Does anyone allow this hexblade buff?

[tedcahill2]

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.)

[ExLibrisMortis]

I would treat Hexblade's Curse like bardic music: one use per level per day.

It takes a free action to curse something, so there's no need to change that.

I'd change Aura of Unluck to simply require two curse uses.

Medium armour is good; I'd add heavy armour as well.

For all partial casters that fit the same progression (paladin, ranger), I personally prefer to add a cantrip-based spell progression at levels 1-4, including some traditional first-level spells as cantrips (simple things like protection from good, obscuring mist, cause fear--the latter only works on creatures of 5 HD or less anyway).

Paladins have access to Battle Blessing. While an ace feat, it's not considered particularly overpowered, because paladins aren't that strong. I think you can do something of similar power lvel for the hexblade. Instead of a few free quickenings a day, how about this: At level 6, you may pick two of the following metamagic feats: Quicken, Fell Frighten, Fell Drain, Fell Weaken, Fell Animate, Enervate Spell, Retributive Spell, Bane Magic, Corrupt Spell [etc. etc., stick with the theme]. Whenever you apply these metamagic feats to a hexblade spell you cast, the required increase in level is decreased by 1. At level 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20, you can pick another metamagic feat to apply this benefit to. You can pick the same spell multiple times at different levels; the decreases stack, but the cost of applying a metamagic feat cannot go below 0 through this ability.

I think the hexblade could use something that makes them good at Intimidate; maybe look at the samurai for that. Extra skill points, too; at least 4/level.

[Falontani]

I agree with exlibrismortis but I would say that at the cost of 3 of your curses per day you could activate a fear aura that lasts until you rest or turn it off

[Malimar]

I allow Curse the indicated number of times per encounter instead of per day.

And, only because ELM mentioned it, I'd probably allow a hexblade player to take Battle Blessing if they asked.

[Thurbane]

The OP is from Mike Mearl's unofficial update to the class: http://irongamersguild.wikidot.com/forum/t-248314/unofficial-fix-for-hexblades-from-an-official-source

I've heard most people say the upgrades are completely reasonable.

[Zombimode]

I'm currently playing a Hexblade (Level 7, single class), my answers are informed by my Play experience and the buffs my DM I have have worked out:


Good Fortitude save

It's certainly a buff but a boring and unnecessary one. "Having a good Fort save" is nothing that would be essential to the concept of "being a Hexblade".


Curse ability usable 1 + the hexblade's Cha modifier per day

The most important and most needed fix. Hexblade curse is THE iconic Hexblade ability and it is the glue that holds the concept of the Hexblade as the prime debuffer class in the game together.
My characters usually has Curses left at the end of the day, but this is due to the playstyle of the campaign.


Curse ability usable as a swift action

Uh, that would be a significant downgrade. Hexblades Curse is a FREE Action by RAW.
I like having my Swift Actions for something else, thank you very much.


Curse ability does not count as used if the target makes his saving throw

Ties in with the increased number of Curses/day. Good and needed.


Ability to cast in light or medium armor and while carrying a light shield or buckler

Eh, whatever. My Hexblade doesn't has this and I don't miss heavier armor. And I don't think you would want to use a shield as a Hexblade. You don't have many feats to spend on your martial competency so you are pretty much locked into THW + Power Attack. Shields are good when used for defensive purposes only or with support (feats (lots) and/or spells). Hexblades have neither the feats to spare nor the correct spells.


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.

Thats a Gish ability and the Hexblade is NOT a Gish.


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.)

I'm in full Agreement on the Curse. But the Hexbalde is not a Gish and thus "slinging spells while fighting" is not something that a Hexblade Needs to support. I mean, I'm Level 7(!) and I have 2 Level 1 spells per day. Thats it.

[Fizban]

The oft-quoted fix from the creator, not actually a good fix if you ask me. Yay, make uses entirely dependant on charisma and just slam more swift actions when everything wants your swift actions, especially quickening spells when your spells are terrible. And of course it still doesn't address a bunch of other things. Here's mine (which includes several of those anyway):


Hexblade

Fort save is now Good.
Add one spell per day at each available level, as a result bonus slots from charisma are no longer required to unlock spells at levels previously marked "0."
Proficient in all armor and all shields except tower shields.
Cast in medium armor without penalty.
Hexblade's Curse can be used a maximum of 1/round. Target is immune to further attempts for 24 hours regardless of save, but no uses are expended on a successful save.
Hexblade's Curse improves to Dire at 13th, and to Lethal (-8 to affected numbers) at 19th.
Familiar uses 3/4 hp instead of 1/2.
A Hexblade may imbue their familiar with a use of Hexblade's Curse by touching it as a standard action, which then functions as normal save that it originates from and is activated by the familiar.
ACF: Dark Companion (see PHB 2); if dispelled you can reform it by spending a Curse.
ACF: Lonesome Magician- lose Familiar, gain +2 caster level and an additional +1 spell per day of each level you can cast.
Bonus feat list: Ability Focus (Hexblade's Curse), Battle Caster, Combat Casting, Spell Focus (or Greater), Spell Penetration (or Greater), any [Hexblade] feat, or any [Fighter] feat.
Aura of Unluck is still gained at 12th, extra uses are at 14/16/18/20th.

Extra Curses [Hexblade]
Prerequisites: Hexblade's Curse ability
Benefit: You may use your Hexblade's Curse two additional times per day.
Special: You may take this feat more than once, its effects stack.


