Warlock Min/Max for Damage

[ajrockstarr]

Looking to optimize a level 3 warlock for Damage, I don’t know much about them, looking for spells, invocations, stats (we use point buy) and anything else you guys think is important. Thanks guys

[Grear Bylls]

Looking to optimize a level 3 warlock for Damage, I don’t know much about them, looking for spells, invocations, stats (we use point buy) and anything else you guys think is important. Thanks guys

Well, eldritch blast is the most OP cantrip, so grab agonizing blast, and you're set. I can elaborate further, but I'd need to know your stats in order, and your patron. Or are you just building a level three warlock?

[Ventruenox]

Check out EvilAnagram's Warlock Guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?485736-Selling-your-Soul-at-a-Premium-The-Warlock-s-Guide-to-Power) to get you started.

For level 3 though, the short answer is the Eldritch Blast cantrip + Agonizing Blast invocation with a decent Charisma stat. Stay out of melee and blast away.

[ajrockstarr]

The campaign will go on really as long as we push it, so I take it we’re going to 20, I don’t neccasarily need but I really enjoy seeing outlines for each level on and so forth, like spells to take, ASI’s e.t.c, I also haven’t made the character yet so if you guys have any proposed stats feel free

[solidork]

The Fiend is probably the best patron for pure damage, getting you Scorching Ray and eventually Fireball.

[CTurbo]

What do YOU mean by "min/max"?

To me, the best way to min/max is to get 20 in Cha as fast as possible. if you REALLY want damage, you could opt for the highly popular "Sorlock" route after maxing Cha.

[Grear Bylls]

The campaign will go on really as long as we push it, so I take it we’re going to 20, I don’t neccasarily need but I really enjoy seeing outlines for each level on and so forth, like spells to take, ASI’s e.t.c, I also haven’t made the character yet so if you guys have any proposed stats feel free

I would play a Hexblade, human variant. Stats
8 Str
13+1 Dex
14 Con
12 Int
10 Wis
15+1 Cha

Pick up Great Weapon master, pact of the blade, agonizing blast, and eventually Thirsting Blade. Melee, ranged, all using charisma

[ajrockstarr]

Alright I like it so far thanks guys

[ajrockstarr]

Any spell recommendations?

[CTurbo]

You want to be a Hexblade Bladelock. For this build, I'd probably try to start with 14 Dex, 16 Con, and 16 Cha and would max out Cha as soon as possible which would be level 8.

Choose any race that boosts Cha
Variant Human gets you a feat at level 1. I'd recommend Polearm Master over Great Weapon Master, but other feats like Resilient(Con), Warcaster, and Lucky would all be worth considering.
Half-Elf gives you +2 Cha and +1 to Dex and Con, bonus skills,
Yuan-Ti Pureblood gets you spell resistance, poison immunity, and extra cantrip
Tabaxi gets you extra speed and climbing
Dragonborn gets you a damage resistance and breath weapon
Lightfoot Halfling gets you rerolling 1s and makes it easier to hide
Aasimar there are several variants but all make great Warlocks
Tiefling same as Aasimar

[Grear Bylls]

Oh yeah, pick up improved pact Weapon for a magic +1 anything effectively

[Matrix_Walker]

If you want to maximize Eldritch Blast effectiveness, and you like the notion of a Sorlock, I would take level 1 as Sorcerer for the Con save and the Shield spell.

Level 2 and 3, I would then take as Warlock, Getting Agonizing Blast and Repelling Blast into the picture. (Pick up Armor of Agathys and Hex)

Then switch back to Sorcerer and never look back ;)

[Strangways]

Looking to optimize a level 3 warlock for Damage, I don’t know much about them, looking for spells, invocations, stats (we use point buy) and anything else you guys think is important. Thanks guys

Lean to love Eldritch Blast as you'll be spending most of your career spamming that cantrip. Although you're a full caster, you have very, very few spell slots. You do, however, recover them on a short rest, unlike all the other full casters. This means that, by necessity, you're largely going to be spamming your core cantrip, Eldritch Blast. Fortunately, when buffed by other warlock abilities, it's the best attack roll cantrip in the game.

At level 3, basically all you need is Eldritch Blast, the Agonizing Blast cantrip and the Hex spell (level 3). The combination of those abilities will ensure that your EB hits as hard as it possibly. At later levels, there will be other, better things vyiing for your concentration, but when you're just starting out Hex is awesome.

