FighterSorLock - Optimizing for Adventurer's League

[WarpedAcorn]

One of the users of this forum posted a build that I thought looked exactly like I was after for a Fighter/Mage build. Unfortunately the build uses some features from Unearthed Arcana and some Home Rules, and I am looking to make something that would be legal in Adventurer's League (which is something I want to try and get into).


Firstly, the original build is Bladelock-Fiend 13/Battlemaster 3/Shadow-Sorcerer 4.

13 levels in warlock gives you:
-Three 5th level spells per short rest
-Six invocations
-Dark One's Blessing (the temp HP really helps in melee)
-Dark One's Own Luck
-Fiendish Resistance (Change your resistance every short rest)
-6th and 7th level spells, once per day.
Invocations:
You get six(6) invocations, but Agonizing Blast, Lifedrinker, and Thirsting blade are mostly required. Repelling Blast greatly increases your utility, while fiendish vigor can be used for a guaranteed 8 temp HP at the start of every fight.


Fighter 3 gives:
-Great Weapon Fighting
-Second Wind
-Action Surge
-Four Superiority dice for; Riposte, Precision Strike, Maneuvering strike (personal preference)


Sorcerer 4 gives:
-Three 2nd and Four 1st level spell slots (1st level spell slots for hex!)
-Darkvision, and cast Darkness for 1 sorcery point
-Strength of the Grave
-Four Sorcery points MetaMagic; Quickened spell + any

Some key features I am after:
-Proficiency in Heavy Armor
-Proficiency in Martial Weapons
-Ability to fight comfortably in ranged (magic) and melee
-Ability to "Nova"


Base Stats
Str- 14/15
Dex- 10
Con- 13
Int- 8
Wis- 12
Cha- 15/14


Race: I am torn between Tiefling and Human-Variant. I actually have character concepts for both, and both are very different characters. I see the Tiefling (Jaunt) as more reserved and mischievious, while the Human (Hedrak) is loud and jovial. I also pictured Jaunt having the Fiend Patron and Hedrak having an Old One Patron.


Background: This one doesn't seem to be a big deal. Jaunt would be Urchin and Hedrak would probably be Soldier or Criminal (originally I was thinking Bounty Hunter).


Leveling: I'm thinking that the best way to pick up the Arms and Armor proficiencies would be to start as a Fighter (and get Con Save). At second and third level I would add Warlock. For levels 4-7 I would add in the Sorcerer. Levels 8 & 9 would be Fighter. And the rest of the way to 20 would be Warlock.


Doing it this way pushes back the Melee Offense quite a bit, and instead emphasizes the Magic Offense early on. However, since Cantrips scale with Character Level, I'm thinking that Green-Flame Blade and/or Booming Blade can compensate until Warlock gets to the point of having Thirsting Blade. I am questioning adding a Fighter level sooner in order to pick up Action Surge earlier.


Arms & Armor: I definitely want to end up in Full-Plate or some other reasonably impressively heavy armor. That's the easy part. For weapons I initially thought about going 2-Handed to work better with the intermixed spellcasting, specifically going for Polearm Mastery if taking the Hedrak path. But I am also considering just a Greatsword for Jaunt or Greatsword + GWM for Hedrak.


My idea with the Polearm is to take advantage of the Polearm Mastery to use reactions and hit enemies as they approach, then use spells or class features to reposition. The feat can also boost damage a little bit by giving my bonus action a better hit that's comparable to the bonus damage from Hex (ultimately letting me conserve spell slots for certain encounters).


Recently I've also thought about going more defensive and using the Sword & Shield instead. This would, of course, require Warcaster to be taken much sooner. But I think the trade off of damage vs. defense could be very valuable.


