Hexblade mass curse?

[Albions_Angel]

Hi all,

Ok, so I am posting quite a bit today. Sorry.

Hexblade fix advice this time.

I have read the creators suggested fixes, and some other homebrew fixes, and none of them are quite right for me.

So, in addition to:
1+Cha Mod Curses per day (+1 at 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th)
Curse not used up if target resists.
Keeping Curse as free action (but 1 per round)
Additional spells on list

I was thinking of this:

Contagious Curse (Name to be improved, as it sucks):
Starting at 8th level, when a Hexblade successfully applies their Curse to an opponent, they can spread the Curse effect to a second opponent within 30ft of the first. This second target must also be within sight of the Hexblade, and gets their own save. At 11th, 14th and 18th level, the Curse can be spread to an additional opponent within 30ft of the original target. This does not use more than 1 use of the Curse.

I think its a nice AoE. I was originally thinking of chaining it (if first is cursed, curse second, if second is cursed, curse third, etc) until the limit was reached, or somebody saved. But I am worried about it flickering back up a line some 180 ft (60 initial, +30*4 by level 18). This way, it spreads from the original target outwards like a spiderweb or a burst effect.

Or does this go from "Minor fixes to Hexblade make it OK" to "Oh my god, why play any other buffing character?!"

[ColorBlindNinja]

I am admittedly not terribly well versed in Hexblades, but from what you've described I think it be a nice power boost for them.

The enemies still have to save, so I doubt it'd break anything.

[Crake]

I actually homebrewed a hexblade boost that I have online here. (http://madius.ddns.net/doku.php?id=hb:hexblade_rework) Its being playtested right now in my current game, but so far the player has been enjoying it. You can ignore the hexblade's charge and just use a familiar, that part was done mostly to give the hexblade a more unique feel and make it fit with the idea that the player was working with.

Compared to a regular hexblade, the general jist of the upgrades is as follows:

Hexblade curse uses equal to 1/2 level + cha mod
Basic curse use doesn't consume uses on a passed save
At levels 5, 9, 13 and 17 the hexblade gains the ability to use bestow curse, feeblemind, greater bestow curse, and soul binding for 2, 3, 4, or 5 uses of the hexblade's daily curses respectively. The soul binding usage is an immediate action, and is designed to be able to be used before any contingencies or the like kick in, giving the hexblade a very unique ability to permanently kill otherwise tricky enemies.

Arcane Resistance was changed to apply to saves in general, not just vs spells and SLAs.
Aura of Unluck was changed to spell reflection, allowing the hexblade to reflect any spell targetted at him that he manages to ignore using his mettle ability, once per day, plus an additional use every 4 levels above 12th.
Swift casting allowing the hexblade to cast a spell as a swift action 1/day at 4th level, with an additional use at 8th, 11th, 14th and 18th level.
The forced omens class features were also included from the wotc "dead levels" article.

Spells per day were increased by 1 across the board, spells known remains unchanged.

The hexblade's charge (charge as in, someone under your care, not the run forward and attack thing), is basically a little custom familiar that you can design to your choosing, based on the being you've bound to gain your hexblade powers. It uses your spellcasting for you, freeing you up to spend your actions doing other things, but if it's all too homebrew-y for you, you can just move the spellcasting back to the hexblade, give it a familiar at level 4 as normal, and just ignore it entirely.

[mesc]

Our DM added fixes to classes, one of which was for hexblade, and one which is a mass curse.

Hexblade
- Curse ability usable a number of times per day equal to class level. In addition, a creature who resists your curse, can now be cursed again after 3 rounds. Lastly, effects which remove a curse must first succeed on a caster level check against 12 + your hexblade level.
- Starting at 4th level, you gain the extend curse feat (DR 399)
- Starting at 6th level, you always know the location of a creature affected by your curse
- Starting at 8th level, you can now target a creature within 60 feet of your familiar or dark companion with your curse ability
- Starting at 10th level, for a number of times per day equal to your charisma modifier, as a swift action you can teleport to a square within 5 feet of a creature you have cursed.
- Starting at 12th level, you can target creatures you have sight of through magical means, such as scrying with your curse ability.
- Starting at 14th level, you can target multiple creatures when you curse, you can target up to 1 additional creature/ 4 hexblade levels. All targets must be within 30 ft. of each other.
- Aura of unluck gained at 5th level, gain one extra use for every 5 levels after.
- Prestige classes which advance caster level, also advances your level for the curse and aura of unluck ability.