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Blades of Cursed Midnight: A Hexblade's Guide (by Lord_Ventor)
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<blockquote data-quote="LightWarden" data-source="post: 6744713" data-attributes="member: 6803540"><p><strong>Originally posted by Lord_Ventnor:</strong></p><p></p><p>What Came Before: Themes</p><p></p><p>A Hexblade doesn't arise in a vacuum. What did you do before you swore your fell pact? Were you a swordsman dedicated to a knightly order? A cutpurse ready to swear to anything to improve her lot in life? Maybe a noble who delved too deeply into his studies. Whatever the case, this story element of your character, or theme, can help to distinguish your character and make him or her more deadly than before. </p><p></p><p><strong>Themes</strong></p><p>[sblock]<span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Devil's Pawn (NWCS):</strong></span> Certainly thematically appropriate, this theme helps to bolster your Controller sub-role with it's granted power, a close burst that deals minor damage and debuffs the accuracy and defenses foes who stay near you. You also get a substantial boost when diplomizing with devils and anyone connected to devils, so that's neat. Fire resistance is also handy. The extra powers aren't all that hot, but you have enough good class utility powers anyway.</p><p></p><p><strong>Elemental Initiate (HotEC):</strong> You get an immediate reaction attack when a foe in melee missed you, and extra trained knowledge skill, and a boost to will, all of which are okay. The real reason to take this theme, though, is to get proficiency with Ki Focuses from level 1 without any multiclassing needed. The boosted unarmed attack won't be used by you, naturally.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Fey Beast Tamer (HotF):</strong></span> You want an animal buddy? Have one! Thematically appropriate for Fey Hexblades, but any Hexblade appreciates having an extra body to take hits. Of special note is that your animal buddy forces your foes to grant combat advantage at level 5, which you can appreicate, especially with all the ranged daily powers you get.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #00ccff"><strong>Guardian (D399):</strong></span> I know what you're thinking. A Hexblade, caring about someone? But the attack power that this theme grants is a seriously good way to get some extra damage on an enemy's turn, even if you have to take it on the chin to make the strike. Especially nice for Infernal Hexblades, since they can use their Temporary HP to soak the hit.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Infernal Prince (D406):</strong></span> Appropriate thematically, this theme is also a pretty good pick in and of itself if you like dealing fire damage; you gain an accuracy boost with fire attacks, in addition to a power that deals extra damage after you hit with your attacks and debuffs a foe's attacks against you. Higher levels gets you a bonus to bluff and diplomacy, skills you can use well, and the ability to reuse your granted power after you're bloodied. The utility powers aren't that great, but you can ignore those anyway. Overall, pretty strong.</p><p></p><p><strong>Iron Wolf Warrior (D400):</strong> The main reason to take this theme is its granted power, which makes a charge attack you make once per encounter more damaging and a little more controllery. A bonus to nature and perception is negligible (although having good perception never hurts), and the level 10 feature gives you an extra attack if you drop to 0 HP. You don't want that to trigger too often, but an extra attack in a bad situation may just turn things around.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><strong>Ironwrought (HotEC):</strong></span> This theme is pretty awesome. Your granted power makes your melee attacks much more accurate, you gain resist all when you're bloodied, and at level 10, using said granted power makes the rest of your attacks accurate for a round. Its level 10 power also gives you a 19-20 crit range for one encounter, which is pretty sweet. If you want an elemental character, consider this.</p><p></p><p><strong>Knight Hospitalier (D399):</strong> Another off-flavor theme, but adding some extra healing to your party isn't a bad idea. The accuracy bonus you get from healing your ally also helps you make your attack, so it's a little strikery anyway.</p><p></p><p><strong>Pack Outcast (NWCS):</strong> A Werewolf Hexblade is pretty interesting thematically, although you'll never use Body of the Wolf in combat. Your main reason for taking this is its level 5 feature, which allows you to gain combat advantage more easily against enemies that you and your allies gang up on, even if you're not flanking.</p><p></p><p><strong>Purple Dragon (D407):</strong> For those Hexblades who swear loyalty to Cormyr, the Focused Discipline stance can help their Melee Basic Attacks be that much more versatile when they need it. Need to make a hit now? You got it. Your ally's in trouble? Give'em a hand. Need a little more mobility? No problem! It certainly helps that Hexblades have no real options as far as stances go. You also can use aid another better (although that's fairly situational), and at level 10, you get 2 benefits from your Focused Discipline stance at once (I predict that offense and mobility will be used together in most cases).</p><p></p><p><strong>Samurai (D402):</strong> Whose to say that the Noble Lord you serve isn't also your Pact giver? The Samurai initial feature makes you close quickly with enemies, and if you get higher initiative then any other enemy, makes your first attack much more likely to crit. This makes this best for high Dexterity Pact like the Fey or Gloom pact, or with races that can boost initiative like the Tiefling. The other features are likely to be a little helpful too.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: #800080"><strong>Sohei (D402):</strong></span> This theme offers you a minor action attack, although it doesn't benefit from your striker bonus damage. There are certainly better ways to get extra attacks.