Building an Undying Light Warlock/Favored Soul

[newsman77]

Update: I'm loving the Warlock/Favored Soul. We've got a great concept for him and at level 2, I'm already really attached to this character. Too bad he's in the Underdark, haha!

See below for an update on planning this guy out and some perhaps less than optimized choices I've run into.

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I'm playing an Aasimar Favored Soul, but after seeing the Light, Dark & Underdark, my DM said I should throw in some of Undying Light Patron Warlock. I think he's looking for some off healer help. We have a party of 6 but only 1 cleric so far.

The goal is to build a really, really good guy who's going to try and survive the Underdark. No roving murder squad members allowed. As this is my first caster type (I typically stick to S&B Fighters), how in the world would I optimize this to keep up with the melee folks?

We start at level 1 with the standard point buy. Here's what I have so far:

Aasimar Favored Soul 1 (Planning on Warlock 1 next)
10/14/14/8/13/16
Equipment: Chain Shirt, Shield & Dagger (we start with nothing, but found this)

I'm also hurting on the concept a little. For me to really get into the character, I've got to have some good story. For RP reasons, my Clint Eastwood build posted on here was unplayable.

So where do I go from here?? Do you stay caster and hang in the back throwing spells or perhaps go the Bladelock route, but grab Pact of the Tome for more cantrips (Greenflame Blade & Booming Blade)? Any and all advice is welcome.

[krugaan]

My DM wants me to play an Aasimar Favored Soul, but after seeing the Light, Dark & Underdark, he said I should throw in some of Undying Light Patron Warlock. I think he's looking for some off healer help. We have a party of 6 but only 1 cleric.

The goal is to build a really, really good guy who's going to try and survive the Underdark. No roving murder squad members allowed. As this is my first caster type (I typically stick to S&B Fighters), how in the world would I optimize this to keep up with the melee folks?

We start at level 1 with the standard point buy. Here's what I have so far:

Aasimar Favored Soul 1 (Planning on Warlock 1 next)
10/14/14/8/13/16
Equipment: Chain Shirt, Shield & Dagger (we start with nothing, but found this)

I'm also hurting on the concept a little. For me to really get into the character, I've got to have some good story. For RP reasons, my Clint Eastwood build posted on here was unplayable.

So where do I go from here?? Do you stay caster and hang in the back throwing spells or perhaps go the Bladelock route, but grab Pact of the Tome for more cantrips (Greenflame Blade & Booming Blade)? Any and all advice is welcome.


throw a big middle finger to your DM and play undying light lock / shadow monk.

You best be stepping off my RP!

[Kane0]

Lets see...

Starting as level 1 Favored soul gives you good weapon and armor profs as well as proficiency in Con saves, which is a big deal. Look for a way to get bless as well, bless is fantastic.
From there go for your 2 levels in warlock, getting you 2 invocations (thanks to sacred flame + radiant soul you don't have to go with agonizing blast, though it is the best damage wise), 2 short rest 1st level spells per day, resistance to radiant damage and two free cantrips.

What is the makeup of your party? Lacking in casters would probably mean you should stop at warlock 2 and keep going with sorc levels, lacking in warriors means the opposite, going for just a little sorcerer and focusing on bladelock. The level 6 searing venegeance ability allows you to throw a big middle finger at anybody knocking you to 0 HP once per day, and at level 10 you hand out Temp HP like candy if nobody has taken the inspiring leader feat.

So you're looking at either Sorc 3 / Lock 17 or Lock 3 / Sorc 17, roughly speaking. Don't expect your build to go past levels 14-16 though.

Twinned spell is great for buffs with a bigger party, and quicken spell is a good choice also.

Play yourself as an insufferable goody-two shoes, giving out theological and ethical lessons even to the party paladin. If that doesn't appeal to you try channeling your inner Optimus Prime.

In terms of story, try going for as spectacularly special snowflake as you can get away with. You are the chosen one of chosen ones, gifted from birth under auspicious circumstances (You are a being of blessed heritage, chosen by the light and guided by the heavens). Flaw: Humble and Flaw: Not humble both work fine.

[newsman77]

Thanks for the input... I settled on these stats: 10/14/14/8/12/16).

