Can't decide... Warlock/Swashbuckler, Warlock/Assassin, or Warlock/Arcane Trickster

[Degwerks]

Think I'm going with Tiefling. Can't decide on which Rogue type to use with my Warlock.
Planning on being a devious, cunning, opportunist like scoundrel. Love the Assassin's burst damage potential but wasn't planning on going past 3 levels w/Assassin anyway. Swashbuckler fits a lot of my old Magus style from Pathfinder too and it's a large city/kingdom based campaign. Arcane Trickster gives me a lot more options as well.

Planned on going Tome Pact and Fiend for Warlock, grabbing up the Green Flame Blade cantrip w/Tome Pact.

Any thoughts or ideas on where to go with this guy? Wanting tricks up my sleeve for evading, deceiving, damage dealing and outright thuggery & utility.

[DracoKnight]

Think I'm going with Tiefling. Can't decide on which Rogue type to use with my Warlock.
Planning on being a devious, cunning, opportunist like scoundrel. Love the Assassin's burst damage potential but wasn't planning on going past 3 levels w/Assassin anyway. Swashbuckler fits a lot of my old Magus style from Pathfinder too and it's a large city/kingdom based campaign. Arcane Trickster gives me a lot more options as well.

Planned on going Tome Pact and Fiend for Warlock, grabbing up the Green Flame Blade cantrip w/Tome Pact.

Any thoughts or ideas on where to go with this guy? Wanting tricks up my sleeve for evading, deceiving, damage dealing and outright thuggery & utility.

Sink 3 levels into Arcane Trickster, for Greenflame Blade, and then go Pact of the Blade Warlock. That'd be my suggestion. Also, I'm pretty sure GFB is gonna be an addition to the Warlock spell list too. So that melee Warlocks can become more viable builds :P

[Blood of Gaea]

Think I'm going with Tiefling. Can't decide on which Rogue type to use with my Warlock.
Planning on being a devious, cunning, opportunist like scoundrel. Love the Assassin's burst damage potential but wasn't planning on going past 3 levels w/Assassin anyway. Swashbuckler fits a lot of my old Magus style from Pathfinder too and it's a large city/kingdom based campaign. Arcane Trickster gives me a lot more options as well.

Planned on going Tome Pact and Fiend for Warlock, grabbing up the Green Flame Blade cantrip w/Tome Pact.

Any thoughts or ideas on where to go with this guy? Wanting tricks up my sleeve for evading, deceiving, damage dealing and outright thuggery & utility.

3 Assassin will let you auto-crit on surprise rounds, and that works for spells too. Is that what you want? Once you get to 5 Warlock and grab the invocation for a second attack, it will also be pretty good to use a weapon.

If you'd rather just have more spells, go with Arcane Trickster.

I highly recommend you do not use Swashbuckler, it's overpowered at the moment.

[Degwerks]

So don't take Swashbuckler because it's OP? OP is right up my alley! No seriously though, do you think they'll tone it down or something when the book comes out in November?

I forgot to mention that our group doesn't use feats AT ALL... Which sucks.

Arcane Trickster or Assassin... Might grab Arcane Trickster for the GFB cantrip and having extra spells. Will check it out tonight. Thanks.

[Blood of Gaea]

So don't take Swashbuckler because it's OP? OP is right up my alley! No seriously though, do you think they'll tone it down or something when the book comes out in November?

I forgot to mention that our group doesn't use feats AT ALL... Which sucks.

Arcane Trickster or Assassin... Might grab Arcane Trickster for the GFB cantrip and having extra spells. Will check it out tonight. Thanks.

No feats? If your DM wont even allow them, I doubt he will be pleased with a Swashbuckler. If you want DEX fencing type build, consider just grabbing some levels in Champion or Battle Master, depending on your taste.

And hopefully they tone it down, if not I'll either homebrew it, or ban it at my table.

[Ardantis]

I'd go Arcane Trickster, then at least you're served by the Tieflings Intelligence boost, although at that point you're SERIOUSLY M.A.D. with Warlock needing Cha and Rogue needing Dex.

Swashbuckler may be pretty strong, but multiclassed with Tome Warlock you'll get all the melee goodness you want, plus access to GFB, other cantrips, and rituals- you'll be a very well-rounded character with only two stat dependencies (Dex and Cha). Also, you might actually get use out of Hellish Rebuke. And Eldritch Blast makes you a respectable ranged blaster. All in all pretty sweet.

That's my rec- Tome Warlock and Swashbuckler (although primarily Swash after you get GFB and Agonizing Blast from Warlock).

[somehownotsingl]

Think I'm going with Tiefling. Can't decide on which Rogue type to use with my Warlock.
Planning on being a devious, cunning, opportunist like scoundrel. Love the Assassin's burst damage potential but wasn't planning on going past 3 levels w/Assassin anyway. Swashbuckler fits a lot of my old Magus style from Pathfinder too and it's a large city/kingdom based campaign. Arcane Trickster gives me a lot more options as well.

Planned on going Tome Pact and Fiend for Warlock, grabbing up the Green Flame Blade cantrip w/Tome Pact.

