Paladin + Warlock- How many levels of each?

[AshfireMage]

First off, I'd like to thank you all for the help I received with my College of Swords Bard who was feeling a little lackluster. I was quite excited to try some of the suggestions, and after one session, I was already seeing success with the "just stop healing them" tack.

However, due to some in-story issues, half the party has abandoned the quest, my bard among them. Party makeup now consists of:

* Draconic bloodline sorcerer (fire affinity) 6
* Circle of the Moon druid 6
* Fighter 2/Diviner wizard 4
* Oath of Redemption paladin 3/Celestial Pact warlock 3


The last of these is mine. 7th level is still a ways away, but I'm trying to figure out how to progress this character. I really like the build I have right now, using blade as my pact boon to have a weapon that I can change for the situation at hand, eldrich blast with Grasp of Hadar as a gap-closer, and those short-rest refreshing spell slots to use for smiting.

We're fluffing the character's class choices as being both aspects of the same event, with her patron being a solar devoted to a particular goddess and the oath being the specific things she was commissioned to do as a condition of her empowering.

I'm just not sure where I'm wanting to go mechanically and am looking for ideas. I know I wanna get to at least level 5 in Paladin for the extra attack, and I'm thinking I want more of it than that, but I'm really not sure. The character has really good strength and decent Con and Cha, the latter of which I'm planning to improve at the next level.

[bid]

Paladin 6 for aura is classic, paladin 9 for 3rd spells is useful.
Warlock 5 gives revivify, which druid cannot access.

I think paladin 11 for IDS / warlock 9 for 5th slots is the best split. Celestial 10 is too weak compared to inspiring leader (at level 20, that's 25 vs 10 thp).

BTW, radiant soul does not boost divine smite.

[Deadfire182]

I may be biased, but you should go paladin to get some of the later level features like aura of devotion and the like

[Max_Killjoy]

What sort of character is his character? How did they end up a paragon of an oath AND bound to a pact?

[AshfireMage]

What sort of character is his character? How did they end up a paragon of an oath AND bound to a pact?

Her history is that she grew up in a really rough part of one of the biggest cities in the country (homebrew setting). Became a bit of a lowlife as a teen and young adult, lots of petty crime, hung around with a gang, etc. Kind of entered a downward spiral that she hated but couldn't or didn't want to pull herself out of. One night, she broke into a local temple hoping to steal drug money and found herself face-to-face with an angel of the deity attached to the temple (a goddess of loss, grief, and hope). The angel offered her a way out in exchange for service, which she accepted. A year or two later, once she'd gotten her life sorted out and such, the angel asked her to hold up her end of the deal by becoming an adventurer to essentially offer others the same chance she'd been given and, failing that, minimize the damage they did.

Essentially, upholding her paladin oath is the main (although not entire) requirement of fulfilling her pact

[Max_Killjoy]

Her history is that she grew up in a really rough part of one of the biggest cities in the country (homebrew setting). Became a bit of a lowlife as a teen and young adult, lots of petty crime, hung around with a gang, etc. Kind of entered a downward spiral that she hated but couldn't or didn't want to pull herself out of. One night, she broke into a local temple hoping to steal drug money and found herself face-to-face with an angel of the deity attached to the temple (a goddess of loss, grief, and hope). The angel offered her a way out in exchange for service, which she accepted. A year or two later, once she'd gotten her life sorted out and such, the angel asked her to hold up her end of the deal by becoming an adventurer to essentially offer others the same chance she'd been given and, failing that, minimize the damage they did.

Essentially, upholding her paladin oath is the main (although not entire) requirement of fulfilling her pact

So warlock first, then paladin, in the backstory.

If you want that Extra Attack, I'd put the next 2 levels in Paladin, pick up the ASI at 4th, and the EA at 5th, then evaluate where you are. The 6th level Aura of Protection for blanket Saves bonus is REALLY tempting, too. Also, some spell slots added from 3rd to 5th.

3rd to 5th level for Warlock is the ASI, +1 Cantrip, +2 Spells Known, +1 Slot Level, and +1 Invocation, in comparison.