Level Up (A5E) Which Comabt Traditions should an A5e Hexblade have access to?

[WarDriveWorley]

There'd probably also be other ways to access such a rare and interesting combat tradition...

Like maybe a secret order of cultists who guard dark magic relics from crusading paladins bent on destroying dark magic.

Or tomes of forbidden martial techniques those same paladins might seek to burn...

I had an interesting idea about a character that could channel spirits for combat knowledge. They can change the spirit of choice each day. Each spirit gives it's own knowledge of combat maneuvers. Almost like a martial oracle or similar.

 

[Steampunkette]

I had an interesting idea about a character that could channel spirits for combat knowledge. They can change the spirit of choice each day. Each spirit gives it's own knowledge of combat maneuvers. Almost like a martial oracle or similar.

A5e Swordsage now pls.

 

[WarDriveWorley]

A5e Swordsage now pls.

A bit more supernatural, but yeah basically

 

[Faolyn]

I had an interesting idea about a character that could channel spirits for combat knowledge. They can change the spirit of choice each day. Each spirit gives it's own knowledge of combat maneuvers. Almost like a martial oracle or similar.

Would that be similar to that class with the vestiges from 3e? But more martial?

 

[WarDriveWorley]

Would that be similar to that class with the vestiges from 3e? But more martial?

The Binder? Yeah. I think there's a lot of overlap with it. I also think it would work well on the Warlock chassis. Maybe the patron is a power that gives access to the souls of dead heroes.

 

[Faolyn]

I would think the only problem is that it would, well, involve a lot of different combinations of possible maneuvers and would involve a lot of looking the maneuvers up or would involve comparing a lot of different spirits. I can see that slowing the game down quite a bit.

So perhaps create a new variety of Invocations, which are "bound spirit" Invocations, and this not!Binder warlock can choose from them. If they all have a specific tag or prerequisite, then it opens up the possibility of other archetypes also using that same tag/prerequisite.

 

[VenerableBede]

A lot of this discussion has been around using archetypes to give warlocks martial maneuvers, but I think it would be just as effective to have an invocation that provides access to a combat tradition (and more flexible, since you wouldn’t be locked into one archetype if you wanted to single-class a martial maneuver warlock). Just spitballing, I’d run it something along these lines:

Martial Magery
Prerequisites: Pact of the Blade, OR that invocation that gives warlocks proficiency with medium armor and more weapons
You learn a single combat tradition of your choice. You use your warlock levels to determine when you learn new maneuvers and of what degree, following the Herald table. You do not gain exertion, but you may spend spell points in place of exertion.

If playtesting proved this to provide too much for one that invocation, I’d probably break it into one that provides access to 1-3 degree maneuvers and a second that provides access to 4-5.

 

[xiphumor]

I think the Herald table is too generous. I think this needs to be a “1/3 Martial” with maneuvers no higher than 3rd degree, and probably only about 6 or so maneuvers. Warlocks can cast 6th-9th level spells, so their martial prowess needs to be less than Heralds.

Now, I think an invocation which provides individual maneuvers wouldn’t be horrible, along with a little bit of a boost like maybe an extra exertion point.

 

[VenerableBede]

I think the Herald table is too generous. I think this needs to be a “1/3 Martial” with maneuvers no higher than 3rd degree, and probably only about 6 or so maneuvers. Warlocks can cast 6th-9th level spells, so their martial prowess needs to be less than Heralds.

Now, I think an invocation which provides individual maneuvers wouldn’t be horrible, along with a little bit of a boost like maybe an extra exertion point.

Sounds pretty fair to me. Personally, to keep things simple, if I'm not following the Herald table then I'd follow the Rogue table… which does grant 4th degree maneuvers, but late, and no 5th degree.

 

[xiphumor]

Sounds pretty fair to me. Personally, to keep things simple, if I'm not following the Herald table then I'd follow the Rogue table… which does grant 4th degree maneuvers, but late, and no 5th degree.

The Herald and Rogue have the same table.