hex duration

[Lance Tankmen]

so never really had to think of hex too often but the way the spell works it lasts a full hour unless broken the normal way concentration is? so if a party has a fight 20 minutes after the next then they don't have to waste a spell slot if they maintained the spell they simply throw it on the next opponent correct ?

[MadBear]

so never really had to think of hex too often but the way the spell works it lasts a full hour unless broken the normal way concentration is? so if a party has a fight 20 minutes after the next then they don't have to waste a spell slot if they maintained the spell they simply throw it on the next opponent correct ?

short answer: correct.

[Cynthaer]

It's a common question, because the text of the spell doesn't explicitly state whether you have to reassign the Hex immediately after the previous target dies or not.

I haven't seen an official statement, but it's pretty universally agreed that you should be able to keep it active and pick a new target as long as you're still concentrating and it's in duration. That is, your interpretation is correct.

The designers' intent is pretty clear, IMO, because otherwise there would be no point in defining the upcast durations. A 24-hour duration at level 5 makes no sense if it requires 24 hours of unbroken combat to work.

[Scripten]

The designers' intent is pretty clear, IMO, because otherwise there would be no point in defining the upcast durations. A 24-hour duration at level 5 makes no sense if it requires 24 hours of unbroken combat to work.

Not that I disagree with your other points, but a Hex against a mental stat could be used to sway a social encounter. It wouldn't be a great use of the spell slot, but it's there.

[Ventruenox]

Hex against a mental stat could be used to sway a social encounter. It wouldn't be a great use of the spell slot, but it's there.

I've used it for a very similar purpose, Hexing a ship captain's Charisma to create confusion and delay among his crew while my party's ship tried to escape. The fact that there is no save on the spell can make the disadvantage on ability checks fairly powerful.

[Cynthaer]

Not that I disagree with your other points, but a Hex against a mental stat could be used to sway a social encounter. It wouldn't be a great use of the spell slot, but it's there.


I've used it for a very similar purpose, Hexing a ship captain's Charisma to create confusion and delay among his crew while my party's ship tried to escape. The fact that there is no save on the spell can make the disadvantage on ability checks fairly powerful.

True, and I didn't think of that.

Hell, I could imagine similar long-term non-lethal uses targeting physical stats—like hitting Dex on a tied-up thief you have to transport to another city. Like Scripten said, it's not the most efficient use of a 5th-level spell slot and concentration, but a full day of unavoidable disadvantage to escape both ropes and grapples is a cute use of the tools at hand.

That said, I think we generally agree that the increased duration signposts the developer's expectation that you would cast it in your first battle and then keep it active all day, moving it from enemy to enemy.

[sambojin]

Also nice for when you know you're going to hit someone, but haven't yet. Initiative is still a Dex check, and it'll still be rolled at some point if negotiations go sour. So why not have a good chance that the whole party will go before them?

But yeah, Cha or Dex are the two biggest ones, though Wis can be useful if you're sneaking by a single enemy.

[Naanomi]

But yeah, Cha or Dex are the two biggest ones, though Wis can be useful if you're sneaking by a single enemy.
WIS is also good if you really need to lie to someone well

INT has uses as well, especially if you are a tricksy illusion using feylock or the like

[Cynthaer]

Also nice for when you know you're going to hit someone, but haven't yet. Initiative is still a Dex check, and it'll still be rolled at some point if negotiations go sour. So why not have a good chance that the whole party will go before them?

But yeah, Cha or Dex are the two biggest ones, though Wis can be useful if you're sneaking by a single enemy.


WIS is also good if you really need to lie to someone well

INT has uses as well, especially if you are a tricksy illusion using feylock or the like

Str or Dex are solid in combat if you have a grappler. Granted, you'll need to pick the stat any given enemy is likely to actually use to contest the grapple, but hey.