The Hexer Handbook: A Guide to the Hexer Prestige Class

[Saintheart]

The Hexer Handbook


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“Se il malocchio ti fissa, guarda da un'altra parte.”
- Erica Jong.


Why the Hexer?
The Hexer is a prestige class from the 3.0 sourcebook Masters of the Wild, which was never updated for 3.5 and consequently stands as written and useable.

It is a fascinating prestige class. Possibly designed to give the NPC Adept class something to do, its fluff is compelling: a surly, primitive champion of uncivilised races out in the wilds, the Hexer has a compelling gaze that can bring misfortune to those who look at him, and often comes to lead tribes of primitive humanoids. It’s just a cool class.

However, it also stands out amongst the prestige classes of third edition as a full BAB and full casting class, advancing either divine or arcane spellcasting. That’s leaving aside its class abilities, which include adding spells to its list and a few unusual gaze-based abilities.

And perhaps half the fun of the Hexer is qualifying for it at all. It has an odd set of prerequisites which require care and thought to optimise, although it can be met relatively simply as well.

Colour Coding
Green = good option. In the context of abilities, it’s something worth taking or a positive aspect of the class. In the context of entry paths, it’s a low-cost alternative. In the context of equipment or features, it’s a ‘please consider’ at least for your Hexer.
Black = neutral. Either has enough pros and cons that it comes out as a wash, or it’s just a “meh” ability and/or way of qualifying.
Red = give this the evil eye. Either it’s suboptimal as an ability or the cost/benefit ratio is just too great to make it worthwhile outside the most particular of builds. This is also used to assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of certain aspects of the class.

The Hexer can be found in the 3.0 sourcebook Masters of the Wild.


Index
Post 2 – Prestige Class Features
Post 3 – Entry Requirements 1: Alignment and Skills
Post 4 – Entry Requirements 2: Race/Type
Post 5 – Entry Requirements 3: Casting Lightning Bolt as a divine spell
Post 6 – Attributes and Feats
Post 7 – Skills, Spells, and Desirable Equipment
Post 8 – Sample Builds
Post 9 – Spare Box


Thanks to:
DictumMortuum for the handbook template
Thurbane for inspiring the thread, and builds of course
Thorr-Kan for the Adept builds
Anthrowhale for the catches and builds
Gary Gygax, always

[Saintheart]

Prestige Class Features


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No, not that Hexer for crying out loud.



10/10 casting (arcane or divine): I mean, there’s not much more you can say about this. 3.5 might as well have been subtitled ‘Caster Edition’, and this prestige class plays straight into it. And better yet, it’ll let you progress either a divine or arcane progression, meaning the set of concepts available for it is just as wide.

10/10 BAB: And there really isn’t much more you can say about this, either. Casting classes are normally skimpy on BAB, prestige classes moreso, but this one just throws down and says ‘Knock yourself out, morally ambiguous hero’. If a +16 BAB at level 20 is the benchmark for a gish build, this progression goes a long way towards rescuing arcane casting classes in that respect. (Hell, it even rescues some divine classes). It’s particularly interesting for those who take Abjurant Champion 5, since the all-ahead-flank BAB progression has a good chance of indirectly boosting your caster level if you’ve been futzing around with multiclassing. On the other hand, because of the entry requirements, it’s a lot tougher to build a truly dangerous melee character even though we’ve got full BAB.

Bonus Spells (from Sor/Wiz list): Every 2 levels, you pick up a spell off the Sorcerer/Wizard list, any level, so long as it would be of a level that you can cast. Total of 5 spells, added to your list. This is probably of interest for the divine entry classes, but also to the limited-list arcanists such as Duskblade, Beguiler, or Hexblade – especially where in order to go into Hexer the base class gives up its (limited) Advanced Learning feature. Getting the full five spells requires taking the full 10 levels of the class, but given the bonus spells are of any level you can already cast there’s an argument for making a late entry to the class and targeting a smaller bunch of high level spells instead.

By the way, this very feature is used to argue that the Archivist can scribe every Sor/Wiz spell in existence, because the Hexer in effect pulls all Sor/Wiz spells onto the Archivist’s list -- i.e. the Archivist can always find a scroll written by a Hexer who brought a particular arcane spell onto his list.

Debuff Hex:
(The PrC just calls it a ‘Hex’; I’m calling it this to distinguish it from the others the prestige class grants.) You get this at Hexer 1; it rises in uses up to 6/day. As with all the other hexes, it’s a gaze attack, basically the ‘evil eye’ of legend, useable out to 30 feet with anyone you’re ‘interacting’ with, i.e. call someone a nasty name as a free action and you’ve got interaction. It’s on par with Bestow Curse: it imposes a -4 to attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, and skill checks, permanently, removeable only by wish, miracle, remove curse, or break enchantment. . This is an “enhancement penalty”, i.e. all other hexes and pretty well any other debuffer will stack with it. It’s a standard action to use, Will save, DC 10 + Hexer level + WIS mod.

Not impressed? Have another look at the RAW, because it’s not what you first think. First thing, the Hex doesn’t have the de rigeur text that a target making its save is immune for the rest of the fight. So if the target does save, you just try it again next round.

“But that’ll use up one of my hex uses for the day, and cost me another standard action…” Wrong! Once activated, a hex lasts a number of rounds equal to the Hexer level. Not the effect of the hex (which is permanent), the hex itself. So off one standard action, every round, pick a new target to hit with the same hex or have another eyeblast at a character who made his saving throw! And there’s nothing that says multiple hexes can’t be active at the same time, i.e. get a Debuff and a Sicken hex going at once and you crash the target’s save and then hit them for no DEX bonus to AC!

It’s described as an enchantment effect, so mind-affecting immunities are very likely to work against it.

I don’t want to overstate its power. You’re gipped on the Hex’s saving throw at least for the first few levels. Spell-like abilities generally have a saving throw of DC 10 + Level of Spell Mimicked + CHA mod. Bestow Curse, is level 3 for Clerics, 4 for Sorcerers/Wizards. So leaving out stat bonuses, that means you don’t really reach parity in save DC until Hexer 3-4; mathematically, you’re better off casting Bestow Curse until then at least so far as saves are concerned.

Increasing WIS bonus and other methods of raising the DC do change the equation somewhat, but Bestow Curse is meant to be getting cast back down around level 5-7, and its save DC reflects that. The old saying is ‘never cross a river that’s on average three feet deep’, but the average stats of all 3.5 monsters (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?623578-3-5-Average-Monster-Stats-UPDATED-TABLE&highlight=average+monster+AC+BAB) tell us we can expect a CR 8 to have a Will save of (rounding up) +8. Assuming entry to Hexer right after Archivist 7, the Debuff Hex’s save’s DC is 11+WIS. Statistically these are poor odds unless your WIS is sky-high. And, because the hex is a spell-like ability, there’s also Spell Resistance to contend with, although at least your caster level for those purposes is your hit dice.

The save DC does get stronger the longer you’re in Hexer, which normally doesn’t happen with spell-like abilities, and if you have half a brain your WIS modifier will be at least +4 if you’re planning on divine casting. And it might only be a curse, but it’s a curse that bangs on the enemy’s door every round if it doesn’t succeed. But it doesn’t take away from the fact the Debuff Hex needs more fuel.

It’s also true the Debuff Hex is great for assisting the other hexes get up once a target fails the save, since the target then has a tougher time resisting a followup Sicken, Fear, Sleep, or Charm with its saves nuked by 4. I would rate this argument higher if we had more Hex uses per day: six maximum at Hexer 10 means you’re not likely to be firing off two in every combat.


Sicken Hex:
As with the Debuff Hex, but allows a Fort save rather than Will. The target is reduced to half speed, loses DEX bonus to AC, and takes a -2 to attack rolls. And yes, permanent, so the rogue and other precision damage types can just go to town for, like, the rest of the target’s life.

This comes online at Hexer 3, thus, ECL 10 at the earliest. Again it doesn’t explicitly duplicate a given spell, and imposes a mixture of sickened and blinded conditions without being fully either one. Our saving throw DCs start at DC 13+WIS. Making us target the Fort save is just a low blow by the designers, particularly when the hex is clearly meant for martial opponents given its effects. On average, CR 10 creatures have stronger saves in Fort (+12, rounded up) than Will (+10, rounded up). So, much less than fifty-fifty odds unless your WIS is ridiculously good.

Class-levelled mage opponents are obviously more vulnerable, but they’re not really affected by a lack of movement or a penalty to attack rolls, although, not wearing armor, they’re probably made more of a significant target by losing DEX to AC.

So this thing appears best suited to taking down fast hit-and-run types, the lightly armored creatures on the field with 30 feet of movement or better. I can see it being a royal smack in the face for flying types; half movement for anything flying with less than Good or Perfect manoeuvrability in fact means it’s down to quarter speed, since flying creatures have to retain half their movement allowance in reserve to maintain level flight. Combined with an entangling effect you could do some real damage, and as said it’s most useful for the rogue types in the party.


Fear Hex:
Same as the Debuff Hex, but target is “affected as if” by a fear spell. Permanently. This one’s online at Hexer 5, so our save starts at DC 15+WIS. And since multiple fear effects stack, there is nothing stopping you hitting the same target with the same hex again in the next round for better results, which superficially makes it a one-level fear-blasting build.

But given you’re necessarily playing somewhere in the character level teens, and given the immunities around by that point, the only feasible way this hex really gets real combat use is on a dedicated fear build, maybe a Dread Witch (although this Hex doesn’t benefit from the Dread Witch’s capacity to burn through fear immunity, or indeed most of the Dread Witch’s abilities, because it’s not a spell).

On top of that, it’s a compulsion and enchantment effect, meaning there’s a lot of stuff that gets immunity to it anyway. It's also referred to as a mind-influencing ability. This term is, in spelling anyway, distinct from mind-affecting, but when we dig a bit deeper we can see that WOTC probably changed the terminology but intended the same effect: the Construct type in 3.0 identifies mind-influencing effects as the same effects as mind-affecting under 3.5 (charms, compulsions, patterns, phantasms, and morale effects.) So, most likely, what's immune to mind-affecting effects is likely immune to the hex as well. That said, the effect also doesn’t grant continuing control over the subject and therefore isn’t blocked by Protection from Evil and the like.


Sleep Hex:
Same as the Debuff Hex, but target is “affected as if” by a sleep spell, duration 10 minutes x Hexer level. Normally Sleep is useless past about level 2 due to the 4 HD limit of creatures affected (and its low DC), but this power has no such stated constraints. Once again, it is a mind-influencing ability. Once again, the effect doesn’t grant continuing control over the subject and therefore isn’t blocked by Protection from Evil.

The DC still isn’t great: DC 17+WIS to start with, compared with average +16 monster Will saves at CR 15. But if successful or heavily boosted, this turns you into a coup de grace machine since a sleeping opponent is helpless. This is one of the better hexes absent sleep immunity … and as we all know, dragons and even bloody elves are immune to sleep.


Charm Hex:
Same as the Sleep Hex, only the effect is Charm Monster and lasts for 1 day per hexer level. Probably the weakest of the hexes given how late it comes online and that it just duplicates a Charm Monster spell in effect, even DC 19+WIS doesn’t really save it.


(Spell-like or Supernatural?)
All the hexes are classed as gaze attacks and all have the (Sp) tag, indicating they’re spell-like abilities. But under normal SRD rules, a Gaze Attack is a Supernatural ability if it isn’t produced by a spell. (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm) This is important because none of the Hexer’s hexes are produced by spells, they’re all spell-like abilities.

Most likely the Hexer’s text trumps that of 3.5’s rules on gaze attacks because it wasn’t updated and so is the primary, overriding rule source for the prestige class. But the 3.5 gaze attack rules are much, much more generous to the Hexer and you should really consider begging your DM to allow them to apply. Leaving aside that supernatural abilities aren’t affected by Spell Resistance, the save DCs are better in certain situations (specifically, where you start Hexer at around ECL 10, or where you dip it). See the discussion about Supernatural Transformation further down for more.

Either way, it’s worth clarification if only because not all the hexes explicitly duplicate a spell effect, which is usually the hallmark of a spell-like ability.

Concealment:
Worth noting here since, at higher levels, miss chances matter more than AC does, and this is an important ‘negative capability’ attached to our hexes. Once we switch on our gaze attack, no matter what the hex, opponents have a choice: try to avoid the gaze (in which case they get a percentage chance to avoid it, but we get concealment against them – a 20% miss chance) or avert their eyes entirely from us (in which case we get total concealment against them, i.e. a 50% miss chance.)


d6 hit dice: Consistent with Cloistered Cleric and friends. Hey, it could’ve been an Archivist or Wizard's hit dice.


2+INT skill points: Yech, cleric skill points. But it’s not likely you’re going to be doing much except Knowledge Devotion with the skill list anyway.


Good Will, Bad Reflex, Bad Fortitude: Stock up on your Divine Defiance, 7/10 Will save doesn’t make up for 3/10 Reflex and Fortitude. Especially when the Hexer’s hexes can be reflected back at him. I mean, come on.


No weapon or armor proficiencies: So you’d better have your suit together by the time you get here.


Class Skills: Alchemy, Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge, Scry, Spellcraft, Wilderness Lore As said, not a lot to really intrigue us here other than the two essential spellcasting skills of Concentration and Spellcraft, and all Knowledge skills as class skills. Alchemy and Scry are obsolete skills under 3.5.

[Saintheart]

Entry Requirements 1: Alignment and Skills

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Wise men agree to second helpings when Nonna offers, no matter how much pasta they've already had.

Qualifying for Hexer is a minigame in itself, because the requirements are difficult for anyone outside the NPC Adept class, which seems to have been the intended base. And the more you try to qualify via obviously powerful routes, the wider your reach has to be. But at the same time, the potential options available by reason of the entry requirements can be wide, too. So we’re going to talk in detail about the entry prerequisites across three posts, because there are a bunch of obscure options, some of which are more … plausible than others.


Alignment: any nongood
So far, so good. Or not, as the case may be. But this does cut down our potential alignments by three. No Luminous Armour line for us, no Sacred Exorcist, no Knight of the Raven. But there’s still enough depth in the neutrals if not the evil end.


Skills: Knowledge Arcana 10 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks, Wilderness Lore 10 ranks
Absent Dusk Giant Polymorph shenanigans (...although the Dusk Giant is a valid race for Hexer...), you pretty much can’t reach these skill ranks before ECL 7, and it takes a significant skill point commitment across those levels to hit that mark. Then there’s finding that combination of skills in one class … or wearing cross-class skill point expenditure. (And indeed that might well be a strategy if your starting class is one with a big whack of skill points … such as the Cloistered Cleric with his 6+INT and all Knowledge skills as class skills). Usually Spellcraft shows up on the same lists as Knowledge skills – it’s the Survival skill where things get tricky. (Wilderness Lore was, according to 3.5’s Update Booklet, changed to Survival; most DMs read the one for the other.)

In lieu of brute force cross-classing, though, here’s some suggestions:

Base Classes:
Adept (NPC, DMG): As said, the most obvious choice. The Adept has all three required class skills. However, as said it’s normally reserved for NPCs.

Cloistered Cleric (UA): All Knowledge skills as class skills, and has Spellcraft from Cleric. Also has two more domains which can easily supply Survival (Travel domain).

Cleric (PHB): If you're not pursuing Knowledge Devotion, then this isn't necessarily a bad pick since it does get Spellcraft and Knowledge Arcana as skills, and Survival can be pulled in from domains too. Better hit dice, same versatility on spells as a Cloistered Cleric.

Favored Soul (CDiv): The Cleric with a C minus. He's got Spellcraft and Knowledge Arcana, but not Survival. However, without Dragon magazine support or a hell of a lot of feats, he can’t satisfy the rest of the prereqs himself until class level 12 at least.

Mystic (DCS): Knowledge (Arcana) and Spellcraft, but no Survival. Gets domain spells but, by RAW, from a limited list of domains which it does not appear possible to include the Thunder domain even if your DM was going to allow that option from Dragon. Not much better than a Shugenja entry.

Spirit Shaman (CDiv): Has the Survival and Spellcraft, just needs Knowledge Arcana. Also, with 4+INT skill points, and access to the druid spell list changeable daily, isn’t a bad choice for spontaneous casters.

Savage Bard (UA): It’d be an odd path to qualification, but this variant does have all three required skills, including Survival.

Shugenja (CDiv, OA): Class skills include all Knowledge skills and Spellcraft. No Survival though.

Archivist (HoH): All the Knowledge skills and Spellcraft. No Survival.

Generic Spellcaster (UA): Gets all Knowledge skills as class skills and can pick four others, which can easily include Spellcraft and Survival.

Expert (NPC, SRD): Meant for NPCs, but any ten skills are class skills for him, 6+INT skill points per level. No BAB, and no spells, and, well, it’s an NPC class, but if you’re desperate…

Mystic Ranger (Dragon 323): Has its own complexities (see the discussion about Sword of the Arcane Order) but has one thing to recommend it in this space: it adds Spellcraft to the Ranger class list, meaning you've got Spellcraft and Survival and just need Knowledge Arcana from somewhere.


Prestige Classes:
Divine Disciple (FRCS): Knowledge (Arcana), Spellcraft, and Survival as class skills. But you have to be able to cast 4th level divine spells to get it, and you need 8 ranks Knowledge Religion and 5 in Diplomacy. Also: only lasts 5 levels with 2+INT skill points, meaning you’re likely throwing everything at one skill to get there and you’ve got more problems to iron out further back down the build.

Bane of Infidels (MoTW): Survival and Spellcraft as class skills, but still missing Knowledge Arcana. Have to be able to cast third level divine spells, and the prerequisites are fairly simple. Feels a bit like a tribal chieftain to the Hexer’s tribal shaman.

Faith Scion (UA): Has all the required class skills, but depends on having a custom legendary weapon, in a similar way to Weapons of Legacy.

Ruathar (RoTW): Okay, it’s got all three required class skills, fairly easy qualifications, and 4+INT skill points, but how on Earth could we use this on a prestige class that is nongood and for primitive humanoids? Well, neutrals aren’t locked out for one … and for the deeper end of the alignment pool, drow are elves too.

Stoneblessed (Goliath) (RoS): The Goliath Stoneblessed has the double bonus of making you a Monstrous Humanoid for the purposes of game effects and adding Survival to its list of class skills.

Singer of Concordance (RotD): All three class skills, 4+INT modifier skill points, bonus domain (including desirables of Knowledge, Magic, Travel, Strength). Earliest you could qualify for this is around level 5. Full casting progression, this one would probably work best for dragonblood entries since that’s what it requires otherwise.

Zhentarim Skymage (LoD): All 3 class skills, has a lot of low-ish prerequisites really aimed at arcane entry, but at least you pick up a flying mount and bonus spells via bonus scrolls.

Human Paragon (UA): Loss of one caster level which hurts a bit, but it does assist with getting skills. Half-Orcs and other Half-types can likely qualify with judicious use of other feats.


Feats, Domains, ACFs, Affiliations, Other:
Apprentice (Woodsman): (DMG 2): Grants Knowledge (Nature) and Survival as class skills. Need your tongue in cheek to picture the weedy Archivist or Cloistered Cleric out there like Paul Bunyan, but if you’ve got the feat to spare and no other way …

Travel domain: (PHB) Simplest solution for cleric entry, Survival becomes a class skill. However, locks out exchanging it for Travel Devotion, which is otherwise de rigeur.

Planar Touchstone (Catalogues of Enlightenment): (PlHB): Pick the Travel domain. Survival is now a class skill for you.

Knowledge domain: (PHB): Another simple solution for cleric entry, because all Knowledge skills become class skills. Similar problems to Travel domain unless you’re taking Cloistered Cleric.

Bronze Draconic Heritage: (DrM) Grants Survival … but explicitly as a Sorcerer class skill, not across the board. Might be worth considering if for some reason you’re using that for several levels and you’re planning on taking a lot of draconic feats.

Draconic Knowledge: (DrM): No, not the one out of Draconomicon. Not only are all your Knowledge skills class skills for all your classes, but you get a bonus on Knowledge checks equal to the number of draconic feats you have. However, you have to have a level in sorcerer and have taken Draconic Heritage (the specific feat).

