Help Me Build A Pallylock!

[Avista]

I've been eyeing the pallylock for awhile, but I could use some advice with building one. I've never played warlock and haven't played paladin since 3.5e.

Build So Far
Race: Shader-kai elf
Background: Noble
Warlock: Hexblade or fiend
Paladin: Redemption or ancients

House Rules
27 point buy
+1 feat at level 1 (racial feats banned)
Multiclass: You must take a minimum of 3 consecutive levels in one class before taking a level in your other class. (This means I'll be paladin 3 or warlock 3 at minimum)
I must take 3 levels in each class minimum before switching. Then taking 3 levels minimum before switching again. If I start at as a level 1 Warlock I can switch to Paladin at PC level 4 or above. But then I need to take 3 levels of Paladin (at minimum) before I can dip back to Warlock. Then I must take 3 levels of warlock (at minimum) before dipping back to paladin.

I can go:
5 pally 6 warlock
3 Warlock, 3 pally, 3 warlock, 7 pally
18 warlock 2 pally (cap at 20)

But I can never go:
1 pally, 1 warlock, 2 pally, 2 warlock
1 warlock, rest pally

1) Should I start as a warlock or a paladin?
2) Dex/cha SAD or dex/str/cha MAD?
3) Avoiding the darkness/devilsight combo since it doesn't synergize well at my table.
4)How should I progress? We wouldn't reach lvl 20 and will probably cap off at level 15.
How many levels of warlock and paladin for a tank and utility-focused build?
5) Bonus: evocations, spells, feats and strategies that are a must have for the pallylock that might be overlooked in regular warlock/paladin guides?

[CheddarChampion]

I'm not sure how well a pact with a devil will mesh with paladin RP.
Be careful with Redemption Paladin RP as well...

In 5e, RAW is that you need 13 Str to multiclass into or out of Paladin. Since you get a boost to Dex from being an Elf, it would be hard to get good Str, Dex, Con, and Cha.

So I'd build a Hexblade + Ancients Paladin:
13/12/13/10/10/15 prior to racial buffs, take the feat "Actor" to get 13/14/14/10/10/16.
Start in Hexblade, you get medium armor (Dex 14 to max AC), a shield, and can use a one handed weapon with Cha. Take Performance and Deception as skills, "Booming Blade" or "Green Flame Blade" as one of your invocations. BB and GFB take away some of the sting from getting extra attack late.

Take the invocation "Mask of Many Faces" at level 2 and boost it with Actor to have a good chance at passing yourself off as someone else. Take "Pact of the Blade" and the invocation "Improved Pact Weapon" at level 3. You can now summon any weapon, make it +1, and it counts as an arcane focus for your warlock spells.

Now take 7 levels in paladin, boosting your Cha at level 4. You're now resistant to spell damage, have +4 to saves from your aura of protection, can smite, have extra attack, and attack with a summoned weapon at +(5+proficiency). Dueling, GWF, or Defensive fighting style, your pick.

Now finish out with Warlock levels, taking another +2 Cha at character level 11, "Warcaster" or "Polearm Master" or "Great Weapon Master" at 15. Don't take thirsting blade, it was errata'd to not stack with extra attack.

So you end up with 13/14/14/10/10/20, Ancients Paladin 7/Hexblade 8. Two 4th level spell slots per short rest, paladin spell slots to fall back on, attacking at +(6+proficiency). You can disguise yourself at will and have a good chance to pass yourself off successfully. You have 6/7/7/5/10/15 for saving throws (+11 is what a lvl 20 cleric gets to Wis saves, BTW), can smite for nova damage, and resist damage from spells.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Definitely go Hexblade, and probably Ancients. Which one you start off with only really matters for saving throw and skill proficiencies. I'd start with Warlock as you're Cha-SAD from 1st level, starting as a 1st level Paladin with Str 13 you'll have a bad time.

I would go Warlock 1/ Paladin 2/ Warlock +3/ Paladin +5, so you can get Eldritch Smite which stacks with Divine Smite, and your Aura of Warding. After that continue taking whichever one will give you the most benefit. For invocations, I'd get Agonizing Blast and either Fiendish Vigor or Grasp of Hadar first, then Eldritch Smite at 5th.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

How about starting paladin with 15 str, con and cha?
You need 15 for full plate.
Don't boost str after 15.

Go hexblade for sad cha and boost only cha and maybe con later.
Consider resilient con for super concentration saves.

At paladin 3 take hexblade 1/3(1 if you want to use one handed weapons,3 if you want two handed weapons take blade pact).

