Warlock pacts

[Chalkarts]

Chain, Tome, Blade,
Which one?
Why?

I’m working on a dwarven heavy armor warlock. Just warlock no multi classing.

I’m torn on which pact to go with.
Help?

Also: is it possible to learn proficiency with a shield without having to pick up a level of something else?

[Cerefel]

They all have their own uses and can all be good depending on the character!

However if you're putting together a melee character, it's really hard to beat the blade pact considering that you can pick up Extra Attack at 5th level.

[Kane0]

What patron, and tell us a bit about your dwarf?

[Speely]

You can use a shield with the Hexblade patron without multiclassing or feats. After that, you can double down and go Blade Pact and be a great gish or diversify and go Chain for an improved familiar... or have better cantrips/rituals as Tomelock.

[Chalkarts]

He was a Dwarven hermit. A trained warrior who had been broken by too many battles he lived on a secluded mountain and spent his days digging out chambers in his cavern home.

One day he dug to deep. He came across a sleeping horror hidden in the mountain. When he touched the sleeping beast he instantly knew what he must do.

The beast is the Terrasque. His purpose is to wake it.
(Great Old One)
He has 8int&8wis but High charisma. He’s not bright, he’s pretty naive but tremendously likeabke.
Think Woody Boyd from Cheers(if you’re old enough) except he’s happily and very politely trying to start the apocalypse.
“Hey guys! It sure is good to know you. I need to wake up my friend Terry, wanna help?”

Being a mountain Dwarf gives him medium armor and a battle ax. What I would prefer is to somehow get him a shield, but I don’t want to multi. I’d love him to be a dwarven turret. Bunker down behind plate and shield and pew pew pew.

[Kane0]

Well big T doesn't really lend itself to small servant critters (unless you count parasites?) so chain doesn't really fit too well. Tome a little moreso since it's pretty legendary and there'd be plenty of 'literature' to make use of. Blade is a good fit considering you already have access to an axe.

What's the rest of your party like? If you have a wizard i'd say go blade, if not go Tome. You can spend an ASI to get shield proficiency if you're keen on it, or maybe bribe your DM for it as part of blade pact or something since you already have dwarven proficiencies.

[bid]

Mountain dwarves have no shield, even with the heavily armored feat at level 4 you will be limited to AC18. Hill dwarves won't get there before level 8.

None of the PHB pact can improve this, you can pick whichever fit your RP concept best.


Now, there is a way around that if you pick the hexblade patron. This will give you shield and medium armor from the get go, along with access to martial weapons. It also allows you to dump Str and attack with Cha.

For instance, you could go hill dwarf Str10 Dex12 Con15 Int10 Wis14 Cha15, pick heavily armored at warlock 4 for Str11 and Con16 / Cha16 at level 8. Then go pact of tome with warhammer, full plate and shield for AC20, using booming blade. Push up to Cha20 to maximize your damage.
If you want a heavy 2-hander, pick blade pact and keep a hand free for casting.


EDIT:
Well you're going mountain. And GOO. I find PHB blade weak, you won't lose much dumping to Str10 and pushing Con16 / Cha20 asap. Go tomelock if you want rituals, or chainlock if you want a special familiar.

[Chalkarts]

I wanted more wizardry so I think I’ll go tome.
I was thinking if I could get him just a shield he’d use EB for range then Primal savagery for melee, once he got his tome.
I read hexblade and just don’t like it. It’s sweet and all but it just doesn’t strike me as fun.
What’s ASI?

[bid]

I wanted more wizardry so I think I’ll go tome.
What’s ASI?
Ability score improvement like goinf from Cha16 to Cha18. You can take a feat instead, like heavily armored. You get your first at warlock 4, then 8 12 16 19.

[TheTeaMustFlow]

Also: is it possible to learn proficiency with a shield without having to pick up a level of something else?

The Moderately Armoured feat gives you proficiency with shields along with medium armour. It's really very inefficient with regards to your character, but since you've ruled out the only two more effective ways of doing it...

[bid]

I was thinking if I could get him just a shield he’d use EB for range then Primal savagery for melee, once he got his tome.
Hexblade is the most efficient way to get shield.

The best method before that was MC to start with fighter 1 for heavy + shield + Con save. That's a very good package even if it delays everything by 1 level.

With your low Cha15 until level 8, you can't waste 2 feats for moderately armored and warcaster. Shield is optional.

[Kane0]

If you’re going GoO have a look at the Xanathar’s Guide Warlock spells. Some real gems there.

[CTurbo]

Choose a different race and then take Moderately Armored feat. It actually a really good feat for Warlocks IMO.

Before Hexblade existed, I played a Vhuman Fiend/Tome Warlock with Moderately Armored at level 1 and he was extremely tough.