Green Flame, Booming Blade as go to

[Warpiglet]

Hello All,

So I have often discussed and designed melee focused warlocks. All have been blade pact. None have taken fighter at first. I am a rebel like that.

A typical suggestion is that I used Eldritch blast. Here is the deal: I find it cookie cutter and boring as a main attack and likewise do not like bowmen either. It is just my own hangup.

I had a fiend pact warlock X3 reach 4th or 5th. Campaigns failed. I have a hexblade now. But I am thinking about a Celestial Patron. Now it gets weird here...

I have never taken a monstrous race but am enchanted by the hobgoblin in Volos. I want to play one with a celestial patron.

I would possibly go tome for the first time for flavor. Basically, the character would be recruited to be the herald for an Angel's plans. Thaumaturgy and a horn seems like a fun combo. Mask of many faces would help him do his prophet work in human/unfirendly settings.

However, I want to melee. I will have 2 martial weapons (likely greatsword). How much help would greenflame blade/booming blade be for a single greatsword attack? I will add that at 6th level I can double CHR bonus to damage with a flame blade due to subclass feature (fire/radiant damage).

Or if I want to fight is this folly? Maybe I have to do blade pact again...don't have to be optimized, but obviously don't want to totally suck either...

 

[Irda Ranger]

Building a warlock around GFB or BB isn't a terrible idea, but I wouldn't do it the way you're doing it. The GFB and BB cantrips were made for the Bladesinger, another gish with a single blade attack per round. They're fine for that. Your problem will be AC. If your secondary stat is strength (for greatsword) but you're stuck with light armor and no shield ... you see the issue?

I'd put your second-best stat in dex and go with a scimitar. Consider the mage armor Invocation and a level in some class that gives you shield proficiency. Or two levels in rogue would be strong. The sneak attack would stack with GFB damage and with Disengage as a bonus action you can bob and weave around the tankier members of your party.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Or the Mobile feat, as it lets you not bother disengaging most of the time.

 

[Warpiglet]

Building a warlock around GFB or BB isn't a terrible idea, but I wouldn't do it the way you're doing it. The GFB and BB cantrips were made for the Bladesinger, another gish with a single blade attack per round. They're fine for that. Your problem will be AC. If your secondary stat is strength (for greatsword) but you're stuck with light armor and no shield ... you see the issue?

I'd put your second-best stat in dex and go with a scimitar. Consider the mage armor Invocation and a level in some class that gives you shield proficiency. Or two levels in rogue would be strong. The sneak attack would stack with GFB damage and with Disengage as a bonus action you can bob and weave around the tankier members of your party.

I have never not armored up. Have taken moderately armored previously. This time might go armor of shadows and focus on self healing. Later, I think tomb of levistus is great. i hate to use slots for armor of agathys but there is that.

some of this (not the actual point of my post) is an experiment of hit points over armor class. I think surviving lower levels will be the key. I am playing a game of absorbing and taking damage. He also may die by level 2! I was inspired by all of the healing etc of celestial patron etc.

this may really crash and burn! or I might eke out an existence with a tale to tell.

as to dex...I rarely use finesse weapons and prefer strength and con for the image. I realize dex is the god stat but again, I am a rebel. I also like d12s which I am told suck terribly compared to 2d6. I like surviving with the less common...

 

[Warpiglet]

Or the Mobile feat, as it lets you not bother disengaging most of the time.

I actually am looking into this for the first time ever. thanks.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

A warlock of the tome can learn Shillelagh, so can use their Cha stat in combat. If your DM is kind they might even let you cast it on your spell focus staff. GFB synergises well with Celestial warlock, since they (eventually) get to add their charisma (again) to fire damage spells.

 

[Warpiglet]

Or the Mobile feat, as it lets you not bother disengaging most of the time.

Actually this really would be interesting with booming blade in particular. Hit move and wait for a second boom.

 

[Irda Ranger]

My current DMPC in the one-on-one game I'm running for my son is a Celestial warlock, but I took the more traditional route of a 1st level dip into Fighter for the heavy armor and Con saves. He's been front line the whole time though, and the Healing Light has been superb. It's like have three mini-Second Winds.

I took Hellish Rebuke over Armor of Agathys though. I can spam Fiendish Vigor for 8 THP whenever I want them, and the fire damage from Hellish Rebuke benefits from the Celestial Patron damage bonus.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Hypothetically, you might overcome the AC issues of a greatsword wielder with the Barkskin spell.

 

[Warpiglet]

My current DMPC in the one-on-one game I'm running for my son is a Celestial warlock, but I took the more traditional route of a 1st level dip into Fighter for the heavy armor and Con saves. He's been front line the whole time though, and the Healing Light has been superb. It's like have three mini-Second Winds.

I took Hellish Rebuke over Armor of Agathys though. I can spam Fiendish Vigor for 8 THP whenever I want them, and the fire damage from Hellish Rebuke benefits from the Celestial Patron damage bonus.

did not think about that with hellish rebuke! good catch. however, if I go with poor AC, will probably have to stick with triple tactic, of self heal, armor of agathys and tomb of levistus.

the other thought was to start as paladin or cleric as it would be RP appropriate. First I want to see if I can do it single classed because I really love doing it within a class if I can with race and feats. this might be too tall of an order.