How can I improve my melee damage with my Fiendlock Pact of the Blade?

Question

I need help improving my melee damage.

I have a 1 fighter / 7 fiend warlock pact of the blade, Vhuman with tough and warcaster, 16 STR, 13 DEX, 15 CON, INT 13, CHA 19, WIS 14, I have spells like armor of agathys, shadow of moil, fire ball, wall of fire, scorching ray, hellish rebuke, but no hex, I know, a slip in my part, sorry.

I have as invocations, improved pact weapon, agonizing blast, thirsting blade, and devil's sight.

I have the defense fighting style, and my plan was to go heavy armor, shield, a weapon on my main hand, and pop armor of agathys and shadow of moil and go in front line, the plan was that, to make a melee warlock fiend pact of the blade.

I have a dragon tooth dagger as pact weapon, which deals 1d4 piercing + 1d6 acid + 1

My DM lets me use CHA on my pact weapon instead of DEX or STR, I guess the question is, next session I'll level up, and I was thinking of going one more level in warlock to get the ASI and max out CHA and 1 point into CON, that also lets me swap some spell and learn another one.

We use 2014 rules, but he let me use the CHA as 2024 pact of the blade

We have usually between 2 short rests in a day.

But after that, what can I do to improve my melee damage? That's the main goal of the character, I want him to do decently well in melee.

Answer 1

Your next 2 levels are pretty set, then you have a lot of choice.

As you have identified the obvious choices at the next level is Warlock 8, or Fighter 2.

Warlock 8 gets you an ASI to round out Charisma. Here personally I would take Fey Touched to get Misty Step and a 1st level spell (for a Warlock free spell casts are amazing), but the important part is getting to Charisma 20.

Fighter 2 gets you Action Surge, which makes you much more powerful for 1 round per short rest.

Personally I would look at Warlock 8, then Fighter 2, but it really doesn't matter too much which way round you take them.

What then?

At this point you are a level 10 character, and you have a lot of options.

What you want to do here really depends on your priorities besides damage. I have put some notes about what I think are the best options below.

Sorcerer - more smites per day due to sorcery point conversion (Sorlock is great for a reason)

1. More slots to fuel smiting as a direct damage boost
2. Low level slots to fuel defensive spells like Shield because being alive lets you do more damage
3. Less HP
4. More cantrips
5. Charisma based
6. No really high level spells
7. Long rest class so doesn't always sync so well if you are pushing for lots of short rests

Paladin - you want some smites with your smites?

1. Stack Divine Smite onto your Warlock smites for huge burst damage
2. Low level slots to fuel defensive and other spells
3. More HP
4. Charisma based
5. Paladin auras are great but massively delayed for you and don't really add to damage
6. No higher level spell slots / spells
7. Extra attack lets you swap out the invocation you take to get 2 as a Warlock once you reach Paladin 5

Warlock - Keep doing what you do, just do it better

1. 5th level spells and slots
2. 3rd short rest slot at 11
3. Higher level Warlock abilities and spells (you would still get a 9th level spell if you stuck out Warlock)
4. Everything stays on a short rest

Fighter - Additional abilities so you aren't always so stretched in spell slots.

1. More HP
2. Abilities like combat meneuvers
3. A 3rd melee attack at Fighter 11

Personally I would go Warlock the rest of the way (Fiend Warlock 14th level power is amazing), and high level spells gained are always fantastic. However this may be a little more 'spell castery' than you are looking for.

If you truly want melee awesomeness I would go for Sorcerer to keep the magic flavour, or Figher to push down a more martial route.