[AL]Wherein prototype00 plots out his tier 1 Hexblade...

[prototype00]

So I play in AL, its great fun, and very strings free. You drop in with your character, have a blast with a group of similarly interested compadres, and then you shake hands with everyone and sign up for the next session.

Since I just scored my copy of Xanathar's I'm planning out a Half Elf Hexblade character, but here's the downside. Until they get to lvl 4 with Elven Accuracy, Half Elf Hexblades are actually much worse at combat than say... a vHuman with a feat.

Oh woe!

But as long as you're in tier 1, you get to rebuild from scratch, as long as you keep the name the same. so lets start with a vHuman until we hit lvl 4 and can rebuild as a half-elf with Elven Accuracy!

Lvl 1 vHuman Hexblade
Feat: Pole Arm Master
Weapon of choice: Arcane Focus Staff (which can also be a quarterstaff)
Spell of Choice: Hex
AC: 18 (Shield and Scalemail)

Str: 8
Dex: 14
Con: 16
Int: 8
Wis: 10
Cha: 16

So with Hex up and running and PAM, this character can make two one handed Quarterstaff attacks with +1d6 damage. With Hexblade Curse, each attack gets +2 damage! So thats potentially 1d6 + 1d6 + 5 (First attack) and 1d4 +1d6 +5 (Second attack). None too shabby!

Some notes:

You basically pick the most expensive kit out of your choices and sell almost all of it to purchase the best medium armor you can, a shield and the Arcane Focus Staff (you need it to cast Hex which has a material component). HP will be a bit anemic (not too bad at 16 Con though), and of course you are decently tanky for the front line at 18 AC, definitely good damage too.

Anything I missed?

prototype00

[Unoriginal]

So you're going to just retcon your character into being an half-elf later on? For min-maxing reasons?

[Mikal]

So you're going to just retcon your character into being an half-elf later on? For min-maxing reasons?

Smart move TBH.

OP: Just remember you also get an OA whenever someone enters your threat range.
Beyond that, looks pretty solid!

[Unoriginal]

Smart move TBH.

It's about as smart as kicking someone in the groin during a boxing match.

You might beat your opponent, but you're destroying the point of the activity.

[prototype00]

It's about as smart as kicking someone in the groin during a boxing match.

You might beat your opponent, but you're destroying the point of the activity.

Ah, but you see, here's the difference that you're not seeing.

That's an illegal move.

Everything I'm doing is Rules As Written. If I'm playing the game exactly as the rules state it should be played (as laid down by the company that wrote it), how can I be "destroying the point of the activity"?

prototype00

[Mikal]

It's about as smart as kicking someone in the groin during a boxing match.

You might beat your opponent, but you're destroying the point of the activity.

Really? So you're equating a blatant cheating attack that would DQ you in a boxing match with following completely valid RAW processes?

That's about as smart as a screen door on a battleship!

[Unoriginal]

If I'm playing the game exactly as the rules state it should be played (as laid down by the company that wrote it), how can I be "destroying the point of the activity"?

You're playing as the rules states it allowed to play, it's not the same thing as how "it should be played".

Did WotC add this rule to allow PCs to get an easy power boost without actually having to deal with the inconvenient part of a character's build? No, they did that because they acknowledged players could change their minds about what they wanted to play, and decided they didn't want to punish that at early level.

Would the other players enjoy someone gaming the AL system to get ahead? I don't think so, but eh, it takes all kind.

If you're loopholing your way into not having to deal with your build's weaknesses, I doubt you will " have a blast with a group of similarly interested compadres", which is the point of playing D&D.

[The_Jette]

You're playing as the rules states it allowed to play, it's not the same thing as how "it should be played".

Did WotC add this rule to allow PCs to get an easy power boost without actually having to deal with the inconvenient part of a character's build? No, they did that because they acknowledged players could change their minds about what they wanted to play, and decided they didn't want to punish that at early level.

Would the other players enjoy someone gaming the AL system to get ahead? I don't think so, but eh, it takes all kind.

If you're loopholing your way into not having to deal with your build's weaknesses, I doubt you will " have a blast with a group of similarly interested compadres", which is the point of playing D&D.

In AL there are a lot of people who take advantage of the "rebuild by level 4" aspect in order to bypass early weakness and get to the level they want to play at before popping their actual build. I've heard it discussed at the game table so many times I've lost count. Personally, I would never do it. But, it's not unheard of, and isn't illegal. I hear where you're coming from, though.

