Hexblade Forcelance build

by

Combat: DPR Tank

Out of Combat: Muscle/Intimidator

Race: VariantHuman

* Feat: PolearmMaster

* Skill+1: Persuasion Background (Custom): Arcane Soldier

* Skill+2: Athletics/Arcana

[1|F1]
* FightingStyle: Dueling

* Fighter: Second Wind

* Saves: CON/STR

* Skills+2: Perception/Intimidation

[2|W1] Hexblade
* Hexblade: Hexblade’sCurse

* [0]EldritchBlast/GreenflameBlade

* [1]Hex/WrathfulSmite

* [1]1

[3|W2]
* Invocations: ARBlast

* [1] Expeditious Retreat

* [1]2

[4|F2]
* Fighter: Action Surge
Tier 1 Breakdown:
Your equipment setup is an Arcane Focus staff + shield + heavy armor. Use the focus staff as a
quarterstaff, wield it in one hand to proc Dueling FS, use shield in the other hand for +2 AC, and save
up for Plate Mail. For flavor, I make my arcane focus staff a lacquered black wooden sword inlaid
with arcane runes.

Tier 1 is straightforward — you make two attacks per turn dealing about the same damage as two
handing an actual polearm. In tough fights drop Hex and you are basically making greatsword swings
with your beat stick. Note that you lose your bonus action when you cast/move Hex, so that’s when
you use GFB. If the fight starts from range, EB and make the enemy come to you, and whack them
with your PAM reaction attack when they do (unless fighting ranged enemies, in which case you bum
rush obviously). Booming Blade we will take later via EK since it doesn’t care about casting mod.

You only have the two pact slots, so be mindful and only use WrathfulSmite in a big fight. We are
waiting to take Shield with EK since you have neither the slots nor Warcaster to use it, freeing up an
extra spell pick. I took Expeditious Retreat for the enhanced mobility to close in or retreat from
targets, but in practice, this rarely comes up. Maybe take something generically useful instead, like
Charm Person or Comprehend Languages. Hexblade’s Curse is your crappy backup Hex at this stage
of the game.

[5|F3] Eldritch Knight

* [0]BoomingBlade/Light

* [1]FindFamiliar/Shield/AbsorbElements

* [1]2+2

[6|F4]
* Feat: WarCaster

* [1]MagicMissile

* [1]3+2

[7|F5]
* ExtraAttack(2x)

[8|F6]
* Feat: CrossbowExpert

[9|F7]
* EldritchKnight: WarMagic

* [2]Darkness

* [1]4+2[2]2

[10|F8]
* ASI: CHA+2(4)
* [2]MirrorImage
* [1]4+2[2]2

Tier 2 Breakdown:
This is the stage where your core build is finished. All the level 1 EK spells I picked are good, so you
get 4 very useful tools right off the bat. I took Light because humans lack Dark Vision.

Warcaster feat at EK4 gives you tons of value, allowing you to take the PAM opportunity attack with
BB (and later EB), and it also allows you to finally cast Shield/Absorb Elements in combat. Prior to
hitting Extra Attack, rotating Hex+PAM/BB/GFB (depending on bonus action availability) in melee
helps keep you competitive with pure classed builds. Once Extra Attack comes online at EK5, that’s
what you use.

At EK6 you get Crossbow Expert, and things heat up. Your ranged attacks into melee suffer no
penalties, so your PAM AoOs become dual beam EBs with pushback, and no one gets near you for
free. Your EB also does the same amount of damage as your staff, so on turns where bonus action is
unavailable feel free to blast people in the face with EB+Repel and reset your PAM+Warcaster
combo. Then at EK7 it’s EB+Warmagic all day every day, with EB auto-scaling at lvl 11/17 without the
need to invest Fighter levels for more attacks.

EK8 you get your first ASI bump, which is the biggest weakness of this build — lowered stats for most
of tier 1-2. However you make so many attacks with your action/bonus action/reaction that the
sheer volume makes up for the lost accuracy. In addition, Bless is your best friend, and you should be
the priority target since you make so many attacks.

