Is there any reason (I'm trying to optimize) not to go first level fighter for a strength based blade pact warlock? It just seems way too good to pass up. Free heavy armor, con save proficiency, and the free heavy armor saves a feat for later (no need to go med armor and heavy armor feats, which nets 1 feat since they each give 1 str). Can anybody give me a solid reason to go straight warlock, or maybe a better class for that first level?
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D&D 5E Blade Pact Question
- Thread starter TheBDU
- Start date
ppaladin123
Adventurer
I think you are right. But then...why not got fighter 1/valor bard 19? You get 2 attacks at the same level (6) and a lot more spell slots and spells known. The only thing the warlock gets over the bard, I think, is fly at level 5 (or 6 if you go fighter first level), the bard has to wait until level 10 (level 11) to pick it up with "magical secrets," which you can also use to pick up paladin smites or haste or fireball or whatever.
This is a concept I've been working on.
Dragonborn - cult of the dragon infiltrator. He was raised by a the cult to be an elite troop commander.
Patron - Tiamat
1 - Dragonborn fighter 4 (battle Master)/ Warlock 5 (Fiend). I haven't decided what to do for the rest of the levels yet
Fighter at 1st level - heavy armor, greatsword prof (greatweapon fiighting style), Second Wind, Athletics and Con saves
Warlock 2nd level - Eldritch blast, temp hp, burning hands and the command spell
Warlock 3rd,4th, 5th & 6th Level, Pact Blade, Lifedrinker (Cha bonus to pactblade), Thirsting Blade (two attacks per action with pact blade), +2 to Strength, Agonizing Blast (cha bonus to EB), Misty step spell (great mobility)
Fighter at Levels 7, 8 & 9 - 3 Maneuvers (rally, Riposte, and Commanders strike), Great Weapon Fighter Feat, Action Surge
This is a pretty cool mystic warrior IMO, and it appears to be affective. I haven't tested it though
Dragonborn - cult of the dragon infiltrator. He was raised by a the cult to be an elite troop commander.
Patron - Tiamat
1 - Dragonborn fighter 4 (battle Master)/ Warlock 5 (Fiend). I haven't decided what to do for the rest of the levels yet
Fighter at 1st level - heavy armor, greatsword prof (greatweapon fiighting style), Second Wind, Athletics and Con saves
Warlock 2nd level - Eldritch blast, temp hp, burning hands and the command spell
Warlock 3rd,4th, 5th & 6th Level, Pact Blade, Lifedrinker (Cha bonus to pactblade), Thirsting Blade (two attacks per action with pact blade), +2 to Strength, Agonizing Blast (cha bonus to EB), Misty step spell (great mobility)
Fighter at Levels 7, 8 & 9 - 3 Maneuvers (rally, Riposte, and Commanders strike), Great Weapon Fighter Feat, Action Surge
This is a pretty cool mystic warrior IMO, and it appears to be affective. I haven't tested it though
ZombieRoboNinja
First Post
Fighter was certainly my first thought. It even makes sense, as the guy who can be seduced by the promise of a magical weapon is probably a guy who's trained a bit in using weapons.
Second thought: play a mountain dwarf, since you'll benefit a lot from all the stat bonuses and from the armor proficiencies. This saves you a class level, but you'll need to spend a feat to catch up on armor proficiencies.
Third thought: an alternate-style human with Medium Armor proficiency as his feat. Nets you +2 Str and +1 Cha, which is at least on par with the dwarf's +2 Str and +2 Con. Again, you'll need to spend another feat if you want heavy armor.
Honestly, a warlock in medium armor who takes the Armor of Agathys spell, Fiendish Vigor invocation, and Archfiend pact should be swimming in temp HP, too. That alone might help them keep up on survivability despite a slightly lower AC, certainly until level 4.
ZombieRoboNinja
First Post
I'd probably take a sixth level of warlock over a fourth of fighter. All three pacts have awesome level 6 benefits, and I'd take Dark One's Own Luck and an extra spell known over the greatweapon feat.
I'd also consider Fiendish Vigor over Agonizing Blast.
Thank you for the input. I'm gonna stick with variant human w/ 1 level of fighter because there are 2 feats I absolutely require (GWM and Mounted Combatant). Just so you know, temp HP DOES NOT stack.
