ReFluff of the Hexblade Patron

[strangebloke]

So, the hexblade's patron is a sentient sword. But where did that sword come from? The origin of your sword is what's going to really determine your patron's character.

EDIT: The Hexblade patron is some dude in the shadowfell who makes swords and there is literally nothing else to say about him. That's boring as crap. The shadowfell is already kinda boring and if my patron has as his sole attribute:"Lives in Shadowfell" I'm out, sorry. Too boring. I get the planar symmetry of it, alongside the celestial, infernal, and Fey pacts, but honestly I'm not married to DND cosmology as a whole.

So, what's a better patron? The sword is the conduit for the pact, but lots of people make magic swords.

As a player, I like the idea of leaving the exact nature of my patron to the DM so that he can mess with me and integrate the patron into the story. But I can see the other side of that as well. The DM has enough to manage without making a special subplot for a piece of equipment.

So, three questions:
1. As a player/DM, would you prefer to have the origin of the blade (and therefore the nature of the 'true' patron) be DM-defined, or player-defined?
2. What are some fun origins for a sentient sword?
3. What are some fun open-ended bits of fluff that you could ascribe to a sword?

--I'll start.
1. I prefer open-ended. It gives me a hook to engage that player's character with. This thing really has the character by the metaphysical nads, and that makes my diabolical side cackled with glee. As a player... man, I'm playing a warlock so that my faustian deal can turn sour. I like leaving the patron's nature open-ended.

2.
--A dragonbone blade that contains the spirit of an ancient dragon. He insists that he was a gold dragon, but in reality was a red dragon with a really good deception skill. Refluff hexblade's curse as something like a dragon's fear aura emanating from the blade. Refluff spells with draconic flavoring. If the player pays attention, he'll note that the fluff is much more consistent with a red. Character is always hot and has horrible heartburn.
--An ancient giant-king's blade that the player can't actually carry on his person. The blade empowers him, however, filling hims with the strength of a giant when he fights (hex warrior) and occasionally enlarging his blade just before he hits. (hexblade's curse) MC can never really get warm, and when he casts spells the winds begin to howl and scream around him. Would be fun with a giant MC.

3.
--Obligatory nod to Critical Role's character Fjord. (spoiler!) When activated the blade becomes encrusted with barnacles and let's off a twisting mist. The character found the blade after being shipwrecked on a ruined crag.
--Every night since you picked up the blade you have been having strange, impossibly vivid dreams. The subject material of the dreams is normal (IE, unsettling and strange) but you are always completely lucid and remember them in perfect detail. When you activate the weapon, your eyes roll back and your vision swims with bright color, seeing the world in greater detail than ever before, allowing you to perceive the weave directly and create spells.
--Every time you stare into the blade you see a different reflection of yourself. Sometimes you're an old man, other times you're a babe. Other times still you see yourself cackling and mad, drunk on power. The blade seems to be trying to communicate with you, but...

[Millstone85]

So, the hexblade's patron is a sentient sword.I have a feeling Crawford isn't. Done (https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/922293425063391233). Correcting (https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/922556044110368768). That (https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/922890488553730048). Misconception (https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/958950931776774144).

Well, it is his fault, really. :smallannoyed:

[strangebloke]

I have a feeling Crawford isn't. Done (https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/922293425063391233). Correcting (https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/922556044110368768). That (https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/922890488553730048). Misconception (https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/958950931776774144).

Well, it is his fault, really. :smallannoyed:

Well, that is confusing.

And BORING.

Like, this hexblade guy is completely devoid of fluff beyond "Maybe works for Raven Queen," and "Is in Shadow fell," and "Makes swords."

So I guess a better thread opener would be:

"Name a patron for the 'hexblade pact' that is more interesting than Shadowfell-swords-guy-who-maybe-works-for-the-raven-queen."

[Millstone85]

Well, that is confusing.

And BORING.Very much so.

Especially in how a warlock's patron can be an archfey, a fiend, a great old one or the hexblade.

