Celestial Warlock Build, any ideas?

[zerojjc]

I was wondering if anyone would like to share thoughts or ideas about a Celestial Warlock build?

The campaign:
We will be hunting witches, hags, baba-yaga, undead, and etc.

The Party:
We will have a Paladin, Cleric, Druid, Witch Hunter (Homebrew), a melee character, and my character.

My Character:
I feel like the Celestial Warlock would fit in well with the role-play and type of campaign. I don't mind if there is some multi-classing. I plan on role-playing him as sort of a traveling priest who uses Radiant and Fire to destroy all creatures of the dark. He also gladly accepts payment, free food and board, and offers "holy/magical protection" for pretty women so that he can flirt with them. I was wanting to be primarily a caster but also have some melee available such as using a staff. We will start at lvl 1 and probably play up to about lvl 15.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Dudewithknives]

I looked hard at playing a celestial warlock but it has some big issues.

Eldritch blast is still going to be your best choice even at level 6 when you can add your cha to fire and radiant spells because the warlock has so few radiant spells in the first place. The fire part can help though but not really on cantrips.

If you want radiant damage and your DM is ok with a slightly older ua consider fey patron ad the moonbow, it smites with radiant damage. Put that on an aasimar, which ever subrace gave dex and you could be pretty solid. Or might could convince the DM to let the celestial patron have a moonbow invocation.


I love the RP and the concept of the celestial patron but it does not have the mechanical backup, and with that big of a group and all the other casters, you are going to get overshadowed quick.

[Rebonack]

If you want a 'melee' Warlock, your best route is to either pick up Tome and Shillelagh with your melee weapon cantrip of choice, or grab one level in Fighter for the Close Quarters Shooter style since it benefits ranged attacks, not just ranged weapon attacks. While the Blade Boon is really flavorful, it is sadly something of a trap option. Your team already looks like it has a ton of front-line presence, so I would suggest just focusing on providing artillery and lockdown.

[nanoboy]

There's always the semi-official Unearthed Arcana version you can find here (https://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/June5UA_RevisedClassOptv1.pdf).

[polymphus]

You're definitely gonna want that Tome Pact so you can grab Sacred Flame and other Cleric Cantrips.

It might be useful to go Variant Human for the Magic Initiate feat, to really branch out and grab some stuff from outside the class.

[Rebonack]

You're definitely gonna want that Tome Pact so you can grab Sacred Flame and other Cleric Cantrips.

It might be useful to go Variant Human for the Magic Initiate feat, to really branch out and grab some stuff from outside the class.

Celestial pact Warlock gets Sacred Flame and Light for free at first level.

[rbstr]

Nanoboy, pretty sure that's exactly what he's talking about >_>

You'd be pretty fine straight Warlock if you're mostly casting. Nice extended spell list IMO, a good healing pool, eventually THP. Going with Tome with Shillelagh and Green Flame Blade is a good way to have melee backup.

The thing about Celestial as-is is that the level 6 feature is pretty meh. Eldritch blast is still more powerful than Sacred Flame and it doesn't really do much for a bladelock. I hope the change that feature up for the final release. Maybe you can ask the DM to make EB radiant damage?
The other thing is that the warlock's mystic arcanum list doesn't have much to match this patron.

[zerojjc]

Thank you all for you input. I came up with a possible build and wanted to share it with you all to see what you all think? With this build I plan to start as lvl 1 Sorcerer and then move into Warlock. I'm not sure when/if I would switch back to some Sorcerer lvls but I don't see a reason to go past lvl 3 Sorcerer.


SORCERER
[Proficiencies]
- Start with Con & Cha saving throws
- Can choose Persuasion (fits my characters role-play)

[Lvl 1]
Sorcerer Origin - Favored Soul
- Divine Magic (cleric spell list)
- Supernatural Resilience (+1hp per lvl)
- Favored by the Gods (+2d4 on failed save or att, 1/rest)

4 cantrips:
- Firebolt
- Mage Hand
- Minor Illusion
- Sacred Flames (Cleric)

2 spells:
- Shield
- Chromatic Orb

[Lvl 2]
Font of Magic (2 sorcery points)

