You can even use Spirit Shroud to do an additional 2d8 per attack if you would prefer and go PAM with max CHA instead.
This on top of maxing your DC for your other spells just puts them at an advantage for Pact of Blade.
The issue, Optimus, is that you keep saying "al this other stuff is great and cool, I'm not telling you not to use it...but I am telling you it's bad and stupid and if you're not a Polearm Master-abusing Hexblade in half-plate you're warlocking wrong."
So the Hexblade can deal half a dozen more points of damage in a given round, or spike hard on bosses. Who cares. The Genie's sixth-level mobility advantage is absolutely, crushingly undeniable - the Hexblade cannot match innate, non-spell concentration-free flight with hover capability. Mobility wins fights, both in D&D and in the real world. The Hexblade loses all its damage once it's forced to fall back on Eldritch Blast against airborne targets or distant archers it can't reach with its glaive - the Genie just chases those down too, or hits them with a high-damage AoE depending on which element you're a Genielock of.
I'll see your CHA-for-attacks and raise you Tactical Magic Jetpack. And as Champ has been pointing out for half the thread now, an identical Invocation set-up between the two means the Genie does more damage, not less, outside your once-a-day spike. Hell, as I pointed out, the Genie can mostly keep up with Thirsting Blade Hexblades with SCAG cantrips until someone gets Polearm Master involved, at which point the argument becomes "Does Polearm Master, by itself, offer half again the damage of any other possible option for any character involved?", and the answer is "yes." That's not the Hexblade being stronger, that's Polearm Muenster being its usual game-bendingly ridiculous self.
And frankly? IPW, Thirsting Blade, Eldritch Smite, Pact longbow w/Sharpshooter and Tactical Magic Jetpack versus your same set-up on the Hexblade with a glaive and PAM instead. Let's compare apples to apples - one build with an overpowered combat feat versus another with an overpowered combat feat. Tell me - which of those is likely to win more fights overall?
Spoilers:
It sure as shootin' ain't the blinkin' Hexblade.
Thats literally opposite of what I have been saying though....
I am saying not only do I love the non-hexblade pact of blade warlock builds I myself played one and LOVED it (see post about my Celesital Tiefling Warlock build).
I am just saying that it will have a difference of damage...thats it. It will do less damage but have a lot more going for it in other areas. I loved my build as I had BA healing, extra cantrips, and racial smite spells. It was a blast and I never regretted it over taking hexblade.
But be honest...hexblade does more damage. Its fine that it does because as you said it literally takes everything it has to do that extra damage...but it will do more damage.
I am all about being honest about what is the pros/cons of each build and the non-hexblades just tend to do less damage as they are more MAD. Its fine because they excel in several other ways that make hexblade look like a 1 trick pony....because it is.
Also as others have mentioned hexblade curse is per short rest so you are doing it more often than once per day.
I do not care in the slightest about white room spreadsheets.
How does your two-biggest-melee-combat-feats-in-D&D Hexblade do against a flock of harpies attacking your WIS save? How does the glaive build do underwater? How's your glaive do in tight quarters with a spellcaster behind armored baddies harrying your team with AoE spells, i.e. Every DM's Third Encounter? How's the glaive do against archers on a ridgeline pelting you with arrows?
We get it, Optimus - Hexblade is SAD, which means more room for overpowered combat feats, which means better overall damage. Why is this the only thing that matters?
I do not care in the slightest about white room spreadsheets.
How does your two-biggest-melee-combat-feats-in-D&D Hexblade do against a flock of harpies attacking your WIS save? How does the glaive build do underwater? How's your glaive do in tight quarters with a spellcaster behind armored baddies harrying your team with AoE spells, i.e. Every DM's Third Encounter? How's the glaive do against archers on a ridgeline pelting you with arrows?
We get it, Optimus - Hexblade is SAD, which means more room for overpowered combat feats, which means better overall damage. Why is this the only thing that matters?
Listen I have never said that is all that matters....I have been VERY clear that it is not. I literally just stated that hexblade is a one trick pony that does damage...thats about it for the build.
I LOVED my celestial warlock with pact of blade....I did more fun with that character than I would have with hexblade because I got to have stuff that was not just focused on damage.
