Bladesinger and hexblade combo - Wizard - Class Forums - D&D Beyond Forums (2024)

With the rework of the bladesinger in TCoE and it's level 6 multi attack feature which allows you to cast a cantrip in place of one of the attacks in the attack action my mind went to the best damage cantrip there is, Eldritch Blast.

So I know you'll need atleast 2 levels of warlock, and my thought process is to have the hexblade warlock so you can use charisma for the attack and damage modifier for the weapon attack too, so you can get agonizing blast.

At first I was thinking 5 levels into warlock so you could get access too some of the level 5 invocations, but then you lose out on getting level 9 wizard spells. So I have since dropped it down to 3 levels of warlock, but I don't know which pact to pick. All 3 base options seem good to me. I don't know about the talisman pact yet...

So for race I've decided that I'll need all the feats and ASI I can get, because you'll only get 4 ASI with this build, that either the human variant or the custom linage from TCoE are the best race, getting war caster from level 1. Followed up with getting Fey Touched so you can get hex as a spell you can cast with your wizard slots. I've also selected shadow touched got the free invisibility.

This only leaves us with 2 more ASI and CHA is very important because it's needed for our to hit and damage rolls. Then INT is also important for everything else wizard.

So as early as level 11 (as a caster) you have up to 4 attacks a turn. 3 Eldritch beams and 1 melee weapon attack. In addition you can use your bonus action cast hex on the big baddie (either from your warlock spell slot or wizard spell slot or once per long rest for free) and get all that possible extra damage from it with the 4 attack rolls. Or the hex curse feature from hexblade too.

Does anyone have any food build advise for this?

So one issue you'll run into is that you'll have disadvantage being in melee range when you cast EB. You might find takingthe Crossbow Expert feat will be important for the following:

• Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.

It works with ranged spell attacks too which is what you'll need for this to work well. I suppose you could work in a bonus action crossbow attack every so often.

The alternative would be to take the Mobile feat so that you can whack the enemy then run away before the EB.

Quote from ChronoRift >>

The gunner feat also works too for this. Plus you get that +2 dex with it too

Oh I hadn't seen that one yet. Good catch. It's just +1 dex though :)

I actually have built this! I went battlesmith artificer though that way you can grab the all purpose tool and choose eldritch blast for your cantrip (custom race for the fey touched and picked hex this also puts you at an 18 int then go 20 @4th level) using a repeating shot hand crossbow. So 3 lvls battlesmith and 6 min bladesinger you can hit hard with a hex active. then 2 more levels in BS you take Crossbow expert and youre hitting for 5 hits a round! once you get upto 5th level slots then you cast spirit shroud for that sweet extra dmg within melee range-ish and be golden!

Also decided to leave the battlesmith @3 so Wizard can eventually get that 9th level spells. Hence the extra 2 lvls needed ti wiz over the battlesmith's 1 extra.

Quote from 01011000Lehrer >>

So one issue you'll run into is that you'll have disadvantage being in melee range when you cast EB. You might find takingthe Crossbow Expert feat will be important for the following:

• Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.

It works with ranged spell attacks too which is what you'll need for this to work well. I suppose you could work in a bonus action crossbow attack every so often.

The alternative would be to take the Mobile feat so that you can whack the enemy then run away before the EB.

Another option would be wielding a warhammer and taking the crusher feat. You even get +1 con for your trouble. Force them away by 5 feet and then blast them in the face. At that point repelling blast is looking really good to stack up the forced movement.

Crossbow Expert is the most reliable method though. Never having to worry how close the enemy is to you for ranged attacks is a great quality of life thing.

I like the build idea. I personally don't like the idea of putting off sealing your pact as a warlock, but I'm not sure how much this build gets from the third level of warlock. It may be better mechanically to limit it to the standard 2 level dip and get to level 6 of bladesinger as soon as possible.

Pact of the Chain would be my choice for a 3 level warlock dip. Pact of the Tome is my favorite but it loses too much value on a build that multiclasses into wizard.