ZombieRoboNinja
First Post
awwww.
Let's see... you're better off hitting fighter level 5 for that extra attack instead of getting it via Thirsting Blade. Also, Life Drinker requires level 12.
If anything, I'd reccomend you going fighter 5, getting a 2 level dip on warlock for flavor and then going straight back to fighter. You'll still get all those eldritch blasts (number of blasts depends on level, not warlock level, 2 invocations and 2 level 1 spells for fluff.
Mandragola
First Post
My thinking from an optimisation perspective is that a warlock should go single-class with medium armour taken as a human bonus feat. That way you don't fall behind the curve on your spells, you get your second attack and ability to add cha to damage sooner and so on. It's debatable whether a dex-based warlock even needs to take the medium armour feat, when you could just have mage armour up all the time and a high dex. A shield is kind of irritating as you'll have your hands full so you can't cast spells - which matters! I'd probably go Cha 20 first too, before raising dex.
You clearly don't need the weapon proficiencies, since you can pop any weapon you like into your hand and automatically be proficient, at least unless you're doing some kind of dual-wield thing. Even then you could go rapier/dagger. Still have to drop a dagger if you want to cast, but I suppose that's no big deal and you can just pull out a new dagger when you go to stab someone, which gives another chance to set off hex.
If you do want to multiclass then I'd suggest going barbarian as an alternative to fighter. You get a lower AC with medium armour but resistance to damage in combat while raging, which you do a lot. Resistance and temp hp are a good combo I think. Weirdly, rage doesn't seem to stop you from casting spells (unless I've missed something) so you can even rage and carry on blasting if that's your bag. Not great if you're going dex 8 of course.
If you're multiclassing you might want to think about whether it's a class you'd eventually put 4 levels into, to get the ability score adjustment or feat. Otherwise you lose out or delay getting +2 to your prime stat, which is a big deal. One option could be to multiclass only after level 8 so it matters less, or to go 4/4. Of course, 5th level is really good since you get access to fireballs, your extra attack and so on. I'd probably only consider it after level 8, and maybe after 9 so I got 5th level slots.
Have to say, looking at the various options I really enjoy how many different things look like they could work. Loving this edition so far, at least on paper! Great weapon, rapier and even dual wield all seem to be viable.
You clearly don't need the weapon proficiencies, since you can pop any weapon you like into your hand and automatically be proficient, at least unless you're doing some kind of dual-wield thing. Even then you could go rapier/dagger. Still have to drop a dagger if you want to cast, but I suppose that's no big deal and you can just pull out a new dagger when you go to stab someone, which gives another chance to set off hex.
If you do want to multiclass then I'd suggest going barbarian as an alternative to fighter. You get a lower AC with medium armour but resistance to damage in combat while raging, which you do a lot. Resistance and temp hp are a good combo I think. Weirdly, rage doesn't seem to stop you from casting spells (unless I've missed something) so you can even rage and carry on blasting if that's your bag. Not great if you're going dex 8 of course.
If you're multiclassing you might want to think about whether it's a class you'd eventually put 4 levels into, to get the ability score adjustment or feat. Otherwise you lose out or delay getting +2 to your prime stat, which is a big deal. One option could be to multiclass only after level 8 so it matters less, or to go 4/4. Of course, 5th level is really good since you get access to fireballs, your extra attack and so on. I'd probably only consider it after level 8, and maybe after 9 so I got 5th level slots.
Have to say, looking at the various options I really enjoy how many different things look like they could work. Loving this edition so far, at least on paper! Great weapon, rapier and even dual wield all seem to be viable.
I redid my warlock as a Drow Warlock single class, so I see a lot of validity in what you are saying here; however, I still say two levels of fighter are huge and should not be ignored. You get a second wind, a fighting stye and an action surge (Thats big!). I agree it should wait till later levels though. I would do at levels 6 and 7.
I don't agree that the stat boosts are as important as you make them sound. Most armor classes are hittable and some feats and class abilities make up for the lost stat, such as the duelist fighting stye that gives you a +2 do damage.
My Drow is a Dex/Cha warlock. I'm still trying to figure out a Strength warlock with a greatsword.
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