D&D 5E Ranged Hexblade - Divine Sorcerer (Curse of Strahd Healer Needed)

[fredpag3]

Hello All,

I am currently playing in a Curse of Strahd campaign with some friends and am looking for some opinions on some build ideas.

In the next session, we were told to expect a level up to level 3. I'm planning on taking pact of the Blade and getting rid of agonizing blast to take improved pact weapon. (My other invocation is Mask of Many Faces) With that I want to make my pact weapon a longbow. As a 2nd level spell I'm torn between misty step and Flock of Familiars.

That being said the reason for this post comes into being. Our party currently only has one healer. So I was looking at if there was any way to help with that. One of the options I saw was to take a level in Sorcerer as a Divine Sorcerer and gain access to the cleric spell list as well as double my number of spell slots. (This also fits into the RP for the character without to much issue)

We are still currently in the murder house but as low level characters, we have already been close to death a few times so the addition of some healing especially if the cleric goes down seems helpful.

So my questions is what are your thoughts on taking a level or up to 3 in sorcerer? Taking my fourth level in sorcerer would delay my access to thirsting blade as well as elven accuracy (for Char 18) by a level. In exchange I would get Cure wounds (free) healing word, Charm person (or Feather fall), Booming Blade, Minor Illusion, Mage Hand and Thaumaturgy.

If it turns out I don't need the healing to support the party should I still take the level at lvl 4 should I delay to Level 6 or 7 or should I not take it at all?

I look forward to your thoughts and appreciate the help!

 

[fredpag3]

Looking at it some more it might actually be best to take the first level of sorcerer instead of taking the the third level of warlock. I gain the healing and just have to keep using eldritch blast for now as a ranged option for the same damage output.

 

[Dausuul]

So my questions is what are your thoughts on taking a level or up to 3 in sorcerer? Taking my fourth level in sorcerer would delay my access to thirsting blade as well as elven accuracy (for Char 18) by a level. In exchange I would get Cure wounds (free) healing word, Charm person (or Feather fall), Booming Blade, Minor Illusion, Mage Hand and Thaumaturgy.

Have you considered skipping Pact of the Blade and keeping Agonizing Blast? That is generally a much stronger path for multiclassing warlocks: Because eldritch blast keys off your character level rather than your warlock level, you keep a strong damage baseline that levels up automatically, and you can mix-and-match Charisma classes to your heart's content. You can go all-out sorlock* craziness if you want, but you can also just be a strong and versatile spellcaster putting out a steady barrage of force damage.

I know it seems weird to play a hexblade and not go Pact of the Blade, but hexblade actually has a lot of good stuff for a regular blaster-warlock. Hexblade's Curse is like hex that doesn't require concentration and can be stacked with the actual hex spell. And shield is a super-handy panic button for any spellcaster... particularly if you have some low-level sorcerer spell slots lying around, so you don't have to waste your few warlock slots on it.

If it's important to you to keep the bow, then I would stick to no more than 1 level in sorcerer until you have Thirsting Blade. You don't want to delay that damage spike more than a level; it will contribute far more to the party's survival than a few healing spells. The best healing is to kill the monster before it can deal damage.

Once you reach Thirsting Blade, you can branch out more. Due to its peculiar mechanics, warlock is very multiclass-friendly. If you like the idea of adding some divine sorcerer, go for it.

[SIZE=-2]*The sorlock is a multiclass warlock/sorcerer build where you burn most of your spell slots for sorcery points, then use those sorcery points to Quicken Spell on eldritch blast. It's like a fighter who can Action Surge for five rounds in a row. And if you find yourself in a situation where you need the spells, you can always use the slots for that instead. I leave it to your judgment whether you want to introduce this level of cheese to your campaign.[/SIZE]

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If I was D&Ding a Ravenloft game I'm not sure I would allow the sudden appearance of a Divine Sorc. If they had existed at the same time as the campaign setting they would, like clerics, have experienced significant nerfage.

I might be willing to allow a warlock to change patron from hexblade to celestial, via a roleplaying encounter with such a being.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

If I was D&Ding a Ravenloft game I'm not sure I would allow the sudden appearance of a Divine Sorc. If they had existed at the same time as the campaign setting they would, like clerics, have experienced significant nerfage.

I might be willing to allow a warlock to change patron from hexblade to celestial, via a roleplaying encounter with such a being.

Clerics aren't nerfed at all in Curse of Strahd, so I don't think divine sorcerers need any nerfing either.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Clerics aren't nerfed at all in Curse of Strahd, so I don't think divine sorcerers need any nerfing either.

It depends if you view Curse of Strahd as being in the Ravenloft campaign setting (assuming you are familiar with that in the first place).

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

It depends if you view Curse of Strahd as being in the Ravenloft campaign setting (assuming you are familiar with that in the first place).

CoS contains the only rules for Ravenloft we have in 5e, and they don't include any cleric nerfs. How the rules were for Ravenloft in previous editions isn't particularly relevant, unless you want to do an old-school homebrew.

 

[BacchusNL]

A Sorlock can be a great back-up healer, even if it's just to throw out a healing word from time to time, in between blasting stuff with Eldritch blast and twin-cast Guiding Bolts. Acces to Spiritual Weapon is great at the relevant levels, plus you can also get Revivify and be a back-up rezzer. If you wanna go deeper on the party-support then you also have the charisma for Inspiring Leader. In general you want to go deeper into sorc then warlock though (and preferbly start as a sorc for the con proffeciency, but I guess that ship has sailed). There are some great guides on the site you can check out.

Also, remember that you are not stuck with cure wounds (or other sorc-alignment spells), you can change them them to any other cleric spell when you level up.

 

[fredpag3]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

I do want to stick with the bow. I've debated it for a while now even considering taking the familiar and being a blasting warlock with a shield. But I think I want to stick with the longbow for flavor reasons.

I'm not really looking to be too cheesy with the sorlock. The group I'm playing with aren't power gamers and I don't think they would enjoy that. Plus it's not the feel I'm looking for. (Same reason I'm not doing darkness devil sight)

I was mostly looking at a few levels of sorcerer for the extra spell slots to keep hex up, use shield and still have slots for eldritch Smite.

The healing and finally the subtle casting for some fun social shenanigans. (No somatic mage hand...)

That being said like mentioned the best defense is a good offense. So I was wondering when the best time to make the addition would be without delaying that damage output to much and if people had experience on if it would even be worth it.

Also looking to take most of my levels in warlock.