D&D 5E Warlock multiclass fun idea

[faria]

So I've been playing around with a fun build idea for a while, but I'd like help optimizing it and finding the right mix of classes.

The idea is to start Warlock 3, get Pact of the Chain for a Familiar, have it throw Ball Bearings and Caltrops down to make a really nasty trap, and then Repelling Blast enemies into it. That's all I need to be effective, because EB damage scales and both Hex and Agonizing Blast affect each blast, so I can take my extra levels in literally any other class I want.

Thief 3 for Fast Hands so I can throw Ball Bearings down while my Familiar throws Caltrops down, all on the first round. But you can't Hex AND use Fast Hands, so I don't know if this is worth it. But you do get Expertise and Cunning Action, which lets you Disengage and backing up before EBing. I don't know if that's necessary though since we'll be taking the Crossbow Expert feat...

Sorcerer 3+ gives me Metamagic to get off multiple Eldritch Blasts or effect multiple targets, plus gives emergency spell slots. Dragon Sorcerer gives a higher starting AC, and with the Shield spell known, you can avoid a lot of damage anyway.

1 level of Fighter would give me Heavy Armor and the Protection Fighting Style. 2 levels of Fighter would give me Action Surge and Second Wind.

Grassland Land Druid 3 gives me Wild Shape for and giggles, refreshing spell slots, and Pass Without Trace. If I take it further than 3 levels, I can pick up Haste and get more animal forms. Haste and Hex won't stack though, so I don't think it's worth taking beyond level 3 or 4 for the ASI. The downside with Druid is no metal armor, so no Fighter synergy. But you get backup healing spells, so that's always useful.

Lore Bard 3 for Cutting Words and Jack of All Trades or 6 for Additional Magical Secrets.

Whatever class you end up with, the Crossbow Feat Expert is nice for when enemies make it past your traps. That way you can reliably knock enemies back into them. The War Caster feat looks nice too...

Any suggestions for the best multiclass combination? I think Sorcerer is the best option here, then either Druid or Fighter (but not both). Action Surge and Heavy Armor vs Wild Shape and Pass Without Trace. Would you bother taking Thief for the Cunning Action and Expertise?

What's the best race and point buy for this build? I think Half-Elf or Variant Human for Crossbow Expert right away. Maybe point buy all odd numbers and take regular Human?

 

[faria]

Archfey Chain Warlock 9/Land Druid 4/Dragon Sorcerer 4/Lore Bard 3 only needs CHR and WIS 13+. You don't need armor because of Dragon Sorcerer's AC boost+access to the Shield spell+Archfey's Misty Escape.

What leveling order would you go?

Warlock 3 > Sorc 4 > Druid 4 > Warlock 4 for ASI > Lore Bard 3 > Warlock 9?

What race and point buy?

 

[Rhogar_Rarr]

1 level of Fighter would give me Heavy Armor and the Protection Fighting Style. 2 levels of Fighter would give me Action Surge and Second Wind.

Just a quick note here: Second Wind is gained at Fighter 1, not Fighter 2. So 1 level of Fighter gives you much better defenses and extra HP recovery every rest. Fighter is definitely a good option, but the sorcerer mix is strong too.

 

[Grue AC]

Just remember this isn't friendly AOE. Your melee will be stuck moving half speed if you and your familiar are going home improvement each encounter.

 

[faria]

Just remember this isn't friendly AOE. Your melee will be stuck moving half speed if you and your familiar are going home improvement each encounter.

This is a good point. There are a couple ways around this that I can think of.

First, you can just stick to Caltrops rather than Ball Bearings, because a 5sqft trap is more manageable than a 10sqft trap.

Or Sorcerer 3 gets access to Levitate and Sorcerer 5 gets Fly. I can Twin Spell either to hit both me and my melee tank or any 2 melees in the group. Unfortunately, it requires Concentration, so no Hex... Hmmm. Maybe take some levels of Artificer and make some Levitation/Fly/Freedom of Movement potions? My DM doesn't allow UA though, so...

Or use a Hunting Trap instead. A Hunting Trap can only affect 1 enemy, so no danger of it being an "unfriendly AOE". To make this work, it requires 2 levels of Wizard. Conjuration school, at level 2, can create an item, like a Hunting Trap, up to 10ft away (so potentially behind an enemy). You can get creative with this. Why not create a "bucket of grease" for them to trip over to mimic a Grease spell? Or a bonfire for them to fall into? Whatever you make though, it requires an action, so you have to take Sorcerer for Quicken Spell to Repelling Blast enemies into it. And without a lot of Sorcery Points, you can't do this reliably...

