D&D 5E (2014) What Do You Think of This Bladelock?

[TerraDave]

Dex based fighter 2 in my group just took his first level in warlock, with hellish rebuke and hex as spells. Curious to see how it plays.

 

[trentonjoe]

If you run the numbers on GWF, polearm mastery warlock vs. EB, it *is* more damage in most cases to be in melee. There are a few levels where EB will do more damage, specifically levels 5, 11-12 and 17+. That does not count the extra reaction attacks you get for polearm mastery.

Do you really need GWF? That's like a 1/2 point extra in damage right at the cost of 2 or 3 in AC?

I do like that the Warlock/Fighter has three "good" choices for fighting style.

GWF +1/2 point damage
Duelist 1/2 point less damage but +2 AC (shield)
Defense Either -2.5 damage and +4 AC or -1/2 damage and +2 AC

OR

The protection one.

 

[trentonjoe]

Dex based fighter 2 in my group just took his first level in warlock, with hellish rebuke and hex as spells. Curious to see how it plays.

I went that route until 5th level warlock. It's real easy to be out of spells after the 1st round of combat. Not that it's a bad thing.....

 

[HarrisonF]

Do you really need GWF? That's like a 1/2 point extra in damage right at the cost of 2 or 3 in AC?

You don't need GWF, sword+board is interesting as well, but GWF is definitely the highest DPR option. The big difference is the polearm mastery feat giving the bonus attack, so you can apply hex damage again.

There is the question of if GWF applies to the hex damage die. We are playing it does, since other similar rules like critical hits double hex damage. I don't think there has been an official ruling whether it does or not. If you play with it applying to hex, it ends up being approximately the same damage increase as the Duelist option, so it seems balanced to allow it.

At level 6 (with extra attack):

Long sword with duelist, +2 str taken at level 4:

With hex up:

(d8 + 4 + d6) x 2 = 24 DPR

Polearm with GWF, Polearm mastery feat taken:

First round (putting up hex, so no bonus attack):

(d10 + 3 + d6) x 2 = 26.92 DPR

Once hex is up:

(d10 + 3 + d6) x 2 + d4 + 3 + d6 = 37.08 DPR

Without hex at all:

(d10 + 3) x 2 + d4 + 3 = 24.6 DPR


Also comparing to EB:

With hex: (d10 + 4 + d6) x 2 = 26 DPR
Without hex: (d10 + 4) x 2 = 19 DPR

 

[trentonjoe]

How's the monk do?

Four attacks at 2d6+4 at 5th level with no feat investment.

I guess that is the other way around though Monk X/Warlock 1

 

[HarrisonF]

How's the monk do?

Four attacks at 2d6+4 at 5th level with no feat investment.

I guess that is the other way around though Monk X/Warlock 1

(2d6 + 4) * 4 = 44 DPR so it is definitely higher at level 6, but really you are mostly a Monk at that point and don't get access to 9th level spells.

You probably want Warlock 2 so that you can get invocations and hence EB for ranged damage. Monk is quite MAD already though, so adding Cha is tough.

 

[Zardnaar]

(2d6 + 4) * 4 = 44 DPR so it is definitely higher at level 6, but really you are mostly a Monk at that point and don't get access to 9th level spells.

You probably want Warlock 2 so that you can get invocations and hence EB for ranged damage. Monk is quite MAD already though, so adding Cha is tough.

You would probably need rolled stats. THe Default array and the monk is to MAD already without adding cha to the mix. Polearm Master adds an extra attack and great weapon fighting adds the -5/+10 damage option and you could upgrade the 1d4+XYZ part to 1d10+xyz if you get to cleave.

3 attacks a round and each one will eventually get +1d6+str+cha, +10 damage seems good from a min/max perspective if you had someone setting up advantage for you. At that point hex might be better off with another spell and at level 18 with the Fighter1/Warlock18 you get foresight which more or less means you can use the -5/+10 part of great weapon fighting at will and you will have the ranged eldritch blast as an option as well. That is ignoring armor of agathys as well for bonus damage.

Improved invisibility is also a great advantage enabler but Sentinel could be better that some of the other feats as well as the extra attack and moving hex around are all bonus actions so you can trip over things. Sentinel also kind of combos with Armor of Agathys as well.

 

[Pickles JG]

Ive been playing the original build in adventures league for a few sessions since November. It's pretty funny now at level 3 I have invocations. I have also got heavy armour master for half a feat. Kobolds hitting me for 6 damage becomes 3 after DR then 5 cold damage reflected kills the Kobold and Dark One's Blessing refreshes* the temps. It does not scale but I am really a fighter with a few weird tricks rather than some sort of wizard.

I do feel its making the most of a so so ability rather than pushing a great one but its fineint the 5ed world

*most favouable reading but it was oked and since we had a druid monk at the tabke uaing nartial arts with bites I ws not going to argue against myself.

 

[trentonjoe]

I am really a fighter with a few weird tricks rather than some sort of wizard.

I feel the exact same way. Although I have found that as I increase in level it becomes harder to resist casting other spells instead of hex.

Last night was the first time I didn't cast hex in a game (Fly-REST- Fireball, Misty Step)

 

[HarrisonF]

I feel the exact same way. Although I have found that as I increase in level it becomes harder to resist casting other spells instead of hex.

Last night was the first time I didn't cast hex in a game (Fly-REST- Fireball, Misty Step)

What spells have you ended up taking? I was looking at a Human 1 Fighter/5 Warlock with:

Invocations: Agonizing blast, Devil's Sight, Thirsting Blade
Cantrips: EB, Minor Illusion, Mage Hand
Spells: Armor of Agathys, Hex, Invisibility, Darkness, Fireball, Fly

Warlock really has a lot of concentration based spells...