[11|S1] DivineSoul
* DivineSoul: Favored by the Gods

* [0]LightningLure/Message/MageHand/Guidance

* [1]Bless/HealingWord/ShieldOfFaith

* [1]4+2[2]2

[12|S2]
* [1]Feather Fall >> swap out

* [1]4+2[2]3

[13|S3]
* Metamagic: Twinned/Quickened

* SorceryPoints: 3

* [2]MistyStep/Web

* [1]4+2[2]3[3]2
[14|S4]
* ASI:CHA+2(5)

* SorceryPoints: 4
* [2]PrayerOfHealing >> swap out

* [1]4+2[2]3[3]3

[15|S5]
* SorceryPoints: 5

* [3]SpiritGuardians/HypnoticPattern

* [1]4+2[2]3[3]3[4]1

[16|F9]
* Indomitable(1PLR)

* [1]4+2[2]3[3]3[4]2

Tier 3 Breakdown:
Here you get the meat of your arcane prowess. There are many ways to go about this
(Sorc/Bard/Warlock), but I prefer Divine Soul for the sheer number of options. At DS1 Favored By the
Gods is basically a short-rest Indomitable that doesn’t suck. At this point your full casters are likely
slinging sweeter spells, so Bless duties fall on you when DPR isn’t the priority. Shield of Faith is for
choke point type situations where it stacks with Haste to give you a base AC in the mid 20s and you
can hit about AC 30 with Shield spell. You can even twin SoF a friend cheaply and hold down a 10ft
wide corridor.

At DS3 I take Web, again taking over low level casting duties. At this point of the game Web is used
mainly to bring down fliers or draped across ceilings to annoy big boys. DS5 I take SG/HP, two of the
best spells at all levels. My party has the tendency to spam HP non-stop in tier 3. Pop SG when
fighting mooks and maybe even twin BB+Warmagic to lock them down while you are in meat grinder
mode. All of these spells you can of course Quicken out, but manage your precious Sorcery Points
carefully.

Finally I go back to Fighter 9, because the DS6 ability sucks, Indomitable never hurts, and I get an
extra multiclass spell slot progression. And this brings me one step closer to the EK10 Eldritch Strike.

[17|F10]
* EldritchKnight: EldritchStrike

* [0]Prestidigitation

* [1]ProtectionFromEvilAndGood

* [1]4+2[2]3[3]3[4]2
[18|S6]
* SorceryPoints: 6

* [1]4+2[2]3[3]3[4]3[5]1

[19|S7]
* SorceryPoints: 7
* [1]4+2[2]3[3]3[4]3[5]2

[20|S8]
* SorceryPoints: 8

* [1]4+2[2]3[3]3[4]3[5]2[6]1

[18|B1]

[19|B2]

[20|B3] College of Sword

[18|F11]
* Extra Attack (3x)

* [1]4+2[2]3[3]3[4]2

[19|P1]

[20|P2]
* FightingStyle: Defense

* Paladin: DivineSmite

* [1]Command/CureWounds

* [1]4+2[2]3[3]3[4]3[5]1

[18|W3]
* TomePact: BookOfShadow

* [0]ThornWhip/x/x

* [2]HoldPerson

* [1]4[2]3+2[3]3[4]2

[19|W4]

[20|W5]
* Invocation: GraspOfHadar

* [1]4[2]3[3]3+2[4]2
Tier 4 Breakdown:
So here again most of my campaigns end at 17. I take Eldritch Strike to give everyone in my SG range
disadvantage to Wisdom saves against my guardians (flavored as swirling blades).

I can offer a few possible routes. Straight Sorc to the end for lvl 4 spells, sorcery points, and slots.
Bard 3 for Sword and get some Inspiration Dice, Defensive Flourish, JOAT for increased initiative, and
also slot progression. It’s a pretty well-rounded option, and extra bumps to the party’s saving throws
never hurts. If you go the Bard route then back at DS5 consider picking up Counterspell. There’s also
the martial route of taking Extra Attack + Paladin for four attacks per turn with full smite slots and +1
AC. This is better for tables that run lower encounters (1-3), since you can twin BB quicken GFB while
smiting and burn all your resources extremely quickly. Finally, there’s the Warlock route, which nets
you a 6 Sorcery Point battery that can also be used to spam SG/HP, and Grasp of Hadar to push/pull
enemies into and out of your SG with EB to double dip on damage.