Ultimate Optimizer's Multiclassing Guide

[PeteNutButter]

This seems very misguided to me. Quickened EB, at mid-levels, is 2 SP for a chance at ~20 damage (plus control). Against moderate AC call it about 14 damage per quickened EB unless you're exploiting Spike Growth or similar. A flamethrower turret is 9 damage, save for half, to everyone in the AoE, which can easily be ~30 damage, save for half. Because it's at will you can do things a sorlock could not afford such as Dodging to buy extra time with which to hose enemies down with your at-will AoE.

At anything except the lowest levels, not having a turret to kill is a disadvantage for the sorlock, because enemies who waste time attacking an AC 18 high-HP turret which you can recreate for almost nothing are attacking the wrong target.

IMO single target damage is generally far superior than a spread out a small amount of damage. All those enemies are still doing full damage when they are down 4-5 hp. Weak AoEs can be borderline useless. (Not to mention the DM headache of tracking 4 damage on these 4 mooks.) If you are actually in a situation where the AoE is productive, the enemies can easily afford the attack to swat the turret down. While it is good to save an attack on a PC, at that point you're spending a spell slot to negate an attack, which is sort of like a shield spell that uses more than your reaction.

The real problem is the action economy. Between hex and moving it, most warlocks don't even have the time to do much more with their bonus action, especially hexblades. Sorlocks tend to only use the quickened EB on an enemy that is really tough, tough enough that it didn't die after your hex, EB, full team turn, EB again... Basically its a NOVA tactic. I know many people dislike NOVA tactics or builds, but they are quite potent. (There is a reason smite builds are so prevalent.) Buying time in D&D, IMO, is almost never a good strategy. You might not spend resources, but the rest of the party probably will. It is in PCs best interest to end combats as quickly as possible with as few resources spent as possible.

All that being said, if the two classes both used the same stat (int or cha), than the whole thing would be a lot more comparable, and would naturally be high rated.

Ahhhhhh that makes sense. I was considering optimization against base classes, not other multiclasses, now your rating makes more sense to me. While deffinently not gold by any means I personally rated it at least average in terms of a multiclass. But you're right about sorlock doing it easier/better.

On your note of playing a more supportive character. A celestial warlock/ alchemist can finally do something more beneficial with their bonus action, and use the cantrip scaling to do at least okay damage, and the short rest slots giving you a few more resilience potions every short rest. The idea probably works better with divine soul sorcerer but that's something at least. How would you build it?

I was thinking celestial warlock is well. Probably a half elf or maybe a variant human for Inspiring Leader. Those free THP go a long way into making you a strong support. Pump cha with ASIs so you can still spam EB for offense. With 3 or more warlock levels you'd grab the petvantge and maybe the max self healing invocation. Although you probably want to put most levels in artificer, so you can hand out items and stuff.

You're not overpowered or anything, just a candy shop of goodies for the team: advantages, THP, healing, a few items, etc..