Kind of simple hexblade build?

[TheDevourLord]

I'm looking for ideas, basically for feats, but I'll also look at slight build changes, for this build I'm working on in a game.

We are given pathfinder condensed skills, feats every odd level, up to two flaws, no level adjustments, and any source material (dragon magazine is questionable but we have to ask)

So I noticed, as the people were murmuring their various character concepts, no one had anything rogue-y and I've never really done the rogue thing before, being obsessed with gishing in its various paths of execution. I didn't want anything too crazy, since my wu jen/swordsage/jpm build was banned last game
(the dm agreed to let me get the blackfire spell as a 7th level spell for the wu jen list, and also argued that me using evil spells for a good cause made me not evil??????? I didn't question. I reveled in the shameful, sasuke-flavored destruction as I Con-damaged and lightning bladed everything to death)
So I wanted to take a much simpler route, but still pose the same kind of feeling of 'oh no, it's HIS turn, how will he hurt my encounter this time?!' That I've had historically.

What I have: Hex 4/rog/2/assassin 10/hex 4 (we're starting at 4th level, that's just my current build plan, I don't expect we'll make it to 20)
I am allowed the suggested hexblade fix *SIGH OF RELIEF* and am aware of the MAD between assassin and hexblade, though I can likely spin three decent stats out of my rolls. I am also taking the Dark companion variant.

What I'm going for: I want some low to mid level debuffing, with a bunch of damage. I'm aware I probably won't get full, dedicated optimized sneak attack damage, but I want to regularly dish out sizeable damage

What I want: race ideas (I'm likely going with human for the feat unless something else really jumps out at me, I also am looking pretty hard at the kenku (can't remember if it's level adjusted though), for its flanking and defensive fighting bonus, and the flavor of being able to mimic any voice)

Feat ideas (I know craven, daunting presence, imperious command, dreadful wrath, and I'm told by handbooks to pick up summon familiar and improved familiar, but this isn't quite enough with all of my available feats and I don't really know what else I could take)

Weapon/magic item ideas (initially I was thinking super grimdark and choosing a scythe, but decided I should probably calm down on my angsty stuff. I know about hex bands, so that's gonna probably be the first thing I try and buy.)

Overall I'm definitely looking more for cool than optimal ,but any help would be nice! Thank you!!!

[weckar]

What does this hexblade fix entail? It's hard to make suggestions unless we know what you have.

[TheDevourLord]

Sorry, I forgot to copy this in!!

The hexblade suffers a little because he came on the scene relatively early in 3.5's life. As R&D pushes the boundaries of the game, we learn that some things we thought were risky or potentially broken aren't. Other times, we learn things that look fine don't actually work in play. Armored mages fall into the first category. Them seem really powerful, but in the long run they aren't. Spells and magic items allow an unarmored mage to build great defenses. The spell mage armor is as good as medium armor, and its duration allows most mages to keep it active at all times. If you compare the hexblade to the duskblade from PH 2, you can see how the thinking has changed. If you want to boost the hexblade, I'd try the following changes:

Good Fortitude save
Curse ability usable 1 + the hexblade's Cha modifier per day
Curse ability usable as a swift action
Curse ability does not count as used if the target makes his saving throw
Ability to cast in light or medium armor and while carrying a light shield or buckler
At 6th level, the hexblade can cast one hexblade spell per day as a swift action, as long as its original casting time is a standard action or faster. He gains an additional use of this power at levels 8, 11, 14, and 18.

The key to the hexblade is his curse ability, but it's a little un-fun to have it so limited in use. The hexblade also has trouble casting spells and using his melee attacks, so shifting spells to swift actions fits in with the idea of an armored mage. (These are by no means official. They're just off the top of my head changes I'd consider making.)

[Kaje]

Ability Focus (Hexblade's Curse) can shore up that curse DC.

[TheDevourLord]

What kind of bonus does ability focus give?

[Kaje]

Just a +2 to the save DC. Not a whole lot but the Hexblade needs it, and a fixed Hexblade will get more out of it than a regular one.

[Azoth]

Either burn two feats (both are Dragon Mag) or take a cleric dip, to pick up Turn Undead to fuel Death Devotion. Nothing says loving like a negative level on each swing.

Dragon Mag 339 had the Vexing weapon property. +1 enchant only usable by Hexblades. It lets you transfer the enhancement bonus of your weapon to an enemy as a penalty to AC/Saves/Ability checks/Shill checks.

Could always snag a means of gaining Bardic Music and Grab Doom Speak. Nothing quite like Familiar for -2 saves, Standard Doom Speak -10, Swift Curse. Nothing you can take advantage of, but your allies can really screw someone's day.

Could always load up a bunch of Sneak Attack boosting gear and use Maiming Strike to put knock out enemies. Hilariously fun if combined with a Wounding or Greater Wounding weapon. See what kills them first, falling unconscious at your feat or the Con Damage.

Sudden Stunning weapons are stupidly good in the hands of a Hexblade, if the focus even passingly on Charisma. You have way too many ways to lower saves at your disposal.

