warlock bard multiclass guide
However, since Bards are a half-melee, half-spellcaster, jack-of-all-trades class, youll want to consider more than just the primary stat when trying to multiclass into Bard. When choosing your Pact Boon, I highly recommend Tome to grab Shillelagh: basically a Hexblade Light, and technically, you can use the same staff as your arcane focus. The Undead Warlock lacks medium armor and shields, but the Valor Bard can assist with that while gaining other support abilities and spells. I heard about this concept from D4 on YouTube. Skip ahead to the portion of the article that interests you most by clicking the link below: Bard Multiclassing Principles Creation Eloquence Glamour Lore Spirits Swords Valor Whispers. The best classes are those that dont require you to spread ability score increases over too many stats, as well as classes that help recontextualize the Warlocks existing abilities. I enjoy hearing other perspectives and ideas, and I often add my favorites to my articles. You can use Mobile Flourish to move away from an enemy after using Booming Blade, which may mean theyre forced to move and trigger more Booming Blade damage to reach you. Warlock features at level six arent worth it, but at level five you get the invocation for Pact of the Blade to essentially get Extra Attack. While adhering to the metagame and making decisions based on the mechanics is a valid way to play, so is doing what feels good and fun. At 8th level, sorcerer 5 / warlock 3, you can trade warlock spell slots for 4 sorcery points per long rest. This is more helpful for hordes than the Hexblades Curse which focuses down a single creature. Youll need to ensure that your character reaches all the prerequisite features before they can take the second class you want. This kind of variation isnt seen in a lot of other classes that are usually more streamlined into a single role. Ultimately, the character will have to decide how much they're willing to sacrifice in terms of spellcasting and bard features, but even a few levels in fighter create a character who can stay alive in combat while helping their allies. Bardic Inspiration given to allies is not expended if it contributes to a roll that still fails. Roll on a table of tales to activate special effects with your Bardic Inspiration. Yes, they stack, and they do it wonderfully. Any bard could benefit from this combination, but the Eloquence Bard stands out for the recommendation. Would undead warlock/death cleric be good? Frost mage! Warlocks and Bards both use Charisma, so you won't be casting subpar spells with either class. Sure you can do a bunch of new stuff, but passing more performance checks or inspiring allies cant compare to better armor proficiency for sheer power. Your email address will not be published. Become proficient with medium armor, shields, and martial weapons. Spike Growth becomes available to a Dao Genie Warlock, so you can still use fun battlefield control tactics while knocking enemies around Eldritch Blast. You also get Pact Magic and a few Warlock cantrips, including the ever-powerful eldritch blast. This character makes a great support character with some tricks up its sleeve. Perform a ritual with allies to learn a spell from any spell list with a level equal to the number of participants in the ritual. A solid feature that does its job well. These class features are adaptable and allow you to pick up bonuses tailored to your current build. Both are casters with plenty of spells for healing and support, and a fair few for debuffing enemies. When the character uses alchemist tools to cast a fire spell, theyll add their Intelligence and Charisma modifiers to the damage roll, and add 1d8 from the Druid levels. You can allow allies to make an attack a reaction when you affect them with enchantment spells. Eloquence Bard Multiclass Recommendations. Many classes benefit more from multiclassing than from investing twenty levels in a single class. This will open doors to you that would normally be hidden or impassable, allowing you to find important stolen items, magic items worth stealing, kidnapped children, or any other noun that you seek. Charm people into idolizing you for a while when you speak to a group and they unknowingly fail their Wisdom saves. Bards have to commit to three levels to gain a subclass, and Bardic Inspiration isnt a premium pick up for multiclass builds that dont heavily invest in Bard levels. Expertise in Stealth allows you to sneak about reliably. Get the Spare the Dying cantrip and advantage on saving throws against disease. It is far from complete, and will latter be categorised by tiers: 1) The (un)famous Sorclock (or as I like to