Best way to build a bladelock

[Sir cryosin]

What's the best way to build a bladelock I would like a two weapon fighting bladelock but I also love greats words and S&B to.

[Spiritchaser]

To my mind the first question has to be: is Hexblade from UA on the table (conceptually, and otherwise)?

[Rebonack]

And to add to that question, is multi-classing allowed/desired?

A more specific question, are you just wanting to be a Warlock who fights in melee?

[rbstr]

Many ways to do this. Are you just using sources other than the PHB?
Straight PHB warlock of any patron works ok. Take high dexterity, use the mage armor invocation, pact shortsword.
Take some fighter (at least start fighter 1). Pick your preferred fighting style you can do whatever Strength or Dex build. Probably prefered for you since you can pick up TWF fighting style.
Take some rouge levels, use a rapier or twf. Works really well with the Fey patron IMO.

If you can use the Unearthed Arcana plain Hexblade works very well for a sword and board build. Put a 14 in dex, use medium armor and away you go. Plenty of multiclass opportunity there too.
Be aware that when Xanthar's Guide comes out this patron will probably change some.

An alternative way of being a melee warlock is to pick the Tome pact, take Shillelagh as a cantrip and use the SCAG melee cantrips. That lets you use Cha for hit/damage.
Still need a 14 in dex and a level in something (or feat) to give you medium armor.

IMO stay away from concentration spells as a front-line fighter. Use defensive stuff Mirror Image, Armor of Agathys ect.

[Easy_Lee]

Using the PHB only, the best way to build a bladelock is by starting with one level in figher or two levels in paladin and taking polearm mastery or great weapon master, your choice.

Using UA, Hexblade opens up a wide variety of options, so just see what interests you.

[Mandragola]

two-weapon fighting isn't great for a warlock. Hex requires your bonus action to transfer and you only get one pact blade - not two. You're proficient with your blade but not the other weapon unless you multiclass.

My single-class pact of the blade warlock is as follows: variant human, pact of the fiend, taking moderately-armoured. Starting stats (including +1 to Str from armour feat) is 17, 8, 14, 10, 8, 16. Technically intelligence is your least useful stat, but I hate the idea of a really stupid warlock. Unwise I can live with - indeed that's kind of a given with someone striking deals with fiends!

Dex stops mattering when you reach 4th and take heavy armour proficiency. At that point you've got 18 strength - the same as a single-class fighter, paladin or barbarian would have.

You can't make a bladelock that does as much damage in melee as a dedicated fighter-type-guy. I prefer to therefore go single class, so as not to compromise my spellcasting (much, my character's charisma won't be maxed till at least 12th level). In this way you can fireball and counterspell with the best of them, and bash people with assorted weapons if you can get your hands on one.

[Lombra]

Multiclassing and core-only: paladin 2/warlock x variant human for polearm master. Heavy armor master works wonders with armor of agathys too.

[Talionis]

Two Weapon Fighting works just fine with Hex for more powerful opponents. You will probably have AoE spells like Fireball on your spell list from your Patron, so when you have multiple enemies Hex won't be your goto spell.

If you stay just Warlock, I suggest getting Medium Armor and Shield Proficiency either from:
Race: Mountain Dwarf, to get Medium Armor and Shield Proficiency (Same can be done with a V. Human)

Bladelocks in general, highly benefit from a dip in another class.


Fighter 1-2 is strong, the Action Surge allows yout to buff up with a spell and then attack.

Cleric 1-2 is also strong, it can add Cure Wounds to your spell list and possibly other spells that upcast in higher spell slots well, but it also provides AoE, Heavy Armor, and Healing. Life Cleric with Vampiric Touch is an interesting combo of sorts, probably best used in mop up duty.

Monk is MAD as heck, but works well with HEX on single targets, but this basically isn't achieve-able with point buy.

Rogue works well to create a skirmisher who gets in and out of melee well Swashbuckler has some very good overlap. Bladelock grants the Extra Attack that Rogues want. Cunning Action is very nice because this build isn't a tank, but can move across the battlefield to cherry pick kills to fuel your Fiendish Temporary Hitpoints. Uncanny Dodge or the fifth level reaction ability of Rogues works very well with Armor of Agathys.

Barbarian Rage has great synergy with Armor of Agathys, since AoA doesn't require concentration you cast it and then Rage to protect your precious AoA temporary hit points, but Barb gets you much better Armor. This can be a fun build with Barbarian 5, Tomelock to be able to attack with Shileigheigh up. This gets you Extra Attacks with Barbarian instead of Thirsting Blade, gets you more Rages and can work with Pole Arm Mastery. I enjoyed this very much because I felt like I played differently in combats when I wanted to Rage and sometimes I would Eldritch Blast, and sometimes I would Hex in Melee.

Paladin is overrated, you never have enough spell slots to Smite much, (if Unearthed Arcana material is available you can pick up Smites from that material wihtout Paladin). But Warlocks have so few spells that using them on Smites is rarely a good choice.

Ranger is hard to see good synergies, but I guess some of the Archery Spells might work upcast, but ask your DM if your Blade can be a Bow or Crossbow.

Wizard can work with an Abjurer that is a lot more Wizard than Warlock or made a Bladesinger with high Intelligence and Charisma.

Sorcerer and Bard are easy to dip into, but generally provide little in the way of a dip. Lore Bard three Cutting Words can help to reduce damage for AoA, and add skills and spells known, but its a big dip. Valor Bard 3 gets spells known and Medium Armor... 6 gets Extra Attacks which is one more than a normal martial characters get Extra Attack and you can get Extra Attack from Thirsting Blade. But none of these are particularly appealing.