Education: (FRCS, ECS, PGtF): All Knowledge skills are class skills for you. Kind of cheesy given the overall theme of the class is primitive race, primitive brute, but you could make some sort of “taken away by civilised people at birth and given an education against my will” story out of it …

Arcane Insight: (RoD) You have to be an initiate of Boccob, which at least is possible for Hexer. However, Knowledge (Arcana) is added to your Cleric class skill list (and True Strike to the cleric list, which is better than a poke in the All-Seeing Eye.

Able Learner: (RoD): Just make everything a class skill Well, it does in effect for most, since it cuts the cost of skill ranks in cross-class skills from 2 to 1. Surprisingly this is a better fit for the doppelgangers who can qualify for it along with humans; the doppelganger is a monstrous humanoid and thereby satisfies one of the other class prereqs, while humans have to blow several more feats to become monstrous or be considered one of the prerequisite races.

Flexible Mind (Dragon 326): You have to be a Chaotic alignment (which brings us down to CE or CN), but choose two skills that you have ranks in. These skills are always class skills for you from now on. This is an interesting one for those skills you picked up during a multiclass but haven't got them for all your other dips, because you have to have ranks in them. If you got ranks via cross-classing, then this cuts the future price of advancing it, but it'll cost you 2 skill points at least to start with.

Seafarer (Dragon 337): Survival and Profession (sailor) are always class skills for you, me heartie.

Wanderer ACF (Dragon 353): At first level, trade off any turn or rebuke undead you’ve got for Survival (and a couple of random other skills) becoming class skills, as well as picking up Endurance. The turn/rebuke loss is less of a problem if you’re taking another class that grants it later on, and if you’re a Frostblood Half Orc, it’s a free feat.

Wyrmslayer ACF (Dragon 332): It’s a Paladin ACF, but can be handy for gish builds heading into Hexer. Trade your Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) for Knowledge (Arcana). Also switches remove disease out for Resist Energy 1/day, CL equals paladin level, and you can multiclass freely with ranger so long as dragons are your first favored enemy.

Paragnostic Assembly Affiliation (CChamp): Attaining rank 16 with the Paragnostic Assembly allows you to pick up Spellcraft or a Knowledge skill as a class skill. While there's no level requirement, this would be a pretty steep ask at low levels and not easy even at or around level 7 for Hexer entry.

Monster Class Skills (SRD) Don't forget that when improving monsters (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm), skills listed in the base creature's description are treated as its class skills. There's a lot of them out there that have Survival in particular - albeit listing that is well beyond the scope of this guide. Those pesky RHD might be good for something after all.

[Saintheart]

Entry Requirements 2: Race/Type

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Yeah, we're pretty surprised you're all useful for something too.

Race/Type: Monstrous humanoid, giant, goblinoid, “other primitive humanoid, such as orc or gnoll”.
The category of possible races for the Hexer is wide, but before we get excited let’s remember monstrous humanoids tend to be tagged with level adjustment and/or racial hit dice, making our fun harder. Also, the Hexer’s fluff indicates they’re unknown in civilised lands and “only” seen in orc, gnoll, or goblin tribes. The whole idea is a stupid but dangerous leader of a stupid tribe of monsters, so you have to work a bit with this, whether as a DM or a player.

Getting past that, though, because of the prerequisite’s wording, it would appear this prereq can be met by the name of the race, the creature's type, the creature's subtype, or a template. Orc, Gnoll, and Goblinoid are actually subtypes rather than types, so templates that change the type over the top don’t necessarily knock you out of qualifying for Hexer. Also, several half-breed races – Half-Orc, Half-Troll, and Half-Giant -- qualify because their racial features invariably include text like “Orc Blood: This creature qualifies as an orc for all effects that trigger on being an orc.”

I’ve broken the lists below down by the categories of creatures mentioned above. To create these tables I’ve drawn on the immense power of Echohawk's Complete D&D Monster Index (http://ant.hivemind.net/monsters.html) and fiddled with mattie_P’s Iron Chef Character Builder Sheets. There are double-entries in some cases because both the monster and racial version of creatures are listed if applicable. This is just in case you feel inclined to go looking for any minute differences between them (be my guest). Alternatively, as a cross-check, try Maat Mons’ consolidated list of player races, which can be found here (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=1281).


--- Monstrous Humanoids and Giants:
I’ve only cited monsters with listed LA +2 or less here. However, given the Hexer is full casting and full BAB, for martial-ish types you might be tempted to look for LA above these numbers. And I’ve omitted all giants or monstrous humanoids who just have CRs and no LA, which strictly speaking aren’t likely to be accepted as characters for play. (Frankly, that’s also due to space considerations and feasibility of handbook size. There are literally hundreds of monsters whose type is Monstrous Humanoid. If you’re a DM, you’re not constrained by LA and you might like to look further.) Lastly, these tables don’t list racial hit dice, which can be an additional impost on playing a monster. In particular, Anthropomorphic Animals (SS) are not listed below, which are all of the Monstrous Humanoid type, and which have some nice candidates even allowing for racial hit dice (Anthropomorphic Whale, Owl ...)

One notable entry not below: the Cyclopeans (Dragon 323, page 95). The article never lists the creature type, but throughout the creatures are specified as descended from, related to, and dealing with, giants. (On the other hand, they are also called "tall humanoids", so whether they're Giants or not is the subject of uncertainty.) Their stats aren’t particularly strong – amounting to a +2 to a couple of physical stats, paid for by minuses to DEX or INT … but they’re LA +0, which makes them an excellent foundation for the even more excellent Primordial Giant template if they are Giants, or alternatively the Feral Cyclopeans may certainly be considered primitive humanoids and therefore an eligible race for Hexer anyway.

Also to be noted: there's debate about whether the racial classes from Complete Psionic can be abandoned, so clear them with your DM before using.

Race/Monster Class/Race/Monster Type Size Setting Level Adjustment Source Page Number
Half-Giant Class Giant Medium Generic +0 Complete Psionic 148
Half-Giant Race Giant Medium Dark Sun +1 Dragon #319 24
Eneko Race Giant Medium Eberron +1 Secrets of Sarlona 109
Half-Giant Race Giant Medium Generic +1 Expanded Psionics Handbook 12
Half-Giant Monster Giant Medium Generic +1 Expanded Psionics Handbook 200
Half-Giant Race Giant Medium Generic +1 Expanded Psionics Handbook 201
Taer Race Giant Medium Forgotten Realms +1 Unapproachable East 15
Taer Race Giant Medium Forgotten Realms +1 Unapproachable East 73
Taer Monster Giant Medium Forgotten Realms +1 Unapproachable East 72
Half-Giant Race Giant Medium Eberron +1 Secrets of Xen'drik 16
Cyclops, Lesser Monster Giant Large Generic +2 Deities and Demigods + D&D v.3.5 Accessory Update 132
Half-Ogre Race Giant Large Generic +2 Races of Destiny 97
Ogre Barbarian Monster Giant Large Generic +2 Monster Manual v.3.5 198
Ogre Race Giant Large Dragonlance +2 Dragonlance Campaign Setting 40
Merrow Variation Giant Large Generic +2 Monster Manual v.3.5 199
Ogre Race Giant Large Generic +2 Monster Manual v.3.5 199
Ogre Monster Giant Large Generic +2 Monster Manual v.3.5 198
Derro Monster Monstrous Humanoid Small Generic (+2 if sane) Monster Manual v.3.5 49
Lupin Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Mystara +0 Dragon #325 87
Lupin Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +0 Dragon Compendium, Volume 1 21
Muckdweller Monster Monstrous Humanoid Tiny Forgotten Realms +0 Serpent Kingdoms 71
Thri-kreen Class Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +0 Complete Psionic 149
Tibbit Race Monstrous Humanoid Small Generic +0 Dragon Compendium, Volume 1 25
Tkel Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +0 Dragon #317 28
Asabi Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Forgotten Realms +1 Serpent Kingdoms 190
Spawn of Tiamat, Whitespawn Hordeling Monster Monstrous Humanoid Small Generic +1 Monster Manual IV 156
Dromite Race Monstrous Humanoid Small Generic +1 Expanded Psionics Handbook 8
Dromite Race Monstrous Humanoid Small Generic +1 Expanded Psionics Handbook 195
Dromite Monster Monstrous Humanoid Small Generic +1 Expanded Psionics Handbook 194
Frost Folk Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +1 Frostburn: Mastering the Perils of Ice and Snow 130
Frost Folk Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +1 Frostburn: Mastering the Perils of Ice and Snow 130
Dekanter Goblin Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Forgotten Realms +1 Races of Faerûn 137
Goliath Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +1 Races of Stone 56
Diopsid Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +1 Dragon Compendium, Volume 1 12
Goatfolk (Ibixian) Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +1 Monster Manual III 63
Goatfolk Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +1 Monster Manual III 63
Marrulurk Monster Monstrous Humanoid Small Generic +1 Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand 170
Thri-Kreen Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +1 Savage Species 222
Thri-Kreen Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +1 Savage Species 222
Thri-Kreen Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Forgotten Realms +1 or +2 if psonic Shining South 72
Thri-Kreen Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Forgotten Realms +1 or +2 if psonic Shining South 73
Thri-kreen Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Forgotten Realms +1 or +2 if psonic Shining South 15
Thri-Kreen Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +1 or +3 Monster Manual II + D&D v.3.5 Accessory Update 195
Aarakocra Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Dark Sun +2 Dragon #319 19
Hueleneaer (Desert Centaur) Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Dungeon #103 [Polyhedron #162] 77
Naga, Shinomen, Asp Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Oriental Adventures +2 Oriental Adventures + Dragon #318 174
Centaur Race Monstrous Humanoid Large Dragonlance +2 Dragonlance Campaign Setting 33
Centaur Race Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Monster Manual v.3.5 32
Centaur Race Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Races of the Wild 95
Centaur Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Monster Manual v.3.5 32
Chitine Race Monstrous Humanoid Small Forgotten Realms +2 Underdark 8
Desmodu Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Monster Manual II + D&D v.3.5 Accessory Update 62
Dragonkin Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Draconomicon: The Book of Dragons 150
Dragonkin Race Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Draconomicon: The Book of Dragons 151
Greenspawn Zealot Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual V 74
Spawn of Tiamat, Whitespawn Hunter Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual IV 158
Equiceph Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Miniatures Handbook 61
Feral Gargun Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +2 Races of Stone 91
Grimlock Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual v.3.5 140
Desmodu Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Savage Species 218
Grimlock Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual v.3.5 141
Grimlock Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Forgotten Realms +2 Underdark 14
Naga, Shinomen, Chameleon Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Oriental Adventures +2 Oriental Adventures + Dragon #318 174
Hagspawn Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Forgotten Realms +2 Unapproachable East 64
Hagspawn Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Forgotten Realms +2 Unapproachable East 13
Hagspawn Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Forgotten Realms +2 Unapproachable East 64
Hobgoblin Spellscourge Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual V 85
Loxo Race Monstrous Humanoid Large Forgotten Realms +2 Shining South 67
Thri-Kreen Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Dark Sun +2 Dragon #319 29
Loxo Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Monster Manual II + D&D v.3.5 Accessory Update 144
Loxo Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Forgotten Realms +2 Shining South 67
Loxo Race Monstrous Humanoid Large Forgotten Realms +2 Shining South 14
Minotaur Race Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Monster Manual v.3.5 189
Minotaur Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Monster Manual v.3.5 188
Tsuno Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Oriental Adventures +2 Oriental Adventures + Dragon #318 197
Nagatha Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual IV 102
Nycter Defender of the Cave Monster Monstrous Humanoid Small Generic +2 Monster Manual III 113
Nycter Race Monstrous Humanoid Small Generic +2 Monster Manual III 113
Nycter Monster Monstrous Humanoid Small Generic +2 Monster Manual III 112
Ophidian Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Forgotten Realms +2 Serpent Kingdoms 190
Sahuagin Mutants, Malenti Variation Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual v.3.5 218
Sahuagin Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual v.3.5 217
Scaled Stalker Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Miniatures Handbook 68
Shulassakar, Bloodsworn Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Eberron +2 City of Stormreach 151
Thanoi (Walrus-Folk) Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Dragonlance +2 Dragonlance Campaign Setting 232
Thri-kreen Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +2 Expanded Psionics Handbook 15
Thri-kreen Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +2 Expanded Psionics Handbook 214
Thri-kreen Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +2 Expanded Psionics Handbook 213
Ushemoi, Lashemoi Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual V 186
Yak Folk Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Monster Manual II + D&D v.3.5 Accessory Update 200
Yuan-Ti Pureblood Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual v.3.5 263
Yuan-Ti, Pureblood Race Monstrous Humanoid Medium Forgotten Realms +2 Serpent Kingdoms 190
Yuan-Ti Pureblood Monster Monstrous Humanoid Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual v.3.5 263
Loxo Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Savage Species 221
Marrusault Monster Monstrous Humanoid Large Generic +2 Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand 171



--- Orcs and Gnolls
Two notable entries not listed below are the Frostblood Orc and Frostblood Half-Orc from Dragon Magic (p. 10), whose subtype is solely dragonblood, but who have a specific racial feature that they qualify for any game effect which an orc could qualify for. To my knowledge there isn’t a Half-Gnoll race or template in the current edition. And for these ones I’ve listed those with no LA as well on the basis that geeeenerally speaking the RHD for orcs and gnolls is low. Ish.

Race/Monster Class/Race/Monster Subtype Size Setting Level Adjustment Source Page Numbe
Aquatic Half-Orc Race Orc, Aquatic Medium Generic +0 Unearthed Arcana 10
Aquatic Orc Race Orc Medium Generic +0 Unearthed Arcana 10
Arctic Half-Orc Race Orc Medium Forgotten Realms +1 Unapproachable East 60
Arctic Orc Race Orc Medium Generic +1 Tome of Magic 158
Blooded One Orc Monster Orc Medium Generic +0 Unearthed Arcana 12
Desert Half-Orc Race Orc Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual III 62
Desert Orc Race Orc Medium Generic +1 Dragon #313 65
Flind Race Gnoll Medium Generic +1 Monster Manual v.3.5 130
Gheden Half-Orc Monster Orc Medium Generic +1 Monster Manual v.3.5 130
Gnoll Race Gnoll Medium Generic Monster Manual 105
Gnoll Race Gnoll Medium Generic +1 Races of the Wild 99
Gnoll Race Gnoll Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual III 62
Gnoll Monster Gnoll Medium Forgotten Realms +1 Unapproachable East 16
Gnoll, Flind Monster Gnoll Medium Forgotten Realms +1 Races of Faerûn 66
Gray Orc Race Orc Medium Forgotten Realms Races of Faerûn 67
Gray Orc Race Orc Medium Forgotten Realms +0 Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 17
Half-Orc Variation Orc Medium Oriental Adventures +0 Oriental Adventures 16
Half-Orc Variation Orc Medium Generic Monster Manual 147
Half-Orc Race Orc Medium Generic +0 Monster Manual v.3.5 204
Half-Orc Race Orc Medium Generic +0 Player's Handbook 19
Half-Orc Race Orc Medium Generic +0 Player's Handbook v.3.5 19
Half-Orc Race Orc Medium Generic Monster Manual IV 117
Half-Orc Race Orc Medium Generic Unearthed Arcana 40
Half-Orc Infiltrator Monster Orc Medium Generic +0 Unearthed Arcana 14
Half-Orc Paragon Class Orc Medium Generic +0 Unearthed Arcana 15
Jungle Half-Orc Race Orc Medium Forgotten Realms +0 Races of Faerûn 70
Jungle Orc Race Orc Medium Generic +1 Monster Manual V 64
Mountain Orc Race Orc Medium Generic Monster Manual 146
Orc Monster Orc Medium Generic +0 Monster Manual v.3.5 203
Orc Monster Orc Medium Generic +0 Monster Manual v.3.5 204
Orc Race Orc Medium Generic Monster Manual IV 115
Orc Race Orc Medium Generic Monster Manual IV 114
Orc Battle Priest Monster Orc Medium Generic Unearthed Arcana 44
Orc Paragon Class Orc Medium Generic +0 Frostburn: Mastering the Perils of Ice and Snow 146
Orc Warrior Monster Orc Medium Generic Monster Manual IV 114
Orc, Snow Shaman Monster Orc Medium Forgotten Realms +2 Races of Faerûn 72
Orc, War Howler Monster Orc Medium Forgotten Realms +3 Races of Faerûn 124
Orog (Deep Orc) Race Orc Medium Generic +0 Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand 43
Planetouched, Tanarukk Race Native, Orc Medium Spelljammer +2 Dragon #339 31
Scabland Half-Orc Race Orc Medium Generic +0 Unearthed Arcana 18
Scro Race Orc Medium Generic +2 Dragon Magazine 18
Water Half-Orc Race Orc Medium Forgotten Realms +2 Underdark 8
Water Orc Race Orc Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual II + D&D v.3.5 Accessory Update 62


--- Goblinoid
With this lot I’ve left in no-LA creatures as well as the notionally playable ones mainly because again goblins tend to have low RHD. Once more, we have one notable exception not listed: Sunscorch Hobgoblins (Dragon Magic). They have the dragonblood subtype, making it useful for qualification for draconic feats. Sunscorch Hobgoblins also vary from the standard hobgoblin in they get a +2 to Bluff, and their racial bonuses are +2 to CON and WIS rather than CON and DEX. Unfortunately, they also still have the LA +1 like normal hobgoblins, though the race might still be handy for Hexer via the Draconic Legacy path since at least Hex abilities key off WIS.

(Thurbane also points to the Dolgrim and Dolgaunt races from the Eberron Campaign Setting, which might be aberrations and don't have the goblinoid subtype, but were formed from goblins and hobgoblins.)

