D&D 5E Warlock build advice...

[FrogReaver]

Just a note with shadow blade: It is a concentration spell, and concentration is very difficult to sustain in melee. The Mobile feat will help a little, but you'll still be a lot closer to the enemy than a concentrating caster wants to be. If you go this route, consider taking your first level in a class that gets proficiency in Constitution saving throws.

You will have proficiency in con saves and a decent ac from either a shield or dragon skin sorc ability. You will also hit enemies with booming blade and move away. Further disincintivising them from going after you. I highly recommend warcaster for this pc as well to further up con saves since you are very reliant on shadow blade.

But all in all due to reduced enemy attack rate, good ac and a sturdy con it should leave your concentration up in 90% of fights.

 

[Charlaquin]

Just a note with shadow blade: It is a concentration spell, and concentration is very difficult to sustain in melee. The Mobile feat will help a little, but you'll still be a lot closer to the enemy than a concentrating caster wants to be. If you go this route, consider taking your first level in a class that gets proficiency in Constitution saving throws.

Alternatively, you could take the Resilient feat for Constitution. War Caster is also worth considering in addition to which ever source of Con save proficiency you go for, but proficiency should be the higher priority.

 

[ccs]

As per monster manual you can take a pseudodragon for a familiar without needing to be a warlock at all.

But you do need the DMs involvement, so (as with my suggestion of being a Drow) you can't just assume this access.

 

[Fenris-77]

A list of Warlock build related things to ask the DM:

1. What kind of campaign is this?
2. How much social pillar do you plan on including?
3. Are we using feats?
4. Are we using books other than the PHB?
5. Will you be granting two short rests a day on a regular basis?
6. If I make goo-goo eyes can I have a Psuedo Dragon?
7. What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Have I missed anything?

 

[MonkeezOnFire]

A list of Warlock build related things to ask the DM:

1. What kind of campaign is this?
2. How much social pillar do you plan on including?
3. Are we using feats?
4. Are we using books other than the PHB?
5. Will you be granting two short rests a day on a regular basis?
6. If I make goo-goo eyes can I have a Psuedo Dragon?
7. What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Have I missed anything?

You forgot about working with the DM to determine the nature of your pact and how active the entity you made a pact with will be in your life.

But to be fair questions 1,2,3, 4, and 7 are questions players of any class will want clarified.

 

[Charlaquin]

But you do need the DMs involvement, so (as with my suggestion of being a Drow) you can't just assume this access.

You can pretty much assume access to the Drow race, at least as safely as you can assume access to anything else that’s in the PHB. Which is to say, chances are it’ll be fine, but it doesn’t hurt to double-check, and be prepared for the possibility that the DM will say they don’t think it’s a good fit for the campaign.

 

[tglassy]

7. What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

African or European?

 

[Flobby]

Thanks for all the input everyone! Lot of stuff to think about...Going with EK and asking the DM really nicely for a pseudodragon is something I didn't think about. I was actually thinking of being a Drow (sorry forgot to write that) for the darkvision and rapier proficiencies. Now though I'm leaning towards going Human (variant) for a extra feat, 2 levels in fighter for the proficiencies and action surge, and then moving on the warlock get some cantrips like shadow blade. Thanks again!

 

[abirdcall]

Play what you want.

It's hard to make a bad character in 5e.

Agonizing Blast isn't that great as it costs a precious invocation and Eldritch Blast is just a cantrip. You're fine without it.

I suggest checking out Armour of Agathys, Shadow Blade, and Tomb of Levistus.

 

[Riley37]

If your DM is reluctant to agree to "you start with a pseudo-dragon familiar", then you might bargain by giving up something else. You could, for example, choose Variant Human, and home-brew a custom feat, such as the "Has a Pseudo-Dragon Familiar" feat.

As a DM, I would probably counter-offer: you will start play without one, and I promise that within the first dozen sessions, there will be an opportunity to earn the trust and comradeship of a pseudo-dragon; but doing so will come at some expense to other agendas, including agendas which other PCs may want to pursue. For example, a noble who wants to clear-cut a forest might hire the PCs to kill ALL the monsters in a forest. The PCs might then have to choose between completing the job as written, versus sparing the pseudo-dragon and its dryad friends, and working out a compromise with the noble.