Chambers
2010-07-22, 11:46 PM
Disclaimer: I've grown increasingly dissatisfied with all of the Heroic classes. Use them if you wish but I think they all need to be taken back to formula.
Hexblade
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ph2_gallery/97102.jpg
Note: This class revision is intended for balance within D&D Heroic Edition (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=160424) but it is hoped that it will be playable in regular D&D.
The Hexblade is an arcane warrior, using her special knowledge of magic to curse her foes to wreck their bodies and minds while she attacks them. With a vast reportaire of hexes she targets opponents for her curse and lays it upon them before destroying them with her attacks. She combines a fighters prowess with her hexes to defeat her foes.
Changes to the Hexblade.
The hexblade is a really neat idea - a warrior class that lays a curse upon her foes. But the mechanics of the curse left a lot to be desired, leading to a variety of fixes, some even from the designer of the class. The hexblades curse becomes an At-Will ability usable with a swift action but has a shorter duration, lasting 1 round. She gains essences that she can modify her curse with, similar to the warlocks eldritch blast & shape essences. At lower levels she may only affect a single target with her curse but at higher levels she knows how to hex multiple oppoents at once in a variety of ways.
She also gains an At-Will standard action attack that deals extra damage against an opponent that was a target of her curse in that round. The Aura of Unluck is expanded and made a constant aura that may have different effects.
Note: I'm not satisfied with the dead levels in the class but I'm not sure what to put there.
{table=head]Level|BaB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special Abilty
1|+1|Hexblades Curse, Cursed Strike, Armored Hex, Hex Aura
2|+2|Hex Resistance, Blinding Curse
3|+3|Mettle, Straight Curse
4|+4|Hex Aura
5|+5|Slowing Curse
6|+6/+1|Chained Curse
7|+7/+2|
8|+8/+3|Hex Aura
9|+9/+4|Cursed Cone
10|+10/+5|Lingering Curse, Nauseating Curse
11|+11/+6/+1|
12|+12/+7/+2|Bursting Curse, Hex Aura
13|+13/+8/+3|Improved Mettle
14|+14/+9/+4|
15|+15/+10/+5|Stunning Curse
16|+16/+11/+6/+1|Hex Aura
17|+17/+12/+7/+2|
18|+18/+13/+8/+3|
19|+19/+14/+9/+4|
20|+20/+15/10/+5|Paralyzing Curse, Hex Aura
[/table]
Armored Hex (Ex): A hexblade may use her hexblades curse ability while wearing armor and shields whose use she is proficient in without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. This ability does not apply to any other spell-like abilities that the hexblade may have as a result of race, multi-classing or other sources.
Hexblades Curse (Sp): The signature ability of the hexblade is her ability to curse her enemies. As a swift action she may target any opponent within 60ft that she has line of effect to with her curse. Targeted creatures must make a Will saving throw, DC equal to 10 + half the hexblades class level + Charisma modifier. Creatures that fail their saving throw suffer a -1 penalty on their attacks, damage, saving throws, ability checks and skill checks for 1 round. This penalty increases by 1 for every 4 hexblade levels to a maximum penalty of -6 at 20th level.
The hexblades curse is not affected by spell resistance. The Ability Focus feat increases the DC's of all a hexblade's curses by +2.
At higher levels a hexblade may apply essences to her curse, adding an additional effect or having it affect multiple opponents. A hexblade may apply one curse essence and one shape essence to her hexblades curse at a single time. Each curse essence imposes the original penalties in addition to the status condition.
Curse Essences.
Blinding Curse (Sp): A 2nd level and higher hexblade may curse her opponents eyes, magically causing them to lose their sight for the duration of the curse.
Slowing Curse (Sp): A 5th level and higher hexblade may curse her opponents bodies, slowing them as per the Slow spell for the duration of the curse.
Nauseating Curse (Sp): A 10th level and higher hexblade's curse can induce intense pain within the targets body, causing them to be nauesated for the duration of the curse.
Stunning Curse (Sp): A 15th level and higher hexblade's curse assaults the psyche of her victims, temporarily overwhelming them and stunning them for the duration of the curse.
Paralyzing Curse (Sp): A 20th level and higher hexblade's curse shuts down the targets body, completely paralyzing them for the duration of the curse.
