Need help on Hexblade build !!!

[Grondsmash]

My 5th level Sorlock (Shadow/Celestial) just gained a 4th level Warrior from the Deck of Many Things. The DM has ruled not only it has to be 1/2 elf Drow, like me, but also a Warlock too.

Multi-Classing is OK, most the party is, one way or another. ASI's are rationally at Character Level, not Class Level.
Prefer more tank than dps, if possible, DM likes to kill off the front line.
No limit on patron, but Hexblade, Celestial or Archfey will work thematically.
All books are OK, except world books like Strahd or Eberron but does have the Underdark, DM doesn't read and House Rules Erratas, so original printing is in play.
We roll stats and I got 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, no joke!

With a 1/2 Drow, I was thinking:
Str 13
Dex 18
Con 18
Int 14
Wis 15
Cha 19 (20 with E.A. Feat)

Take Elven Accuracy at 4th?
Was thinking of using Cha for melee, so Sword and Board...?

 

[Blue]

My 5th level Sorlock (Shadow/Celestial) just gained a 4th level Warrior from the Deck of Many Things. The DM has ruled not only it has to be 1/2 elf Drow, like me, but also a Warlock too.

Multi-Classing is OK, most the party is, one way or another. ASI's are rationally at Character Level, not Class Level.
Prefer more tank than dps, if possible, DM likes to kill off the front line.
No limit on patron, but Hexblade, Celestial or Archfey will work thematically.
All books are OK, except world books like Strahd or Eberron but does have the Underdark, DM doesn't read and House Rules Erratas, so original printing is in play.
We roll stats and I got 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, no joke!

With a 1/2 Drow, I was thinking:
Str 13
Dex 18
Con 18
Int 14
Wis 15
Cha 19 (20 with E.A. Feat)

Take Elven Accuracy at 4th?
Was thinking of using Cha for melee, so Sword and Board...?

Great googly moogly. Really nice rolls so you can ignose ASIs for feats, plus one of the balance points of multiclassing removed. That can be a killer "warrior".

I'd be really tempted to go for pact of the blade as well because you can use CHR with your pact weapon regardless of category (it's split onto the next page in XGtE) and eventually taking GWM - big weapons do more on crits even before then, and when you get GWM any crit gives another attack. Plus the standard -5/+10 for use of opponents depending on AC. But that assumes you have a decent source of advantage in the first place. Could go Darkness + Devil invocation, but sometimes that's party unfriendly. Pact of the Blade can also give you your Extra attack (with your pact blade only) with an invocation, so it's worth staying until 5th - anything else will slow it down.

With the DEX focus you could go for a Shadow Blade build, but unfortunately Shadow Blade being created from a spell is not a weapon you can touch after a long rest and get your Hex Warrior CHR to attack with. And you'd need to multiclass to eventually get Extra Attack.

Playing with the stats: S 13 D 17 (16+1) C 16 (15+1) I 18 W 14 C 20 (17+2+1 (EA)). You could go Hexblade 1 / Wizard (Bladesinger) 3. Gives you +INT to AC & Concentration checks when bladesinging (2 per short rest). Dex and CON mod are both down by 1 though. Bladesinger 6 gives extra attack.

And of course, Hexblade & Paladin is the power combo with your ASI/feat rules. Run everything off CHR and just go to town. Eventually love those auras.

These all assume the Warrior will level. If not, then extra attack is forever out of your grasp and I'd go differently.

 

[Ava/sh I.]

If you want to tank then going sword and board and multiclassing into bladesinger (Hexblade 1/Wizard X) is the way to go, with the extra ability to cast Shield from wizard spell slots and the boost to AC from Bladesinging, and using GFB/BB to attack. Would need to pick up the War Caster feat in order to be able to cast spells while using a sword and shield.

 

[Esker]

If you want to tank then going sword and board and multiclassing into bladesinger (Hexblade 1/Wizard X) is the way to go, with the extra ability to cast Shield from wizard spell slots and the boost to AC from Bladesinging, and using GFB/BB to attack. Would need to pick up the War Caster feat in order to be able to cast spells while using a sword and shield.

