I want to make a Hexblade warlock for my First Season 8 Character for the start of our Adventure League groups run of Dragon Heist. I Just started playing DnD about 2 Months ago so I have very little experience in the game so far and was hoping I could get help on making a good character.
The Character I want to make is a Tiefling Warlock that is about melee fighting when she can get into the fray. For My Stats I went with: 8 Str 14 Dex 14 Con 11 Int(1 from Race) 10 Wis 17 Cha(2 from Race)
I went with the Nobel background as part of the Story of My Character and used some of the gold you get from it to Purchase a Longsword to use as the Hex Weapon. The issue I have currently is should I get a mundane Shield at lv1 and chose spells I cast with a both hands full and before getting into combat(like Armor of Agathys). Or Should I just go with the Spell Focus in the other hand and use the shield spell and hex until lv 3 when I can grab Improved Pact Weapon?
Also at lv2 do you think I should buy chainmail or use the Armor of Shadows invocation until I can afford Breastplate or Half plate.
Note: I'm not very familiar with all the AL rules, so I apologize if I get a few things off
A lot of this is up to preference of play but one thing...hexblades do not have proficiency in heavy armor (and you need 13 strength to wear it) so I would definitely stick to medium armor. You'll probably have to start with scale mail as, well, it's the best you can probably afford in the early levels. It has the same AC as a breastplate, but you'll just be less stealthy. The invocation isn't bad, but your AC won't be as good than having medium armor.
As for using a shield, I think the question is partially whether you want that +2 AC or to be able to use your longsword with two hands. Since you have so few spell slots, the shield spell won't be reliable defense for most fights. For spells with somatic components, there's a loophole where you can drop your weapon as a free action, cast your spell, then use your item interaction to pick up your sword. The problem comes when you need material components (because you need to drop the sword and take out your focus). Hexblades do get by while using shields, though. I've seen tons of builds that use them, though I'll let someone else elaborate of that.
If you're willing to forgo the shield entirely, you may be interested in using a reach weapon so you can attack from farther away (and then back up from the enemy if you have to) making up for your lower defense. Most do 1d10 damage, the same as your longsword if you use 2 hands.
Although I've not played a Hexblade before, I have run a couple of Blade Pact warlocks, so I can offer some advice.
Prior to reaching 3rd level (when you get Pact of the Blade, and Improved Pact Weapon) your best weapon is Eldritch Blast. Choose Armor of Shadows (free armor!) and Agonizing Blast for your invocations, and buy yourself a shield. (AC17) Your Hexblade's curse will work with Eldritch Blast, you'll have a hand free for an arcane focus or material components, or whatever. For Hexblades, melee is an option but they need both hands to do a d10 damage (versatile weapon) so no shield. Or carry a shield and do 1d8 plus charisma. Either way, Agonizing Blast is better until 3rd level.
Buy some better armor when you can afford it, for the best AC you can get, then you can swap out the Armor of Shadows invocation for something else.
Once you have Pact of the Blade and Improved Pact Weapon, you can use Hex Warrior with a Long Bow Pact Weapon, which makes Agonizing Blast somewhat redundant. You might want to swap that invocation out as well.
I'm running a melee-heavy female Hexblade Warlock also - currently at level 4, so it works...
Her Pact weapon was given to her by her Patron, or at least one of the Raven Queen's underlings. This weapon, a Katana, was not much more than a regular longsword - it didn't speak to her, or show any outward magical abilities, except when her Patron wanted her to kill a specific target, the handle would grow cold. If the Queen wanted her to NOT kill something, the handle would get uncomfortably hot.
Since I want her to be more of the stealthy type, she has only a chain shirt armor, and no shield. Partly for no stealth disadvantage, but also because she uses the sword two-handed. (I know that's sort of a no-no, according to the rules, but GM and I are OK with it.)
So, she wants to kill with the sword, and the sword wants her to use it to kill. A shield gets in the way, and she can use her Arcane Focus (a necklace, wrapped around her left hand) for material components, and do any somatic movements with her left hand before swinging. The only other Pact Weapon I expect to have her select is a Warhammer, to deal with those pesky critters that are resistant to slashing damage.
For spells, I took Eldritch Blast and Chill Touch for cantrips, then at some point choosing Booming Blade over Chill Touch. Got Chill Touch back at level 4.
Invocations - Fiendish Vigor / False Life for an 8HP temp bump, and Agonizing Blast (EB bump)
Spells at level 1 - Wrathful Smite, Armor of Agathys. Level 2 - Wrathful Smite, Hex, Hellish rebuke. Level 3 - Branding Smite, Hex, Misty Step, Mirror Image. Level 4 - added Shatter to the ones from 3rd level.
As a Tiefling, you get Hellish Rebuke at level 3, and Darkness at level 5. Nice stuff.
so - in combat, if she's too far away, she uses Eldritch Blast, or - uses Misty Step to get INTO melee range. Then it's 2-handed attack, Booming Blade, and her pact weapon has "grown" to be a +1 sword, now. If the battle is short, I drop a Hexblade's Curse. If it looks particularly nasty, cast Hex. We tend to get a couple short rests a day.
Hello Everyone
I want to make a Hexblade warlock for my First Season 8 Character for the start of our Adventure League groups run of Dragon Heist.
I Just started playing DnD about 2 Months ago so I have very little experience in the game so far and was hoping I could get help on making a good character.