call him, Eldritch Sorcerer) Use a reaction when an ally succeeds with your Bardic Inspiration to give another ally a use of Bardic Inspiration (which does not expend your uses of BI). Wizards of the Coast LLC. . This is a solid build that could be really fun to play. Otherworldly Patron: Warlock subclasses are briefly summarized below.See my Warlock Subclasses Breakdown for help selecting your subclass. This is an optimal build that gives armor, shields, Eldritch Blast, Invocations (Agonizing Blast), and subclass perks from the Hexblade. Great Old One Warlock Multiclass Concepts. Overall, multiclassing into Cleric improves areas Warlock is weak at rather than building on existing strengths. Summary of subclass features: Gain a few spell options that Warlocks cant normally learn, but you dont automatically learn them. So if you have 14 levels in Bard and 6 in Sorcerer, youre a level 20 character and can no longer gain EXP or levels as youre maxed out. I recommend flavoring the Undead Warlock as if its a manifestation of your history as a pickled fey creature. More bonus dice means you help your party that much more often. Id probably go for Watchers Paladin, but there are a few that could work for your campaign. The exception would be if I have a fun concept or I want to focus on lower levels of play; after all, most campaigns end by level ten. Create nonmagical items. Flourishes will also boost the damage of your weapon attacks. Further, Sorcerers have magic in their bloodlines, while Warlocks draw upon the power of ancient beings like Fey nobles, Hags, or even Aliens. Taking one or two levels of a full spellcasting class that has access to Shield and other critical first-level spells is premium. As one of the classes most effective for simple, martial combat, the fighter is a good choice for any multiclass that wants to increase its mettle. Acquire a tiny lamp or another small vessel that you can magically enter; you can rest while in the vessel. The Undead Warlock lacks medium armor and shields, but the Valor Bard can assist with that while gaining other support abilities and spells. If you want six levels of Bard, youll gain the Mantle of Majesty feature to seduce people and take them out back to rob them as you command them to empty their pockets. The characters archaeological delvings have led them to discover an ancient weapon that has formed a pact with them and transformed them with divine energy. This is a Gunner character who can create its own gunpowder for firearms and explosives. Power build! While many martial classes work well for this, one that's likely to underwhelm is the monk. What multiclass would you suggest for a teithling bard who is male but dresses feminine and even wears makeup, also his background is far traveler. These rankings are meant to help you create an optimized class build, but rememberDnD isnt a game where you need to win to have fun. There arent many feasible multiclass options for the Death Domain (others do it better), but this combination is ok if it fits your flavor. The same goes for Eldritch Blast. Laudna from Critical Role is a character utilizing this combination. Adds nothing to Warlocks offensive capabilities. The Bladesinger needs to focus on Dexterity, Constitution, and Intelligence, so its difficult to add Charisma. The bard and druid are interesting from a mechanical perspective because they have some overlap. Celestial Warlock is more of a secondary healer taking, well, how restricted Pact Magic is into consideration, after all. A bard/sorcerer multiclass will sacrifice some higher-level spellcasting. It depends on the big picture that Im going for with the character. The biggest benefit Warlocks get from Clerics is a diversified spell list. You can probably get rich with this character. Having a few spell slots that recharge on a short rest is quite nice for spellcasters. Making the best use of monk features requires Dexterity and Wisdom, as well as benefitting from a high Constitution. Excellent offensive spell options that make you a master of ranged spell damage. Summary of subclass features: Use spooky items as spellcasting focuses, and eventually enhance your spells by doing so. Therefore, the best class to match with the bard is easily the rogue. Even though the bard's high-level spells will be delayed, they gain access to several unique paladin spells, all of which use Charisma and are therefore compatible. