How Would you Build a (Non-coffee) Sorlock?

[KOLE]

Sorclock? Sorlock? Warcerer?

There's a massive amount of potential combining Warlock and Sorcerer, to say nothing of throwing Paladin levels in on top.

There's so much potential that I get paralyzed by the choices. I'd like to build this but I'm having a hard time deciding!

All three boons have great impact on Sorcerers.
Hexblade + blade pact to level + X sorcerer sounds like an amazing gish.
Tome gives so many cantrips and ritual casting.
Chainlock familiars are good for anyone, but especially a full caster.

That's not to even mention picking a patron or a bloodline. Lots of choices. Lots of synergy.

Help me out here, ya'll, give me some ideas. How would you build an optimized Warlock/Sorcerer? I don't care which class is predominate and which is a dip, just has to have at least a level in each. No paladin levels, I want it to keep it just the full casters.

[Malifice]

I'm currently playing a Half-elf Hexblade [blade lock]/ Shadow Sorcerer.

Fluff wise he's the last living scion of Thulanthar (the city of Shade) and a Shadowvar, who has turned his back on Shar following Elminsters destruction of his city, and embraced the Raven Queen.

He plans to restore the city of Shade and Netherese empire, dedicated to a new Mistress so she can establish herself as a deity on Faerun... and who has gifted him a Greatsword forged of black iron, and tempered by the tears of the unavenged.

I'm currently a Hexblade 5 (Thirsting blade, Eldritch smite, Agonizing blast) Shadow Sorcerer 3 (Quicken, Extend). It pulls off darkness + eyes of the dark shennanigans thanks to Shadow Sorcerer.

Feats (we get a bonus feat at 1st) are GWM (uses a greatsword) and Elven accuracy (to pair with darkness + eyes of the dark).

Key gear is a Lifedrinker greatsword and RoTPK +1.

Key HR are the bonus feat at 1st level, and 2 short rests per long rest limitation (5 minutes to short rest, making Extend spell very useful for Armor of Agathys and other spells).

Still unsure of the final 'build' but Warlock 7/ Sorcerer 13 or vice versa is looking pretty good. Depends whether I want more 'Gishy' (extra Warlock levels give me extra slots of higher level to Smite with and + Cha to damage) or more castery (more metamagics and SP and broader spell selection with Sorcerer).

Ill probably stick with Sorcerer for at least 3 more levels to get 3rd level Sorc spells, more SP and the awesome Hound of Ill Omen.

[Mortis_Elrod]

I’d build a necromancer.

Divine Soul Sorcerer 6 (grabbing animate dead and other necromancy spells from cleric list) / Hexblade X or Celestial X.

If it was gonna be a melee character blade pact Hexblade is probably the best, but if I wanted blast it be a toss up between Chain pact Celestial and Chain pact Hexblade. 6 levels in Hexblade gives you a cool undead to use, plus some fun spells, while Celestial gives lots of healing that works with undead, some decent spells (though most are on divine soul list) plus some extra damage on fire/radiant spells. Personally I try to shy away from things I’ve used before like Hexblade, and healing undead is hard enough that it’s worth it.

So yeah get a Chain pact for a cool Familiar that can cast Inflict wounds pretty often, plus any other fun touch spells and make a decent scout for you while you direct your minions.

So fun notes: You get nearly all necromancy spells with this build without splitting your casting stat, a way to heal undead often, animate dead with warlock spell slots, Chain Familiar, invocations to spare, and access to 3 spell lists

[Keravath]

There are many great builds for a "sorlock". I would personally, ignore the entire "coffee-lock" option since most DMs I know would simply disallow it.

Popular builds:
X sorcerer/warlock 2

Most often folks choose hexblade warlock since it offers a lot to a sorcerer (armor, shield, hex warrior, hexblade's curse, decent spell choices).

Common sorcerer choices are Shadow Sorcerer for more of the loner goth type feel or Divine Soul for more of the party support type feel. Either one has the quickened eldritch+agonizing blast option which tends to a be defining feature of most sorlock builds.

This build retains the level 18 sorcerer feature which may be desirable (umbral form for the shadow sorcerer is pretty cool).

Another popular option is the X sorcerer/3 warlock. All three warlock pacts can be good and viable. However, if you are planning on taking pact of the blade it is usually best to go mostly warlock for a gish since level 12 has the lifedrinker invocation. This leads to a mostly warlock 12 warlock/8 sorcerer or some similar variation. If you want Master of Hexes then it becomes more like 14/6 which is still sufficient to get the level 6 sorcerer feature.

Although pact of the chain is pretty cool, pact of the tome has a lot of utility, provides extra cantrips and you can pick up ritual casting with the correct invocation. However, at level 3 you only get two invocations ... which will limit your options a bit if you take agonizing blast and the improved tome pact invocation ... you won't have devils sight or some of the other useful invocations.

[Ganymede]

Step one - Have a high Charisma.

Step two - Literally do anything else.

[KorvinStarmast]

Step one - Have a high Charisma. Step two - Literally do anything else.

*Chuckle*

For the OP:

Here's [a nice post by Dyndrilliac regarding a "sorcerer 1/Warlocl X" pact of the tome] that seemed to work pretty well. you'll want to look at all of the posts in that thread regarding that build.