Link to Character: https://www.dndbeyond.com/profile/Megamanred/characters/5143771
The Character I want to make is a Tiefling Warlock that is about melee fighting when she can get into the fray.
For My Stats I went with:
8 Str
14 Dex
14 Con
11 Int(1 from Race)
10 Wis
17 Cha(2 from Race)
I went with the Nobel background as part of the Story of My Character and used some of the gold you get from it to Purchase a Longsword to use as the Hex Weapon.
The issue I have currently is should I get a mundane Shield at lv1 and chose spells I cast with a both hands full and before getting into combat(like Armor of Agathys). Or Should I just go with the Spell Focus in the other hand and use the shield spell and hex until lv 3 when I can grab Improved Pact Weapon?
Also at lv2 do you think I should buy chainmail or use the Armor of Shadows invocation until I can afford Breastplate or Half plate.
Note: I'm not very familiar with all the AL rules, so I apologize if I get a few things off
A lot of this is up to preference of play but one thing...hexblades do not have proficiency in heavy armor (and you need 13 strength to wear it) so I would definitely stick to medium armor. You'll probably have to start with scale mail as, well, it's the best you can probably afford in the early levels. It has the same AC as a breastplate, but you'll just be less stealthy. The invocation isn't bad, but your AC won't be as good than having medium armor.
As for using a shield, I think the question is partially whether you want that +2 AC or to be able to use your longsword with two hands. Since you have so few spell slots, the shield spell won't be reliable defense for most fights. For spells with somatic components, there's a loophole where you can drop your weapon as a free action, cast your spell, then use your item interaction to pick up your sword. The problem comes when you need material components (because you need to drop the sword and take out your focus). Hexblades do get by while using shields, though. I've seen tons of builds that use them, though I'll let someone else elaborate of that.
If you're willing to forgo the shield entirely, you may be interested in using a reach weapon so you can attack from farther away (and then back up from the enemy if you have to) making up for your lower defense. Most do 1d10 damage, the same as your longsword if you use 2 hands.
Although I've not played a Hexblade before, I have run a couple of Blade Pact warlocks, so I can offer some advice.
Prior to reaching 3rd level (when you get Pact of the Blade, and Improved Pact Weapon) your best weapon is Eldritch Blast. Choose Armor of Shadows (free armor!) and Agonizing Blast for your invocations, and buy yourself a shield. (AC17) Your Hexblade's curse will work with Eldritch Blast, you'll have a hand free for an arcane focus or material components, or whatever. For Hexblades, melee is an option but they need both hands to do a d10 damage (versatile weapon) so no shield. Or carry a shield and do 1d8 plus charisma. Either way, Agonizing Blast is better until 3rd level.
Buy some better armor when you can afford it, for the best AC you can get, then you can swap out the Armor of Shadows invocation for something else.
Once you have Pact of the Blade and Improved Pact Weapon, you can use Hex Warrior with a Long Bow Pact Weapon, which makes Agonizing Blast somewhat redundant. You might want to swap that invocation out as well.
DICE FALL, EVERYONE ROCKS!
I'm running a melee-heavy female Hexblade Warlock also - currently at level 4, so it works...
Her Pact weapon was given to her by her Patron, or at least one of the Raven Queen's underlings. This weapon, a Katana, was not much more than a regular longsword - it didn't speak to her, or show any outward magical abilities, except when her Patron wanted her to kill a specific target, the handle would grow cold. If the Queen wanted her to NOT kill something, the handle would get uncomfortably hot.
Since I want her to be more of the stealthy type, she has only a chain shirt armor, and no shield. Partly for no stealth disadvantage, but also because she uses the sword two-handed. (I know that's sort of a no-no, according to the rules, but GM and I are OK with it.)
So, she wants to kill with the sword, and the sword wants her to use it to kill. A shield gets in the way, and she can use her Arcane Focus (a necklace, wrapped around her left hand) for material components, and do any somatic movements with her left hand before swinging. The only other Pact Weapon I expect to have her select is a Warhammer, to deal with those pesky critters that are resistant to slashing damage.
For spells, I took Eldritch Blast and Chill Touch for cantrips, then at some point choosing Booming Blade over Chill Touch. Got Chill Touch back at level 4.
Invocations - Fiendish Vigor / False Life for an 8HP temp bump, and Agonizing Blast (EB bump)
Spells at level 1 - Wrathful Smite, Armor of Agathys. Level 2 - Wrathful Smite, Hex, Hellish rebuke. Level 3 - Branding Smite, Hex, Misty Step, Mirror Image. Level 4 - added Shatter to the ones from 3rd level.
As a Tiefling, you get Hellish Rebuke at level 3, and Darkness at level 5. Nice stuff.
so - in combat, if she's too far away, she uses Eldritch Blast, or - uses Misty Step to get INTO melee range. Then it's 2-handed attack, Booming Blade, and her pact weapon has "grown" to be a +1 sword, now. If the battle is short, I drop a Hexblade's Curse. If it looks particularly nasty, cast Hex. We tend to get a couple short rests a day.
Thank you all for the feedback. I Really appreciate the help.
Grabbed Booming Blade and Eldritch Blast as my cantrips. Chose Armor of Agathys and Wrathful Smite as my first level spells.
I will pick up scale mail at lv 2 and Agonizing Blast and Eldritch Sight Invocations. And Get Hex as my Spell.