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JellyPooga
2008-03-12, 07:20 PM
I never liked the paltry spells/day that Hexblades got and when I got Complete Arcane, I immediately thought that Hexblades should get Eldritch Blast and/or Invocations instead...purely from a fluff perspective (and admittedly because I prefer abilities that don't run out, like spell/day).

So, what I propose is the following:

Lose - Spellcasting progression, Bonus Feats and Aura of Unluck

Gain - Eldritch Blast (3/4 progression of Warlock, defaults to an effect similar to Hideous Blow, possibly with an invocation that allows it as a ranged touch attack, like a Warlocks, or as a swift or free action to activate, rather than a standard action) and Invocations (1 every 3 levels starting at 4th , [I]Least at 4th, Lesser at 10th, Greater at 16th).

Keep - Familiar (possibly), Hexblades Curse (it being the signature class ability of the Hexblade), Mettle, Arcane Resistance, Full BAB, Good Will Save and 2+Int skills/lvl.

Is this horribly unbalanced in any way? Too powerful? Too weak? Good/Bad idea? I've not thought it out precisely, but I thought I'd spitball the idea to get some opinions.

Thoughts?

Cheers,

JP

Akennedy
2008-03-13, 08:40 PM
Personally, I LOVE the idea, invocations for the hexblade. I have one idea contribution, however. Instead of eldritch blast, perhaps make their curse an equivalent of an eldritch blast, but not do damage, instead hamper skills, attacks, damage, saves, or whatever. Make the curse able to be blast shaped and essence"d". Again, have it do no damage, but instead have the curse give -1 (and an additional -1 for every two or three levels thereafter) to one of the following of the hexblade's choice at the time of "casting" their curse: Attack rolls, Damage, a skill, a save, AC or 1/2 the bonus to an ability stat.

Good/Bad/Ugly?

Djinn_in_Tonic
2008-03-13, 09:45 PM
I created something very similar to this a while back, if you're interested. Here it is.

The Hexblade


Class Skills
The Hexblade's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Skills Per Day at 1st Level : (4 + int)x4
Skills Per Day at Each Additional Level : 4 + int

Hit Dice: d10


BAB Fort Ref Will Abilities
1. +1 +1 +0 +2 Hexblade’s Curse
2. +2 +1 +0 +3 Arcane Resistance
3. +3 +2 +1 +3 Mettle, Dark Luck 1/encounter
4. +4 +2 +1 +4 Dark Companion
5. +5 +2 +1 +4 Bonus Feat
6. +6 +3 +2 +5 -
7. +7 +3 +2 +5 Dark Luck 2/encounter
8. +8 +4 +2 +6 Greater Hexblade’s Curse
9. +9 +4 +3 +6 Bonus Feat
10.+10 +5 +3 +7 Persistent Hex
11.+11 +5 +3 +7 Dark Luck 3/encounter
12.+12 +6 +4 +8 Aura of Unluck
13.+13 +6 +4 +8 Bonus Feat
14.+14 +6 +4 +9 -
15.+15 +7 +5 +9 Dark Luck 4/encounter
16.+16 +7 +5 +10 Dire Hexblade’s Curse
17.+17 +7 +5 +10 Bonus Feat
18.+18 +8 +6 +11 -
19.+19 +8 +6 +11 Dark Luck 5/encounter
20.+20 +9 +6 +12 Greater Aura of Unluck

Invocations:

Invocations Known
1. –
2. –
3. 1 (least)
4. 1
5. 2
6. 2
7. 2
8. 3 (lesser)
9. 3
10. 3
11. 4
12. 4
13. 4
14. 5 (greater)
15. 5
16. 5
17. 6
18. 6
19. 6
20. 7 (dark)


