Sorlock Lvl 6 Choice: More Sorcerer or Warlock?

[newsman77]

Hello Fellow Gamers,

Thank you for the amazing feedback to help me get rolling on my first caster in 5th edition. I'm playing a level 5 Aasimar Favored Soul/Undying Light Warlock in an OotA campaign. This has been so much fun. He's a by-the-book follower of Lathander who's been trapped under ground so long now, he's starting to go a little mad from lack of sunlight. At one point, he cast light on a metal plate and hung it high on the wall (aka, fake sun) but that didn't help. Anywho, we're coming up on level 6 and I have a big choice to make. Take Favored Soul 4 or Warlock 3? Here's my build so far using standard point by

Favored Soul 3/Undying Light Warlock 2
Race: Aasimar
Stats: 10/14/14/8/13/16
AC: 17 HP: 34
Favored Soul Domain: Life
Warlock Invocations: Agonizing Blast & Eldritch Sight
Metamagics: Quicken & Twin Spell
Houserule: DM gave all followers of Lathander (clerics and myself) a cantrip that functions like Shillelagh. It is a bonus action to cast and changes your club or staff into a 1d6 weapon that does radiant damage. It uses you spell casting modifier for attack/damage. That's wisdom for the clerics and charisma for me.
NO magic items (All melee characters have magic items)

We're getting ready to hit level 6 and here's my dilemma, what should I take next? At Warlock 3, you get the 2nd lvl spells and I could pick up Pact of the Blade to make use of the many magic swords that are dropping. The downside is I don't have the hit points nor AC to really stand in melee range for too long. However I do have Greenflame Blade and Booming Blade cantrips I could make good use of. I thought of Pact of the Tome, but I have so many cantrips now, and debated Pact of the Chain for more versatility, but it doesn't seem like much help.

OR.... I could take Favored Soul 4, to get the ASI and more sorcery points. I'm leaning toward Warcaster or +2 Charisma.

Also... I know the most optimized version is Warlock 3/Sorcerer x... but is there anything wrong with going Warlock 4 for the extra ASI?

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

[Giant2005]

Warlock 4 would mean you would never get access to level 9 spells. Warlock 3 basically means the same unless you plan on keeping playing at level 20.
If I were you, I'd take the next level of Sorc and then ride the Sorc to infinity.
Pact of the Blade would be very inadvisable for you with your low Str/Dex anyway.

[JumboWheat01]

Well, since you're a Life Favored Soul, I would say grab that level 3 Warlock, but go with Pack of the Chain instead of Blade. Why Chain? Well, you get a nice little familiar without having to waste an ASI on Ritual Caster (unless your DM houserules Find Familiar to the Sorcerer spell list, don't know if they do, so just going with RAW.) You can use that familiar to deliver your touch healing spells at range that keeps you out of melee combat. A very nice thing for any healer.

After that, pump that sorcerer. You'll get to Ninth level spells, and you won't REALLY miss that ASI, since you can easily cap your CHA.

[Gtdead]

For warlock 4, Spell progression > ASI imo. Every level you delay your progression is a level away from awesome spells like polymorph, fly, banishment, greater invisibility, mass suggestion.

Also don't get blade. You won't get any benefit from it other than being able to summon your staff. After all it's a staff, a walking stick, you don't really have to conceal it.. Both tome and chain will give you more stuff. Tome will give you access to guidance cantrip and will make you a ritual caster (pretty important for sorcerer), chain will give you an awesome familiar, although I'm not very well versed on it to tell you about the benefits in detail.

[rhouck]

If I were you, I'd take the next level of Sorc and then ride the Sorc to infinity.

This is what I would do.

Going Sorc 4 gets you an ASI, sorcery points, and another second level spell. But more importantly it means that next level you get to be Sorc 5 which means 3rd level spells.

I would save Warlock 3 for a later level (if ever), as delaying getting to 3rd and 4th level spells will start to feel really painful. Personally, I feel like delaying higher level spells doesn't feel as bad because you have so many great lower (1-4) level spells to cast, and higher level you're limited to 1-2 a day anyway.

[newsman77]

This is what I would do.

Going Sorc 4 gets you an ASI, sorcery points, and another second level spell. But more importantly it means that next level you get to be Sorc 5 which means 3rd level spells.

I would save Warlock 3 for a later level (if ever), as delaying getting to 3rd and 4th level spells will start to feel really painful. Personally, I feel like delaying higher level spells doesn't feel as bad because you have so many great lower (1-4) level spells to cast, and higher level you're limited to 1-2 a day anyway.

Thanks for the advice, you guys are totally right.

Pact of the Blade would not mean much for me. It would just be an added versatility but not as good as spellcasting. Pact of the Chain does offer up some interesting ideas, especially with the ability to twin cure wounds.

I think Sorc 4 is the way to go for a while. That does get me an ASI or Feat. Probably the ASI at this level, plus more spell points. I don't really want to delay spell progression, but those 2 2nd level spells on a recharge are pretty nice for fueling Quicken/Twin.

We'll most likely stop between levels 13 and 15. That makes taking more levels of Sorcerer all the more important.