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So I am envisioning a former mercenary veteran who was reasonably honorable, but became involved with a very, very angry angel he now is instructed by.
1. Would like to try to be single classed (possibly one level of divine sorcerer at some point for both theme and variety). But bonus points for single class ideas.
2. Looking variant human (way outside chance half elf or dwarf)
3. Main themes: I am going with a herald/prophet motive. Somewhat like Gandalf...but more into melee solutions.
4. I am going blade pact. For thematic reasons, thinking staff as main weapon and likely polearm master at some point.
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1. Want to be durable
2. Want to be as good in melee as possible with one offensive feat allocated (i.e. Polearm Master OR GWM, not both) considering alternatives or open to ideas.
3. Moderately armored considered at some point as is Tough.
4. I want some ability to seek out and find threats. Considering Eldritch Sight vs. level in Divine Soul Sorcerer and possibly Survival. So tight on feats, wondering if ritual caster is possible with priorities on fighting.
5. Eventually want Tomb of Levistus, but at level five will likely be indulging in thirsting blade and eldritch smite.
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The ONLY ONE I really don't want is "just play paladin." It is not what I want to do. The image of a guy in a scale shirt with cloak, hood quarterstaff and arcane things is where I want to go!
Not taking eldritch blast or related invocations. First cantrips likely friends and minor image with the freebies of light and sacred flame...
Ok I stripped down your original post for focus, lol. I saw that your considering a Pact of the Tome Build but its bugging me that We don't have a really strong Pact of the Blade. (I think the one starting with Moderately armored met most of your goals and is workable but you really didn't like the shield and staff for AC18 and I feel we can do better,) You have a lot of conditions here and I don't think I can meat them all. So I am going to try to choose just two that you had
some flexibility with as possible changes that could achieve your goal.
1. You mentioned you wanted to a single class design but were considering a theme appropriate 1 level dip muti-class (which would get rid of your level 19 feat because you want quite a few ASI/Feats) … In the Ver first reply [MENTION=6964935]jmartkdr[/MENTION] pointed out some thing that is true and the fix that is most often used to make it work. Hexblades are cursed with low AC for a melee build and a one level dip for an armor proficiency will free up ATLEAST one feat. Cleric is a full caster with armor and jumps out at first but has a wisdom requirement that makes it a hard build for medium armor which will also need dex and really their is no other full caster than can help you. Paladin is a partial caster with two stats that you need any way because your set on Quarterstaff a which is strength weapon without Monk or shillelagh which both have their own problems and would end up breaking a third requirement or going in a completely different direction. However Paladin is not helping your spell casting slots with a one level dip it would only give you medium armor, divine since, and 5 points of lay on hands. You need two levels in paladin in order to get 1 spell caster level with 2 level 1 spell slots, a fighting style, and divine smite at the lose of your level 19 feat (which may not matter and you basically get "Moderately armored" out of it...but your back to needing that shield) and a two level slow down to your warlock progression (which defiantly will matter). It also doesn't really fit your mercenary veteran back ground and why is an angel granting more power to a paladin? If you can come up with some reason an angel of your paladin deity is personally providing you power in support of the deity you both server instead of letting you just grow as a paladin...ok... but I can't think of it right now and it breaks a third rule of not wanting to play a paladin.
That only leaves one option. You start as a
mercenary veteran quarterstaff fighter and then the angry angel finds you. [MENTION=6964935]jmartkdr[/MENTION] mentioned this option to and its the go to for most Pact of the Blade Builds I have seen and for good reason, its just simple the best option for getting what you NEED to make pact of the blade work with the least waste and stray from your warlock design. Fighter 1 gets HEAVY armor on a strength build and a fighting style (defensive or Great Weapon Fighting, which I checked does work with Quarterstaffs if your using it two-handed do to the versatile property) and an added bonus of proficiency with constitution save which will help you keep hex and all those other Warlock spells your not getting anywhere else because taking sorcerer after the fact as you stated will not and even if you took it first you would then be short ANY armor proficiency making things worse instead of better.
2. I could suggest a Human Variant mercenary veteran quarterstaff fighter with starting with pole arm master and chain mail + defensive fighting style (AC17) going warlock at level 2 having already made his/her deal with the angry angel before the campaign but being told it will take some time for the powers to kick in. However, I feel like AC17 is ok but not great and having Great weapon Fighting instead of defensive fighting would not raise your damage but would make it more consistently good while your aiming for 3 attacks per round. So how do you get an AC18 and take Great Weapon Fighting
without using a shield so you can use the quarterstaff two-handed so you can use Great weapon fighting style roll 1d8 damage instead of 1d6? …Well, I found a way... not sure how you will feel about it. But if your willing to try alternate Races losing your human variant feat and taking polearm master at level 4... You could be... a
Warforged Juggernaut. Now the idea of a Mechanical warlock is er… unusual... but per the makers they were made to be able to be casters by empowering runes inside them, so while a warforge changing blood to a sorcerer doesn't make since to me, an Angel empowering machine of war designed to except such power in order to further its angelic goals works in my opinion. Also, taking the Eldritch invocation Mask of May Faces at Warlock level 2 you can look like human all the time, but you also don't need to eat, or sleep, your resistant to poison, immune to disease, and you can restore your spell slots on a short rest!!! As a Warforged Juggernaut you get +2 strength, +1 constitution, but here is the really interesting part
Integrated Protection with heavy armor proficiency gives you 16 + proficiency bonus so your AC18 at level 1 and increases as you level all by itself. ...AC issue resolved... with AC18 you free to take Great Weapon fighter.
Stats: Str 16 Dex 8 Con16 Int10 Wis10 Cha14
...so high HP, good to hit from strength, double carrying capacity (class feature), descent CHA for your herald/prophet plan.
Then just follow the warlock plan I put out before but instead of Armor of Shadows/Thief of Five Fates go ahead and take Devil’s Sight er.. Angelic Sight so you don't need torches then for starting equipment gold for class method and buy a quarterstaff, pouch for your gold, backpack for anything you pick up on the way, … maybe a knife and your done you don't need the rest of it because your taking devil's sight at character level 3. (of course you know longer need moderately armored so your taking polearm master at level 4).
Maybe I am a crazy person but I do believe this is 90% of what you wanted an it works.