Race/Monster Class/Race/Monster Subtype Size Setting Level Adjustment Source Page Numbe
Air Goblin Race Goblinoid Small Generic +0 Unearthed Arcana 16
Aquatic Goblin Race Goblinoid, Aquatic Small Generic +0 Unearthed Arcana 7
Arctic Goblin Race Goblinoid Small Generic +0 Unearthed Arcana 9
Bakemono Monster Goblinoid, Shadowlands Small Oriental Adventures Oriental Adventures 146
Bakemono Monster Goblinoid, Shadowlands Small Oriental Adventures Oriental Adventures + Dragon #318 146
Bhuka Monster Goblinoid Small Generic Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand 76
Blue Race Goblinoid, Psionic Small Generic +1 Expanded Psionics Handbook 190
Blue Monster Goblinoid Small Generic Psionics Handbook 142
Blue Monster Goblinoid, Psionic Small Generic +1 Expanded Psionics Handbook 189
Bugbear Race Goblinoid Medium Generic +1 Monster Manual (Special Edition) 29
Bugbear Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic +1 Monster Manual (Special Edition) 29
Bugbear Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic Monster Manual 27
Bugbear Race Goblinoid Medium Generic +1 Monster Manual v.3.5 29
Bugbear Race Goblinoid Medium Forgotten Realms +1 Races of Faerûn 136
Bugbear Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic +1 Monster Manual v.3.5 29
Captured Bugbear/Common Raggamoffyn Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic Monster Manual II 205
Captured Bugbear/Common Raggamoffyn Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic Monster Manual II + D&D v.3.5 Accessory Update 205
Dark Goblin Monster Extraplanar, Goblinoid Small Generic +1 Tome of Magic 158
Dekanter Goblin Race Goblinoid Medium Forgotten Realms +1 Races of Faerûn 137
Desert Goblin Race Goblinoid Small Generic +0 Unearthed Arcana 12
Fire Hobgoblin Race Goblinoid Medium Generic +1 Unearthed Arcana 17
Forestkith Goblin Race Goblinoid Small Generic +1 Monster Manual III 65
Forestkith Goblin Monster Goblinoid Small Generic +1 Monster Manual III 64
Forestkith Goblin Barbarian Monster Goblinoid Small Generic +1 Monster Manual III 64
Goblin Race Goblinoid Small Forgotten Realms +0 Races of Faerûn 136
Goblin Race Goblinoid Small Generic +0 Monster Manual (Special Edition) 134
Goblin Monster Goblinoid Small Generic Monster Manual 107
Goblin Monster Goblinoid Small Generic +0 Monster Manual v.3.5 133
Goblin Race Goblinoid Small Generic +0 Monster Manual v.3.5 134
Goblin Monster Goblinoid Small Generic +0 Monster Manual (Special Edition) 133
Goblin Flesh-Herder Monster Goblinoid Small Generic Drow of the Underdark 122
Goblin, Dekanter Monster Goblinoid Medium Forgotten Realms Monsters of Faerûn 53
Goblin, Grodd Monster Goblinoid Small Forgotten Realms Into the Dragon's Lair 86
Goblin, Io-Rach Monster Goblinoid Small Generic +0 Book of Vile Darkness 22
Goblinoid, Bugbear Overseer Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic Drow of the Underdark 120
Goblinoid, Bugbear Stonejack Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic Drow of the Underdark 120
Goblyn Monster Goblinoid Medium Ravenloft +2 Dragon #339 55
Hobgoblin Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic Monster Manual 119
Hobgoblin Race Goblinoid Medium Generic +1 Monster Manual (Special Edition) 154
Hobgoblin Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic +1 Monster Manual (Special Edition) 153
Hobgoblin Race Goblinoid Medium Generic +1 Dragon #309 59
Hobgoblin Race Goblinoid Medium Forgotten Realms +1 Races of Faerûn 136
Hobgoblin Race Goblinoid Medium Generic +1 Monster Manual v.3.5 154
Hobgoblin Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic +1 Monster Manual v.3.5 153
Hobgoblin Duskblade Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic +1 Monster Manual V 84
Hobgoblin Spellscourge Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual V 85
Hobgoblin Warcaster Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic +3 Monster Manual V 86
Hobgoblin Warsoul Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic +4 Monster Manual V 87
Jungle Goblin Race Goblinoid Small Generic +0 Unearthed Arcana 14
Lycanthrope, Wererat (Goblin Rat) Variation Goblinoid Oriental Adventures Oriental Adventures 145
Norker Race Goblinoid Small Generic +1 Dragon #343 53
Norker Monster Goblinoid Small Generic +1 Dragon #343 53
Norker Monster Goblinoid Small Generic Dungeon #98 [Polyhedron #157] 33 ]
Reptilian Bugbear Monster Goblinoid, Reptilian Medium Generic Savage Species 128
Snow Goblin Race Goblinoid Small Generic +1 Frostburn: Mastering the Perils of Ice and Snow 137
Snow Goblin Monster Goblinoid Small Generic +1 Frostburn: Mastering the Perils of Ice and Snow 136
Varag Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic +2 Monster Manual IV 168
Varag Race Goblinoid Medium Generic Monster Manual IV 171
Varag Class Goblinoid Medium Generic Monster Manual IV 170
Varag Pack Leader Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic Monster Manual IV 168
Varag Zombie Monster Goblinoid Medium Generic Barrow of the Forgotten King (DD1) 34
Vril Race Goblinoid Small Generic Drow of the Underdark 123




--- “Primitive humanoid”
Primitive humanoid isn’t a system-defined term, though the intent is easy to grasp given it then says “such as orc or gnoll”. The ideal, of course, would be to get a remote tribe of human barbarians to qualify without a specific mechanical option. That said, two or three suggestions here:

Neanderthal (Frostburn). No level adjustment and contemplated as a player race. Doesn’t take any penalties to WIS or CHA, but its INT is dropped by 2. Has the “Human Blood” racial trait, i.e. for all effects related to race it’s deemed human. Its type is certainly humanoid, and it’s certainly primitive.

Troglodyte (SRD). Humanoid, though with a reptilian subtype. Still LA +2 and 2 racial hit dice, but gets +4 CON, -2 DEX, -2 INT. Favored Class is cleric which is interesting, and let’s not forget that +6 Natural Armor bonus that makes it so beloved of low-level Alter Self-ers everywhere, not to mention the weaponised flatulence.

Mongrelfolk (RoD). Humanoid, LA +0, but with -2 INT and -4 CHA. Their Emulate Race feature only applies to use of magic items, rather than the more common “all effects related to race” that applies to Orcs and Half-Orcs.

Vashar (BoVD). Human plus a Vile feat, but the unfortunate implications in the fluff mean you probably don’t want to play this race anyway.

Kagonesti (DCS). Wild elves, but their type is humanoid. If you can get your DM to agree to that sort of exploit, good luck to you, albeit Kagonesti’s -2 INT and CHA probably isn’t much of a fit for Archivist or Wizard entry Hexers.

Gully Dwarf (DCS). Well, yeah, their type is humanoid, and you can’t get much more, uh, primitive than Gully Dwarf, but at a -4 to INT and CHA, why would you?

Jermlaine (MM 2). Unfortunately their type is Fey, but they look a lot like “shaggy humanoids” and they’re the rats of the fey world, i.e. buy your DM pizza to get them as a player race. What we’re interested in, for a character who wants to utilise the Hexer’s abilities, is the +6 to WIS they get as deduced from their stats -- and no level adjustment. (The fun really starts if your DM allows this and then accordingly permits the Unseelie Fey template, specifically the Winter Chill ability, which goes very nicely with the Hexer’s abilities.)


Templates:
A small number of templates change a creature’s type to Monstrous Humanoid, and therefore qualify them under this heading:

Thoon-Thrall (MM5 111) LA n/a – any humanoid creature that a thoon infiltrator could reasonably render helpless for 1 minute; see text

Feral (SS 115) LA +1 – Any corporeal humanoid or monstrous humanoid

Tauric Creature (MM2 216) LA +3 – any Small or Medium-size corporeal humanoid (and any Medium-size or Large corporeal animal, beast, or vermin with at least four legs) Type Changes: Monstrous Humanoid

Arcane-Blood (Dragon #350 p 35) LA +2 – a Humanoid who takes this template on becomes a Monstrous Humanoid. Basically, your blood becomes an energy type on contact with air, does you 1 point of damage when wounded, attacker if adjacent takes 1d6 energy damage.

Nagpa (Dragon #339) LA +1. Curse of the gods, you have to be a human or half-elf sorcerer or wizard of at least 9th level. Head changes to that of a vulture. Suffers -8 on most CHA-based skill checks, but picks up some minor spell-like abilities, +2 Natural Armor, SR 6+Arcane Caster Level, and a Bite Attack 1d6. And lastly, your type changes to Monstrous Humanoid.


Two templates to my knowledge change a creature’s type to Giant, thereby also qualifying:

Half-Troll (FF 92) LA +4 – Any animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or outsider; outsider as base also gains extraplanar subtype as well as the Giant type. (Note also that trolls are of the Giant type anyway, but aren’t listed above due to their high LA in most cases.)

Incarnate Construct (SS 120) LA –2 (minimum 0) – Any construct creature with a generally humanoid form – two arms, two legs, one head TC: Humanoid if medium-size or smaller, or Giant if it is Large or larger

Half-Ogre (Dragon #313, p.96) LA +0 if creature is already Large, LA +1 if any smaller. Any humanoid, monstrous humanoid, or giant. Doesn't change type or subtype but has the feature "Giant Blood (Ex): For all special abilities and effects, a half-ogre is considered a giant in addition to the base creature's type and subtype." STR +4, INT -2, CHA -2, +10 base speed if creature gained a size category in taking on the template.


Again, it’s worth remembering that templates may change a creature’s type, but subtypes typically are not changed unless specified, at least by RAW. Since orc, gnoll, and goblinoid are subtypes, something like an Unseelie Fey template won’t alter the creature’s subtype away from Goblinoid/Orc/Gnoll, and accordingly won’t technically disqualify them from Hexer. This may open up a lot more possibilities which frankly are beyond the scope of this guide, and which carry with them the risk of airborne DMGs.


Prestige Classes:
Stoneblessed (Goliath) (RoS): You’re considered a Goliath for all effects related to race. Goliaths are Monstrous Humanoids. Added bonus of adding Survival to your class skills, which is handy if you’ve got the levels to spare and no other way of getting the skill in to qualify for Hexer.


Feats:
Racial Emulation (RoE): This one’s a bit arguable. It’s Changeling only, but allows you to emulate any humanoid’s subtypes. It doesn’t give you their traits, but it does treat you for all other effects as a member of that race. Goblinoid, Orc, and Gnoll are all subtypes of Humanoid (though Monstrous Humanoid isn’t available by this path, since it’s a type.)

Wedded to History (Throwback) (Dragon 354): Look, you're immortal anyway, but then there's the text:"You are the final holdover from the last stage of your race's evolution." You're at least arguably a primitive member of your humanoid species.


Ritual of Association: (Savage Species, p. 148)
You can't perform the ritual on yourself, but this particular ritual gives you a racial subtype "such as goblinoid, orc, gnoll, or reptilian". No level adjustment, 56,000 gp and 2,240 XP. The benefit is said to be that you can then use items as if you were a member of that subtype, but given it specifically changes your subtype, it would seem this is a RAW method of attaining one of the subtypes needed for Hexer without taking on level adjustment or any other penalties for a given race. If you can get this past your DM, then this would count as one of the best, lowest-continuing-cost methods for picking up the race required to become a Hexer.

[Saintheart]

Entry Requirements 3: Casting Lightning Bolt as a Divine Spell

https://images2.imgbox.com/a1/b2/FIXEO35U_o.jpg
Pictured: Hexer aspirant proving he can cast the one spell he'll never use again

- Spellcasting: Able to cast lightning bolt as a divine spell.

We finally come to the most infuriating prerequisite of the lot. 3.0’s design was premised on the idea that the showy, blasty magic was to be the province of arcane spellcasters, while the fluffy, buffy magic was to remain in the divine backyard. As far as lightning bolt is concerned, it would appear the designers really stuck to their guns. Even with prestige classes like Stormlord or Stormsinger, there’s literally not one god in the WOTC books who has lightning bolt on his domain list. (And so, for this, we have to go to Dragon magazine.)

That said: a few exceptions to this design choice did creep in. It’s these exceptions we’re mining for here. We’ve also split out book options from Dragon magazine because some DMs do draw a hard line there. These are broadly broken down by class, feat, ACFs, spells, and other random oddities.

Book options:
Classes:
Adept 8 (3rd level spell). (DMG, SRD) As said, the Adept was likely the intended base for Hexer because it’s existed since 3.0 and is in the exclusive club of divine spellcasters who have Lightning Bolt on their list. Once you’ve got the race sorted, it’s a walk-up into Hexer. The drawback is that it’s an NPC class, and even with Hexer’s power on board, you’re never casting higher than fifth level spells from a pretty limited list. And even with the Hexer’s BAB accelerating combat prowess, it still tops out at +14.

Shugenja 8 (4th level spell, [Fire] school). (CDiv, OA) Unlike the Adept, the Shugenja does at least get 9th level spells. However, the Hexer's bonus spells actually make for problems given how few spells known a Shugenja is allowed to have, along with the other restrictions the class itself imposes. Wands could maybe solve this problem, but the Shugenja seems to be one of those few classes that even +10 BAB, full casting, and bonus spells known doesn't do a lot to help. What it makes up for in depth, it kind of suffers in range; Shugenja builds can be sort-of blaster sorcerers or sort-of combat clerics, but they don’t excel at either terribly. Again, the BAB tops out at +14 at best.

Favored Soul 12 (CDiv) - if we take the Favoured of Bahamut/Tiamat ACF, DrM p. 13. Favored Souls cast divine spells, and the ACF allows the Favored Soul to swap out one known spell for a Sor/Wiz spell, i.e. Lightning Bolt. Theme would likely dictate you be Favored of Tiamat given Hexer is nongood, but by RAW either will do. Hexer also improves the Favored Soul’s BAB by 2 and adds 3 Sor/Wiz spells to his repertoire at these levels, which isn’t anything to sniff at given those will be 7, 8, and 9.

Archivist 5 (HoH) (if grabbing Adept 3rd level spell) or Archivist 7 (if grabbing Shugenja 4th level spell). This is where we get our widest spell range since the Archivist can pull divine spells from pretty much everywhere. Although this presumes your DM is kind enough to make either spell available. Hexer is a substantial improvement on an Archivist’s BAB and preserves 9th level casting. And even if the Archivist has somehow finagled Anyspell and Greater Anyspell into his prayerbook, the Hexer’s class feature granting bonus arcane spells will still be solid since Greater Anyspell can only get you casting 5th level arcane spells at maximum. (Also, the Recursive Hexer trick: the aspiring Archivist finds another Hexer who can cast Lightning Bolt scroll as a divine spell. The Hexer then scribes this as a divine spell on a scroll. The Archivist then adds this to his prayerbook and then allows the Archivist to qualify for Hexer himself.)

Generic Spellcaster 6 (3rd level spell). (UA) On the plus side, you can easily customise the Spellcaster to divine spellcasting, learn lightning bolt, and be on your way. However, the generic classes carry the nearly-explicit suggestion that they’re not meant to be combined with PC classes from the normal game, so multiclassing is going to be a bigger ask than usual.

Sha’ir 3/Geomancer 4 (DrComp and CDiv): Credit to Anthrowhale for this one. The Silly Putty of these two classes’ spell mechanics make this possible. The Hexer only requires that you can cast lightning bolt as a divine spell, not that you know the spell or prepare it. Luckily, the Sha’ir doesn’t necessarily have to know an arcane spell in order to cast it; he only needs to identify it, get his ever-faithful Gen familiar to obtain it, have CHA 10 + spell level and a spell slot of that level available. Check the spells per day versus spells known tables again, folks; the Sha'ir gets second level slots at Sha'ir 3. “But Saintheart,” I hear you say, “even if the Sha’ir can legally pull this off, how does he cast lightning bolt as a divine spell?” Answer: the Geomancer’s Spell Versatility feature. “At 1st level, the geomancer learns to blend divine and arcane magic. He still acquires and prepares his spells in the normal manner for his individual spellcasting classes. When he casts them, however, he can mix or match spellcasting parameters from any of his classes to gain the maximum possible advantage for any spell with a spell level equal to or less than his spell versatility score.” One parameter of a spell is its status as arcane or divine. And thus we can cast a Lightning Bolt spell as a divine spell … which is all that we need to qualify for Hexer. The trick is qualifying for Geomancer, which takes Knowledge (Nature) ranks and which the Sha’ir doesn’t have, but on the flip side, character level 3 has max skill rank 6 and thus we can slide right into Geomancer next level along.


Feats:
Southern Magician: (RoF) Explicitly allows you to cast an arcane spell as a divine spell, and vice versa. Only requires that you can cast “2nd level spells” … and that you’re a Mulan human, which is where things get cheesy complicated for Hexer. Neanderthal might pass this if your DM’s prepared to allow a caveman as a “Mulan human”, and Half-Orc with the Human Heritage feat might pass muster as well, but you’re certainly going to need other components to make this work.

Draconic Legacy: (RotD) Pick a dragon you’re descended from, get a few spells added to your list of “spells known”. In the case of the Topaz Dragon (MM 2), those spells include lightning bolt. Add said lightning bolt spell to your cleric spell list, or other divine caster list, and away you go. This can provoke a debate about whether a cleric (or druid, or similar) has “spells known”, since the phrase never shows up in that context. For my part: if clerics don’t have “spells known”, then all use of Divine Metamagic by clerics has been wholly illegal since circa. 2000 -- because DMM only allows you to use the feat on ‘divine spells that you know’ (and goes on to use an example featuring Jozan the cleric). In any event, spontaneous divine classes do explicitly “know” spells – and 6 levels in Favored Soul would get you to the point of casting third level ones. But there is a high price to be paid: Draconic Legacy has a prerequisite of four draconic feats, albeit some in RoTD are not awful and there are others in Dragon Magic that qualify. At least it doesn’t sweat you for arcane caster levels as such … though you’re going to be spending even more feats if you want to avoid a level in Sorcerer (the Dragontouched feat). Rebel7284 notes that if you're going this way you might want to at least consider levels in Dragonheart Mage since it awards bonus draconic feats at the cost of a caster level, which does help significantly with this path.

Initiate of Bahamut: (DrM) … debatably. The feat adds the spell Lord of the Sky to the cleric list at 5th level, which allows you to “activate one lightning bolt (as the spell) as a standard action” amongst other benefits. However, your deity has to be Bahamut, who only accepts clerics of good alignment, which is not compatible with Hexer’s alignment restrictions.

Sword of the Arcane Order (CoV): ....maybe, and even then it's only applicable for those with at least 4 levels in Paladin or Ranger. The feat allows you to prepare arcane spells in your Paladin or Ranger slots. Unfortunately, it doesn't say anything about whether those spells are then cast as divine spells; if not, then the feat doesn't help us. Also, the feat only really helps with early entry to Hexer if it's combined with Mystic Ranger, (Dragon 323) a variant that accelerates ranger casting, pulling back acquisition of the spell to Mystic Ranger 6. (Default Rangers only start casting third level spells at Ranger 10; Paladins, 11). And then you have the argument about whether a Mystic Ranger actually is a ranger for the purposes of the "Ranger 4th of Mystra" that the feat requires - some argue that as Mystic Ranger is a variant ranger, it cannot take the feat. That said, the feat otherwise stacks wizard, paladin, and ranger levels for the purposes of calculating Caster Level, which can obviate the need to take a fifth level of Abjurant Champion in some gish builds.


Spells:
Dragonblood Spell-Pact spell (Dragons of Faerun)… if your DM is nice. The principle’s simple, be a dragonblood creature, find a 10th level dragonblood Sorcerer, ask him to swap his Lightning Bolt spell for something useless off your list, have him cast this spell, bam, 900 XP or so and you’ve got Lightning Bolt and he’s got your useless spell. If allowable, it’s one of the cheapest methods outside Archivist for getting Lightning Bolt onto a divine caster’s list without resorting to long feat chains.

Shadow Evocation spell (PHB) … also maybe. The idea is that Shadow Evocation mimics an existing evocation spell but composes it out of shadowstuff. If your DM buys that this amounts to casting Lightning Bolt, then great, but the problem is still rendering it a divine spell. Fortunately, the Shadow domain (Eberron Campaign Setting, from The Shadow, or the obscure goddess Xan Yae from Greyhawk) has Shadow Evocation on its list. Another is UA’s Divine Bard: the Divine Bard casts from the bard list, but as divine spells, and Shadow Evocation is on the bard list. In both cases, Shadow Evocation is a fifth level spell.

Anyspell or Greater Anyspell (PGtF): Nope. Read the entries again, they don’t allow you to cast arcane spells as divine spells, in effect they only give you the domain slot to nestle the arcane spell in until it’s time to cast it. Only way this would really be pulled off is if you’re a Southern Magician, which at least is from the same setting.

Why can’t I just be a dragon? (MM): Read your Monster Manual entry on true dragons once again. “A dragon knows and casts arcane spells as a sorcerer of the level indicated in its variety description, gaining bonus spells for a high Charisma score. Some dragons can also cast spells from the cleric list or cleric domain lists as arcane spells.” This is the reverse of what we want, an arcane spell cast as divine.

Dragon Magazine options:
Domains:
Thunder domain (Dragon 290). Lightning Bolt is the fourth level domain spell for the god Perun’s Thunder domain. That said, the god is specific to the ‘Red Sails’ setting in the magazine, which is basically an Eastern Europe, Slavic setting for D&D.


Classes:
Arcane Disciple 7 (Dragon 311): Not to be confused with Complete Divine’s feat which only allows one to cast divine spells as arcane. The Arcane Disciple is a full, base class cleric that doesn’t turn undead or cast spontaneous spells, but at each level gains a Bard, Sorcerer or Wizard spell one level lower than the highest level divine spell the character can cast. And the spell is cast as divine. So as at 7th level, the Arcane Disciple can cast 4th level divine spells and accordingly pick up Lightning Bolt to cast as a divine spell. Also has all the class skills except Survival.