Like, it is not a category, there is only one Sir or Madam Hexblade.


"Name a patron for the 'hexblade pact' that is more interesting than Shadowfell-swords-guy-who-maybe-works-for-the-raven-queen."The Reaper.

Your patron might be a dullahan, ankou, ferryman or other psychopomp, a being known to guide souls to the afterlife, and to pursue those who would cheat death. Such beings are often associated with the Shadowfell, as well as with supernatural weapons, like the Grim Scythe, that directly reap the soul from the body.

[strangebloke]

The Reaper.

Your patron might be a dullahan, ankou, ferryman or other psychopomp, a being known to guide souls to the afterlife, and to pursue those who would cheat death. Such beings are often associated with the Shadowfell, as well as with supernatural weapons, like the Grim Scythe, that directly reap the soul from the body.

I like this. It fits nicely into the dnd cosmology and I can certainly think of many ancient and modern fictional characters who this would help simulate. (Ichigo from Blech, Nico from PJO, Revenants) How would you fluff the various boons of the Reaper? The curse, the hex warrior ability, the spellcasting, etc.

[Vogie]

Yeah, you're really limited to a handful of things when it comes to the RAW reading of it.

The Darkin Weapons from League of Legends kind of have that feel. They have three so far:

Aatrox, a nameless warlord who has succumbed to the will of his sword;
Varus, a conglomeration of a pair of warriors and a Darkin Bow, blended together as single person;
Kayn, an assassin who has recently taken up the Darkin Scythe named Rhaast, and either controls or succumbs to the will of the blade during each match.


I certainly think if it would be more interesting if it was not called a blade outright, but an artifact of Shadowfell origin. That would make it much more open to interpretation, explain why the weapons shift in size and type, what the tomelocks get (maybe it's a book or a shadowstone tablet), why you gain a familiar (it's attached to the artifact you have)

EDIT: I really like The Reaper. It's certainly associated with the Raven Queen, but is more connected to the Shadowfell plane as a thing that has a purpose.

[Rebonack]

Solution: Move the various 'Hex Warrior' features over to Pact of the Blade and rename Hexblade 'The Psychopomp'.

Now Pact of the Blade isn't gimped on everyone and we have a patron that actually makes sense.

Everyone wins!

[strangebloke]

Solution: Move the various 'Hex Warrior' features over to Pact of the Blade and rename Hexblade 'The Psychopomp'.

Now Pact of the Blade isn't gimped on everyone and we have a patron that actually makes sense.

Everyone wins!

At least one big issue with this is that if you play from first level, you're going to still need DEX or STR for levels 1 and 2, which is a tad awkward.

EDIT: Does anyone have any on-topic ideas? I was interested in coming up with fluff, not yet another discussion of how much everyone hates the stupid sexy hexblade.

[Rebonack]

Rename Hexblade 'The Psychopomp', as suggested above.

Many (but not all!) Psychopomps are lugging around a weapon of some kind. Or at least something that could be used as a weapon. Works well if psychopomps are a thing your setting has. Don't think generic FR really has 'em, though. People just sort of pop up on the fugue plane after they die if I recall correctly.

The difficulty in coming up with fluff on Hexblade is that they're getting pulled in two very different directions. Spooky death-related stuff and arcane warrior stuff. It has a very Ringwraith sort of feel to it, especially with the ability to yank someone's soul out as a pet. Maybe try making a pact with Sauron?

As an aside, it's worth noting that the Hexblade Warlock doesn't get a blade by default. They still have to run Pact of the Blade like anyone else, which just muddles things even further.

[Millstone85]

How would you fluff the various boons of the Reaper? The curse, the hex warrior ability, the spellcasting, etc.Cursing features would come from your patron's connection with fate. Martial features would come from many reapers being traditionally depicted with a weapon of some kind.