[Unoriginal]

In AL there are a lot of people who take advantage of the "rebuild by level 4" aspect in order to bypass early weakness and get to the level they want to play at before popping their actual build. I've heard it discussed at the game table so many times I've lost count. Personally, I would never do it. But, it's not unheard of, and isn't illegal. I hear where you're coming from, though.

Well, if the rest of the table is fine with it, it's not an issue.

Guess there is more love for builds than for characters, in the AL.

[prototype00]

Well, if the rest of the table is fine with it, it's not an issue.

Guess there is more love for builds than for characters, in the AL.

AL is pretty wild-west like that. As long as your character plays by the rules, everyone is cool. Since it is mostly rando pairings, most players are just super happy to see someone who can pull his own weight at the table. More chance for them to bring their character sheet home intact (certainly is the case for me when I'm playing a sneeze-on-them-and-they're-out lvl 1 in tier 1, I'm super glad to see a lvl 4 badass, as it means they can do the heavy lifting).

prototype00

[Mikal]

Well, if the rest of the table is fine with it, it's not an issue.

Guess there is more love for builds than for characters, in the AL.

It's essentially nothing but con-style pickup games with the same character in each.
I'm sure some people run their regular games with the rules... but I'd be hard pressed to name anyone who would, with the silly restrictions you have.

Downtime days only used a certain number of ways!
Downtime days are finite!
Literally nothing to do outside of dungeon crawling or downtime days!
Stupid restrictions on characters (PHB+1, no flying at level 1)
Stupid restrictions on stats! (PB only)
Stupid restrictions on items! (Trading has to be like for like, you can't get the actual great items in White Plume Mountain or Tome of Annihilation or AL fiat makes you illegal)

While it's fun for a lot of people, to me it's more trouble than it's worth.

[prototype00]

It's essentially nothing but con-style pickup games with the same character in each.
I'm sure some people run their regular games with the rules... but I'd be hard pressed to name anyone who would, with the silly restrictions you have.

Downtime days only used a certain number of ways!
Downtime days are finite!
Literally nothing to do outside of dungeon crawling or downtime days!
Stupid restrictions on characters (PHB+1, no flying at level 1)
Stupid restrictions on stats! (PB only)
Stupid restrictions on items! (Trading has to be like for like, you can't get the actual great items in White Plume Mountain or Tome of Annihilation or AL fiat makes you illegal)

While it's fun for a lot of people, to me it's more trouble than it's worth.

I like it enough. The pickup game fits my schedule a lot better, and the fact that the DMs also play by a pre-arranged and baseline standard is also a plus.

[rbstr]

Do you even bother naming him before 4th level. I suggest "Sack O'Mechanics"

Anyway, forgetting that PAM+Quarterstaff+shield should get you thrown in a hole, this is a build that looks better in the white-room that it actually will work in practice. You eat your bonus action to apply effects that require hits to deal damage. That means you have the opportunity cost of just using the PAM-granted attack. If you look at the first round only using hex or curse is a loss of damage vs. the PAM attack, for example.

Look at each round:
Round 1:
PAM - 1d6+1d4+6=12
Curse - 1d6+5 = 8.5
Hex - 2d6+3 = 10

Round 2:
PAM - 1d6+1d4+6 = 12, total 24
Curse - 1d6+1d4+10 = 16, total 24.5
Hex - 3d6+1d4+6 = 19, total 29
Hex+Curse - 2d6+5 = 12, total 22

Round 3:
PAMing - 3*(1d6+1d4+6) = 12, total 36
Curse - 1d6+1d4+10 = 16, total 40.5
Hex - 3d6+1d4+6 = 19, total 48
Hex then curse - 3d6+1d4+10 = 23, total 45

If you account for missing or having to switch targets things look worse. Plus you're back-loading damage which is typically less useful than front-loading. how often do you hit a single target with every attack for 3 rounds in a row?

[prototype00]

Do you even bother naming him before 4th level. I suggest "Sack O'Mechanics"

Ah, thats where you're wrong. By the rules the name of the character has to stay the same, but everything else can change.

So Evan Fitzmourne at your service (people seem to be very hung up on switching between human and half-elf, I mean, I don't even change his character portrait and it works for both), most haunted man in the Realms (though he doesn't realize it)


Anyway, forgetting that PAM+Quarterstaff+shield should get you thrown in a hole, this is a build that looks better in the white-room that it actually will work in practice. You eat your bonus action to apply effects that require hits to deal damage. That means you have the opportunity cost of just using the PAM-granted attack. If you look at the first round only using hex or curse is a loss of damage vs. the PAM attack, for example.