I am not sure what else to say to prove to you that I am only saying damage is the difference....if that matters to you then thats that but if not (as it doesn't for most people) then its perfectly great to do a genie.
I love genie...the container is massively helpful at every step of the game. The other features are fun as hell and I would rather play that then hexblade. I was simply setting the record straight about a straight up damage comparison. Thats all.
Cantrips irrelevant, spells irrelevant. Five Invocations, assumed to be Agonizing Blast, IPW, Thirsting Blade, Eldritch Smite, and some other thing the Hexlock doesn't care about or use. Uses a Glaive for Polearm Muenster, so 1d10+6 twice at a +10 to hit (5 CHA, 4 Prof, +1 IPW). It also swings for 1d4+6 at the same +10 for a bonus action from Polearm Muenster. Averages ~32 damage a round with glaive attacks, an additional 12 if it can use its reaction. It can add proficiency to damage with attacks once per rest against a single target, and that target has a rougher time hitting the Hexlock.
Genie, assuming Standard Array, Half-Elf because NO NEED FOR FEAT NONSENSE, Lv. 10 8 | 15 (16) | 13 (14) | 10 | 12 | 14 (16). 16AC w/Mage Armor DEX +2 (ASI, lv. 4) (17AC) CHA +2 (ASI, lv. 8) -OR- Mobile
Cantrips include Booming Blade. Spells irrelevant. Five Invocations, assumed to be Agonizing Blast, IPW, Eldritch Smite, Armor of Shadows, and whatever else the Genie finds amusing. Uses a Rapier for 1d8+5 at a +9 to hit (4 DX, 4 Prof, +1 IPW), and adds 1d8+4 additional damage on a hit. ~18 damage a round, with another 9 if the Booming Blade rider triggers. Since we're assuming the Polearm Muenster guy gets his reaction (not at all a guarantee outside once or twice a fight), we can assume the Booming Blade Genie gets her rider at least once.
Why the hell would the Genielock get Booming Blade but the Hexlock wouldn't? This gets stranger and stranger. Why are we not only assigning specific races, we're assigning different specific races not tailored to the respective Warlock's abilities - on top of which, we're using the inane Standard Array? Why did you insist on taking Eldritch Smite, then didn't use it for anything?
This is big weird. If we're deliberately picking different races for the express purpose of competing with each other, the Hexlock's going to be a Tiefling 10/10 times so it can also Fly. If Flight is a non-issue, other low-hanging fruit includes being a Half-Elf or Eladrin for Elven Accuracy and an excellent statline, or mountain dwarf, for being Cha 20 Con 18 at L10. Definitely never a variant human - they're Tasha's Custom but worse.
Point is, Hexlocks are better at Pact of the Blade Warlocking. If you want to be a Genielock, nothing wrong with that at all - but you'll be way better off with Eldritch Blast, so just lean harder into that.
Hexblade's curse refreshes on a short rest not a long rest. It's not once per day. It's still limited, but not that limited. Unless DnDBeyond needs to refresh its resource app...
Huh... how did I overlook that?
I'm kind of biased against once/X abilities, but it does look like I've been harder on Hexblade's Curse than I should have been. Sorry about that. I do still think that Hexblades don't really have the Bonus Action economy at their disposal to fully benefit from it outside of theorycrafting, though.
Genielock gets Booming Blade and hexlock does not because the Hexlock does not use Booming Blade - Optimus' point was that "blade cantrips are moot after fifth", so I went with his assumed build. In which he mentioned PAM and two ASIs, which can only really happen one single way on a 10th-level character, which was also specified in the "I'm fishing really hard for reasons why non-Hexblade Bladepact warlocks are absolutely fuggoff terrible and you should never play them" tone this thread has taken. The assumption was that Thirsting Blade does more damage overall than Blade cantrips outside of high levels where the cantrips' scaling damage starts winning out, which is mostly true. Tier 2 play is the worst spot for this combo, but before Polearm Master comes in, the Genie Boomlock was more-or-less keeping up.
I didn't bother with Eldritch Smite damage because E-Smite is not steady, round-over round damage, it's an emergency panic button you push when you need to disrupt an enemy's plans by proning it or when you need instant immediate damage now. Eldritch Smite is an egregious waste of an exceptionally limited resource if you are not doubling down on a crit or desperate for the proning, and frankly it does the exact same job for both builds so I simply noted that both builds waste an Invocation slot on it and moved on.
