AL Pole-arm Smite Knight

[Nerdicus]

Looking into building a Smite Knight for AL, and wanted to check that my math/ideas were right on it.

Race: Duergar - Bonuses, Adv on Charm Paralyze, Poison. Dis Adv, bright light. Spells invisibility, enlarge
Stats: Str 16/ Dex 10/ Con 16/ Int 8/ Wis 12/ Cha 13 ( I have a belt of hill giant Str to trade to this character and make the strength 20)

Some key features of the build:
1. 4 attacks per turn with Pole-arm Master,
2. Ability to do booming blade reach AOO (use distant spell metamagic).
3. Though it lacks spells to case in the 5th and 6th lvl slots, these can be recycled into smites through sorcery points.

The big drop on this would be 3d10 +30 (GWM) +15 str + Max Smites 3x5d8, + Action Surge 3d10 +30 (GWM)+ 15 str +3rd lvl smites 3x4d8+ bonus 1d4 +10 GWM +15 str +2lvl Smite (3d8). Totals out to 6d10+ 30d8 +1d4 +119 (156- 423, 289 avg)

Levels
1. Fighter 1: Fighting Style (Defense or GWF), Second Wind
2. Fighter 2: Action Surge
3. Fighter 3: Archetype (Eldritch Knight), Cantrips, and 1st lvl Spells
4. Fighter 4: Polearm Master
5. Fighter 5: 2nd Attack
6. Fighter 6: GWM
7. Paladin 1: Lay on Hands, Divine Sense
8. Paladin 2: Divine Smite, Fighting Style (Defense or GWF), 2nd lvl spells
9. Sorcerer 1: Wild Magic, Tides of Chaos
10. Sorcerer 2: Font of Magic, 3rd lvl spells slots
11. Sorcerer 3: Meta Magic
12. Sorcerer 4: War Caster, 4th level slots
13. Sorcerer 5: (learn 3rd level spells)
14. Fighter 7: War Magic
15. Fighter 8: Sentinel
16. Fighter 9: Indomitable will, 5th level Spell slots
17. Fighter 10: Eldritch Strike
18. Fighter 11: 3rd Attack
19: Sorcerer 6: Bend Luck
20. Sorcerer 7: 6th lvl spell slot (could dump this last spot for a 12th lvl of fighter and another feat, but would lose out on 4 level spells. Slots work out to be the same)

Thoughts?

[Foxhound438]

only obvious hole that i can see in this is that you don't really have a great way to offset the -5 to attacks. I'd go battlemaster in that regard, you get a ton of maneuver dice and you can use them pretty much anytime you might be able to make a swing land with precision attack, since short rest return on those. If you have a boat load of DM points to just make it L20 it's probably fine to quicken a greater invisibility on yourself, but even then the added accuracy isn't going to be bad. You do lose some slots, but you're already well over smite cap and you probably will do more damage with more consistent hits anyways.

[Nerdicus]

The problem with going Combat Master, becomes the loss of spell slots for smites. Also with the level of Paly, he can bless himself, and make up the -5 with that. (+war caster should make con saves to hold bless fairly easy)

[Keravath]

I think my biggest comment is that it would seem to be a level 20 build as opposed to one that you would play up to level 20.

It is a pure fighter until level 6. It won't even get divine smite until level 8 and at that point the spell pool for smites is still small (even considering the spell levels from eldritch knight ... you'll be a 3rd level caster at level 8).

You don't get the fighter third attack until level 17.

The extra weapon attack granted by War Magic (for using your action to cast a cantrip) which you get at level 14 in your build conflicts with the bonus action needed for pole arm master ... so you will only get one extra attack either way. Your action will be either the attack action with 2 or 3 attacks or booming blade (with its extra d8s of damage) plus one extra attack in either case.

In the end, the character will probably be able to do something like what you are looking for but I don't think it will feel much like that along the way. This is especially true at around level 11 when a fighter will get its third attack, a paladin gets its radiant damage bonus to all attacks, casters get 6th level spells .. but at level 11 you will only have 3rd level spell slots, no 3rd level spells .. you won't fight as well as a fighter, smite as well as a paladin or cast spells as well as a sorcerer ... and you only have 3 sorcery points. I'd be concerned that it would feel quite weak and perhaps not that much fun to play at that point.

P.S. Also, keep in mind that for AL you have to have a magic item of the appropriate rarity before you can trade for one. In this case, the belt of hill giant strength is a rare ... and there are few or none rare magic items in tier 1 modules so you likely won't be able to trade to get the belt of hill giant strength until you are somewhere in the 5-10 level range assuming you are lucky enough to get the rare drop from an adventure and don't happen to want to keep it.

[djreynolds]

Paladin 11 with improved divine smite is better

Vengeance archetype gives you advantage versus 1 enemy

Devotion gives you sacred weapon

Conquest gives you guided strike

I would go paladin 11, battlemaster 3, and sorcerer whatever.... 4 uses of precision every short rest, spam sacred weapon, have bless.... too easy.

Improved divine strike is as good as a 3rd attack coupled with PAM, and more spell slots

[Nerdicus]

While it may take a little more time to get to the effective range. I feel by 11, things start to even out with a pure build Paladin. You don't have the improved divine smite damage, but you they have the same number of total spells, but this build has cantrips. At 13th level this build has now more spell slots than a pure paladin, plus... haste (helps take the sting out of the lack of a 3rd attack for awhile). Truthfully, only level 7 (paladin 1) and 9 (sorcerer 1) are the only two i think might be a little bit of a trudge. But when I hit 10 I plan to tier jump right into 11 and get the metamagics with my sorcery points which should make things fun

[djreynolds]

Aura of protection is money. Not just for you.
Lesser restoration is a big spell

But I like your build, as is.

But take the time to mull over ideas/concepts.

Paladin smite spells are really good, the paladin spell list is really good.