You guys don't realize that the best way to play this multi class is as a ranged attacker and not be anywhere near melee ranage. In one of the current games I am in I have built this character. The build goes like this:

Level 1Wizard
Level 2 Warlock (Hexblade) getting Eldritch Blast
Level 3-7 Wizard (Bladesinger)
Level 8-11 Warlock picking up Pact of the Blade, Agonizing Blast and Eldritch Smite

Your weapon of choice is the Hand Crossbow allowing you a free hand to cast Eldritch Blast before peppering your enemy with a crossbow bolt. The beauty of this build is that you will have consistant high damage output from Hex/Hexblades Curse + Eldritch Blast and Crossbow attack with the option to burst damage by way ofBranding Smite and Eldritch Smite. The damage of this build spikes at level 7,8 and 11 which fits the length of a vast majority of games I play in. Also I tend to forego Bladesong by using Medium Armor so that I do not have to invest heavily into Dex.

For games that go above Level 11 I would recommend getting 5 levels into a Whispers Bard next, this gives you more potential burst damage with Psychic Blades. You can also be more liberal with its use because you get 5 uses compared to 2 Eldritch Smites. The last 4 levels I would probably put into Warlock to get the spell slots to 5th level and gain access to Banishing Smite.

This is a very strong build that I would recommend to anybody to try.

Quote from ThelonelyMagi >>

You guys don't realize that the best way to play this multi class is as a ranged attacker and not be anywhere near melee ranage. In one of the current games I am in I have built this character. The build goes like this:

Level 1Wizard
Level 2 Warlock (Hexblade) getting Eldritch Blast
Level 3-7 Wizard (Bladesinger)
Level 8-11 Warlock picking up Pact of the Blade, Agonizing Blast and Eldritch Smite

Your weapon of choice is the Hand Crossbow allowing you a free hand to cast Eldritch Blast before peppering your enemy with a crossbow bolt. The beauty of this build is that you will have consistant high damage output from Hex/Hexblades Curse + Eldritch Blast and Crossbow attack with the option to burst damage by way ofBranding Smite and Eldritch Smite. The damage of this build spikes at level 7,8 and 11 which fits the length of a vast majority of games I play in. Also I tend to forego Bladesong by using Medium Armor so that I do not have to invest heavily into Dex.

For games that go above Level 11 I would recommend getting 5 levels into a Whispers Bard next, this gives you more potential burst damage with Psychic Blades. You can also be more liberal with its use because you get 5 uses compared to 2 Eldritch Smites. The last 4 levels I would probably put into Warlock to get the spell slots to 5th level and gain access to Banishing Smite.

This is a very strong build that I would recommend to anybody to try.

This is pretty MAD. To go medium armor efficiently youd need at least a 14 dex. Then you'd need minimum 13 INT (which if you're pumping wizard level up that is still pretty low). Then you have to have CHA being your highest stat (also hopefully at least a 14 in Con if able). It feels alot like the artificer build variant except you're more MAD. The reason for going the Art route is you are SAD (only INT really matters), and can use a shield while going repeating hand crossbow and still having access to hex if going the fey touched feat route. With the 6 levels minimum in bladesinger you have the EB going strong. When you hit level 11 (3battle 8 blade) you are having 5 atks a round (take CE feat and do 2 cb shots and 3 EB shots). Another bonus is you are a battlesmith so you effectively have 2 reactions (your battlesmith pet to impose disadvantage and your own). The reason Melee-ish range is important is for when you can cast spirit shroud @5th level (this is done for each hit within 10ft doing an additional 2d8 dmg). This puts you hitting (on the turn you activate shroud since this will be your BA then every other turn you get a higher output):

1d6+6(mod + the repeating shot infusion dmg)+ 3d10 +8d8 dmg on first round

then, 2d6+12+3d10+10d8 each subsequent round.

The other benefit of going the artificer first is getting the CON save prof which is very needed for you con spells ex. hex and shroud.

Also your AC is an easy 20 with half plate, shield, and make that shield a +1 from your other infusion active.

You can't wear Medium Armor and bladesing. The more I think about it the more the MADness of this build becomes untenable.