</p><p></p><p><strong>Tuathan (HotF):</strong> For Humans or Half-Elves only. There's a bunch of nice bonuses that this path grants, and the animal shape you can assume is pretty flavorful too.[/sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="LightWarden, post: 6744713, member: 6803540"] [b]Originally posted by Lord_Ventnor:[/b] What Came Before: Themes A Hexblade doesn't arise in a vacuum. What did you do before you swore your fell pact? Were you a swordsman dedicated to a knightly order? A cutpurse ready to swear to anything to improve her lot in life? Maybe a noble who delved too deeply into his studies. Whatever the case, this story element of your character, or theme, can help to distinguish your character and make him or her more deadly than before. [b]Themes[/b] [sblock][COLOR=#0000ff][b]Devil's Pawn (NWCS):[/b][/COLOR] Certainly thematically appropriate, this theme helps to bolster your Controller sub-role with it's granted power, a close burst that deals minor damage and debuffs the accuracy and defenses foes who stay near you. You also get a substantial boost when diplomizing with devils and anyone connected to devils, so that's neat. Fire resistance is also handy. The extra powers aren't all that hot, but you have enough good class utility powers anyway. [b]Elemental Initiate (HotEC):[/b] You get an immediate reaction attack when a foe in melee missed you, and extra trained knowledge skill, and a boost to will, all of which are okay. The real reason to take this theme, though, is to get proficiency with Ki Focuses from level 1 without any multiclassing needed. The boosted unarmed attack won't be used by you, naturally. [COLOR=#0000ff][b]Fey Beast Tamer (HotF):[/b][/COLOR] You want an animal buddy? Have one! Thematically appropriate for Fey Hexblades, but any Hexblade appreciates having an extra body to take hits. Of special note is that your animal buddy forces your foes to grant combat advantage at level 5, which you can appreicate, especially with all the ranged daily powers you get. [COLOR=#00ccff][b]Guardian (D399):[/b][/COLOR] I know what you're thinking. A Hexblade, caring about someone? But the attack power that this theme grants is a seriously good way to get some extra damage on an enemy's turn, even if you have to take it on the chin to make the strike. Especially nice for Infernal Hexblades, since they can use their Temporary HP to soak the hit. [COLOR=#0000ff][b]Infernal Prince (D406):[/b][/COLOR] Appropriate thematically, this theme is also a pretty good pick in and of itself if you like dealing fire damage; you gain an accuracy boost with fire attacks, in addition to a power that deals extra damage after you hit with your attacks and debuffs a foe's attacks against you. Higher levels gets you a bonus to bluff and diplomacy, skills you can use well, and the ability to reuse your granted power after you're bloodied. The utility powers aren't that great, but you can ignore those anyway. Overall, pretty strong. [b]Iron Wolf Warrior (D400):[/b] The main reason to take this theme is its granted power, which makes a charge attack you make once per encounter more damaging and a little more controllery. A bonus to nature and perception is negligible (although having good perception never hurts), and the level 10 feature gives you an extra attack if you drop to 0 HP. You don't want that to trigger too often, but an extra attack in a bad situation may just turn things around. [COLOR=#0000ff][b]Ironwrought (HotEC):[/b][/COLOR] This theme is pretty awesome. Your granted power makes your melee attacks much more accurate, you gain resist all when you're bloodied, and at level 10, using said granted power makes the rest of your attacks accurate for a round. Its level 10 power also gives you a 19-20 crit range for one encounter, which is pretty sweet. If you want an elemental character, consider this. [b]Knight Hospitalier (D399):[/b] Another off-flavor theme, but adding some extra healing to your party isn't a bad idea. The accuracy bonus you get from healing your ally also helps you make your attack, so it's a little strikery anyway. [b]Pack Outcast (NWCS):[/b] A Werewolf Hexblade is pretty interesting thematically, although you'll never use Body of the Wolf in combat. Your main reason for taking this is its level 5 feature, which allows you to gain combat advantage more easily against enemies that you and your allies gang up on, even if you're not flanking. [b]Purple Dragon (D407):[/b] For those Hexblades who swear loyalty to Cormyr, the Focused Discipline stance can help their Melee Basic Attacks be that much more versatile when they need it. Need to make a hit now? You got it. Your ally's in trouble? Give'em a hand. Need a little more mobility? No problem! It certainly helps that Hexblades have no real options as far as stances go. You also can use aid another better (although that's fairly situational), and at level 10, you get 2 benefits from your Focused Discipline stance at once (I predict that offense and mobility will be used together in most cases). [b]Samurai (D402):[/b] Whose to say that the Noble Lord you serve isn't also your Pact giver? The Samurai initial feature makes you close quickly with enemies, and if you get higher initiative then any other enemy, makes your first attack much more likely to crit. This makes this best for high Dexterity Pact like the Fey or Gloom pact, or with races that can boost initiative like the Tiefling. The other features are likely to be a little helpful too. [COLOR=#800080][b]Sohei (D402):[/b][/COLOR] This theme offers you a minor action attack, although it doesn't benefit from your striker bonus damage. There are certainly better ways to get extra attacks. [b]Tuathan (HotF):[/b] For Humans or Half-Elves only. There's a bunch of nice bonuses that this path grants, and the animal shape you can assume is pretty flavorful too.[/sblock] [/QUOTE]
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