Need melee Warlock Tips/Spell Advice

[Xaktsaroth]

Hi all.

Thinking of playing a tanky warlock, spefically, Barb3/Warlock17, or Barb3/Fighter1/Warlock16, can't decide if Great Weapon Master is worth the dip.

Race'll be Minotaur, and I'm definately going Polearm Master/Sentinel.

I guess I'm looking for any advice on uping my damage potential, and what spells would best suit the character.

Thanks!

[Paeleus]

Go bladelock17/paladin(vengeance). Hunters mark and bane instead of hex for when you want to change it up. Smites for when you wanna kill em. Heavy armor to help them not hit ya. Fighting style to make your great weapon idea work better.

[Sigreid]

Start as fighter 1, then go Warlock 3 Then take fighter up to 8 and Warlock up to 12. You'll get heavy armor, 6 ASI, The ability to have agonizing blast etc. The ability to have your pact weapon add CH as well as STR or Dex to damage, and if you do EK in fighter you can strike once and still let off with an EB. Take the Warcaster and Crossbow Expert feats and you're ready to throw down with any opponent at any range with a big bag of reliable tricks.

[Corey]

Armor of Agathys seems like an obvious spell to add into the mix, the key point being that it's not concentration.

I'm not convinced by the smite part of the Paladin idea. Hellish Rebuke is competitive vs the smite damage in many cases, for example, and you don't have many spell slots to burn in any case. On the plus side, the Paladin adds a couple of spells of its own.

Fly is an important spell for meleers in some encounters.

Hold Person/Hold Monster could have their uses.

[Paeleus]

Armor of Agathys seems like an obvious spell to add into the mix, the key point being that it's not concentration.

I'm not convinced by the smite part of the Paladin idea. Hellish Rebuke is competitive vs the smite damage in many cases, for example, and you don't have many spell slots to burn in any case. On the plus side, the Paladin adds a couple of spells of its own.

Fly is an important spell for meleers in some encounters.

Hold Person/Hold Monster could have their uses.

The only problem with relying on Hellish Rebuke is that it takes a reaction (though it does have a 60' range, a very good thing) and I believe OP wants to go the Polearm Master and Sentinel direction. I think this would stop the character from taking advantage of shutting the battlefield down. But I see your point on limited slots, so smites would be for special occasions hopefully making them even cooler. Plus with PM, a smite on that bonus action works out well.

[Xaktsaroth]

The only problem with relying on Hellish Rebuke is that it takes a reaction (though it does have a 60' range, a very good thing) and I believe OP wants to go the Polearm Master and Sentinel direction. I think this would stop the character from taking advantage of shutting the battlefield down. But I see your point on limited slots, so smites would be for special occasions hopefully making them even cooler. Plus with PM, a smite on that bonus action works out well.

Indeed.

The Barb3 is kinda in lockdown for me, as raging + Warlock 10 gives me resistance to all damage types, effectively doubling my HP. My party also lacks battlefield control, or, at least, they don't prioritize it like I do, so the PS/S is super important.

Does Great Weapon Master from Fighter affect the dice from added abilities like HEx, or is it strictly weapon damage?

[Corey]

Does Great Weapon Master from Fighter affect the dice from added abilities like HEx, or is it strictly weapon damage?

Damage from a weapon is damage from a weapon.

Damage from a spell is damage from the spell.

That said, if you get an extra hit from Polearm Master, that should trigger an extra roll from Hex.

[Paeleus]

Indeed.

The Barb3 is kinda in lockdown for me, as raging + Warlock 10 gives me resistance to all damage types, effectively doubling my HP. My party also lacks battlefield control, or, at least, they don't prioritize it like I do, so the PS/S is super important.

I like the damage resistances, but I fear that your character may be a bit MAD. 10 + Dex + Constitution for your Barb AC (light armor from warlock would be a poor bandaid for this seeing as you already have 2 feats) clashes with your strength based GWF and your Charisma based casting, both needed to ensure you connect with your roll to hit attacks.

Also, after taking a closer look, going to Barb3(berserker) grants you frenzy which allows a bonus action attack. This clashes with the first part of PM. Albeit for better damage than the feat, but still a little overlap.

So mayhaps go barb2 and fighter1 instead if you have your heart set on a raging warlock with GWF?

[Garimeth]

If he is looking for battlefield control, I doubt he is going barb 3 for berserker, most likely totem.

[Paeleus]

You're right. Bear gives you resistance to all damage except psychic, so this is most likely what he is going for.

[Garimeth]

You're right. Bear gives you resistance to all damage except psychic, so this is most likely what he is going for.

Yeah I think so too, but that said, I agree with your assessment that this character looks pretty MAD.

OP what are your stats, and did you all roll or point buy?

[Kerleth]

Mwahaha, yes! Someone else has seen the potential awesomeness of the barblock! :)

Don't worry too much about your armor class. Instead focus on the hit points. Whenever possible combo Armor of Agathys and Rage. See, you WANT them to try and run in and melee you. If my reading of Armor of Agathys is correct, it will apply the full amount of damage on every hit. So if you have 5 temporary hit points and they deal 10 damage, then they take 5 and the spell ends. If they deal 3 damage, then they take 5 and the next guy to hit you takes 5 too.

So a barbarian 3 / Warlock 9 would have an extra 25 hit points twice per short rest. Raging would effectively double that. So anyone who tries to melee you will 1) have to break through polearm master / sentinel combo. 2) Take 25 damage from hitting you in melee. 3) Unless they dealt more than 50 damage with that single attack, take 25 MORE damage when they hit you the second time.

Fiend pact could also help with tankiness. The temporary hp granted when you down an enemy won't stack with that of armor of agathys, but will be work nicely with rage, (effectively doubling it), and allowing you to mow through enemy after enemy.

One change I might suggest for "build" purproses would be to your race. Since you are going to want two feats, decent constitution, high strength and charisma, your starting ability scores are pretty important. I think that going either human or half elf (+2 cha, +1 strength, +1 constitution) might be the most optimal.

[Xaktsaroth]

Yeah I think so too, but that said, I agree with your assessment that this character looks pretty MAD.

OP what are your stats, and did you all roll or point buy?

Oh, I agree. I'm MAD, it's probably the biggest weakness in this build.

Havn't done any stating yet, but it'll be point-buy.

I know my AC is going to be lowish, thinking of focusing on Dex, grabbing the Mage Armour invocation, and grabbing some Bracers of Armour or focus on Con and just let them hit me with Armour of Agathys or Fire Shield.

While raging, I effectively have double the HP, which makes it less of a concern.

Some interesting conversations though. :D

Thinking Barb 4/Warlock 16 so far, extra level of Barb grabs me a feat/stat boost.