D&D 5E Paladinlock build advice

[Willie the Duck]

So I am trying to balance a short-rest class with a long-rest class, such that the end result is not overly penalized for playing in a group that focuses one either rest type. The most obvious example of this combo in my mind is a paladin-warlock. What do people think about a paladinlock? Any advice on builds?

Thanks in advance!

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Try to find a good backstory. How you became a warlock. Other than that you can't do wrong.
Charisma high. Strength too. And then Raise levels how you see fit. Start with Paladin.

 

[jayoungr]

Try to find a good backstory. How you became a warlock.

Oath of the Ancients and Fey Pact seem like a natural fit.

 

[MarkB]

Oath of Vengeance and pretty much any pact also works well. You swore to avenge your loved ones, and then made a bargain with an otherworldly being who offered to give you the power to do so.

 

[pdegan2814]

Try to find a good backstory. How you became a warlock. Other than that you can't do wrong.
Charisma high. Strength too. And then Raise levels how you see fit. Start with Paladin.

The choice of Patron can go a long way towards addressing this, too. Find a Patron that is warrior-flavored, one that doesn't just look for "clients", but looks for guardians, champions, etc.

jayoungr's suggestion is a good one. An Archfey Patron combined with the Oath Of Ancients has lots of RP synergy. Oath of Vengeance would probably work with any type of Patron, as well.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Yeah. Sounds good.
I would then be paladin 3, warlock 2. I would maybe take eldritch blast with agonizing blast and booming or greenflame blade so you are ready for level 5. Depending on my choice gow far I would take the paladin, I would take pact of the blade or pact of the chain.
If you want to be paladin level 5 or 6 for the aura, I would take pact of the chain for your sprite or feary dreagon friend. Increase charisma and strength in tandem.

Half elf would be a natural fit (pun intended).
If you use standard array, make it

Str 15+1
Dex 10
Con 13+1
Int 8
Wis 12
Cha 14+2

You should easily carry your weight and have an interesting character. Your peak should be level 8 when you have 2 attacks, a good ranged option. A lot of 3d8 smites. You have a familiar capable of granting you advantage without dying all the time.

 

[gyor]

You can also go with a Warlock who becomes a Paladin as Atonement for any evils they've done.

Also Paladin who is driven mad temperarily after seeing a Star Pact Patron in person and makes a pact in that madden state, yet later recovers with helped from love ones.

Then there is the possiblity that someone else makes a pact on your behalf. Ancestor X offers evil artifact to an Archdevil, but as part of the deal, Ancestor X and their descendants gain warlock powers. Basically Ancestor X prepayed for your pact, which given you don't have to give anything for, comes automatically into effect.

I also had an idea for an Aasimar where they make a Warlock Pact with they're Angellic Guide. Like maybe your guide has some kind of tie to a Fey God or is a Fey God, or your Guide has Fallen and become a fiend rescently and didn't tell you, until after tricking you into a pact, offers a seeker pact, or is a Divine Minion of... or is a Mortal that ascended into becoming an immortal Celestial while alive and offers you an Undying Pact, or you Angellic Guide got eaten by a powerful Aboleth who is pretending to your guide and tricks you into a Pact.

 

[SwivSnapshot]

Crown Paladin/Undying Light Warlock is a good combo and doesn't require a brain twisting back story.

 

[Valetudo]

Oath of vengeance or oathbreaker combined with infernal bladelock is a nice tanky build when you combine smites with temp hitpoints.

 

[Willie the Duck]

Thanks for the advice. My group is non-SCAG, and non-UA (core I guess you would say). So lots of those options are off the table.

Fey/Ancients is so perfect storywise that I'd file it under 'possibly too obvious.' I will definitely think about it (what to take blade/chain/tome-wise?).

Vengeance/Fiend works pretty well (and reduces the number of levels you would want to take in paladin from 7 or 8 to 6). What would you do with this in the blade/chain/tome choice? Blade would work if you were going pal2war18, but that seems like a waste of the paladin aura. Chain has its uses, but my DM tends to kill familiars with surprising regularity. Tome... I normally see people choose this to pick up shillelagh. I there anything else that is a good use for it? Can ritual magic be helpful for this build at all?