Two weapon fighting Hexblade?

[Aleister VII]

Is it viable or good at least? What about if I dip fighter to get two weapons fighting style and also add lifedrinker later on? Is the dual wielder feat also worth?

Or I'm better Being CHA-SAD and using a greatsword/Polearm with GWF?

[CTurbo]

Lifedrinker only works with your pact weapon unfortunately so I don't think it's worth it. If you were adding Cha to damage twice for each attack then I'd probably say go for it

[Vogie]

Actually, you probably could.

Put your rules lawyer hat on and reread the appropriate section of Hex Warrior:


whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch one weapon that you are proficient with and that lacks the two-handed property. When you attack with that weapon, you can use your Charisma modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls. This benefit lasts until you finish a long rest. If you later gain the Pact of the Blade feature, this benefit extends to every pact weapon you conjure with that feature, no matter the weapon's type.

Emphasis mine

So, as long as you're using a light, presumably pact weapon AND a light weapon (that you're proficient with that you've had since the beginning of your last long rest), they will both use Charisma with attack and damage rolls (which you'd only get on the offhand +damage roll with the TWF fighting style).

Thirsting Blade will give you two attacks with the main weapon, then you'd get a third attack as a bonus action with your offhand weapon.

Lifedrinker would give additional necrotic damage (by Charisma) to only the first 2 attacks with your pact weapon, not from the third bonus attack.

[AvvyR]

Warlock's heavy bonus action competition generally makes TWF a subpar choice, but it's definitely still viable. Both Hex and Curse will do their extra damage and Curse's extra threat range will apply to both weapons.


So, as long as you're using a light, presumably pact weapon AND a light weapon (that you're proficient with that you've had since the beginning of your last long rest), they will both use Charisma with attack and damage rolls (which you'd only get on the offhand +damage roll with the TWF fighting style).

RAW, this is correct, and seemingly worded in such a way that it's intentional, as typically effects like this state that they end if for any reason you apply them to something else.

Lifedrinker won't apply to the bonus action attack, but you'll have trouble making that attack every round anyway.

[Aleister VII]

So the bonus action competence is the problem, huh? At least it can dish out some damage.

[Vogie]

So the bonus action competence is the problem, huh? At least it can dish out some damage.

Not Competence, competition. Although it's very carefully worded to allow TWF, the rest of the design of the class is very Bonus-action heavy already.

Hex? Bonus action
Hexblades' Curse? Bonus action
Teleport via Relentless Hex? Bonus action
AOE via Maddening Hex? Bonus action
If UA is available, you can also have reliable BA damage via Burning Hex and the like.
Partially that is a feature rather than a bug - the reason there are so many core BA abilities is precisely because a warlock could easily be played as both caster and melee (and also, both), so having core spells being able to be cast as a Bonus action will leave the action available to either attack actions or spells.

It's not terribly unlike playing a DW Horizon Walker Ranger - you have to make active choices to spend that bonus action on offhand attacks, Hunter's mark, or the Planar Warrior damage.

[RSP]

Actually, you probably could.

Put your rules lawyer hat on and reread the appropriate section of Hex Warrior:



Emphasis mine

So, as long as you're using a light, presumably pact weapon AND a light weapon (that you're proficient with that you've had since the beginning of your last long rest), they will both use Charisma with attack and damage rolls (which you'd only get on the offhand +damage roll with the TWF fighting style).

Thirsting Blade will give you two attacks with the main weapon, then you'd get a third attack as a bonus action with your offhand weapon.

Lifedrinker would give additional necrotic damage (by Charisma) to only the first 2 attacks with your pact weapon, not from the third bonus attack.

I think you’re misreading that. The feature allows a weapon lacking the two-handed property to use Cha for attack and damage rolls. That benefit extends to any weapon summoned with the Pact if the Blade feature. The result is you can use Cha on weapons that have the two-handed property.

Likewise, you could dual-wield with both weapons using Cha, so long as one is a Pact weapon, and the other the weapon you touch using Hexblade Warrior.

But the feature doesn’t work in reverse, that is, weapons you touch with the HW feature do not also count as your Pact weapon, so they wouldn’t get the added Cha damage from Lifedrinker.

[Quoxis]

But the feature doesn’t work in reverse, that is, weapons you touch with the HW feature do not also count as your Pact weapon, so they wouldn’t get the added Cha damage from Lifedrinker.

Which is pretty much exactly what they said - two attacks with the pact weapon for two times the necrotic damage from life drinker, once a normal attack with the offhand non-pact weapon.

[Naanomi]

Sword Bard might be a good component of such a build?

[Arcangel4774]

Sword Bard might be a good component of such a build?
Im in agreement with this. I think hexblade 6 college of swords 14 makes for a pretty strong two weapon build. Where you break things leveling up is a little more messy.

[PeteNutButter]

Sadly as long as feats are on the table TWF is almost always inferior to PAM. Only finesse characters should really bother with TWF.

PAM takes a feat but it gives you either a larger damage die 1d10, or allows dueling with shield with a staff. Either one front loads the damage so when you use a bonus action (like hex) you lose less. PAM only needs one weapon so lifedrinker on everything and you can use improved pact weapon for that +1 in everything. It also gives a free reaction attack.

TWF loses in every single category. It’s just standing in the back saying, “They took our jobs!”

[AvvyR]

I think the point here was to have a two weapon warlock for character reasons and checking its viability, rather than joining the infinite legions of glaive-swinging PAM Hexblades.

[Theodoxus]

Yes, it's viable. Yes, it underperforms compared to PAM shenanigans. Yes, I'd go Bugbear for the reach :smalltongue:

Grabbing first level in fighter (even 2 levels for Action Surge fun) for heavy armor, Con Save Prof, TWF style and a tiny (but sometimes very useful) heal wouldn't be remiss. It does negate some of the reason to be a hexblade vice Fiendlock with Pact of the Blade, but that's ok, in my estimation. It even opens up a daunting Fighter 6/Warlock 14 build; grabbing BM for useful maneuvers or EK for a few more cantrips, spells and spellslots.

I suppose if you'd rather be Wis dependent, grabbing 2 levels of Ranger instead gets you a lot of the same without tempting more fighter levels... At least the Wis will help with saving throws from time to time.

I would not however, play a TWF without fighting style (and probably feat) support. YMMV, of course.

[PeteNutButter]

I think the point here was to have a two weapon warlock for character reasons and checking its viability, rather than joining the infinite legions of glaive-swinging PAM Hexblades.

Good point. To clarify my advice: Viable? Yes. Inferior to PAM in [almost] every way? Yes.

If you're DM is open to a little homebrew consider asking for one of the many thousands of homebrew fixes to TWF, or just play it regardless, you'll do fine.