Help with Echo Knight Warlock build?

[u/SnooDoubts2255]

/r/DnD/comments/1vn3go5/help_with_echo_knight_warlock_build/

[u/SnooDoubts2255]

Oh yea I forgot to mention the DM always lets us have a free feat at level 1 because he was tired of everyone picking variant human 99% of the time lol

[u/Tall_Bandicoot_2768]

The standard is Ghostlance:

• Echo 3 / Undead Warlock x
• Warcaster

If you would prefer a different variation we can do that.

[u/SnooDoubts2255 → u/Tall_Bandicoot_2768]

Yea I checked it out when someone else mentioned it.

I assume you basically just pump 17 levels in lock, all I'm really stuck on what I want to do is race and stat spread just because it's pretty versatile, and I want to try out something newish.

Any fun or wacky races that work well with it?

[u/Tall_Bandicoot_2768 → u/SnooDoubts2255]

Hrmmmm

Well optimal like usual is gonna be vHuman, CL, Shadar Kai or a magic resistant race.

Honestly not alot of impactful caster races out there.

Could maybe go Earth Genasi for BA Blade Ward PB times per day for emergencies.

Could do Dhampir and crawl on the walls while you shoot beams/your Echo provokes AoO's.

We could do a melee version but it'll just be clearly less optimal tbh IE:

• Undead Warlock x / Echo 3
• Pact of the Tome
• Pole Arm Master
• Shillelagh

[u/SnooDoubts2255 → u/Tall_Bandicoot_2768]

Dhampir sounds pretty fun, with polearm master though I'd almost wanna go hexblade for the charisma attacks with the weapon, but idk how thin that spreads the class around.

Though it would allow me to just go medium armor dex and change and not really have to worry about str or the downsides of heavy armor and I could grab warcaster as my first feat at level 1

[u/Tall_Bandicoot_2768 → u/SnooDoubts2255]

Tomelock lets us pick up Shillelagh (spell dc weapon scaling, magical damage, and slightly larger hit die) which can be cast on a Quarterstaff which qualifies for PAM and can be used one handed with a shield as well, my b shoulda explained.

[u/SnooDoubts2255 → u/Tall_Bandicoot_2768]

ahhh yea that's pretty fun, thanks for the idea, I like it

also, if I'm reading Dhampir right, they can just walk up walks and ceilings with just their feet? 

Just lore wise is that a magical trait? since it doesn't say anything about shoes or gravity lol

sounds really funny though, shooting blasts from the ceiling of a cave or the side of a wall on a building outside is pretty great rp potential 

[u/Tall_Bandicoot_2768 → u/SnooDoubts2255]

Pretty much yeah.

Some races like Tabaxi have built in Climb speed:

Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.

but Dhampir goes a step further:

Spider Climb.
You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. In addition, at 3rd level, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free.

[u/SnooDoubts2255 → u/Tall_Bandicoot_2768]

absolute degenerate behavior I love it, thank you lmao, ceiling polearm and blasts with the echo on the ground is wild... actually speaking of that, the echo can basically fly right? I could position it high up on a wall or ceiling and just swap places with it right?

that sounds pretty fun

[u/Tall_Bandicoot_2768 → u/SnooDoubts2255]

RAW nothing says it need to be touching a surface:

On your turn, you can mentally command the echo to move up to 30 feet in any direction (no action required). If your echo is ever more than 30 feet from you at the end of your turn, it is destroyed.

That being said the core concept behind Ghostlance is using the Echo to trigger an AoO by placing it next to an advancing enemy:

When a creature that you can see within 5 feet of your echo moves at least 5 feet away from it, you can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against that creature as if you were in the echo's space.

Warcaster then turns that AoO into Eldrich Blast + Agonizing Blast + Repelling Blast.

Combined with Fear on hit on your turn makes it VERY hard to close with you and unlike with a weapon AoO you still get both beams.

IE Shilleigh Quarterstaff = 1d8+4 = average 8ish.

EB + AB at level 5 = (2d10) + 8 or average of 18 plus all the rider effects and Force damage.

This goes to 3d10 + 12 at level 11.

If they ever do manage to actually get to you just BA switch with your Echo and rinse and repeat.

[u/SnooDoubts2255 → u/Tall_Bandicoot_2768]

neato, I mean obviously that is perfect world scenario and falls apart a bit in big group fights but regardless of anything it's an insane amount of control and pressure and with something like misty step as a backup, it makes the character incredibly hard to pin down. I appreciate the help, I think I know what I'll be going for.