The weirdest feature for me is Accursed Specter. According to the MM, the distinctive trait of a specter is that while "When a ghost's unfinished business is completed, it can rest at last. No such rest or redemption awaits a specter. It is doomed to the Material Plane, its only end the oblivion that comes with the destruction of its soul.". But with Accursed Specter, "The specter remains in your service until the end of your next long rest, at which point it vanishes to the afterlife.", so it is a specter whose fate is notably not that of a specter.


As an aside, it's worth noting that the Hexblade Warlock doesn't get a blade by default. They still have to run Pact of the Blade like anyone else, which just muddles things even further.Or they can acquire a weapon the old fashioned way.

[Davrix]

I have a feeling Crawford isn't. Done (https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/922293425063391233). Correcting (https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/922556044110368768). That (https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/922890488553730048). Misconception (https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/958950931776774144).

Well, it is his fault, really. :smallannoyed:

This is why I took the idea and made it my own, curbing a bit from bloodborn, using hexblade and the blade pact.

The Faceless Order is a group hunters and assassins that deal with magical oddities, mutations and threats from realms beyond ours that would drive most people mad.

They create living weapons from the parts of the creatures they slay that are designed to fight and contain such creatures. As their bond to the weapon grows so does their power but also the wielder and weapon become more infused as one creature.

So for example by Lv 10 and hex armor comes online the weapon is more a living thing graphed upon there body that forms into the warlocks weapon. I may complain how the warlock works but the idea for my vs of Hexblade is something I rather like a lot.

[NecroDancer]

I always just portray the hexblade as a pact with Sauron.

A powerful entity stored a piece of themselves inside of an artifact. You found this artifact thus giving you "conduit" to the power entity.

For example...
1. A Holy Symbol of a forgotten deity carved into a hammer

2. A dagger that is a shard of a sentient Greatsword

3. An unfinished/flawed lich's phylactery in the shape of a spearhead.

4. A weapon that killed so many people that the vestigial spirits of its victims imbue it with power.

5. A greataxe that belonged to a powerful king and absorbed some of the king's personality via a magic ritual.

6. A mace made out of the thigh bone of a saint.


Some examples of hexblade weapons in media are

1. The one ring (the Lord of the Rings)

2. Nightmaster's sword (Shadowpact)

3. Thor's Hammer, which I can't spell (The Mighty Thor)

4. The Spear of Destiny

[Mortis_Elrod]

Yeah, you're really limited to a handful of things when it comes to the RAW reading of it.

The Darkin Weapons from League of Legends kind of have that feel. They have three so far:

Aatrox, a nameless warlord who has succumbed to the will of his sword;
Varus, a conglomeration of a pair of warriors and a Darkin Bow, blended together as single person;
Kayn, an assassin who has recently taken up the Darkin Scythe named Rhaast, and either controls or succumbs to the will of the blade during each match.


I certainly think if it would be more interesting if it was not called a blade outright, but an artifact of Shadowfell origin. That would make it much more open to interpretation, explain why the weapons shift in size and type, what the tomelocks get (maybe it's a book or a shadowstone tablet), why you gain a familiar (it's attached to the artifact you have)

EDIT: I really like The Reaper. It's certainly associated with the Raven Queen, but is more connected to the Shadowfell plane as a thing that has a purpose.

I have a strong need to correct you on your LoL Lore, but since you are mostly right I will leave it in a spoiler.

As for OP, I agree that the Reaper is a much better approach fluff wise, however I find that there’s a lot more room for interpretation than people realize. I believe Mike Mearls described the Hexblade better than those tweets did in one of his videos. Edit: Never mind after going back to his video i realized he said nearly nothing about the patron, sigh .
Suffice is to say the Hexblade patron can even be someone who turns things into cursed weapons, weapon being more metaphorical. A lot of things can be weapons, people included .


So you got Kayne down but Aatrox IS a darkin, possibly the last of his species that can become humanoid. He is literally a darkin of war, not a person who succumbed to the power of his sword.

Also last time I checked Varus was a single warrior who failed to guard .. something. Corruption spread and he took of the darkin bow.