Sorcerous Origin: This is the main problem with the Adventurer's League build vs. the one quoted at the top. The Sorcerer class is desired for its Sorcery Points and Quickened Spells, but the Origins are very limited. With a choice between Dragon, Wild, and Storm, honestly the Storm sounds the most appealing (but not by much). Draconic Origin would really only be getting me 1 extra HP / Sorc level, so 4 HP. Meanwhile the Storm Origin would let me get a 10ft Flight as a bonus action so long as I cast a 1st level spell before/after it (which technically couldn't I use my Reaction during my own turn to cast Shield to proc this?). The Storm's movement ability would also pair nicely with the Polearm's reach, if you aren't surrounded and can move away, cast Eldritch Blast, then hit them again if they try to run back up to you. Wild is just off the table for really bringing nothing but unpredictability.


Spell Selection (Up to 5th level character, so F1/War2/Sorc2)
Warlock Cantrips: Eldritch Blast, Mage Hand
1st: Hex, Burning Hands/Comprehend Languages, Charm Person/Sleep
Sorcerer Cantrips: Green Flame Blade/Booming Blade, Sword Burst, Prestidigitation, Blade Ward
1st: Shield, Burning Hands, Detect Magic

 

[mellored]

I would take tome or chain warlock with green flame blade if you going sword & board. It does just as much as thirsting blade would and gives you more stuff. Shilleghlah can also be picked up with tome, allowing you to both attack and cast with Cha.

If your going 2-handed, great weapon master + polearm master can put out serious damage with blade. Quicken and/or action surge let's you cast it and still attack.

Either way, i woulnd't worry about hex too much. Darkness + devils sight will do more damage and you have action surge / quicken to cast it.

Paladin/warlock might also work. Heavy armor, ranged and melee, and smites for nova. Though battlemaster is pretty front-loaded as well.

 

[WarpedAcorn]

When you cast Green-Flame Blade, you can activate Great Weapon Master as well right? And if you have Polearm Mastery, can you also do the bonus attack off a Green-Flame Blade?

I'm thinking yes on the first and no on the second.

 

[mellored]

When you cast Green-Flame Blade, you can activate Great Weapon Master as well right? And if you have Polearm Mastery, can you also do the bonus attack off a Green-Flame Blade?

I'm thinking yes on the first and no on the second.

Correct. Green flame blade is an attack, not an attack action.

It's not worth a feat to use GWM on green flame blade's single attack.
And polearm master's bonus attack requires an attack action.

So it's generally best to focus on one. Either 2-hander or shield.

 

[Blue]

What level are you going to be starting at? It seems that there are going to be a good number of levels where you are well behind the power curve. You'll have lower level spells, ASIs will be delayed, you're missing out on 5th class level of anything for quite some time which is usually a power multiplier because things are getting nastier. (And a lesser one at 11th.)

If you are starting at 1st, I'd build the character at 5th, 8th and 11th and see if you'll be able to hold up compared to straight-classed characters. Depending at what level you start, you'll be spending the majority of your adventuring time at levels well below 20.

One of the balance points of 5e multiclassing is you trade moving directly up in power for flexibility and options. Now, that doesn't mean it can't come together well, but you need to be careful of your path else it can lag significantly behind.

 

[WarpedAcorn]

What level are you going to be starting at? It seems that there are going to be a good number of levels where you are well behind the power curve. You'll have lower level spells, ASIs will be delayed, you're missing out on 5th class level of anything for quite some time which is usually a power multiplier because things are getting nastier. (And a lesser one at 11th.)

If you are starting at 1st, I'd build the character at 5th, 8th and 11th and see if you'll be able to hold up compared to straight-classed characters. Depending at what level you start, you'll be spending the majority of your adventuring time at levels well below 20.

One of the balance points of 5e multiclassing is you trade moving directly up in power for flexibility and options. Now, that doesn't mean it can't come together well, but you need to be careful of your path else it can lag significantly behind.

This is an excellent point and one that becomes very apparently when building the character (and writing the original post up). I've built him up to 5th level for comparisons sake (currently quietly comparing what he can do with my actual character in a home campaign). Since this will probably be for Adventurer's League, I would assume he would start at level 1. And you are completely correct that the power gain will being wonky compared to straight classes. Its definitely something to consider.