I'm using Standard Array as a point of comparison between the two because the whole 15/15/15/8/8/8 Point Buy Gangsta Lean build is bad and stupid and I refuse to dignify it with even white-room math.
I used different species because part of my point was that Optimus' Perfect Flawless Hexblade only works as a variant human (I do not subscribe to Tasha's Custom Lineage being a substitute for a regular species - if you're Custom Lineaging then you're something without a regular species not 'an elf, but with this stat block instead'), while the Genie is free to be anything else it likes. Half-Elf made for good numbers so I picked it. You can do that as a Genie, but not as a Hexblade that is 105% dependent on an arguably overpowered feat for its damage.
Flight-capable species are banned at most tables, and frankly Tactical Magic Jetpack is still better than wings because the TMJ imposes no restrictions on gear (wings require custom-made armor and clothing) and has the ability to hover. It's much more time-limited, true, but when it's up it's golden.
Again, my point was that a Genie warlock with Blade cantrips and a rapier (saber) or scimitar can keep up more-or-less evenly with any two-attack melee Warlock that doesn't Jeeves itself into a bonus action attack. Yes, the Blade build falls behind when the Hexblade can make three attacks a turn, but that three-attack build is limited to basic melee only and requires Vhuman to do what Optimus was claiming it could do by 10th level. Genie has no such restrictions and still deals respectable-enough damage.
Genielock gets Booming Blade and hexlock does not because the Hexlock does not use Booming Blade - Optimus' point was that "blade cantrips are moot after fifth", so I went with his assumed build. In which he mentioned PAM and two ASIs, which can only really happen one single way on a 10th-level character, which was also specified in the "I'm fishing really hard for reasons why non-Hexblade Bladepact warlocks are absolutely fuggoff terrible and you should never play them" tone this thread has taken. The assumption was that Thirsting Blade does more damage overall than Blade cantrips outside of high levels where the cantrips' scaling damage starts winning out, which is mostly true. Tier 2 play is the worst spot for this combo, but before Polearm Master comes in, the Genie Boomlock was more-or-less keeping up.
I didn't bother with Eldritch Smite damage because E-Smite is not steady, round-over round damage, it's an emergency panic button you push when you need to disrupt an enemy's plans by proning it or when you need instant immediate damage now. Eldritch Smite is an egregious waste of an exceptionally limited resource if you are not doubling down on a crit or desperate for the proning, and frankly it does the exact same job for both builds so I simply noted that both builds waste an Invocation slot on it and moved on.
I'm using Standard Array as a point of comparison between the two because the whole 15/15/15/8/8/8 Point Buy Gangsta Lean build is bad and stupid and I refuse to dignify it with even white-room math.
I used different species because part of my point was that Optimus' Perfect Flawless Hexblade only works as a variant human (I do not subscribe to Tasha's Custom Lineage being a substitute for a regular species - if you're Custom Lineaging then you're something without a regular species not 'an elf, but with this stat block instead'), while the Genie is free to be anything else it likes. Half-Elf made for good numbers so I picked it. You can do that as a Genie, but not as a Hexblade that is 105% dependent on an arguably overpowered feat for its damage.
Flight-capable species are banned at most tables, and frankly Tactical Magic Jetpack is still better than wings because the TMJ imposes no restrictions on gear (wings require custom-made armor and clothing) and has the ability to hover. It's much more time-limited, true, but when it's up it's golden.
Again, my point was that a Genie warlock with Blade cantrips and a rapier (saber) or scimitar can keep up more-or-less evenly with any two-attack melee Warlock that doesn't Jeeves itself into a bonus action attack. Yes, the Blade build falls behind when the Hexblade can make three attacks a turn, but that three-attack build is limited to basic melee only and requires Vhuman to do what Optimus was claiming it could do by 10th level. Genie has no such restrictions and still deals respectable-enough damage.
Does that clear up the 'Big Weird' at all?
One other build that uses bladetrips is Celestial with green flame blade.
Also PAM alone for hexblade puts it ahead so you could just pick that up at 4th and not need v human.