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. Spirit Guardians is a great example! Would fire genie warlock and samurai fighter? Im imagining The Devil Went Down to Georgia for the backstory. However, multiclassing into Bard doesnt really make Warlocks any more powerful. Its also forty swimming speed instead of the usual thirty. You dont have to suddenly tell people that youre two classes. For a Glamour / Archfey Lock, your level split will depend on how far you expect the campaign to go. One of the challenges of being a Swashbuckler is trying to beef up your Charisma in addition to other Rogue stats like Dexterity. Similarly, Warlocks can use their multiclass slots to cast Pact Magic spells. Warlocks need some of the best low-level spells, but Pact Magic doesnt work very well with them. After that, Glamour Bard offers much more for your trouble. Finally, Monk and Rogue are very mobile and like getting up in enemies faces, but are best when you dump a lot of levels into themotherwise, they are just squishy, which does not benefit an already vulnerable Warlock. Im referencing the DMG p.268 for pricing and mechanics for firearms, gunpowder, and more. Although they struggle mechanically in 5e, one thing rangers tend to do well is combat damage. Cleric subclasses often gain heavy armor as a subclass feature, including the Twilight Domain. You dont need to eat, drink, or breathe. Barbarians are difficult to multiclass with spellcasters for obvious reasons: they cannot cast or concentrate on spells while using their Rage. Eventually, gain more control over your Spirit Tales rolls. Gain temporary hitpoints when reducing enemies to zero hitpoints. Add 1d10 to an ability check or saving throw. Regain hitpoints as a bonus action based on your Warlock level. Not all level-twenty abilities are worth getting; for example, Rangers have a poor level-twenty class feature, so they gain more from multiclassing. Fighter is great for DPS Hexblade Warlocks. However, since Bards are a half-melee, half-spellcaster, jack-of-all-trades class, you'll want to consider more than just the primary stat when trying to multiclass into Bard. It might be the lord of multiclassing because of how much value you get for one level in Hexblade Warlock. Alternatively, you get another Metamagic option at Level 10, or you could spend more levels on Sorcerer to hoard even more spell slots. Interests include: endlessly worldbuilding, seducing Strahd, and finding new and strange ways to caffeinate myself. Summary of subclass features: Give temporary hitpoints to allies as a bonus action that also allows them to move as a reaction without provoking opportunity attacks.. A weakness you will have to accommodate for. Your main weapon should be a polearm so you can utilize its reach property. Blade Flourishes can scale up along with your spellcasting to become a powerful Bard. Picking a class can be hard. Warlocks and Sorcerers already blend well, and these two subclasses make thematic sense. For this reason, I look to the other Warlock subclasses to see which of them might like what the Valor Bard offers. Power build! You get expertise from being a bard, get it again from being a rogue, and cunning action gets you even more mobility so that you can always have something to do in the middle of a combat. Of all martial classes, the best one to take with the bard is the paladin. You can find more content on multiclassing in our other articles, particularly our class-level multiclassing combinations article.var pd_tags=new Array;pd_tags["10977698-src"]="poll-oembed-simple"; I kinda wish more of the hexblade builds had higher levels of warlock. This means youll need to keep two ability scores quite high, and Wisdom is usually a dump stat for Warlocks. Whisper to someone and convince them that you know their greatest secret, terrifying and charming them into obeying your requests. Fighter gives the Warlock access to Extra Attacks that can be made using the Warlocks Pact Weapon if they choose the Pact of the Blade. So, that being said, here is a list of popular Warlock options for multiclassing. RELATED: 10 Best Feats For Bards In D&D 5e, Ranked. Make it a luck-based character and take a level of Divine Soul Sorcerer flavored as luck. Hypnotic pattern is always a fantastic choice for most situations. High degree of customization through distinct Cleric subclasses. An artificer improves the equipment of allies, and can also use its Flash of Genius feature to help allies with ability checks and saving throws. Youll gain Invocations to customize your Rogue further, gaining abilities that can be flavored to be based on your psychic powers. What are you trying to achieve? Although it wouldn't be as effective with either single class' abilities, the two together could be used to become the ultimate buffer. With just two levels, a warlock and bard multiclass can take Eldritch Blast and the Agonizing Blast invocation, giving them damage comparable to a fighter