Help allocating stat rolls - Hexblade

[trctelles]

I've made a hexblade and we rolled for stats, I got the following numbers: 10/11/11/16/12/16. We're starting lvl 1 and I'm a fallen aasimar (+1 STR/ +2 CHA)

We already started playing, but my DM allowed us to change ANYTHING (except the rolls) untill lvl 4 if we're not happy with it.
ATM I'm using sword and board, but will use a Glaive once I reach lvl 3 (hex warrior only works with 2h weapons with pact of the blade). I'll be going PWM and Warcaster at lvl 4 and 8 (My DM rulled that I can use EB with opportunity attacks with this combo, all beams on the enemy that trigger it)

I did the following stats

12 STR
12 DEX
16 CON
10 INT
11 WIS
18 CHA

The question is: should I swap CON with DEX? I did 16 CON because our party is mostly melee (Hexblade, Barbarian and Bladesinger Wizard) and to help with HP scalling/concentration checks, but I'm 1 AC of the max I could have with medium armor.

I know once I get Warcaster concentration checks will be easier, and IF we go to lvl 20 (not that likely) I can eventually get 14 DEX for the +1 AC at 16th lvl, but by then, I'm not sure if it will be that necessary. Also, the fact that medium armor only get +2 from DEX makes me think that 16 DEX is a waste (even though I KNOW that DEX is by far the most used stat check, and it gives me initiative too)

I need guidance on this one, I'm torn apart by this. My "OCD" is killing me :smallbiggrin:

[Mikal]

I've made a hexblade and we rolled for stats, I got the following numbers: 10/11/11/16/12/16. We're starting lvl 1 and I'm a fallen aasimar (+1 STR/ +2 CHA)

We already started playing, but my DM allowed us to change ANYTHING (except the rolls) untill lvl 4 if we're not happy with it.
ATM I'm using sword and board, but will use a Glaive once I reach lvl 3 (hex warrior only works with 2h weapons with pact of the blade). I'll be going PWM and Warcaster at lvl 4 and 8 (My DM rulled that I can use EB with opportunity attacks with this combo, all beams on the enemy that trigger it)

I did the following stats

12 STR
12 DEX
16 CON
10 INT
11 WIS
18 CHA

The question is: should I swap CON with DEX? I did 16 CON because our party is mostly melee (Hexblade, Barbarian and Bladesinger Wizard) and to help with HP scalling/concentration checks, but I'm 1 AC of the max I could have with medium armor.

I know once I get Warcaster concentration checks will be easier, and IF we go to lvl 20 (not that likely) I can eventually get 14 DEX for the +1 AC at 16th lvl, but by then, I'm not sure if it will be that necessary. Also, the fact that medium armor only get +2 from DEX makes me think that 16 DEX is a waste (even though I KNOW that DEX is by far the most used stat check, and it gives me initiative too)

I need guidance on this one, I'm torn apart by this. My "OCD" is killing me :smallbiggrin:

I'd keep as is. If you're going in melee you have plenty of non-AC options to throw at the enemies with Darkness/Blur/Shadow of Moil that you should be using unless you're concentrating on like flight or something.

Init honestly isn't super important since while you're a front liner, you're a DPS front liner, not tank, so anyone who actually is built to be a tank should get there first as your "shield wall" and you'll use the polearm behind them, for those times you can't/won't use darkness/blur/shadow of moil.

And for the times those fail, +2HP per level and to a greater extent +2 to concentration saves will be more important than a single point of AC, which, if you ever really need it, can be gained by temporarily going sword and board again.

[Talamare]

Get 16 Dex and Medium Armor Feat

[Aett_Thorn]

Get 16 Dex and Medium Armor Feat

Do you mean Medium Armor Mastery? Based on their description, the first point they could get that would be level 12, which doesn't seem worth it to me.

[trctelles]

the first point they could get that would be level 12, which doesn't seem worth it to me.

I actually plan on going PWM (4th lvl), Warcaster (8th lvl) and +2 CHA (12th lvl), so I could only improve my DEX or get Medium Armor Master at 16th lvl. It doesn't seem worth it to me too. Maybe I'll just skip it and get GWF at 16th lvl, although I don't think it will be that big of a deal, since I'll have spent most of my warlock career without it, cheesing them with PWM and EB. Also, I can Eldritch Smite to increase my damage and knock people prone.

[Mikal]

I actually plan on going PWM (4th lvl), Warcaster (8th lvl) and +2 CHA (12th lvl), so I could only improve my DEX or get Medium Armor Master at 16th lvl. It doesn't seem worth it to me too. Maybe I'll just skip it and get GWF at 16th lvl, although I don't think it will be that big of a deal, since I'll have spent most of my warlock career without it, cheesing them with PWM and EB. Also, I can Eldritch Smite to increase my damage and knock people prone.

By 16th that extra 10 damage can really help against big fights and the -5 attack is more easily salvageable.
Plus when you crit or drop somebody, instead of the bonus attack you get from the haft strike for 1d4+whatever you can do the full 1d10. It's not much more, but still nice to use.

