D&D 5E [GUIDE] The Sorlock – Guide to the tormented divine soul with Xanathar's Divine Soul(17)+Hexblade(3) [Updated 12/20/21]

[Obliza]

I have a problem with your numbers. Namely that the big numbers you throw around have no bearing on the build since they require outside sources of Bless and advantage.

It's also not sustainable even if you have those. You have three competing uses for your bonus action: Hex, Hexblade's Curse (when available), and Quicken Spell.
Round one you're only going to have one of those. Round two you'll have the other, but it's not until round 3 you do the peak damage, at which point the target may or may not have already been killed by other party members, so you're back to using your bonus action for Hex, and you've lost the Curse.

I'm not sure where you find the problem

AC 20 with +11 to Hit

Eldritch Blast for 4d10+20 at 60% Chance to Hit for 25.2 aDPR
Quicken 2x Eldritch Blast for 8d10+40 at 60% Chance to Hit for 50 aDPR
Quicken 2x Eldritch Blast + Hex for 8d10+8d6+40 at 60% Chance to Hit for 67.2 aDPR
Quicken 2x Eldritch Blast + Advantage for 8d10+40 at 84% Chance to Hit for 71 aDPR
Quicken 2x Eldritch Blast + Elven Accuracy for 8d10+40 at 93.6% Chance to Hit for 78 aDPR

The damage is respectable at all levels. The damage is absurd from round 3.
As originally stated the build is a boss killer. It is not designed to kill 20 CR 1 enemies its designed to kill 1 CR 20 enemy.

As to your point on bonus actions I would suggest reading the thread as it's already covered.

Boss Damage Combinations at Max Level
Your ability to take down large single targets is unmatched. While an action surge GWM/SS will beat you for two rounds your sustained damage is simply absurd.

Because Hexblade Curse and Hex are both bonus actions it takes you three rounds to come online.

Round 1, Eldritch Blast + Hexblade Curse for 4d10+44 for for 66 average damage before hit chance.
Round 2, Eldritch Blast + Hex for 4d10+4d6+44 for 80 average damage before hit chance.
Round 3, Quicken 2x Eldritch Blast for 8d10+8d6+88 for 160 aDPR before hit chance.

When running out of spell slots and sorcerery points you can cast spiritual weapon at base or higher levels.
Eldritch Blast & Spiritual Weapon 2nd level 4d10+1d8+4d6+56 for 96 aDPR before hit chance.
Eldritch Blast & Spiritual Weapon 7th level 4d10+4d8+4d6+56 for 110 aDPR before hit chance.

 

[Yunru]

I'm not sure where you find the problem

The problem is that you're not nova'ing until round 3. At which point most things will be injured to the point where going nova will be overkill.
It also requires two turns of set up versus the single target, that target gets removed from combat and you're down Hexblade's Curse (and Hex, if it didn't die).

I also have issue with simply saying "advantage is easy to get". It's not. Not for ranged attacks at least. Unless you got a buddy casting Greater Invisibility on you, or the room to freely use darkness, there's no consistent source of advantage for EB.

The damage is respectable at all levels. The damage is absurd from round 3.

Is it? The table's a nice level 17+ damage count, but note that the highest repeatable without outside help is 67.2 aDPR. At lower levels the damage gets weaker and weaker as Hex and Curse give you less and less return for your investment.

As originally stated the build is a boss killer. It is not designed to kill 20 CR 1 enemies its designed to kill 1 CR 20 enemy.

Oh it'll kill 1 boss. If the boss isn't already killed.

To contrast, a Sorcerer 9/Warlock 9/Fighter 2 has thrown out the Curse and two Scorching Rays in the first turn.
That's 24d6+132 for 216 average damage before hit chance.

Admittedly yours could too with just two levels of Fighter (which you're against, wtf?), but the point I'm trying to make is nova damage has to be at the start of combat to be useful.



