Unlimited Blade Works: The Guide to the Ultimate Paladin/Sorcerer Multiclass

[Waifu Collector]

I’ve been theorycrafting a 7/13 Conquest/Shadow build and it sounds extremely potent, albeit quite underwhelming at lower levels. Thoughts?

Also I’ve played a Dex Sorcadin, and with point buy or standard array rulings, you’ll just be left wanting for higher stats, and your damage output and versatility is greatly limited. Usable? Most certainly. Still potent? It’s hard making a Sorcadin weak at all, and a Dex build is still strong. Inferior to Str builds in almost every way? Yes.

[Foxydono]

Could I get some advice on a socradin build? I'm in a very specific situation and would like some advice. I'm starting at first level (point buy) and I'm getting the night vision goggles, so I was thinking about starting human variant.

My background is that my character was part of the dragon guild and worships fire and Dragons. As such he became a pyromancer sorcerer (with the pyromancer orginin, although I could also go draconic).

My stats would be 16 Dex, 16 Cha, 12 Con (which sucks), 13 Str and 8 Wis/Int. My first feat would be warcaster. My main thought was to max Dex and Cha, as I first envisioned my character as a caster of fire spells.

However, with 2 Pally / 18 sorcerer, I was thinking to go sorcerer 5 first before going pally. Or should I just go full sorcerer perhaps? Also, I'm thinking 6 pally is probably better if I have 20 Charisma, but I find it difficult to judge. It's for the new Waterdeep campaign, so we will actually hit that level hopefully.

I thought about going Strength based and Pally first, but this poses some problems with variant human. I would need to have resilient con first, than warcaster. And do I than max Str or Cha?!

It's a complex puzzle and would like some advice. The only thing I'm sure off is that it shouldn't be a 'pure' melee damage dealer. Scorching ray, fireball are definitely something he would like to cast. Maybe meteor shower too.. But I could let that go :)

[jdolch]

I don't understand what your "very specific situation" is. You have normal point buy, V.Human. and then you pick pyro or draco sorcerous origin. None of that is special. Either go high DEX/CHA and STR 13 for a Dex build with rapier and shield. Or go high STR/CHA and dump Dex for a STR build. Then the biggest decision is if you want Aura of Protection or rather have 9th level Sorcerer spells later. That's a decision any Sorcadin has to make.

Maybe i missed the special thing about your situation and you can elaborate.

[Foxydono]

Maybe i missed the special thing about your situation and you can elaborate.

The special situation is regarding my character idea (fire based sorcerer), wanting to be more of a caster and less melee'ish and the fact that I'm sort of forced into variant human which makes it difficult to start out as paladin as you can't take the warcaster feat at first level.

What you suggest can't be done if I start with sorcerer, as I can't wear shield. I could use a two hander, but this is a problem because I would be tempted to take GWM, but I also want to max out Strength and Charisma, which can't be done.

I prefer to play dex-based sorcer (feels more right), but a two hander is a waste without GWM and I can't wear a shield either. Also the question of whether to go 2nd or 6th level pally is something I would like advice on.

[jdolch]

The special situation is regarding my character idea (fire based sorcerer), wanting to be more of a caster and less melee'ish and the fact that I'm sort of forced into variant human which makes it difficult to start out as paladin as you can't take the warcaster feat at first level.

What you suggest can't be done if I start with sorcerer, as I can't wear shield. I could use a two hander, but this is a problem because I would be tempted to take GWM, but I also want to max out Strength and Charisma, which can't be done.

I prefer to play dex-based sorcer (feels more right), but a two hander is a waste without GWM and I can't wear a shield either. Also the question of whether to go 2nd or 6th level pally is something I would like advice on.

What do you mean by "sort of forced"? Forced by the DM?
V.Human is not a problem, in fact, it is almost ideal... for a STR build.