Use spirit shroud to get that extra 2D8 damage per attack at 8th level
I'm not following what our two warlocks are armed with, to be honest. For one-handed swords, the Hexlock would be wielding a shield for +2 AC, but if all we're analyzing is stabbery, a greatsword is a pretty sane default, I think. And why are we ignoring both Maddening Hex and Hexblade's Curse? At level 12, things get even weirder, as the Hexlock no longer needs any ASIs for anything, and can just take feats, any number of which can do crazy things to expected damage out. Once the Hexlock can replace Maddening Hex with a source of bonus action pact weapon attacking (crossbow mastery, polearm mastery) and/or can add severe damage spiking (sharpshooter, great weapon mastery) things get even funkier. Insisting the Hexlock has to play by the Genielock's rules is weird.
Note that since a Greatsword deals 2.5 damage more than a Rapier, prior to level 5 this is better than the Genie buff (2.5 > 2) and as of level 5 it's also better (5 > 3). The Genie "catches up" at level 13, by which point not only is Lifedrinker on board, the Hexlock's had the level 12 ASI/feat to buy something shiny with. This ignores the admittedly challenging math on deciding how to count the Hexblade's Curse and the Specter (don't forget, at this point the Specter has +9 to hit for 10.5 necrotic), as both are limited resources.
Yes. It's primarily a flavor difference until 12 with lifedrinker kicking in, especially on single target extended fights. Hexblade's Curse does refresh on a short rest as well as a long rest, so it's not as limited as Chicken_Champ was thinking, but it's also not as far ahead outside of that since Genie's wrath is always on, once per one of their turns. Hexblade also benefits if their hex target provokes an OA, since their damage boost isn't limited to their turn. Getting PAM does increase the number of attacks that the hexblade can make to give them more applications of their bonus damage during that 1 minute window once per rest. This definitely helps their nova ability as does an Ally with Catnap, especially one that benefits from a short rest outside of healing or one that doesn't regularly use their spell slots.
If you like that single target nova ability with the flexibility to cast and attack with the same stat while having more options with your ASIs and being able to be more relaxed in melee, hexblade probably works best, unless your DM targets those dex saves more frequently. A melee build with another pact will be more streamlined in the decision making process and have to give up on either progression, Con or Charisma, but that typically just means that the roll that it will play will be slightly different. It's damage will be better across targets and during non curse situations outside of specific builds, thanks to Genie's Wrath, but some of that disappears with the flexibility to switch up weapons across the finesse/non-finesse lines and in Nova situations. If there is pressure to pump casting stat, melee stat, constitution, and AC stat (in the case of a Strength build without heavy armor) then the ability to choose feats instead of stat increases with ASIs decreases and starts to favor hexblade if something like PAM is desired along with a primarily warlock build.
Yeah I have been purposefully been avoiding the SR resource talk but you are right...it adds a good amount of damage per hit.
Overall its hard to compare to the genie as it wholly depends on combats per Short Rest and rounds per combat which is very campaign dependent.
We're ignoring it because its a once/day ability, on one enemy (until high levels) which competes with the action economy of casting Hex. Hexblade's Curse basically has almost no relevance to a Hexblade's potential as damage dealer, other than in one boss fight per day. You can spike higher than the Genie, but 99% of the time, you do less than the Genie, so it's not worth talking about.
I'm not insisting that the Hexblade play by the Genie's rules. I'm asking that you tell me what Hexblade build specifically you want to hold up as the comparison, so that I can show that for any given Hexblade focus, there is a Genie build that does the same. Every time I offer a comparison, the answer seems to be "but what about this other thing that Hexblade could have done?!", and its feeling like whackamole.
A genie can do great things with a dex-based Rapier, wearing light armor or Mage Armor.
A genie can do great things with a str-based polearm, wearing heavy armor, with PAM, GWM, etc.
A genie can do great things with a dex-based longbow or crossbow, with Sharpshooter and Crossbow Xpert.
Where's this supposed niche for Hexblades that a Genie can't also be built for? I'm just not seeing it. Genies do more damage round to round, and they have a damage resistance, and they fly. Hexblades do more damage to one target/day, and they dodge attacks, and have a ghost. They're different, but equal-ish.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Okay. Sure. I'll take your extremely narrow fishing-for-correctness gauntlet. Time for some Mathleticism.