Feats:
Alternative Source Spell (Dragon 325): Cast an arcane spell as divine, and vice versa. First proviso is that you have to be able to cast divine and arcane spells. (So Sha'ir 1 qualifies). And the feat refers only to “preparing” spells, which Sorcerers and Favored Souls don’t. But if your DM goes to the ground game of literal RAW, this feat says that you can prepare arcane spells as divine and vice versa, and that “such a spell is prepared normally”. Therefore: a Favored Soul 1/Wizard X would qualify for the feat and be able to prepare all their wizard spells as divine spells. If you wanted full interchangeability, it would have to be Favored Soul 1/Sorcerer 1 + Arcane Preparation + Alternative Source Spell, since Arcane Prep. allows you (duh) to prepare your spontaneous spells. Finally, the feat becomes more than just an accessibility tax given it allows you to apply Divine Metamagic to arcane spells – i.e. no increase in spell slots – and allows you to bypass arcane spell failure chance since the spell is not arcane when cast.

Customize Domain (Dragon 325): This feat allows you to adjust the domain spell list of a given domain. For our purposes, it comes down to three choices: switch Imbue with Spell Ability from the Magic domain for Lightning Bolt (which is really a bad trade), Contagion from the Destruction domain for Lightning Bolt (which isn’t a bad trade at all), or Gaseous Form from the Air domain (which can be a bad trade). That said, the feat requires that you have access to a list with Lightning Bolt on it, so you're likely stuck with dipping at least one level in an arcane casting class ... or, if your DM is permissive, taking the feat Magical Training which gives you a spellbook and lets you access the Sor/Wiz list.

[Saintheart]

Attributes and Feats

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Proper forms for hand gestures at rock concerts were first synthesised approximately 300 years ago.

Attributes:
This is not so much about the attributes needed to get into the class, this is about the ones that are most important for it.

STR: Are you gishing or melee’ing? If so, prioritise.
CON: Always good to have CON, especially with a d6 hit dice.
DEX: The god stat, but doesn’t have anything to really do with Hexer.
INT: If you’re coming at the class via Archivist, then you’re likely to be pumping this anyway. Skill points don’t have a lot to do in Hexer, but a decent INT makes more of them available, which you’re going to need for the three qualification skills. If you’ve got some plan to build from Wizard or similar, then one becomes the primary stat for boosting.
WIS: Insofar as any attribute lends itself to prioritising for Hexer specifically, WIS is probably it because the saving throw for Hexes is markedly influenced by it. Without a WIS score, the Hex’s saving throw is DC 10 + Hexer’s level, meaning you’re not getting to even a decent DC 20 until the end point of the class. In that respect, casting classes who use this as their primary stat are going to be in better shape than others.
CHA: Dump it, unless it’s needed for one of the classes by which you got here, or you’re needed as a party face or you’re planning on Divine Metamagic up here.


Feats:
It’s pointless to reiterate good feats for any full-casting or full-BAB class, since these tend to be covered by other handbooks. What we’re looking at here are the sort of options that are handy for the Hexer’s unique features, i.e. their gaze attack and their Hexes.


Supernatural Transformation (SS): If you haven’t convinced your DM to let 3.5’s Gaze Attack rules to apply to the Hexer’s abilities, this might be the next best thing. Supernatural Transformation is a significant boost for spell-like abilities because it changes your ability’s ECL from caster level to your hit dice, and, being a supernatural ability, is not subject to Spell Resistance. It also alters the save DC of the spell-like ability from (in our case) 10+Hexer level+WIS to 10+0.5*hit dice+WIS.

This feat’s timing makes a difference - as does whether you’re dipping Hexer or staying for the long haul. If you’re staying with Hexer for 10 levels, the earlier you entered the prestige class, the less value Supernatural Transformation has for your save DCs in the long run. Entering Hexer around character level 8, the DC of a spell-like hex (11+WIS) outruns the DC of a supernatural hex (14+WIS) around ECL 14, i.e. Hexer 6.

By contrast, if you get into Hexer at character level 10, Supernatural Transformation has a better start and more staying power: the DCs of hexes as supernatural abilities start significantly higher (save DC 15+WIS at Hexer 1, versus save DC 11+WIS) and stay ahead until Hexer 9. As we saw earlier, the average Will save of a CR 10 creature is +10.

However, if we choose to drop out of Hexer (for whatever mad reason), hexes as Supernatural Abilities continue to increase their save DCs since they’re keyed to total hit dice rather than Hexer level.

So: Supernatural Transformation makes most sense for the Debuff Hex when we dip the PrC, or first enter it at level 10 or above. It gives it a pretty solid boost. Another thing to consider is whether you can’t take all the levels in Hexer because of significant racial hit dice down the other end of the build: if so, Supernatural Transformation may once again make more sense, because it keys off hit dice.

Lastly, taking Supernatural Transformation also opens hexes up to Extend Supernatural Ability, which doubles its duration. That's not insignificant given Hexes tend to last very short periods of time at the lower levels. Mind you, all of this leaves aside the debate as to what an “innate spell-like ability” is, i.e. the prerequisite for the feat.

Heighten Spell-like Ability: (CArc) One might think this is most logical feat to go for if we want to increase our hexes’ saving throws; if we Heighten a spell-like ability, it effectively raises the save DC by 2. The problem is that, at least as written, this feat likely only applies to the Fear, Sleep, and Charm Hexes since only they duplicate actual spells. Of the hexes you’ve got, it’s the Sicken and Debuff Hexes you most want to be irresistible.

Quicken Spell-like Ability: (MM) You’d think this would be the first thing you’d go for given the Hex abilities are all (Sp). The problem is that it only clearly applies to the Sleep, Fear, and Charm Monster hexes, since these overtly duplicate a spell effect. We want the Debuff Hex and the Sicken Hex to qualify despite not obviously matching a spell effect. There is an argument – and only an argument – that the Debuff Hex duplicates the spell effect of Bestow Curse given a -4 to attack rolls, saves, ability checks and skill checks is one of the possible results of that spell. If your DM agrees, then pick this and don’t look back; the equivalent, a Quickened, Ocular Spell version of Bestow Curse (even if possible) would take up a 9th level slot and still wouldn’t be as good as the Debuff Hex. If your DM is very kind, he’ll rule this ability applies to all of the hexes at once, not just one at a time.

Arcane Mastery (CArc): If you can't get Supernatural Abilities, then this is pretty damn solid for dealing with Spell Resistance on both your spells and spell-like abilities: take 10 on caster level checks, as simple and beautiful as that. You have spell-like abilities, you qualify. And if you really wanted more bonuses to caster level, Complete Arcane specifies (p. 83) that Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration work on spell-like abilities just as they do on spells. (This is particularly worth noting for Hexblades going into Hexer, since Spell Penetration is one of their potential bonus feats.)

Elder Giant Magic (SoX): Specific to those who got into Hexer via the Giant type. However, you almost automatically qualify for this because of all those ranks in Spellcraft you spent getting here. Anyway, for creatures of the giant type, this allows you to raise the ECL of your spell-like abilities if you increase the activation time of the ability by up to 3 rounds: +1 to ECL for each round. The increase affects all variables dependent on caster level, so it at least affects caster level checks to overcome Spell Resistance. What would be even nicer would be if your DM reads "caster level" to mean "Hexer level" and thus give yourself boosts to the DC of your hexes.

Boost Spell-like Ability (BoVD): +2 to a Hex’s DC. Normally +2s aren’t worth that much, but given the way the saves for Hexes are calculated, this is equal in effect to a +4 WIS item, and a pretty important tool for trying to keep up with monsters’ saving throws. Most important, and unlike Heighten Spell-like Ability, it doesn’t require that the spell-like ability duplicates a particular spell.

Ability Focus (MM): +2 to DC of a special attack. Some DMs may object that the Hexer’s gaze attack is a class ability rather than a creature trait named “special attack," but in most statblocks for creatures with class levels, such as the Aboleth Mage (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/aboleth.htm), class abilities are listed as special attacks and qualities, so it's not a hard stretch to get this in. And things like Irresistible Gaze explicitly stack with it. The nice interpretation we want is that this applies to all of our gaze attacks, i.e. catch all of our Hexes in one feat, but expect DMs to look askance at this.

Irresistible Gaze (SS): All your Hex attacks are explicitly gaze attacks, this adds a stackable +2 to the DC of each and every one of them. And therefore this is probably the best single general-use feat to be recommended for a Hexer, hands down.

Piercing Gaze: (SS): Your gaze, and therefore your hex, attack has a 30 foot range? Let’s make that 60 feet instead. Irresistible Gaze is a prerequisite for it. This is very tempting if you’ve got the space since it if your Sicken Hex comes off, it gives you significant breathing room against an opponent that has to close to range to hurt you. It also out-ranges bow-armed sneak attacking types since it’s beyond the all-important 30 foot mark.

Mortalbane: (BoVD): By RAW, as in the kind of RAW to get DMGs thrown at your head, this might actually be useful. ”A mortalbane ability is a damaging spell-like ability that deals 2d6 points of additional damage when used against living nonoutsiders, but only half damage (rounded down) against outsiders, undead, and constructs.” That might sound like we can’t get Hex into it, but Mortalbane itself has no prerequisites, i.e. it doesn’t require that your SLA actually does damage to begin with. So arguably this can be applied to the Hexer’s powers. That is, your Debuff Hex does an extra 2d6 damage to living nonoutsiders (and, depending on how your DM reads it, does so round by round as the hex smacks them again and again). On its own this is not that useful, but the fact the SLA is now an ability with variable, numeric effects means it’s eligible for Empower Spell-Like Ability. Which on its RAW raises the damage to 2d6*1.5 … but also increases the Debuff Hex penalty from 4 to 6, since all effects of the SLA are increased by half.

Darkstalker: (LoM) Rogues generally like this feat because it defeats blindsense, blindsight, tremorsense, and scent, but it also has use for the Hexer if his sixth-sense opponents decide to avoid his hex attacks by shutting their eyes. Darkstalker restores your ability to make Hide checks while the target is averting its eyes, even if it has one of the mentioned abilities.

Doomspeak: (CoR) I mean, good grief, this may be worth a level in bard if you’ve got the space, the skill points, and a single bad-as mothertrucker opponent whose saves just have to be crashed. It’s a -10 on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks for 1 round, and the saving throw is 10 + character level + CHA mod. -10 to saves is a hell of a way to soften up the target for the Hexer’s abilities. And it’s a supernatural ability, i.e. no Spell Resistance. Would that the Hexer’s abilities had been written the same way.

Sudden Extend (CArc): Wait, what? Yep, per p. 83 of Complete Arcane, the Sudden X line of metamagic feats apply to spell-like abilities just as they do to spells. In the case of Sudden Extend, it's perhaps worth having at low levels of Hexer since at least to start with your hexes only happen once per day and only last a round or two. Once you're at Hexer 10, you've got 6 uses per day and they last 10 rounds, so this could be worth retraining at that point.

Practiced Magic (Dungeon #116, p.44): Would need adjudication, but otherwise pretty damn good if it applies. Your Caster Level for your spell-like abilities increases by 4, albeit not past your Hit Dice. Explicitly doesn't affect how often you can use your abilities per day, but other variables of "spells" are affected.

[Saintheart]

Skills, Spells, and Desirable Equipment

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Neck Slot, +20 to Diplomacy checks with men named Nunzio

Skills

Knowledge: If you’ve gone down the path of Knowledge Devotion, then obviously you’ll be upping this. That said, you can pull pretty good modifiers from the feats, spells and skill tricks that most books on Knowledge Devotion go through, so it’s not like this is essential.

Concentration: if you’re going to get into punching range you’ll need this since spell-like abilities still draw AoOs. However, given a hex only needs one bleeding standard action to activate, if your DM puts you in a position where you need to make an AoO, you’ll be confirmed in your theory that he didn’t like how you qualified for Hexer and is targeting you.

Spells

Alamanther’s Return (MoF) (Sor/Wiz 9): Applies to Spell-like abilities, which all your hexes are. Allows you, basically, to turn them back into spells, which might be handy if you need to use them a lot. 1,000 XP though, and a full round.

Replicate Casting (SpC) (Sor/Wiz 9): Better than Alamanther’s Return in every way because it doesn’t sweat you for XP. Basically, cast your Hex as a spell, albeit it still takes a full round to do so.

Bestow Curse (Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 4) Why not add insult to injury? The penalties are the same as Debuff Hex but are wholly untyped, meaning they stack with Hex’s “enhancement penalty”. Sure, it has a Will save, and spell resistance, but get Quicken Spell or Quicken Spell-like Ability on your Debuff Hex and you’re smashing the target’s attack, saves, and skill checks by eight in one round.

Evil Eye (BoVD) (Sor/Wiz 3, Spellthief 3, Mortal Hunter 2) How about complete overkill? Evil Eye penalises the same things the Hex does, and even at a matching -4, but imposes a luck penalty, i.e. it stacks with Bestow Curse and the Debuff Hex. And it’s a low level arcane spell, which means you could even pick it up under Hexer’s bonus spells if necessary.

Blink (SRD) (Sor/Wiz 3, Bard 3, Vigilante 3, Sha’ir 3): Slips through the prohibition on using hexes against creatures on other planes, because you’re spending time on both the Material and Ethereal. Spells have a 20% chance of firing into the ethereal plane, but spell-like abilities are not mentioned. Has most use against an opponent that tries to avert its eyes against your gaze but continues fighting you; it introduces a separate miss chance to the concealment you pick up from a wilfully-blind creature because you’re not physically present to be hit 50% of the time. Assuming a creature that wants to fight you with its eyes shut, sheer probability expects it to miss 75% of the time since it has to pass both percentile rolls.

Owl's Insight (SpC) (Druid 5) No, this isn't Owl's Wisdom. Far from it. The druid list is accessible by Archivists. This spell (a) lasts 1 hour (b) grants half your caster level as a bonus to "Wisdom", and (c) grants said bonus as an insight bonus. Hexer operates around level 10 and above and is a full-casting prestige class. The key question is what a bonus to "Wisdom" amounts to. If your DM doesn't think it through, he might quickly rule that this is a bonus to the WIS modifier, and if so that would be a significant upgrade to hex abilities alone since hexes key off WIS, and this would stack with Owl's Wisdom since that spell grants an enhancement bonus. The more insidious reading of the spell is that it's a flat increase to the Wisdom score, which in turn would suggest bonus spell slots are granted.

Desirable Equipment

Helm of Gazes (MIC), Blindfold of True Darkness (MIC), Reflective Armor Crystal (MIC), etc.: Because the one weakness of the Hexer’s gaze attack (aside from Blindsight) is that it can be reflected back at the Hexer, usually by one of these items. Solution? Get one for yourself and play gaze tennis.

Boots of Flying: If the enemy’s Blindsight depends on tremorsense or similar, get off the ground.

Any item that boosts WIS: It’s the key stat for your hexes, dummy.

Armband of Elusive Action: (MIC) 1/day, avoid an attack of opportunity. If your hexes are still spell-like abilities, this might well be useful, and it’s nice and cheap.

Bracers of the Entangling Blast: (MIC) If you’ve managed to finagle your DM into letting Mortalbane apply to your hexes, this one is a logical next step, entangling the subject.

Third Eye Penetrate: (MIC): +2 on caster level checks to overcome Spell Resistance. If you’re stuck with spell-like abilities, you might as well get good at busting through SR.

Belt of Battle: (MIC) Additional actions is always handy, but if you've already managed to finagle your hexes as Quickened Spell-like abilities, less useful for Hexer specifically (although still retaining immense usefulness generally.)

Fearsome (armor quality): (MIC): Activated as a swift action, 3/day, everything in a 20 foot radius takes an untyped -2 to its saving throws and other if it doesn't have fear immunity. If it fails a DC 16 Will save, it becomes frightened instead. Even if it's only for 1 round, a way to lower saves is a way to lower saves.

[Saintheart]

Sample Builds

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As you can see, we've had our eye on you for some time now, Mr Anderson.

Books only, no flaw feats, no prerequisite feat taxes, no Dragon magazine, simple divine caster:



Books needed:
PHB/SRD
Heroes of Horror
Masters of the Wild
Secrets of Xen’drik (for the Primordial Giant template)
DMG 2 (optionally, only for the Apprentice Woodsman feat)

The Hexer used this way is more of an enhancement for Archivist than used for its unique abilities. This build only has only one simple question to answer: does your DM allow you to scribe Adept scrolls.

If the answer is yes, this build works as written. The only hobble is Survival not being an Archivist class skill; taking Apprentice (Woodsman) makes it less pricey to qualify since Survival becomes a class skill for you, but with 4+INT skill points per level, it is, as said, optional rather than compulsory.

True, this is a LA +1 build. But with Primordial Giant effectively +4 to INT and CHA, any one Knowledge skill as a class skill, and some damn nice spell-like abilities right from level one, I doubt you’ll be complaining that much. For the rest of your feat selections and filling out the build, go look up any Archivist handbook and maybe some Cleric handbooks; you’ve got +14 BAB, CL 19 divine spells, 9th level divine spells plus four from the Sor/Wiz list to go along with your Archivist spells. Enjoy yourself.

Archivist is one of the easiest bases for Hexer qualification outside of Adept, mainly because of the capacity to draw off different lists to cast Lightning Bolt. With the right race you could qualify at Archivist 5 if not for max skill rank levels. More likely, Archivist 7 is enough. That then leaves you three or so levels to play with other stuff. How you use those three levels is most likely going to be dictated by your role in the party. One of the simplest ways to pivot to melee is to eat a level of Cleric and then go into Ordained Champion; the WIS to attack and damage from Ordained Champion 5 has a nice synergy with the Hexer’s Hex saves keying off WIS. You’d lose two levels in casting but pick up Divine Power pretty easily. Knowledge Devotion, once again, is a solid adjunct to Archivist’s Knowledge base.

Books only, no flaw feats (indeed no prerequisite feat taxes at all), no Dragon magazine, Gish with Archivist focus:


This elegant combination gives us a +13 BAB and CL 17 Archivist casting, i.e. ninth level spells. Pick up 3 levels in any full BAB class, or 3 racial hit dice in a full BAB, dragonblooded creature that qualifies for Hexer, and we hit the benchmarks for gish: +16 BAB and ninth level spells at level 20. The drawbacks are that despite our divine casting, we don’t have a source for Divine Metamagic, but this build requires no branching out into the Dragon wilderness, and it’s an entirely smooth path of qualification for Hexer. (Notwithstanding the 3 RHD available, we recommend Frostblood Half-Orc to avoid taking Dragontouched.) Full credit to Anthrowhale on this one.

