D&D 5E Curse of Strahd: Hexblade, Paladin or Both?

[MostlyHarmless42]

An alternative you could consider, if you are genuinely worried about lack of healing, is a Celestial patron warlock with pact of the blade. It may not be as optimal as a hexblade warlock, or eldritch blast spammer, but combined with green flame blade, it has got loads of flavor, the ability to heal as a warlock, gains a magic weapon faster than other builds with which they are proficient, and can function as a high strength or dexterity build (albeit the dex build is better). You could pitch yourself as a warrior of light. A friend of mine is playing this build as an alternative to a dex based paladin (his character is based on the Belmont family) and having a blast. Realistically between yourself, the monk, and the cleric youd have enough people to trade blows that a tank is not strictly needed, and with the extra healing youd pick up from warlock there is less pressure for the cleric to spend all his spell slots on healing spells. Honestly? Between medium armor, spiritual guardians, and sacred flame being a dexterity saving throw (so he wont have disadvantage using it in melee) a laser light cleric is still a decent tank, especially with a warlock dropping some spell slots into healing, or at 5th taking eldritch smite invocation and basically having a sort of smite mechanic.

Also, not to spoil the the module, but two prominent magic items in the game are a sort of holy symbol (which a cleric or paladin would love) and a sword that is finessable (so a dex based warlock or even paladin gets a lot from it).

 

[fredpag3]

Interesting idea. I had ruled celestial out as an option when I was looking at multiclassing and had not thought to consider it again.

Ill give it a look and see what I think. Thanks for the response.

 

[MostlyHarmless42]

Interesting idea. I had ruled celestial out as an option when I was looking at multiclassing and had not thought to consider it again.

Ill give it a look and see what I think. Thanks for the response.

You give up tanking, but end up being better than a paladin st healing. It feels a lot like a paladin, but more "caster-y". I've seen it in practice with the player using his subclass features to heal the same way a paladin uses lay on hands, and then saving his spell slots for either healing or damage via spells or eldritch smite at 5th level. Basically it plays like a paladin except you give up a higher ac and a bit of health for access to cantrips and invocations (one of the coolest of class features tbh).

I do agree that the module isnt really long enough for much multiclassing to occur. My group the last time I ran it only got to 10th level and that was after doing literally *everything* in the module. Most reach the castle at the end of module somewhere between 6th and 10th level, typically around 7 or 8th.

 

[fredpag3]

7 levels or even 10 for that matter doesn't feel like its enough levels for the multi class to really come online. Which is to bad. But a single class warlock should still be a lot of fun.

Do you think we will need the extra healing? Or do you think a hexblade with high charisma and a reach weapon. Will be enough?

I've written a backstory for a neutral good half-drow hexblade that losses his mother to a vampire's dominate person. He then is put on a quest to hunt and destroy undead by a raven.

He has long term good intentions but uses his high charisma to deceive and intimidate as required to accomplish his goals.

 

[MostlyHarmless42]

Any DM worth his salt should be able to work and adapt the game to any party. Ravenloft/Barovia as a setting is often one highly trending toward social encounters and combat not being the major focus of the game anyway. It's kind of up to the tone of whatever the DM want as though. 5th edition in general is less crucial about having dedicated healers. It just changes the pace of the game. If you went hexblade you'll have a higher ac and deal a bit more damage at the cost of entirely being able to heal or having consistent radiant damage. In such a party the cleric may feel pressured to spend his spells to heal unless you as a party short rest more often, which the warlock and monk are probably all for anyway for extra ki and spell slots. Where such a party may feel the crunch is if you end up pressured for time due to narrative reasons or inability to short rest in hostile areas, both of which are likely to occur at least some in the module, but to be honest this is sort of something that I find as both a DM and player only improves the sense of danger for a party, something which ravenloft is supposed to be all about. There is also something to be said about where you have a concern with stepping on the toes of the cleric being the "holy guy" in the party and that the concept of a hexblade corrupting themselves to fight fire with fire is a great thing that fits the tone of the setting.:3

The advantage of the hexblade is that youd have a sort of "dark knight" or "fallen paladin" vibe without actually being a paladin, and given what you've pitched I could think of several ways to work in such a character into the narrative, unfortunately that would be firmly a DM only conversation as it would be riddled with spoilers. I would however tell you that one of the best parts about Ravenloft compared to other settings is that it is a very good setting for working in personal character backstories and each player having some sort of personal connection to it in turn, and to suggest to your DM if they have not, there are more than a few decent older threads in here that really delve into how to enhance CoS that they may wish to check out if they have not for ideas on how to make the narrative their own.

 

[fredpag3]

That does seem true about the higher AC and damage at loss of healing at radiant.
I'm glad to hear that 5th doesn't rely as heavily on dedicated healers.

As for short rests I'm hoping that between the monk, the warlock and the wizard we can agree to take them fairly often when possible. We would all be feeling the pressure of that doesn't become possible. Which would most definitely fit in with the whole horror narrative.

When I was talking with the DM he mentioned the higher focus on social over combat. It's one of the reasons I decided to pick up the friends cantrip and will be getting the disguise self invocation rather then just optimising DPR.

I've sent my 800 words of back story to the DM and he said he'd give it a read when he got the chance. Hopefully he has some comments for me and will be able to write it in some how. I specifically made it so that the Vampire that steals away disappears into a portal after taking her. (The PC lived in Neverwinter).

I'm really excited about the personal narrative I've set up. The fighting fire with fire should be pretty fun. Especially, when paired with the other PC. The cleric is a Teifling seeking redemption for having demon blood. The monk is a Warforge created to gather information about everything and I honestly don't know anything about the wizard yet. But being a human wizard that's banded together with the rest of us should be odd enough on its own.

Cool, I have no idea if he has. Ill let him know.

Also I appreciate all the comments without the spoilers. I want to be ready for the module but want to get the full effect.

 

[MostlyHarmless42]

All good. I still think CoS is my favorite 5th ed module to date. I could also had a bit of more complication to the equation and suggest you take a look at monster hunter/slayer(?) Ranger found in Xanathar's guide of you haven't. While you'd have no cantrips and be wisdom based for casting it could also fill such a character concept adequately, albeit I know not how core to your character idea being a smoothtalker is, so you do you. It would give your party a bit of wilderness survival aptitude though, something that could also come in handy if you are in the woods being chased by creatures of the night. The class has got a sort of a witch/vampire hunter vibe to it.

 

[fredpag3]

Haha that's does add complication to the matter but does indeed fit the vibe nicely.

I'll give it a look. There are so many choices that all have their own appeal.

Smooth talking is medium involved. But I really wanted to do the half-drow. Not sure how the +2 char would work into the ranger class.

I did take proficiency in survival from my background to help with being stuck in the woods.

 

[fredpag3]

So I gave the ranger another look. If I did it I think I'd want to play the variant ranger and use the longbow.

Possible stats:
S: 10
D: 15+1
Cons: 14
I: 8
w: 15+1
Char: 8+2

Makes for a very different feel. Also means that the only way to the +4 attack bonus is with two ASI (or two dex feats)

Im not sure if I'm feeling the ranger game play as much. But a lot of the skills and spells fit the backstory I had made really well. Like favorite enemy undead.