Hexblade, assuming Standard Array, Vhuman for SUPAH FANCY FEAT NONSENSE, lv. 10
8 | 13(14) | 14 | 10 | 12 | 15(6). 17AC w/Half-Plate
CHA+2 (ASI, lv. 4)
CHA+2 (ASI, lv. 8)
Cantrips irrelevant, spells irrelevant. Five Invocations, assumed to be Agonizing Blast, IPW, Thirsting Blade, Eldritch Smite, and some other thing the Hexlock doesn't care about or use. Uses a Glaive for Polearm Muenster, so 1d10+6 twice at a +10 to hit (5 CHA, 4 Prof, +1 IPW). It also swings for 1d4+6 at the same +10 for a bonus action from Polearm Muenster. Averages ~32 damage a round with glaive attacks, an additional 12 if it can use its reaction. It can add proficiency to damage with attacks once per rest against a single target, and that target has a rougher time hitting the Hexlock.
Genie, assuming Standard Array, Half-Elf because NO NEED FOR FEAT NONSENSE, Lv. 10
8 | 15 (16) | 13 (14) | 10 | 12 | 14 (16). 16AC w/Mage Armor
DEX +2 (ASI, lv. 4) (17AC)
CHA +2 (ASI, lv. 8) -OR- Mobile
Cantrips include Booming Blade. Spells irrelevant. Five Invocations, assumed to be Agonizing Blast, IPW, Eldritch Smite, Armor of Shadows, and whatever else the Genie finds amusing. Uses a Rapier for 1d8+5 at a +9 to hit (4 DX, 4 Prof, +1 IPW), and adds 1d8+4 additional damage on a hit. ~18 damage a round, with another 9 if the Booming Blade rider triggers. Since we're assuming the Polearm Muenster guy gets his reaction (not at all a guarantee outside once or twice a fight), we can assume the Booming Blade Genie gets her rider at least once.
That does seem pretty shit, since the Hexblade PAM guy is devoting his every single resource to damage...but in just one more level the Genie gets another 1d8 to both primary and rider damage, and if she's taken Mobile instead of chasing numbers her rider becomes as reliable if not more so than Polearm Muenster reaction damage. So add another 9 damage, being 18+18=36 to the PAM guy's 42. Still a loss.
BUT! The Genie is not burning her bonus action and her reaction every turn to do that damage. She can cast bonus-action spells such as Hex or use her Elemental Gift to fly without concentration, and when in the air and evading counterattacks with Mobile, the Genie is much better overall at maintaining concentration. And unlike the Hexblade, who loses ALL his damage if he uses anything but that glaive, the Genie can take to the skies with a Pact longbow or her Eldritch Blast and not worry overmuch.
White room math, yes. The Hexblade deals superior damage. In real games of D&D where combat is messy, shit misses, and you don't have the luxury of squaring up and exchanging blows in a line Final Fantasy-style? Dealing ~80% of the damage with vastly improved options for mobility and a lessened dependence on a single specific overtuned combo is the better play pretty much every time.
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Thats fair as white room is white room but Hexblade can do more and generally will do more in a lot of situations.
Honestly I love both builds and I know pact of blade is super invocation heavy anyway when you can do like 95% of the damage with just Eldritch Blast so it does generally beg the question of why go Pact of Blade at all if you don't just love the theme behind it.
I am a huge Warlock fan overall and I think its likely in my top 3 classes overall just do to the cool stuff you can build with it.
Here is my 8th level build for hexblade:
https://ddb.ac/characters/47175271/1tDKVD
With two attacks using a glaive and getting a BA attack for the d4+CHA with GWM+PAM you are looking at 33 damage on average vs. an AC of 15.
With advantage (Shadow of Moil) you are looking at 50 points of damage per round.
If you factor in Hexblade curse it is more:
https://imgur.com/a/7XGZeET
You are looking at 59 damage per round.
Math:
https://imgur.com/a/rBdLxPt
Can you be more specific?
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But it isn't once per day, it's once per short rest - just like your spell slots.
See my post above for math.
Hexblade's curse refreshes on a short rest not a long rest. It's not once per day. It's still limited, but not that limited. Unless DnDBeyond needs to refresh its resource app...