If you're gonna go Conjuration Wizard though, then you might as well go Thief instead of Warlock to conjure Manacles and Fast Hands them onto enemies as a bonus action. This is actually a really neat build idea, but it won't work on half the enemies you encounter, and you're basically nerfing yourself with 2 otherwise non-synergetic classes.

Maybe take all 4 classes? Warlock 2 for Repelling Blast (don't need level 3 because you get a Familiar from Wizard)/Conjuration Wizard 2 for conjuring traps and manacles/Thief 3 for Fast Hands/Sorcerer 13 for many Quicken Spells. It's a weird combo and requires 3 stats 13+...but you'd be able to adapt to any situation: conjure and throw Ball Bearings or Caltrops or Hunting Traps, Quicken Spell Repelling Blast enemies into your traps, or Manacle multiple enemies without needing to carry any around.

Sounds messy. But if you're "damage capped" by level 3 anyway, why not go one of these "messy" builds to try and squeeze out a little more utility? I think it makes sense to at least try to be more useful to the group, and since you genuinely don't need more Warlock levels, it, just get creative.

 

[Grue AC]

Hunting Trap isn't work it because you need something to attach them to otherwise its just 1d4 damage. Manacles sound better but the book doesn't actually say what happens when you apply them, just a 20 DC to get free.

 

[Kithas]

You can also concentrate on a Cloud of Daggers to push them through too, or Create Bonfire if you prefer a cantrip. Lightning Lure from the Scag would be funny to pull them back through it too.

 

[zaratan]

you know you can't twin eldritch blast, right? But you can quick it.

druid 4 isn't a good idea at all, wild shape need to grow with druids lvls to be efficient. be any low lvl beast will be useless, because as a caster, you could fly, be invisible, polymorph... with high spells.

quicken magic, bard inspiration and cunning action will compete for you bonus action, isn't very usefull to have all those(nice to have options, but in the end, you only can use one).

lore bard 3 is good, but not that good, because you don't have short rest bard inspiration.

be only lvl 3 sorcerer only gives you 3 SP, so you only can quick one time. Unless you use your bonus action to convert spell slot in SP, one more competitor to you bonus action.

best things casters have are spells. be lvl 3 warlock/3 druid/3 sorcerer/ 3 lore bard is way worse than be a lvl 12 in one of those. because in lvl 12, you'll have 6th lvl spells, the other option only gives you 2nd lvl spells.

some multiclass worth it, but don't multiclass to much. Things that look good in paper not always work in game.

how do you pretend to put a manacle in one creature during the battle? That creature need to be paralized, unconsious or at least restreined, but all that depends of your DM?

 

[Sezarious]

After Chain Warlock, maybe 3+ levels in the Ranger (Hunter) class, Medium armor proficiency (Medium armor is the most you will want because it sounds like you will have a high-ish dexterity and you don't want to waste that), shield proficiency, martial weapon proficiency, Fighting style at level 2 (Archery style +2 to hit with ranged weapons), horde-breaker at level 3 (Which is virtually an extra attack whenever you're being swarmed) and you can potentially use your per short rest warlock slots to cast Goodberry or something...

You will Use your familiar to drop caltrops or ball bearings on your enemies and if you take an OWL instead of the extras from the list you can pick, get it to use it's special ability to pass through enemy squares without provoking reactions, then after it's made its caltrop delivery, get it to use "Aid another swooping" to give you advantage to your (And the parties) average 2 to 3 shots by level 6 or 3 to 4 by level 8.

Ironically, this is where a familiar is a better companion to a ranger than the beast master rangers beast, which starts off requiring an action to be commanded, then as a class feature so you can move it as a bonus action.

By level 8 (Warlock3/Ranger5) you will have an AC of between 18 and 19 (20-21 if shield comes out), pretty good hit-points, as many attacks as a fighter, the hexing you desire, a healing and magical "feed everyone" spell, martial weapon and shield proficiency and an extra skill for multi-classing into ranger.

 

[Uni 221 tantibus]

I've recently discovered I do better as a caster rather than a fighter. I made a Druid in my most recent campaign that I excelled at but I miss certain aspects of the warlock( I have a blood hunter-warlock)I would like to make a dream circle Druid with a great old one-chain pact warlock multiclass but I'm not sure I could use the great old one as a patron for a primarily Druid multiclass. Could it work?