The concept is that he's a lawful good, by the book guy. Sort of a jedi-esque holy roller (haha pun intended) who's a member of the city watch who received word his mother is deathly ill. However, he was captured and trapped in the Underdark before he could get home. Now he's travelling with a rag, tag bunch of escaped prisoners, and hopes he can make it back, to see his mother before she passes.

Our awesome DM gave us a homebrew version of Shillelagh, just for holy casters. It’s reduced damage (d6) and does radiant damage (because we’re filled with so much goodness I guess.)

At Level 3: Should I pick up Fiendish Vigor & Eldritch Sight invocations, seeing as how Undying Light gives me my CHA bonus to radiant & fire damage spells. I feel like I could forgo Agonizing Blast for a few levels, even though is does make the best cantrip in the game even better.

4 & Beyond: Taking more levels of Warlock keeps me flexible. I feel like my character is already into his own by level 3. You recommend 2 more levels of Sorcerer? Would that be at 7 & 8th's level? Don't I want to get at least Warlock 5 for that extra attack invocation & ASI.

That would lock me into Pact of the Blade for the second attack. I was toying with just forgoing that to take Pact of the Chain for an imp or psuedodragon & their shared resistances, senses. Is that too "out of the box" for this build? Perhaps making me too flexible instead of combat worthy?

Green-flame blade will definitely be in my list of cantrips. So with that, Firebolt/Eldritch Blast & Sacred Flame... I should be set right???

[Sepok]

I have built almost the same character for an game I'll be in next month. (Even the goody-goody personality.) I really recommend going to at least Sorcerer 5...for the bonus spells from the cleric domain, and to get 3rd level spells from the sorcerer list(Fireball and Haste). Which domain are you taking for Favored Soul? I would suggest War domain...it give access to 2 hard-to-get radiant damage spells... Divine Favor at 1st, and Spirit Guardians at 5th. But if you don't want the War domain, I would suggest the Healing domain for access to get Cure Wounds.

But if you do go War domain for Favored Soul...your DM's home brew "Holy Shillelagh", Divine Favor, and Green-Flame Blade are a powerful combo. Your one melee attack TRIPLE-dips your CHA bonus to damage.
1 - Home brew "Holy shillelagh" 1d6 radiant + CHA radian(Warlock bonus)
2 - Divine favor - 1d4 radiant + CHA radiant(Warlock bonus)
3 - Green-Flame Blade - CHA fire(base) + CHA fire(Warlock bonus)

===Assuming a 16 CHA===
Levels 1-4: Primary target: 1d6+1d4+CHAx2 radiant (12 radiant, ave), secondary target CHAx2 (6 fire, ave)

At 5th level the cantrips go way up:
With Divine Favor up:
- Primary target: 1d6+1d4+CHAx2(radiant) + 1d8+CHA(fire) (19.5 ave)
- Secondary target: 1d8+CHAx2 (10.5 ave)
Without Divine Favor up:
- Primary target: 1d6+1d8+CHAx2 (14 radiant/fire, ave)
- Secondary target: 1d8+CHAx2 (10.5 fire, ave)

If you use Green-Flame Blade you may not need to get the extra attack invocation. Even without Divine Favor up, the combo of your "Holy shillelagh" and green-Flame Blade is good damage, especially after 5th level when the fire damage is added to the primary target.

Also, take the "Create Bonfire" cantrip from Elemental Evil. It's a poor man's Cloud of Daggers, but with the Undying Light fire bonus it rivals it for damage, especially at 5th when it goes to 2d8+CHA. It gives you an at-will area-denial spell. If you go Book Warlock, consider picking up Thornwhip as one of your 3 cantrips. Pull things through the fire with Thornwhip...and use Repelling Blast to push them back through it. (Get the most out of that concentration spell.)

Look at the "Devil's Sight" invocation...not for the cheese of casting darkness, but so you can have the character show that his magic is stronger and things can't hide from him in the dark.

I was originally looking at Aasimar, but you get 2 bonuses that are the same for your race and the Undying Light...Light cantrip and radiant resistance. Also, if you take the Devil's Sight invocation the Aasimar's darkvision is redundant. The feat for a variant human seemed more appealing. I'm torn between Toughness, Elemental Affinity(fire), and Spell Sniper.
- Toughness - He's full of life force (+2hp/level).
- Elemental Affinity(fire) - Way too many fire resistant creatures
- Spell Sniper - A lot of your damage will be from shooting through people in melee, this removes the penalties.