Shape Essences.
Straight Curse (Sp): The first shape essence a hexblade learns allows her to hurl her curse in a 60ft Line. The curse effects each opponent within the range of the Line.
Chained Curse (Sp): A 6th level and higher hexblade may chain her curse to multiple targets. If the initial target fails it's saving throw the hexblade may have the curse bounce to any other target within 30ft of the primary target. If the secondary target fails its saving throw the hexblade may continue to bounce her curse to any other target within 40ft of the primary target. The hexblade may initially only curse 2 additional creatures, gaining the ability to curse 1 extra creature for every 4 hexblade levels, to a maximum of 5 additional targets at 18th level.
Cursed Cone (Sp): The hexblade next learns how to channel her curse into the shape of a 60ft Cone. The curse effects all opponents within range of the cone.
Bursting Curse (Sp): The last shape that a hexblade learns is to blast all opponents around her with her curse. The curse affects all opponents within a 20ft radius burst of the hexblade.
Cursed Strike (Su): As a standard action the hexblade may make a single attack against an opponent she has targeted with her curse in the current round. This extra damage is 1d6 at first level and it increases by +1d6 for every other hexblade level. Should the hexblade score a critical hit with a cursed strike, this extra damage is not multiplied.
A hexblades cursed strike only functions against an opponent that she has cursed in the current round. The target takes the extra damage regardless of whether it made the saving throw.
If a hexblade has used her Lingering Curse ability on a target she may only make cursed strikes against the target while the curse is lingering on the target.
Hex Aura (Sp): The hexblade surrounds herself with a palpitable aura of misfortune, forcing bad luck on those that attack her. The hexblades aura may be initiated as a free action and lasts for the duration of the encounter. If it is dispelled in some manner the hexblade may bring the field back with a free action.
Enemies with 15ft of the Hexblade suffer the effects of the aura unless they make a Will saving throw, DC 10 + hexblade class level + Cha modifier. If a creature makes the save against the aura it is immune to all of the aura's effects for 24 hours. Creatures that fail the saving throw and leave the area of the aura and then re-enter gain a new saving throw to resist the effects.
At 1st level the hexblades Hex Aura imposes a -1 penalty on attack rolls on enemies within the aura. This penalty and all of the subsequent aura effects increase by 1 for every 4 hexblade levels, to a maximum of of -6 at 20th level.
Defensive Hex: Causing her enemies to stumble and falter, the hexblade may choose to have her aura impose a -1 penalty to armor class on her enemies within the aura.
Skilled Hex: This hex aura robs a hexblades foes of their skill mastery. The hexblade may choose to have her aura impose a -1 penalty to skill checks on her enemies within the aura. This aura also imposes the same penalty on combat maneuvers used by her enemies (bull rush, disarm, grapple checks, overruns, and trip attempts).
Resistance Hex: The hexblades aura impose a -1 penalty to saving throws on her enemies within the aura.
Toughness Hex: The hexblade may choose to have her aura lower the damage reduction of her enemies within the aura by 1.
Arcana Hex: The hexblades aura lowers the spell resistance of her enemies within the aura by 1.
Lingering Curse (Sp): The hexblade may choose to leave her curse upon her enemies instead of cursing new victims. A hexblade of 10th level and higher must first affect an opponent with her curse, having the oppoent fail their saving throw. The hexblade may then leave the curse on the opponent having it continually affect the target for the duration of the encounter or until the hexblade withdraws the curse as a free action. The target may make a new saving throw each round to remove the effect. While the hexblades curse is lingering on an opponent she may not target any other creature with her curse.
A hexblade may only use lingering curse against a single opponent, regardless of whether multiple opponents failed their saving throws in the case of a shape essence curse.
Hex Resistance (Ex): The hexblades arcane knowledge enables her to better resist spell-like, supernatural abilities and other magical effects. The hexblade adds her Charisma modifier as a bonus (minimum +1) against spell-like and supernatural abilities and effects. This ability does not stack with any other ability that allows the hexblade to add her Charisma modifier to her saving throws.
Mettle (Ex): As Hexblade.