Also there is a 4th. Recent rework on Swain reveals where he got his power from, only in this instance Swain is in complete control, having outsmarted his darkin, like a true warlock.

[OldTrees1]

I chose a Great Old One as the Patron for my Hexblade as a refluffing of the Hexblade.

[Gryndle]

yeah, we ditched the artifact sword as patron idea for our group pretty much immediately. we have one unique "hexblade" tradition stolen from some old fantasy novel I read ages ago and don't really remember much about except they were called Kalendral and were warriors trained/mentored and somewhat haunted by spirits of their dead ancestors or dead heroes.

Our other alternative is just be a hexblade and choose one of the standard patrons fey/fiend/celestial/whatever and call it a day.

[Legimus]

So I've got two Hexblades brewing—one a pure Hexblade and the other a 1-level dip into it—and have been thinking about good ways to re-flavor. For my pure one, I actually ran with the idea of the weapon being the patron. It's an ancient greatsword named Lamentation, and she thrives on carnage. Rather than be a "link" to some other being, she herself is the source of my warlock's power. The pact is simple: she'll gift him eldritch knowledge and magic, and he'll make sure to regularly sate her bloodlust. She doesn't actually know her origins, but she's curious to find out (which leaves open doors for a side quest if the DM wants). It's a simple concept, but it leaves a lot of room for fun interactions between my warlock and his weapon. I imagine them having conversations during downtime, or the sword laughing during combat.

For my 1-level dip, I'm building more of a theme around Hex Warrior. My character uncovers the secret teachings of a forgotten deity and learns to imbue his weapon with a dark magic. Rather than sentience, the weapon responds to his emotions in combat, channeling his hate and rage into physical force. The Hexblade's Curse is my character focusing his anger on a single foe, a little like Vow of Enmity, which requires a lot of willpower but makes his strikes even more potent. Imbuing the weapon with this magic takes regular maintenance though, and that means regular prayers to this minor god. No grand promises or crazy pacts. Just recognition in exchange for power.

[Captain Coffee]

1. I'm fine either way on this. When the player decides, they are telling the DM what kind of story they want to tell. My normal group is really bad about this, so the more backstory I can squeeze out of them the better. But, as a DM it can be fun to have a patron that you player has left undefined so you can tie it more closely to your narrative.

2. My current Hexblade's patron is the platonic form of weapon. He is a variant human who took Tavern Brawler at lvl 1 and the Folk Hero background. He is a weakling who started fighting with farming implements and other random non-weapon weapons. The idea of Weapon was impressed with his creativity, so it gives him power to continue being awesome.
3. My DM has agreed that, since the pact blade can take any from anyway, my character can grab any random one handed item that is not a weapon and it gets the pact blade's bonuses. Naveen is so much fun. I rolled his name from tables in Xanathar's. At lvl 5 he took out a cr 8 assassin with a mug and some rocks.

[strangebloke]

This is why I took the idea and made it my own, curbing a bit from bloodborn, using hexblade and the blade pact.

The Faceless Order is a group hunters and assassins that deal with magical oddities, mutations and threats from realms beyond ours that would drive most people mad.

They create living weapons from the parts of the creatures they slay that are designed to fight and contain such creatures. As their bond to the weapon grows so does their power but also the wielder and weapon become more infused as one creature.

So for example by Lv 10 and hex armor comes online the weapon is more a living thing graphed upon there body that forms into the warlocks weapon. I may complain how the warlock works but the idea for my vs of Hexblade is something I rather like a lot.
I like this. Very nice body horror. Gives me kind of a ranger vibe, like, someone who is totally dedicated to hunting and killing a certain breed of enemy.

And yeah the basic idea: creepy themed arcane knight is very flexible. It's why I made this thread.

I always just portray the hexblade as a pact with Sauron.

A powerful entity stored a piece of themselves inside of an artifact. You found this artifact thus giving you "conduit" to the power entity.