Class Features
All of the following are class features of the hexblade.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A hexblade is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor but not with shields. Because the somatic components required for hexblade invocations are fairly simple, a hexblade can use any of his invocations while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, a hexblade wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure (all invocations have a somatic component). A multiclass hexblade still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.
Invocations: A hexblade does not cast spells per se. Instead he casts invocations in the same manner as a warlock. See the Warlock class description on page 7 of Complete Arcane. A hexblade cannot learn eldritch shape invocations, but he may learn eldritch essence invocations. As a standard action, a hexblade may make a single attack combined with an eldritch essence invocation or an invocation with a range of touch. If this attack hits, the target suffers the effects of the invocation, although he receives a save if the invocation allows one.
Hexblade’s Curse (Su): Once per round, as a swift action, a hexblade can unleash a curse on a foe. The opponent must be visible to the hexblade, and must be within 60ft. The target of the curse takes either a -2 penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, skill checks and damage rolls, a -4 penalty to a single ability score (minimum 1), or has a 25% chance of losing their next action for 1 hour/hexblade level. The target is entitled to a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 hexblade’s class level + hexblade’s Cha modifier) to negate the effect. The effects of this curse do not stack. Any foe that successfully resists the effect is immune to the hexblade’s curse for 24 hours For the purposes of dispelling this effect, treat it as a spell of a level equal to 1/2 the hexblade’s level, rounded down (maximum 9, minimum 1). The hexblade’s caster level equals his class level. A hexblade may lift his curse at any time as a free action.
Arcane Resistance (Su): At 2nd a hexblade gains a bonus equal to his Charisma bonus (minimum +1) on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
Mettle (Ex): At 3rd level, a hexblade’s resistance to magical effects increases. If he succeeds a Fortitude or Will save against an effect with a partial effect on a successful save, he instead suffers no effects from the attack.
Dark Luck (Su): At 3rd level a hexblade can curse his foes with bad luck. Once per encounter he may, as a free action, force an opponent to re-roll any one attack roll, skill check, or saving throw that they have just made. The opponent takes the worst of the two rolls. At 7th level and every 4 levels after (11, 15, 19), the hexblade gains one additional use of this ability per encounter.
Dark Companion (Su): See the hexblade alternate class feature on page 47 of the Player’s Handbook II.
Bonus Feat: At 5th level, and every 4 levels thereafter (9th, 13th, 17th), a hexblade gains a bonus feat from the following list: Ability Focus, Combat Casting, Empower Spell-like Ability, Extra Invocation, Heighten Spell-like Ability, Mage Slayer, Maximize Spell-like Ability, Quicken Spell-like Ability.
Greater Hexblade’s Curse (Su): At level 8, the hexblade’s curse becomes much more potent. It now functions as a bestow curse spell with a caster level equal to the hexblade’s class level, although it keeps its original DC (10 + 1/2 hexblade’s class level + hexblade’s Cha modifier) and SR is not applied. This effect includes the ability to create curses in keeping with the power level of the possible effects (-4 to all saves, skill checks, and ability checks and damage rolls, -6 to a single ability score (minimum 1), or 50% chance to lose their action). Like the spell, the duration is permanent. Any foe that successfully resists the effect is immune to the hexblade’s curse for 24 hours For the purposes of dispelling this effect, treat it as a spell of a level equal to 1/2 the hexblade’s level, rounded down (maximum 9, minimum 1). The hexblade’s caster level equals his class level. A hexblade may lift his curse at any time as a free action.
Persistent Hex (Su): At 10th level a hexblade’s curse resists almost every attempt to dispel it. A successful dispel attempt merely grants the victim a second saving throw. If this save fails, the spell still afflicts the target.
Aura of Unluck (Su): At 12th level, a hexblade radiates a palpable aura of bad luck. All attacks against the hexblade suffer a 20% miss chance. This effect affects all targeted attacks and all targeted spells, but does not affect a spell the hexblade is caught in the middle of. This effect does not stack with similar effects generated through items or spells: only the best applies.
Dire Hexblade’s Curse (Su): At level 8, the hexblade’s curse becomes much more potent. It now functions as a greater bestow curse spell with a caster level equal to the hexblade’s class level, although it keeps its original DC (10 + 1/2 hexblade’s class level + hexblade’s Cha modifier) and SR is not applied. This effect includes the ability to create curses in keeping with the power level of the possible effects (-8 to all saves, skill checks, and ability checks and damage rolls, -6 to any two ability score (minimum 1), reduce one ability score to 1, or 75% chance to lose their action). Like the spell, the duration is permanent. Any foe that successfully resists the effect is immune to the hexblade’s curse for 24 hours For the purposes of dispelling this effect, treat it as a spell of a level equal to 1/2 the hexblade’s level, rounded down (maximum 9, minimum 1). The hexblade’s caster level equals his class level. A hexblade may lift his curse at any time as a free action.
Greater Aura of Unluck (Su): At 20th level the hexblade’s Aura of Unluck is so strong that all attacks against the hexblade suffer a 50% miss chance. This effect affects all targeted attacks and all targeted spells, but does not affect a spell the hexblade is caught in the middle of. This effect does not stack with similar effects generated through items or spells: only the best applies.