Spoiler: Quote from the guide

Show

Variant Human (@Boost to all 3 stats): Everybody knows Variant Humans are boss, but what makes this option truly wonderful for Sorcadins is that you can choose a Feat that increases the one important stat you couldn’t pump with the racial bonus, which pretty much allows you to buff all three important stats and also gain a neat extra bonus. How awesome is that? Let’s look at the candidates:
Off the top of my head, you can get Resilient (CON) to get better at not only WIS saves, but also CON saves (and concentration), or you can go Heavy Armor Master to become even more tanky. Actor and Durable also apply from the PHB, while UA gives us Gourmand and Master of Disguise.
Actor and Master of Disguise will be more about role-playing than combat, but depending on what sort of person you want to portray your character as, they can be really fitting, as well as extremely useful in certain campaigns. Gourmand basically makes you a character who came jumping out of the Dungeon Meshi manga and sorta defines what sort of character you’ll be (as well as most likely his background profession), but as a DM I love it when imaginative adventurers cook their own meals and explain their monstrous recipes in great detail (I’ve bumped into a particular player who does that really well, and indeed, his character has Gourmand). It also increases the healing capacities of the entire team, and will make your party love you. Durable allows you to heal maximum HP every time you use up a Sorcerer Hit Die, and generally makes you better at resting... But nothing really interesting here.
Just like Half-Elves, if you’re certain you’re not gonna get your second ASI, this race choice becomes Gold. And Variant Humans can also get facial plastic surgery (plus to CHA) before going to the training gym (plus to STR), while Half-Orcs and Goliaths and their lot always need to do it the other way around.

If you want to go Dex, Half elf is better by far.

What makes you want to go Paladin in the first place? It sounds like you want to be a Sorcerer. I have a hard time grasping what it is you want from the Paladin dip. Your comment regarding "Dex is more him" sounds like you don't want to be heavily armored either.

Regarding Aura of Protection: That is something, as i said, that any Sorcadin has to make a decision on. It is not clear cut. You basically trade Aura of Protection (+CHAmod to ALL saving throws for anyone in a 10ft radius) for Level 8 and 9 Sorcerer Spells and a slower overall progression in Sorcerer levels. The question is what do you value more.

I personally would start out as a Sword and Board Paladin for 2 levels and then switch to Sorcerer. You then get warcaster at level 6.

I'll just link another post of mine. Maybe it helps you make a decision: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/shows...1&postcount=16

[Foxydono]

What do you mean by "sort of forced"? Forced by the DM?
V.Human is not a problem, in fact, it is almost ideal... for a STR build.

If you want to go Dex, Half elf is better by far.

What makes you want to go Paladin in the first place? It sounds like you want to be a Sorcerer. I have a hard time grasping what it is you want from the Paladin dip. Your comment regarding "Dex is more him" sounds like you don't want to be heavily armored either.

Regarding Aura of Protection: That is something, as i said, that any Sorcadin has to make a decision on. It is not clear cut. You basically trade Aura of Protection (+CHAmod to ALL saving throws for anyone in a 10ft radius) for Level 8 and 9 Sorcerer Spells and a slower overall progression in Sorcerer levels. The question is what do you value more.

I personally would start out as a Sword and Board Paladin for 2 levels and then switch to Sorcerer. You then get warcaster at level 6.

Right, first off I'm not forced, I could switch to half elf instead. But, the character gets a dragon wyrmling eye which gives him darkvision and 15ft blindsight. The obvious choice is to play a character without darkvision, making variant human the obvious choice. This part of the 'special' character concept and why my choices are more limited in a sense and this is the reason why I ask for advice.

I'm aware Strength is 'better' because it is less MAD. However, as I explained before, I would probably take resilient Con at first level, warcaster at 4th or 6th level, leaving 3 ASI and I want max Strength and Charisma.

Dexterity build has the drawback of not being able to wear a shield of I go sorcerer first. As for why I want to be a paladin as well. That's because the pyromancer deals fire damage to everyone within 10 feet. This feature is a bit redundant as a pure sorcerer. Additionally, I see him standing in the mitst of battle ablaze with fire burning his enemies to the ground. Since I'm taking almost only fire spells, I want him to have the option to do radiant damage as well.

[dgnslyr]

Right, first off I'm not forced, I could switch to half elf instead. But, the character gets a dragon wyrmling eye which gives him darkvision and 15ft blindsight. The obvious choice is to play a character without darkvision, making variant human the obvious choice. This part of the 'special' character concept and why my choices are more limited in a sense and this is the reason why I ask for advice.