For example...
1. A Holy Symbol of a forgotten deity carved into a hammer

2. A dagger that is a shard of a sentient Greatsword

3. An unfinished/flawed lich's phylactery in the shape of a spearhead.

4. A weapon that killed so many people that the vestigial spirits of its victims imbue it with power.

5. A greataxe that belonged to a powerful king and absorbed some of the king's personality via a magic ritual.

6. A mace made out of the thigh bone of a saint.

Sauron is very much so the guy to make a faustian pact with a mortal, although the only part that really screams 'Sauron' to me is the specter.

[Davrix]

I like this. Very nice body horror. Gives me kind of a ranger vibe, like, someone who is totally dedicated to hunting and killing a certain breed of enemy.


He may multi into ranger eventually for favored enemy but its hard NOT to get to lv 10 asap for the armor of hexes feature. My Dm's mouth dropped when his big super crit from the boss missed when i rolled a 6 on my die. So I narrated it as the weapon coming alive, traveling up my arm and eating the magical attack in some eldritch maw of bone and blood. It was awesome.

[Malifice]

Well, that is confusing.

And BORING.

Like, this hexblade guy is completely devoid of fluff beyond "Maybe works for Raven Queen," and "Is in Shadow fell," and "Makes swords."

So I guess a better thread opener would be:

"Name a patron for the 'hexblade pact' that is more interesting than Shadowfell-swords-guy-who-maybe-works-for-the-raven-queen."

Hexblades patron is a weapon. These weapons were spread through the planes by the Raven Queen to further her agenda.

[Protato]

I made a BM/Hexblade character who was trained since childhood to be a warrior by some sort of government agency and given a weapon called the Marthim Sword that he could summon at will, and that's specially keyed to him. The patron, in this case, was the group that gave him the sword, and spies on him via magical jewlery.

[Malifice]

It's pretty easy to refluff.

An elf bound to a moon blade. Arthur and Excalibur. Whatever.

[strangebloke]

Hexblades patron is a weapon. These weapons were spread through the planes by the Raven Queen to further her agenda.


I have a feeling Crawford isn't. Done (https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/922293425063391233). Correcting (https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/922556044110368768). That (https://twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/922890488553730048). Misconception (https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/958950931776774144).

Well, it is his fault, really. :smallannoyed:
JC seems to disagree with you on this one, Malifice. The sword is the means by which you make a pact with 'The Hexblade' who is in the shadowfell entity and some people say he works for the Raven Queen.

1. I'm fine either way on this. When the player decides, they are telling the DM what kind of story they want to tell. My normal group is really bad about this, so the more backstory I can squeeze out of them the better. But, as a DM it can be fun to have a patron that you player has left undefined so you can tie it more closely to your narrative.

2. My current Hexblade's patron is the platonic form of weapon. He is a variant human who took Tavern Brawler at lvl 1 and the Folk Hero background. He is a weakling who started fighting with farming implements and other random non-weapon weapons. The idea of Weapon was impressed with his creativity, so it gives him power to continue being awesome.
3. My DM has agreed that, since the pact blade can take any from anyway, my character can grab any random one handed item that is not a weapon and it gets the pact blade's bonuses. Naveen is so much fun. I rolled his name from tables in Xanathar's. At lvl 5 he took out a cr 8 assassin with a mug and some rocks.
Well that's a very different take on the hexblade. I guess I would allow this in my game since I don't think there's any real bonus to fighting like this. So are you using the normal patron or a modded one? How do you describe the look of the weapon when he picks it up and wields it?

Sounds fun!

I made a BM/Hexblade character who was trained since childhood to be a warrior by some sort of government agency and given a weapon called the Marthim Sword that he could summon at will, and that's specially keyed to him. The patron, in this case, was the group that gave him the sword, and spies on him via magical jewlery.
Haha I love the idea that an organization could collectively act as an arcane patron. Plenty consistent with a number of works I can think of, but the real reason I love this is that it makes a bureaucracy an entity on the level of an eldritch monstrosity. I would fluff some of the abilities as a team back at home base choosing to activate certain of his weapons abilities.

