Setting up a Hexblade for Adventurer's League - help me sanity check my thoughts?

[Dzurlord]

Hi, folks! So I'm planning on hitting a local convention this weekend and start playing some AL games. (Woo!) I'm throwing together a Hexblade, just because why not? (I may also roll in with a couple backups on paper just in case the first table I hit has a total lack of tanks or healers, but I'm hoping to get to mess with a warlock.)

Having never played a warlock before, nor having played in AL, I just wanted to get a second/third/however many sets of eyes on here just to make sure that I'm not totally off base with setting up a new PC, or missing anything.

So for a Hexblade, it seems like there are really two primary race options for me, and two build paths for weapons. I may be over-thinking it long term, but I like planning. (For reference, my plan if I keep playing with folks is to go hit Warlock 4 and then grab Paladin levels. Who knows if I'll ever get that far, though.)

Races!
Half-Elf. Start with 17 Charisma, get Elven Accuracy at 4th level. Get Advantage however possible. Probably lean towards Great Weapon Master because triple advantage helps offset the -5 to hit penalty when I swing for the bleachers.

Variant Human. 16 Charisma to start and a feat at first level. I think if I go this route I'm prooooobably best off taking Polearm Master at 1st level and just using a quarterstaff until 3rd, at which point I can pick up a Real Adult Polearm and have a day. (Though I suppose I could take GWM at 1 and just use it for the Cleave portion of the feat and use whatever I want, and the Power Attack portion of the feat is meaningless for me until 3rd level.)


Weapons!
I don't see much use going Great Weapon Master and Polearm Master, just because of diminishing returns around Bonus Actions. Am I off base here? Like I mention above, it looks like if I start with a feat at 1st level that Polearm Master and a Quarterstaff lets me immediately begin using that 1d4 bonus attack and get full mileage out of the feat, whereas I could take Great Weapon Combat at 1st and just cleave with it. Which is totally fine! I guess it just comes down to if I'd rather end up with a Glaive or Halberd at 3rd, or a Greatsword at 3rd. Whichever, I guess?


Spells!
Cantrips are Eldritch Blast (which I suppose I'll be heavily relying on at low level) and Booming Blade if I have reach and Greenflame Blade if not. Spells are Hex and... Shield, probably? If I have a Quarterstaff and Shield in my hand, is Shield even useful for me to take as a spell, because casting it as a reaction won't work with my hands full, right?


I guess I'm sort of hitting a bit of decision paralysis, and like I said, it may not matter at all until I hit level 3, but I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything.

Thanks!

[strangebloke]

Gwm is great with Pam because you can -5 +10 on the bonus attack and the reaction attack. They also both stack well with elven accuracy, which does work on charisma based greatsword/polearm attacks. EA more than compensates for the -5 accuracy you're taking, and also synergizes with your crit fishing curse ability.

By level twelve, you two can have all three!

Each one is a strong feat at early levels. Each one is fine by itself. There's no 'best' option here.

However, warlocks are not as resilient as they'd like to be, being Frontliners.

Your build looks fine.

[Spiritchaser]

I agree that you *want* GWM AND PAM, but you might find you *need* resilient Con more

If you fit in enough paladin levels you’ll be better off, but that happens quite late.

[Foff]

Hi, folks! So I'm planning on hitting a local convention this weekend and start playing some AL games. (Woo!) I'm throwing together a Hexblade, just because why not? (I may also roll in with a couple backups on paper just in case the first table I hit has a total lack of tanks or healers, but I'm hoping to get to mess with a warlock.)

Having never played a warlock before, nor having played in AL, I just wanted to get a second/third/however many sets of eyes on here just to make sure that I'm not totally off base with setting up a new PC, or missing anything.


Fyi, a sword and board Hexblade can be one hell of a tank. You have a really strong array of melee focused spells (AoA/bladeward, darkness/devilsight combo, shadow of moil) and you can still make it all work with just CHA and CON as your main stats, half plate + shield is already CA 19 right off the bat (18 if you can't afford half plate) which is stupid good at early levels AND you get a free magic weapon at level 3 before anyone in your party; I tanked for my party alongside a storm herald barbarian for most of Storm King's Thunder campaign, he grapple/brawled enemies, I stalled them in darkness closing chokepoints and controlling the battlefield. I ended up dying only to a bloody vampire when I was level 7 (a bit of a gap in CS there). Giants were fine to deal with, anything smaller than that didn't even stand a chance.

[Crgaston]

Also, Your GFB/BB cantrips need spell sniper to work with a glaive.

(But, bonus... then they would work with a whip and shield. Which means you could go tome or chain... I know.. not helpful.)

The bonus attack from PM is going to be your be the most satisfying to get first. Missing your only attack in a round sucks, and PM gives you the possibility of 3 attacks with a quarterstaff at level 1.

Since you’re going to have a good melee attack and a good ranged cantrip, id go with a utility/flavor cantrip over BB/GFB at L1.

[Jethro]

For AL it’s PHB +1

That means you can’t use the cantrips (read: booming blade/ green flame blade) from SCAG along with the Hexblade warlock subclass from Xanathars. Otherwise build looks good!

[Dzurlord]

For AL it’s PHB +1

That means you can’t use the cantrips (read: booming blade/ green flame blade) from SCAG along with the Hexblade warlock subclass from Xanathars. Otherwise build looks good!

Oh, duh, I thought those were reprinted and I'm super wrong!

[Slayn82]

You can pick Toll the Dead or Create Bonfire as replacement for Booming Blade. While they don't fix the enemy in position, they offer you a way to deal damage when under disadvantage. And Create Bonfire is quite versatile, for heat, illumination, and to block enemy path or force movement.

If you choose to focus on melee as Hexblade, until lvl 5, going for the Devil Sight, and Fiendish Vigor or possibly Improved Pact Weapon as your Invocations, you may choose to take Chill touch instead of Eldritch Blast.