Not using bladesong as a bladesinger seems bad.

Quote from HeironymusZot >>

You can't wear Medium Armor and bladesing. The more I think about it the more the MADness of this build becomes untenable.

Not using bladesong as a bladesinger seems bad.

Agreed, you can not use the bladesong with the medium armor. It's strange I'll give ya, but looking at strictly the dmg output from that level 6 feature for the cantrip plus hex/shroud is nuts!Luckily that lvl 6 can be used without bladesong active.

This is good concept, sadly the only way that I think this would be best used is if you forget about trying to play a Wizard at all. Focusing solely only Cha with only at 13 Int to satisfy the multiclass requirements, I think this can work.

So going Going 14 Hexblade with pact of the Blade, and 6 Bladesinger for the Cantrip on extra attack. I went with the Variant Winged-Tiefling so that you could fly and give yourself distance from foes. From here you use improved pact of the blade to give yourself a long bow. Use it to attack followed up by the Eldritch blast. For Wizard spells, I would only grab the buff spells for yourself like Haste, Blur, even Darkness. Nothing that would require a saving throw or an attack roll. Then you just fly up and ping at them with your pact bow and eldritch blast.

Take Eldritch Smite for increased damage and just fly around pounding away at your enemies with magic arrows and blasts.

I get it, it just feels like playing a necromancer and never casting Animate Dead.

I guess I'm just not excited enough about making one extra attack to throw away a key class feature. Not to mention the only way this build really works is to also throw away intelligence (good approach Takai, just a tough build) and your ability to play as a normal wizard as well. I get the damage is there, but like, damage isn't everything. All the sacrifices to get there seem...not worth it.

Quote from HeironymusZot >>

You can't wear Medium Armor and bladesing. The more I think about it the more the MADness of this build becomes untenable.

Not using bladesong as a bladesinger seems bad.

You would be correct if this was a pure Bladesinger. However this is a Bladesinger/Hexblade Multiclass. And on top of that I am a ranged Bladesinger/Hexblade multiclass. What does this all mean? Well first of all you don't need to be in melee reach so extra armor from Bladesong is not as important. Secondly 9 times out of 10 the first bonus action you should be doing is Hex/Hexblade's Curse and subsequent turns you may need to use your Bonus action to move your Hex. Therefore finding the opportunity to Bladesong can be quite challenging. I should also point out that I took the Telekinetic (Charisma) feat at level 5 so my bonus action is pretty much always used.

As for the stats issue its actually not as bad as people seem to think. Going Half Elf with point buy you can easily get something like this:

Strength 8
Dexterity 14 (13+1 from racial modifier)
Constitution 14 (13+1 from racial modifier)
Intelligence 13
Wisdom 11
Charisma 17 (15+2 from racial modifier)

The 13 Intelligence is fine as the spells I take with 6 levels of Wizard are as follows: Absorb Elements, Find Familiar, Magic Missle, Detect Magic, Feather Fall, Tenser's Floating Disc, Expeditious Retreat, Comprehend Languages, Mirror Image, Misty Step, Rope Trick, Invisibility, Leomund's Tiny Hut, Fly and Remove Curse. Sure the list is not very offensively minded but still provides great utility without needing spell dc checks.

Quote from HeironymusZot >>

ThelonelyMagi I understand the build. I was referring to not being able to bladesong while in medium armor. Sure, you can choose to ignore bladesong as a class feature. I'm just not a fan.

All good. It would make a lot more sense if you were in my game. My characters backstory involved a traumatic event that involved his use of Bladesong thus driving him into the path of a Hexblade. And now that I think about it it is weird for a Bladesinger not to Bladesong but it makes sense for my character lol

Anyway best of luck to you and your games :)

Hey if you're having a good time that's all that matters! Appreciate the kind words, same to you mate.

I will say that giving a wizard a strong no resource routine like your build has is quite appealing. I already prefer utility spells so being able to stack up on them super hard while still being quite strong at combat is nice for sure. Have you thought about phantom steed? I think it would be worth picking up.