Undead Warlock Melee - No multiclass

[Pegak]

Hi,
We are about to start a campaign Vecna: Eve of Ruin and I'd like to play Undead Warlock with melee. No multiclass allowed. Starting at level 10.

We have a group of Fighter (probably Rune Knight), Hexblade Warlock, Bard (not sure about class) and Necromancer Wizard.

I know that Undead Warlock is not optimal, but I like the theme of going against one Lich because my patron (also Lich) said so. And now I am thinking whether to go PAM Undead Warlock with Glaive or if Greataxe with Heavy Armor will be better.

What are your thoughts about this?

[DracoKnight]

I've played a melee Undead Warlock (from 1st to 9th level) and it was a lot of fun!

I used the Githyanki from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, when they still got Medium Armor proficiency, and I built a Knight pacted to Vlaakith. We used the Tasha's Customize Your Origin rules, so I started with:

STR 8
DEX 16 (15 + 1)
CON 14
INT 8
WIS 10
CHA 17 (15 + 2)

I invested as much as I did into DEX because I only started with the Warlock's leather armor. Pretty early on, I was able to loot some scale mail from an enemy, and then a few sessions later, some half-plate. Between 17AC and 1d10 + level temporary hit points twice a day, I was our party's tank, even though my weapons were a pair of daggers. My Invocations were Agonizing Blast and Beguiling Influence (this was getting swapped out). At 3rd level, I picked up Pact of the Blade, and swapped Beguiling Influence for Improved Pact Weapon, to make the rapier I summoned +1. And then pretty shortly after that I found some Gauntlets of Ogre Power, so I was able to go full Githyanki and make my pact weapon a great sword. At 4th level I took Great Weapon Master and never looked back. It was a FUN time. Between that and Spirit Shroud, I was kind of a chain saw. 2d6 (3d6 on my first hit, after 6th level if I was in my Form of Dread) + 2d8 + 15 on a hit was a lot of fun to roll.

By the time that game fizzled out I had 66 actual HP and then, across the day, an average of 58 Temp HP from Form of Dread. I had an 18 AC from a cloak of protection & half plate. So even to the “late” game, I was pretty tanky. Whenever the Cleric decided to Bless the group, I was a prime target, to counter balance the -5 from GWM. If we ever get back to playing that game, I’m excited because in the hoard after that last fight, we found a belt of hill giant strength.

If you get to start at 10th level, I think you'll have a good time. I wouldn't worry too much about comparing yourself to the Hexblade: they might do more damage and be SAD, but you'll bring more durability and control. My ASI at 8th level was spent on Shadow Touched so that I could Inflict Wounds as a dread knight of Vlaakith (and for that +1 CHA), but Heavy Armor would've also been a solid pick up. Or even War Caster. War Caster would've opened me up to using Booming Blade on my Reaction, which would have been tasty.

TL;DR: Melee Undead Lock is fun, it's got some build challenges, but there's enough there in the class to make it worth it.

[Pegak]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I had to pick a dwarf as we are not allowed to have legacy races, but that doesn't really matter. :)

Your character sounds like a lot of fun! Looking forward to mine. I chose strength because of heavy-hits and healing at level 14. It should be 2d12 (weapon in Form of Dread) + 1d6 (Hill Strike) + 4 (Strength) + 1 (Pact Weapon) + 2d8 (Spirit Shroud) and optionally 6d8 (Eldritch Smite) when I want to hit heavily to massively heal myself.

Here is the draft of the character:
dndbeyond.com/characters/124831570/EMvzzx

[DracoKnight]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I had to pick a dwarf as we are not allowed to have legacy races, but that doesn't really matter. :)

Your character sounds like a lot of fun! Looking forward to mine. I chose strength because of heavy-hits and healing at level 14. It should be 2d12 (weapon in Form of Dread) + 1d6 (Hill Strike) + 4 (Strength) + 1 (Pact Weapon) + 2d8 (Spirit Shroud) and optionally 6d8 (Eldritch Smite) when I want to hit heavily to massively heal myself.

