Warlock/Paladin Multiclass question (Curse, Pact Boon and Divine Challenge)

[azargoth]

I have a level 3 warlock (CHA based, ranged striker, Elemental Pact) and I've been thinking multiclassing it with paladin multiclass feat at level 8 (I have to wait to increase my strength by 2 to meet prerequisites).
What I would like to ask is:
Supposedly that my Pact Boon is activated and I can use my elemental affinity (5 vulnerability) and I have cursed and marked an opponent. Will the curse be activated when opponent takes damage on their turn (by divine challenge) if they don't hit me? I'm shooting ranged mainly on this build so I'm not close to the target to reach me easily.

So if the opponent takes damage on their turn will the curse extra damage kick in? (since it's once per turn and not once per round) dealing an extra d6 on his turn and will subsequently elemental affinity kick in as well for the extra 5 damage on his turn?

I think I have it right since I can’t find something that I’ve missed on rulings but wanted to have a second opinion and be sure.

Thanks for any replies. :smallsmile:

[masteraleph]

No- Warlock's Curse can only deal extra damage on hit, and Divine Challenge/Sanction doesn't hit. Also, Warlock's Curse typically doesn't deal a damage type, and the vulnerability you apply from your pact boon is one of the 5 damage types, depending on what you rolled. If you have a spellscar, you could take Spellscarred Invigoration to deal 1 fire and necrotic damage to enemies who violate a mark, but that will only ping the vulnerability if your Affinity happens to be fire. At level 11, if you take Twofold Pact for Sorcerer King Pact and take Mindbite Scorn (curse deals +1d6 psychic), your arcane attacks with the curse applied would automatically ping the vulnerability regardless of type- but again, Divine Challenge and Divine Sanction wouldn't do that.

[MwaO]

I have a level 3 warlock (CHA based, ranged striker, Elemental Pact) and I've been thinking multiclassing it with paladin multiclass feat at level 8 (I have to wait to increase my strength by 2 to meet prerequisites).

Just as a note — if you only have an 11 in Str now, that means you paid up to increase other stats. Which means vaporizing points in point buy to raise Str as opposed to whatever other stat that was — presumably Int. And dropping your Int will also mean your AC goes down, making it more difficult to be an effective 'defender' using the Paladin MC feat.