I just started a game not too long ago and i want to make the right decisions with my Hexblade Warlock. the party consists of me the warlock, druid, ranger & a paladin. I am the only one with darkvision, so i would like to take advantage of that and right down that rabbit hole. I want to be casting darkness on enemy's or myself and fighting them within it, but i'm not to sure what the best build would be. Sentinel is 100% something i want to get to keep people in the darkness spell, however I don't want to get polearm master as the paladin already has it and i want a bit of variety with the party i'm in.
Below is all the stats and info.
Drow Half-elf, Hexblade Warlock, level 2 Background - Charlatan Str 8 (-1) Dex 14 (+2) Con 14 (+2) Int 12 (+1) Wis 12 (+1) Cha 17 (+3) Skills - Deception, Intimidation, investigation, Slight of Hand
so what to you guys think, I am going to be the face of the party for the most part, but i do want to be able to do some cool stuff when in combat as well, just not sure what feats to get.
currently i am dual wielding 2 short swords and casting EB until i get the darkness spell. 100% going pack of the blade
Well this can be a very fun class to play but you seem to have a couple things in mind that may not work as you think it will.
First, polearm mastery and sentinel is a fantastic area control build but if you're looking for variety I would suggest a great weapon with great weapon mastery. That being said you could also grab a good single handed weapon and grab shield giving yourself a plus 2 to your ac. 2 weapon fighting is okay but if you're looking for something "optimized" it's not the best but if it's fun for you that's all that matters.
Second, dark vision does not allow you to see through the darkness spell. You will need to use one of your invocations to get devil's sight. The reason is darkness creates magical darkness that only true sight or devil's sight can see through.
Lastly, you can definitely create a pretty great melee character but you need to pick up specific invocations to really get the most out of it. You'll have to get thirsting blade in order to get your second attack and you'll also want to take a good look at improved pact weapon, life drinker, and eldritch smite.
Improved Pact Weapon can be taken the moment you get Pact of the Blade (level 3) and makes your pact weapon a +1 magical weapon, along with allowing you to use said weapon as your magical focus. Is having a +1 magical weapon (any melee weapon, or a light crossbow, crossbow, shortbow, or longbow) at level 3 good? Yes. Yes it is. Remember that the Pact doesn't summon ammunition, so you'll need bolts and arrows in your inventory to shoot it.
Your choice of Level 4 feats comes down to how you intend to play your character. If you intend to play with a glaive then take Polearm Master. It effectively gives you an extra attack which will be with your +1 magical glaive.
If you want to summon a Greatsword and hack your enemies into itty bitty pieces, then take Great Weapon Mastery.
If you want to play defensively with a shield then I would take War Caster, as it allows you to cast spells like Shield without needing a free hand for the Somatic components.
At level 8 take the feat Elven Accuracy and use it to bump your Charisma to 18. Elf Hexblade Blade Pact is the only configuration that can combine Elven Accuracy with Great Weapon Mastery, so abuse it.
you need devils sight and it will be worth it as the enemies will be considered blinded (as long as they don’t have true sight or devils sight themselves) granting you advantage on your attacks and disadvantage on theirs. This works at range as well so I’d consider agonizing blast to pump up that eldritch blast damage. Pact of the blade lvl 3 —-> thirsting blade lvl 5.
so personally I’d go devils sight, agonizing blast, then eventually thirsting blade at 5.
Some caution for you on your intended fighting style. If you are fighting in magical darkness, then the rest of the party can neither see you nor the enemy/enemies you are fighting. Spells that require line of sight will fail. A smart enemy will use that darkness to provide themself total cover and use it to snipe the rest of the party on their turn and then immediately drop into the darkness to hide (assuming there is more than one or your sentinel failed).
It may turn out to be a less than efficient means of combat - and if your druid or ranger wants to drop an area effect spell, they may not be able to effectively exclude you from the target area without metagaming.
Lastly, and as I eluded to above, intelligent creatures can simply move out of the darkness, even if you cast it on an item you carry so that it moves with you. Yes, sentinel can combat that movement but for only a single target. And of course, a simple light spell from the opposing team defeats your efforts so depending on the DM, they may or may not let you fully enjoy this methodology.