I'm aware Strength is 'better' because it is less MAD. However, as I explained before, I would probably take resilient Con at first level, warcaster at 4th or 6th level, leaving 3 ASI and I want max Strength and Charisma.

Dexterity build has the drawback of not being able to wear a shield of I go sorcerer first. As for why I want to be a paladin as well. That's because the pyromancer deals fire damage to everyone within 10 feet. This feature is a bit redundant as a pure sorcerer. Additionally, I see him standing in the mitst of battle ablaze with fire burning his enemies to the ground. Since I'm taking almost only fire spells, I want him to have the option to do radiant damage as well.

Paladin 2/Sorcerer 18 is perfectly fine and gives you maximum casting. I'm personally partial to the STR build over DEX, since heavy armor lets you dump DEX entirely. With pointbuy, you can start with the 15/15/15/9/9/9 array and bump your STR, CON, and CHA all to 16 with Resilient(CON) and VHuman stat boosts. The biggest weakness is not get War Caster until level 6, which makes it a lot harder to cast spells; consider using a two-handed weapon until then, so you'll have a free hand for casting.

As for Sorcerous Origin, I'm still partial to Dragon over Pyro since it gives you a little extra durability. Phoenix is also an option, but its main draw is only available once a day, and Pyro is only useful when you're casting a non-cantrip offensive spell. Elemental Affinity means getting a little extra damage on all of your Green-Flame Blades, which are going to be your bread and butter for delivering smites.

Honestly casting is as strong as ever, and spells are fun, so the more caster levels, the better is what I think.

[Foxydono]

Paladin 2/Sorcerer 18 is perfectly fine and gives you maximum casting. I'm personally partial to the STR build over DEX, since heavy armor lets you dump DEX entirely. With pointbuy, you can start with the 15/15/15/9/9/9 array and bump your STR, CON, and CHA all to 16 with Resilient(CON) and VHuman stat boosts. The biggest weakness is not get War Caster until level 6, which makes it a lot harder to cast spells; consider using a two-handed weapon until then, so you'll have a free hand for casting.

As for Sorcerous Origin, I'm still partial to Dragon over Pyro since it gives you a little extra durability. Phoenix is also an option, but its main draw is only available once a day, and Pyro is only useful when you're casting a non-cantrip offensive spell. Elemental Affinity means getting a little extra damage on all of your Green-Flame Blades, which are going to be your bread and butter for delivering smites.

Honestly casting is as strong as ever, and spells are fun, so the more caster levels, the better is what I think.

Thanks for the advice. After some thought I have decided to go two levels hexblade. This fits much better because of Sadness and point buy. I start off with sorcerer for con and than I'll try to fix a shield and medium armor as soon as I can.

I still have high AC and I can do good damage both in melee and as sorcerer. Because I'm the face of the party I'll get two levels lock for invocations and rest into sorcerer. Some people prefer more warlock levels for better melee damage and attacks, but I prefer more spells like you.

I prefer Pyro over draconic because of overcoming fire resistance. Too bad the DM banned the undying light warlock for +cha on fire spells, but that's probably for the better :). I did convince him to treat firebolt the same as eldrich blast to get the extra damage invocation. Makes little sense to shoot eldrich blasts as a pyromancer.

Thanks for all the help and sorry to have bothered people with my socradin idea.

[strangebloke]

Thanks for the advice. After some thought I have decided to go two levels hexblade. This fits much better because of Sadness and point buy. I start off with sorcerer for con and than I'll try to fix a shield and medium armor as soon as I can.

I still have high AC and I can do good damage both in melee and as sorcerer. Because I'm the face of the party I'll get two levels lock for invocations and rest into sorcerer. Some people prefer more warlock levels for better melee damage and attacks, but I prefer more spells like you.

I prefer Pyro over draconic because of overcoming fire resistance. Too bad the DM banned the undying light warlock for +cha on fire spells, but that's probably for the better :). I did convince him to treat firebolt the same as eldrich blast to get the extra damage invocation. Makes little sense to shoot eldrich blasts as a pyromancer.

Thanks for all the help and sorry to have bothered people with my socradin idea.