Extra know spell:
- Thunderwave

[Lvl 3]
2 Metamagic:
- Quickened Spell
- Twinned Spell

One addition sorcery point

Extra know spell:
- Mirror Image

----------

WARLOCK

[Proficiencies]
- Light Armor
- Simple Weapons

[Lvl 1]
2 cantrips:
- Eldritch Blast
- Green-Flame Blade
+ Sacred Flame (celestial)
+ Light (celestial)

2 spells known:
- Hex
- Burning Hands (celestial)

Patron - The Celestial
- Healing Light

[Lvl 2]
2 Eldritch Invocations:
- Agonizing Blast
- Repelling Blast

Extra known spell:
- Protection good/evil (Will be fighting hags and undead)

[Lvl 3]
Pact Boon - of the Blade

Extra known spell:
- Misty Step

[Lvl 4]
Feat:
- Polearm Master

Extra cantrip:
- Booming Blade

Extra known spell:
- Flaming Sphere (Celestial)

[Lvl 5]
Extra Eldritch Invocations:
- Thirsting Blade (attack with Pact weapon twice)

Extra known spell:
- Daylight

[Lvl 6]
Patron Feature:
- Radiant Soul (Celestial)

Extra known spell:
- Dispel Magic

[Lvl 7]
Extra Eldritch Invocations:
- Improved Pact Weapon / Kiss of Mephistopheles / Relentless Hex

Extra known spell:
- Wall of Fire (Celestial)

[Lvl 8]
Feat:
- War Caster

Extra known spell:
- Banishment

[Lvl 9]
Extra Eldritch Invocations:
- Improved Pact Weapon / Kiss of Mephistopheles / Relentless Hex

Extra known spell:
- Flame Strike

[Lvl 10]
Extra Cantrip:
- ??

Patron Feature:
- Celestial Resilience (Celestial)

----------

[QUESTIONS]

- Multiclassing spell slots, when adding all of them together can you then cast any spell from either class?
- With Metamagic, can this be used on the Warlock spells as well, or just the Sorcerer spells?

[rbstr]

Spell slots aren't tied to a particularly spell list. You can cast a spell you know with any appropriately-leveled slot.
The metamagic can be used on any spell you have.

On the build itself, though, you're trying to do too much:
You're taking blade pact and PAM which requires Strength to use well. You don't have the stats to use light armor (dex) and your casting stat (cha) on top of strength unless you're rolling stats and they're super high.
Quickened spells conflict directly with the bonus action of PAM.
Melee cantrips don't work with the extra attack feature.


If you want to melee, with strength/PAM in particular, you should probably take fighter at level 1 for the heavy armor.
The sorc dip is better for being more castery or using the melee cantrips.
If you want to use melee cantrips the bladepact actually isn't that good.

[zerojjc]

Spell slots aren't tied to a particularly spell list. You can cast a spell you know with any appropriately-leveled slot.
The metamagic can be used on any spell you have.

On the build itself, though, you're trying to do too much:
You're taking blade pact and PAM which requires Strength to use well. You don't have the stats to use light armor (dex) and your casting stat (cha) on top of strength unless you're rolling stats and they're super high.
Quickened spells conflict directly with the bonus action of PAM.
Melee cantrips don't work with the extra attack feature.


If you want to melee, with strength/PAM in particular, you should probably take fighter at level 1 for the heavy armor.
The sorc dip is better for being more castery or using the melee cantrips.
If you want to use melee cantrips the bladepact actually isn't that good.

I was planning going CHA highest, the STR, then CON. I wasn't going to be upfront, and that's part of the reason I wanted to do PAM so that I could literally stand behind the 2-3 other front-liners we already have (Paladin, Cleric, Druid). So that's where the caster first, and melee second would come in, giving me the versatility to do some reached melee while remaining behind the meat shields when i'm low on spells. So Quickened spell would be when i'm casting, and PAM and etc would be when i'm attacking with reach. If they did get within 5ft I would attempt to use something like thunderwave to move them out again, or if they are getting too close for comfort I could push them with Eldritch Blast. I plan on taking the Protector Aasimar race which will also allow me to fly 1/day, this could also help keep me out of tight places if need be, while also raining down spells from safety in some battles.

I'm sure this build is not ideal for most parties, but i'm trying to create a fit for this party, but also build it into the role-play of my character.