D&D 5E [5E] OotA polearm-wielding human who can see in the dark

[Greenstone.Walker]

I've been playing a UA Ranger Dark Stalker, which has been fun, but very powerful in combat. Now that Xanathar's Guide is out I checked out the Gloom Stalker. In my opinion it sucks slightly less than the Ranger conclaves in the PHB but it still sucks.

Now I'm looking for ideas to rebuild my character.

There are some requirements:

A human who can see in the dark.
Uses a polearm (the sentient scythe Duskbringer).
Point-buy character creation, feats are allowed, no UA material.

What ideas can the forum come up with?

Thanks in advance.

 

[mellored]

The easiest way is warlock 2, with devil's sight.

Hexblade + Blade 3 let you attack with Cha if that matters. If you know battle is comming up, cast darkness for advantage.
Keep going to 5 for multi-attack, and 12 for +cha to damage, and 17 for foresight, switching to elemental weapon as your buff.
Start with Polearm master and pick up great weapon master at some point. Lots of damage, and some utility on the side.

Hexblade / paladin also works. More defense, less offense. Still use darkness for advantage of you can cast it pre-battle.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

Hexblade + Blade 3 …

I thought of that, but the sentient two-handed weapon means I can't use either of those Warlock features.


Currently, I'm looking at the following.

Celestial Warlock 3, Battlemaster Fighter 6.
This has the devils sight feature as well as being able to take advantage of the magical polearm. I'm also thinking of a Cavalier Fighter.

I'm also considering Shadow Sorcerer 3 instead of Celestial Warlock.

This is a rebuild of an existing character, so I want to keep with the current personality - an uncultured barbarian (outlander background) with few social skills who likes to get up close and personal with two-handed weapons. He's a human in the Underdark, a place where races without darkvision are very badly handicapped.

 

[TheOneGargoyle]

I thought of that, but the sentient two-handed weapon means I can't use either of those Warlock features.

I'm not sure what you're referring to there. You may have missed the bit at the end of Hex Warrior (XGtE p55) that says "If you later gain the Pact of the Blade feature, this benefit extends to every pact weapon you conjure with that feature, no matter the weapon’s type." and the bit (from the PHB 108) which says "You can transform one magic weapon into your pact weapon by performing a special ritual while you hold the weapon."

Summary, HexBlade + Pact of the Blade should work fine with your sentient scythe/polearm, you can even take the Polearm Master feat to make it better.

Here's a sample build for you if you like:

Variant Human (with DM permission), start with 15 Con & Cha, boosted to 16 with racials, and 14 Dex. Wear Scale mail and upgrade as you can afford it to Breastplate or Half Plate (depending on whether you want to stealth or not).

For invocations choose Devil's Sight at L2, Thirsting Blade and Eldritch Smite at L5 (swap whatever else you picked at L2), whatever you like at L7 & L9, and then Lifedrinker at L12.

For ASI's, start with Polearm Master at L1, bump Cha +2 at L4, then Great Weapon Master at L8 (combine with Shadow of Moil spell for advantage on attack rolls to counter the -5 to hit) and then bump Cha +2 again at L12.

This should let you do very well at the "polearm wielding human who can see in the dark" plus gives you heaps of room for flavour and out of combat stuff. Pick skills that complement the rest of your char concept (eg stealth, intimidation, deception, etc) and use your other invocations such as Ascendant Step, Mask of Many Faces, Misty Visions, One with the Shadows, Otherworldly Leap according to your character vision.

For bonus points, come up with an interesting story for your sentient weapon Patron with your DM, perhaps even tie it in to the sentient scythe you're currently wielding ? Perhaps the scythe is an aspect / avatar of your Patron from the Shadowfell (the scythe / death flavour would very much suit this) and depending on your relationship with your Patron, might either pass on messages & favour from your Patron, or perhaps always tempt you into Shadowfell type excesses, your call.

How does that sound ?

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

…Hex Warrior (XGtE p55) that says "If you later gain the Pact of the Blade feature, this benefit extends to every pact weapon you conjure with that feature, no matter the weapon’s type." and the bit (from the PHB 108) which says "You can transform one magic weapon into your pact weapon by performing a special ritual while you hold the weapon."

Later in that same paragraph in the PHB is, "You can’t affect an artifact or a sentient weapon in this way."

 

[TheOneGargoyle]

Later in that same paragraph in the PHB is, "You can’t affect an artifact or a sentient weapon in this way."

Ahh, right you are, I missed that. Thanks. Sorry, carry on then !

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I think the gloom stalker does not suck at all.
Most of the ranger's problems lie in the subclasses. The base class is not bad. Extra known spells help.

If you still think ranger sucks, fighter + 2 levels of warlock seems the way to go. I don't know what you really gain by warlock 3.

 

[theg0dc0mp13x]

Later in that same paragraph in the PHB is, "You can’t affect an artifact or a sentient weapon in this way."

I think that this is saying that you can't shunt it into an extradimensional space. Not that you can't use a sentient weapon or artifact as a pact weapon.

Edit: nvm the Hexblade specifies you have to Conjure it which you wouldn't be able to do. That's annoying.
Edit 2: and there's even a sage advice on it saying that it's not allowed.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

That's annoying.

It is, isn't it. Every other thing matches what I wanted with the character, but the sentient weapons we have (two sisters transformed inbto magic weapons then seperated for hundreds of years) are an important part of the game, so whatever I go for has to allow use of a sentient glaive.

I finally settled on a Warlock 2, Fighter 7. Charisma is a bit higher than what I wanted for the character, but that's OK.

 

[Th3g0dc0mp13x]

It is, isn't it. Every other thing matches what I wanted with the character, but the sentient weapons we have (two sisters transformed inbto magic weapons then seperated for hundreds of years) are an important part of the game, so whatever I go for has to allow use of a sentient glaive.

I finally settled on a Warlock 2, Fighter 7. Charisma is a bit higher than what I wanted for the character, but that's OK.

Personally I would talk to your DM and see if they would allow it anyway. My DM has been fairly good with this kind of thing.