Here is the draft of the character:
dndbeyond.com/characters/124831570/EMvzzx

It looks like you’re well on your way to a good time!

[Evaar]

It sounds like you won't be allowed to use many supplements to build your character, but I would probably pick an elf, build for Dex with Charisma secondary, and take the Revenant Blade feat to use a double-bladed scimitar with finesse. My understanding is that Eve of Ruin does visit multiple planes, including the one where this feat/weapon originate, so maybe your DM will be more open to it.

There are good-aligned elven liches in several settings. Baelnorns in the Forgotten Realms, the Undying Court in Eberron. Not that you have to be good-aligned, but figured it was worth mentioning.

With your strength based build, how are you covering your AC?

[icedraikon]

It sounds like you won't be allowed to use many supplements to build your character, but I would probably pick an elf, build for Dex with Charisma secondary, and take the Revenant Blade feat to use a double-bladed scimitar with finesse. My understanding is that Eve of Ruin does visit multiple planes, including the one where this feat/weapon originate, so maybe your DM will be more open to it.

There are good-aligned elven liches in several settings. Baelnorns in the Forgotten Realms, the Undying Court in Eberron. Not that you have to be good-aligned, but figured it was worth mentioning.

With your strength based build, how are you covering your AC?

Hello there!

I have played a build like this before, and would basically say the same as Evaar. If you have committed to the dwarf strength build yet, I would recommend something like the below. Dex, obviously preferred to strength because it's a better stat unless you want to go for GWM shenanigans. Stealth, Initiative, AC

Shadar-Kai Undead Warlock X
Starting Stats: 8Str, 17Dex, 15Con, 8Int, 8Wis, 16Cha
ASIs: Revenant Blade @4, Res: Con @8, +2Dex @12, +2Cha @16, +2Cha @19
Invocations: Agonizing Blast, Armor of Shadows, Eldritch Mind, Eldritch Smite, Improved Pact Weapon, Repelling Blast, Fiendish Vigor (pre-lvl5-7 only probably)

T1: Armor of Shadows with Revenant Blade gives you 18AC at level 4 (13+4+1) with two attacks, three at level 5. All attacks naturally carry riders, so with Spirit Shroud at level 5, you're getting quite good value on R1 and especially on R2+. I would recommend just playing Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast until lvl4 when the Finesse Double-Bladed Scimitar comes online.

T2: Eldritch Mind + Res: Con helps you lock in concentration, probably on Spirit Shroud, but Fly also works to help mobility with the team since you auto-upcast. With only 2 spells/SR, not losing concentration and wasting a spell is huge.

T3+: I have not played this build this far, but I expect at this point you will be very much feeling the lack of AC, HP, and saving throw bonuses, so position well here and try not to get hit by anything. I would expect the final fight vs the lich to be somewhere in here, so that Necrotic resistance from your race is probably going to get some good value here. Maybe even throughout the game.

Items: If you get some control over your items, keep an eye out for a Flame-Tongue Double-Bladed Scimitar and some Gauntlets of Flaming Fury. Flame-Tongue is doubly good because you can still stack the Improved Pact Weapon on it for a +1, +2d6 weapon. Obviously AC and save boosting items are fantastic as well: Cloak/Ring of Protection, Stone of Good Luck, etc. Mind Blade also works if your DM gives you one of those and lets it work for you.

Note: While this build can do quite acceptable damage and has not terrible AC early-game, be sure to not be the first one in melee. You're essentially playing melee on hard mode. You have no shield, no Shield, no Absorb Elements, no Rage, no Aura, no renewable THP (Fiend/Twilight Cleric), no saving throw bonuses (Fiend/DSS) and relatively low AC past level 5...even your pre level 5 AC is only acceptable. I have played this a bit and love the build, especially the damage since you have high damage without sacrificing the accuracy with Sharpshooter or Great Weapon Master, but it is quite squishy. A DSS 1 dip somewhere in T2 or T3 can help this to get Absorb Elements, Shield, and Favored by the Gods.