Making a Hexblade Bardcher.

[Khrysaes]

As the title says, I am considering making a Hexblade Bard, focusing on Ranged attacks.

At this moment in time, I am considering 15 bard, 5 hexblade.

This will get me Improved pact weapon, Devil's Sight, and Eldritch smite.

And through bard(sword or valor), Extra attack..

now, I understand that I lose my 9th level spell slot. But what i was interested in was using charisma to shoot arrows from my harp(bow), and getting swift quiver as a magical secret.

Would it really be better to focus on a melee weapon, especially since I get the dueling fighting style(should i pick swords)

[Hyde]

The key point for me on Valor is the Cast a Spell, get a weapon attack ability. You could follow that up with an eldritch smite from a bow, and knock something out of the sky, really ruining its day. It's a little more interesting to me overall than a SwordBlade.

[mormon_soldier]

9th level for bard isn't terribly impressive anyways. Make sure you take warcaster if your table allows feats.

[Finger6842]

9th level for bard isn't terribly impressive anyways. Make sure you take warcaster if your table allows feats.

And give up "Wish", the most powerful spell in the game?

Look at this post (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?375185-Class-Comparisons-for-Ranged-Damage&highlight=warrior+bard+archery+comparison)

[Khrysaes]

A question, relevant to the bard.

As a bard you can change out a spell/spells known upon level up.

Does this work with magical secret spells?


By RAW it would, but you only get to choose from the bard list.

Second question: Since swift quiver allows 2 bow attacks with a bonus action, is there a reason to take valor over sword, as valor grants 1 as a bonus action(only after casting a spell, where swift quiver is for duration of concentration).

[LeonBH]

I dont think this is a good build because of the large amounts of anti-synergy between these two classes.

The biggest one is concentration: you don't get to use both Hex and Swift Quiver at the same time. So your attacks will be 1d10+PROF+CHA per hit, and that's it.

The lowest level you can pull this off is 13 if you went Bard 10/Lock 3. But a 13th level Blastlock will be doing 1d10+PROF+CHA+1d6 three times with their action.

All in all, it seems like you don't get to use the Warlock's coolest abilities this way. A 1-level dip for Warlock will get you most of what you want without affecting your spell progression severely.

[Degwerks]

I would look into Hexblade Bladepact Whisper Bardcher.

The 3rd level Psychic Blades ability only requires a weapon attack. Combine with Eldritch Smite for a big hit each round.

[Talionis]

Hexblade 12 can add Charisma to damage with Lifedrinker or Thirsting Blade and Improved Pact Weapon.

Don't forget that Branding Smite and Banishing Smite can be used as ranged attacks and are on the Hexblade list.

Interesting thought is going Devotion Paladin 3 for +Charisma to accuracy to offset the Sharpshooter feat. Crossbow Expert feat also adds another attack.

Sorcerer can caste Haste.

[Vogie]

The main benefit of going 5 levels into the hexblade is the eldritch smite, since you're going hexblade. I don't think improved pact weapon has a level requirement, IIRC, outside of requiring pact of the blade (3rd level). So if you do Hexblade 3 Bard 17, you get a single 9th level spell.

You can still grab Devil's Sight, IPW, and two more Invocations. Maybe talk to your DM to allow you to use Curse bringer with a bow - perhaps being able to etch those black runes into the summoned pact bow. Even if they require you to deal less damage with, the speed reduction and potential ability to shift the curse around will be quite beneficial. Other options are Chilling/Burning Hex, Repelling Blast or Lance of Lethargy

[Citan]

I dont think this is a good build because of the large amounts of anti-synergy between these two classes.

The biggest one is concentration: you don't get to use both Hex and Swift Quiver at the same time. So your attacks will be 1d10+PROF+CHA per hit, and that's it.

The lowest level you can pull this off is 13 if you went Bard 10/Lock 3. But a 13th level Blastlock will be doing 1d10+PROF+CHA+1d6 three times with their action.

All in all, it seems like you don't get to use the Warlock's coolest abilities this way. A 1-level dip for Warlock will get you most of what you want without affecting your spell progression severely.
Honestly, in my view Swift Quiver is largely overrated anyways. A Bard has largely better spells to use: Greater Invisibility you can get as soon as level 7, and gives such a boost in to-hit (invisible = advantage on attacks) that it's much better to learn it and spend an ASI on Crossbow Expert or Sharpshooter (or both).

Furthermore, you don't need to get all nova every time, just the time that counts is enough. And for that, Hexblade's feature comes right on: so HexBarcher (new name \o/) will be extremely nasty against the big dangerous foe of the biggest fight of the day.

AND you can use 1st level slots for emergency Healing Words until you can grab some other nice 1st level spells.
Other options could be (although further pushing away Bard levels) to get one Life Cleric dip for Bless and other perks, or one starting level in Fighter to boost your concentration (Constitution proficiency) and to-hit (Archery Fighting Style = +2).
Honestly I daresay a dip in Fighter is enough to counterbalance a bold choice of getting Sharpshooter and CXprt on both first ASIs... :)

[Degwerks]

I'm kinda liking the idea of 7 levels of Eldritch Knight 10 levels of Whisper Bard and 3 Hexblade blade pact. You don't have the Eldritch Smite but you do have 5d6 psychic damage to place on your arrows.

4d10+charisma Eldritch Blast plus bonus action bow shot using 5d6 psychic blades ability.

Or just whisper bard 10 hexblade 10

[Khrysaes]

I'm kinda liking the idea of 7 levels of Eldritch Knight 10 levels of Whisper Bard and 3 Hexblade blade pact. You don't have the Eldritch Smite but you do have 5d6 psychic damage to place on your arrows.

4d10+charisma Eldritch Blast plus bonus action bow shot using 5d6 psychic blades ability.

Or just whisper bard 10 hexblade 10

I had just played a Paladin/Sorc/Warlock... 8 Pally, 8 Sorc 4 Warlock.. my dm got mad at how much I used EB, and I would like to avoid it for my next charisma character.

[Mortis_Elrod]

I had just played a Paladin/Sorc/Warlock... 8 Pally, 8 Sorc 4 Warlock.. my dm got mad at how much I used EB, and I would like to avoid it for my next charisma character.

what about fighter 2/kensei 6/hexblade 12 ? Wear armor because its probably better and use a longbow.
You gt bonus action 1d4 to all your ranged weapon attacks with Kensei Shot and also use Deft Strike to add another 1d6. granted that only amounts to 6 more damage (on avg)on the first shot, which is about the same as your hexblade curse but 2 levels a fighter gives you action surge which adds more d4s.



Other good hexblade dips include

Ranger (gloomstalker is my choice but hunter is good too)
Rogue (because rogues are just great. AT, Swash, and Scout come to mind as great choices)
Paladin because Paladin
Sorcerer because Sorcerer.

[Chugger]

When considering a build and if you're starting at a low level, generally ignore the "but I get ___ at lvl 14+" type thinking - unless you really really are gonna play that high. Never ignore the "but will it suck from levels ___ to ___ while I wait to get ___ at lvl ___?" You're just not likely to play to high levels - few do. I'd focus more on "is it any good from the level you start up to lvl 12?" (where you're likely to quit - or earlier). Just sayin'...