Hexblade Bard mutliclass?

[Mwhawk2]

All,

Rolling a new character (after the untimely demise of my previous ill fated Dragonborn fighter) and I am considering building a Dragonborn Hexblade with a dip or two into college of swords Bard. Anyone have any experience with this multi class option? My intent is to make this character a master of disguise, with a criminal/spy background. I’d like to tie his origins to my deceased character and am intrigued by the idea of maybe making him a katana wielding Hexblade Bard combo. I envision him as a charismatic, cunning swordsman with a secret (his Hexblade pact patron and mysterious link to my fallen character). Having no experience with the Bard class or multiclassing I’m not sure how to begin the build. I’m leaning towards 5 levels of Hexblade (to maximize invocation options) then maybe 1-3 levels of College of swords. Any advice on how to best avoid screwing thus build up?

Thanks!

[Bobthewizard]

For optimization, 1 level of hex blade and then the rest bard. Get armor and CHA attack and then maximize your bard spell progression. After bard 6 for magical secrets or extra attack you can pick up 1-2 more levels of hexblade if you want invocations and a pact, but I wouldn't go beyond warlock 3.

[nickl_2000]

Bards really do best when they can get to level 5. This nets you 3rd level Bard spells and refreshing your bardic inspiration at a short rest instead of a long rest.

[Chad.e.clark]

For my Hexblade2/ Swords Bard 6, I leaned more heavily into Bard for 2 reasons. Ended up with misty visions and mask of many faces for invocations at Hexblade 2. Will switch out Mask for Improved Pact Weapon at Hexblade 3, making a +1 Longbow with the Invocation and keep my +1 Longsword from Adventure League spoils to have a melee and ranged option for magic damage. Took Toll the Dead to have a save vs damage at will option as well.

Reasons for pushing Bard to 6 first were:

1. Short rest flourishes at Bard 5.
2.Extra attack at 6 opens up an invocation that would otherwise go to Thirsting Blade at Hexblade 5 if/when you get there otherwise.
3.More 1st and 2nd level spell slots. Between unlimited Disguise Self, Silent Image and Ritual Casting, I never felt I had to ration slots.

Could wade straight into the thick of battle, toss out a defensive flourish for imrpoved AC, Healing word whenever I needed, Shield whatever managed to get through my Medium Armor and Defensive Flourish. Super tanky full caster. Picking up Mirror Image and Misty Step at Hexblade 3 for more ridiculous melee survivability and mobility, just like a master swordsman should have.

[RogueJK]

Unless you're dead-set on maximizing your short rest Warlock slots, I concur that Hexblade 2 or 3 and the rest Swords Bard is the best option, for reasons listed above. Warlock is very front-loaded, with the first 1-3 levels having the most benefits, and 6+ levels of Swords Bard gets you nearly everything you'd have from Warlock, plus more.

I'd likely start Hexblade 1 or 2, then Blade Bard 6, then maybe Hexblade 3 to pick up Tome Pact for some extra Cantrips and the ritual book Invocation, and the rest Bard.

This delays getting Extra Attack until Level 8ish, but you can lean on Booming Blade or Green Flame Blade to make up the difference in the meantime.


The alternate option is to skip Extra Attack altogether and rely on BB/GFB for the remainder of your career. This would look like Hexblade 1 or 2, then Bard 5, then Hexblade X from there. This route works well with Swords Bard, because you can only use one Blade Flourish per turn anyway, and the damage from BB/GFB scales with character level to keep up with martial class Extra Attack progression.

[Seekergeek]

I rocked a hexblade/whispers bard from 1-14ish I think, and it was a hell of a lot of fun. My split was a bit different because I didn't really plan it out in advance - the hexblade entered late as a result of a found artifact in-game, and as a result progression could have been smoother. I ended up with bard 9/warlock 5 with the progressions going, again, I think, bard 5, hexblade 5, bard 4. I didn't ever feel like I was underperforming compared to the rest of the party but it was certainly not always a smooth run. All that being said, the finished product was a blast and the last four levels were absolutely wonderful. If you're not set on swords bard, take a look at whispers as it really leans in to the master of disguise you're talking about.

[carrdrivesyou]

Here's my suggestion:

Hexblade 5/ Whispers Bard 3 then continue as you like.

Pros:
1. Hexblades curse for bonus damage
2. SAD combat stats
3. Short rest smites (from invocations)
4. Bard "smites" from whispers college.

Cons:
1. Bad at crowd control
2. Short rest dependent (2 per day on average)
3. Lower HP pool than most front liners
4. Eats Bonus actions like crazy

Overall, your smites are nearly unparalleled, you get two attacks per turn, 3 invocations, a bunch of cantrips, expertise in some skills, and a fair amount of spells overall.

Your smite could be looking at 3d8 force damage, a no-save knockdown for huge or smaller things, 2d6 psychic damage, plus 2d10 (versatile sword) damage per turn. That's burning one warlock slot and one bardic inspiration die per turn to boost damage output. Needless to say, you are one painful swordman.