Yup, I agree. Paladin 6/Sorc 14 is still a great build, but I think that most of the time, unless you really want smite, Hex 1-3 is a better sorcerer dip than paladin 2.

Same casting progression if you only dip one level. You give up smite (which is great), Channel Divinity (which is meh), 1 AC (eh), a few points of lay on hands (probably won't be missed), and a fighting style (will be missed). You get some handy first level spells back on a short rest, you get cleaner stat bonuses, you get to your ASIs and metamagic more quickly, and you get CON saving throw proficiency for free.

So instead of 16/8/16/8/8/16 you can start with 8/14/16/8/10/16 as a Vhuman, and you'll already have CON saving throw proficiencies so you're essentially a full ASI ahead of your peers. Then your ASIs spent on Charisma are basically twice as good, so if you spend your first two ASIs (which you can reach more quickly) on CHA you're essentially three ASIs ahead of the Strength-based Paladin 2/Sorcerer X, with a maxed out attack stat and a maxed casting stat.

[GM_3826]

So, is no one going to talk about the errata that was released today? Divine Smite works with any spell slot now, not just paladin spell slots.

http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/sage...-november-2018

[Nod_Hero]

So, is no one going to talk about the errata that was released today? Divine Smite works with any spell slot now, not just paladin spell slots.

http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/sage...-november-2018

They've been usable with any spell slots for quite some time now, since errata 1.0 came out. (That's why warlock dips were so liked, smite spell slots back on a short rest...)

[GM_3826]

They've been usable with any spell slots for quite some time now, since errata 1.0 came out. (That's why warlock dips were so liked, smite spell slots back on a short rest...)

...OK, didn't know?

[Arkhios]

...OK, didn't know?

Yeah, it's as old news.

On related matter, oh wow!

Divine Smite now scales up to 6d8, which implies that 5th-level spell slots fuel Divine Smite as well!

Derp, nevermind.

[jdolch]

On related matter, oh wow!

Divine Smite now scales up to 6d8, which implies that 5th-level spell slots fuel Divine Smite as well!

That's a nice little Buff.

[Aimeryan]

Divine Smite now scales up to 6d8, which implies that 5th-level spell slots fuel Divine Smite as well!

Nah, as mentioned in the other thread, the change is a just a clarification on the Undead/Fiend part.

[Arkhios]

Nah, as mentioned in the other thread, the change is a just a clarification on the Undead/Fiend part.

Ach, right. Granted, I had only a cursory glance on the errata, and rushed over to Paladin bits. Apparently it is just a clarification, as you said.

What strikes me as odd is that they removed the last sentence from Improved Divine Smite. It doesn't seem to have any meaningful effect on the structure of Divine Smite.
...Perhaps they thought that the last sentence was redundant? I mean, extra 1d8 is extra, meaning it still is added to the rest, right? At least to my reading, removing the last sentence doesn't mean that Improved Divine Smite wouldn't stack with the rest what comes with expending a spell slot. Unless I'm reading this wrong (in which case I'd call BS on the removal, and simply ignore the errata).

[Aimeryan]

What strikes me as odd is that they removed the last sentence from Improved Divine Smite. It doesn't seem to have any meaningful effect on the structure of Divine Smite.
...Perhaps they thought that the last sentence was redundant? I mean, extra 1d8 is extra, meaning it still is added to the rest, right? At least to my reading, removing the last sentence doesn't mean that Improved Divine Smite wouldn't stack with the rest what comes with expending a spell slot. Unless I'm reading this wrong (in which case I'd call BS on the removal, and simply ignore the errata).

I would agree with your reading; it stacks with any other damage, so there was perhaps just no need for the last sentence. More so, if the intent is for Divine Smite not to stack with this extra damage I think that it would have been explicitly specified.

[Storyteller_Arc]

Hmmm, just realised that not only does this guide not have the Rapier or Polearm fully explored, nor has it been updated with Oath of Conquest and Oath of Redemption... nor Shadow Magic and Divine Soul now they've come out of UA,

But the Errata to Elemental Affinity for 'The damage bonus applies to one damage roll of a spell, not multiple rolls' hasn't been taken into consideration as well, whilst likely lowers the potency the Draconic Blood Sorcerer's Origin. Also the Multiclassing part of the guide, which yes this has one for the people who want to do a triple multiclass, it hasn't taken into considering some of the newer archetypes... or changes to stuff like the Warlock's Celestial Patron... or of course Hexblade, but that goes without saying.

