D&D 5E (2024) Spell Fire Smiter. Ultimate Smite.

[Zardnaar]

So a Zard concept build. The basic engine works well enough. Playable from lvl 1. Basic build is Celestial Warlock 6, Devotion Paladin 3. Personally I woukd go Warlock 1-6 first but I can see a Paladin splash.

The Warlocks also the best spellcaster tier 1. Smooth and easy. Builds not to specific so you can take any origin feat.
Key stuff you need.

Agonizing Blast: true strike.
Eldritch Smite (eventually)
Spellfire Adept feat
Radiant Soul (lvl 6 Celestial Warlock)
Sacred Weapon (Oath of Devotion 3)

How you get to lvl 9 is up to you. I would probably go controller 1-6. Basic idea is stacking charisma damage.

True strike. Charisma to hit and damage.
Agonizing blast. Charisma to damage.
Radiant soul charisma to damage.
Sacred weapon. Damage to hit. We are only doing one attack.

Once Paladin levels come into it we want to start looking at comboing Eldritch Smite with Paladin Smite. Spellfire Adept can add up to two of your hit dice to damage. That's potentially 2d8 or 2d10. Much like a Smite you can do it after crit.

Base Damage lvl 6.
1d8+12+1d6 (hex)+1d6 (potentially shillelagh for 1d10)
Eldritch Smite 4d8
Spellfire adept. 2d8.

If you crit. 14d8, 4d6+12.

Lvl 9. +12 to hit. Add weapon style if relevant.

Smites lvl 1. (paladin).
Extra 2d8

Lvl 11 Pal 4/Warlock 7?)
True strike hits 2d6
Shillelagh becomes 1d12
Lvl4 smites
Charisma Becomes +5 (+15 damage).
Base Damage
1d12,+2d6, 1d6 hex, +15.

Work in progress. Thoughts?

 

[ECMO3]

So a Zard concept build. The basic engine works well enough. Playable from lvl 1. Basic build is Celestial Warlock 6, Devotion Paladin 3. Personally I woukd go Warlock 1-6 first but I can see a Paladin splash.

The Warlocks also the best spellcaster tier 1. Smooth and easy. Builds not to specific so you can take any origin feat.
Key stuff you need.

Agonizing Blast: true strike.
Eldritch Smite (eventually)
Spellfire Adept feat
Radiant Soul (lvl 6 Celestial Warlock)
Sacred Weapon (Oath of Devotion 3)

How you get to lvl 9 is up to you. I would probably go controller 1-6. Basic idea is stacking charisma damage.

True strike. Charisma to hit and damage.
Agonizing blast. Charisma to damage.
Radiant soul charisma to damage.
Sacred weapon. Damage to hit. We are only doing one attack.

Once Paladin levels come into it we want to start looking at comboing Eldritch Smite with Paladin Smite. Spellfire Adept can add up to two of your hit dice to damage. That's potentially 2d8 or 2d10. Much like a Smite you can do it after crit.

Base Damage lvl 6.
1d8+12+1d6 (hex)+1d6 (potentially shillelagh for 1d10)
Eldritch Smite 4d8
Spellfire adept. 2d8.

If you crit. 14d8, 4d6+12.

Lvl 9. +12 to hit. Add weapon style if relevant.

Smites lvl 1. (paladin).
Extra 2d8

Lvl 11 Pal 4/Warlock 7?)
True strike hits 2d6
Shillelagh becomes 1d12
Lvl4 smites
Charisma Becomes +5 (+15 damage).
Base Damage
1d12,+2d6, 1d6 hex, +15.

Work in progress. Thoughts?

I think it works. It will be a bonus action starved with Shillelagh though. I think you should forgoe Shillelagh on this build and use a Greataxe (with Cleave). That gives you 1d12 for the weapon damage right from level 1.