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I just started a game not too long ago and i want to make the right decisions with my Hexblade Warlock.
the party consists of me the warlock, druid, ranger & a paladin. I am the only one with darkvision, so i would like to take advantage of that and right down that rabbit hole.
I want to be casting darkness on enemy's or myself and fighting them within it, but i'm not to sure what the best build would be.
Sentinel is 100% something i want to get to keep people in the darkness spell, however I don't want to get polearm master as the paladin already has it and i want a bit of variety with the party i'm in.
Below is all the stats and info.
Drow Half-elf, Hexblade Warlock, level 2
Background - Charlatan
Str 8 (-1)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con 14 (+2)
Int 12 (+1)
Wis 12 (+1)
Cha 17 (+3)
Skills - Deception, Intimidation, investigation, Slight of Hand
so what to you guys think, I am going to be the face of the party for the most part, but i do want to be able to do some cool stuff when in combat as well, just not sure what feats to get.
currently i am dual wielding 2 short swords and casting EB until i get the darkness spell.
100% going pack of the blade
Well this can be a very fun class to play but you seem to have a couple things in mind that may not work as you think it will.
First, polearm mastery and sentinel is a fantastic area control build but if you're looking for variety I would suggest a great weapon with great weapon mastery. That being said you could also grab a good single handed weapon and grab shield giving yourself a plus 2 to your ac. 2 weapon fighting is okay but if you're looking for something "optimized" it's not the best but if it's fun for you that's all that matters.
Second, dark vision does not allow you to see through the darkness spell. You will need to use one of your invocations to get devil's sight. The reason is darkness creates magical darkness that only true sight or devil's sight can see through.
Lastly, you can definitely create a pretty great melee character but you need to pick up specific invocations to really get the most out of it. You'll have to get thirsting blade in order to get your second attack and you'll also want to take a good look at improved pact weapon, life drinker, and eldritch smite.
Improved Pact Weapon can be taken the moment you get Pact of the Blade (level 3) and makes your pact weapon a +1 magical weapon, along with allowing you to use said weapon as your magical focus. Is having a +1 magical weapon (any melee weapon, or a light crossbow, crossbow, shortbow, or longbow) at level 3 good? Yes. Yes it is. Remember that the Pact doesn't summon ammunition, so you'll need bolts and arrows in your inventory to shoot it.
Your choice of Level 4 feats comes down to how you intend to play your character. If you intend to play with a glaive then take Polearm Master. It effectively gives you an extra attack which will be with your +1 magical glaive.
If you want to summon a Greatsword and hack your enemies into itty bitty pieces, then take Great Weapon Mastery.
If you want to play defensively with a shield then I would take War Caster, as it allows you to cast spells like Shield without needing a free hand for the Somatic components.
At level 8 take the feat Elven Accuracy and use it to bump your Charisma to 18. Elf Hexblade Blade Pact is the only configuration that can combine Elven Accuracy with Great Weapon Mastery, so abuse it.
Everything freman and Hickstar said.
you need devils sight and it will be worth it as the enemies will be considered blinded (as long as they don’t have true sight or devils sight themselves) granting you advantage on your attacks and disadvantage on theirs. This works at range as well so I’d consider agonizing blast to pump up that eldritch blast damage. Pact of the blade lvl 3 —-> thirsting blade lvl 5.
so personally I’d go devils sight, agonizing blast, then eventually thirsting blade at 5.
Some caution for you on your intended fighting style. If you are fighting in magical darkness, then the rest of the party can neither see you nor the enemy/enemies you are fighting. Spells that require line of sight will fail. A smart enemy will use that darkness to provide themself total cover and use it to snipe the rest of the party on their turn and then immediately drop into the darkness to hide (assuming there is more than one or your sentinel failed).
It may turn out to be a less than efficient means of combat - and if your druid or ranger wants to drop an area effect spell, they may not be able to effectively exclude you from the target area without metagaming.
Lastly, and as I eluded to above, intelligent creatures can simply move out of the darkness, even if you cast it on an item you carry so that it moves with you. Yes, sentinel can combat that movement but for only a single target. And of course, a simple light spell from the opposing team defeats your efforts so depending on the DM, they may or may not let you fully enjoy this methodology.