I’m starting in a new campaign and will be rolling as a human variant Hexblade 1/swords bard. Right now I’m mulling over two different feats to take. Either the mobile feat and utilizing hit and run tactics with booming blade or taking polearm master for bonus action attack. Just looking for some feedback on what you might do.
What do you envision the character to be? What's their story?
From there, back into the mechanics from the thematics.
Are you wanting to primarily be a Bard? You can do a single level of Hexblade if you go the Booming Blade route & just stick with 1h weapons.
Are you willing to invest 3 levels into Warlock? If you want to be a proficient Polearm wielder with Hexblade, you'll need to get to level 3 and take Pact of the Blade.
If you prefer the extra Cantrips or getting a Familiar from other Pacts, then the Polearm will be harder to pull off... though not impossible. You'll have to go multi attribute dependency, not single. And then you lose some of the benefits of going Hexblade.
However... if performance is your goal more than the thematics, you will probably get higher and more consistent damage output from a Polearm. But you'll also probably want to pair it with Great Weapon Master to get the full benefit.
And then you might want to consider Sentinel with it for more consistent reaction Opportunity Attacks.
Or you can get some performance for spells out of Warcaster though too. Advantage on concentration is highly desireable. And its possible to use the reaction on it to cast a cantrip. That's pairable with Booming Blade, but you can't use the reach aspect of the Polearm for that.
But I'd suggest that you figure out what the concept you desire to play is first. Usually, the thematics make for more enjoyable play than min/max damage.
Plenty of builds can give you great performance.
Just figure out a way to use your action economy to it's fullest. There are decent ways to get an action attack, a worthwhile bonus action (attack or spell), and then boost your chances of a decent reaction in.
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Panentheist veneratring a numinous natural multiverse, seeking esoteric enlightenment in biology, geology, physics, philosophy, history, cooking & carpentry.
What do you envision the character to be? What's their story?
This character is someone who was destined by a bard but got sidetracked by signing a contract that they thought was something else. Now bound to shadowfell they are doing everything they can to break their contract.
So they are essentially doing a 1 level dip into hexblade to really go SAD compared to trying to do both charisma and dexterity. After coming up with the backstory I'm pretty set on staying college of swords bard but I did think about going to warlock 3 for pact of the blade but they won't get to that point to level 9 so I'm really ruling that out.
Are you willing to invest 3 levels into Warlock? If you want to be a proficient Polearm wielder with Hexblade, you'll need to get to level 3 and take Pact of the Blade.
On this if they wanted to take PAM, they'd be using a quarterstaff or spear and a shield. So going to level 3 in warlock isn't necessarily needed. I do understand I won't be able to use the good polearms(ie 1d10 ones), which also remove the ability to use great weapon master. I was originally planning on doing EB and BB from the warlock cantrips and just taking some flavor ones from the bard, light(no darkvision), mage hand, minor illusion. However after speaking with the DM, he is allowing playtest material, so I was going to grab Starry Wisp for a ranged cantrip and drop EB for Green flame blade. This way depending on how enemies are grouped up, using either GFB when they are bunched up, BB if single or attacking twice.
I want to think even if using a spear/quarterstaff with PAM, it'll do more damage overall, but there is something about being able to attack and leave without provoking opportunity attacks. Honestly the first thing I thought of when I was making this character was to be mobile, but the min/maxer in me is saying to take polearm master.
agree with the above, take Warcaster. Booming Blade generally ends up a less damage than Extra Attack, especially once you start factoring in magical weapons, so you're only going to benefit from Mobile between levels 5 and 7, which isn't the best use of a feat. In contrast Warcaster lets you use BB for Opportunity Attacks and helps you keep concentration on your bard spells (which are nearly all concentration) while in melee.
I’m starting in a new campaign and will be rolling as a human variant Hexblade 1/swords bard. Right now I’m mulling over two different feats to take. Either the mobile feat and utilizing hit and run tactics with booming blade or taking polearm master for bonus action attack. Just looking for some feedback on what you might do.