[KillingTime]

I might be tempted to do the following:

12/16/11/10/12/18

Then at lvl 4 take resillient (Con) to bump to 12 and get Con proficiency.
A little risky, but the higher AC will somewhat compensate for the lower HP, and then getting Con saves at 4th will significantly help out your concentration checks later.
Dex won't need bumping again, so you can split further ASIs between Cha and Con.

[CantigThimble]

Unless people make a LOT of attack rolls against you, then the extra couple of attacks that hit you will only be doing as much or less than the 2hp per level you get from con. Especially since you're going to be using a 2 handed weapon instead of a shield. 1 point of AC makes a big difference if your AC is already really high, but if it's in the middle range then it matters less. (If enemies can hit you on a roll of 13-20 then +1 AC is 12.5% less damage taken, if they can only hit you on a roll of 16-20 then +1 AC is 20% less damage)

[trctelles]

I might be tempted to do the following:

12/16/11/10/12/18

Then at lvl 4 take resillient (Con) to bump to 12 and get Con proficiency.
A little risky, but the higher AC will somewhat compensate for the lower HP, and then getting Con saves at 4th will significantly help out your concentration checks later.
Dex won't need bumping again, so you can split further ASIs between Cha and Con.

I'll get Warcaster to be able to EB with opportunity attack. That alone will give me CON advantage for concentration. I know resilient (CON) is more usefull in the sense that it apply to ALL CON checks, but I'm more worried about losing concentration in spells, since warlocks get so few uses of them.

I'll net 16 AC using medium armor with 12 DEX and Glaive, but I'll be much tankier in terms of HP than if I used 17 AC. Also, as I stated previously, our party is almost all melee (even thought me and the bladesinger can cast from range, we want to get into action), so I think a "semi" tank will help.

Our barbarian is Vhuman and started with Charger, so I'll always get a meat shield running at enemies first :smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin:

[Mikal]

I feel like I might've said this before but have you confirmed you can use EB on War Caster with your DM? Some rule since it can be used to target multiple people that War Caster can't be used with it, and I think JC has said the same.

Regardless, you can't use it RAI/RAW with any PAM based OAs. Those have to be made with your Polearm.
That being said, Booming Blade is available for you to use with your PAM based OAs, with the added benefit of applying any other weapon based effects (such as smites) or forcing them to choose between staying where they're at or eating additional damage, almost like having the sentinel 0 ft. effect for free.

[trctelles]

I feel like I might've said this before but have you confirmed you can use EB on War Caster with your DM?

I did and he said he was fine with it, as long as I used all beams on the enemy that trigger the OA.


Regardless, you can't use it RAI/RAW with any PAM based OAs. Those have to be made with your Polearm.

I know JC posted a tweet about how HE thinks it should work, but I wouldn't go as much as to say that it is RAW. By RAW, Polearm Master allow me to make an OA when a hostile creature enter my reach, and Warcaster say as following "When a hoslile crealure's movement provokes an opportunily attack from you, you can use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature, rather than making an opportunity altack." By RAW, PAM doesn't say I MUST take the OA with the reach weapon (even though I AGREE that it does make sense by RAI interpretation), and Warcaster say I can use a spell. I think this is a case of specific (Warcaster) over general.

I'm not trying to get in an argument, I'm just pointing out my point of view, and I know a lot of people in here agree with me that some (not all, some are really worth your time) of JC tweets are just plain dumb.

[Mikal]

I did and he said he was fine with it, as long as I used all beams on the enemy that trigger the OA.
Nice.



I know JC posted a tweet about how HE thinks it should work, but I wouldn't go as much as to say that it is RAW. By RAW, Polearm Master allow me to make an OA when a hostile creature enter my reach, and Warcaster say as following "When a hoslile crealure's movement provokes an opportunily attack from you, you can use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature, rather than making an opportunity altack." By RAW, PAM doesn't say I MUST take the OA with the reach weapon (even though I AGREE that it does make sense by RAI interpretation), and Warcaster say I can use a spell. I think this is a case of specific (Warcaster) over general.

I'm not trying to get in an argument, I'm just pointing out my point of view, and I know a lot of people in here agree with me that some (not all, some are really worth your time) of JC tweets are just plain dumb.

Eh you make a good point. RAW can be interpreted a few ways. For some reason I thought the wording said the OA had to be done with the weapon, and it doesn't so have fun with it!

Personally I like using the booming blade and halberd combo myself, though the EB one is likely more powerful if all of them hit.

And I'm firmly in the camp that JC tweets stupid stuff a good bit of the time, I just know a lot of people take stock in what he says so I mention it.

[trctelles]

Personally I like using the booming blade and halberd combo myself, though the EB one is likely more powerful if all of them hit.

I think EB might do more damage too, plus I can Repelling Blast someone and make them take another OA if they try to pick on me. For me, this help with the gish feel, and ad a way for me to use both melee attacks and EB, so I don't feel like I'm letting one behind hehe