Man, mantaining a guide like this is tricky, isn't it?

[KyleG]

If this was built at level 10 having 15/14/15/12/14/15 (including human racial) as the original start point world you start as sorcer or paladin? And how many levels of each would you have? Would both increase as you moved towards level 20?

[Arkhios]

If this was built at level 10 having 15/14/15/12/14/15 (including human racial) as the original start point world you start as sorcer or paladin? And how many levels of each would you have? Would both increase as you moved towards level 20?

I might start with one level of Sorcerer, actually, then take at least 6 levels of Paladin straight. You would get medium armor proficiency from multiclassing to Paladin, which is OK, since you have a +2 from Dexterity and thus you are in line with most heavy armors, though without DEX 16 and Medium Armor Master you wouldn't reach as high AC as with Plate.

[paladinn]

So is it better to take 1st level as sorcerer, for the Con save, or as paladin for hp, armor, etc?

I'm considering Sor 1, maybe Hex 1-3, Pal 1-5, then Sor the rest. I actually thought about going Celestial for RP purposes; but Hexblade gives soo much good stuff, especially being much more SAD. Definitely going Divine Soul, and either Devotion or Vengeance.

The Divine Soul/ Paladin thing is great from a RP perspective; but do the features and abilities overlap too much to be worthwhile?

If I were to go sorlocadin, what level progression should I take?

Gratzi!

[Storyteller_Arc]

If I were to go sorlocadin, what level progression should I take?

Gratzi!

Okay, so I can't speak for everyone, as everyone does have different views on the matter, but this is my summation:

If you're going for a Sorlocadin build (boy that would be hard to say), in order to take full advantage of the Hexblade's Charisma to Attack and Damage rolls with a Melee weapon? You should definently start with the Hexblade. That way you can be a SAD character right from the start, instead of having to rely on a mediocre strength or dexterity for the first few levels. I suggest that you take at level 2 levels in the Warlock as well. Getting that 2nd spell per short rest, as well as the 2 invocations (Agonizing Blast gives you an incredibly strong ranged option, whilst the other one could be something like Devil Sight for the utility), is something you cannot afford to miss out on.

From there, I would go Paladin. Getting your prefered fighting style, and more importantly, your Divine Smite is critical for the build. After all, you already have the ability to use the Divine Smite 2/Short Rest, so you might as well make the most of it whilst you can't, shouldn't you? I would also for the full Paladin 6 levels at least. Putting your ASI's off any further can significantly hurt your character in the long run, so you should prioritize it as soon as possible. Paladin 6 of course, gives you that ASIN, but then it also gives you Extra Attack, which is not to be taken lightly, and perhaps more importantly, Aura of Protection, which really makes your Charisma Focus shine. +3/4 to all saves at level 8? Yes, please.

After that, as you've already said you want to be a strong spellcaster, go full sorcerer after this. You still got 12 levels to play with there, meaning you'll get 6th Level spells still (Plus one 7th level and 8th level spell slot to turn into Sorcery Points), a strong amount of Sorcerery Points, 3 Metamagic Options, your level 6 Divine Origin ability, and 3 more ASI's, meaning your only losing a single ASI overall... which you always do when your multiclassing more than a single level.

[Gastronomie]

Hello, it's been some time since I posted last time in this thread. Now, I must first apologize I've not been replying to the questions here, and that I have not been updating the guide.

The reason for this is simple: I had been away from D&D for some time due to being very busy IRL, and as a result I have not been able to playtest the new material from Xanathar's. I figured that since other people were replying to the questions, I would rather have them answer correctly, rather than jump in myself and give out random guesses that are not based on actual experience. Neither was I willing to rate stuff I've never even used. That would be a terribly irresponsible thing to do.