What do you envision the character to be? What's their story?
From there, back into the mechanics from the thematics.
Are you wanting to primarily be a Bard? You can do a single level of Hexblade if you go the Booming Blade route & just stick with 1h weapons.
Are you willing to invest 3 levels into Warlock? If you want to be a proficient Polearm wielder with Hexblade, you'll need to get to level 3 and take Pact of the Blade.
If you prefer the extra Cantrips or getting a Familiar from other Pacts, then the Polearm will be harder to pull off... though not impossible. You'll have to go multi attribute dependency, not single. And then you lose some of the benefits of going Hexblade.
However... if performance is your goal more than the thematics, you will probably get higher and more consistent damage output from a Polearm. But you'll also probably want to pair it with Great Weapon Master to get the full benefit.
And then you might want to consider Sentinel with it for more consistent reaction Opportunity Attacks.
Or you can get some performance for spells out of Warcaster though too. Advantage on concentration is highly desireable. And its possible to use the reaction on it to cast a cantrip. That's pairable with Booming Blade, but you can't use the reach aspect of the Polearm for that.
But I'd suggest that you figure out what the concept you desire to play is first. Usually, the thematics make for more enjoyable play than min/max damage.
Plenty of builds can give you great performance.
Just figure out a way to use your action economy to it's fullest. There are decent ways to get an action attack, a worthwhile bonus action (attack or spell), and then boost your chances of a decent reaction in.
Panentheist veneratring a numinous natural multiverse, seeking esoteric enlightenment in biology, geology, physics, philosophy, history, cooking & carpentry.
What do you envision the character to be? What's their story?
This character is someone who was destined by a bard but got sidetracked by signing a contract that they thought was something else. Now bound to shadowfell they are doing everything they can to break their contract.
So they are essentially doing a 1 level dip into hexblade to really go SAD compared to trying to do both charisma and dexterity. After coming up with the backstory I'm pretty set on staying college of swords bard but I did think about going to warlock 3 for pact of the blade but they won't get to that point to level 9 so I'm really ruling that out.
Are you willing to invest 3 levels into Warlock? If you want to be a proficient Polearm wielder with Hexblade, you'll need to get to level 3 and take Pact of the Blade.
On this if they wanted to take PAM, they'd be using a quarterstaff or spear and a shield. So going to level 3 in warlock isn't necessarily needed. I do understand I won't be able to use the good polearms(ie 1d10 ones), which also remove the ability to use great weapon master. I was originally planning on doing EB and BB from the warlock cantrips and just taking some flavor ones from the bard, light(no darkvision), mage hand, minor illusion. However after speaking with the DM, he is allowing playtest material, so I was going to grab Starry Wisp for a ranged cantrip and drop EB for Green flame blade. This way depending on how enemies are grouped up, using either GFB when they are bunched up, BB if single or attacking twice.
I want to think even if using a spear/quarterstaff with PAM, it'll do more damage overall, but there is something about being able to attack and leave without provoking opportunity attacks. Honestly the first thing I thought of when I was making this character was to be mobile, but the min/maxer in me is saying to take polearm master.
Warcaster
DM: “Who’s your patron?”
Warlock: “Ummm”
DM: “Hurry Up”
Warlock: “yOu”
*All other players look at each other with utter fear*
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Check out my homebrew: My Homebrew
agree with the above, take Warcaster. Booming Blade generally ends up a less damage than Extra Attack, especially once you start factoring in magical weapons, so you're only going to benefit from Mobile between levels 5 and 7, which isn't the best use of a feat. In contrast Warcaster lets you use BB for Opportunity Attacks and helps you keep concentration on your bard spells (which are nearly all concentration) while in melee.
I really like Polearm Master for weapon user as it multiply ways to make use of your bonus action or reaction.