As a playstyle, they generally cast a buff or AoE turn one of a fight then engage in melee combat then if the fight lasts a long time, they drop out of melee combat and rely on their ranged attacks. It greatly helps to have a Cleric cast Warding Bond on your Warlock once you can get 3 or 4 level castings of Armor of Agathys regardless of your dip because it provides you with Resistance to all, but it combo's particularly well with Rogues or Barbarians.

I'd rank them

1 Rogue
2 Barbarian
3 Cleric
4 Fighter
... Not worth playing the other combinations without a serious plan.

Realizing that if you are just looking for a Tank you want Cleric or Fighter for Heavy Armor... Cleric really does work pretty well because you just heal when the Battle is over.

[Ovarwa]

If magic items are prevalent in your game, staves are great Warlock weapons:

* You are an arcane caster, so you can use the best staves
* The +2 bonus applies both to your melee attacks and spells (if you care about that)
* With Polearm Master, you can attack with the same weapon using a bonus action
* Shillelagh applies
* Pact weapon applies to all your weapon attacks

Regardless, favorite multiclasses:

Get basics that Warlock is missing, and then go for it:
F1/BladeX. Fighting style, Con proficiency, heavy armor, weapon proficiencies
Cl1/BladeX. Extra spell slots, extra spells, medium armor (maybe heavy), maybe weapon proficiencies

All Charisma, all the time:
Pa6(7)+,TomeX. Second attack. Cha-bases Shillelagh. Cha to everyone's saves. Heavy armor, all weapons, fighting style.

Nasssty trickssssy hobbitses:
RogueX/BladeY. See in the magical darkness you create. Or get Improved Invisibility. 2nd attack. Lots of advantage. Sneak attack. Skills. Swashbuckler or assassin.

I'm less of a fan of:
F2/BladeX: Once you're F2, why not F3 for Battlemaster? And then F4 for an ASI? Etc.
Pa2/WarX: You should have better things to do with your spell slots.
SorX/WarY: If you're a Sorcerer, *be a Sorcerer*. Don't delay those 3rd level spells. Or Wish. Or... Really, EB+AB isn't worth it.

[CaptainSarathai]

Alright, so, since you're not really giving me much to go on, here we go:


If you can't MC then there are two ways to go about this.

The first is to write off going BladeLock altogether, and instead take the Crossbow Expert feat and Agonizing Blast. Total damage:
d10+d6+Cha x4 = 56 damage

The second is to take take the Polearm Master feat, Thirsting Blade, and Life Drinker. Total damage:
2d10+1d4+3d6++3Str+3Cha = 51 damage


If you can MC, then the argument to just stick with EB becomes even more compelling, as you take 2 levels in Warlock, the rest in Sorcerer, and Crossbow Expert. Total damage:
d10+d6+Cha x4 = 56 damage, +Quicken (same) = 112 damage

If you're insistent upon weapon use, then Pact hardly matters. Then, Polearm Master, 3-4 levels of Warlock and 16-17 levels of Fighter, with the Duellist style. Result:
7d6+1d4+4Str+8 = 55 damage, +Action Surge (same, minus 1d6+1d6+2+Str) = 98 damage
Add Combat Maneuvers to taste.

With the option of SCAG cantrips on the table, you're back to MCing into Sorcerer and nabbing Green Flame Blade. 6 levels of Draconic, at least. Once more, Pact of the Blade doesn't matter terribly, but why not. Grab Life Drinker. Thirsting Blade doesn't matter for our purposes. Use whatever weapon you like. 2 levels of Paladin for laughs wouldn't be bad either, and take Duellist Style. Likely, Sorc6, Pal2, Lock12. Total:
4d8+1d6+Dex+2Cha+2 = 38.5 damage, +Quicken (same) = 77 damage plus secondary damage to near target
Add Smite to taste.
This is superior to the Lock/Fighter version, based on repeatability.


Honestly, just build a Hexblade and have fun. It's practically all of these builds already.

[Eragon123]

two-weapon fighting isn't great for a warlock. Hex requires your bonus action to transfer and you only get one pact blade - not two. You're proficient with your blade but not the other weapon unless you multiclass.

My single-class pact of the blade warlock is as follows: variant human, pact of the fiend, taking moderately-armoured. Starting stats (including +1 to Str from armour feat) is 17, 8, 14, 10, 8, 16. Technically intelligence is your least useful stat, but I hate the idea of a really stupid warlock. Unwise I can live with - indeed that's kind of a given with someone striking deals with fiends!

Dex stops mattering when you reach 4th and take heavy armour proficiency. At that point you've got 18 strength - the same as a single-class fighter, paladin or barbarian would have.

You can't make a bladelock that does as much damage in melee as a dedicated fighter-type-guy. I prefer to therefore go single class, so as not to compromise my spellcasting (much, my character's charisma won't be maxed till at least 12th level). In this way you can fireball and counterspell with the best of them, and bash people with assorted weapons if you can get your hands on one.

I have a really nice DM and we made some invocations for home-brew.

The first was Pact-Master's Mantle or Spectral Armor. Requirements: lv 4 and pact of blade.
You can summon any type of mundane armor just like your sword you are considered proficient if you meet the other prerequisites (15 str).

The second was Thirsting blade: Requirements: lv 6 pact of the blade
If you use your action to attack, you may make a second attack. If you use your action to cast a spell/cantrip, you may make a single melee attack as a bonus action.

I took heavy armor mastery at level 4 (the damage reduced scales off proficiency in his home-brew, which is very nice)
My basic battle plan is put on Armor of Agyths in first round. The rest of the time I use blade ward and swing. Its a very fun build and yours reminded me of it.