Anyone played a Hexblade?

[Nightfall]

Felon,

If you want a heavy fighting, magic casting, spell warrior, Mageblade would be the better way to go IMHO. This is especially true if you check out Transcendence. It contains ways to make Mageblades be almost like Gandalf or even more like Cu Culthain(sp).


Btw some nice ideas for multi-classing Hexblade. Me I'd like to see how a Warlock/Ur Priest works out.

 

[I'm A Banana]

They suck for wizards and sorcerers too though, and I've house-ruled them heavly. Not sure what I'll replace them with here.

Unearthed Arcana is your friend here. Under specialist wizard variants, they have various abilities wizards can get for giving up a familiar -- and I think that it's not too big of a stretch to allow any class that gets a familiar to do the trade out.

Possible ideas:

(a) Cohort: You get a cohort at 6th level instead of a familiar, like the Leadership feat. It's 4th level when first gained, and after that, follow Leadership except treat the hexblade's level as being two lower than normal. If they later take the leadership feat, they gain followers and that -2 penalty is eliminated, and they qualify for having a "special power." This fits the mold of a highly Charismatic individual who lures lackeys to his side -- supporters, fans, those with a vested interest in you...

(b) Skeletal Minion: You get a human warrior skeleton instead of a familiar. If it dies, you only need to pay 100 gp and 24 hours for a new one. It gains HD (1/level), natural armor (1/2 level), and Strength and Dexterity (1/3 level). Another template of roughly equal power may also be useful, or you can change the flavor to make it more of a construct or humunculus than an undead creature. Either way, it's a weak, easy-to-make creation of your own design

(c) Enhance Attribute: Once/day, +1/5 levels, you can add a +2 enhancement bonus to an ability score of your choice as a free action (but only once per round). This lasts for 1 min/level. No familiar. This is probably the most generic of the options, representing a hexblade who can envigorate himself with the magical energies he wields, and can help increase his versatility.

Those are the best of UA's ideas...

 

[Felon]

More nice ideas. I've decided I'm going with the save-for-half on the Hexblade Curse. I may just add Improved Familiar to the HB's bonus feat list to sweeten that deal.

 

[Storyteller01]

Storyteller's OGL rant...

These are some really great responses. Thanks for providing the benefit of your experiences. The insights into multi-classing were especially helpful.

Familiars still suck though. They suck for wizards and sorcerers too though, and I've house-ruled them heavly. Not sure what I'll replace them with here.

Mongoose Pub.'s 'Quintessential Paladin' has stats on replacing the favored mount with a favored weapon. It's not new (I think I've seen it somewhere in a WotC book), but it may fitt better with your Hex Blade.

EDIT: Found my book!!

Per the book;
you get the weapon at 5th level. Itr comes with the virtual feats of 'Weapon Focus' and 'Weapon Specialization'. It also provides the nesseccary Exotic Weapon feat if needed.

Levels 5-7: Bonus Hardness: +2; Enhancment Bonus: +1;
Ability scores: Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 8
Abilities: Empathic Link, Spell Reseptacle

Spell Receptacle = You can store any spell you can cast in the blade, as if you had an extra spell slot for the day. Releasing it as a standar action. Point of origin is the blade, not yourself.

Enhancement bonus = Bonus to hit and damage. It cannot be replaced with equivalent magic weapon features.

Levels 8-10: Bonus Hardness: +3; Enhancment Bonus: +2
Ability Scores: Int 7, Wis 11, Cha 9
Abilities: Bonus Feat

Bonus feat = the sword imparts a virtual feat to the ower. This feat can be any feat from the Fighter bonus list, provided that the user or sword meet the prereqs. The virtual feats provided by the blade (Ex. Weapon, Weapon Focus, and Weapon Specialization) may be used to fill prerequisities.

Levels 11-13: Bonus Hardness: +4; Enhancement Bonus: +3
Ability Scores: Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10
Abilities: Caster Bonus, Bonus Feat

Caster Bonus = Add the weapon's Wis Mod to the owners caster level. They do not gain new spells or spells known, just the increase in power.

Storyteller's note: Since the Hexblade is an arcane caster, I might say that the caster bonus reduces metamagic feta costs by the weapon's Wis Mod. My thoughts...

Levels 14-16: Bonus Hardness: +5; Enhancement Bonus: +4
Ability Scores: Int 9, Wis 13, Cha 11
Abilities: Bonus Feat

Levels 17-20: Bonus Hardness: +6; Enhancement Bonus: +5
Ability Scores: Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 12
Abilities: Spell Resistance 15 (when weapon is drawn), Divine Grace Bonus

Divine Grace Bonus = a +1 inherent bonus to all saves

Storyteller's note: I'd probably house rulle the the Divine Grace ability (Hexer's Luck??) would allow the Cha bonus to apply to all saves. My thoughts...


This may help you become the combat caster your looking for.



Hope this helps...

 

[Psion]

Replace the familiar with something else (not sure what).

Nightfall was the first one to respond and didn't recommend Weapon Familiar.

Tsk, tsk.

 

[Nightfall]

Only because I didn't think of it! Not to mention it felt like it would fit more with a "regular" paladin along with samurai.

But that's just me.

 

[Eltern]

All this talk of hexblades is making me think I should make my cohort one Are there any other prestige classes other than those in the core that jump to mind for this class? I don't have -any- of my books with me this week, so I'm unable to lookup anything

 

[Nightfall]

Uhm well probably if you wanted to go two weapon fighting, Tempest has a shot.

That or Dervish.

Another option might be Eldritch Warrior, or perhaps Invisible Blade.

 

[Quickbeam]

So much wisdom, insight and nasty creativity to draw upon for my own PC -- thanks!

 

[Nightfall]

Well if I'd ever get to gaming again, Hexblade and/or Warlock is my next choice.

(TN Warlock/Hexblade. Weird but interesting combo. )