However, recently coming back to playing D&D frequently once again, I feel that some time in the future I will be able to update this guide, at least as much as I can. BUT, there is a certain subject that I must bring up if I wish to talk about the post-Xanathar Sorcadin.

It is the Hexblade. And guess what, I must first say first:

I cannot, on my own, rate the Hexblade, or builds including Hexblade.

This is because in the current community where I mainly play D&D, the Hexblade is deemed OP (as I think it is as well - I am not a fan of the SAD design concept), and there is a houserule that if you go into Hexblade you are not allowed to multiclass. Thus I am not able to speak based on experience of using Hexblade multiclass builds at all. Indeed I am currently playing a single-class Hexblade, but that's a completely different build from a dip, so I don't think it will really help.

I know there is an argument of how powerful the Sorcadin is in comparison to a Hexblade multiclass build. And frankly the answer is, for above reasons, I don't know.

But I do know that people want to know of the pros and cons of each build, for when they're gonna choose to build a Sorcadin, or Sorlock, or Hex-Paladin, or Hex-Sorcadin, or whatever. So I want people to help for that section of the guide. If people are willing to help based on their experience, I couldn't be happier.

I've also discovered that some ratings of certain features and spells that I gave out in the past were blantly wrong - flaws I couldn't realize before, or new stuff I discovered along the way. I can fix those parts on my own, but please do understand that it is not possible for me to, on my own, complete the guide to make it satisfactory for everyone.

I need help, especially regarding Hexblades. Not to mention I haven't been able to try out all the new Xanathar sub-classes for Paladin and Sorcerer (it's not like I only play Sorcadins, so progress is darn slow). I would love it if people could share their experiences in the comment section below. I would love it even more if they could rate stuff based on their experience.

Thanks!

[dgnslyr]

So is it better to take 1st level as sorcerer, for the Con save, or as paladin for hp, armor, etc?

I'm considering Sor 1, maybe Hex 1-3, Pal 1-5, then Sor the rest. I actually thought about going Celestial for RP purposes; but Hexblade gives soo much good stuff, especially being much more SAD. Definitely going Divine Soul, and either Devotion or Vengeance.

The Divine Soul/ Paladin thing is great from a RP perspective; but do the features and abilities overlap too much to be worthwhile?

If I were to go sorlocadin, what level progression should I take?

Gratzi!

Starting at 1, it's better to begin with Paladin, since the extremely early levels are when casters are at their weakest and martials are at their strongest. As a VHuman with pointbuy, you can start with a 15/15/15/9/9/9 stat array, and take Resilient(CON) right away for proficiency and round out to a 16/16/16 array in the three stats that matter, STR, DEX, CHA.

The typical breakpoints are 2/18 and 6/14; I like the former when starting at low levels, since you get into Sorcerer progression as fast as possible; the downside is putting off War Caster until level 6. Another compromise is leveling Paladin 4/Sorcerer X to get that first ASI, with the option to pick up Paladin later for Aura of Protection.

As for Hexblade, I think it's much worse than it seems. It's useful if you have more CHA than STR, but with the way 5e pointbuys work, you're limited in how far you can pump a single ability score, which is why the "optimal" pointbuy array has three strong stats and three weak ones. You need STR anyways to wear heavy armor, and if your STR and CHA both start at 16, there's no benefit at all to Hex Warrior. Beyond that, a +1 or +2 to hit/damage isn't really worth an entire level in another class.

So really, if you're starting from 1, your choices are:

Pal 2/Sor 18
Pro: More spells. Spells are fun.
Con: No War Caster until level 6.

Pal 6/Sor 14
Pro: Aura of Protection is really, really good, and there's no dead time of casting without War Caster.
Con: A long time spent as paladin before you class into sorcerer.

Pal 4/Sor X
Pro: War Caster reasons.
Con: No Aura until you go back and hit 6.

[paladinn]

Okay, so I can't speak for everyone, as everyone does have different views on the matter, but this is my summation:

If you're going for a Sorlocadin build (boy that would be hard to say), in order to take full advantage of the Hexblade's Charisma to Attack and Damage rolls with a Melee weapon? You should definently start with the Hexblade. That way you can be a SAD character right from the start, instead of having to rely on a mediocre strength or dexterity for the first few levels. I suggest that you take at level 2 levels in the Warlock as well. Getting that 2nd spell per short rest, as well as the 2 invocations (Agonizing Blast gives you an incredibly strong ranged option, whilst the other one could be something like Devil Sight for the utility), is something you cannot afford to miss out on.

