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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jgsugden" data-source="post: 1304008" data-attributes="member: 2629">The hexblade isn't as bad as you all think. I tried playing around with the concept a bit while designing some new NPCs. It is surprisingly interesting.First of all, it is not a fighter/mage. Fighter/mages are primarily fighters that use magic to supplement their fighting ability. The hexblade is not designed to boost his fighting ability with his spells any more than a paladin or ranger is designed to boost his fighting abilities with his spells. The spells are primarily there to support the hexblade favor, not to boos this combat abilities. The best combat boosting spells for a hexblade come from his allies, just like a paladin or ranger.Second, the curses should not be overlooked. Many people miss the most important aspect of the curse: It is a free action. There is nothing to indicate how many curses can be thrown out in a round (if multiple curses are available to the PC). A medium level NPC enemy hexblade can have a huge effect on a battle with the party. Effectively draining 8 points of strength from the front line fighters in a party before a massive battle gets going can be rather deadly - especially when you can't just dispel the loss. If that curse is effective, it is like the hexblade (and his allies) gained X points of AC and DR X/- against the cursed individual. Remember that these curses have an effect that lasts for a while and benefits the entire party, not just the hexblade. Third, the familiar for the hexblade can be very nasty. Many players fail to make full use of a familiar in combat. They forget that familiars can deliver touch spells (to allies or enemies). They forget that (small and larger) familiars can be used to flank. They forget that familiars can perform actions (such as pulling levers, performing a weak C'dG, collecting items from a fallen foe, etc ...) Finally, His AC is going to be roughly the same as a ranger or rogue. He'll take a lot of damage, but he has the hps to survive that damage, at least in the short term. All in all, it is a decent class. Not overpowered, but not as underpowered as it appears at first glance.</blockquote>

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