[Malifice]

My current Hexblade is a Shadowvar servant of the Raven Queen who renounced Shar following the destruction of the City of Shade by Elminster.

The RQ is using me to establish her worship in Faerun where she is not a deity.

Shar is not impressed.

[strangebloke]

It's pretty easy to refluff.

An elf bound to a moon blade. Arthur and Excalibur. Whatever.

Well, yeah.

I'm asking about cool ways to refluff it. What does 'arthur and excalibur' look like to you?

[Malifice]

Well, yeah.

I'm asking about cool ways to refluff it. What does 'arthur and excalibur' look like to you?

You were gifted your special sword by the lady of the lake.

Instead of being gifted it by the Raven Queen.

[Vogie]

Also last time I checked Varus was a single warrior who failed to guard .. something. Corruption spread and he took of the darkin bow.


They recently rebooted Varus' lore. There was comic and a climactic music video showing the merging of the two souls to the spirit of the object, HERE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzNcSvKCOyA). I hadn't heard about the Swain stuff, that'd be cool.

[strangebloke]

You were gifted your special sword by the lady of the lake.

Instead of being gifted it by the Raven Queen.

A: Hexblade Warlocks don't neccesarily get a magic sword. They only get one if they take the pact weapon boon. They interface with their patron through a magic sword.

B: The actual patron of a warlock is 'the hexblade' a guy who according to JC is "Shadowfell Hephaestus." Some people assert he works for RQ, or that the RQ is the Hexblade, but she may or may not actually be involved.

C. I said interesting. Why is excalibur cool? How would your refluff an ability like the specter if your character is Arthur? How would you make it cool? Obviously you can just say. 'refluff it as a magic dog summon,' but this thread is pretty much strictly about rule of cool.

[Malifice]

A: Hexblade Warlocks don't neccesarily get a magic sword. They only get one if they take the pact weapon boon. They interface with their patron through a magic sword.

B: The actual patron of a warlock is 'the hexblade' a guy who according to JC is "Shadowfell Hephaestus." Some people assert he works for RQ, or that the RQ is the Hexblade, but she may or may not actually be involved.

C. I said interesting. Why is excalibur cool? How would your refluff an ability like the specter if your character is Arthur? How would you make it cool? Obviously you can just say. 'refluff it as a magic dog summon,' but this thread is pretty much strictly about rule of cool.

You're using Hex blade fluff to counter refluffing of the Hexblade.

[Sicarius Victis]

You're using Hex blade fluff to counter refluffing of the Hexblade.

No, they're probably not. It looks more like a response to "Instead of being gifted it by the Raven Queen", clarifying that it's not necessarily the Raven Queen that the pact belongs to in official fluff.

[Likantropos]

My next character is an aasimar hexblade, with both racial origin and warlock patron rolled into one. He has a shard of a celestial in him, that celestial being a very violent and warlike heavenly soldier type. Hex Warrior, pact magic and radiant soul are fluffed as the celestial taking over.

[Mortis_Elrod]

They recently rebooted Varus' lore. There was comic and a climactic music video showing the merging of the two souls to the spirit of the object, HERE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzNcSvKCOyA). I hadn't heard about the Swain stuff, that'd be cool.

Oooooh let me take a look.

And yeah the swain stuff is reallly cool. They finally got his Dragonmaster skin.

[nvisibl]

So I've been wanting to make a hexblade, but also struggled to flesh out the patron due to the vague way it was explained in XGtE. I really like the idea of it being a Grim Reaper type entity. However, a scythe is not an available weapon given in the PHB.

How would you fluff a scythe? Is it a glaive/halberd? Or a greataxe? A greatsword? What is the best approximation for attributes and damage?

[Vogie]

So I've been wanting to make a hexblade, but also struggled to flesh out the patron due to the vague way it was explained in XGtE. I really like the idea of it being a Grim Reaper type entity. However, a scythe is not an available weapon given in the PHB.

