Physical warlock build

[20 faces on a die]

Does anyone know a good warlock build that uses pact of the blade? I JUST think that a physical warlock might be very good, just don’t have an explanation why, nor idea how to build one

[Mike Garrison]

Just focus on CHA and DEX. Being githyanki adds an ability to use swords (before you can get a pact weapon) and medium armor, although you don't get a shield. Don't bother worrying about STR because as soon as you get your pact weapon you will be using CHA instead. DEX is for the AC.

You'll probably eventually want to go unarmored and wear the Potent Robe, but it's nice to have that medium armor up until you can get the robe. Just remember to get the free mage armor invocation before you switch to wearing the robe.

[20 faces on a die]

Originally posted by Mike Garrison:

Just focus on CHA and DEX. Being githyanki adds an ability to use swords (before you can get a pact weapon) and medium armor, although you don't get a shield. Don't bother worrying about STR because as soon as you get your pact weapon you will be using CHA instead. DEX is for the AC.

You'll probably eventually want to go unarmored and wear the Potent Robe, but it's nice to have that medium armor up until you can get the robe. Just remember to get the free mage armor invocation before you switch to wearing the robe.

Atp i guess ill use potent robe until i find armor of agility. So its a pure warlock then? I thought it needs multiclassing

[Mike Garrison]

Originally posted by etozherstk:

Originally posted by Mike Garrison:

Just focus on CHA and DEX. Being githyanki adds an ability to use swords (before you can get a pact weapon) and medium armor, although you don't get a shield. Don't bother worrying about STR because as soon as you get your pact weapon you will be using CHA instead. DEX is for the AC.

You'll probably eventually want to go unarmored and wear the Potent Robe, but it's nice to have that medium armor up until you can get the robe. Just remember to get the free mage armor invocation before you switch to wearing the robe.

Atp i guess ill use potent robe until i find armor of agility. So its a pure warlock then? I thought it needs multiclassing

Needs is a funny word.

I've won Honor Mode with a 12-level gith PotB warlock built just like I described there. Potent Robe is (IMO) a better idea than Armor of Agility, but YMMV. You will still be using EB fairly frequently (probably ~50% of the time). If you really want to go 100% melee, just build a fighter.

Do what you like, though.

[FunkyMonkey]

Originally posted by etozherstk:

Originally posted by Mike Garrison:

Just focus on CHA and DEX. Being githyanki adds an ability to use swords (before you can get a pact weapon) and medium armor, although you don't get a shield. Don't bother worrying about STR because as soon as you get your pact weapon you will be using CHA instead. DEX is for the AC.

You'll probably eventually want to go unarmored and wear the Potent Robe, but it's nice to have that medium armor up until you can get the robe. Just remember to get the free mage armor invocation before you switch to wearing the robe.

Atp i guess ill use potent robe until i find armor of agility. So its a pure warlock then? I thought it needs multiclassing

At the moment, a Fighter dip to get medium armor is a good option. You don't need it, you can take the feat, but Fighter would give you a fighting style, too, and if you go 2 levels, Action surge.

After the patch, Hexblade is excellent for melee warlock since it starts with medium armor and weapon proficiencies.

[20 faces on a die]

Originally posted by Mike Garrison:

Needs is a funny word.

I've won Honor Mode with a 12-level gith PotB warlock built just like I described there. Potent Robe is (IMO) a better idea than Armor of Agility, but YMMV. You will still be using EB fairly frequently (probably ~50% of the time). If you really want to go 100% melee, just build a fighter.

Do what you like, though.

Thought about some kind of universal character between fighting and casting. That’s why I chose warlock, it doesnt have so much spell slots and has pact of the blade

[20 faces on a die]

Originally posted by FunkyMonkey:

At the moment, a Fighter dip to get medium armor is a good option. You don't need it, you can take the feat, but Fighter would give you a fighting style, too, and if you go 2 levels, Action surge.

After the patch, Hexblade is excellent for melee warlock since it starts with medium armor and weapon proficiencies.

Yes the hexblade subclass. Been reading about it. I hope it comes out soon so I can try a PURE warlock physical dmg build.

[Mike Garrison]

Originally posted by etozherstk:

Originally posted by Mike Garrison:

Needs is a funny word.

I've won Honor Mode with a 12-level gith PotB warlock built just like I described there. Potent Robe is (IMO) a better idea than Armor of Agility, but YMMV. You will still be using EB fairly frequently (probably ~50% of the time). If you really want to go 100% melee, just build a fighter.

Do what you like, though.

Thought about some kind of universal character between fighting and casting. That’s why I chose warlock, it doesnt have so much spell slots and has pact of the blade

Yes, but the way it tends to work for me is that I hit them with EB if they aren't next to me, and swing my sword at them if they are.

By the end of that game my gith warlock was using the Silver Sword as her pact weapon and had 22 CHA, so she could do a lot of damage in melee. But of course she still had three beams of agonizing blast as an option.

It's a fun way to play, but if you are more into min-maxing the biggest possible damage numbers, that doesn't mix well with the idea of being flexible to do melee or magic. You'll get bigger numbers if you specialize.

[FunkyMonkey]

Originally posted by etozherstk:

Originally posted by FunkyMonkey:

At the moment, a Fighter dip to get medium armor is a good option. You don't need it, you can take the feat, but Fighter would give you a fighting style, too, and if you go 2 levels, Action surge.

After the patch, Hexblade is excellent for melee warlock since it starts with medium armor and weapon proficiencies.