And spell list:
Add from PHB: Grease, Remove Curse
Updated in SpC: Augment Familiar, Phantom Threat, Cursed Blade

Spell Compendium
1st
Augment Familiar
Backbiter
Blood Wind
Critical Strike
Cheat
Distract Assailant
Distort Speech
Know Greatest Enemy
Net of Shadows
Phantom Threat
Shadow Mask
Swift Expeditious Retreat
Swift Invisibility
Weapon Shift

2nd
Bladeweave
Cloud of Bewilderment
Curse of Impending Blades
Earthbind
Entice Gift
Enhance Familiar
Fortify Familiar
Death Armor
Know Vulnerabilities
Greater Alarm
Mesmerizing Glare
Mindless Rage
Miser's Envy
Nightmare Lullaby
Phantasmal Assailants
Phantom Foe
Reflective Disguise
Shadow Spray
Slapping Hand
Surefooted Stride
Wall of Gloom
Wraithstrike
Whirling Blade

3rd
Anticipate Teleportation
Blacklight
Corpse Candle
Know Opponent
Love's Lament
Mass Curse of Impending Blades
Mind Poison
Puppeteer
Regal Procession
Reverse Arrows
Servant Horde
Shadow Binding
Shadow Cache
Spider Poison
Spectral Weapon

4th
Cursed Blade
Corporeal Instability
Draconic Might
Forceward
Ray Deflection
Ruin Delver's Fortune
Sensory Deprivation
The key for adding spells to the Hexblade list is that they've got (very) limited spells known, so harshly limiting their class list is dumb. The main restriction is that you don't want any spells which stack with/step on the toes of Hexblade's Curse in the save or screwed department, but other than that any spell that feels spooky/dark/mean/etc is perfectly okay. They're also supposed to be gishy, so they should get the gishy spells. Master's Touch and Weapon Shift are useless on people without high BAB, but a Hexblade could actually maybe use them, so throw it on, etc. And I threw in a couple actually *good* spells like Blacklight as a bit of stealth buff. Wraithstrike in particular is of note: its ridiculously strong, but if you're allowing it for gishes you have to allow it for Hexblade, else they might as well not even exist- and turning your melee attacks into touch attacks is a perfect fit for the Hexblade's low-blow unfair-play sort of theme.

[Uncle Pine]

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.)

I haven't had many players make hexblades, but in the rare cases where it happened we used Mike Mearls' "unofficial fix". It worked well.

[Zaq]

I brought a Hexblade with that fix (and I think a few other tweaks here and there, pretty much all intended to make the poor class stronger) to the table in an E6 game several years ago.

I still felt way the hell underpowered. I forget if the character actually died or if I ended up throwing up my hands and bringing someone better to the table, but I didn't play them for long. Everything looked good on paper (I had decent save DCs, decent attack bonuses, lots of interesting effects, etc.), but I couldn't make anything go the way I wanted it to go, and I ended up soaking way the hell more punishment than I had anticipated. It was a frustrating experience, and this is coming from Captain Truenamer. (To be clear, it was an extremely different kind of frustration compared to being a Truenamer, but either way, I did not find the Hexblade to be nearly as much fun as I wanted.)

I love the concept of the Hexblade. The idea of a melee debuffer is compelling to me. My character had the Dark Companion, the curse, Brutal Strike for sickened, one of the "enemies you attack become shaken" feats (I forget if it was Intimidating Strike or Daunting Presence or Dreadful Wrath or one of the other ones), and I think I may have even had Netherese Battle Curse, but that might have been a feat on the future wishlist instead of one I had on my sheet. Either way. None of it worked. It was very frustrating.

To answer the question you actually asked, my group has allowed the fix in question (or something similar), and it was very far from being overpowered. You could buff the Hexblade quite a bit more and they'd be perfectly reasonable.

[Troacctid]

The class is still garbage even with the Mearls fix.

I would change the limit on the hex from per day to per round. I'd also give them all armor and the ability to cast in any armor. And I'd boost the spellcasting by giving them full caster level instead of half, and recharge magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/rechargeMagic.htm).

Oh, also 4 + Int skill points.

[Pex]

It was admitted they purposely self-nerfed the class because at the time they felt a warrior-mage would be too powerful. They've long since overvalued making a weapon attack and undervalued casting a spell in concept, see 3.0 Ambidexterity feat as a two weapon fighting prerequisite and 3.0 Haste spell, so for them to combine both was a great worry even for 3.5. However, they would soon come to realize a warrior-mage is not OMG It Wins D&D and made Duskblade as a better version of the concept. Giving Hexblade some buffs is fine.

[Psyren]

Just port Hexcrafter Magus back to 3.5 and call it "Hexblade" - done.

[RedWarlock]

Swift action is a downgrade, true, but the 'not expended on a successful save' NEEDS it, otherwise, since free actions can be repeated ad-nauseum, the hexblade could spam a single usage repeatedly within the single round until the enemy failed.

[Zombimode]

Swift action is a downgrade, true, but the 'not expended on a successful save' NEEDS it, otherwise, since free actions can be repeated ad-nauseum, the hexblade could spam a single usage repeatedly within the single round until the enemy failed.

You could just limit Hexblade Curse to 1/round but keep it a free action. This is how it is handled at my table.

[Crake]

I did a hexblade re-work basing it partly off the A-game paladin build. In addition to mike's changes, I did the following: Added an extra spell slot to each level, changed aura of unluck to spell reflection, allowing the hexblade to reflect any spell he successfully saves against using his mettle ability, changed the uses per day of the curse to half level + cha mod (minimum 1 from cha), and gave the curse some expanded options beyond just the regular hexblade's curse. 5th level two uses can bestow curse, 9th level, 3 uses can feeblemind, 13th level 4 uses can greater bestow curse, and 17th level, 5 uses can soul bind. Unlike the regular hexblade's curse, these uses are expended if the target makes their save.

Also changed arcane resistance to affect all saves, and expanded the bonus feat list to include fighter bonus feats.

[ComaVision]

I use the unofficial fix but also made Hexblade's spells progression similar to the Bard's (including full caster level instead of half).