Look at each round:
Round 1:
PAM - 1d6+1d4+6=12
Curse - 1d6+5 = 8.5
Hex - 2d6+3 = 10

Round 2:
PAM - 1d6+1d4+6 = 12, total 24
Curse - 1d6+1d4+10 = 16, total 24.5
Hex - 3d6+1d4+6 = 19, total 29
Hex+Curse - 2d6+5 = 12, total 22

Round 3:
PAMing - 3*(1d6+1d4+6) = 12, total 36
Curse - 1d6+1d4+10 = 16, total 40.5
Hex - 3d6+1d4+6 = 19, total 48
Hex then curse - 3d6+1d4+10 = 23, total 45

If you account for missing or having to switch targets things look worse. Plus you're back-loading damage which is typically less useful than front-loading. how often do you hit a single target with every attack for 3 rounds in a row?

Sure, you are pointing out the mathematical bumps in the road here, but tell me, how would you build a more efficient Hexblade at 1st level? I'm curious, as EB probably doesn't even get close to this damage (and having too much to do with a bonus action is probably preferable to the alternative at 1st level).

prototype00

[The_Jette]

It's essentially nothing but con-style pickup games with the same character in each.
I'm sure some people run their regular games with the rules... but I'd be hard pressed to name anyone who would, with the silly restrictions you have.

Downtime days only used a certain number of ways!
Downtime days are finite!
Literally nothing to do outside of dungeon crawling or downtime days!
Stupid restrictions on characters (PHB+1, no flying at level 1)
Stupid restrictions on stats! (PB only)
Stupid restrictions on items! (Trading has to be like for like, you can't get the actual great items in White Plume Mountain or Tome of Annihilation or AL fiat makes you illegal)

While it's fun for a lot of people, to me it's more trouble than it's worth.

The whole point of AL is to provide people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get a group together to come together and play a game that they love, without the possibility of one power gamer overcoming every challenge effortlessly by themselves because they just "happened" to roll great stats, and MC'd into some juggernaut of destruction. Sure, that's fun with a group of friends. But, I play AL because I moved to an area where I don't know anyone, and those I've met aren't D&D players. AL has allowed me to meet people who play D&D. The AL fiats really aren't that bad to deal with, and basically come down to the same thing as a DM who says "I'm not allowing any characters to keep the evil artifact. And, none of you would have any reason to, anyways, so please don't ask."

TL;DR: AL is useful for people who wouldn't otherwise be able to play, and keep their own character.

[Mikal]

The whole point of AL is to provide people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get a group together to come together and play a game that they love, without the possibility of one power gamer overcoming every challenge effortlessly by themselves because they just "happened" to roll great stats, and MC'd into some juggernaut of destruction. Sure, that's fun with a group of friends. But, I play AL because I moved to an area where I don't know anyone, and those I've met aren't D&D players. AL has allowed me to meet people who play D&D. The AL fiats really aren't that bad to deal with, and basically come down to the same thing as a DM who says "I'm not allowing any characters to keep the evil artifact. And, none of you would have any reason to, anyways, so please don't ask."

TL;DR: AL is useful for people who wouldn't otherwise be able to play, and keep their own character.

Yup, I totally understand that. Like I said in my post, I know it works for many people. It's just not my cup of tea for the reasons I stated above.

[PeteNutButter]

The whole point of AL is to provide people who wouldn't otherwise be able to get a group together to come together and play a game that they love, without the possibility of one power gamer overcoming every challenge effortlessly by themselves because they just "happened" to roll great stats, and MC'd into some juggernaut of destruction. Sure, that's fun with a group of friends. But, I play AL because I moved to an area where I don't know anyone, and those I've met aren't D&D players. AL has allowed me to meet people who play D&D. The AL fiats really aren't that bad to deal with, and basically come down to the same thing as a DM who says "I'm not allowing any characters to keep the evil artifact. And, none of you would have any reason to, anyways, so please don't ask."

TL;DR: AL is useful for people who wouldn't otherwise be able to play, and keep their own character.

I think it’s a bit reductive to say that AL is just for people who can’t get a group. It has other perks, such as being able to play at conventions, and being able to rotate DMs with a set of rules that keeps things consistent.

I play AL and we started out as a group of friends who knew each other playing at a local store. Being able to get into a group full of strangers is just a perk (and sometimes a curse).

At any rate, I find it amusing how people always react so negatively to people using the rebuild rules to make their characters stronger temporarily. I for one almost never play the same character twice pre-level 5 and never play a squishy class pre-level 3. It’s just fun to try out different builds.

[Caelic]

Heck, the other alternative is just to drop a chunk of DM experience and bring the character in at fourth level right off the bat.