How would you fluff a scythe? Is it a glaive/halberd? Or a greataxe? A greatsword? What is the best approximation for attributes and damage?

Scythes, especially wielded by grim reapers in media, vary in size and handedness. This is because farming Scythes, war scythes, and Sickles ("hand Scythes") all have about a similar look to them, and are all grouped together. If you wanted to use a Glaive/Halberd (reach), a Greataxe (more damage, no reach), or Battleaxe (versatile, non-heavy) and fluff it as a scythe, you could find an image of a Scythe-wielder to back it up.

Also, pairing them to a Axe-based weapon is certainly a nod to the Executioner's Axe, which is certainly a boon.

[Malifice]

How would you fluff a scythe? Is it a glaive/halberd? Or a greataxe? A greatsword? What is the best approximation for attributes and damage?

Pick a weapon. Call it a scythe.

Halberd or greataxe look like decent analogues.

[Sigreid]

My hexblade's patron is a shadow creature that has been looking after his family for generations, occasionally granting power to a family member. He knows it's not 'Good ', he's not clear on what its interest in the family is. I wanted to let the DM play with a mysterious entity a bit.

[strangebloke]

You're using Hex blade fluff to counter refluffing of the Hexblade.
You said 'x' not 'y,' and you were wrong about 'x,' so I just thought for clarity's sake that I would correct you. No hard feelings man.


My next character is an aasimar hexblade, with both racial origin and warlock patron rolled into one. He has a shard of a celestial in him, that celestial being a very violent and warlike heavenly soldier type. Hex Warrior, pact magic and radiant soul are fluffed as the celestial taking over.
So what you're saying is, you found a way to make the hexblade even more of a paladin. Are his personalities in conflict, or is his normal personality pretty much in agreement with the celestial? Like I can see that as being very fun if the party is trying to talk him down.

"Tristan, let him go, we..."
"Tristan's not here right now."


So I've been wanting to make a hexblade, but also struggled to flesh out the patron due to the vague way it was explained in XGtE. I really like the idea of it being a Grim Reaper type entity. However, a scythe is not an available weapon given in the PHB.

How would you fluff a scythe? Is it a glaive/halberd? Or a greataxe? A greatsword? What is the best approximation for attributes and damage?
Well, you can probably use the 3.5 stats if you want, which makes it a two-handed weapon with 2d4 damage. Honestly not a great choice for a hexblade but eh. Rule of cool and all. Otherwise Malifice's idea works fine.

[Mortis_Elrod]

So I've been wanting to make a hexblade, but also struggled to flesh out the patron due to the vague way it was explained in XGtE. I really like the idea of it being a Grim Reaper type entity. However, a scythe is not an available weapon given in the PHB.

How would you fluff a scythe? Is it a glaive/halberd? Or a greataxe? A greatsword? What is the best approximation for attributes and damage?

use the War Pick. nobody uses that....why does nobody use that?.

[SkylarkR6]

My hexblade's patron was The Shadowforge, an interplanar arms manufacturer. My warlock was an employee of the company working as a traveling salesman and occasion repo man. Blade pact allows him access to all of the company's demonstration weapons and his contact is an imp/notary who brings his commission and takes contracts back to be filled.

[strangebloke]

My hexblade's patron was The Shadowforge, an interplanar arms manufacturer. My warlock was an employee of the company working as a traveling salesman and occasion repo man. Blade pact allows him access to all of the company's demonstration weapons and his contact is an imp/notary who brings his commission and takes contracts back to be filled.

This has a very 'Planescape' vibe to it, and I like it. Was the shadowforge also the party's magic shop of choice?

Seems like you were kind of a crappy sales guy if they weren't.

[Wryte]

I was playing an Archfey bladelock in a campaign when the Hexblade UA came out, and my DM suggested I switch to it. He allowed me to keep my original patron because he liked the backstory so much (I was playing a troll freak who mutated after eating the remains of a recently deceased dryad, and was now haunted by her spirit as my patron), just substituting the features of the Hexblade instead. That's probably how I would approach it as a DM, too: choose any of the other warlock patrons as your actual patron, but their patronage takes the form of Hexblade features through the weapon they bestow upon you. Granted, this would also require refluffing most of the Hexblade's features to align with whichever other patron they chose.

