Quad multiclass help

[reedfiddlestomp]

Hi there! I hope this is in the right spot. Semi brief, I'm vacillating between three future builds. Currently playing Storm Kings Thunder.

Where I'm at now:
Half Elf
2 Paladin (playing dex based paladin. Potential homebrew luck paladin oath)
1 Draconic Sorcerer
13 Str
16 Dex
17 Con
13 Int
6 Wis
18 Cha

Thematically, given Wis score, my dude has issues with social norms / conversations. Always overly happy, and thinks everyone is / can be a friend. Understands battle and how to fight, but doesn't understand dangerous situations often (never sneaks). Right now planning a reallll long view of what I may settle on, as I believe we're intending to take all our dudes and duderinas to 20.

1)
Pal 2 (for smite)
Sorc 14 (for more awesome sorcerer stuff, at will flight, etc)
Bard 3 (inspo / jack of trades / bard college / expertise)
Lock 1 (hexblade hex, short rest slots, making Cha my attacking stat)
3 ASIs (War caster, Elven Accuracy (+1 cha), ASI +1 cha / +1 con)

2)
Pal 6 (for saves)
Sorc 8 (origin feature, ASI)
Bard 4 (ASI)
Lock 2 (invocation (agonizing blast))
4 ASIs (War caster, Elven Accuracy (+1 cha), ASI +1 cha / +1 con, ???)

3)
Pal 6 (for saves)
Sorc 6 (origin feature)
Bard 6 (higher inspo, font of inspo, college feature)
Lock 2 (invocation (agonizing blast))
3 ASIs (War caster, Elven Accuracy (+1 cha), ASI +1 cha / +1 con)

Those are my current spread ideas, I'd love any sort of input. Originally, I was aiming my dude to be more of a tank, but one of my mates is going the tank route, and we're playing with 6 people. So I figure 2 tanks is super unnecessary, when we can just blast everything to death. I have an idea of where I'm leaning, but I've only played this game a few times, and would absolutely love some help in planning. Thanks so much for your time!

[chando]

I would say the simplier the better.
As you get to higher levels your sorcerer spells are going to start to be worth a lot more than an attack or two, even with smites. also attacking twice with a magical weapon, a pottential rider, is almost always better than eldrith blast, even with an invocaton. If you want to go for Hexblade 1 and Cha to attack go for it. I would only take more lock for utility, like at-will silent image or something that gets your fancy. Not sure what Luck paladin gives you, but you can also go DEvotion paladin and have DEX + CHA to attack. Thats much better.

Consider if you would like to have extra-attack. You can do that with EITHER paladin 6, Bladelock 5 (using a invocation for it) or Valor/Sword Bard 6, but its gonna take a long time, the more you wait the more you might feel behind other meleers. If you are happy with one attack/round +smite, and using yours spells when the target its away or to control it (hold person + auto crit is always good), go more sorcerer. Since you have already a sorcerer level, i would say Pally 6/ Sorcerer 14 is the best here, the bonus to saves help your whole team or at least the meleers not to get proned and pushed by giants. Cha to saves is also equivalent to Resilient (Con) for most of your carrier. You can use Haste(twined for extra fun!) for yet another attack once you get to Sorc 5.

Making Cha your attack stat gives a +1 to hit/dmg, +2 at some other point in your carrer. boosting your Dex at any time gives you that AND ups your AC. You can get elven accuracy (+Dex), an ASI +Dex/Con and have Dex, Con and Cha 18 before the end game and decide what you want to increase when you get to your last ASI (probably Cha for saves and DCs at that point, as the single point of hit/damage per attack wont matter as much as landing Mass Suggestion or whatever), you can also use a bow/crossbow when you feel like without that feeling of being attacking with a lower stat (hexblade need Bladelock 3 and Improved Pact weapon to do that with CHA).

You will be a pretty effective "inspiring leader" with paladin and sorcerer spells, twined buffs, debufs to enemies, and kickass smite damage and huge gamechanger high level spells.
I would leave bard out of this build, make one next time, they are super fun.
Get enhance ability for those out-of combat ability checks mif you feel your current skill set doesnt cover your needs. But with 6+ characters you probably don't have that many needs as a group, and FAILING at ability checks can result in some pretty memorable moments as well. ;)

Also, feather fall is a good always a goods spells to have.

[Swosh]

Nice rolls on the stats, definity makes for a strong character. First i would like to point out that i would strongly reccomend you to go Pala 6, those saves is fantastic + that extra attack is really going to spike up your nova. The vengence oath provides a lot of usefull spells and has good synergy with elven accuracy if you plan on getting that. I would also strongly suggest to hold of picking lock and try to get a strenght belt / gloves instead, in order to not lose out on your 9th lvl spell slot. Potensially if you really want to Quad-Multiclass and nova extra hard you could take 3 lvls of fighter for insane crit fishing (with elven accuracy thats 27.1% chance to crit each attack) and insane Nova (action surge).

For Bard, College of Swords really stand out as the greatest subclass here, with either 3 or 5 lvls inn.

As for sorcerer, the Divine Soul remains a strong option with many nice spells, such as Spirit Guardians, Holy Weapon, Spiritual Weapon and Heal. Personally i would take either 11 or 9 lvls. With 11 lvls you still have access to your 6th lvl spells and can pick Mass Suggestion and the Heal spell, which is quite strong.

As for your progression i would go for the following for (6 Pala /11 Sorc /3 Bard):

2 Paladin --> 5 Sorcerer --> 6 Paladin --> 11 Sorcerer --> 3 Bard

or potensially if you want more bard for that short rest bardic inspiration and higher dice you can go (6 Pala / 9 Sorc/ 5 Bard):

2 paladin --> 5 Sorcerer --> 6 Paladin --> 9 Sorcerer --> 5 Bard

For the quad-multiclass with fighter i would suggest (6 pala / 8 Sorc / 3 Bard / 3 Fighter) or if you really want the lock (6 Pala / 8 Sorc / 5 Bard / 1 Lock) or (6 Pala / 9 Sorc / 3 Bard / 2 Lock) is also quite potent.

There are many different builds but, i suggest you start by figuring out what role you want to focus on.

[bid]

Right now planning a reallll long view of what I may settle on, as I believe we're intending to take all our dudes and duderinas to 20.

Well, you have quite a shopping list! Loads of interesting features that will work together.

Something that might help you pick a path: how fun will you be around level 7 and level 14?
It may take many sessions before you reach level 20, you want to have as much fun leveling. If you pass through paladin 2 / sorcerer 3 / bard 3 / lock 2, you are already 5 levels past when a pure caster would get fireball.

So, which of these features do you want early on, and which can wait until level 20?