D&D 5E Optimizing a Bladelock

What build makes the best Bladelock?

I've read about a Fighter 1/Warlock 19 before, both as a Dragonborn and Human. When I read that, it was suggested to use a greatsword.

I'm wondering if a DEX based build would work better. Dual Wielding Rapiers is very effective, and if you use Hex, that damage bonus is added on each hit.

Is that a superior option?


Also, what Patron is the optimal choice?

Hex and dual wielding do not play together very well. I think the fiend pact is the best one, the fey one could work in some builds. Dragonborn is OK but variant human and half elf are better. That is with the default stat array rolled scores can change thing.

I just finished this at the WOTC boards.
http://community.wizards.com/forum/player-help/threads/4219976

If you're dipping into Fighter and are up for something a little different, I suggest going sword-and-board, and picking up the Shield Master feat. It works GREAT with Hex; you get the extra damage, sure, but more importantly you give the target Disadvantage on one of the ability checks to resist your shove. Targets will likely be higher str than dex, or higher dex than str. Hex the better of the two, forcing the target to have Disadvantage on their best ability, or have to use their worse ability to resist.

You could argue that the extra damage would apply; after all, Shove is an attack and the hex dam applies to attacks. I wouldn't rule it that way, but who knows.

If you take the Dueling Fighter style you'll be doing d8+d6+2+Str damage with your attacks, have +2 to AC and Reflex from the shield, and have a very good chance at either pushing or proning your target.

The Disadvantage on a chosen ability check is an oft-overlooked component of Hex; keep it in mind and remind your companions (especially if they Grapple, or use Web / other mobility-depriving spells that have Checks as well as/instead of Saves).

Thanks guys

Just remember that you designate the ability when the spell is cast, you can't switch the ability that is hexed from target to target. You'd have to recast hex to switch from, say, STR to DEX.

I'm currently playing a Bladelock, planning Fighter 1/Warlock 19. Started Fighter 1, Variant Human, Polearm Master feat, Quarterstaff and shield, Dueling fighting style, which makes for a really fun time even at Level 1, with two attacks doing 1d6+2+str on the first and 1d4+2+str on the second, plus an opportunity attack if someone enters melee range, and 18AC, quickly going to 19AC when you get Splint, coupled with Second Wind for early tankiness. For stats, I started 16Str,10Dex,14Con,8Int,8Wis,16Cha.

The Polearm Master bonus action attack (when you aren't casting/transferring Hex) gets you to 3 attacks at level 6 when you get Thirsting Blade, which maximizes Hex, Dueling, Lifedrinker and magic weapons, and IMO is what brings the bladelock out of too-weak territory.

If you don't like quarterstaff with your shield, you can go Roman-style and re-skin it as a short spear, or you could also go Glaive/Halberd and Defensive fighting style for 1 less AC, and 2 fewer damage on your bonus attack, but you get 10ft reach to combo with Warcaster and Repelling Blast for reaction knockback zoning shenanigans starting at character level 5.

I highly recommend the Fiend patron for the temp HP after a kill at Warlock 1, once per short rest add a d10 to an ability check or save at Warlock 6, and resistance to one damage type at Warlock 10, which all synergize well with a melee Bladelock. Also, complement your single target melee attacks with nice ranged/AOE damaging spells like burning hands and fireball, and at Warlock 14, Hurl Through Hell is awesome with no-save CC and a respectable 10d10 psychic damage. Flavor-wise, I also really like the morally questionable issue of a non-evil character with a fiend patron - Is it more of a possession than a pact? Using evil power to fight evil? Maybe you sacrifice your own innocence/purity/soul to protect others?

Take the Warcaster feat at Warlock level 4, which, since you are melee, is a must to help maintain concentration on your Hex or Darkness, lets you cast spells with your hands full of shield and quarterstaff, and combos well with polearm master to cast spells with your reaction when bad guys walk up to you, though it's a little less of a wombo-combo without the glaive/halberd reach, since you have disadvantage to ranged spells like your Repelling+Agonizing Eldritch Blast within 5ft - unless you are in darkness , but I find that the Frostbite cantrip (EE) works well here (since they are probably about to attack someone), and any single target melee spells or spells with saves are also fine.

After Warcaster, max Strength first, then Charisma.

The Devil's Sight invocation is a must, and combined with Darkness, makes you a monster against anything without blindsight. In addition to giving you advantage on your attacks, Darkness gives attacks against you disadvantage, and since everyone else is both blind & invisible, they cancel each other out, and it doesn't usually affect your group negatively, except you have to tell them where the bad guys are. It can get rid of disadvantage or advantage since one advantage cancels out all disadvantages, and vice-versa. This can work for or against you. Also, in a ranged fight, your allies can exit the darkness, attack targets outside the darkness normally, and return to the darkness for safety.

As mentioned above, complete your build with the bladelock-mandatory invocations Thirsting Blade at Warlock 5 and Lifedrinker at Warlock 12, and Agonizing Blast and Repelling Blast are also good to help round out your kit.

I'm pretty sure they errata'ed out the whole "Eldritch Blast as a reaction" thing from polearm master.

http://rpg.stackexchange.com/questi...-with-blade-pact-and-fiend-patron/50327#50327

This looks like a pretty damn good build. I hate darkness as a tactic since it isn't party friendly, but I think it still works well without it.

Minsc: about the reaction Eldritch Blast being errata'd, I re-read the errata, and the only thing I can see that you might be thinking of is the Twinned Spell errata (which seems specifically targeted at preventing twinning an Eldritch Blast). The Polearm Master errata only mentions the bonus action attack, and there is no errata for Warcaster, so I believe it is still good.


And regarding the build you linked, I too don't like that it relies on advantage from having darkness up all the time. Darkness is not really that party-unfriendly, imo, as mentioned in my first post, however, not having Warcaster and being melee and relying on a concentration spell to even land a hit is a recipe for a whiff-tacular disaster.

The Polearm Master build (with Glaive/Halberd) also does comparable damage all the way up to level 18 and has a 25% higher chance to hit, and around then you could take Great Weapon Master too, and Foresight will actually make it usable. And if you're okay relying on darkness to hit at early levels, there's no reason why you couldn't add Polearm Master at level 1 to their build and do tons more damage.

Unless you have party members that can keep Bless or a lvl4+ Magic Weapon spell on you or other consistent buffs to your attack rolls (or an actual magic weapon), I don't really like the Great Weapon Master feat here. The -5 to attack for +10 damage is usually worth it damage-wise, especially against lower AC enemies, but whiffing over and over is no fun.

Also, the Defense fighting style is much better than the Great Weapon Fighting style IMO (the avg damage increase from GWF is next to nothing).

I don't know where it is, but I know you can't use an eldritch blast as a reaction attack from the polearm master feat.

I'm sure somebody will chime in with the answer soon: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?466023-Point-me-to-the-rule-please&p=6670750#post6670750