Out of combat, you have a super high charisma, expertise in two skills, jack of all trades, and probably a couple tool sets. Not bad for a build.

Just pump your charisma first for maximum social skills, bard smites, and spellcasting DC.

[Seekergeek]

Here's my suggestion:

Hexblade 5/ Whispers Bard 3 then continue as you like.

Pros:
1. Hexblades curse for bonus damage
2. SAD combat stats
3. Short rest smites (from invocations)
4. Bard "smites" from whispers college.

Cons:
1. Bad at crowd control
2. Short rest dependent (2 per day on average)
3. Lower HP pool than most front liners
4. Eats Bonus actions like crazy

Overall, your smites are nearly unparalleled, you get two attacks per turn, 3 invocations, a bunch of cantrips, expertise in some skills, and a fair amount of spells overall.

Your smite could be looking at 3d8 force damage, a no-save knockdown for huge or smaller things, 2d6 psychic damage, plus 2d10 (versatile sword) damage per turn. That's burning one warlock slot and one bardic inspiration die per turn to boost damage output. Needless to say, you are one painful swordman.

Out of combat, you have a super high charisma, expertise in two skills, jack of all trades, and probably a couple tool sets. Not bad for a build.

Just pump your charisma first for maximum social skills, bard smites, and spellcasting DC.

Cardrivesyou improved on my position about 100% but, yes, that was my experience.

[Willie the Duck]

Depending on whether you intend to be sword&board (and can rough it with light armor until level 3) you might not even bother with hexblade at all. SAD Combat stats is such a tasty draw that a lot of people can't resist, but if it delays you from actually accomplishing what you intend to do with your character, it might not be the best option in all cases.

[RogueJK]

Here's my suggestion:

Hexblade 5/ Whispers Bard 3...

Bard "smites" from whispers college.


If you stop at Bard 3, you will only be able to use the Whispers Bard psychic damage (or Swords Bard blade flourishes) 4ish times per day. With Whispers, that's only 8d6 total extra damage per day (2d6 per round, usable CHAMOD times per day.)

Either ability uses your Bardic Inspiration, which until Bard 5, only resets on a Long Rest.

Bard 5 really is a big boost, with not only Short Rest inspiration reset, but also 3rd level Bard spells. Plus you pick up an ASI along the way at Bard 4.

So with either Whispers or Swords, I'd strongly suggest going to at least Bard 5. That effectively triples the number of times you can use that Swords/Whispers ability on the average adventuring day.

[Moltenbrisingr]

I am actually playing this combination right now in a 20th level game. I took Two levels in hex blade and the rest in lore bard. Obviously the ability to blast with eldrich blast is amazing. I took two levels for the evocations and I don't regret it mage armor all the time plus casting 8th level armor of agathys is the best thing ever. If you are hoping to go swords then being able to take the warlock sword cantrips from sword coast may benefit you. Then again if you wanted to truck on into pact of the blade it may benefit your sword skills. I also recommend steelwind strike for your magical secrets as it is an amazing sword based spell.

[HPisBS]

Meh, Destructive Wave has a little more damage, to potentially more targets, and comes with a knockdown - all with the same AoE.

It lacks the sword flavor, but wading right into the middle of the enemy horde so you can blast them all down is a move that only a Swords Bard should try as a level 10. (Maybe with the other Magical Secret being Haste so he can Flourish up his extra AC in the same turn.)

[LudicSavant]

All,

Rolling a new character (after the untimely demise of my previous ill fated Dragonborn fighter) and I am considering building a Dragonborn Hexblade with a dip or two into college of swords Bard. Anyone have any experience with this multi class option? My intent is to make this character a master of disguise, with a criminal/spy background. I’d like to tie his origins to my deceased character and am intrigued by the idea of maybe making him a katana wielding Hexblade Bard combo. I envision him as a charismatic, cunning swordsman with a secret (his Hexblade pact patron and mysterious link to my fallen character). Having no experience with the Bard class or multiclassing I’m not sure how to begin the build. I’m leaning towards 5 levels of Hexblade (to maximize invocation options) then maybe 1-3 levels of College of swords. Any advice on how to best avoid screwing thus build up?

Thanks!

My recommendation is to have a Swords Bard dipping Hexblade, rather than a Hexblade dipping Bard, unless that somehow obstructs your character concept (see nowhere in the description where it would).

Plain old Hexblade 1 / Swords Bard the rest of the way. This will give you 9th level spells with a superb list (since Magical Secrets can grab you key stuff like Simulacrum), one of the best ACs in the entire game (medium armor + shield + Shield spell + 1d12 flourish + access to all kinds of defensive spell options like PFG&E, Greater Invisibility, Foresight, etc), and quite solid melee output with Hexblade's Curse, Flourish, and a well-chosen Concentration spell.

If you toss in Paladin 2 at some point (probably after getting your extra attack) you can also do some pretty enormous burst damage.