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Bloodlust
2007-04-05, 11:49 AM
The title says it all. Advantages/ Disadvantages? ETC.

JackMage666
2007-04-05, 11:54 AM
Duskblades probably win, depending on the character.

The only use for Hexblade is the Mettle and good saves vs. spells, as far as I've seen.

But, Duskblades annoy me (since I have a friend who always plays an Elven Duskblade), so I'd give the most credit to Hexblade, since they always seemed cool.

Fax Celestis
2007-04-05, 11:59 AM
Duskblades are far surperior. Hexblades are a good idea with poor implementation.

JackMage666
2007-04-05, 12:02 PM
A Hexblade/Warlock might be cool...

hewhosaysfish
2007-04-05, 12:08 PM
A Hexblade/Warlock might be cool...

I've played both seperately and tried to avoid the Angsty McGoth stereotype but combining the two will surely bring nothing good.

Fax Celestis
2007-04-05, 12:12 PM
I've played both seperately and tried to avoid the Angsty McGoth stereotype but combining the two will surely bring nothing good.

Yeah, you'd probably end up with Angsty McAngst-Angst, King of Razorblades.

The_Blue_Sorceress
2007-04-05, 12:35 PM
Yeah, you'd probably end up with Angsty McAngst-Angst, King of Razorblades.


I had a DM in college who eliminated the alignment restrictions for the Hexblade, changed some of the fluff text, and allowed paladins of the NG deity of good fortune and skill to multiclass with them freely. It turned out to be a pretty neat combination.

-Blue

Ramza00
2007-04-05, 01:01 PM
Hexblades are the arcane "anti-paladins" but mechanically they are similar to paladins just more sucky after the first few levels for dips. Hexblades like paladins are never more than 4 levels.

Duskblades is a combo class, its an arcane channeler, with lots of spell slots. A mix between a fighter, a warmage, and the gish.

The only thing hexblades have over duskblades are cha to saves against spells, mettle, and polymorph. Duskblades are much much better.
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Hexblades though do have a purpose, they make great cohorts. Mixing Hexblade with Paladin of Tryanny and you can be do a lot of -X to saves for the abilities stack. Furthemore you can stack fear effects with them. Thus consider doing a Hexblade/Paladin of Tyranny cohort for your wizard who relies on saves or dies.

Person_Man
2007-04-05, 01:19 PM
It depends on what you want to do.

For pure damage output, few builds can match the Duskblade, including full casters.

However, a Hexblade has 3 big things going for it:

1) Mettle+Arcane Resistance makes a Hexblade much more resilient to magic, the main source of death in D&D.

2) A somewhat superior list of spells, including Alter Self and Polymorph, which are extremely powerful when used correctly (Pyrohydra, War Troll, etc).

3) A familiar with 1/2 his hit points and Share Spells (TWO Pyrohydra for the price of one!).

So mechanically, a Duskblade is more powerful on its surface. But an intelligent Hexblade can certainly hold his own.

Ramza00
2007-04-05, 01:22 PM
One problem about hexblades and polymorph (which they don't get till 14th lvl) is that there caster level is half there class level (like paladins) thus you can only access 7 hd forms. With practiced spellcaster you can access 11th lvl forms, 11th lvl forms at 14th lvl.

Why don't you just have your wizard cast polymorph on the duskblade at lvl 7, it is much easier.

Merlin the Tuna
2007-04-05, 01:23 PM
Improving the Hexblade, re: the Duskblade, by the Hexblade's designer. (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=11088256&postcount=16)

storybookknight
2007-04-05, 01:39 PM
The only real use that I've seen for Hexblade is that it makes an excellent entry class into Dragon Disciple.... for anyone who cares, anyways.

Duskblade is a 20-level gish class that tries to avoid all the PrC nonsense and in general does pretty well.

Zephyros
2007-04-05, 01:43 PM
I think i had made a thread about improving the hexblade.. It's somewhere there :P I also think there is an errata somewhere there which improves the hexdude. What about a duel between those two? ;)

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38581&highlight=hexblade there it is..

Dhavaer
2007-04-05, 06:33 PM
I like both of them, particularly now that Wizards brought out a new Dead Levels (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20070227x) article and made hexblades into tiny gods. That's right, they now have the spell-like ability prestidigitation/at will. Hexblades are now made of good and godly win.

That said, they really could do with full caster level and a good Fort save.

KIDS
2007-04-05, 06:45 PM
Duskblade owns Hexblades hands down.
However, Duskblade is quite lame in flavor, while Hexblade is cool. That crosses the gap for me :)

AtomicKitKat
2007-04-05, 10:22 PM
Were it not for the weak save DC, a Halfling(shudder) Hexblade crossed with Luckstealer would probably work pretty nicely, being able to curse multiple targets mediocrely, and a single target terribly. :P

Krimm_Blackleaf
2007-04-05, 11:04 PM
Improving the Hexblade, re: the Duskblade, by the Hexblade's designer. (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=11088256&postcount=16)
This makes my inner hexblade smile and cackle evilly. You know, in a good way.