Fun Ghost Rider Build

[PeteNutButter]

Just for fun was looking to build a fun ghost rider build. Standard Point buy, AL legal stuff only.

Classes: Warlock (Fiend)/Paladin (Vengeance) This is pretty much all the fluff of the character right there. It fits too well.

Stats: 15, 10, 14, 8, 8, 15.
Race: V Human to bump str and cha. Mounted Combatant as feat.

Have to go str build here since he is super strong. Instead of bothering with a whip or flail, just refluff the lance since it actually mechanically makes a lot of sense as a chain (disadvantage if they are close). It's a str build so wear heaving armor, but be sure to cover it spiked black leather.

Start paladin to 5 to pick up Find Steed. Summon Yourself a Fiendish Mount.

Go into warlock and get some required spells such as: Spider Climb (share it with your mount to ride up buildings and what not), Hellish Rebuke, and really anything that can emulate penitent stare. Although pact of the chain sounds like its you, its blade pact for sure. Make sure to pick up Mask of Many Faces to disguise self and cast it on you, sharing it with your mount for that flaming skeletal look on you both.

From there you can either go up in warlock to 14 and pick up hurl through hell, a great penitent gaze for sure, and lifedrinker. Or you can continue in paladin to level 11 or so for Improved Divine Smite. Bonus points if you can convince your DM to let your smites all do fire instead of radiant damage, which is actually a big debuff.

Use ASIs on Str then cha if you are going for lifedrinker. Could consider Elemental Adept Fire if going heavy warlock build.

With the paladin 6/warlock 14 you can ride around whipping people with your chain (lance mechanically) dealing 1d12+12 plus smites twice a round, plus whatever concentration spell you desire, Investiture of Flame for cool points.

With Paladin 11/warlock 9 you can deal 1d12+1d8+7 + smites twice a round, maybe 3 times with haste. Alternatively cast elemental weapon as a 5th spell and deal 1d12+1d8+2d4(fire)+7.

Ride around like crazy, chaining, and burning people. Make sure at some point to cast wall of fire in an area you ride past.:smallcool:

[JeenLeen]

This sounds really cool, but a couple mechanical questions occur to me.



Start paladin to 5 to pick up Find Steed. Summon Yourself a Fiendish Mount.
The mount, although a fiend, celestial, or fey, looks like a normal mount, doesn't it? Like how a familiar looks like a normal rat (or other animal.)

Although this is fixed by:

Make sure to pick up Mask of Many Faces to disguise self and cast it on you, sharing it with your mount for that flaming skeletal look on you both.
but does an evocation's 'casting' allow you to share spells with a mount like you normally can a spell you probably cast? (This is a rules question I'm seriously asking.)

I'd recommend a glaive or other reach weapon using Polearm Master to better emulate really getting folk with your whip (since you've already stopped using a whip.) Plus, it lets you hit folk as they approach you, which seems a cool, retributive move. Perhaps trade one of your ASI for Sentinel for how it combos. -2 to damage (and maybe accuracy, if means less Str), but potentially gives 2 extra attacks a round, so could be worth it.

Also, an Old One Warlock, although not as fitting (nor as self-healing) as a Fiend, gives telepathy. Telepathically telling people to repent, or just threatening them of impending punishment, is a cool intimidating factor--plus, you can use it even on those who don't speak your language.
...I may try this or recommend it to a friend if our current party has a TPK.

[PeteNutButter]

Casting a spell from an invocation definitely still counts as casting a spell so could totally be shareable on the mount. The spider climb on the mount and just reading the oath of vengeance got me thinking on this.

In 3.5 it mentioned fiendish and what not having slight appearance differences. I can't recall anything on it in 5e, but as you said that's where disguise self comes in. As an added note the find steed spell itself allows for variation in what you can summon up to DM perogotive. So he could give you a flaming motorcycle if he wanted and still be RAW.

Pole arm master would definately be better and it is good because it's basically 5e's spiked chain which is the weapon this build would use anyways. Pact of the blade says you can summon your weapon as any weapon so again RAW you can summon a spiked chain as long as your DM allows it to work as a glaive no worries.

I'd stick to fiend though myself as its inseparable from the flavor and provides lots of fitting fire abilities. Have fun!

EDIT: you could piss off your party and RP the **** out of this by refusing to help until innocent blood is spilled... Lol!

[Mad Puppy]

Excellent build PeteNutButter!

Really like the flavor and Role play starting points