Any thoughts or ideas on where to go with this guy? Wanting tricks up my sleeve for evading, deceiving, damage dealing and outright thuggery & utility.

I've played in parties with assassins and with arcane tricksters. Both are very fun to play alongside, but they do very different things. I loved the assassin because he was a deadly striker. Having a high damage character like that was a life saver at times. I loved the trickster because he had a creative solution he could always pull out of his butt, regardless of the situation. He gave us crucial advantages in fights at times (like casting grease right under a boss so that the spellcaster in the group could set it on fire. Ah, fond memories).

You mentioned both "damage" and "options," but which do you prefer? In truth, multiclassing with a warlock will mean that either build will have at least a little from each column, but they clearly prioritize one or the other. Which do you prefer? Or, perhaps, which does your party need more?

And I agree that swashbuckler is broken right now. Looking forward to seeing the Sword Coast version on November.

[Sigreid]

I've been thinking about a Assassin X/Warlock 3. The idea is to take the disguise and devil's sight invocations and blade pact, skipping EB. Instead you use your pact weapon as a murder tool that leaves a weapons marks, but nothing is left behind. Disguise is used to get in and out and perhaps frame some other sucker. Pact blade up a dagger or dart, toss it from the shadows with your mad murder skills and slip away into the darkness. You can't be disarmed. An examination of the body won't have them looking for a witch. And you have good espionage going on. Start with Rogue of course as that's your most bang for your buck.

[Blood of Gaea]

Pact blade up a dagger or dart

Why would you bother with a dart when a thrown dagger does the same damage? And you will summon it back later anyways.

Either way, a shortbow would be better if range is your idea, you can shoot it from farther away. Or longbow if your an Elf.

[Malifice]

So don't take Swashbuckler because it's OP? OP is right up my alley! No seriously though, do you think they'll tone it down or something when the book comes out in November?

I forgot to mention that our group doesn't use feats AT ALL... Which sucks.

Arcane Trickster or Assassin... Might grab Arcane Trickster for the GFB cantrip and having extra spells. Will check it out tonight. Thanks.

No feats? Gah.

[Degwerks]

Okay I get to start at 6th level, no magic items to start, 150gp and I can't use Swashbuckler or Greenflame Blade, only using the PHB, DMG and MM books.

I might take a look at the Arcane Fighter instead of Arcane Trickster Rogue... Already locked into Warlock for at least 2 levels can't change that in the least bit. Also I'm a Tiefling.
Rolled for stats of 4d6 drop lowest. I've got a 20 CHA, & 18 Dex, rest of scores are 12's & 14's. This includes the +1 INT from Tiefling.

[Blood of Gaea]

Okay I get to start at 6th level, no magic items to start, 150gp and I can't use Swashbuckler or Greenflame Blade, only using the PHB, DMG and MM books.

I might take a look at the Arcane Fighter instead of Arcane Trickster Rogue... Already locked into Warlock for at least 2 levels can't change that in the least bit. Also I'm a Tiefling.
Rolled for stats of 4d6 drop lowest. I've got a 20 CHA, & 18 Dex, rest of scores are 12's & 14's. This includes the +1 INT from Tiefling.

Alright, 20 CHA 18 DEX and 2 in Warlock. This is a good time to make a choice on where you are going with this.

Firstly I recommend against picking up an INT based class (Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster), there is no reason to spread your stats like that.

1. Skill monkey, sneaking that sort of things, you'll want Rogue or Bard.

2. You want to hurt people, your best option would be Paladin, with DEX weapons. There are some amazing synergies between Paladin and Warlock, like smites per short rest, Pact of the Blade, CHA as the main stat, and a lot of other things.

For Rogue, you'll want Assassin, and likely a bow. You want to get off large chunks of sneak damage, and when that isn't possible, Eldritch Blast, or a DEX weapon is a good fallback.

For Bard, going Valor Bard will make you a Gish, but still be very good support for your team overall.

For Paladin, you want Vengeance (for good or neutral) or Oathbreaker (for evil). My favorite combination is 12 or 8 levels of Warlock (Fiend, Pact of the Blade) mixed with 8 or 12 Paladin. You get smites every short rest from Warlock slots, plus a few other good things with invocations, and Eldritch Blast for the best range option a Paladin will get.

For a lower level game, 3 Warlock then Paladin will work just fine.

[djreynolds]

Assassins are powerful, but for melee everything must line up. But I think a warlock could pull it off. Your spells could help facilitate assassinating, and if something goes wrong collecting hearts for your patron, you can escape or fight it out. So this could work and be thematic.

Now for ranged with skulker, you can at least escape, and this gives options

Arcane trickster is pretty good, mirror image is powerful, but requires 7 levels. Can allow the warlock to take more offensive stuff. But they are competing with charisma and intelligence.

Swashbuckler is new and I haven't played it. But could be cool.

[Sigreid]

Why would you bother with a dart when a thrown dagger does the same damage? And you will summon it back later anyways.

Either way, a shortbow would be better if range is your idea, you can shoot it from farther away. Or longbow if your an Elf.

The idea is for pact blade murder. RAW you can't pact blade up bows and arrows. Daggers, spears etc. would be the bread and butter.