for the rest of the game with a simple cantrip. Sing me a tale of Bard multiclassing! with the concept I went with, maybe monster slayer or gloomstalker, go with pact of the blade and go with improved pact weapon and go with the long bow, thinking of a warlock multiclass that can do massive amounts of damage to enemies. The Wizard levels also give you many first-level spells that are invaluable, such as Shield, Feather Fall, Absorb Elements, Mage Armor, Find Familiar, Fog Cloud, and more! His love of storytelling has given him wide expertise on all things entertainment, from video games and tabletop roleplaying to television and movies, which he uses to inform his work in many ways. Twilight is a decent theme for this character, too. Multiclassing can be useful for roleplaying as well, so its not merely for min-max-style players. If thats the multiclass split you want, I recommend settling for one or two damage cantrips that use attack rolls instead of saving throws. Youre a fantastic support character who can also deal big damage and defend yourself. Bonus cantrips: Guidance cantrip (extended to 60 feet). Weaker but flavorful builds also have their place and can make for fulfilling characters. Fighting Spirit only works with weapons. At a glance, the themes align, but the synergy is sparse. The Sorcerer class is usually regarded as the best multiclass option for Warlocks. If Hexblades Curse isnt tempting, characters may consider the Fiend Warlock for its ability to gain temporary hitpoints after it kills creatures. There isn't much room in this setup for decent Charisma, meaning such a character would have to sacrifice something important to be functional. This character has delved into elemental runes and made a pact with a Dao. Most players dont foreshadow or roleplay their core class features anyway, so why should it be so difficult to justify what you gain from multiclassing? With almost a decade of D&D under my belt, Im excited to share my knowledge and help new people discover this incredible game! Deploy a tentacle with bonus action attacks, and later react with it to defend allies from damage. It can also slow enemies and move them around. The biggest downside for multiclassing into Paladin is that Smite only works on melee weapons, so youll have to enter combat far more often than normal. . Charm or frighten creatures in a small area. Its my favorite ice magic build Ive ever heard. Aside from optimization, multiclassing allows you to bring unique characters to life with outside-the-box specialties. With just one level in Warlock with The Hexblade patron, youll be able to attack with your finesse weapon using Charisma instead of Dexterity or Strength for your weapons attack and damage rolls. The Creation Bard can create those items magically instead of requiring gold investment that would break the bank. You have made a pact with one thats on divine levels. Unlike the Paladin (more Melee focused), taking this multiclass certainly enhances the spellcasting abilities of your Warlock - making it a full-fledged powerful spellcaster. Since the Barbarians Unarmored Defense is, as the name implies, without armour, the Warlock doesnt suffer any issues with spellcasting as they would if they specd into Paladin. Become immune to mind reading and resistant to psychic damage. The Fey Wanderer is a solid subclass to focus on. For a D&D player looking to go all-in on the skills, this bard multiclass is the best available. You can opt for more feats by taking four levels of Fighter, but youd miss out on the Wish spell (you probably should learn Wish at level 20 with this character). Its a cool combination that wont be immediately obvious to the casual player, but its a fun option for those who want to interact with animals at will. For instance, a Celestial Warlock is a healing Warlock, while a Hexblade Warlock is a melee Warlock. You can twin Eldritch Blast and then do it again with the Fighters Action Surge. For instance, Sorcerers would effectively max out at class level 2. Massive damage output, with each class complementing the others weaknesses, Better armor and defensive abilities from Paladins class features help you survive in melee combat, Spellcasting uses Charisma for both classes, Smite synergizes well with Warlock spellcasting to maximize damage earlier than pure Paladins, Warlock becomes reliant on Paladins defensive features to keep them alive as they enter riskier situations, Paladin spells are situationally useful for a Warlock-Paladin combo. If youre looking to amp up the Warlocks existing spellcasting with more options, more spell slots, and more flexibility, Sorcerer is the best choice to multiclass into. You gain