Bladesingers can't use bladesong if they're wearing medium armor or using a shield, unfortunately. You'll have the DEX for studded leather to be just as good as a breastplate, so foregoing the medium armor isn't a big deal, but trading away a shield for a sometimes-on +2 AC doesn't really make you any tankier (though it does free up a hand). Still could be worth going bladesinger though if you rearrange your stats; maybe like so:

Str 13
Dex 18+1 (+1 elven accuracy)
Con 16
Int 17+1
Wis 15
Cha 14+2

Now your bladesong gets you to 21 AC. You could still go Hexblade, ignore Hex Warrior, and use a shadow blade. The expanded crit range from Hexblade's curse is lovely with Elven Accuracy and Shadow Blade. Or go Archfey and mix up frightening creatures to impose disadvantage on their attacks (which is a form of "tanking") with some attacking or wizardly battlefield control.

 

[Grondsmash]

But doesn't Wizard, with the horrible d6 for hp, just exacerbate the low hp problem?
You talk of higher AC, but 21 is only one point better than the 20 AC of most other builds with these stats.
And all the spells are now on the once per long rest...

 

[Esker]

But doesn't Wizard, with the horrible d6 for hp, just exacerbate the low hp problem?
You talk of higher AC, but 21 is only one point better than the 20 AC of most other builds with these stats.
And all the spells are now on the once per long rest...

You're definitely giving up some HP relative to a single-classed warlock, and especially relative to a warlock/paladin. But as for AC, 21 is just the base with bladesong on; you also have up to nineish spell slots per day that can be used for Shield (figuring three pact magic slots/day with short rests), which gets your AC up to 26 for those rounds.

A single classed Hexblade can have an AC of 19 at level 4 and sixish total spell slots per day if they take disadvantage on stealth by wearing half-plate (assuming they can even afford it) and they occupy their offhand with a shield. Presumably off-hand shield requires war caster (at least if you want to be able to use a weapon and the shield spell), meaning no elven accuracy.

A Hexblade 1/Paladin 3 can have AC 20 with plate mail (even more expensive) and a shield, with six total spell slots, and no 2nd level spells. Probably also needs war caster.

Combining Warlock and Bladesinger isn't something I'd normally recommend, since the stats are spread so thin, but with those rolls it becomes better, at least given the constraints in play. As far as filling a tanking role, yes, the low HP is a concern. But it's also possible to trade away some AC for some HP (for example by taking INT down to 16 in order to boost CON, or leave INT and DEX at 18 and take Tough or Resilient CON instead of Elven Accuracy). I'm not claiming it's the best choice within your constraints, but I think it's at least viable. The main things it offers are near full caster progression with a great spell list, getting good AC without needing a shield, freeing up your ASI, and not being locked in to Hexblade for good defense.

 

[Esker]

Of course if you want to go all-in on tanking, you could just go Warlock 1 / Barbarian 3. You'd just have to figure out spell choices that you won't need to use during combat (could be non-concentration buffs or utility).

 

[Blue]

Of course if you want to go all-in on tanking, you could just go Warlock 1 / Barbarian 3. You'd just have to figure out spell choices that you won't need to use during combat (could be non-concentration buffs or utility).

Barbarians don't have enough rages to have it up the majority of combat at low levels. Planning on say one rage and one warlock-slot driven combat per short rest works out to extend them.

 

[Esker]

Barbarians don't have enough rages to have it up the majority of combat at low levels. Planning on say one rage and one warlock-slot driven combat per short rest works out to extend them.

Fair point.

 

[Grondsmash]

Bladesinger my be one of your personal favorites, but doesn't make sense in this instance. So, I get Shield from being a Hexblade, so I don't need wizard levels. Making an necessarily MAD character by wasting a high ability stat in Intelligence just doesn't seem logical. And using a HP die that is lower than some spellcasters while only providing 1 more point of AC seems rather "anti-warrior" and illogical.

Hexblades and Paladins can cast while wielding, so don't need Warcaster.

Barbarian doesn't really work here either.

Paladin/Hexblade/Sword Bard, Sword & board
can cast while wielding, so don't need to waste getting Warcaster.
Have Flourishes to go with Shield, non-magical base AC 22
Although only two attacks, have lots of slots to smite, eldritch and/or divine.
I highly recommend the combo