D&D 5E RogLock Build for Eberron

[PirateSwayze]

I’ve just started an Eberron campaign as a Guild Artisan Mark of Healing Halfling Rogue, with the character concept I have going MC Warlock (Hexblade). The character is a House Jorasco healer who has been lent to the Boromar Clan as part of the agreement they have, so is the soft support and face for the group (Gnome Articifer, Shifter Barbarian, Tabaxi Rogue).

DM let us roll stats and I rolled very high: 16, 16, 16, 15 15, 13. Each party member was allowed to take an uncommon magic item at creation, but part of my concept was that my rogue had worked in a joint Jorasco/Valadis medical research facility in the Mror Holds experimenting with Symbionts. In exchange for a 16 becoming a 9 and a 15 becoming an 8, I was allowed by the DM to take Dyrrn’s Tenticle Whip as my magic item. The whip will be my Hex Weapon and will talk to my character subconsciously as her patron.

After racial bonuses, my stats are 8 / 18 / 13 / 9 / 16 / 16, skill prof. in Deception, Insight, Medicine, Perception (expertise), Persuasion (expertise), and Stealth.

For Combat, planning to use the whip in Melee for sneak attacks and with Booming Blade, then Eldritch Blasts at Range. Hexblade’s curse and Hex as bonus actions. Thinking Swashbuckler but open to suggestions! Also, should I go Med. Armor and/or Shield?

I haven’t played as a warlock before and am looking for ideas about cantrips/spells that work well for a Rogue MC as well as being thematic for a character with a Symbiont/Daelkyr patron. And strategic suggestions? Specifically what order would you Level in? Was thinking Rogue 1 / Warlock 3 / Rogue 3 (use ASI on CHA) / War 1 (use ASI on CHA to get it to 20 and use it for my whip attacks over Dex). Also, what pact would work well? Leaning towards Tome to give some additions cantrips and spells.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Sounds cool. Just one thing that you mmay or may not be aware of:

For Combat, planning to use the whip in Melee for sneak attacks and with Booming Blade, then Eldritch Blasts at Range.

Note that Booming Blade has a 5ft range, not the same range as your weapon's reach.

 

[PirateSwayze]

Sounds cool. Just one thing that you mmay or may not be aware of: Note that Booming Blade has a 5ft range, not the same range as your weapon's reach.

Thank you, yes I had seen the Sage Advice on this, so the whip will be used with reach when not using Booming Blade, but will be used up close when casting BB. The Swashbuckler's Fancy Footwork, or Cunning Action, will hopefully get me in and out of close combat, but the halfling's 25ft movement definitely hampers it a bit.

Any thoughts on Light vs. Medium Armor and/or using a shield instead of an offhand weapon?

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Any thoughts on Light vs. Medium Armor and/or using a shield instead of an offhand weapon?

With that Dex, Medium Armour won't be very useful.
Are you expecting to do much casting? Keeping your offhand free for Somatic/Material components might be a better bet.
No reason that you can't carry a shield, and decide whether to use it on a combat-by-combat basis. However, I don't think that an offhand weapon will be of much use because you'll be using Booming Blade when you're within 5ft of an opponent, so you won't get an offhand attack.

 

[PirateSwayze]

Thanks very much, this is extremely helpful. You're exactly right about Booming Blade, since it's a spell attack, there is no option to use an offhand attack, and I won't be in range the rest of the time.

I likely will just be using Hex and Eldritch Blast regularly, so few Warlock spell slots means they will be used sparingly. But having the hand free for casting makes sense, and then a shield for when I know I won't be.

One area I am having trouble is deciding the order to take the Class levels, I was thinking of Rogue 1 / Warlock 3 / Rogue 4 (to get the ASI, using it for CHA) / Warlock 4 (ASI for CHA of 20, using that as my attack stat from there out from Hexblade). But not sure if that's an optimal way of doing it. And past Level 8, I don't know what class features would be most useful to target, and in what order. Or if there are feats that would be better than the ASIs.