Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: Wizards & Warlocks -- Hexblades, Raven Queens, and Lore Mastery!

Master of Hexes
Starting at 14th level, you can use your
Hexblade’s Curse again without resting, but
when you apply it to a new target, the curse
immediately ends on the previous target.

Does this mean you can cast it one more time, or over and over again? And does the 1 minute duration reset upon a new target, or does it continue from the previous target?

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[DEFCON 1]

I would absolutely take the Claw of Acamar on my Warlock, if only it didn't have to manifest as a stupid flail.

Why not simply allow any pact weapon you create to gain the special property of this and similar invocations without locking the warlock into a specific weapon choice?

Because this is a playtest and they want to see how many others agree with you. They have to make these sort of flavor ideas and concepts during testing so that they can get a sense through the surveys how many people actually like the idea of these flavorful aspects and how many don't.

Would you rather they not put it in a playtest document at all and instead just spring these flavor concepts on you when the book was released with no chance to change it?

 

[MoonSong]

I don't like it. (The lore wizard). This is clearly an example of the double standard designers have when it comes to sorcerers and wizards.

- Give an element switch metamagic to sorcerers, "Oh no that would be overpowered and we cannot have that".

- Give an element switch option to wizards, "Of course you can do it, hey let's make it at-will while you are at it"

- To Sorcerer "Metamagic is quite strong, that is why it has to be limited to a few times a day and you need to wait many levels to have more than two"

- To wizard "here have free better empower, free better extend and free better heighten , all at the same time!! No need to wait until 10+ levels to have five unique metamagic-lite"

 

[phantomK9]

I'm a bit confused about the Hexblade patron.
Are there literally powerful weapons out there calling to people? Maybe I haven't read enough lore but everything I know about powerful artifact level weapons is that they are waiting for people to find them and then once they attune, they may attempt to take over.

 

[UnknownDyson]

Loremaster is broken. Level 2 ability to consistently target an enemy with their most disadvantageous saving throw using your most powerful spell and avoid resistances by switching damage types is just OP.

 

[Ganymede81]

Because this is a playtest and they want to see how many others agree with you. They have to make these sort of flavor ideas and concepts during testing so that they can get a sense through the surveys how many people actually like the idea of these flavorful aspects and how many don't.

Would you rather they not put it in a playtest document at all and instead just spring these flavor concepts on you when the book was released with no chance to change it?

I was not objecting to the playtest revision process.

 

[TwoSix]

That's true. I completely glossed over the fact that none of the class features require you to hit it with a melee attack. An eldritch blast based Hexblade would be insane.

Yea, the hexblade seems pretty great as a switch hitter, using EB at range and a one-hander and shield when they get close, augmenting with paladin smite spells and shield for defense, and only needing to boost Cha.

Or do a Curse Bringer focused blade build with Strength primary. Getting super-smite with the pact weapon goes a long way towards bringing blade builds up, it's pretty interesting.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

My own version of 5th ed hexblade was a mixture of binder (from 3.5 "tome of magicact, shadow and truename"), and swordsage (from 3.5 "tome of batlle: book of the nine swords"). Is hexblade a mixture of warlock and arcane version of paladin?

Hexblade and duskblade (3.5 player handbook), what is the difference?

* The keys for classes (and subclasses) are:

- Right balance of power, of course.
- Fun and enough different gameplay. Players have to like the class features and to feel their character is "special and unique", not only a list of feats and powers.
- Interesting background or concept.

* What do you think about the variant classes? (Variant classes are classes with some little changes, for example the AD&D gladiator from Dark Sun may to have been the first variant class).

 

[pdegan2814]

Not sure I like using Cha as a hit/dmg modifier, seems to lead down the path of subclasses that tailor everything to a specific ability stat, and to me is the worst kind of power creep. That said, I'm willing to have an open mind if someone can show me how being charming leads to hitting harder in combat.

How about this:
Your Charisma stat isn't just about being charming. It's about the strength of your own sense of self. As a Warlock, your Patron chose to make a pact with you because of your strong personality & sense of self. If Wisdom is the Willpower of the mind, Charisma is the Willpower of the gut, intestinal fortitude(or testicular fortitude if you're a sports/WWE fan). Casting spells and wielding your Patron's gifts aren't intellectual exercises for you, you draw from deep down inside you for the power you need. And in the case of a Hexblade, one of those gifts is martial prowess.

 

[Gladius Legis]

The new Blade Pact invocations are all better Smites than the Paladin's Divine Smite. Now without even having to multiclass. Great.

So either these new invocations need to be toned down to 2d8 at 1st level + 1d8 per additional spell level, like the current Divine Smite, or Divine Smite needs to be buffed to 2d8/spell level.

Heck, the Moon Bow is ranged smiting that's now straight-up more damaging than the Paladin's current melee smiting. LOL.