Vampiring with necromancy, warlocking

[jaelis]

So what do you think of shadow blade? Seems like it fits the theme, it would trigger grim harvest. I don't think it can count as your pact weapon, but you can use it in your main hand and summon a scimitar or something for your offhand to TWF. And getting advantage in dim light/darkness seems like something you could take advantage of.

Have to check with your DM to see if you can apply your Hex Warrior ability to a shadow blade, but I would let you.

Using your concentration slot is a bummer though.

 

[Warpiglet]

So what do you think of shadow blade? Seems like it fits the theme, it would trigger grim harvest. I don't think it can count as your pact weapon, but you can use it in your main hand and summon a scimitar or something for your offhand to TWF. And getting advantage in dim light/darkness seems like something you could take advantage of.

Have to check with your DM to see if you can apply your Hex Warrior ability to a shadow blade, but I would let you.

Using your concentration slot is a bummer though.

I think this is a good spell to use--thematic and perfect if I was to need to harvest some healing while fighting!

My take on this would be that you could use it as a charisma based weapon in lieu of another. Not sure if I would want to give that up however.

I will keep it in mind though and have a one handed weapon always with me should I want to go two handed with the spell. That would be pretty cool!

 

[neogod22]

I could in fact go for the chain pact...or ask for a pet. The former might be a better idea. However, I really wanted to see if I could play a melee centric warlock

The story is that the character's family (a barony) and the lord's advisor (a wizard) are killed. The character dabbled in warlock powers against the wizard's council before this. Being a chance taker, the character becomes obsessed with contacting the dead. The character sees a dark shape which advises him (from the shadowfell) and thinks it is a perhaps a lost relative (might be something more sinister...mind those quija boards!). Crows/ravens visit him often and he thinks this is a manifestation of the kindly old wizard.

So...I was going to have a "normal" familiar--a raven--and have the character seem? to talk to him and get council even though no one else hears anything. It was more a roleplaying thing. Technically yes, a DM granted pet would work.

Secondarily, in addition to warlocking, the character was in a secret order of Wee Jas. So it all started coming together...multiclass warlock and wizard, get familiar, gain necromancer powers and the whole story comes full circle.

THEN I was looking for ways this might be leveraged for effectiveness in combat...

There are simply limitations. I just noted grim harvest only works ONCE A TURN and so it will not be any kind of character defining ability.

I avoided pact of the chain for one reason. It sucks. Sure you can get an imp or quasit familiar that can transform into a raven, bit you can get the same with the normal find familiar spell later in your adventure, whether you run across one in your gaming, or you cast a spell to summon one. The improved familiars may seem strong in tier 1, when you don't really fight creatures immune to poison, or are very strong in general, they fall off real quick, and then are only useful as normal familiars and spying. Also, you only want a raven.

I suggested Raven Queen Pact, because you'll get a special raven familiar at level one, that can grant you abilities beyond a familiar. Look it up in UA. Also, you still would be able to do pact of the blade, since the raven isn't a pact defining thing.

I suggested pact of the tome, because you aren't playing in AL. While like pact of the chain, if you take the book of shadows invocation and find familiar as a ritual spell, you can have the raven familiar. But you also get 3 extra cantrips, which good include green flame blade and booming blade which should make up for your lack of an extra attack.

If you plan on multiclassing into wizard regardless, then just go 5 levels as a warlock first. It's less of a power drop to use lvls 6 and 7 for wizard than 4 and 5.

 

[Warpiglet]

I avoided pact of the chain for one reason. It sucks. Sure you can get an imp or quasit familiar that can transform into a raven, bit you can get the same with the normal find familiar spell later in your adventure, whether you run across one in your gaming, or you cast a spell to summon one. The improved familiars may seem strong in tier 1, when you don't really fight creatures immune to poison, or are very strong in general, they fall off real quick, and then are only useful as normal familiars and spying. Also, you only want a raven.

I suggested Raven Queen Pact, because you'll get a special raven familiar at level one, that can grant you abilities beyond a familiar. Look it up in UA. Also, you still would be able to do pact of the blade, since the raven isn't a pact defining thing.

I suggested pact of the tome, because you aren't playing in AL. While like pact of the chain, if you take the book of shadows invocation and find familiar as a ritual spell, you can have the raven familiar. But you also get 3 extra cantrips, which good include green flame blade and booming blade which should make up for your lack of an extra attack.

If you plan on multiclassing into wizard regardless, then just go 5 levels as a warlock first. It's less of a power drop to use lvls 6 and 7 for wizard than 4 and 5.

Honestly, the other reason I was interested in wizard was for rituals. Pact of the tome would supply those as well.

Not sure why, but was trying to go PHB+1 and hence avoided GFB/BB. Its a home campaign, so I guess that rule does not apply. Will have to consider that route a bit more. Likely to stay pact of the blade so as to be able to use two handed weapon with CHR. However, think I agree on delaying the multiclassing...level 5 is a choice level especially for blade pact.

 

[jaelis]

My take on this would be that you could use it as a charisma based weapon in lieu of another. Not sure if I would want to give that up however.

Remember that your pact weapon always counts for the hex warrior benefit, plus you have one other weapon that you touch. So TWFing with a pact weapon plus shadow blade will work, as long as the DM rules you can use shadow blade with hex warrior.

TWF is also particularly effective against a target of your hexblade's curse.

 

[Warpiglet]

Remember that your pact weapon always counts for the hex warrior benefit, plus you have one other weapon that you touch. So TWFing with a pact weapon plus shadow blade will work, as long as the DM rules you can use shadow blade with hex warrior.

TWF is also particularly effective against a target of your hexblade's curse.

well I had not given that a ton of thought, but you are right. Each would get the prof bonus on a hit.