EDIT: Oh and of course for the builds I recommend looking at Scorching Ray over EB when you're moving Hex or Cursing a target, if you've the spell slots.

 

[Obliza]

Hmm interesting points. Admittedly I dismissed scorching ray when it was ruled to not work with dragon sorcerer in the first errata. I also agree with the impact of first round novas. However there are many other builds capable of extreme novas. The selling point of this build is primarily the sustained damage throughout multiple rounds past three. I'd probably have to look more closely at levels 8-16 for theory-crafting as opposed to level 20.

As for the two levels in fighter I've got a list somewhere of the pros cons but the additional eldritch blast for one round was not worth the cost.

 

[Yunru]

As for the two levels in fighter I've got a list somewhere of the pros cons but the additional eldritch blast for one round was not worth the cost.

But that's where Scorching Ray comes in. Hexblade's Curse isn't a spell, so you can Curse and double cast a levelled spell.

Of course, this ties into Scorching Ray going unnoticed.

 

[Avernum]

The problem is that you're not nova'ing until round 3. At which point most things will be injured to the point where going nova will be overkill.
It also requires two turns of set up versus the single target, that target gets removed from combat and you're down Hexblade's Curse (and Hex, if it didn't die).

I also have issue with simply saying "advantage is easy to get". It's not. Not for ranged attacks at least. Unless you got a buddy casting Greater Invisibility on you, or the room to freely use darkness, there's no consistent source of advantage for EB.


Is it? The table's a nice level 17+ damage count, but note that the highest repeatable without outside help is 67.2 aDPR. At lower levels the damage gets weaker and weaker as Hex and Curse give you less and less return for your investment.


Oh it'll kill 1 boss. If the boss isn't already killed.

To contrast, a Sorcerer 9/Warlock 9/Fighter 2 has thrown out the Curse and two Scorching Rays in the first turn.
That's 24d6+132 for 216 average damage before hit chance.

Admittedly yours could too with just two levels of Fighter (which you're against, wtf?), but the point I'm trying to make is nova damage has to be at the start of combat to be useful.



EDIT: Oh and of course for the builds I recommend looking at Scorching Ray over EB when you're moving Hex or Cursing a target, if you've the spell slots.

Is a two level dip in fighter worth giving up level 9 spells (aka Wish?). You'd lose the ability to make a simulacrum with wish and have another source of damage.

 

[Yunru]

The Wish you're not getting until level 20 (18 at earliest without just being a normal Sorcerer for 17 levels)?
Yeah I'd say the nova potential from level 12 onwards is worth it.

 

[Avernum]

The Wish you're not getting until level 20 (18 at earliest without just being a normal Sorcerer for 17 levels)?
Yeah I'd say the nova potential from level 12 onwards is worth it.

You can't get Wish period because it requires Sorc level 17 at a minimum to access level 9 spell slots. Warlock is NOT considered a spellcasting class and does not benefit from the multiclass spell slot table.

You would only get up to level 5 spells slots going 9 sorc/9 warlock/2 fighter. You need a minimum of level 17 in sorc to access lvl 9 spells.

You either have to choose action surge or Wish.

 

[Revaros]

Guiding bolt is better bang for buck than scorching ray.

 

[Avernum]

Guiding bolt is better bang for buck than scorching ray.

No it's not.

The reason you take scorching ray or EB is for the multiple hits, each of which triggers hexblade curse + hex. A level 9 scorching ray shoots out 10 seperate hits, each of which triggers curse+hex. And you can quicken it twice.

Guiding bolt is probably one of the worst spell attacks to pick for a Sorlock.

 

[Revaros]

No it's not.

The reason you take scorching ray or EB is for the multiple hits, each of which triggers hexblade curse + hex. A level 9 scorching ray shoots out 10 seperate hits, each of which triggers curse+hex. And you can quicken it twice.

Guiding bolt is probably one of the worst spell attacks to pick for a Sorlock.

You're right. I thought the Scorching Ray Errata had killed all bonus damage/modifiers for each hit.