u/Mduran02

I just finished reading the latest Villainous Options update, and while the Hell Knight is definitely in a better place than before, it still feels noticeably weaker than most other Fighter subclasses.

For comparison, Battle Master gets maneuvers plus a d8 superiority die, while Psi Warrior can deal extra damage, reduce incoming damage, and gain additional utility through Psionic Energy dice. Meanwhile, the Hell Knight basically gets a d6 of bonus damage, often with fewer uses than those subclasses have available.

One idea I had was to move part of the 7th-level feature down to 3rd level. Not the "Devil's Luck" effect that triggers when you roll a 6 (I'd keep that at 7th level) but the base effects of the feature could be available earlier.

Then at 7th level, the subclass could gain the Devil's Luck bonuses and also recover one use of Infernal Wound whenever the Fighter uses Action Surge or Second Wind.

My goal isn't to make the subclass stronger than other Fighter options. I just think levels 3–6 feel a little empty right now when the main feature is essentially "deal an extra d6 damage."

Hi everyone,

Please avoid spoilers for the campaign. I'm joining an Adventurers League Season 9 ("Avernus Rising") game at level 8 and would like some feedback on my Paladin build.

Character:

Black Dragonborn Paladin

Starting at level 8

Ability Scores:

STR 18

DEX 10

CON 13

INT 8

WIS 12

CHA 16

Equipment:

Plate Armor of Smoldering

Pike of Spite (The Griffon's Saddlebag)

Feats:

Origin Feat: Tough

Level 4: Polearm Master

Level 8: Spellfire Adept

Current party:

Twilight Cleric

Wild Magic Sorcerer

Ranger

Bard / Sorcerer / Warlock multiclass caster

The concept is a heavily armored frontline Paladin who uses a pike instead of the more traditional sword-and-board or glaive/halberd setup.

Because my Constitution ended up at 13, I took Tough as my origin feat to help compensate for the lower HP. Polearm Master felt like an obvious choice with the Pike of Spite. At level 8, instead of taking an ASI, I chose Spellfire Adept for those sweet d10s on smites or divine favor.

A few questions:

Is CON 13 too low for a frontline Paladin at this level, even with Tough?

Would you have taken +2 CHA or +2 STR instead of Spellfire Adept?

Given the rest of the party composition, am I covering a useful role?

Are there any major weaknesses or synergies that I'm overlooking?

Does this seem like a solid build for an AL Season 9 / Avernus campaign?

Again, please keep the discussion spoiler-free. I'm mainly looking for build advice and general impressions.

Thanks!