 

[Zardnaar]

I think it works. It will be a bonus action starved with Shillelagh though. I think you should forgoe Shillelagh on this build and use a Greataxe (with Cleave). That gives you 1d12 for the weapon damage right from level 1.

Yeah ive been having that thought.
How much do i care about an extra 1 or two damage hmmmnn.

 

[mellored]

Don't see how your can get Hex running if your bonus action smites.
Nor why you would really need it with 1 attack Truestrike.

 

[Zardnaar]

Don't see how your can get Hex running if your bonus action smites.
Nor why you would really need it with 1 attack Truestrike.

You don't have that many spells. More boss fight. Hex obe round, EB unleash next round.

Still want a plan B.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Keep sacred flame for a backup option, but other than managing spell slots it should work pretty well.

(I have a similar build on the shelf stacking celestial warlock and gold dragon sorcerer, adding Radiant Soul and Elemental Affinity to agonizing blast for triple Cha to fire bolt or quadruple cha to greenflame blade. It tested well in a short campaign once but deserves another, longer run in the future.)

 

[Mephista]

Assuming 1 short rest... that's 7 spell slots a day reserved entirely for smiting. 9 with the free Divine Smite cast and warlock recharge.

Compare to single class paladin - 10 spell smites at level 9; the multiclass has more level 3 slots, admittedly, but no level 2 slots, and 1 less level 1 smite; the multi-class functionally has only 1d8 extra damage across the entire day from smites compared to a single classed paladin. Extra Attack vs True Strike is roughly a wash, mathematically, not counting any extra damage from a magical weapon.

The only real advantage the multiclass has is that you can nova two smites a round instead of spreading the damage out across the assumed 12 rounds of combat a day. It has the marked disadvantage of losing out on a feat, free mount, two aura effects, and the Abjure Foes Channel Divinity action. If you take Charger or Great Weapon Master, that shifts the damage potential per day in favor of the single-class paladin over the multi-class.

I'm uncertain what 3 eldritch invocations you'd take to offset that loss - I don't know what the the best options would be, maybe pick up Chain, take its upgrade, and perhaps Gaze of Two Minds? Repelling Blast on True Stike?

You don't have that many spells. More boss fight. Hex obe round, EB unleash next round.

Still want a plan B.

You want to save your spellslots for smiting, as that's the whole point of the build. Using it for Hex is a waste. If you got hex from another source (Shadowmoor Hexer comes to mind) that's one thing, but even that feels a waste. Warlock by default doesn't get CON saves and you're suggesting going into melee. Not a good combination.




In the end, I'd say the multiclass is viable to play, but fundamentally a one trick pony and utimately weaker than a pure paladin of equal level.

 

[mellored]

You don't have that many spells. More boss fight. Hex obe round, EB unleash next round.

Still want a plan B.

Why not just Truestrike?
You don't get the oath of devotion bonus for EB.

 

[ECMO3]

Assuming 1 short rest... that's 7 spell slots a day reserved entirely for smiting. 9 with the free Divine Smite cast and warlock recharge.

At Paladin 4/Warlock 5 it is 7 smites with no short rest, and 3 of them are 3rd level slots (Paladin's Smite, 3 1st level spell slots, 2 Pact Slots, Magical Cunning)

Then it is two more 3rd level smites for each short rest.

An 9th level Paladin is 5 1st, 3 2nd, 2 3rd.

I would say that is generally going to favor the Warlock, although not by much

The only real advantage the multiclass has is that you can nova two smites a round instead of spreading the damage out across the assumed 12 rounds of combat a day.

They stack with Spellfire Adept which is 4d10+5d8 per day at 9th level and you can use spellfire adept on ranged weapon attacks.

I think this outruns a single class Paladin by quite a bit because of this.

It has the marked disadvantage of losing out on a feat, free mount, two aura effects, and the Abjure Foes Channel Divinity action. If you take Charger or Great Weapon Master, that shifts the damage potential per day in favor of the single-class paladin over the multi-class.

