Help With Build Idea- Coffeelock Paladin

[TheMoxiousOne]

Hail, adventurers!

I have recently been playing a lot of D&D, and more recently have come across and learned about the coffeelock, and was trying to think of the best way to burn through lots of spell slots, and have some good, clean gish fun. I normally play sorcerers and pallys, and think combining a coffeelock and paladin for smites only limited by the number of attacks I can get would be great. Assumptions you as the reader can make: The GM is aware of and okay with the coffeelock's very high spell slots due to limitations of spell level between sorcerer, warlock and paladin multiclassing. GM allows those that don't need to sleep multiple short rests while others are sleeping, so long as they go gather firewood, etc. The rest of the party will be optimized and full of cheese.

Terms and Conditions

Must only use officially-printed materials for the build; GMG:R being the only material not being allowed
Must be on PB system for attributes
Cannot be a race with innate fly speed at level 1
Final, level 20 build with level-up guide would be great
Any subclasses in these printed materials, omitting Oathbreaker, are allowed


Cheers!

[Keravath]

The build only comes on line late since you would need paladin 5 for extra attack ... might as well go 6 for the aura ... warlock 3 for 2x2nd level slots to cycle into spell points and presumably sorcerer 11 for the rest to maximize SP and general spell slots.

Key issues are avoiding long rests. You can get 4 hours trance + 4 short rests if you play an elf ... this makes the stats a bit tough unless you go hexblade to use charisma for hit and damage. You will still need at least 13 str to multiclass into or out of paladin. This also limits you to eladrin (MToF) or drow for race in order to start with 16 cha.

The more efficient way to avoid long rests is probably the Aspect of the Moon invocation from XGtE. This invocation indicates that you don't need to sleep and you can gain the benefits of a long rest by spending the 8 hours in light activity ... which based on your DMs perspective sounds like it could be composed of 8 short rests.

"You no longer need to sleep and can’t be forced to sleep by any means. To gain the benefits of a long rest, you can spend all 8 hours doing light activity, such as reading your Book of Shadows and keeping watch."

However, this requires 3rd level warlock with pact of the tome.

You are also limited to the number of spell points you can have at one time by the total allowed pool. As a result, in order to convert your 2 level 2 spell slots to 4 spell points you will need to be at least a 4th level sorcerer. Add to that 6th level of paladin and you are looking at level 13. If you just go with 2 levels of paladin and want to be able to smite on your one attack then the build could start working at level 9. An 8 hour rest would result in 32 spell points but until the sorcerer goes up in level you'd only be able to get second level spell slots.

I think the problem with this build idea is that it is one of those that won't actually start working the way you would like until very late in the game. You would probably also want to take PAM for the bonus action attack and the additional smite opportunity.

[TheMoxiousOne]

Key issues are avoiding long rests. You can get 4 hours trance + 4 short rests if you play an elf ... this makes the stats a bit tough unless you go hexblade to use charisma for hit and damage ... The more efficient way to avoid long rests is probably the Aspect of the Moon invocation from XGtE. This invocation indicates that you don't need to sleep and you can gain the benefits of a long rest by spending the 8 hours in light activity ... which based on your DMs perspective sounds like it could be composed of 8 short rests.

"You no longer need to sleep and can’t be forced to sleep by any means. To gain the benefits of a long rest, you can spend all 8 hours doing light activity, such as reading your Book of Shadows and keeping watch."

However, this requires 3rd level warlock with pact of the tome.

I agree with going Moon for sleep avoidance, but I have confirmed that if I break up the short rests with activity, even light, they are separate from long rests. Hexblade definitely seems like the move here.


I think the problem with this build idea is that it is one of those that won't actually start working the way you would like until very late in the game.

I'm a patient player, and don't mind being sub-optimal in earlier levels while the build comes online; honestly, I'm okay giving the stage to the more silly, earlier-online characters while my build and story unfolds. I like the idea of Pal6, 'Lock3 and Sorc11. Any ideas on the leveling progression, subclasses and ASI/Feat choices?

[Vogie]

The core requires 3 levels in Warlock (for Tome, Aspect of the Moon, & 2nd level slots), 2 levels in Paladin (for divine smite), and 2 levels in Sorcerer (for font of magic)

You could also probably be okay with Warlock 3/Paladin 2, as that'll make you SAD and give you short rest spell slots for smiting.

You then chase whatever is the most important to you - higher spell slots, metamagic, or extra attack & aura. For your concept which is largely based on swinging and smiting I'd probably see something like

Paladin 2 / Warlock 3 / Paladin +4 (6) / Sorcerer 2+

You're only going to have 3 ASIs with a 6/3/11 build - 1 from Paladin (at 4), and 2 from Sorcerer (at 4 & 8). You can also eschew 6th level spell slots at 20 by dropping your sorc levels to 10, and increasing your warlock levels to 4, giving you a 4th ASI.

[XmonkTad]

I wouldn't bother taking more than 2 levels of paladin, and going for a more even sorc/lock split. I have a weak spot for getting different sleep/rest mechanics via race, but for do consider that if you take pact of the tome for aspect of the moon, you can't grab thirsting blade.

If you do decide to only get one attack, you can make up a good portion of the damage lost by using SCAGtrips.

My personal coffeesmiter would probably be pal2/sorc8/warlock10. You can produce 5th level spell slots, smite with them, and grab whatever invocations you need such as aspect of the moon/devils sight/improved pact weapon. I would play it as a devil's sight Drow and skip aspect of the moon entirely. I'd hang out in darkness a lot and drink lots of coffee.

[Vogie]

I wouldn't bother taking more than 2 levels of paladin, and going for a more even sorc/lock split. I have a weak spot for getting different sleep/rest mechanics via race, but for do consider that if you take pact of the tome for aspect of the moon, you can't grab thirsting blade.

If you do decide to only get one attack, you can make up a good portion of the damage lost by using SCAGtrips.

My personal coffeesmiter would probably be pal2/sorc8/warlock10. You can produce 5th level spell slots, smite with them, and grab whatever invocations you need such as aspect of the moon/devils sight/improved pact weapon. I would play it as a devil's sight Drow and skip aspect of the moon entirely. I'd hang out in darkness a lot and drink lots of coffee.

That's a decent point - for yet another possibility, there's Pal 2 / Warlock 5 / Sorcerer 13. You only get 3 invocations, and 4 ASIs (3 Sorcerer, 1 warlock), but get up to 7th level spells.

Another option if you use XMonkTad's build is choosing the Undying patron and going bladelock... It's not as powerful of a patron, but gives all warlocks the ability to ignore sleep at warlock 10 without Aspect of the Moon, and you can then pick up thirsting blade for a second attack.