Paladin 2/ warlock X vs paladin 2/ sorcerer X?

[Klorox]

How do the fewer smites of the warlock character, but recharging on a short rest match up against the greater spell selection of the sorcerer multiclass character?

[tieren]

How do the fewer smites of the warlock character, but recharging on a short rest match up against the greater spell selection of the sorcerer multiclass character?

Will really depend on how likely you are to get 2-3 short rests a day.

[Rysto]

I'm not a fan of Paladin 2/Warlock X. IMO you have much better things to do with a mid-level spell slot than smite.

[Misterwhisper]

The only real bonus from a paladin 2 warlock x is eldritch blast covering for the paladin ' s lack of ranged abilities.

The fact that you can at most smite twice from your warlock levels per combat until level 13, is garbage.

At the same level a sorcerer/paladin can smite 16 times, including having 6th level spells to do it with that the Warlock can never have, and the sorcerer has enough spell levels to burn and sorcerer points to create more levels of spells than the warlock would be getting back on short rests anyway, and does not need a rest at all to do it.

The only way I would ever take warlock with paladin is if I was going hexblade 2 paladin x, to have charisma for all my hits and damage.

[tieren]

, including having 6th level spells to do it with that the Warlock can never have,

This is factually incorrect, the warlock gets the same number of 6-9 level spells per day as the multiclassed sorcerer, until the very last level (if game goes that long).

They are called mystic arcanum's.

[Misterwhisper]

This is factually incorrect, the warlock gets the same number of 6-9 level spells per day as the multiclassed sorcerer, until the very last level (if game goes that long).

They are called mystic arcanum's.

You can't smite with them is what I mean, they are not spell slots.

[rbstr]

Why would you smite with a 6th level slot anyway? You've got better things to do with that kind of spell slot than spend two extra spell levels for 5d8 damage.

In terms of casting/smiting a large part of it depends on if you'll get the recommended amount of short rests and what kind of casting you want to do. If you don't get short rests the Warlock isn't going to be worth nearly as much.
Otherwise:
Sorc's big thing would be the quickened spells. While a big advantage of Warlock is that you can still get extra attack by going blade pact.

[Gastronomie]

You can't smite with them is what I mean, they are not spell slots.Even if you had level 6 slots, smiting using them is no different from smiting using a level 4 slot. Check page 85 of the PHB.

That said, I prefer Paladin/Sorcerer in how they have more versatility.

EDIT:
A big advantage of Warlock is that you can still get extra attack by going blade pact.Well, GFB and BB do sorta make up for that though.

[Misterwhisper]

Why would you smite with a 6th level slot anyway? You've got better things to do with that kind of spell slot than spend two extra spell levels for 5d8 damage.

Nobody said you have to spend it, but you could if you needed to, a warlock does not even have the option to do it.

Also you spend the smite after the attack so you can just save it for a crit, and doing 10D8, radiant damage or more depending on creature is not too bad for an a ikity that does not even cost an action

[tieren]

I think it is also worth noting that the invocations of the warlock can really add to the flavor of whatever you are trying to build. You can't smite with them, but infinite silent images, disguise self's, jump's, etc... can be fun. (particularly if saving all your slots for smites,magic abilities that don't use slots are extra cool).

Also the patron features can add a lot. Are you a tricksy fey who teleports away and goes invisible when hit? Are you a dark detective who reads the minds of his quarry? Are you a tower of vengenace drawing temp hp from the foes you defeat?

[Regius]

I'm sorry but can we all appreciate the damage of two scag cantrips +max divine smite here
The highest this goes is something like 2d6+5+3d8+2d6+5+3d8+5d8+5d8 on a single target as opposed to bladelock's extra attack wich is something like 2d6+10+5d8+2d6+10+5d8 and then of course the sorcadin has the alternate choice of branding smite +scag cantrip+divine smite which runs 9d6+2d6+5+3d8+5d8 of course you also might get the scag rider damage on those but the averages end up

Sorcadin 96(9 times) or 79.5(once a day)
Bladelock 79( 6 times)
With the sorcadin 79.5 is the less common one, whilst the bladelock is doing 79 as standard ultimately it comes down to do you want to be awesome at the end of the day or the start, though honestley looking at it we can see that the sorc is flat better, unless maybe there is some kind of unholy bladelock sorcadin that does three attacks a turn

Oh and the sorcadin may even get more than 9 novas in if he's clever with his resources.

Edit:I forgot a 2d6+5 in the quickened scag cantrip math on the first pass