Half-orc bladelock stats help.

[Ralanr]

So the new warlock patron has got me interested in playing warlock again. Now I know that both the undying warlock and the half-orc race doesn't make for good bladelocks, but I already fell in love with the concept of a shamanistic half-orc that paints a skull on his face as he channels the necrotic power of his patron.

Stats I rolled:
14
11
12
14
13
11

Original layout
16 str
12 dex
14 con
14 cha
11 int
11 wis

Halfway building the rest of the character I noticed that it really wasn't working well. My dex felt too low and I'm not sure how I want to increase my stats. The only feats I have in mind are warcaster and resilient (Con). Maybe tough if I have the room for it. I was considering multiclassing, but I don't see dueling as appealing due to it defeating the benefit of using a versatile weapon (planned on using a battleaxe. Yeah I'm not optimized at all). I'm hoping to get at least to level 14 in warlock, I'd like level 17 due to forsight, but that's an unrealistic goal right now.

Any tips on better ways I can use the stats? I'm focusing strength based bladelock. Doesn't need to be super optimized, but if there is a better way to set them out I'd like the option.

[Yorrin]

Well, it sounds like you're planning to stay straight Warlock, so you could do the shocking and swap your Cha and Dex. Pick up Medium Armor proficiency and your AC will be decent. And of course focus on spells that ignore your mediocre Cha, but instead buff you up for better smashing.

[Ralanr]

Well, it sounds like you're planning to stay straight Warlock, so you could do the shocking and swap your Cha and Dex. Pick up Medium Armor proficiency and your AC will be decent. And of course focus on spells that ignore your mediocre Cha, but instead buff you up for better smashing.

I think that might be best. I'll have to deal with not having a maxed out stat anyway.

Thanks!

[Malifice]

Take fighter at 1st. Con saves, heavy armor, second wind and a fighting style will carry you far.

Then go into lock for the next 5 levels. Use a 2h axe. At 4th take GWM.

Fiend is much better than undying for a lock, but you should be fine with either.

You could also use a scythe (refluffed glaive) to fit with the skull and undead thing and go for polearm master.

Str 16, wis and con 14. Dump dex then int.

[Ralanr]

Take fighter at 1st. Con saves, heavy armor, second wind and a fighting style will carry you far.

Then go into lock for the next 5 levels. Use a 2h axe. At 4th take GWM.

Fiend is much better than undying for a lock, but you should be fine with either.

You could also use a scythe (refluffed glaive) to fit with the skull and undead thing and go for polearm master.

Str 16, wis and con 14. Dump dex then int.

By two handed axe do you mean greataxe or battleaxe? I think either would work. And do you mean that I should keep my original stat load out and go fighter first?

[eastmabl]

By two handed axe do you mean greataxe or battleaxe? I think either would work. And do you mean that I should keep my original stat load out and go fighter first?

For a battle axe, the advantage to its use is the ability to also use a shield. However, as a caster, you want to keep one hand free for those finicky somatic components, making the shield very problematic to consider using.

A great axe requires two hands to swing, but can be held with one hand. Grip it and rip it with two hands when you're applying axe to face, and take a hand off so you can summon tentacles from nowhere.

[Ralanr]

For a battle axe, the advantage to its use is the ability to also use a shield. However, as a caster, you want to keep one hand free for those finicky somatic components, making the shield very problematic to consider using.

A great axe requires two hands to swing, but can be held with one hand. Grip it and rip it with two hands when you're applying axe to face, and take a hand off so you can summon tentacles from nowhere.

True. Though that's also the advantage of a battle axe, just a lower damage.

Versatile weapons aren't very versatile are they?

[Malifice]

By two handed axe do you mean greataxe or battleaxe? I think either would work. And do you mean that I should keep my original stat load out and go fighter first?

For a STR based bladelock absolutely.

Heavy armour (dump dex), Con saves (for Hex), bonus action healing, and GWS for your greataxe. Add d10 hit dice for gravy.

With your stats as a half orc you're rolling a 16 strength, 14 con and charisma.

1st level is over fast. Go into warlock at 2nd and stick fat till warlock 5 for 3rd level spells and extra Attack. Fiend is your best friend (the temp HP on a kill for a GWS greataxe using heavy armour wearing, bonus action healing, orc resilience packing Orc will make you very hard to drop).

At 2nd level in banded mail you have an AC of 17, deal 1d12+3+1d6 damage (re roll 1 and 2) on a hit with hex and tank like a boss with 3 temp HP every kill. It just gets better from then on with more temp HP scaling as you level, mirror image online at 4th and fireball at 6th.

Take false life at will at warlock 2 to ensure you enter every fight with 8 temp HP. Swap it out at higher levels.

At warlock 4 look closely at HAM feat. It's amazing on fiend Warlocks who farm Temp HP every round. The plus 1 strength is gravy.

I would then dip fighter for 2 more levels for action surge and sup dice and then lock all the way to 20th for 9th level spells.

[bid]

Take false life at will at warlock 2 to ensure you enter every fight with 8 temp HP. Swap it out at higher levels.
Temp hp don't stack, no? So it's 5 hp minimum.

[Ralanr]

Temp hp don't stack, no? So it's 5 hp minimum.

False life has a chance to give 8.

1d4+4.

[Malifice]

Temp hp don't stack, no? So it's 5 hp minimum.

It's an at will power. Keep rolling till you get a 4 on the d4.

You should enter every battle with 8 temp HP.

At 5th (fighter 1/ lock 4) with HAM and cha 14 you're milking 6 temp HP a kill and reducing incoming damage by 3.

You're a Mooks worst nightmare.

[bid]

It's an at will power. Keep rolling till you get a 4 on the d4.
That works, and you only need a another minute 5% of the time.:smallwink:

[Addaran]

It's an at will power. Keep rolling till you get a 4 on the d4.

That's incredibly metagamey to reroll until you get a good result on something that wouldn't have a noticeable result. Kinda like rolling multiple checks to detect traps when you roll badly, but just once when you roll a 18.

My DM has disallowed the roll until 8. The warlock cast it every hour, so when he first take damage, he rolls once to know how much temp HP he had.

[Malifice]

That's incredibly metagamey to reroll until you get a good result on something that wouldn't have a noticeable result. Kinda like rolling multiple checks to detect traps when you roll badly, but just once when you roll a 18.

My DM has disallowed the roll until 8. The warlock cast it every hour, so when he first take damage, he rolls once to know how much temp HP he had.

Probably a fair ruling. I'd consider similar.