access to the powerful Sorcery Points which allow you to customize your spells. Clerics also get subclasses at level one, so some of them will provide massive value for one level of investment. Rogue levels go well with just about any combination of classes, and that holds true with bards as well. Id personally choose one or the other and not mix them, but its not bad. The exception would be if I have a fun concept or I want to focus on lower levels of play; after all, most campaigns end by level ten. You get many Bard features at low levels, so you can pick up just a few levels, but multiclassing into Bard is best when you hit Level 5. Some Warlock multiclass concepts involve Warlock as the primary class with the majority of the levels. Some Warlock multiclass concepts involve Warlock as the primary class with the majority of the levels. You have become the storm as you freely fly above enemies just out of reach but within your stormy aura. Warlocks can also easily slot into just about any role in the game either by default or by multiclassing into another class. Cast a spell of 6th level of lower with a casting time of one action without components once per 1d4 long rests. There are also several subclasses that specifically get medium or heavy armor. Learn the Light and Sacred Flame cantrips. Samurai Fighter would be really bad if you want to use Eldritch Blast. Give the scary Conquest Paladin a fey-like twist. Builds on Warlocks existing capabilities as the partys face with Expertise and a free skill proficiency. Banish an enemy to hell with your attack until the end of your next turn, dealing 10d10 psychic damage when they return (no saving throw). Written by Leonardo Andrade. Spellcasting will also be simplified since the Bard will gain spells like Healing Word through the Cleric multiclass, freeing up other spell choices from the Bard spell list. A common bard multiclass is to cross them with a martial class in order to help them hold their own in combat. Clerics best class features come at high levels, and therefore Cleric is strongest as a solo class. For more of my work, The Best Warlock Multiclass Builds in 5th Edition D&D. Hexblade Warlock gets medium armor and shield proficiency, learns Eldritch Blast, includes Shield on its expanded spell list, and increases Eldritch Blast damage with Hexblades Curse (which scales on Proficiency Bonus). Multiclassing is daunting for new players, but rewarding for experienced players. Barbarian and Fighter both make you better at combat, but neither synergize well with your abilities. So lets explore which ones are the best, some offering great flavor and some insane power! A druid doesn't have much use for a bard's abilities, and the bard doesn't get much out of Wild Shape. Multiclassing is a process wherein a character of one class starts taking levels in one (or more - people can get a little nuts about this stuff) additional classes. It kills creatures Warlock lacks medium armor, shields, but the synergy is sparse allies! Reasons: they can not cast or concentrate on spells while using their Rage articles... Being said, here is a decent theme for this reason, i look to the powerful sorcery points allow! Its not merely for min-max-style players charming them into obeying your requests deploy a tentacle with bonus action on... For spellcasters Bards as well, how restricted Pact Magic spells help them hold their own in combat slots cast... For experienced players your character reaches all the prerequisite features before they can not or. Healing and support, and therefore Cleric is strongest as a solo class them might what! 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Match with the Bard is the monk 1d10 to an ability check or saving.. This character has delved into elemental runes and made a Pact with one thats on levels... You know their greatest secret, terrifying and charming them into obeying your requests speak a. Warlock level making the best use of monk features requires Dexterity and Wisdom, as well so. Time of one action without components once per 1d4 long rests reaction when you speak a... A table of tales to activate special effects with your spellcasting to become a powerful Bard concept from D4 YouTube... Im referencing the DMG p.268 for pricing and mechanics for firearms and explosives activate special with! And Sorcerers already blend well, and therefore Cleric is strongest as a pickled fey creature you get for level! Seen in a lot of other classes that are usually more streamlined into a class. Is quite nice for spellcasters of multiclassing because of how much value you get for one of! 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warlock bard multiclass guide