[newsman77]

I have built almost the same character for an game I'll be in next month. (Even the goody-goody personality.) I really recommend going to at least Sorcerer 5...for the bonus spells from the cleric domain, and to get 3rd level spells from the sorcerer list(Fireball and Haste).

I want to get back to Sorcerer, but my worry is that I'm postponing my ASI's too far behind the pack. I'm the only multiclass so far, and with 1 level of Sorcerer, I've already set the ASI to 5th level, 6th if I dip into Sorcerer again for those metamagics. Plus the Undying Light level 6 Searing Vengeance is just amazing.




Which domain are you taking for Favored Soul? I would suggest War domain...it give access to 2 hard-to-get radiant damage spells... Divine Favor at 1st, and Spirit Guardians at 5th. But if you don't want the War domain, I would suggest the Healing domain for access to get Cure Wounds.

In retrospect, War would be a better domain, but I chose Life to be an off healer. My guy is the definition of versatile (a little healing, ranged damaged and melee damage). The thought was in a party of 7, you might need to help out the Cleric & Bard sometimes. Sadly I thought I could eventually cast 2 cure wounds a round using the Sorcerer's quicken, but I re-read the rules and nope, doesn't work. It's still an emergency out when we need it, and it's come in handy three times already. On the up side, you do get Bless, so I can be more accurate with Green-Flame Blade.




If you use Green-Flame Blade you may not need to get the extra attack invocation. Even without Divine Favor up, the combo of your "Holy shillelagh" and green-Flame Blade is good damage, especially after 5th level when the fire damage is added to the primary target.

Also, take the "Create Bonfire" cantrip from Elemental Evil. It's a poor man's Cloud of Daggers, but with the Undying Light fire bonus it rivals it for damage, especially at 5th when it goes to 2d8+CHA. It gives you an at-will area-denial spell. If you go Book Warlock, consider picking up Thornwhip as one of your 3 cantrips. Pull things through the fire with Thornwhip...and use Repelling Blast to push them back through it. (Get the most out of that concentration spell.)

Very interesting idea! An extra attack would only be 2d6+CHA2 (1d6+CHA, 1d6+CHA with Holy Shillelagh) but Green-flame Blade would do more. There is also Hex!! The fighter in me like the multi-attack in case one misses and for extra Hex damage. However, I do have Bless to help me be more accurate if I need it.

Your great idea could be the answer I was looking for to avoid Pact of the Blade, as it doesn't help my character a lot. I have a lot of cantrips already, so I was overlooking Pact of the Tome in favor of Pact of the Chain. The bonus there was the improved familiar who could not only act as a scout, but also share resistances when I needed them.



Look at the "Devil's Sight" invocation...not for the cheese of casting darkness, but so you can have the character show that his magic is stronger and things can't hide from him in the dark.


This I love! I'm going to submit this to my DM as completely cool flavor! "I am the light. The darkness holds no power over me!" Muuahahahaa.

So perhaps my first 2 invocations should be Devil's Sight & Fiendish Vigor. Those rechargeable Temp HP's are great!!!! Especially at low levels. The Underdark is rough and our party usually get hits for between 10 - 20 damage at this level. I'm forced to look for more damage mitigation ways as our DM is amazing at rolling dice. Me, not so much.



I was originally looking at Aasimar, but you get 2 bonuses that are the same for your race and the Undying Light...Light cantrip and radiant resistance. Also, if you take the Devil's Sight invocation the Aasimar's darkvision is redundant. The feat for a variant human seemed more appealing. I'm torn between Toughness, Elemental Affinity(fire), and Spell Sniper.
- Toughness - He's full of life force (+2hp/level).
- Elemental Affinity(fire) - Way too many fire resistant creatures
- Spell Sniper - A lot of your damage will be from shooting through people in melee, this removes the penalties.


After the first session (which was character creation) I realized this. That's why the DM said when I took the first level of Warlock, my 2 radiant resistances became radiant immunity. (Nice, but rare to use) and the 1 of the 2 Light cantrips became the Holy Shillelagh. He didn't really want me switching to a fighter/warlock half-elf... so I rolled with it :) He like things that are flavorful and RP Story. I do want a feat or 2, but I've resigned myself to think that's not going to happen.