Improved Mettle (Ex): If the hexblade fails a Will or Fortitude saving throw she takes the partial effect if the effect allows a partial effect on a succesful save.
Hexblade
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ph2_gallery/97102.jpg
Note: This class revision is intended for balance within D&D Heroic Edition (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=160424) but it is hoped that it will be playable in regular D&D.
The Hexblade is an arcane warrior, using her special knowledge of magic to curse her foes to wreck their bodies and minds while she attacks them. With a vast reportaire of hexes she targets opponents for her curse and lays it upon them before destroying them with her attacks. She combines a fighters prowess with her hexes to defeat her foes.
Changes to the Hexblade.
The hexblade is a really neat idea - a warrior class that lays a curse upon her foes. But the mechanics of the curse left a lot to be desired, leading to a variety of fixes, some even from the designer of the class. The hexblades curse becomes an At-Will ability usable with a swift action but has a shorter duration, lasting 1 round. She gains essences that she can modify her curse with, similar to the warlocks eldritch blast & shape essences. At lower levels she may only affect a single target with her curse but at higher levels she knows how to hex multiple oppoents at once in a variety of ways.
She also gains an At-Will standard action attack that deals extra damage against an opponent that was a target of her curse in that round. The Aura of Unluck is expanded and made a constant aura that may have different effects.
Note: I'm not satisfied with the dead levels in the class but I'm not sure what to put there.
{table=head]Level|BaB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special Abilty
1|+1|Hexblades Curse, Cursed Strike, Armored Hex, Hex Aura
2|+2|Hex Resistance, Blinding Curse
3|+3|Mettle, Straight Curse
4|+4|Hex Aura
5|+5|Slowing Curse
6|+6/+1|Chained Curse
7|+7/+2|
8|+8/+3|Hex Aura
9|+9/+4|Cursed Cone
10|+10/+5|Lingering Curse, Nauseating Curse
11|+11/+6/+1|
12|+12/+7/+2|Bursting Curse, Hex Aura
13|+13/+8/+3|Improved Mettle
14|+14/+9/+4|
15|+15/+10/+5|Stunning Curse
16|+16/+11/+6/+1|Hex Aura
17|+17/+12/+7/+2|
18|+18/+13/+8/+3|
19|+19/+14/+9/+4|
20|+20/+15/10/+5|Paralyzing Curse, Hex Aura
[/table]
Armored Hex (Ex): A hexblade may use her hexblades curse ability while wearing armor and shields whose use she is proficient in without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. This ability does not apply to any other spell-like abilities that the hexblade may have as a result of race, multi-classing or other sources.
Hexblades Curse (Sp): The signature ability of the hexblade is her ability to curse her enemies. As a swift action she may target any opponent within 60ft that she has line of effect to with her curse. Targeted creatures must make a Will saving throw, DC equal to 10 + half the hexblades class level + Charisma modifier. Creatures that fail their saving throw suffer a -1 penalty on their attacks, damage, saving throws, ability checks and skill checks for 1 round. This penalty increases by 1 for every 4 hexblade levels to a maximum penalty of -6 at 20th level.
The hexblades curse is not affected by spell resistance. The Ability Focus feat increases the DC's of all a hexblade's curses by +2.
At higher levels a hexblade may apply essences to her curse, adding an additional effect or having it affect multiple opponents. A hexblade may apply one curse essence and one shape essence to her hexblades curse at a single time. Each curse essence imposes the original penalties in addition to the status condition.
Curse Essences.
Blinding Curse (Sp): A 2nd level and higher hexblade may curse her opponents eyes, magically causing them to lose their sight for the duration of the curse.
Slowing Curse (Sp): A 5th level and higher hexblade may curse her opponents bodies, slowing them as per the Slow spell for the duration of the curse.
Nauseating Curse (Sp): A 10th level and higher hexblade's curse can induce intense pain within the targets body, causing them to be nauesated for the duration of the curse.
Stunning Curse (Sp): A 15th level and higher hexblade's curse assaults the psyche of her victims, temporarily overwhelming them and stunning them for the duration of the curse.
Paralyzing Curse (Sp): A 20th level and higher hexblade's curse shuts down the targets body, completely paralyzing them for the duration of the curse.
Shape Essences.