Yes the hexblade subclass. Been reading about it. I hope it comes out soon so I can try a PURE warlock physical dmg build.

Hexblade is a great hybrid. Because all your actions scale by your CHA, you can do ranged damage when needed, melee damage when needed or be an effective spellcaster, whether you need control or damage. It's all about what you need in the moment, a well built Hexblade probably has the answer.

[Mander]

Originally posted by etozherstk:

Does anyone know a good warlock build that uses pact of the blade? I JUST think that a physical warlock might be very good, just don’t have an explanation why, nor idea how to build one

I tend to build Wyll like that:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3441926238

16 in DEX
20 in CHA
Great weapon master

It works functionally like a "shock and awe" vanguard.
A good alternative can be a Fey warlock with pact of the blade, because of the many synergies between crowd control options via spells and melee.
The equipment of course is a little different, but the most sought-after piece is probably:
https://bg3.wiki/wiki/Band_of_the_Mystic_Scoundrel

Another good alternative if you want to push the melee damage even higher is probably an half-orc (for brutal criticals) with a Great Old One patron (for mortal reminder), plus Pact of the Blade.
I would avoid Great Weapon Master here, for a higher chance to crit across the board.

[seeker1]

Hexblade is pretty much oriented toward being a melee warlock, sort of a counter-paladin in a way, with eldritch smite and other smites.

I've been using it for a while, didn't wait for Larian's version to come out.

[Pomki]

I love dual dual wielding warlock with daggers and near lvl 10 I took a 4th lvl in bard which gave me a feat so I took heavy armor and I wear the illithid armor from the emperor and I have the lvl increase mod so Im lvl 12 and took dual wielding feat

With eldritch blast having the 2 feats ; to push and etc
Eldritch blast 3 times

Then I make sure to save laezel on the githyanki chair so I have illithid as bonus actions
So I can use hex concentration to do a concentrated blast as bonus action after 3 eldritch blast
Sometimes I do off-hand with dagger (huge crits if you use undermountain king which lower need for crit roll)

Then I max charisma, get the hag hair for +1 stat, get the hat in the city for +2 charisma and you get 22 charisma

Then I focus on wisdom
8 str upgraded to 10 sometime along the way
~10 dex or something (I dont care because I wear the gloves of dexterity which puts it at 18 ) SO I can focus on wisdom and constitution

In the beginning of the game I use the skeletal armor which gives +2 bull strength because I got 8 str, it's a cloth
Saves me from a -1 str saving roll to a 0 and I dont have to focus str or dex

Gloves of dexterity a must

Using ""Dark One"" for life increase with kills
I love this class, my first one and I dont think I'll ever play anything else as a main character class than warlock

Warlock lvl 7
bard lvl 4
sorcerer lvl 1 (just for the look of red blood scales)(you have to play as a female drow)
at lvl 11 I take sorcerer lvl 2 for the sorcery points passive

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3429047603

[Pomki]

using hexblade /undermountain king daggers, Near lvl 12 I get dual weilding to wear the 1 handed mace that gives +18 strength (pretty sure it adds up with the Slayer Form from Baal )

I near 26 or 28 strength in slayer form
So I got 18 str , 18 dex , 13 const , 13 int , 14 wis and 22 char,
May not be the best but that was my build, Id reduce int for maybe 1 wis but I think you lose saving rolls and stuff, better to keep it near 13 , 15 doesnt give much more from 14

I get the ring which prevents you from being blinded so I can always eldritch blast
+ the Sweetkiller ring
wanderlust boot or something to escape from being movement trap
the cloak of baal which turns you invis after a kill

and a hand crossbow
borrowed knowledge athletics might have saved me from being pushed

Bard you take only the healing spells with college of swords (never even really used its spells , its like you can hit 2 times melee or ranged )
I just use it for the other benefits or something. Im hoping patch 8 could have better college for bard warlock(didnt even look it up)

I might do another honor run next winter

Mirror Image is a must, hunger of hadar with someone else having Tentacles or slow
and someone casting darkness everywhere (shadowheart)
Bladeward

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3441030014

[Mike Garrison]

Originally posted by Pomki:

I love dual dual wielding warlock

There is a slight bit of an issue with dual wielding warlocks, and that is that Pact of the Blade is "Pact of the Blade" and not "Pact of the Blades".

Obviously if you aren't relying on Pact of the Blade, that's not a problem. But if you are, only one of your weapons can be a pact weapon.

[Pomki]

Originally posted by Mike Garrison:

Originally posted by Pomki:

I love dual dual wielding warlock

There is a slight bit of an issue with dual wielding warlocks, and that is that Pact of the Blade is "Pact of the Blade" and not "Pact of the Blades".

Obviously if you aren't relying on Pact of the Blade, that's not a problem. But if you are, only one of your weapons can be a pact weapon.

True but you still benefits from the 2nd weapon , hexblade being the first, then mountainking for reduced critical rolls by 1 which can stack , then using mountainking for offhand when confronted physical. I never go in full fight anyway . You need darkness and ring of blind immunity and kill everything inside
honestly never used main-hand for melee attacks

I might try integrating rogue instead of sorcerer next run for the sneak attacks but I just love that draconic look so I didnt take rogue. I would switch to rogue because lvl 1 sorc isnt useful other than at lvl 2

ive been watching some videos of warlock builds and ya , I dont build that way, Im more like cloth and dual wield attacking off-hand and using illithid bonus actions
than straight heavy armor and 2 handed with the greatweapon master thingy
Maybe my way is worst but I found it so powerful compared to others Ive done

I'm still more caster than melee