From there, I would go Paladin. Getting your prefered fighting style, and more importantly, your Divine Smite is critical for the build. After all, you already have the ability to use the Divine Smite 2/Short Rest, so you might as well make the most of it whilst you can't, shouldn't you? I would also for the full Paladin 6 levels at least. Putting your ASI's off any further can significantly hurt your character in the long run, so you should prioritize it as soon as possible. Paladin 6 of course, gives you that ASIN, but then it also gives you Extra Attack, which is not to be taken lightly, and perhaps more importantly, Aura of Protection, which really makes your Charisma Focus shine. +3/4 to all saves at level 8? Yes, please.

After that, as you've already said you want to be a strong spellcaster, go full sorcerer after this. You still got 12 levels to play with there, meaning you'll get 6th Level spells still (Plus one 7th level and 8th level spell slot to turn into Sorcery Points), a strong amount of Sorcerery Points, 3 Metamagic Options, your level 6 Divine Origin ability, and 3 more ASI's, meaning your only losing a single ASI overall... which you always do when your multiclassing more than a single level.

Most of the MC builds that include sorcerer that I've seen specify starting sorcerer for the Con saves. You say that I should go Hexblade first; but that only gets me medium armor, which I will get from paladin anyway. And I will still need 13 Str to get into paladin, even with Hex Warrior.

I am going for a balanced build, good with melee/smites and ranged/EB as well.

[Storyteller_Arc]

Most of the MC builds that include sorcerer that I've seen specify starting sorcerer for the Con saves. You say that I should go Hexblade first; but that only gets me medium armour, which I will get from paladin anyway. And I will still need 13 Str to get into paladin, even with Hex Warrior.

I am going for a balanced build, good with melee/smites and ranged/EB as well.

Its a trade of, sure. Are you willing to sacrifice Heavy Armour, which can give you very strong defences for no Dexterity at all, or if your going to be focusing entirely on Charisma, willing to play around with Medium Armour, due to the fact you can likely have the 14 Dexterity which will give you the best armour with them?

Note, however, that I am talking from a standpoint of actually playing the character for a full 1-20 levels, and not doing anything like dgnslyr's crazy point buy shenanigans (as quite frankly, that level of mixing just makes me shake my head in disbelieve). If you are starting at a higher level, going Sorcerer first for the Con saves, or the Paladin first for the heavy armour, and then going for the Hexblade second, does make more sense than not.

I need help, especially regarding Hexblades. Not to mention I haven't been able to try out all the new Xanathar sub-classes for Paladin and Sorcerer (it's not like I only play Sorcadins, so progress is darn slow). I would love it if people could share their experiences in the comment section below. I would love it even more if they could rate stuff based on their experience.

Thanks!

Pretty sure that a lot of people here will be willing to give you a helping hand in that regard Gasto!

I can't say all that much, but I've been playing around as a Paladin of the Crown for a bit, just got to level 4, through we spent a long time at level 3, and I'm the only real healer of the party in a very combat focused campaign. (The Druid wildshapes a lot... doesn't seem to like healing too much). So, Turn the Tide has been clutch, a lot more than Champion Challenge so far, but I do think as we get higher and higher into the levels, the area control that Champion Challenge lets me put down will be very useful.

[paladinn]

I'm a paladin at heart. The sorcerer levels are more to fuel smites (and maybe get some extra healing ability); but I want to make the most of it. And the warlock levels are more for SAD and EB. Paladin's don't have much ranged ability. Of course, quickened EB would be awesome too. But I want to make the most of that too.

Is medium armor enough given that I could have Shield, Shield of Faith and/or Armor of Agathys?

[KyleG]

I might start with one level of Sorcerer, actually, then take at least 6 levels of Paladin straight. You would get medium armor proficiency from multiclassing to Paladin, which is OK, since you have a +2 from Dexterity and thus you are in line with most heavy armors, though without DEX 16 and Medium Armor Master you wouldn't reach as high AC as with Plate.

