Help with Hexblade

Hello. I am about to start my first game in a VERY long time, and would appreciate some help with my character. We are allowed to use the 3.5 Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, Magic of Faerun, and the Complete Warrior only. After looking through the Complete Warrior, I have decided that the Hexblade sounds very interesting to me. I have a general concept in mind that I am happy with, but want to make sure that my character is strong enough to be useful to the party. I do not need him min/maxed, but I also don't want to find that he can't pull his own weight.

My stats are currently:

14 Str
10 Dex
14 Con
14 Int
10 Wis
16 Chr

I can move them around if necessary.

The skills I plan to focus on are concentration, craft (alchemy), Knowledge (Arcana), Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device. The feats I planned on were Cosmopolitan (Use Magic Device), and Magical Aptitude (he's human so he gets two at first level). I want to be able to use arcane wands, so I thought I could use the help with the Use Magic Device skill.

I thought about either using a falchion or a bastard sword (two handed), but am curious if there is a better choice. Any tips for familiars and spells to take later on would be appreciated as well.

My general concept is that the character was mentored by an alchemist and is very interested in alchemy and arcana in general. I do not want to multiclass (though I might decide on a prestige class later), which is why I thought I should max out the Use Magic Device skill. I would very much like to use wands of spells he can't cast on his own.

Thanks for the help. I apologize if I gave too much information.

IMO, the hexblade is substandard. A hexblade will probably have a hard time pulling his own weight in the party. The problem revolves around the split on the stats. Paladins suffer the same, but due to the Divine feats available to them (mainly Divine Might), can efficiently persue just Charisma, and still contribute in melee. The Hexblade cannot.

The hexblade's own spells are weak and late in arriving, so do not contribute to his efficiency. His lack of feats will mean he will lag behind in combat manuevers.

Perhaps you will succeed by using UMD, but if you are going to take this route, may I suggest taking Skill Focus (UMD), as you definitely do not want to invest in an unreliable crutch.

Arcane Strike is made for classes like the Hexblade. Got a useless spell for your situation? Burn it for some extra melee combat power!

I would personally swap Str and Cha, unless the high Cha is for purposes of character concept. The hexblade is definitely more of a fighter with some supplemental magic skills than a caster, and you don't even get spells until 4th level. Other than that it sounds good. A good two-handed weapon is a nice, low-feat combat path, but it might give you problems with AC when you're limited to light armor and a 10 dex. So depending on how useful you feel AC is vs. hp you might want to consider transferring some Con to Dex as well.

The Hexblade is a very powerful class if you play to its strengths. Charisma should almost always be your highest ability, as it affects the strength of your curse as well as your spell-casting. The Hexblade's spell selection is potent. In particular, touch of idiocy, mirror image, and shadow hound are favorites of mine. Most prestige classes are to be avoided, since it weakens your curse and your already low caster level. However, a dip here and there can bear fruit. Hexblade 17/Havoc Mage 3 can Battlecast any spell on the Hexblade list.

Thanks for the tips everyone. I really like the arcane strike feat, but it will be a long time before I am qualified for that one. Any tips on familiars? I would like one when I reach 4th level, and I would like to make use of the augment familiar spell. Unfortunately, given my low caster level (caster level = class level / 2) I won't be able to get a decent improved familiar until 10th level.

Thanks again.

Hexblade might be a good entry into Arcane Archer, if you want to go that route.

Greymalkin said:

Thanks for the tips everyone. I really like the arcane strike feat, but it will be a long time before I am qualified for that one. Any tips on familiars? I would like one when I reach 4th level, and I would like to make use of the augment familiar spell. Unfortunately, given my low caster level (caster level = class level / 2) I won't be able to get a decent improved familiar until 10th level.

Thanks again.

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You might want to try to have a somewhat higher Dex, I believe you are only allowed up to light armor without arcane casting penalties. Also about the familiar I think there are some in the CW book that are based off of BAB rather then caster levels. Donno for sure though, don't have my book handy, it's in the feat section. I do believe they are for the improved familiar feat, so you would need to take that. Arcane strike is a nice feat. Do you want to stay pure Hexblade or are you interested in mixing some other classes? Hexblade into Dragon Disciple isnt a bad class. Go up til you get access to 2nd or 3rd lvl spells, then take some Dragon disciple levels, putting the slots in your highest level, then go back to Hexblade. However if you want to get the best curses most quickly then you would need to stay pure Hexblade.

Greymalkin said:

Thanks for the tips everyone. I really like the arcane strike feat, but it will be a long time before I am qualified for that one. Any tips on familiars? I would like one when I reach 4th level, and I would like to make use of the augment familiar spell. Unfortunately, given my low caster level (caster level = class level / 2) I won't be able to get a decent improved familiar until 10th level.

Thanks again.

Click to expand...

Caster level has nothing to do with a Hexblade's Familiar. IIRC, your level for purposes of Familiar is your class level -3. So at tenth level, you will be treated as a 7th level arcane spell user, for the purpose of dete3rmining your familiar's abilities.

And going with that, I'd take the Leadership feat as well (may as well squeeze all the use you can out of Charisma).