I don't think the damage per day generally will shift in favor of the single classed PC generally. The base damage is similar if you assume similar weapons and the multiclass character is doing significantly more additional damage due to better smites and spellfire spark.

Using a 2d6 weapon and an 18 Charisma you are at 3d6+12 base damage at level 9. A Paladin using extra attack is 4d6+10 with a 20 Strength. Use a weapon with lower base damage and the Warlock is doing better.

Now the Paladin does have the extra feat at level 8 and 9 and as you alluded to GWM would make that 4d6+18, but most of that is BPS, while the Warlock can choose between a variety of damage types (weapon, Psychic, Necrotic, Radiant or possibly Force) and GWM really locks you into a heavy weapon. The Warlock can also take that same feat 2 levels later too.

I'm uncertain what 3 eldritch invocations you'd take to offset that loss - I don't know what the the best options would be, maybe pick up Chain, take its upgrade, and perhaps Gaze of Two Minds? Repelling Blast on True Stike?

You have 5 Invocations at 5th level. 2 are spoken for (Pact of Tome, Eldritch Strike, Agonizing Truestrike). For the other two, I think you take Pact of the Blade for good AOOs and damage versatility then Lessons of the First Ones twice for another origin feats.

You want to save your spellslots for smiting, as that's the whole point of the build. Using it for Hex is a waste.

I think you get Hex at level 10 from Fey Touched.

In the end, I'd say the multiclass is viable to play, but fundamentally a one trick pony and ultimately weaker than a pure paladin of equal level.

This class has a ton of versatility, a lot more than a single class Paladin IMO.

It is great on melee attacks, grab a Crossbow and it is great on Ranged attacks too (I do not particularly like EB when you have Agonizing Truestrike).

You have 2 1st level ritual spells from any class, 8 cantrips (including 2 from any class list), 7d6 Healing in addition to your 15 hit points of Lay on Hands, 7 Warlock spells, 3 Paladin spells PLUS Aid, Cure Wounds, Lessor Restoration, Guiding Bolt, Daylight and Revivify.

 

[Zardnaar]

Assuming 1 short rest... that's 7 spell slots a day reserved entirely for smiting. 9 with the free Divine Smite cast and warlock recharge.

Compare to single class paladin - 10 spell smites at level 9; the multiclass has more level 3 slots, admittedly, but no level 2 slots, and 1 less level 1 smite; the multi-class functionally has only 1d8 extra damage across the entire day from smites compared to a single classed paladin. Extra Attack vs True Strike is roughly a wash, mathematically, not counting any extra damage from a magical weapon.

The only real advantage the multiclass has is that you can nova two smites a round instead of spreading the damage out across the assumed 12 rounds of combat a day. It has the marked disadvantage of losing out on a feat, free mount, two aura effects, and the Abjure Foes Channel Divinity action. If you take Charger or Great Weapon Master, that shifts the damage potential per day in favor of the single-class paladin over the multi-class.

I'm uncertain what 3 eldritch invocations you'd take to offset that loss - I don't know what the the best options would be, maybe pick up Chain, take its upgrade, and perhaps Gaze of Two Minds? Repelling Blast on True Stike?


You want to save your spellslots for smiting, as that's the whole point of the build. Using it for Hex is a waste. If you got hex from another source (Shadowmoor Hexer comes to mind) that's one thing, but even that feels a waste. Warlock by default doesn't get CON saves and you're suggesting going into melee. Not a good combination.




In the end, I'd say the multiclass is viable to play, but fundamentally a one trick pony and utimately weaker than a pure paladin of equal level.

I wouldn't be assuming 1 short rest. Prayer of healing grants another. You might get 2-3 and 5.5 classes get more short rest abilities.

The builds a lot more versatile than paladins. They stink at range. This can switch to true strike crossbow or EB+hex.

You also get all the invovations. Lower levels probably pact of the chain or multiple origin feats or 2-3 magic initiate feats.