So he would start as a Sorcerer then 6 more levels would be Paladin. = 7 levels. What would the other three be? More sorcerer levels?
And going forward to 20 would the build be better as being more dominated by paladin or sorcerer levels?
In my head I see him as around 3(4) Paladin / 7(6) Sorcerer by 10 maxing out as Paladin 6 I reckon. Do I max him out all those 6 pre character creation at Level 10?

[Waterdeep Merch]

Hexblade.

We had a pretty long discourse right here in this thread on it. After playing around with it in meatspace, it's almost identical to the stereotypical warlock dip (2 or 3 levels) except there's also a good reason to only take one, and you're probably best off making it your very first level.

Taking a single level dip lets you pump Charisma by itself, a very nice short rest-recharged curse for taking out bosses and big threats, gets you a few good cantrips, and a short rest-refreshing 1st level spell slot. This is a fine place to jump off, especially if you'd rather prioritize sorcerer levels in the long run. Go straight to paladin for 2 levels, then the last 17 in sorcerer. This is extremely similar to how a 2/18 sorcadin plays, except you're a bit behind at the start in exchange for being very streamlined and having a few extra tricks. You suffer a bit starting at level 5 until you hit level 8, then it's pretty gravy from then on. This build is especially powerful with SCAG cantrips as your go-to damage option.

Taking two levels of warlock is better for when you're going to go 6 or 7 levels in paladin. The invocations can net you a very strong ranged cantrip or some nice AoE abilities, among other things. You also get two short rest-rechargeable 1st level slots instead of just the one, a pretty great perk all on its own considering how resource hungry a classic sorcadin gets. This covers traditional paladin weaknesses even better than sorcerer levels do and can make a very well-balanced Hexsorcadin in the end. I'd prefer this for Ancients paladins especially, since the different between 11 or 12 levels in sorcerer isn't all that great (you can still max Charisma and nab a feat even if you're not a variant human, so the ASI's not quite as nice as level 6 spells in my mind). This comes at a cost of power at level 5-6, and some weakness at 9 or 10 from a lack of features and lackluster spellcasting in general. Catches back up once you get metamagic, and never stops being viable from then on.

Taking three levels in warlock means you want the pact boon and 2nd level recharging slots, and there's some powerful choices here. Blade is usually poo-pooed, but in a low-to-no magic item game, taking this with Improved Pact Weapon will make you a powerhouse. Hex smiting is usually not necessary, but it has a niche- you can deliver it from your Pact Weapon, and with Improved Pact Weapon, that can mean a longbow. This has especially nasty synergy with Sharpshooter, but this build is easily the most ASI-starved, so I wouldn't. Pact of the Chain is for those that understand the power that is the imp; we're talking some of the best reconnaissance in the game at level 3, and an absolutely genius thing to hand something like a magic wand or other tricky magic item or device. Finally, and by no means the least potent option, the Book grants access to an unparalleled versatility in cantrips alongside the extremely potent Book of Ancient Secrets invocation; while you'd be capped at level 2 rituals, that's most of them anyway. It would be my pick under most circumstances. Regardless, after your three warlock levels (and you really do want them up front) you should immediately take two levels in paladin to get to your smites by level 5, otherwise you're going to suffer for a while. Then you should go into sorcerer for at least 5 so that you have reasonable casting skills by level 10. After that, you've got options- finish out as a sorcerer and get as high as level 8 spells, or go paladin until 6 for Extra Attack and Aura of Protection and stop at level 11 sorcerer for 6th level spells. You're deciding between being a tanky frontliner or a tanky caster, really. Either way, thanks to the Pact Boon and better recharging spell slots, this is eventually the most consistent of the warlock dips, in my view- you have an absolutely insane amount of versatility, you don't have anywhere near the same problems with long rest dependency, and you can still pump out epic levels of hate when the situation calls for it.

[Storyteller_Arc]

Pact of the Blade does have a bonus in letting you use Heavy Weapons with the Hexblade's Charisma to Attack & Damage tho... so you could potentially go something like Polearm Master as the feat you talked about (or start with it if your a Variant Human)