After paladin 7(ancient) go back to hexblade(blade pact) up to 5(if you want double smite).

You will be able to dual smite with paladin+eldritch smite. Great for crits.
Your curse gives you more crit range and you can get advantage with your Specter and steed.

Warlock 11(spell slots and 12(life drinker) have good stuff so is paladin 11.

Hexblade 14 also have some nice things.

I will say that you should take Paladin (ancients) 6/warlock (hexblade blade) 14 if you go for damage.

Or paladin 18/9 / warlock 2/1 if you go for defense.

Paladin 11/12 / warlock 9/8 for something more balanced(12/8 is for ASI, 11/9 is for spell slots).

I will say use your ASIs for Elven Eccuracy and Cha boost.

[Guy Lombard-O]

How about starting paladin with 15 str, con and cha?
You need 15 for full plate.
Don't boost str after 15.

Go hexblade for sad cha and boost only cha and maybe con later.
Consider resilient con for super concentration saves.

At paladin 3 take hexblade 1/3(1 if you want to use one handed weapons,3 if you want two handed weapons take blade pact).

After paladin 7(ancient) go back to hexblade(blade pact) up to 5(if you want double smite).

You will be able to dual smite with paladin+eldritch smite. Great for crits.
Your curse gives you more crit range and you can get advantage with your Specter and steed.

Warlock 11(spell slots and 12(life drinker) have good stuff so is paladin 11.

Hexblade 14 also have some nice things.

I will say that you should take Paladin (ancients) 6/warlock (hexblade blade) 14 if you go for damage.

Or paladin 18/9 / warlock 2/1 if you go for defense.

Paladin 11/12 / warlock 9/8 for something more balanced(12/8 is for ASI, 11/9 is for spell slots).

I will say use your ASIs for Elven Eccuracy and Cha boost.

Basically agree with all of this...except "I will say that you should take Paladin (ancients) 6/warlock (hexblade blade) 14 if you go for damage." If you're only going to Paladin 6, you probably want to go Redemption. Ancients channel divinity isn't very good, so unless you stick to P7, Redemption is better.

Also, I'd just note that half-elf is a better race for these classes stat-wise. The Shadar-Kai bonuses aren't especially helpful here, since you'll presumably be wearing full plate for your AC.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

Basically agree with all of this...except "I will say that you should take Paladin (ancients) 6/warlock (hexblade blade) 14 if you go for damage." If you're only going to Paladin 6, you probably want to go Redemption. Ancients channel divinity isn't very good, so unless you stick to P7, Redemption is better.

Also, I'd just note that half-elf is a better race for these classes stat-wise. The Shadar-Kai bonuses aren't especially helpful here, since you'll presumably be wearing full plate for your AC.

I think that the ancient one is better.
The redemption get +5 persuasion or "why you hit yourself".
The ancient have restrained turnd fey/fiend.

I also think that the ancient have better spells.

[Guy Lombard-O]

I think that the ancient one is better.
The redemption get +5 persuasion or "why you hit yourself".
The ancient have restrained turnd fey/fiend.

I also think that the ancient have better spells.

I'll grant you the spells are slightly better. But the channel divinities for Ancients both underwhelm me, since I find they rarely work. The restrained because it allows the target the choice of Dex or Str save, save every turn, and only 10' range. The turn because most fiends get advantage against magical effects like Turn, and most fey aren't powerful enough to bother turning (obviously, that's somewhat campaign dependent). I'd rather have just about any other subclass's channel divinities than ancients.

[Avista]

I'll gently remind everyone that our table rules state '3 consecutive levels' in one class before taking another. So I can't take 1-2 levels in one class then switch over. It has to be 3 at minimum.

I'm wondering if I can do a STR-dump pallylock, and focus on finesse weapons. I won't get full plate, but more ASI for Dex and Cha

[Keravath]

I'll gently remind everyone that our table rules state '3 consecutive levels' in one class before taking another. So I can't take 1-2 levels in one class then switch over. It has to be 3 at minimum.

I'm wondering if I can do a STR-dump pallylock, and focus on finesse weapons. I won't get full plate, but more ASI for Dex and Cha

Do you have to take 3 in EACH class consecutively? (i.e. if you want to multiclass to warlock then it has to be at least 3 paladin/3 warlock? Or do you mean that you have to take 3 levels in one class to start before mutliclassing e.g. 3 paladin/ 1 warlock + 3 more paladin + more warlock?

If the latter, I would go paladin 3 + hexblade 1 + paladin 3 more + hexblade 1 more + whatever you like.