Books only, no flaw feats, no Dragon magazine, melee focus:



Build skeleton:

Level Class Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Reflex Save Will Save Skills Feats Class Features
1st Dragonfire Adept 1 +0 +2 +0 +2 9: {+4} Spellcraft: 4; {+4} Knowledge (Arcana): 4; {+1} Knowledge (Religion): 1; Draconic Heritage (Topaz Dragon) Dragontouched from DFA 1, Breath Weapon 1d6, Least Invocations
2nd Ranger 1 +1 +4 +2 +2 0: Spellcraft: 4; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; Knowledge (Religion): 1; Draconic Knowledge (Favored Enemy: Arcanists) - Arcane Hunter, Track, Wild Empathy
3rd Ranger 2 +2 +5 +3 +2 3: Spellcraft: 4; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; {+3} Survival: 3; Knowledge (Religion): 1; Two-Weapon Fighting (Combat Style)
4th Ranger 3 +3 +5 +3 +3 3: Spellcraft: 4; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; {+3} Survival: 6; Knowledge (Religion): 1; Power Attack (Endurance feat traded via Frostblood Half-Orc)
5th Ranger 4 +4 +6 +4 +3 2: Spellcraft: 4; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; {+2} Survival: 8; Knowledge (Religion): 1; Improved Trip (Champion of the Wild, traded out Ranger casting), (Distracting Attack, traded out Animal Companion)
6th Cloistered Cleric +4 +8 +4 +5 6: {+4} Spellcraft: 8; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; {+1} Survival: 9; {+1} Knowledge (Religion): 2; Draconic Channelling, Knowledge Devotion, Travel Devotion (Traded Knowledge and Travel domains for their Devotion feats)
7th Spirit Lion Totem, Half-Orc Barbarian 1 +5 +10 +4 +5 1: Spellcraft: 8; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; {+1} Survival: 10; Knowledge (Religion): 2; Pounce, Reckless Charge (+4 attack on charge, -4 AC), Rage 1/day
8th Dragonblood Fighter 1 +6/+1 +12 +4 +5 0: Spellcraft: 8; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; Survival: 10; Knowledge (Religion): 2; Weapon Focus (Scimitar) Dragonscale Husk
9th Dragonblood Fighter 2 +7/+2 +13 +4 +5 0: Spellcraft: 8; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; Survival: 10; Knowledge (Religion): 2; Dragonfire Assault [Cold] Leap Attack
10th Divine Crusader 1 +7/+2 +14 +4 +7 0: Spellcraft: 8; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; Survival: 10; Knowledge (Religion): 2; Aura
11th Divine Crusader 2 +8/+3 +15 +4 +8 0: Spellcraft: 8; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; Survival: 10; Knowledge (Religion): 2;
12th Divine Crusader 3 +9/+4 +16 +5 +8 0: Spellcraft: 8; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; Survival: 10; Knowledge (Religion): 2; Draconic Legacy (Topaz) Resistance to Electricity 5, Lightning Bolt added to Spells Known list
13th Hexer 1 +10 +16 +5 +10 0: Spellcraft: 8; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; Survival: 10; Knowledge (Religion): 2; Hex 1/day
14th Hexer 2 +11 +16 +5 +11 0: Spellcraft: 8; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; Survival: 10; Knowledge (Religion): 2; Bonus Spell, Hex 2/day
15th Hexer 3 +12 +17 +6 +11 0: Spellcraft: 8; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; Survival: 10; Knowledge (Religion): 2; Improved Bull Rush Sicken hex
16th Hexer 4 +13 +17 +6 +12 0: Spellcraft: 8; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; Survival: 10; Knowledge (Religion): 2; Bonus Spell, Hex 3/day
17th Hexer 5 +14 +17 +6 +12 0: Spellcraft: 8; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; Survival: 10; Knowledge (Religion): 2; Fear hex
18th Hexer 6 +15 +18 +7 +13 0: Spellcraft: 8; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; Survival: 10; Knowledge (Religion): 2; Shock Trooper Bonus Spell, Hex 4/day
19th Hexer 7 +16 +18 +7 +13 0: Spellcraft: 8; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; Survival: 10; Knowledge (Religion): 2; Sleep hex
20th Hexer 8 +17 +18 +7 +14 0: Spellcraft: 8; Knowledge (Arcana): 4; Survival: 10; Knowledge (Religion): 2; Bonus Spell, Hex 5/day ]

Books needed:

PHB/SRD
Dragon Magic
Draconomicon
Races of the Dragon
Complete Adventurer
Complete Champion
Complete Divine
Complete Mage
Complete Warrior
Masters of the Wild (only for Hexer itself)
Unearthed Arcana (only for Cloistered Cleric)


This build leans melee over magic. We avoid having to take arcane spellcaster levels to keep our BAB up and get maximum benefit out of the Sor/Wiz bonus spells that Hexer gives us.

At level 20:
- BAB +17
- 9th level divine spells via Divine Crusader, 2nd level Cleric spells (or reversed – 3rd level Divine Crusader, 5th level Cleric casting)
- Four more Sor/Wiz spells, 9th level spells being available from level 18
- Shock Trooper right at the end, Leap Attack and Improved Trip before then as options.
- Good Knowledge Devotion modifiers. Even before we put any skill ranks or INT bonus into it, we’ve got a +3 to attack and damage, due to our +26 bonus, derived from:
-- +5 from Draconic Knowledge, because we have five [draconic] feats
-- +6 from the Draconic Knowledge Least Invocation via Dragonfire Adept
-- +10 from Lore of the Gods (Cleric 2), because Io has Knowledge as one of his domains.
-- +5 from Collector of Stories skill trick, taken at some point.

Strategies:
Identify anything you’re dealing with. Charge at it. Swing big sword. Kill it. Cast some magic now and then.

Discussion, other suggestions:
The main problem was getting a divine Lightning Bolt. I used Draconic Legacy (Topaz dragon). Doing so, I set fire to four feat slots, albeit one of them was a pleasant boost to Knowledge Devotion and another lets us use [cold] energy damage in place of bonus Power Attack damage if came across something vulnerable to that. Dragonfire Adept was used at the front end mainly because it gave us the freebie feat Dragontouched, needed to avoid taking Sorcerer levels. (It also gives us the Least Invocation). If you’re willing to suck up a Sorcerer level, the Stalwart Battle Sorcerer ACF is probably the best choice, because it grants a free Weapon Focus -- which helps qualifying for Divine Crusader and frees up a feat slot for something more martial.

The odd placement of Cloistered Cleric is because of maximum rank issues with Spellcraft and to keep the Ranger levels together. If your DM allows the saving of skill points to later levels, that will help put the Cleric back to level 2, so you get maximum benefit out of Knowledge Devotion.

Note also that this build’s skill points assume no bonus to INT and only show the skill point spend I used to qualify for all prestige classes; I haven’t tried to spend all of the skill points you’d get at each level.

The required divine casting comes from Divine Crusader; your DM has to accept that Draconic Legacy gets around the rule that Divine Crusaders can only cast their god’s domain spells. I used Io, lord of all dragons from the Draconomicon; he sits at true neutral (compatible with Hexer), and his domains helpfully include Travel, Knowledge, Strength and – in the Forgotten Realms -- the Spell domain. (The Spell domain gives us Anyspell and Greater Anyspell, which are astonishingly good for the limited-list Divine Crusader if you can get it.)

If your DM says that Divine Crusaders can’t expand their spell lists, and clerics don’t know their spells, then I think your next best option is 6 levels of Favored Soul to replace the Divine Crusader and Cleric levels and reduce the Hexer levels by 2. BAB in that case drops to +15 or lower, and you’re going to be starved for feats.

Frostblood Half-Orc supplies us with Power Attack (we get Endurance from the race, which then allows us to substitute Ranger 3’s Endurance with Power Attack.) Half-Orc also gives us the Half-Orc Barbarian ACF, helping with our charge ability. We also got Dragonscale Husk from the Dragonblood Fighter ACF, Weapon Focus in Io’s scimitar (would ditch for two-handed weapon at first opportunity).

There are drawbacks: it’s feat-starved, there’s no room to even try on something like Quicken Spell-like ability, and no real synergy with the Hex ability. Moreover, this thing is as MAD as a paladin. We need CHA 13 to cast Divine Crusader spells, WIS for hexes, INT for skill points, STR and CON to be an ubercharger.

Books + Dragon magazine, 2 flaws, Gish focus:





Level Class Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Reflex Save Will Save Skills Feats Class Features
1st Paladin of Tyranny +1 +2 +0 +0 2: {+1} Knowledge (Arcana): 1; {+1} Survival: 1; (Apprentice: Woodsman) (Extend Spell) (Combat Casting) ACF: Gaze of Truth (discerning lies) ACF: Wyrmslayer (Dragon 332, Knowledge Arcana is class skill, Resist Energy 1/day CL 4)
2nd Paladin of Tyranny +2 +3 +0 +0 2: {+1} Knowledge (Arcana): 2; {+1} Survival: 2;
3rd Paladin of Tyranny +3 +3 +1 +1 2: {+1} Knowledge (Arcana): 3; {+1} Survival: 3; 2. Persistent Spell ACF: Angel's Sight - gain Darkvision
4th Paladin of Tyranny +4 +4 +1 +1 2: {+1} Knowledge (Arcana): 4; {+1} Survival: 4;
5th Martial Wizard 1 +4 +4 +1 +3 5: {+1} Knowledge (Arcana): 5; {+3} Spellcraft: 3; {+1} Survival: 5; Power Attack
6th Martial Wizard 2 +5 +4 +1 +4 3: {+1} Knowledge (Arcana): 6; {+1} Spellcraft: 4; {+1} Survival: 6; 3. Sword of the Arcane Order
7th Abjurant Champion +6 +4 +1 +6 3: {+1} Knowledge (Arcana): 7; {+1} Spellcraft: 5; {+1} Survival: 7;
8th Abjurant Champion +7 +4 +1 +7 3: {+1} Knowledge (Arcana): 8; {+1} Spellcraft: 6; {+1} Survival: 8;
9th Abjurant Champion +8 +5 +2 +7 3: {+1} Knowledge (Arcana): 9; {+1} Spellcraft: 7; {+1} Survival: 9; 4 Alternative Source Spell
10th Abjurant Champion +9 +5 +2 +8 3: {+1} Knowledge (Arcana): 10; {+1} Spellcraft: 8; {+1} Survival: 10;
11th Hexer +10 +5 +2 +10
12th Hexer +11 +5 +2 +11 Divine Metamagic (Persistent Spell)
13th Hexer +12 +6 +3 +11
14th Hexer +13 +6 +3 +12
15th Hexer +14 +6 +3 +12 Quicken Spell-Like Ability (Debuff Hex)
16th Hexer +15 +7 +4 +13
17th Hexer +16 +7 +4 +13
18th Hexer +17 +7 +4 +14 7 Irresistible Gaze
19th Hexer +18 +8 +5 +14
20th Hexer +19 +8 +5 +15

Books required:
PHB/SRD
DMG 2 (for Apprentice Woodsman)
Unearthed Arcana
Complete Arcane
Complete Divine
Champions of Valor
Masters of the Wild (for Hexer)
Dragon Magazine (for Cyclopes, Wyrmslayer Paladin, and Alternative Source Spell)
Secrets of Xen’drink (for Primordial Giant)
Savage Species

Build Notes:
At level 20, BAB +19, CL 20, 8th level Wizard spells, 1st level Paladin spells. So in one respect we don’t meet D&D 3.5’s Bechdel Test, i.e. it’s a gish, we’ve got BAB well above +16, and CL 20, but we’re not casting 9th level at level 20. Sacrilege, etc.

Okay, be on your way, but there’s a little bit more going on in this build than meets the eye.

First, we’re casting all of our arcane spells right out of their normal slots with Persistent Spell. How do we do this? A lot of Nightsticks, the DMM (Persistent) feat, and a curious little thing about Alternate Source Spell, i.e. how we got to cast Lightning Bolt as a divine spell … that is, we can use DMM on our arcane spells because they’re being cast as divine.

Why Paladin of Tyranny, and even worse, why four levels of it instead of two? Three reasons: first, rebuke undead pool, to power DMM. Second, BAB for Abjurant Champion. Third, the Aura of Despair which cracks the saves of our enemies for 10 feet around and which thereby makes our Hexer hexes as effective as if we’d hit it with another +4 WIS item.

“But that means I have to get into melee combat, and as a nongood, I can’t get Luminous Armooorrrr”. What, you worried about Arcane Spell Failure? Alternative Source Spell allows us to cast all our arcane spells as divine, and therefore, no arcane spell failure applies. Stamp around the battlefield in heavy armor all you want, freely casting the whole way, stop teasing the Duskblade crying over there in the corner. Oh, fine, I shoehorned Power Attack in there too, go persist a few iterations of Heroics to turn yourself into a combat beast, and while you’re at it fire up Greater Heroism, all out of their original slots.

(Now, if I didn’t want to go quite so overtly for gish, I’d have instead done some trades. Frostblood Half Orc, Paladin 1, trade in turning undead via the Wanderer ACF to pick up Survival as a skill and a free feat since Wanderer gives me Endurance and Frostblood Half Orc lets me pick any other feat in its place. A few arcanist levels until I hit Death Delver, which has a rebuke undead feature but a depressingly small divine spell list. Get my DMM back, rock on up to Hexer via some full-casting classes like Ruathar, Dragonslayer, so on.)

“Wait wait wait, how is an evil paladin getting Sword of the Arcane Order? Isn’t Mystra the goddess of magic whose lawful good entry meant they had to spend a good three potboiler novels explaining it?” Ah, but he’s not a Paladin of Mystra. He’s a Paladin of Azuth. Azuth, per Sword of the Arcane Order, has an order of paladins known as the Swords of the High One, and Azuth’s clerics include the Lawful Evil … which, funny enough, a Paladin of Tyranny is. By the way, Sword of the Arcane Order also relieves me from having to take the final level of Abjurant Champion, because SotAO stacks my paladin and wizard levels for determining my caster level. And I can use those few little paladin slots for more True Strikes if I want, too.

And lastly, I quickened the Hexer’s Debuff Hex, so you can now fire off one of those as a swift action, crashing the enemy’s saves, before hitting them with a Bestow Curse or other debuffing magic. This thing is really more designed as a support who can fight if need be. Although it’s probably kind of hard to stay inconspicuous when you’re a primordial version of a one-eyed giant who mind-melts people with his gaze (Primordial Giant is just so, so good).

“Wyrmslayer Paladin?” Yes, because who cares about Knowledge: Nobility and Royalty when you can have Knowledge: Arcana instead, which is also a class skill we need for Hexer.

Books + Dragon Magazine, Adept versatility

Full credit to thorr-kan for all of these, the builds are his and he’s tinkered with Adepts for quite a while. The idea here is to take the Adept, a bunch of Prestige Classes, and Hexer, making him that much more versatile.

Martel One-eye, called The Hammer

LN Half-orc Religious Adept of Wee Jas (Inquisition Domain) 4/Church Inquisitor 2/Master of Shrouds 3/Hexer 1

Racial Variant: Frostblood half-orc for cold stuff and Endurance, or desert half-orc for heat stuff and Run?

Template: Amphibious, Stormwrack pg. 135 and Magic-Blooded (AKA Spark), Dragon 306 pg. 64.

Starting Feats: God Touched, Divine Channeler, Light Armor Proficiency
Starting Flaws: Frail, Murky-eyed
3rd Level - Spell Focus (Conjuration)
6th Level - Retrain 2nd Inquisition domain for Magic or Domination? domain.
6th Level - Augment Summoning
9th Level - Extra Turning or Domain Spontaneity (Domination)?

RELIGIOUS ADEPT - base class.
1st (1st character) Level - Adept 1 (CL1), Inquisition domain.
2nd (2nd character) Level - Adept 2 (CL2).
3rd (3rd character) Level - Adept 3 (CL3).
4th (4th character) Level - Adept 4 (CL4).

CHURCH INQUISITOR - qualifies after adept 4; CompDivine.
Alignment: LG or LN.
Base Save Bonus: Will +3.
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 4, Knowledge (religion) 4, Spellcraft 4 ranks.
Spells: Able to cast zone of truth as a divine spell. (Adept 4)
Special: Must be a member of a LG church or religious order, and must have already uncovered some corruption within that organization.
1st (5th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL5), detect evil, Inquisition domain.
2nd (6th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL6), immune to charms.

MASTER OF SHROUDS - qualifies after adept 4/church inquisitor 2; Libris Mortis.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Base Save Bonus: Will +5.
Skills: Concentration 5, Knowledge (religion) 5, Spellcraft 5 ranks.
Feats: Augment Summoning, Spell Focus (Conjuration).
Spells: Able to cast protection from good as a divine spell. (Adept 1)
Special: Able to rebuke undead.
1st (7th character) Level - extra rebuking, rebuke undead.
2nd (8th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL7), summon undead (shadow).
3rd (9th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL8).

HEXER - qualifies after adept 4/church inquisitor 2/master of shrouds 3; Masters of the Wild.
Race: Monstrous humanoid, giant, goblinoid, or other primitive humanoid, such as orc or gnoll.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 10, Spellcraft 8, Survival 10 ranks.
Spells: Able to cast lightning bolt as a divine spell. (Adept 8)
1st (10th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL9), hex 1/day.

Martel One-eye, called The Hammer

LN Half-orc Religious Adept of Wee Jas (Inquisition Domain) 2/Expert 1/Master of Shrouds 3/Church Inquisitor 2/Master of Shrouds 2/Hexer 1

Racial Variant: Frostblood half-orc for cold stuff and Endurance, or desert half-orc for heat stuff and Run?

Template: Amphibious, Stormwrack pg. 135 and Magic-Blooded (AKA Spark), Dragon 306 pg. 64.

Starting Feats: God Touched, Divine Channeler, Spell Focus (Conjuration)
Starting Flaws: Frail, Murky-eyed
3rd Level - Augment Summoning
6th Level - Extra Turning
8th Level - Retrain 2nd Inquisition domain for Magic or Domination? domain.
9th Level - Domain Spontaneity (Domination)?

RELIGIOUS ADEPT - base class, DMG.
1st (1st character) Level - Adept 1 (CL1).
2nd (2nd character) Level - Adept 2 (CL2).

EXPERT - base class, DMG.
3rd (3rd character) Level - Light Armor Proficiency, select 10 class skills, 6+INT skill points/level.

MASTER OF SHROUDS - qualifies after adept 2/expert 1; Libris Mortis.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Base Save Bonus: Will +5.
Skills: Concentration 5, Knowledge (religion) 5, Spellcraft 5 ranks.
Feats: Augment Summoning, Spell Focus (Conjuration).
Spells: Able to cast protection from good as a divine spell. (Adept 1)
Special: Able to rebuke undead.
1st (4th character) Level - extra rebuking, rebuke undead.
2nd (5th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL3), summon undead (shadow).
3rd (6th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL4).

CHURCH INQUISITOR - qualifies after adept 2/expert 1/master of shrouds 3; CompDivine.
Alignment: LG or LN.
Base Save Bonus: Will +3.
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 4, Knowledge (religion) 4, Spellcraft 4 ranks.
Spells: Able to cast zone of truth as a divine spell. (Adept 4)
Special: Must be a member of a LG church or religious order, and must have already uncovered some corruption within that organization.
1st (7th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL5), detect evil, Inquisition domain.
2nd (8th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL6), immune to charms.

MASTER OF SHROUDS - qualifies after after adept 2/expert 1/master of shrouds 3/church inquisitor 2; Libris Mortis.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Base Save Bonus: Will +5.
Skills: Concentration 5, Knowledge (religion) 5, Spellcraft 5 ranks.
Feats: Augment Summoning, Spell Focus (Conjuration).
Spells: Able to cast protection from good as a divine spell. (Adept 1)
Special: Able to rebuke undead.
4th (9th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL7), summon undead (wraith).
5th (10th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL8), improved summoning.

HEXER - qualifies after after adept 2/expert 1/master of shrouds 3/church inquisitor 2/master of shrouds 2; Masters of the Wild.
Race: Monstrous humanoid, giant, goblinoid, or other primitive humanoid, such as orc or gnoll.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 10, Spellcraft 8, Survival 10 ranks.
Spells: Able to cast lightning bolt as a divine spell. (Adept 8)
1st (11th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL9), hex 1/day.

Martel One-eye, called The Hammer

LN Half-orc Religious Adept of Wee Jas (Inquisition Domain) 4/Church Inquisitor 1/Master of Shrouds 4/Hexer 1

Racial Variant: Frostblood half-orc for cold stuff and Endurance, or desert half-orc for heat stuff and Run?

Template: Amphibious, Stormwrack pg. 135 and Magic-Blooded (AKA Spark), Dragon 306 pg. 64.

Starting Feats: God Touched, Divine Channeler, Spell Focus (Conjuration)
Starting Flaws: Frail, Murky-eyed
3rd Level - Augment Summoning
6th Level - Retrain 2nd Inquisition domain for Magic or Domination? domain.
6th Level - Light Armor Proficiency
9th Level - Extra Turning or Domain Spontaneity (Domination)?

RELIGIOUS ADEPT - base class.
1st (1st character) Level - Adept 1 (CL1), Inquisition domain.
2nd (2nd character) Level - Adept 2 (CL2).
3rd (3rd character) Level - Adept 3 (CL3).
4th (4th character) Level - Adept 4 (CL4).

CHURCH INQUISITOR - qualifies after adept 4; CompDivine.
Alignment: LG or LN.
Base Save Bonus: Will +3.
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 4, Knowledge (religion) 4, Spellcraft 4 ranks.
Spells: Able to cast zone of truth as a divine spell. (Adept 4)
Special: Must be a member of a LG church or religious order, and must have already uncovered some corruption within that organization.
1st (5th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL5), detect evil, Inquisition domain.