The issue, Optimus, is that you keep saying "al this other stuff is great and cool, I'm not telling you not to use it...but I am telling you it's bad and stupid and if you're not a Polearm Master-abusing Hexblade in half-plate you're warlocking wrong."
So the Hexblade can deal half a dozen more points of damage in a given round, or spike hard on bosses. Who cares. The Genie's sixth-level mobility advantage is absolutely, crushingly undeniable - the Hexblade cannot match innate, non-spell concentration-free flight with hover capability. Mobility wins fights, both in D&D and in the real world. The Hexblade loses all its damage once it's forced to fall back on Eldritch Blast against airborne targets or distant archers it can't reach with its glaive - the Genie just chases those down too, or hits them with a high-damage AoE depending on which element you're a Genielock of.
I'll see your CHA-for-attacks and raise you Tactical Magic Jetpack. And as Champ has been pointing out for half the thread now, an identical Invocation set-up between the two means the Genie does more damage, not less, outside your once-a-day spike. Hell, as I pointed out, the Genie can mostly keep up with Thirsting Blade Hexblades with SCAG cantrips until someone gets Polearm Master involved, at which point the argument becomes "Does Polearm Master, by itself, offer half again the damage of any other possible option for any character involved?", and the answer is "yes." That's not the Hexblade being stronger, that's Polearm Muenster being its usual game-bendingly ridiculous self.
And frankly? IPW, Thirsting Blade, Eldritch Smite, Pact longbow w/Sharpshooter and Tactical Magic Jetpack versus your same set-up on the Hexblade with a glaive and PAM instead. Let's compare apples to apples - one build with an overpowered combat feat versus another with an overpowered combat feat. Tell me - which of those is likely to win more fights overall?
Spoilers:
It sure as shootin' ain't the blinkin' Hexblade.
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There is a reason hexblade single class is discussed as a potential for highest sustained DPR overall in all classes.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sVbgG1No5PMMz4QbBnS4d0xSEPT0whP84J3iB2X_Mjk/edit
Yes you have to get ADV on your attacks but once you get shadow of moil you are pretty much always getting advantage on your attacks if you really want it...and even without it you are still doing very well damage wise thanks to GWM+PAM.
You can even use Spirit Shroud to do an additional 2d8 per attack if you would prefer and go PAM with max CHA instead.
This on top of maxing your DC for your other spells just puts them at an advantage for Pact of Blade.
Thats literally opposite of what I have been saying though....
I am saying not only do I love the non-hexblade pact of blade warlock builds I myself played one and LOVED it (see post about my Celesital Tiefling Warlock build).
I am just saying that it will have a difference of damage...thats it. It will do less damage but have a lot more going for it in other areas. I loved my build as I had BA healing, extra cantrips, and racial smite spells. It was a blast and I never regretted it over taking hexblade.
But be honest...hexblade does more damage. Its fine that it does because as you said it literally takes everything it has to do that extra damage...but it will do more damage.
I am all about being honest about what is the pros/cons of each build and the non-hexblades just tend to do less damage as they are more MAD. Its fine because they excel in several other ways that make hexblade look like a 1 trick pony....because it is.
Also as others have mentioned hexblade curse is per short rest so you are doing it more often than once per day.
I do not care in the slightest about white room spreadsheets.
How does your two-biggest-melee-combat-feats-in-D&D Hexblade do against a flock of harpies attacking your WIS save? How does the glaive build do underwater? How's your glaive do in tight quarters with a spellcaster behind armored baddies harrying your team with AoE spells, i.e. Every DM's Third Encounter? How's the glaive do against archers on a ridgeline pelting you with arrows?
We get it, Optimus - Hexblade is SAD, which means more room for overpowered combat feats, which means better overall damage. Why is this the only thing that matters?
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Listen I have never said that is all that matters....I have been VERY clear that it is not. I literally just stated that hexblade is a one trick pony that does damage...thats about it for the build.
I LOVED my celestial warlock with pact of blade....I did more fun with that character than I would have with hexblade because I got to have stuff that was not just focused on damage.
I am not sure what else to say to prove to you that I am only saying damage is the difference....if that matters to you then thats that but if not (as it doesn't for most people) then its perfectly great to do a genie.