Take PAM as your free feat, take paladin to 11 for IDS. hexblade to 2 or 3 depending on whether you want the pact. Use a spear and shield for AC or glaive if you want to go two handed. If you go two handed, consider GWM or Sentinel, and if you go one handed + shield consider Sentinel or Shield Master.

Boost CHA to 20 with ASI, use CHA for your attacks. If you want to go the two handed route you will need hexblade 3 for blade pact and the ability to use the hex warrior feature with your pact weapon. Not needed if you go with shield and spear. Add in the dueling fighting style for extra damage (or defensive if you can't decide between 1 or 2 handed).

[Avista]

Do you have to take 3 in EACH class consecutively? (i.e. if you want to multiclass to warlock then it has to be at least 3 paladin/3 warlock? Or do you mean that you have to take 3 levels in one class to start before mutliclassing e.g. 3 paladin/ 1 warlock + 3 more paladin + more warlock?

If the latter, I would go paladin 3 + hexblade 1 + paladin 3 more + hexblade 1 more + whatever you like.

Take PAM as your free feat, take paladin to 11 for IDS. hexblade to 2 or 3 depending on whether you want the pact. Use a spear and shield for AC or glaive if you want to go two handed. If you go two handed, consider GWM or Sentinel, and if you go one handed + shield consider Sentinel or Shield Master.

Boost CHA to 20 with ASI, use CHA for your attacks. If you want to go the two handed route you will need hexblade 3 for blade pact and the ability to use the hex warrior feature with your pact weapon. Not needed if you go with shield and spear. Add in the dueling fighting style for extra damage (or defensive if you can't decide between 1 or 2 handed).

3 levels in each class minimum before switching. Then taking 3 levels minimum before switching again. If I start at as a level 1 Warlock I can switch to Paladin at PC level 4 or above. But then I need to take 3 levels of Paladin (at minimum) before I can dip back to Warlock. Then I must take 3 levels of warlock (at minimum) before dipping back to paladin.

I can go:
5 pally 6 warlock
3 Warlock, 3 pally, 3 warlock, 7 pally
18 warlock 2 pally (cap at 20)

But I can never go:
1 pally, 1 warlock, 2 pally, 2 warlock
1 warlock, rest pally

Is that a little more clear?

[Teaguethebean]

3 levels in each class minimum before switching. Then taking 3 levels minimum before switching again. If I start at as a level 1 Warlock I can switch to Paladin at PC level 4 or above. But then I need to take 3 levels of Paladin (at minimum) before I can dip back to Warlock. Then I must take 3 levels of warlock (at minimum) before dipping back to paladin.

I can go:
5 pally 6 warlock
3 Warlock, 3 pally, 3 warlock, 7 pally
18 warlock 2 pally (cap at 20)

But I can never go:
1 pally, 1 warlock, 2 pally, 2 warlock
1 warlock, rest pally

Is that a little more clear?

Could you go ancients paladin 3 Hexblade warlock 3 paladin 4 warlock 2 paladin x

If so I would recommend that

[Expected]

I'll gently remind everyone that our table rules state '3 consecutive levels' in one class before taking another. So I can't take 1-2 levels in one class then switch over. It has to be 3 at minimum.

I'm wondering if I can do a STR-dump pallylock, and focus on finesse weapons. I won't get full plate, but more ASI for Dex and Cha

In that case, you have two ideal options: start Paladin and get heavy armor, or start Hexblade Warlock and use medium armor.

You want to dump Str so I'll suggest a build with that. Using 27 point buy and Half-Elf, I'd get 14 Dex and 17 Cha and take Elven Accuracy at level 4 and have an uneven Con for Resilient: Con later. Start Hexblade Warlock 0-3 and take Pact of the Blade so you can use heavy, two handed weapons with Cha and become SAD. Then multiclass into Paladin for 6 levels for the aura and then back to Warlock until 14. Darkness + Devil's Sight grants advantage for 3 dice. Pick up PAM (and maybe GWM) for DPR and action economy. Take Eldritch Smite to stack with Divine Smite when you inevitably crit, which you often will. You can also do the same with Variant Human but with 16 Cha and without EA, which will make you less ASI-starved.

Edit: Forgot about multiclass requirements--you'll need at least 13 Str for Paladin.

[CheddarChampion]

I'm wondering if I can do a STR-dump pallylock, and focus on finesse weapons. I won't get full plate, but more ASI for Dex and Cha

You need a minimum of 13 Str (and 13 Cha) to multiclass into or out of Paladin per the multiclassing rules. Your DM might waive this but YMMV.