MASTER OF SHROUDS - qualifies after adept 4/church inquisitor 1; Libris Mortis.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Base Save Bonus: Will +5.
Skills: Concentration 5, Knowledge (religion) 5, Spellcraft 5 ranks.
Feats: Augment Summoning, Spell Focus (Conjuration).
Spells: Able to cast protection from good as a divine spell. (Adept 1)
Special: Able to rebuke undead.
1st (6th character) Level - extra rebuking, rebuke undead.
2nd (7th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL6), summon undead (shadow).
3rd (8th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL7).
4th (9th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL8), summon undead (wraith).

HEXER - qualifies after adept 4/church inquisitor 1/master of shrouds 4 ; Masters of the Wild.
Race: Monstrous humanoid, giant, goblinoid, or other primitive humanoid, such as orc or gnoll.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 10, Spellcraft 8, Survival 10 ranks.
Spells: Able to cast lightning bolt as a divine spell. (Adept 8)
1st (10th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL9), hex 1/day.

Martel One-eye, called The Hammer

LN Half-orc Religious Adept of Wee Jas (Inquisition Domain) 4/Church Inquisitor 2/Master of Shrouds 3/Hexer 1

Racial Variant: Frostblood half-orc for cold stuff and Endurance, or desert half-orc for heat stuff and Run?

Template: Amphibious, Stormwrack pg. 135 and Magic-Blooded (AKA Spark), Dragon 306 pg. 64.

Starting Feats: Spell Focus (Conjuration)
Starting Flaws: Frail, Murky-eyed
3rd Level - Augment Summoning
6th Level - Heretic of the Faith (Necromancy)
7th Level - Retrain 2nd Inquisition domain for Necromancy domain (Dragonlance Campaign Setting); grants turn undead.
9th Level - Light Armor Proficiency

RELIGIOUS ADEPT - base class.
1st (1st character) Level - Adept 1 (CL1), Inquisition domain.
2nd (2nd character) Level - Adept 2 (CL2).
3rd (3rd character) Level - Adept 3 (CL3).
4th (4th character) Level - Adept 4 (CL4).

CHURCH INQUISITOR - qualifies after adept 4; CompDivine.
Alignment: LG or LN.
Base Save Bonus: Will +3.
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 4, Knowledge (religion) 4, Spellcraft 4 ranks.
Spells: Able to cast zone of truth as a divine spell. (Adept 4)
Special: Must be a member of a LG church or religious order, and must have already uncovered some corruption within that organization.
1st (5th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL5), detect evil, Inquisition domain.
2nd (6th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL6), immune to charms.

MASTER OF SHROUDS - qualifies after adept 4/church inquisitor 2; Libris Mortis.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Base Save Bonus: Will +5.
Skills: Concentration 5, Knowledge (religion) 5, Spellcraft 5 ranks.
Feats: Augment Summoning, Spell Focus (Conjuration).
Spells: Able to cast protection from good as a divine spell. (Adept 1)
Special: Able to rebuke undead.
1st (7th character) Level - extra rebuking, rebuke undead.
2nd (8th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL7), summon undead (shadow).
3rd (9th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL8).

HEXER - qualifies after adept 4/church inquisitor 2/master of shrouds 3; Masters of the Wild.
Race: Monstrous humanoid, giant, goblinoid, or other primitive humanoid, such as orc or gnoll.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 10, Spellcraft 8, Survival 10 ranks.
Spells: Able to cast lightning bolt as a divine spell. (Adept 8)
1st (10th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL9), hex 1/day.

Martel One-eye, called The Hammer

LN Half-orc Religious Adept of Wee Jas (Inquisition Domain) 2/Expert 1/Master of Shrouds 3/Church Inquisitor 2/Master of Shrouds 2/Hexer 1

Racial Variant: Frostblood half-orc for cold stuff and Endurance, or desert half-orc for heat stuff and Run?

Template: Amphibious, Stormwrack pg. 135 and Magic-Blooded (AKA Spark), Dragon 306 pg. 64.

Starting Feats: God Touched, Divine Channeler, Spell Focus (Conjuration)
Starting Flaws: Frail, Murky-eyed
3rd Level - Augment Summoning
6th Level - Extra Turning
8th Level - Retrain 2nd Inquisition domain for Magic or Domination? domain.
9th Level - Domain Spontaneity (Domination)?

RELIGIOUS ADEPT - base class, DMG.
1st (1st character) Level - Adept 1 (CL1).
2nd (2nd character) Level - Adept 2 (CL2).

EXPERT - base class, DMG.
3rd (3rd character) Level - Light Armor Proficiency, select 10 class skills, 6+INT skill points/level.

MASTER OF SHROUDS - qualifies after adept 2/expert 1; Libris Mortis.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Base Save Bonus: Will +5.
Skills: Concentration 5, Knowledge (religion) 5, Spellcraft 5 ranks.
Feats: Augment Summoning, Spell Focus (Conjuration).
Spells: Able to cast protection from good as a divine spell. (Adept 1)
Special: Able to rebuke undead.
1st (4th character) Level - extra rebuking, rebuke undead.
2nd (5th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL3), summon undead (shadow).
3rd (6th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL4).

CHURCH INQUISITOR - qualifies after adept 2/expert 1/master of shrouds 3; CompDivine.
Alignment: LG or LN.
Base Save Bonus: Will +3.
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 4, Knowledge (religion) 4, Spellcraft 4 ranks.
Spells: Able to cast zone of truth as a divine spell. (Adept 4)
Special: Must be a member of a LG church or religious order, and must have already uncovered some corruption within that organization.
1st (7th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL5), detect evil, Inquisition domain.
2nd (8th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL6), immune to charms.

MASTER OF SHROUDS - qualifies after after adept 2/expert 1/master of shrouds 3/church inquisitor 2; Libris Mortis.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Base Save Bonus: Will +5.
Skills: Concentration 5, Knowledge (religion) 5, Spellcraft 5 ranks.
Feats: Augment Summoning, Spell Focus (Conjuration).
Spells: Able to cast protection from good as a divine spell. (Adept 1)
Special: Able to rebuke undead.
4th (9th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL7), summon undead (wraith).
5th (10th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL8), improved summoning.

HEXER - qualifies after after adept 2/expert 1/master of shrouds 3/church inquisitor 2/master of shrouds 2; Masters of the Wild.
Race: Monstrous humanoid, giant, goblinoid, or other primitive humanoid, such as orc or gnoll.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 10, Spellcraft 8, Survival 10 ranks.
Spells: Able to cast lightning bolt as a divine spell. (Adept 8)
1st (11th character) Level - +1 level of spell caster (CL9), hex 1/day.

Books only, Junkyard Wars winner


No Hexer discussion is complete without Thurbane’s award-winning build, which can be found here (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?497904-Junkyard-Wars-XV-Ruathar-Stoneblessed-Human/page2).

Medium Monstrous Humanoid

HD: 3d6+3d8+3d6+1d10+10d6+60 (137hp)

Languages: Common, Elven, Gnome, Lupin and Terran* (purchased with skill points at 1st level)

Ability Scores:

• Str 14
• Dex 14
• Con 14 (+2 from Stoneblessed 3)
• Int 15 (all increases from HD go here, +5 total)
• Wis 14
• Cha 8

Racial Traits:
Move 30 ft
Darkvision 60 ft
Acute Sense of Smell
Expert Rider

"Racial" Enemies:
+1 bonus on attack rolls and damage vs. werewolves (Lupin)
+4 dodge bonus to AC vs. giants (Stoneblessed)
+1 bonus to attacks rolls vs kobolds and goblinoids (Stoneblessed)
+1 bonus on weapon damage rolls vs. dragons (Dragonslayer)
+1 to +3 bonus on attacks rolls for allies vs. aberrations, constructs, dragons, elementals, magical beasts, outsiders and undead (Archivist)
+1 to +5 insight attack rolls and damage rolls vs. aberrations, animals, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, giants, humanoids, magical beasts, monstrous humanoids, oozes, outsiders, plants, undead and vermin (Knowledge Devotion)

Skill Bonuses:
+2 bonus to Listen and Ride Checks (Lupin)
+2 racial bonus on Survival checks to follow tracks (Lupin)
+5 racial bonus on Spot Checks vs. Disguise within 5 ft (Lupin)
+2 bonus to Decipher Script and Knowledge (arcana) checks (Archivist - Lore Mastery)
+2 bonus on Listen and Craft (alchemy) checks (Stoneblessed)

Recommended Gear
Ability boosters are a good idea, especially for Wisdom - this helps both with bonus spells, and the DC for hexes. Con boosters are also desirable. No gish should be without the finest arms and armor, of course. After ECL 10, heavy armor and martial weapons become an option. Pearls of Power are always handy for a prepared caster. Scrolls, Wands and Staves can be useful if expensive.

Use in a Campaign
Kinvig is a fierce defender of his forest and the gnomish and elven communities therein. It's conceivable that he could be an ally or opponent to a group, depending on their motives. He could also be useful if the party is seeking a particular piece of knowledge, as Kinvig has very respectable knowledge skills (especially arcana). He has a particular hatred of dragons, and to a lesser degree, werewolves - so these could be adventure hooks of their own.

Sources
Complete Adventurer: Leap Attack
Complete Champion: Knowledge Devotion, various spells
Complete Mage, Player's Handbook II, Spell Compendium: various spells
Draconomicon: Dragonslayer
Dragon Magazine Compendium: Lupin
Frostburn: Summon Giants
Heroes of Horror: Archivist, Draconic Archivist
Masters of the Wild: Hexer
Online: Guidance of the Avatar
Races of Stone: Stoneblessed, Trivial Knowledge
Races of the Wild: Ruathar, Expeditious Dodge

Disclaimer 1: Yes, Stoneblessed is shoehorned in there. It fits with the backstory, but really the only thing it's "used" for is Trivial Knowledge.
Disclaimer 2: The bonus Sor/Wiz spells from Hexer can mostly be obtained through Domains or other sources anyway, but are selected for utility and power. In the case of a DM being tough on allowing an Archivist access to Domain scrolls etc. this is a straightforward way to get them.

You know, I'd be interested to do an Anthro Bat variation on Kinvig:

Anthro Bat (small Monstrous Humanoid -4 Str, +6 Wis, -2 Cha) Archvist 6/Ruathar 3/Dragonslayer 1/Hexer 10. Stat priorities would be Int/Wis/Con/Dex/Str/Cha.

The only feat reqs are Dodge and Iron Will for Dragonslayer. I would recommend Expeditious Dodge (or similar) in place of regular Dodge; Iron Will can be obtained through Otyugh Hole, if the DM is open to it. If the DM is exceedingly kind, he might allow you to swap out the Archivists bonus Scribe Scroll for a Fighter bonus feat, using the UA "Martial Wizard" option, and you can grab Dodge that way. 100% not RAW, though.

If 3rd party is on the table, grab Lost Tradition feat, and change your casting stat from Int to Wis.

You've got a 5 ft land speed, and a 20 ft (average) fly speed - you might want to invest in some flying feats so you don't need to rely on that pathetic land speed (Air Heritage, Hover, Flyby Attack etc.).

If the land movement rates are too problematic, swap out Bat for Anthro Lizard, Rat or Weasel (-4 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Wiz, -2 Cha). Anthro Toads also get +6 Wis, but only have a land movement of 5.



Books + Dragon Magazine, Assassin



Marrulurk is an expensive monster to use as a player race, with 3 RHD and +1 LA. But it’s one of the good ones for an assassin-y class. These guys not only get Death Attacks, they get bonus sneak attack, skills in the right places, and a host of effective boosts to every stat except INT. These boosts include a glorious +6 to WIS, which helps enormously with our Hex attack. The Hexer has some items that make for useful overlap with Unseen Seer: on top of advancing Unseen Seer casting, it adds Sor/Wiz spells outright compared with Unseen Seer’s Advanced Learning which are confined to Divination; it crashes saving throws which synergise with Death Attack; and its Sicken Hex permanently denies the target DEX bonus to AC, which trigger stealth attack. Lastly, if a target tries to avoid the Hex at all, it grants at least the condition of concealment to the Hexer, i.e. the Hexer can attempt a Hide check even if they’re locked in combat with the target. And if the opponent tries to fight you with its eyes shut, you get total concealment against them.

But we pretty much have to resort to a different method of picking up Lightning Bolt. It costs us two feats and a level dip: Cloistered Cleric for divine casting, Dragontouched for dragonblood subtype, and Alternative Source Spell to be able to cast Lightning Bolt as divine. We use a Dragonblood Spell-pact casting from a sorcerer to trade one of our Unseen Seer spells for Lightning Bolt.

Unseen Seer’s main draw is that it’s an arcane spellcaster and rogue theurge, so the loss of +1d6 sneak attack in the last 3 levels of Unseen Seer hurts a bit. However, we get 4 Hexes per day, thus, covering us for most fights, 3 bonus Sor/Wiz spells to replace the single lost Advanced learning, and a couple points of BAB. And we presumably will use Alternative Source Spell to full effect by having it remove arcane spell failure chance.

(Credit to Rebel7284, who laid out the Marrulurk Wizard 2/Unseen Seer 10 build that this thing springboards from.)

Books + Dragon Magazine, Hexblade Plus



Hexblade gets justifiably spat on by most players who read over the class, but there is some synergy between the Hexblade and the Hexer. Both classes are full BAB, the Hexblade’s saves shore up the weak spots of the Hexer, the Hexblade has most of the right class skills, and they’re both nongood. Most important of all, the Hexblade’s cursing stacks with that of the Hexer since it’s an untyped penalty. They’re even compatible on the action economy since the Hexblade can impose his curses as a free action and the Hexer’s hex costs a standard action (at least to start with). The drawbacks, though, are substantial: the Hexblade never goes higher than fourth level casting, he gets into the class late (Hexblade 11), and he still has to find a divine Lightning Bolt somewhere. Also, the Hexblade’s curse is powered by CHA and the Hexer’s curse by WIS, which means we’re a little more MAD. That said, a Hexblade/Hexer, assuming the Hexer’s got Quicken Spell-like Ability, has a potentially devastating debuff sequence: Hexblade Curse for a -2 as a free action, Hexer Debuff Hex as a swift action for another -4 (which is then maintained), and then another Hexer Sicken curse to hit with a further -2 and blow up the enemy’s DEX bonus to AC. And then he has about three or four Sor/Wiz spells to hit the target with.

We get to this one the same way we did our Marrulurk: Dragontouched feat, Alternative Source Spell, and a Cloistered Cleric dip. Our dragonblood spell-pact has to happen at Hexblade 11, because only then can we trade one of our precious 3rd level spells for a Lightning Bolt.

Books only, no flaw feats, Thog SMASH gish:


Race: Neanderthal
- Classes/PrCs: Sorcerer (spellshield variant?) 4/Ruathar 3/Hexer 10/Abjurant Champion 3 (or potentially Hexer 8/Abjurant Champion 5)
- CL 20, BAB +17
- Feats (locked in): (1) Bloodline (earth?), (3) Versatile Spellcaster, (6) Southern Magician

It requires some controversial reading of rules to work:
- Neanderthal to count as as an "other primitive humanoid" for Hexer reqs
- A Neanderthal born in (or otherwise native to) the Mulan region to meet Southern Magician reqs (I'm a bit hazy on FR geography, are Mulan are people?)
- Versatile Spellcaster + Bloodline feat to qualify for Ruthar at 5th level (Ruthar is for two reasons - to help meet skill reqs for Hexer, and to gain MWP to qualify for Abjurant Champion)
- Southern Magician to meet "divine Lightning Bolt" reqs for Hexer

Credit to Thurbane on this one. And adding some other notes he contributed on possible changes:
ou know, I'd be interested to do an Anthro Bat variation on Kinvig:

Anthro Bat (small Monstrous Humanoid -4 Str, +6 Wis, -2 Cha) Archvist 6/Ruathar 3/Dragonslayer 1/Hexer 10. Stat priorities would be Int/Wis/Con/Dex/Str/Cha.

The only feat reqs are Dodge and Iron Will for Dragonslayer. I would recommend Expeditious Dodge (or similar) in place of regular Dodge; Iron Will can be obtained through Otyugh Hole, if the DM is open to it. If the DM is exceedingly kind, he might allow you to swap out the Archivists bonus Scribe Scroll for a Fighter bonus feat, using the UA "Martial Wizard" option, and you can grab Dodge that way. 100% not RAW, though.

If 3rd party is on the table, grab Lost Tradition feat, and change your casting stat from Int to Wis.

You've got a 5 ft land speed, and a 20 ft (average) fly speed - you might want to invest in some flying feats so you don't need to rely on that pathetic land speed (Air Heritage, Hover, Flyby Attack etc.).

If the land movement rates are too problematic, swap out Bat for Anthro Lizard, Rat or Weasel (-4 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Wiz, -2 Cha). Anthro Toads also get +6 Wis, but only have a land movement of 5.


Books + minimal Dragon magazine, 2 flaws, evil divine caster

Per Rebel7284, to whom credit is given and owed:

Ex 1: LA +0:
Wizard 5/Mindbender 1/Ur Priest 2/Ruathar 1/Hexer 10/Hierophant 1
- Qualify with Alternate Spell Source. Full Ur Priest casting and Wizard 9 to boot.

Ex 2: Anthropomorphic Baleen Whale OR Marralurk
HD 3/Dragonfire Adept 1/Dragonblood Sorcerer 1/Ur Priest 2/X 1/Hexer 10/Hierophant 2
- Qualify with the Topaz Dragon thing. Iron Will from magical location is a plus because you're feat starved.

[Saintheart]

Spare Box




... That's it, take it away guys :smallsmile:

[loky1109]

Good handbook. Like it. Many thanks!
Err: adept from DMG, not PHB.

[Anthrowhale]

Nice!

A few notes/thoughts.

It's not super clear whether the racial classes in complete psionic can be abandoned.
I believe there's some text suggesting that although cyclops are descended from giants they are actually humanoid? (so you can't apply primordial giant)
It's probably better to do Sha'ir 3/Geomancer 4 so you can enter Hexer sooner. Incidentally, that entry also works well for Sha'ir because it allows them to reallocate their spells every 3 hours.
Greater Anyspell allows you to cast up to 5th(not 6th) level spells out of a 6th level slot.
It may be worthwhile to list Archivist 5/Singer of Concordance 2/Hexer 10 as a build? It's a zero feat/zero dragon/full spell entry which can even be used to hit the gish bencmark at level 20.

[Saintheart]

Nice!

A few notes/thoughts.
It's not super clear whether the racial classes in complete psionic can be abandoned.

Noted. In the races section, I've recorded it as debatable and needing clearance from a DM.


I believe there's some text suggesting that although cyclops are descended from giants they are actually humanoid? (so you can't apply primordial giant)

At best it comes down to one phrase in the Dragon article: the suggestion that Feral Cyclopes live close to "other humanoids" in order to fight and kill them. But if so it goes against the rest of the article which goes so far to describe the relations between Cyclopes and other giants carrying with it an acknowledgment that they have giant blood. But if that's not right and they are humanoid, then as you say Primordial Giant wouldn't apply. Still, if Feral Cyclopes in particular are humanoids, they're clearly primitive humanoids and thus qualify for Hexer anyhow. There certainly isn't anything in Deities & Demigods - their Cyclopes are expressly of the Giant type, albeit the LA and RHD are mch higher of course.


It's probably better to do Sha'ir 3/Geomancer 4 so you can enter Hexer sooner. Incidentally, that entry also works well for Sha'ir because it allows them to reallocate their spells every 3 hours.

I'd go with that, but I don't think you can qualify in Geomancer until Sha'ir 4. Geomancer's prerequisite is that you can cast second level arcane and divine spells, and unless I'm missing something ... ah hah. Sha'ir is more subtle than I realised, it can cast second level spells before it actually knows any: cast at 3, know spells at 4. Makes complete sense given a Sha'ir doesn't have to know a spell to cast it, he just gets the Gen to grab it for him. So yeah, that trick works entirely and I'll go adjust it.


Greater Anyspell allows you to cast up to 5th(not 6th) level spells out of a 6th level slot.

Noted, will fix.