[strangebloke]

I was playing an Archfey bladelock in a campaign when the Hexblade UA came out, and my DM suggested I switch to it. He allowed me to keep my original patron because he liked the backstory so much (I was playing a troll freak who mutated after eating the remains of a recently deceased dryad, and was now haunted by her spirit as my patron), just substituting the features of the Hexblade instead. That's probably how I would approach it as a DM, too: choose any of the other warlock patrons as your actual patron, but their patronage takes the form of Hexblade features through the weapon they bestow upon you. Granted, this would also require refluffing most of the Hexblade's features to align with whichever other patron they chose.

Hence why a lot of people argue that hex warrior should have been a pact of the blade feature...

Not sure whether I agree or not. After all, what are you doing for the first two levels before you get hex warrior? Running around hitting people with +2 DEX?

[Wryte]

Not sure whether I agree or not. After all, what are you doing for the first two levels before you get hex warrior? Running around hitting people with +2 DEX?

...yes? +2 is perfectly serviceable at 1st and 2nd level.

Either way, I wasn't talking about replacing Pact of the Blade with Hexblade features. I replaced my Archfey features with Hexblade features, while keeping the Archfey fluff for my patron.

[SkylarkR6]

This has a very 'Planescape' vibe to it, and I like it. Was the shadowforge also the party's magic shop of choice?

Seems like you were kind of a crappy sales guy if they weren't.

Please read the following in the worst Brooklyn gangster voice you can come up with. It will most likely match my RP.

"What? You want a basic magical short sword? Of course I can set you right up. Normally it's 1100 gold but I'll make sure you get the family and friends discount and knock off 50. You'll want the insurance on that of course. For a measly 25g a month, paid up front for 2years, you are guaranteed to be reimbursed if your sword is stolen, broken, or otherwise misplaced. Thefts will of course results in the most heinous murder of the perpetrator, you understand of course. If you'll sign here, my associate will take the contract and payment, less my commission of course, and your new sword will arrive in 3-6 hours. Don't forget to tell your friends and local authorities. We offer discounts to large orders and loyal customers."

[Malifice]

You said 'x' not 'y,' and you were wrong about 'x,' so I just thought for clarity's sake that I would correct you. No hard feelings man.

No, I was refluffing.

For hexblade we're looking at +Cha to hit and damage with a melee weapon, and the curse (buff v 1 opponent). Thats the mechanics.

'Approached by a mysterious 'Lady of the Lake' and gifted a longsword of superior make, Arthur was told that this sword made him the rightful king of England. He found his might with this weapon grew as his lordliness and ability to lead others did (+cha to hit). He could call on the Lady (curse) often to empower him in battle and overcome much more potent adversaries, such was his divine right of rule.'

'Zensho was gifted his families ancient katana after mastering the Kyo-ishu-ren style of kenjitsu; a style famed for its ability to focus the will of its practitioner, and to channel his inner Ki (+Cha to hit). He could focus his ki on one opponent, ensuring victory in a one on one duel.'

'Eldork was the last of his people. Gifted a rune encrused black bladed sword that whispered to him, he found he could weild it by virtue of ancient pacts his people had made with the demons of Chaos, and despite his own albinism and weak strength (+Cha to hit). The sword granted him power to steal the souls of others, and drain thier life force and overcome more skilled warriors (curse).'

'Laurfigel was called to in dreams by a mysterious sword of mithril shimmering in the darkness - the ancient heirloom of the Elven people - a Moon blade. When he awoke, the sword was by his side, and he found that he could weild it effortlessly and with unearthly grace (+cha to hit). Often, he found he could hear the ancient spirits of past weilders providing advice on overcoming potent foes in battle (curse).'

Etc.