Now Damage can be had as easily as Barbarian1, Valorous (any weapon). Pounce + Double Damage. That or you just start stacking a stat to damage multiple times (I.E. Slippers of Battle Dancing + Gauntlet of Heartfelt Blows for 2XCha to damage)

[Grim Reader]

Hexblade gets a lot out of its familiar, but your build plan includes a lot of levels that don't advance familiar. Swap it out for the Dark Companion ACF, which is good additional debuffing, then recover it with Obtain Familiar which I believe works of your character level. Take Improved Familiar. Play a Changeling and ask your DM about the Morphic Familiar, normally a level 5 Wizard ACF.

[DrMotives]

Hexblade gets a lot out of its familiar, but your build plan includes a lot of levels that don't advance familiar. Swap it out for the Dark Companion ACF, which is good additional debuffing, then recover it with Obtain Familiar which I believe works of your character level. Take Improved Familiar. Play a Changeling and ask your DM about the Morphic Familiar, normally a level 5 Wizard ACF.

Obtain doesn't work off of character level, but from all class levels of arcane casters. So the given build of hexblade 4 / rogue 2 / assassin 10 / hexblade 4 would have an 18th level familiar. Note that "obtain familiar" requires a 3rd caster level, and when a hexblade gets summon familiar and trades it out, the caster level is still only 2, unless the hexblade fix changes caster level to be class level instead of half level. Therefor, you won't be able to get a familiar until level 9, when you're an assassin 3. But at that point, you'll have the familiar of a 7th level wizard or sorcerer.

[TheDevourLord]

Either burn two feats (both are Dragon Mag) or take a cleric dip, to pick up Turn Undead to fuel Death Devotion. Nothing says loving like a negative level on each swing.

Dragon Mag 339 had the Vexing weapon property. +1 enchant only usable by Hexblades. It lets you transfer the enhancement bonus of your weapon to an enemy as a penalty to AC/Saves/Ability checks/Shill checks.

Could always snag a means of gaining Bardic Music and Grab Doom Speak. Nothing quite like Familiar for -2 saves, Standard Doom Speak -10, Swift Curse. Nothing you can take advantage of, but your allies can really screw someone's day.

Could always load up a bunch of Sneak Attack boosting gear and use Maiming Strike to put knock out enemies. Hilariously fun if combined with a Wounding or Greater Wounding weapon. See what kills them first, falling unconscious at your feat or the Con Damage.

Sudden Stunning weapons are stupidly good in the hands of a Hexblade, if the focus even passingly on Charisma. You have way too many ways to lower saves at your disposal.

Now Damage can be had as easily as Barbarian1, Valorous (any weapon). Pounce + Double Damage. That or you just start stacking a stat to damage multiple times (I.E. Slippers of Battle Dancing + Gauntlet of Heartfelt Blows for 2XCha to damage)


This is all fantastic!
Which two feats give turn undead?
Where can I find sudden stunning weapons?
And the maiming strike/wounding weapon combo is actually the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.

[TheDevourLord]

Obtain doesn't work off of character level, but from all class levels of arcane casters. So the given build of hexblade 4 / rogue 2 / assassin 10 / hexblade 4 would have an 18th level familiar. Note that "obtain familiar" requires a 3rd caster level, and when a hexblade gets summon familiar and trades it out, the caster level is still only 2, unless the hexblade fix changes caster level to be class level instead of half level. Therefor, you won't be able to get a familiar until level 9, when you're an assassin 3. But at that point, you'll have the familiar of a 7th level wizard or sorcerer.

Typically when looking at improved familiar I almost always jump straight to hell hound, I'm rather unfamiliar with morphic familiar, and frankly have no idea what that does at all, but I was wondering if there are any decent options for IF that have a good Con poison?? I could take the tiny viper from the regular list, but that's fairly low impact poison, and while I don't want to center my character around poison, I'd like to make use of the class feature. (There's always the poison tongue (I think that's it's name) spell from either complete mage or phb2, which, when applied to a weapon does 1d6 con with a DC equal to the spell' save, which honestly seems rather nice)

[thorr-kan]

God Touched and Divine Channeler, Dragon 305 allow you to turn undead 1/day.

[Azoth]

God Touched and Divine Channeler, Dragon 305 allow you to turn undead 1/day.

This is correct. You can then use Reliquary Holy Symbol and Nightsticks to further boost your Turn Undead uses. Pretty easy even with abusing Nightsticks to have 7-8 Turn uses/day to fuel Death Devotion.

Sudden Stunning is from DMG2 and is a Flat 2k enchantment. Fort save DC is 10+ 1/2lvl +Charisma mod or 1d4+1 stun. Not a bad use of a swift action the round after cursing someone.

Yeah all of that were notes from a Hexblade I made a long time ago. It ended up a Cleric1/Bard1/Barbarian1/Paladin of Tyrany3/Hexblade14 (Not in that order). It was a walking wall of debuffs and fear effects. Fun character

[Darrin]

God Touched and Divine Channeler, Dragon 305 allow you to turn undead 1/day.

Necromantic Bloodline and Kin Mastery (Dragon Compendium) can do something similar, but you can't take those until Hexblade 4.