I love genie...the container is massively helpful at every step of the game. The other features are fun as hell and I would rather play that then hexblade. I was simply setting the record straight about a straight up damage comparison. Thats all.
Why the hell would the Genielock get Booming Blade but the Hexlock wouldn't? This gets stranger and stranger. Why are we not only assigning specific races, we're assigning different specific races not tailored to the respective Warlock's abilities - on top of which, we're using the inane Standard Array? Why did you insist on taking Eldritch Smite, then didn't use it for anything?
This is big weird. If we're deliberately picking different races for the express purpose of competing with each other, the Hexlock's going to be a Tiefling 10/10 times so it can also Fly. If Flight is a non-issue, other low-hanging fruit includes being a Half-Elf or Eladrin for Elven Accuracy and an excellent statline, or mountain dwarf, for being Cha 20 Con 18 at L10. Definitely never a variant human - they're Tasha's Custom but worse.
Point is, Hexlocks are better at Pact of the Blade Warlocking. If you want to be a Genielock, nothing wrong with that at all - but you'll be way better off with Eldritch Blast, so just lean harder into that.
Huh... how did I overlook that?
I'm kind of biased against once/X abilities, but it does look like I've been harder on Hexblade's Curse than I should have been. Sorry about that. I do still think that Hexblades don't really have the Bonus Action economy at their disposal to fully benefit from it outside of theorycrafting, though.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Genielock gets Booming Blade and hexlock does not because the Hexlock does not use Booming Blade - Optimus' point was that "blade cantrips are moot after fifth", so I went with his assumed build. In which he mentioned PAM and two ASIs, which can only really happen one single way on a 10th-level character, which was also specified in the "I'm fishing really hard for reasons why non-Hexblade Bladepact warlocks are absolutely fuggoff terrible and you should never play them" tone this thread has taken. The assumption was that Thirsting Blade does more damage overall than Blade cantrips outside of high levels where the cantrips' scaling damage starts winning out, which is mostly true. Tier 2 play is the worst spot for this combo, but before Polearm Master comes in, the Genie Boomlock was more-or-less keeping up.
I didn't bother with Eldritch Smite damage because E-Smite is not steady, round-over round damage, it's an emergency panic button you push when you need to disrupt an enemy's plans by proning it or when you need instant immediate damage now. Eldritch Smite is an egregious waste of an exceptionally limited resource if you are not doubling down on a crit or desperate for the proning, and frankly it does the exact same job for both builds so I simply noted that both builds waste an Invocation slot on it and moved on.
I'm using Standard Array as a point of comparison between the two because the whole 15/15/15/8/8/8 Point Buy Gangsta Lean build is bad and stupid and I refuse to dignify it with even white-room math.
I used different species because part of my point was that Optimus' Perfect Flawless Hexblade only works as a variant human (I do not subscribe to Tasha's Custom Lineage being a substitute for a regular species - if you're Custom Lineaging then you're something without a regular species not 'an elf, but with this stat block instead'), while the Genie is free to be anything else it likes. Half-Elf made for good numbers so I picked it. You can do that as a Genie, but not as a Hexblade that is 105% dependent on an arguably overpowered feat for its damage.
Flight-capable species are banned at most tables, and frankly Tactical Magic Jetpack is still better than wings because the TMJ imposes no restrictions on gear (wings require custom-made armor and clothing) and has the ability to hover. It's much more time-limited, true, but when it's up it's golden.
Again, my point was that a Genie warlock with Blade cantrips and a rapier (saber) or scimitar can keep up more-or-less evenly with any two-attack melee Warlock that doesn't Jeeves itself into a bonus action attack. Yes, the Blade build falls behind when the Hexblade can make three attacks a turn, but that three-attack build is limited to basic melee only and requires Vhuman to do what Optimus was claiming it could do by 10th level. Genie has no such restrictions and still deals respectable-enough damage.
Does that clear up the 'Big Weird' at all?
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One other build that uses bladetrips is Celestial with green flame blade.
Also PAM alone for hexblade puts it ahead so you could just pick that up at 4th and not need v human.
Use spirit shroud to get that extra 2D8 damage per attack at 8th level