Rebonack
2017-08-26, 04:50 PM
For those unfamiliar.
Maddening Hex
Prerequisite: 5th level
As a bonus action, you cause a psychic disturbance around the target cursed by your hex spell or by a warlock feature of yours, such as Hexblade’s Curse and Sign of Ill Omen. When you do so, you deal psychic damage to the target and each creature of your choice within 5 feet of the target.
The psychic damage equals your Charisma modifier (minimum of 0 damage).
I've been fiddling with it in-game since it was released and have found it to be a pretty neat idea. The concept is pretty straight forward, take this Invocation if you want to make sure your Hex-Warlock always has something to do with their bonus action.
However, I've encountered two pretty major issues with the ability. The first is a game balance thing. Because Maddening Hex has no save, no attack roll, no range, and the only way to remove it is with Remove Curse, it is basically a sure-kill out of combat DoT. See someone you don't like? Casually hex them and continue on your merry way. Three days later, start triggering Maddening Hex each round until their head explodes. The other problem is one of usability. Because of how fast combat is in D&D, and because of how good of an idea it is to focus-fire, it's pretty uncommon that an enemy will even survive the one round necessary to get a single trigger off Maddening Hex.
With these two issues in mind, I would like to pose an iteration on the ability.
Maddening Hex becomes Curse Blast.
Curse Blast: As a bonus action or as part of a bonus action used to Hex an enemy, you may attack a target cursed by one of your Warlock class feature with a bolt of necrotic power. Make a ranged spell attack against a target within 90'. If you hit, they and any creature(s) within a 5' radius of them of your choice takes necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier, minimum 0.
This pretty handily solves both of the issues at once. Since the Invocation now has both a range AND an attack roll, it isn't the ultimate unstoppable stealth-kill tool. And since its attack can be used in conjunction with Hex, it doesn't get invalidated by the party working well together, either. It's damage potential goes up since attack trigger Hex' bonus damage, however that's made up for by the fact that it isn't a sure-hit any longer.
Has anyone else had any experience with Maddening Hex? If so, what was your take on it?
Maddening Hex
Prerequisite: 5th level
As a bonus action, you cause a psychic disturbance around the target cursed by your hex spell or by a warlock feature of yours, such as Hexblade’s Curse and Sign of Ill Omen. When you do so, you deal psychic damage to the target and each creature of your choice within 5 feet of the target.
The psychic damage equals your Charisma modifier (minimum of 0 damage).
I've been fiddling with it in-game since it was released and have found it to be a pretty neat idea. The concept is pretty straight forward, take this Invocation if you want to make sure your Hex-Warlock always has something to do with their bonus action.
However, I've encountered two pretty major issues with the ability. The first is a game balance thing. Because Maddening Hex has no save, no attack roll, no range, and the only way to remove it is with Remove Curse, it is basically a sure-kill out of combat DoT. See someone you don't like? Casually hex them and continue on your merry way. Three days later, start triggering Maddening Hex each round until their head explodes. The other problem is one of usability. Because of how fast combat is in D&D, and because of how good of an idea it is to focus-fire, it's pretty uncommon that an enemy will even survive the one round necessary to get a single trigger off Maddening Hex.
With these two issues in mind, I would like to pose an iteration on the ability.
Maddening Hex becomes Curse Blast.
Curse Blast: As a bonus action or as part of a bonus action used to Hex an enemy, you may attack a target cursed by one of your Warlock class feature with a bolt of necrotic power. Make a ranged spell attack against a target within 90'. If you hit, they and any creature(s) within a 5' radius of them of your choice takes necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier, minimum 0.
This pretty handily solves both of the issues at once. Since the Invocation now has both a range AND an attack roll, it isn't the ultimate unstoppable stealth-kill tool. And since its attack can be used in conjunction with Hex, it doesn't get invalidated by the party working well together, either. It's damage potential goes up since attack trigger Hex' bonus damage, however that's made up for by the fact that it isn't a sure-hit any longer.
Has anyone else had any experience with Maddening Hex? If so, what was your take on it?