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View Full Version : Awesome, versatile, and tanky shield/spear fighter with a warlock dip



Sno
2019-03-07, 05:26 PM
Spear and shield is ****ing awesome, and with the changes of polearm master happening a while back, I figured a cool concept in my head, that is a fighter (cavalier), with a 3 levels of warlock. The basic idea here is the combination of Polearm Master where an enemy provokes OA when getting in reach, and with the lvl 10 feature of the Cavalier (hold the line), you reduces their movement to zero. With War Caster you can cast a spell instead which could be eldritch blast from warlock, and with the repelling blast you push the creature back where it can't move thanks to the cavalier. In many cases this causing the enemy to do nothing dangerous.

With that said, there is more to this build, and it should work on all almost all levels. With an early dip in warlock (hexblade), to get your charisma as your attack stat instead of dex/str, you may lag a little bit behind at level 5 where most get an extra attack. Polearm master + fighter lets you make tons of attacks, and as such, warlock (hexblade), works great against bosses as you can buff your damage on each hit, with both Hex, and hexblades curse. In many cases it won't be that great since you use your bonus attacks to attack already thanks to polearm master, but in though fights, especially with bosses, throwing one of those out is a big buff is a huge boost. With lots of attacks and action surge, stacking bonus to damage rolls means more than on most builds.

I am of the opinion that this build is superior to most, if not ALL straight out fighters going S&B, as you does loads of damage with dueling (many attacks), occasionally hex and hexblades curse, not to mention lifedrinker at level 12, that may be +5 damage on EACH hit!!! All these bonuses adds up. Also, the combo mentioned early on, can be really handy a a frontline fighter. Finally you got a great ranged option with eldritch blast, which means you rarely suffer to horror of throwing javelins (seathing/drawing). Shield spell 1/2 each short rest is nothing to ignore either. Thou a cavalier, you can do without strength in this build, but a gauntlet of ogre strength wouldn't hurt.

What do you guys think of the build? I don't do point buy, but roll stats, so the progress of feats and stat increasement may differ, but as long as you get polearm master and war caster, you are doing good. If you play up to level 20, continuing warlock after Fighter 11/warlock 3, instead of fighter may be worth it, since warlock got many nice invocation and spells for melee builds, not to mention the duration for things like hex increases. Having said that, I think just continuing cavalier is equally viable. Do you like the concept, and do you think it would work great in practice?

Thanks for feedback :smallsmile:

stoutstien
2019-03-07, 05:29 PM
Life drinker takes 12 warlock class levels not character lv. Other than that should be fine

Man_Over_Game
2019-03-07, 05:30 PM
You will need to talk to your DM about whether or not that's applicable.

Mike Mearls has said that Polearm Master requires you to use the weapon that's required for the trigger as part of the attack (which may be room to allow Booming Blade). However, this was pretty early on into the birth of 5e, and it wasn't an "official" official errata.

Sno
2019-03-07, 05:33 PM
Life drinker takes 12 warlock class levels not character lv. Other than that should be fine

No. Looking at the feat in PHB, using fantasy grounds (that is where I have bought my books and playing), it simply says 12th level, pact of the blade feature as a requirement. Is it a typing error on fantasy grounds part?

Man_Over_Game
2019-03-07, 05:35 PM
No. Looking at the feat in PHB, using fantasy grounds (that is where I have bought my books and playing), it simply says 12th level, pact of the blade feature as a requirement. Is it a typing error on fantasy grounds part?

Indeed. All Invocations are based on Warlock level.

Otherwise everyone would be dipping 2 levels into Warlock at level 15 for Invisibility at-will.

Sno
2019-03-07, 05:36 PM
You will need to talk to your DM about whether or not that's applicable.

Mike Mearls has said that Polearm Master requires you to use the weapon that's required for the trigger as part of the attack (which may be room to allow Booming Blade). However, this was pretty early on into the birth of 5e, and it wasn't an "official" official errata.

I am not aware what Mearls has said, but by reading throu it, it seems pretty straightforward to work by RAW to me. If that is not their intentions... well, they would have to make an erretta or something. With that said, I probably would ask my DM, but want to continue the discussion where we assume it works.

Foxhound438
2019-03-07, 05:55 PM
No. Looking at the feat in PHB, using fantasy grounds (that is where I have bought my books and playing), it simply says 12th level, pact of the blade feature as a requirement. Is it a typing error on fantasy grounds part?

the eratta clarifies that it is warlock level, and that's 100% official. Newer printings than the electronic version that fantasy grounds uses have the updated text.

it's here (http://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/PH-Errata.pdf) if you want to look yourself, as well as see all other changes since first printing.

But in any case, I do like the build. I think paladins get a little better deal from PAM since they have built in damage per hit boosts without needing to multiclass, IE improved divine smite or divine favor, but having an additional extra attack as a fighter is pretty good as well.