Straight Curse (Sp): The first shape essence a hexblade learns allows her to hurl her curse in a 60ft Line. The curse effects each opponent within the range of the Line.
Chained Curse (Sp): A 6th level and higher hexblade may chain her curse to multiple targets. If the initial target fails it's saving throw the hexblade may have the curse bounce to any other target within 30ft of the primary target. If the secondary target fails its saving throw the hexblade may continue to bounce her curse to any other target within 40ft of the primary target. The hexblade may initially only curse 2 additional creatures, gaining the ability to curse 1 extra creature for every 4 hexblade levels, to a maximum of 5 additional targets at 18th level.
Cursed Cone (Sp): The hexblade next learns how to channel her curse into the shape of a 60ft Cone. The curse effects all opponents within range of the cone.
Bursting Curse (Sp): The last shape that a hexblade learns is to blast all opponents around her with her curse. The curse affects all opponents within a 20ft radius burst of the hexblade.
Cursed Strike (Su): As a standard action the hexblade may make a single attack against an opponent she has targeted with her curse in the current round. This extra damage is 1d6 at first level and it increases by +1d6 for every other hexblade level. Should the hexblade score a critical hit with a cursed strike, this extra damage is not multiplied.
A hexblades cursed strike only functions against an opponent that she has cursed in the current round. The target takes the extra damage regardless of whether it made the saving throw.
If a hexblade has used her Lingering Curse ability on a target she may only make cursed strikes against the target while the curse is lingering on the target.
Hex Aura (Sp): The hexblade surrounds herself with a palpitable aura of misfortune, forcing bad luck on those that attack her. The hexblades aura may be initiated as a free action and lasts for the duration of the encounter. If it is dispelled in some manner the hexblade may bring the field back with a free action.
Enemies with 15ft of the Hexblade suffer the effects of the aura unless they make a Will saving throw, DC 10 + hexblade class level + Cha modifier. If a creature makes the save against the aura it is immune to all of the aura's effects for 24 hours. Creatures that fail the saving throw and leave the area of the aura and then re-enter gain a new saving throw to resist the effects.
At 1st level the hexblades Hex Aura imposes a -1 penalty on attack rolls on enemies within the aura. This penalty and all of the subsequent aura effects increase by 1 for every 4 hexblade levels, to a maximum of of -6 at 20th level.
Defensive Hex: Causing her enemies to stumble and falter, the hexblade may choose to have her aura impose a -1 penalty to armor class on her enemies within the aura.
Skilled Hex: This hex aura robs a hexblades foes of their skill mastery. The hexblade may choose to have her aura impose a -1 penalty to skill checks on her enemies within the aura. This aura also imposes the same penalty on combat maneuvers used by her enemies (bull rush, disarm, grapple checks, overruns, and trip attempts).
Resistance Hex: The hexblades aura impose a -1 penalty to saving throws on her enemies within the aura.
Toughness Hex: The hexblade may choose to have her aura lower the damage reduction of her enemies within the aura by 1.
Arcana Hex: The hexblades aura lowers the spell resistance of her enemies within the aura by 1.
Lingering Curse (Sp): The hexblade may choose to leave her curse upon her enemies instead of cursing new victims. A hexblade of 10th level and higher must first affect an opponent with her curse, having the oppoent fail their saving throw. The hexblade may then leave the curse on the opponent having it continually affect the target for the duration of the encounter or until the hexblade withdraws the curse as a free action. The target may make a new saving throw each round to remove the effect. While the hexblades curse is lingering on an opponent she may not target any other creature with her curse.
A hexblade may only use lingering curse against a single opponent, regardless of whether multiple opponents failed their saving throws in the case of a shape essence curse.
Hex Resistance (Ex): The hexblades arcane knowledge enables her to better resist spell-like, supernatural abilities and other magical effects. The hexblade adds her Charisma modifier as a bonus (minimum +1) against spell-like and supernatural abilities and effects. This ability does not stack with any other ability that allows the hexblade to add her Charisma modifier to her saving throws.
Mettle (Ex): As Hexblade.
Improved Mettle (Ex): If the hexblade fails a Will or Fortitude saving throw she takes the partial effect if the effect allows a partial effect on a succesful save.