Requesting help with a Dragonborn character?

[Citadel97501]

Hello all,
I have been having issues with my replacement character after we had a couple fatalities during a session. (Damn critical failures on stabilize checks)...

Well anyway, my current idea is a Dragonborn soldier who after experiencing the horrors of war, felt abandoned by his gods and embraced shadow magic. I think this works with either a Hexblade or Shadow Sorcerer, but I am really stuck between a way to get

Stuff that is not adjustable...
Level: 5
Race: Dragonborn (Choosing Gold)
Seeing through Magical Darkness...
Medium to Heavy Armor...

Stuff I don't want to do:
-No paladin levels...I have done that in the past and I always feel bad :)

Issues:
I am interested in the Shadow Sorcerer, however it is difficult to mix in the levels of Hexblade Warlock to fit with the RP as then both of his classes lead to shadow magic which takes away from the possibility of returning to his gods after some redemption story arc.

[Xihirli]

Shadow sorcerer only lets you see through your own magical darkness so if you want to see through all magical darkness you'll want Warlock.

[MThurston]

Also did you want a level of fighter to go with your backstory if being a fighter?

[Zanthy1]

Embracing shadow magic actually seems more warlock to me, on account of sorcerers actually being shadowy beforehand as a bloodline sort of thing. You forsook your god and now have sworn allegiance to something tangible, maybe a powerful magic weapon to make you a hexblade, like a shadowy sword or something. Makes more sense to me overall, plus does prep you for being useful as a melee combatant. Though if you want better armor you either have to start with a level of say, fighter, or take a feat (the fighter level is probably better).

[Vogie]

I'd just refluff a hexblade Warlock as a "shadow sorcerer". You'll have that innate-ish casting, casting darkness, and the like. Either refluff the Accursed Specter to a Hound of Ill Omen, or make the 6th level feature "you may expend a spell slot as a bonus action to summon a Hound of Ill Omen".

Otherwise, you'll get stuck throwing in a level of a Martial class at the first level, or grabbing a level of cleric.

[RogueJK]

One option would be Fighter1/Hexblade4, focusing on CHA. Your stats would look something like:

STR 13+2 = 15
DEX 10
CON 14
INT 10
WIS 10
CHA 15+1 = 16

Go +2 CHA with your first ASI, to bring CHA to 18. (8th level ASI will also be +2 CHA, or maybe Polearm Master if you're using a 2H polearm.)

Start with Fighter for Heavy Armor and CON proficiency, plus a couple more HP, a Fighting Style, and a little emergency self-healing.

First, you'll need to decide what type of weapon you want to use. You can go 2H weapons like a Greatsword or Glaive, in which case you'd take Great Weapon Fighting Style. Or you can go 1H weapon like Longsword or Warhammer with a shield, in which case you'd go Dueling Fighting Style. Or if you want a bit of extra AC, Defense Fighting Style can work with either option.

Either way, you'll want to go Pact of the Blade. If you go 2H Weapon, you'd have to go Bladelock, since you can't use your Hexblade CHA-to-Attack/Damage with a 2H Weapon unless it's your Pact Weapon. And if you go 1H Weapon and Shield, you'll need Bladelock's Improved Pact Weapon invocation to be able to cast Warlock spells while wielding both a weapon and a shield. And in both cases, you'll be wanting Bladelock for Extra Attack anyway.

For invocations, go Devil's Sight and Improved Pact Weapon. At your next level (Fighter1/Warlock5) you'll get a third Invocation, which you'll want to spend on Thirsting Blade for Extra Attack.

For cantrips I'd go Eldritch Blast, Lightning Lure, and a utility cantrip like Minor Illusion or Mage Hand. For spells, I'd go Armor of Agathys, Hex, Darkness, Mirror Image, and Suggestion (or maybe Shatter if your party lacks AOE damage).



The alternative is to use STR for melee Attack/Damage instead. You could skip Hexblade and pick a different Warlock patron like Fiend, or still go Hexblade and just don't use the CHA-for-Attack/Damage feature. Going STR for melee opens up the option of being a 2H Weapon Tomelock, using Booming Blade or Green Flame Blade to add damage instead of Extra Attack. You'll be more MAD, since you'll need to boost both STR and CHA. But you'll have greater spellcasting options with Tomelock's extra Cantrips and Rituals from Book of Ancient Secrets. This would be the way to go if you want to be a bit more of a versatile caster.

You'd still start with 1 level of Fighter first, with either Great Weapon or Defense Fighting Style. Use a 2H Weapon like a Greatsword or some type of polearm.

Your stats would be something like:

STR 15+2 = 17
DEX 8
CON 14
INT 8
WIS 10
CHA 15+1 = 16

With your first ASI, I'd take a STR-boosting half-feat like Heavy Armor Master or Dragon Fear to bring STR to 18. (8th level ASI will be +2 CHA.)

Invocations would be Devil's Sight and Book of Ancient Secrets. With your third Invocation at Warlock5, you have a few options, such as Agonizing/Repelling Blast for extra ranged damage/control, Beguiling Influence if you want to be more of a Face, or Mask of Many Faces for Disguise Self shenanigans or for use when you just want to hide the fact that you're a Dragonborn.

For cantrips with this route, I'd do Booming Blade/Green Flame Blade, Minor Illusion or Mage Hand, Eldritch Blast, Thorn Whip, Guidance, and another utility cantrip of your choice. Spell choices would be the same as the earlier build.

[Citadel97501]

Thank you all, those were all very solid ideas and I appreciate them all.

[Grimmnist]

The alternative is to use STR for melee Attack/Damage instead. You could skip Hexblade and pick a different Warlock patron like Fiend, or still go Hexblade and just don't use the CHA-for-Attack/Damage feature. Going STR for melee opens up the option of being a 2H Weapon Tomelock, using Booming Blade or Green Flame Blade to add damage instead of Extra Attack. You'll be more MAD, since you'll need to boost both STR and CHA. But you'll have greater spellcasting options with Tomelock's extra Cantrips and Rituals from Book of Ancient Secrets. This would be the way to go if you want to be a bit more of a versatile caster.


Also worth considering a Str based Hexblade if you don't want to take a level in Fighter. At level 4 you would take the Heavily Armored feat for +1 Str and Heavy proficiency. This gets you up to extra attack more quickly, but you lose proficiency in Con saves (though starting Warlock means you have Wis save proficiency which is the other way to lose concentration).