3.5 Advice on my hexblade (feats/PrCs?)

[Socko525]

Abilities
Str 18 (17+1)
Dex 17
Con 23
Int 13
Wis 11
Cha 24

Stats are due to wonky DM stat rolling rules and a few lucky rolls


Human paragon 1/Hexblade 6
Alignment: CN
HP: 100

Feats:
1:Dreadful Wrath
Human: Mercantile Background (got the only 1 regional feat waived in order to take this feat, since my DM has no idea what WBL is. Currently have 5 players at lvl 7-8 with less than 3k gold combined and the only magic items that have been found was one ring of protection+1)
Flaw: practiced spellcaster
Flaw: Nymph's kiss
3:power attack
Bonus 5th level Hexblade: ability focus (curse) (House ruled it should be an option for Hexblades)
6:obtain familiar (using the 4th level ACF for the dark companion)

Skills of note: Diplomacy-max(21, includes bonuses from Nymph's kiss and bluff synergy), intimidate-max (21 same as diplomacy), use magic device-max(19, includes bonus from Nymph's Kiss)

We are playing using the developer created Hexblade "fix" i.e. Curse 1+Cha mod/day, no ASF in medium armor or with light shields, good fort save, etc.

My plan is to be human paragon 2/hexblade 6 at level 8 and use the bonus feat to take improve familiar and get a winter wolf and use it as a mount.

I figure I'd take another level in Hexblade to get greater Hexblade curse and another level in human paragon and put the +2 ability boost in Charisma.

So what other feats should I take? I'm thinking imperious command at level 9, although with my Charisma mod, leadership or Dragon cohort wouldn't be a bad choice either. I would probably go for either an artificer cohort (so we'd actually be able to get magic weapons/armor) or maybe a marshall/dragon shaman for additional party buffs.

Any other good feat ideas? How about prestige classes? I'm possibly thinking about paladin of tyranny/blackguard for aura of despair and the Cha bonus to saves. I was also thinking about possibly going with fiend-blooded. It would advance my spellcasting, even though hexblade casting isn't the best. But it would give me additional spells known, ability score increases, resistances, and my familiar would get the fiendish template, which would help with the fire resistance since winter wolves are vulnerable to fire. That and spell resistance/DR/treating natural attacks as magic weapons would also be a bonus.

Anyway, let me know what you think/how I could make him better, and remember without a massive stroke of generosity from my DM or some scheme to make a ton of money, magic items are pretty much out of the picture.
Thanks!

EDIT: for feats for fiend-blooded I would have to retrain one of my current feats to get Blood calls to Blood, and my DM would waive the Eschew materials requirements as he doesn't play using material components

[vikingofdoom]

Problems: Nymph's Kiss feat is exalted, so you don't qualify for it.

Advice: PrC: If you could swing it, Abjurant Champion gives full BAB and spell-casting. Otherwise, anything that grants full BAB should be a priority if you're going gish.

Skills: Only one of Intimidate/Diplomacy is needed, I recommend Diplomacy. Keep UMD, I suggest picking up Concentration to cast in melee, but other options could work.

Feats: Leadership/variants is always useful, Dragon Cohort could get a very young black dragon. Improved familiar is useful, but remember to take ranks in ride if doing so, to negate attacks against your mount.

[Keld Denar]

Another option other than Blackguard or Pally of Tyranny would be Binder. 3 binder levels + Improved Binding gets you an effective BL of 5, enough to bind Foculor for Aura of Sadness, the same thing as Aura of Dispair. You lose 1 BAB, but you gain 5 other abilities from the vestage that are kinda neat.

[Amphetryon]

In general, I would take Intimidate over Diplomacy for a Hexblade, as it offers better synergy for a debuffer than Diplomacy. Similarly, I would probably focus more on increasing caster levels than increasing BAB if forced to choose between the two, provided I could reasonably hit +16 BAB and thus the 4th attack. Particularly at higher levels, the extra spells at higher levels will be more valuable than an extra couple of points of BAB, which can be obtained through magic or, if need be, through Flanking.

[Socko525]

Thanks for the tips! I'll strike nymph's kiss from my list and have to throw in something else. As for diplomacy vs. Intimidate, I'll probably go intimidate in case I do decide to choose imperious command down the road. I'll have to look into binder and abjurant champion later tonight

[Cerlis]

Advice: PrC: If you could swing it, Abjurant Champion gives full BAB and spell-casting. Otherwise, anything that grants full BAB should be a priority if you're going gish.



if he wants full BA and spell progression he should just do more levels of hexblade.

if you dont continue hexblade, get all buff spells.

[faceroll]

Stay away from Abjurant Champion. Doesn't synergize well with hexblade spell list, doesn't add much a hexblade doesn't already have. Suel Archana-whatever may be pretty ok. Getting the debuffing aura from paladin of tyranny would be neat, but you have to be a champion of tyranny. LE may not go over too well.

[Socko525]

Stay away from Abjurant Champion. Doesn't synergize well with hexblade spell list, doesn't add much a hexblade doesn't already have. Suel Archana-whatever may be pretty ok. Getting the debuffing aura from paladin of tyranny would be neat, but you have to be a champion of tyranny. LE may not go over too well.

That's true. I would probably go with a paladin of anarchy, since we've used those expanded variant paladins in this game before. That way I could still be neutral, but choose the benefits of a paladin of tyranny

[faceroll]

That's true. I would probably go with a paladin of anarchy, since we've used those expanded variant paladins in this game before. That way I could still be neutral, but choose the benefits of a paladin of tyranny

Just be careful about that code. Being obligated to undermine all authority may put strain on the group, if they are of a particularly lawful or mercenary nature.

Binder 3 sounds more interesting, both mechanically and fluff wise.

[mabriss lethe]

Suel Arcanamach is a decent Prc for a Hexblade and can net you some slightly better casting with fairly lenient entry with (I think) full BAB.

A cleric dip might be useful, nets you some turn /rebuke undead goodies. If you do so, pick up one of the X devotion feats and use your TU attempts to fuel it instead. (even the ones like death devotion are viable with a hexblade core, since your normal tactics will involve assaulting their saves to the point where the negative level is guaranteed.)

Also look at Martial Study/Stance for other toys if ToB is allowed.

[Socko525]

Suel Arcanamach is a decent Prc for a Hexblade and can net you some slightly better casting with fairly lenient entry with (I think) full BAB.

A cleric dip might be useful, nets you some turn /rebuke undead goodies. If you do so, pick up one of the X devotion feats and use your TU attempts to fuel it instead. (even the ones like death devotion are viable with a hexblade core, since your normal tactics will involve assaulting their saves to the point where the negative level is guaranteed.)

Also look at Martial Study/Stance for other toys if ToB is allowed.

Thanks I probably should have mentioned everything is pretty much allowed except ToB, my DM thinks all the martial stances/studies, etc. are too complicated

[gorfnab]

I would recommend reading through the Hexblade Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=7412.0). Abjurant Champion is an okay option for Hexblades since they do have 15 abjuration spells on their list and it will reset your caster level to equal your BAB which is quite nice, however the Abjurant Armor ability is useless.