It may be worthwhile to list Archivist 5/Singer of Concordance 2/Hexer 10 as a build? It's a zero feat/zero dragon/full spell entry which can even be used to hit the gish bencmark at level 20.

No source of turning to power DMM, but then it's Archivist base anyway and doesn't need Alt Source Spell to qualify. I agree, that does hit the marks. Makes a nice contrast to an Alt-Source-Spell ab/using build and I'll put it up there with credit to you.

[Saintheart]

Good handbook. Like it. Many thanks!
Err: adept from DMG, not PHB.

Gah, noted, fixed, appreciated!

[Kalkra]

A few things: First of all, Ability Focus should work fine. If you look at the statblock for any creature with class levels, like the Aboleth Mage (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/aboleth.htm), it lists its class abilities as special attacks and special qualities. Even if it doesn't Spell-Like Ability Focus certainly does. Also, Able Learner doesn't actually make all skills class skills, so you're still limited to level 12 as your earliest entry. Flexible Mind will make them class skills, though. It'll just save you seven skill points. Also, Human Paragon can be a nice way to get skills, although you lose a caster level, and there are only a few ways to be human and a Hexer. There are the rituals from SS, though, which I think can make you a goblin. Also, Arcane Mastery might be useful if SR is a problem. Fearsome armor can lower the saves of enemies, although only within 20 feet, which is probably a bit closer than you want your enemies to be, and you already have your Fear Hex. Also, I believe that the Sudden metamagic feats work with SLAs, specifically Sudden Extend.

I don't know how many of those are actually useful, but I figured that figuring that out is your job. I'm just writing everything I can think of.

[Thurbane]

Will contribute to this as I get time (still just waking up here), but a couple of quick things:

d6 HD are not cleric HD - Clerics get d8 (except Cloistered Clerics, I believe).

Also, Favored Soul does not get Wilderness Lore (aka Survival in 3.5) as a class skill.

I'll just quickly post these links here, then come back when I get time: Divine Lightning Bolt (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?204476) / Divine Lightning Bolt Part II (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?605823) / Thogg Chergoba - Neanderthal Gish (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?435641-3-5-Thogg-Chergoba-Neanderthal-Gish)

The Anthropomorphic animals from Savage Species are all Monstrous Humanoids.

[bekeleven]

Cool guide, although I wouldn't allow a lot of this at my table. Letting somebody use an explicitly-described-as "enchantment" on a plant because it doesn't specifically say that you can't? Or because it's "mind-influencing" instead of mind-affecting?

Besides that: You cover a ton of material in-depth. Good resource for a relatively obscure class. I agree with your reading that somebody can RAW run multiple hexes at the same time (never put that together before), although I'm not sure if I would allow that at a table either, to be honest.

[Anthrowhale]

Thanks. A few more thoughts:


For the Archivist 5/Singer of Concordance 2/Hexer 10/X 3, the race should probably be frostblood (half)orc, for the feat-free entry. You take a -2 Int penalty on an archivist, but that's not the end of the world.
I believe the first 2 builds require 'no feats', not merely 'no flaw feats'.
There is an esoteric feat-free way to pick up spellcraft or knowledge[x] as class skill---by attaining rank 16 in the Paragnostic Assembly. There is no specific level requirement here although it would be extremely challenging to attain this by level 3 (for Sha'ir->Geomancer entry) and merely challenging by level 7 (for Hexer entry).

[Saintheart]

A few things: First of all, Ability Focus should work fine. If you look at the statblock for any creature with class levels, like the Aboleth Mage (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/aboleth.htm), it lists its class abilities as special attacks and special qualities. Even if it doesn't Spell-Like Ability Focus certainly does. Also, Able Learner doesn't actually make all skills class skills, so you're still limited to level 12 as your earliest entry. Flexible Mind will make them class skills, though. It'll just save you seven skill points. Also, Human Paragon can be a nice way to get skills, although you lose a caster level, and there are only a few ways to be human and a Hexer. There are the rituals from SS, though, which I think can make you a goblin. Also, Arcane Mastery might be useful if SR is a problem. Fearsome armor can lower the saves of enemies, although only within 20 feet, which is probably a bit closer than you want your enemies to be, and you already have your Fear Hex. Also, I believe that the Sudden metamagic feats work with SLAs, specifically Sudden Extend.

I don't know how many of those are actually useful, but I figured that figuring that out is your job. I'm just writing everything I can think of.

Pretty well all of them were useful, and I've added them in. They're all pretty good catches and also twigged me onto the fact Spell Penetration applies to (Sp) abilities under similar rules to Sudden metamagic. Appreciated!


Will contribute to this as I get time (still just waking up here), but a couple of quick things:

d6 HD are not cleric HD - Clerics get d8 (except Cloistered Clerics, I believe).

Also, Favored Soul does not get Wilderness Lore (aka Survival in 3.5) as a class skill.

I'll just quickly post these links here, then come back when I get time: Divine Lightning Bolt (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?204476) / Divine Lightning Bolt Part II (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?605823) / Thogg Chergoba - Neanderthal Gish (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?435641-3-5-Thogg-Chergoba-Neanderthal-Gish)

The Anthropomorphic animals from Savage Species are all Monstrous Humanoids.

Made changes accordingly. The Divine Lightning Bolt threads I had already scoured for entries, they're all in here, and I added Thogg Chergoba to his rightful, prominent-browed place in the thread.


Cool guide, although I wouldn't allow a lot of this at my table. Letting somebody use an explicitly-described-as "enchantment" on a plant because it doesn't specifically say that you can't? Or because it's "mind-influencing" instead of mind-affecting?

Besides that: You cover a ton of material in-depth. Good resource for a relatively obscure class. I agree with your reading that somebody can RAW run multiple hexes at the same time (never put that together before), although I'm not sure if I would allow that at a table either, to be honest.

I appreciate the thanks anyway, but when it comes to what the hex can and can't affect, all I was really saying is that type alone doesn't confer immunity, i.e. the feature doesn't list a bunch of hex-immune types of themselves. If something has immunity to enchantment as one of its traits, then that would obviously present a problem.

As for mind-influencing versus mind-affecting? Well, on closer research you might well be right. "Mind-influencing" is something you can still be immune to if you're a Verdant Lord, Fang of Lolth, Grim Psion, Oozemaster, or Dread Champion. In these PrCs, mind-influencing effects are delineated as "(charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects)".

But on a closer look, the 3.0 Construct type was immune to "mind-influencing" effects which contained all that above group of effects; the 3.5 Construct type is "Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects)." So though I don't think they specifically updated the references, it looks the intent was that we read one for the other. I'll update the posts accordingly.

EDIT: Although this does make the Debuff Hex slightly stronger in retrospect. The Debuff Hex is called out as an enchantment effect. So, fine: anything immune to enchantment effects is also immune to it. But it's not called out as a mind-influencing effect ... neither it nor the Sicken Hex, which is significant since they are not duplicating known spells. Therefore, if we see mind-influencing as one and the same as mind-affecting, mind-affecting immunity does not confer immunity to the Debuff or Sicken Hex. The list of effects covered by mind-affecting do not include enchantment effects - they only include (charms, compulsions, patterns, phantasms, morale effects). The Debuff Hex doesn't hit any of those; therefore, Constructs and friends cannot rely on mind-affecting immunity for immunity against the Debuff and Sicken.


Thanks. A few more thoughts:


For the Archivist 5/Singer of Concordance 2/Hexer 10/X 3, the race should probably be frostblood (half)orc, for the feat-free entry. You take a -2 Int penalty on an archivist, but that's not the end of the world.
I believe the first 2 builds require 'no feats', not merely 'no flaw feats'.
There is an esoteric feat-free way to pick up spellcraft or knowledge[x] as class skill---by attaining rank 16 in the Paragnostic Assembly. There is no specific level requirement here although it would be extremely challenging to attain this by level 3 (for Sha'ir->Geomancer entry) and merely challenging by level 7 (for Hexer entry).


All 3 are now incorporated into the book. Much appreciated on all the thoughts.

[Anthrowhale]

The Debuff Hex is called out as an enchantment effect. So, fine: anything immune to enchantment effects is also immune to it. But it's not called out as a mind-influencing effect
The SRD says "All enchantments are mind-affecting spells." which I expect many people take to mean that immunity to mind-affecting applies to all enchantment effects.

It may be worthwhile to add the Half-Ogre template in Dragon #313 which grants "giant blood", plausibly satisfying the racial prereq. This is an LA+1 template, or LA+0 if the creature is already large.

A Primordial Giant Half-ogre has Con-2,Int+2,Cha+2, and an at-will bonus SLA including possibly invisibility. This makes something like a Primordial Giant Half-ogre Anthropomorphic Baleen Whale size large, Str+8, Dex+4, Con+2, Int+2, Wis+4, Cha+2, Natural armor+9, blindsight, with invisibility at will. Adding on Cleric[Thunder,??] 7/Hexer 10 you get a good gish:

Cast spells in armor
Armor is extra effective when cumulative with natural armor
You have lots of buff spells
You can DMM[Persist] spells
You can acquire some key wizard spells (i.e. heroics, draconic polymorph, etc...) in the higher levels.
You are large with a large strength to match.
You are invisible at will at lower levels where that hits hard.

Altogether this is overpowered except that you are 3 levels behind on spell advancement, so it won't overshadow optimized casters.

[Saintheart]

The SRD says "All enchantments are mind-affecting spells." which I expect many people take to mean that immunity to mind-affecting applies to all enchantment effects.

sigh Fixed.


It may be worthwhile to add the Half-Ogre template in Dragon #313 which grants "giant blood", plausibly satisfying the racial prereq. This is an LA+1 template, or LA+0 if the creature is already large.

A Primordial Giant Half-ogre has Con-2,Int+2,Cha+2, and an at-will bonus SLA including possibly invisibility. This makes something like a Primordial Giant Half-ogre Anthropomorphic Baleen Whale size large, Str+8, Dex+4, Con+2, Int+2, Wis+4, Cha+2, Natural armor+9, blindsight, with invisibility at will. Adding on Cleric[Thunder,??] 5/Hexer 10/Cleric 2 you get a good gish:

Cast spells in armor
Armor is extra effective when cumulative with natural armor
You have lots of buff spells
You can DMM[Persist] spells
You can acquire some key wizard spells (i.e. heroics, draconic polymorph, etc...) in the higher levels.
You are large with a large strength to match.
You are invisible at will at lower levels where that hits hard.

Altogether this is overpowered except that you are 3 levels behind on spell advancement, so it won't overshadow optimized casters.

Added!

[liquidformat]

I really like your handbook, great work.

A couple thoughts:

Cleric if not cloistered cleric should be added to base class options they are more straightforward entry options than some of the base classes you suggested.

Wizard 1/mystic ranger 6 with SotAO seems like a valid if not slightly controversial entry option. Even if that is controversial wizard 1/mystic ranger 4/Geomancer 4 isn't.

[daremetoidareyo]

bhuka is a goblinoid i believe.


Sandstorm 76 & 141
Hintak’inai kha Niski: Female bhuka druid 6/lord of
tides 10; CR 16; Medium humanoid (goblinoid); HD

Bhuka,1st-Level Warrior
Medium Humanoid (Goblinoid)

[thorr-kan]

Full credit to thorr-kan for all of these, the builds are his and he’s tinkered with Adepts for quite a while. The idea here is to take the Adept, a bunch of Prestige Classes, and Hexer, making him that much more versatile.
Called out in a Handbook for the first time! Thanks for the plug, Saintheart.

I'll admit, the familiarity with Hexer did come completely from dinking around with Adept. But they do go so good together.

If I ever play in Red Hand of Doom again, Martel's the character I want to run. Yes, he is very much variations on a theme. But I very much wanted to get him *just so*, so I've done a lot of tinkering.

[Thurbane]

You know, I'd be interested to do an Anthro Bat variation on Kinvig:

Anthro Bat (small Monstrous Humanoid -4 Str, +6 Wis, -2 Cha) Archvist 6/Ruathar 3/Dragonslayer 1/Hexer 10. Stat priorities would be Int/Wis/Con/Dex/Str/Cha.

The only feat reqs are Dodge and Iron Will for Dragonslayer. I would recommend Expeditious Dodge (or similar) in place of regular Dodge; Iron Will can be obtained through Otyugh Hole, if the DM is open to it. If the DM is exceedingly kind, he might allow you to swap out the Archivists bonus Scribe Scroll for a Fighter bonus feat, using the UA "Martial Wizard" option, and you can grab Dodge that way. 100% not RAW, though.

If 3rd party is on the table, grab Lost Tradition feat, and change your casting stat from Int to Wis.

You've got a 5 ft land speed, and a 20 ft (average) fly speed - you might want to invest in some flying feats so you don't need to rely on that pathetic land speed (Air Heritage, Hover, Flyby Attack etc.).

If the land movement rates are too problematic, swap out Bat for Anthro Lizard, Rat or Weasel (-4 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Wiz, -2 Cha). Anthro Toads also get +6 Wis, but only have a land movement of 5. :smallfrown:

[Saintheart]

Anthro Toads also get +6 Wis, but only have a land movement of 5. :smallfrown:

Half-Ogre template from Dragon adds +10 feet land speed if you get Large, so you can almost keep up with the dwarf in heavy armor! :smallcool::smallbiggrin:

[danielxcutter]

Shugenja 8 (4th level spell, [Fire] focus). (CDiv, OA) The Shugenja’s an improvement on the Adept; you’ll get 9th level spells of which five will be Sor/Wiz of various levels. But what it makes up for in depth, it suffers in range since Lightning Bolt can only be cast by a [Fire] Shugenja, who’s stuck with mostly blasting spells. Shugenja builds can be sort-of blaster sorcerers or sort-of combat clerics, but they don’t excel at either terribly. Again, the BAB tops out at +14 at best.


Correction: as long as you're not a [Water] Shugenja you'll be able to learn it. An [Earth] Shugenja can learn spells from [Earth], [Fire], and [Water] but not [Air] for example.

Also, using this as a DM might be fun if you use the associated class level rules. A bunch of monsters have Survival as class skills.

[Saintheart]

I really like your handbook, great work.

A couple thoughts:

Cleric if not cloistered cleric should be added to base class options they are more straightforward entry options than some of the base classes you suggested.

Wizard 1/mystic ranger 6 with SotAO seems like a valid if not slightly controversial entry option. Even if that is controversial wizard 1/mystic ranger 4/Geomancer 4 isn't.

I've added in discussions around Sword of the Arcane Order to cover it. Also added a short section on Mystic Ranger since they get Spellcraft added in, as well as a detail on Cloistered Cleric.


bhuka is a goblinoid i believe.


Sandstorm 76 & 141
Hintak’inai kha Niski: Female bhuka druid 6/lord of
tides 10; CR 16; Medium humanoid (goblinoid); HD

Bhuka,1st-Level Warrior
Medium Humanoid (Goblinoid)

Working on it.


Correction: as long as you're not a [Water] Shugenja you'll be able to learn it. An [Earth] Shugenja can learn spells from [Earth], [Fire], and [Water] but not [Air] for example.

Also, using this as a DM might be fun if you use the associated class level rules. A bunch of monsters have Survival as class skills.

Fixed Shugenja - thanks, appreciated! I'll add in about associated class levels too.

[Thurbane]

Here's a list of Goblinoids I made once, if it helps. Most are there already.


So as to not thread necro this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?564420), I decided to make a new thread.

I just wanted to add to the existing list I compiled: I recently discovered The Goblin Pits of Io-Rach, and the variant goblins they produce (medium size, +4 Str, +4 Con, -4 Int, -4 Wis, -4 Cha).

My reading is that this is on top of existing goblin modifiers, and you don't apply size change from small to medium ability mods?



Name/Source
Type/Subtype(s)
LA/RHD
Ability Modifiers
Misc


Bakemono (OA p.146)
Small Humanoid (Goblinoid, Shadowlands)
LA +0
+4 Str, +4 Con, -8 Int, -2 Wis, -6 Cha
30 ft; +6 Natural AC; Bite 1d8, 2 Claws 1d6


Bhuka (Sa p.39)
Medium Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +0
-2 Str, +2 Dex
30 ft; Glare Resistance; Sure Feet; Water Sense; +2 on Con Checks vs. Dehydration etc.; +2 Bonus on Knowledge (nature); Knowledge (nature) always a class skill; Heat EnduranceB


Blue (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/blue.htm)
Small Humanoid (Goblinoid, Psionic)
LA +1
-2 Str, +2 Int, -2 Cha
30 ft; Darkvision 60 ft; Naturally Psionic; +4 on Ride & Move Silently


Bugbear (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/bugbear.htm)
Medium Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +1 (3 RHD)
+4 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Cha
30 ft; +3 Natural AC; Darkvision 60 ft; Scent; +4 on Move Silently


Dolgaunt* (ECS p.281) [not a true goblinoid]
Medium Aberration
LA +3 (2 RHD)
+4 Str, +6 Dex, +2 Con, +2 Int, +4 Wis
30 ft; +3 Natural AC; 2 Tentacles 1d3; Blindsight 360 ft; DR 5/byeshk or magic; Vitality Drain; +4 on Balance and Climb


Dolgrim* (ECS p.282) [not a true goblinoid]
Small Aberration
LA +2
+2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Int, -2 Cha
20 ft; DR 5/byeshk or magic; Darkvision 60 ft; Dual Consciousness; +4 on Climb; +4 on grapple checks


Goblin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/goblin.htm)
Small Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +0
-2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Cha
30 ft; Darkvision 60 ft; +4 on Ride & Move Silently


Goblin, Air (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm#airGoblins)
Small Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +0
-2 Str, +4 Dex, -2 Con
30 ft; Breathless; Darkvision 60 ft; +4 on Move Silently; +1 Attack vs. Earth Creatures; -2 on Saves vs. Earth Attacks


Goblin, Arctic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm#arcticGoblins)
Small Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +0
-2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Cha
30 ft; Cold Endurance; Low-Light Vision; +2 on Bluff and Sleight of Hand; +4 on Ride


Goblin, Aquatic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm#aquaticGoblins)
Small Humanoid (Aquatic, Goblinoid)
LA +0
-2 Str, +2 Con, -2 Cha
30 ft, Swim 30 ft; Aquatic; Darkvision 60 ft; +2 on Disable Device, Sleight of Hand, Ride & Move Silently


Goblin, Dekanter (MoF p.53; RoF p.137)
Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +4 (2 RHD)
+6 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Con, +2 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Cha
20 ft; +4 Natural AC; Gore 1d6, 2 Claws 1d4; Darkvision 60 ft; Fast Healing 3; Resist Cold 5


Goblin, Desert (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm#desertGoblins)
Small Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +0
-2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Cha
30 ft; Heat Endurance; Low-Light Vision; +2 on Gather Information; +4 on Ride & Move Silently


Goblin, Forestkith (MM3 p.64)
Small Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +1
+2 Dex, -2 Int
30 ft, Climb 20 ft; +1 Natural AC; Bite 1d4; Darkvision 60ft; Discordant Frenzy; Light Sensitivity; Tree Shape; +2 on Jump; +4 on Craft (weaving) (nets only); +4 on Hide & Move Silently (forested areas only); +8 on Climb; Treat Nets as Martial


Goblin, Grodd (Into the Dragon's Lair p.86)
Small Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +0
-2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Cha
30 ft; Darkvision 60 ft; Shadow Kinship; +4 on Move Silently


Goblin, Io-Rach (BoVD p.22)
Medium Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +0
+2 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Con, -4 Int, -4 Wis, -6 Cha
30 ft; Darkvision 60 ft; +4 on Ride & Move Silently


Goblin, Jungle (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm#jungleGoblins)
Small Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +0
-2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Cha
30 ft, Climb 20 ft; Low-Light Vision; +4 on Jump; +8 on Climb


Goblin, Snow (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20040911a&page=4) (FR p.136)
Small Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +1
+2 Dex, -2 Int, -2 Cha
30 ft, Climb 20 ft; Darkvision 60 ft; +4 on Intimidate & Move Silently; +8 on Climb


Goblinoid, Vril (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20070504a) (DotU p.123)
Small Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +0 (?)
+2 Con, -2 Int, -2 Cha
30 ft; Darkvision 60 ft; Light Blindness; Shriek; Skinshift; Vulnerability to Poison; +2 on Balance and Jump; +4 on Climb


