D&D 5e: Fighter level 1 + Warlock level X
Turned out that our Cleric player couldn't make it and so I rolled out an alternate character i.e. Fighter 1 + Warlock 2 which I later I made permanent (rather than just ad hoc for the 2nd session) for the following reasons:
There are 4 players. Ban will run the session as long as there are at least 3 players. So having only one tank means that there may be sessions that the party is without a tank, which had already happened twice in a row. Hence, as Ban mentioned to me privately earlier, we need at least 2 tanks.
Key features of this tanky character:
(1) One level dip into Fighter gives access to Heavy Armor (essential to be a tank) and Martial Weapon proficiencies, Second Wind every rest (short or long) which synergises with Warlock's feature of regaining expended spell slots every rest, higher starting hit point (by 2) and proficiency in Constitution saving throw which helps with maintaining concentration spells such as Hex and Darkness. This delays character's progression (as compared to single class character) by only one level and so the painful period is short.
(2) Eldritch Blast remains a potent range spell. It scales with character's level, not class, and so at Fighter 1 + Warlock 4, its potency is as good as that of Warlock 5.
(3) At level 3 Warlock (which is just the next level up), I'll pick Pact of the Blade. This is necessary to get the extra attack at level 5 Warlock (i.e. character level 6) via the invocation Thirsting Blade to remains competitive relative to other tanks who gets Extra Attack at level 5.
(4) Fiend pact is the best pact for the temporary hit points (Dark Ones' Blessing), extra dice per rest for ability checks or saving throws (Dark One's Own Luck) which helps with maintaining concentration spell (being a tank means going to get hit a lot) and so works well with Fighter's Constitution saving throw proficiency, and extra spells to choose from e.g. Command, Burning Hands, Fireball, Fire Shield.
(5) Warlock has d8 hit dice, which is just one step lower than Fighter an one step higher than other spellcaster. So the hit points lost is not too bad.
(6) Good combos available: (a) Heavy Armor Master feat and Armor of Agathys spell, (b) Polearm Master feat and Hex spell, and (c) Devil Sight invocation + Darkness spell.
Since I've switched from the race Tiefling to Variant Human, I rewrote the character's background without disrupting what had already transpired during the first session:
" Kaladym was raised in a family that doesn't judge someone by its colour. Therefore, it didn't surprise anyone at Halarahh that his parents adopted Raelag, an orphan Tiefling, who became Kaladym's best friend and only sibling.
Raelag went missing one day. Kaladym, being a persuasive Halruaan, managed to track down his whereabout to a wizard's lab. Although the wiser action would be to quickly inform his parents, he was alarmed at the wizard seemingly torture Raelag who was already in a dire strait. He rushed in an attempt to ambush and knock down the wizard but was negated by the wizard's protective barrier. The wizard then prepared to kill Kaladym so that this illegal experiment would remain a secret.
Suddenly, time seem to stop when an incubus, Byra, appeared. Searching for Asmodeus's "offsprings", he offered Asmodeus's patronage to Raelag and thus granting him power. In return, the souls of those he kills shall belong to the Lord of the Nine Hells. To sweeten the deal, Byra offered to kill the wizard, who he alleged to have killed Raelag's parents in a botched attempt to abduct them.
Raelag was too traumatic to act or speak at the time. Afraid that this opportunity to save them both would lapse quickly, Kaladym offered to accept the deal.
Although the ruling wizards frowned upon a Fiend pact, many citizens were aghast at the illegal experiment and were understanding of the choice that Kaladym made. Possibly as a PR exercise or to atone for such travesty or both, they offered assistance to brothers in terms of education and even careers.
Oloma, a magehound, was assigned to investigate the illegal experiment and the death of the perpetrator. Kaladym told her the truth and assured her that only the "deserving" ones shall have their souls sent to Asmodeus. Fearing what Asmodeus might do, she was assigned to oversee Kaladym to keep him in line. Overtime, they developed a rather comfortable relationship. "
There are 4 players. Ban will run the session as long as there are at least 3 players. So having only one tank means that there may be sessions that the party is without a tank, which had already happened twice in a row. Hence, as Ban mentioned to me privately earlier, we need at least 2 tanks.
Key features of this tanky character:
(1) One level dip into Fighter gives access to Heavy Armor (essential to be a tank) and Martial Weapon proficiencies, Second Wind every rest (short or long) which synergises with Warlock's feature of regaining expended spell slots every rest, higher starting hit point (by 2) and proficiency in Constitution saving throw which helps with maintaining concentration spells such as Hex and Darkness. This delays character's progression (as compared to single class character) by only one level and so the painful period is short.
(2) Eldritch Blast remains a potent range spell. It scales with character's level, not class, and so at Fighter 1 + Warlock 4, its potency is as good as that of Warlock 5.
(3) At level 3 Warlock (which is just the next level up), I'll pick Pact of the Blade. This is necessary to get the extra attack at level 5 Warlock (i.e. character level 6) via the invocation Thirsting Blade to remains competitive relative to other tanks who gets Extra Attack at level 5.
(4) Fiend pact is the best pact for the temporary hit points (Dark Ones' Blessing), extra dice per rest for ability checks or saving throws (Dark One's Own Luck) which helps with maintaining concentration spell (being a tank means going to get hit a lot) and so works well with Fighter's Constitution saving throw proficiency, and extra spells to choose from e.g. Command, Burning Hands, Fireball, Fire Shield.
(5) Warlock has d8 hit dice, which is just one step lower than Fighter an one step higher than other spellcaster. So the hit points lost is not too bad.
(6) Good combos available: (a) Heavy Armor Master feat and Armor of Agathys spell, (b) Polearm Master feat and Hex spell, and (c) Devil Sight invocation + Darkness spell.
Since I've switched from the race Tiefling to Variant Human, I rewrote the character's background without disrupting what had already transpired during the first session:
" Kaladym was raised in a family that doesn't judge someone by its colour. Therefore, it didn't surprise anyone at Halarahh that his parents adopted Raelag, an orphan Tiefling, who became Kaladym's best friend and only sibling.
Raelag went missing one day. Kaladym, being a persuasive Halruaan, managed to track down his whereabout to a wizard's lab. Although the wiser action would be to quickly inform his parents, he was alarmed at the wizard seemingly torture Raelag who was already in a dire strait. He rushed in an attempt to ambush and knock down the wizard but was negated by the wizard's protective barrier. The wizard then prepared to kill Kaladym so that this illegal experiment would remain a secret.
Suddenly, time seem to stop when an incubus, Byra, appeared. Searching for Asmodeus's "offsprings", he offered Asmodeus's patronage to Raelag and thus granting him power. In return, the souls of those he kills shall belong to the Lord of the Nine Hells. To sweeten the deal, Byra offered to kill the wizard, who he alleged to have killed Raelag's parents in a botched attempt to abduct them.
Raelag was too traumatic to act or speak at the time. Afraid that this opportunity to save them both would lapse quickly, Kaladym offered to accept the deal.
Although the ruling wizards frowned upon a Fiend pact, many citizens were aghast at the illegal experiment and were understanding of the choice that Kaladym made. Possibly as a PR exercise or to atone for such travesty or both, they offered assistance to brothers in terms of education and even careers.
Oloma, a magehound, was assigned to investigate the illegal experiment and the death of the perpetrator. Kaladym told her the truth and assured her that only the "deserving" ones shall have their souls sent to Asmodeus. Fearing what Asmodeus might do, she was assigned to oversee Kaladym to keep him in line. Overtime, they developed a rather comfortable relationship. "
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