One of the things that makes EB awesome is that it scales up different from other attack cantrips. Other cantrips do more damage per attack as you level up (e.g. 1d8 at level 1, 2d8 at level 5 etc.) but EB doesn't do that. Instead, you get more blasts. Since the Agonizing Blast invocation adds your charisma bonus to the damage of every blast, your EB at level 11 (for example) will be hitting for 3d10 + 15 (assuming +5 CHA bonus) whereas your wizard friend casting Firebolt will be doing only 3d10 (or possibly 3d10 +5 depending on subclass). And that's not even counting the extra damage from Hex.

You can also buff EB with other invocations, including Repelling Blast (push targets back), Grasp of Hadar (pull targets towards you) and Lance of Lethargy (slow targets down). That brings me to the second major task of a new warlock, namely how to stay alive. As a warlock, your armor isn't that good and, unlike wizards and sorcerers, you don't get the Shield spell (unless you're a Hexblade Warlock) and, even if you did get that spell, you have so few spell slots that it wouldn't be practical to use it. One way to stay alive is to go Archfey patriot. They have a fantastic level 6 class ability that enables you to teleport and turn invisible as a reaction to being hit. That will save your live countless times over the course of your career. Another option is to go Fiend patron and get temporary hit points when you kill things. Another choice is to go Hexblade for the improved armor proficiency. Whatever choice you make, think about what other classes are represented on your party and the hazards you're likely to encounter and take that into consideration in planning your warlock's survival abilities.

[Chugger]

Half elf Hexblade with Elven Accuracy feat (xanathars), darkness and devils sight is pretty strong. Most monsters will have real trouble coming after you in the darkness. Use a reach weapon if you need to make going in, attacking, then moving out to not enshroud party in darkness work. Will not work fighting in tiny quarters - but will save party in a tough fight (they can end turn in darkness, come out to attack and go back in, making it much harder for monsters to hit them).

Sorlock allows you to use Sorcerer meta-magic on your EBs. You can't Twin an EB iirc, but you can quicken one - and then EB for your main action - or do something else (like you can Disengage for your action to get away from something nasty in your face - then quicken to EB it on your bonus action).

Being able to double-cast per turn your EB in critical fights is good. You may not want to use it every round - it burns up meta points - but for key fights it's nice. Plus you get nice sorc spells, including access to some good defensive ones, like shield and absorb elements. Those can be life-savers. (hex gets Shield - hexblade w/ a few lvls in sorc lets you cast things like Shield more freely, cuz you have more spell slots).

The other invos are insanely good - like being able to read all written words in a campaign heavy with lore or old temples - but the party is weak on casters (be careful picking any invo that some other party member can replicate w/ a ritual - i.e. slot free cast).

(edit we may not be explaining things well - if you dno't own the xanathar's book I wouldn't do hexblade yet - get or borrow a copy first.

Doing a normal non-hexblade warlock, lvls 1-4 your EB does 1d10 plus 1d6 if you hexed plus 3 or 4 dep on cha if you take agonizing blast. By lvl 5 (combined lvl, so if you MC'd it's your overall lvl) your cantrip EB does two rays. Each hits for 1d10 + 1d6 if you hexed + 4 if you ASI'd your cha to 18 at lvl 4 (assuming it started at 16, as most do).

Av dam of 1d10 is 5.5, 1d6 is 3.5 - so that is _nine_ core pts of damage per blast - plus four for the invo agonizing blast - making you average 13 pts damage per blast. Two blasts a round is 26 pts per round if both hit, and Force damage hurts almost everything.

This frees up your other cantrip slots for utility or fun things - you really only need the one damaging cantrip (eldritch blast or eb).

Being able to move thing - either push them 10' away per blast or pull them 10' closer - is very useful at times. But there are other invocations - one that gives you temp hit points - one that lets you cast silent illusion all the time - devil's sight (lets you even see in magical darkness).

Remember that as you level the power of your 2 slots goes up. And you necessarily "up-cast" all your spells. Making each casting more powerful.

Look for magic items that boost your casting power. Ring of Spell Storing (stores up to 5 lvls of any class's spells) - pearl of power (gives you up to a lvl 3 slot to use to cast once per day) - rod of the pact keeper grants a + to hit with attack spells (like EB) and a + to your spell DC and lets you regen a spell slot once per day.

So, please notice you can boost your damage potential a lot with one cantrip (eb) and one invocation (agaonizing blast) and feel free to go for utility - fun - color - or more damage-doing with all your other stuff.)