Goblyn (Dragon 339 p.55)
Medium Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +2 (4 RHD)
+6 Dex, +2 Con, -4 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Cha
30 ft; +2 Natural AC; 2 Claws 1d6, Bite 1d6; Darkvision 60 ft; Feasting; Improved Grab; Scary Visage; SR 6; Telepathy; +4 on Climb, Hide & Move Silently; AlertnessB


Hobgoblin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/hobgoblin.htm)
Medium Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +1
+2 Dex, +2 Con
30 ft; Darkvision 60 ft; +4 on Move Silently


Hobgoblin, Fire (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/elementalRacialVariants.htm#fireHobgoblins)
Medium Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +1
+2 Dex, +2 Con, +2 Int, -2 Cha
30 ft; Low-Light Vision; Resist Fire 5; +1 Attack vs. Water Creatures; -2 on Saves vs. Water or Cold Attacks


Hobgoblin, Spellscourge (MM5 p.85)
Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +2 (5 RHD)
+6 Str, +4 Dex, +6 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Cha
30 ft; Darkvision 60 ft; Spelleater; +2 Save vs. Spells; DodgeB


Hobgoblin, Sunscorch (DM p.9)
Medium Humanoid (Dragonblood, Goblinoid)
LA +1
+2 Con, +2 Wis
30 ft; Darkvision 60 ft; +2 on Saves vs. Nonlethal Heat Damage; +2 on Bluff; +4 on Move Silently


Hobgoblin, Warcaster (MM5 p.86)
Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +3 (4 RHD)
-2 Str, +4 Dex, +6 Con, +6 Int, +2 Cha
30 ft; +2 Natural AC; Arcane Talent; Darkvision 60 ft; DR 5/magic; magic Strike; Pillar of Magic; Spelleater; +2 Save vs. Spells; Iron WillB


Hobgoblin, Warsoul (MM5 p.87)
Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +4 (10 RHD)
-2 Str, +6 Dex, +8 Con, +10 Int, +4 Wis, +4 Cha
30 ft; +4 Natural AC; Arcane Talent; Cult of Power; Darkvision 60 ft; DR 10/magic; Magic Strike; Spell easter; Soul Tyrant; +2 Save vs. Spells; Iron WillB


Norker (Dragon 343, p.53)
Small Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +1
+2 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Con, -2 Int, -4 Wis, -4 Cha
30 ft; +5 Natural AC; Bite 1d4; Darkvision 60 ft; +4 Move Silently


Varag (MM4 p.168)
Medium Humanoid (Goblinoid)
LA +2 (3 RHD)
+4 Str, +4 Dex, +2 Con, -4 Int
60 ft; +3 Natural AC; Darkvision 60 ft; Scent; RunB; Spring AttackB; ​+8 on Move Silently


Worghest* (Dragon 350, p.56) [not a true goblinoid]
Medium Outsider (Native, Shapechanger)
LA +2
+2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Cha
30 ft; Change Shape; Darkvision 60 ft; Feed; Low-light Vision; Resist acid 5, electricity 5; Scent; Trip (wolf form only); +4 on Move Silently; +4 on Track checks in wolf form; TrackB



** As per Oriental Adventures, Were-rats are known as Goblin Rats in Rokugan settings, and have the goblinoid subtype.

Cheers - T
Interestingly, as per a rule in OA, Wererats may be considered Goblinoids:


Lycanthrope, Wererat (Goblin Rat): Goblin rats are a race of natural lycanthropes distinguished by two factors: they cannot transmit their lycanthropy, and they are deathly afraid of felines. Whenever it faces a cat or catlike creature, a goblin rat must succeed at a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the feline’s HD + the feline’s Charisma modifier) or become panicked. In humanoid form, goblin rats tend to be short, with wiry bodies, thin mustaches, greasy skin, and darting eyes. They have the goblinoid subtype.

The above quote seem to imply this is for natural lycanthropes only.

[danielxcutter]

Uh, you got it wrong about the Shugenja again. As long as you don’t specialize in [Water] you can still learn Lightning Bolt, and that’s the weakest specialization anyways because that one focuses on healing spells. [Fire] specialization isn’t great(because blasting-focused and not even that great blasting), so it’s a choice between Earth and Air I guess.

Edit: Also, Human Paragon has 2/3 caster progression. Plus, half-orcs qualify.

[Kalkra]

Plus, half-orcs qualify.

Pretty sure a half-orc would need to take a level of half-orc paragon before it qualifies.

[danielxcutter]

Well yeah. But even if that makes it Not Worth ItTM that’s different from the reason Saintheart posted, just saying.

[Rebel7284]

(Credit to Rebel7284, who laid out the Marrulurk Wizard 2/Unseen Seer 10 build that this thing springboards from.)

Aww! Yay! Always glad to inspire!

Some thoughts:

- I agree that Cyclopeans (handbook has typo in name) are humanoid. The article talks constantly about how they are related to giants, have giant blood, etc. However, they explicitly say "Descended from the giant race of cyclopes, these extremely tall humanoids..." in the physical description section, which seems to stand out in relation to all the fluff that never explicitly assigns them the giant type. Probably more balanced in the long run but a pity from the optimization standpoint.

- "mind-influencing" vs. "mind-affecting" just seems like such an obvious typo that I don't think this should be a factor at all. Maybe a footnote for the most RAW of tables at best.

- In the builds section, I see builds using Divine Crusader, but no mention of Ur-Priest. This seems like an omission, Ur Priest overlaps the alignment requirements and has a MUCH better spell list than Divine Crusader while sharing the benefit of having "free" levels to play with before you start your caster progression that can be used for skills or high HD/low LA monsters.
For example:
Ex 1: LA +0:
Wizard 5/Mindbender 1/Ur Priest 2/Ruathar 1/Hexer 10/Hierophant 1
- Qualify with Alternate Spell Source. End up with full Ur Priest casting and Wizard 9 to boot.

Ex 2: Anthropomorphic Baleen Whale OR Marralurk
HD 3/Dragonfire Adept 1/Dragonblood Sorcerer 1/Ur Priest 2/X 1/Hexer 10/Hierophant 2
- Qualify with the Topaz Dragon thing. Iron Will from magical location is a plus because you're feat starved.

of course the whole catalogues of enlightenment for Perun's Domain works with Ur Priests too if that domain is accessible in your campaign.

Edit: To add something truly unique, check out Elder Giant Magic ( Secrets of Xen'drik, p. 135)
A little niche, but if you're entering as a Giant, it works with your Hexes while giving you free caster level boosts to out of combat spells and long term or persisted buffs

Edit2: Two levels of Dragonheart Mage seem nice due to the two draconic feats it grants in the first two levels. Sadly loses one caster level.

[Saintheart]

bhuka is a goblinoid i believe.


Sandstorm 76 & 141
Hintak’inai kha Niski: Female bhuka druid 6/lord of
tides 10; CR 16; Medium humanoid (goblinoid); HD

Bhuka,1st-Level Warrior
Medium Humanoid (Goblinoid)

Now fixed and in the overall table.


You know, I'd be interested to do an Anthro Bat variation on Kinvig:

Anthro Bat (small Monstrous Humanoid -4 Str, +6 Wis, -2 Cha) Archvist 6/Ruathar 3/Dragonslayer 1/Hexer 10. Stat priorities would be Int/Wis/Con/Dex/Str/Cha.

The only feat reqs are Dodge and Iron Will for Dragonslayer. I would recommend Expeditious Dodge (or similar) in place of regular Dodge; Iron Will can be obtained through Otyugh Hole, if the DM is open to it. If the DM is exceedingly kind, he might allow you to swap out the Archivists bonus Scribe Scroll for a Fighter bonus feat, using the UA "Martial Wizard" option, and you can grab Dodge that way. 100% not RAW, though.

If 3rd party is on the table, grab Lost Tradition feat, and change your casting stat from Int to Wis.

You've got a 5 ft land speed, and a 20 ft (average) fly speed - you might want to invest in some flying feats so you don't need to rely on that pathetic land speed (Air Heritage, Hover, Flyby Attack etc.).

If the land movement rates are too problematic, swap out Bat for Anthro Lizard, Rat or Weasel (-4 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Wiz, -2 Cha). Anthro Toads also get +6 Wis, but only have a land movement of 5. :smallfrown:

Notes added to Thogg's entry. (EDIT: I mean, Kinvig's).


Here's a list of Goblinoids I made once, if it helps. Most are there already.


Interestingly, as per a rule in OA, Wererats may be considered Goblinoids:

The above quote seem to imply this is for natural lycanthropes only.

Had wererats in there already, but added notes about dolgaunts and dolgrims to the section too!


Uh, you got it wrong about the Shugenja again. As long as you don’t specialize in [Water] you can still learn Lightning Bolt, and that’s the weakest specialization anyways because that one focuses on healing spells. [Fire] specialization isn’t great(because blasting-focused and not even that great blasting), so it’s a choice between Earth and Air I guess.

Edit: Also, Human Paragon has 2/3 caster progression. Plus, half-orcs qualify.

Now proper fixed, or at least I've given up pretending I know a damn thing about how Shugenjas work :) Also added monster class skills as something to consider too.


Aww! Yay! Always glad to inspire!

Some thoughts:

- I agree that Cyclopeans (handbook has typo in name) are humanoid. The article talks constantly about how they are related to giants, have giant blood, etc. However, they explicitly say "Descended from the giant race of cyclopes, these extremely tall humanoids..." in the physical description section, which seems to stand out in relation to all the fluff that never explicitly assigns them the giant type. Probably more balanced in the long run but a pity from the optimization standpoint.

- "mind-influencing" vs. "mind-affecting" just seems like such an obvious typo that I don't think this should be a factor at all. Maybe a footnote for the most RAW of tables at best.

- In the builds section, I see builds using Divine Crusader, but no mention of Ur-Priest. This seems like an omission, Ur Priest overlaps the alignment requirements and has a MUCH better spell list than Divine Crusader while sharing the benefit of having "free" levels to play with before you start your caster progression that can be used for skills or high HD/low LA monsters.
For example:
Ex 1: LA +0:
Wizard 5/Mindbender 1/Ur Priest 2/Ruathar 1/Hexer 10/Hierophant 1
- Qualify with Alternate Spell Source. End up with full Ur Priest casting and Wizard 9 to boot.

Ex 2: Anthropomorphic Baleen Whale OR Marralurk
HD 3/Dragonfire Adept 1/Dragonblood Sorcerer 1/Ur Priest 2/X 1/Hexer 10/Hierophant 2
- Qualify with the Topaz Dragon thing. Iron Will from magical location is a plus because you're feat starved.

of course the whole catalogues of enlightenment for Perun's Domain works with Ur Priests too if that domain is accessible in your campaign.

Edit: To add something truly unique, check out Elder Giant Magic ( Secrets of Xen'drik, p. 135)
A little niche, but if you're entering as a Giant, it works with your Hexes while giving you free caster level boosts to out of combat spells and long term or persisted buffs

Edit2: Two levels of Dragonheart Mage seem nice due to the two draconic feats it grants in the first two levels. Sadly loses one caster level.

All of that now in it, and all the suggestions and catches are appreciated, guys. That said, the build section is now at max length so I had to start chopping bits, which is a pain. :(


As I'm a bit flat out (read: lazy) (also read: trying to get back to third party review thread and run my 3 PbPs) here's a beg to the community: does anyone want to throw up a build stub of a Hexer that takes advantage of Divine Bard + Savage Bard + Doomspeak? Credit will be given of course and I'll fit the thing into that build post somehow...

[Zarvistic]

As I'm a bit flat out (read: lazy) (also read: trying to get back to third party review thread and run my 3 PbPs) here's a beg to the community: does anyone want to throw up a build stub of a Hexer that takes advantage of Divine Bard + Savage Bard + Doomspeak? Credit will be given of course and I'll fit the thing into that build post somehow...
I think that's 2 variant classes, so not sure if you can actually take both. I like that build idea though, was trying to see how else to fit in survival and bolt in an easy way.

[danielxcutter]

Frankly, I think Doomspeak is strong enough and Bard good enough that you might just be better off building for those specifically. Hexer might actually weaken it because of all the stuff you'd spend trying to quality.

[Zarvistic]

I was looking at mystic ranger 9/divine crusader 1/hexer 10. Qualify with sword of the arcane order.

That should give 20 bab, so never behind, which mattets for manyshot. Spells are 5th ranger and 9th crusader. Also gives up first style for moonwarded sub level to get wis to ac and gets evasion.

I can flesh it out if you find it interesting enough to add. Wasn't sure if it's not too similar to others.

[danielxcutter]

I was looking at mystic ranger 9/divine crusader 1/hexer 10. Qualify with sword of the arcane order.

That should give 20 bab, so never behind, which mattets for manyshot. Spells are 5th ranger and 9th crusader. Also gives up first style for moonwarded sub level to get wis to ac and gets evasion.

I can flesh it out if you find it interesting enough to add. Wasn't sure if it's not too similar to others.

Uhhhhhhhhhh… Divine Crusader has medium BAB, not full. Also I think Mystic Ranger is DragMag material? Fine if your DM allows it, but I believe a lot don’t.

[Saintheart]

Frankly, I think Doomspeak is strong enough and Bard good enough that you might just be better off building for those specifically. Hexer might actually weaken it because of all the stuff you'd spend trying to quality.

Really it just needs one level in bard and Extra Music. That's 4 Doomspeaks per day, which is enough to cover the first 6 levels or so of Hexer.


I was looking at mystic ranger 9/divine crusader 1/hexer 10. Qualify with sword of the arcane order.

That should give 20 bab, so never behind, which mattets for manyshot. Spells are 5th ranger and 9th crusader. Also gives up first style for moonwarded sub level to get wis to ac and gets evasion.

I can flesh it out if you find it interesting enough to add. Wasn't sure if it's not too similar to others.

Sure, give it a try. Haven't seen a ranged Hexer as yet. The tricky part might also be with Mystra's allowable alignments, from memory she's only Good?

[danielxcutter]

Well Heretic of the Faith is a thing…

[Zarvistic]

Not sure, but I think TN should be fine for Mystra? I don't think the build is worth it if spending more feats for it.

I see about the crusader, didn't realize. Losing 1 bab is annoying but still fine I think.

[danielxcutter]

Hmm. Think Mystra might allow TN worshipers? AFB though.

[Saint-Just]

Hmm. Think Mystra might allow TN worshipers? AFB though.

Midnight-Mystra has a special exemption for wider range of alignments - she allows LN out of respect for her predecessor.

[Saintheart]

Faiths and Pantheons seems to think it's all the lawfuls plus CG and NG.

[danielxcutter]

So LN should be perfectly fine, then.

[Maat Mons]

Your text describes Shugenja as "an improvement on" Adept. But your color-coding ranks it worse.

Also, it may be worth noting that taking advantage of Hexer's Bonus Spells really eats into a Shugenja's general spells known. Hexer adds spells to your spell list, but it doesn't give them as free spells known. So unless just being able to use wands of a few Wizard spells is what you're after, you need to use up spells known. And Shugenjas are only allowed to learn very few spells that don't have to come from thier order or favored element. The spells added by Hexer aren't going to be either of those things.

Shugenja is just a really frustrating class in general. The good elements are Air and Earth. But specializing in one means banning the other. And if you specialize in one of the crappy elements, to avoid having to ban a good element, then you have to take half your spells known from that crappy element. There's no generalist option either.

You appear to be citing the source of Geomancer as Master's of the Wild. But the most recent printing is in Complete Divine.

I'm not actually entirely sure how Archivist interacts with Hexer. Hexer adds spells to your spell list, but Archivist doesn't really have a spell list. Also, the spells don't suddenly appear in your prayerbook when Hexer adds them to yor list. So you'd still need to find a divine scroll of the Sorcerer/Wizard spell, or find another Archivist with that Sorcerer/Wizard spell in his prayerbook, before you could actually cast it.

For completeness, you should probably list Mystic (Dragonlance Campaign Setting, p47) as an entry option. Though it's almost as bad a choice as Shugenja.

[Thurbane]

Savage Bard 2/Duskblade 3/Ur-Priest 5/Hexer 10

...or

Savage Bard 2/Duskblade 3/Ur-Priest 2/Hexer 10/Dragon Disciple 3 (DD is for extra 9th level spell slots)

...or if you wanted a more martial take

Savage Bard 2/Duskblade 3/Ur-Priest 2/Hexer 10/Swordsage 3 (your IL level will end up at 11, so you can snag a decent number of mid-level manoeuvres, on top of your 9th level spells); this build would like incur muticlassing penalties though

...or

Savage Bard 2/Duskblade 3/Ur-Priest 2/Hexer 3/Legacy Champion 10 (using LC to advance Hexer)

[Rebel7284]

Savage Bard 2/Duskblade 3/Ur-Priest 2/

How are you casting lightning bolt here?

I too, considered Duskblade entry, but that option usually meant delaying Hexer an extra level due to Lightning Bolt being a 4th level spell via Perun or the Dragonblood boosting classes losing BAB. Regardless of the method, you probably need three levels of Ur Priest casting at least.

[Thurbane]

Uh, never mind, I completely zoned out on that one lol :smallredface:

[Saintheart]

Your text describes Shugenja as "an improvement on" Adept. But your color-coding ranks it worse.

Also, it may be worth noting that taking advantage of Hexer's Bonus Spells really eats into a Shugenja's general spells known. Hexer adds spells to your spell list, but it doesn't give them as free spells known. So unless just being able to use wands of a few Wizard spells is what you're after, you need to use up spells known. And Shugenjas are only allowed to learn very few spells that don't have to come from thier order or favored element. The spells added by Hexer aren't going to be either of those things.

Shugenja is just a really frustrating class in general. The good elements are Air and Earth. But specializing in one means banning the other. And if you specialize in one of the crappy elements, to avoid having to ban a good element, then you have to take half your spells known from that crappy element. There's no generalist option either.

You appear to be citing the source of Geomancer as Master's of the Wild. But the most recent printing is in Complete Divine.

I'm not actually entirely sure how Archivist interacts with Hexer. Hexer adds spells to your spell list, but Archivist doesn't really have a spell list. Also, the spells don't suddenly appear in your prayerbook when Hexer adds them to yor list. So you'd still need to find a divine scroll of the Sorcerer/Wizard spell, or find another Archivist with that Sorcerer/Wizard spell in his prayerbook, before you could actually cast it.

For completeness, you should probably list Mystic (Dragonlance Campaign Setting, p47) as an entry option. Though it's almost as bad a choice as Shugenja.

Cheers, Maat, I'll get that lot in there, albeit I think you've given me enough reason to rate Shugenja at red :D

On the underlined bit, I think the Archivist's per-level pickup of spells probably gets close enough for jazz:


At each new class level, the archivist gains two new cleric spells for his prayerbook; these can be of any spell level or levels that he can cast (based on hisnew archivist level).


At 2nd level, the hexer adds a new spell of his choice to his spell list.

The Archivist's spell list is - I think for practical purposes - the cleric spell list, plus anything divine he can scan into a PDF format in her prayerbook. At second level, a Sor/Wiz spell comes onto the cleric list; he can accordingly pick that up under his automatic progression. Or you take the wider argument that the Archivist's spell list is the full divine spell list; accordingly the Hexer's spell is added to that list and maybe then he has to get a Scribd membership to pick it up.

[Jervis]

Would Chameleon be a decent option for entry? I know Chameleon being progressed by caster PrCs is controversial but assuming its allowed you get it at the same spell level as adept.

[danielxcutter]

Pretty sure you’re forbidden to use Chameleon class features to qualify for anything.

[Saintheart]

Pretty sure you’re forbidden to use Chameleon class features to qualify for anything.

Sadly, yes. It's explicit in Races of Destiny, p. 112: "You can't use any abilities gained from your aptitude focus, ability boon, or mimic class feature abilities to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other option. You can use your bonus feat to qualify for such options, but if you change the feat, you suffer the normal drawbacks for no longer meeting a prerequisite or requirement." The only spellcasting the Chameleon gets is drawn from its aptitude focus.