Turning the Hexblade "Patron" into modular powers

[Great Dragon]

@Segev: Humm.

I like the “exceed base roll” to negate a hit.

Maybe have that Invocation as a Reaction costing a Spell Slot and working like Adamantine?
Negates the Double Damage portion of a Critical?
Duration is until the end of the round.
(Extending it to the start of the Hexblade's next turn, might be a bit much)
"Adamant Defense"? Requires being a Hexblade.

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Like stated above, the only difference between (regular) Hexblade and Eldritch Knight (other than base Fighter abilities - and not counting spell access) is Heavy Armor access.

And with Warlock's Slots renewing on a Short Rest, the Hexblade is quickly overshadowing the EK.

Multiclassing into both Fighter and Paladin only gives Medium Armor, shields, with simple and martial weapons. Rangers gets those and also gets +1 skill from their list. But then, Rangers only ever get Medium Armor, shields, and all weapons.

Which is why most people will take 2 Fighter, and 1 Paladin (or - rarely - 3 Ranger) at Character Creation, then go at least 3 levels Warlock (Hexblade mostly for flavor, see below), and then take more levels in the chosen Class: Fighter 2 for Second Wind, Fighter 5 for Extra Attack; Paladin 2 for Smite, Paladin 5 for Extra Attack;

(except for Saves and Skills, taking Ranger has the same effect, regardless of which was taken first - usually Hunter, although Gloomestalker is gaining popularity).

Someone that went Fighter (Paladin) / Hexblade earned Heavy Armor access, and most likely took Hexblade for the Hexblade's Curse more than anything else.

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My real complaint with giving (base) Hexblade medium armor is that it allows for Very High AC at Low Levels.

Which means that the PCs with High AC are able to take on CRs around Three times their level! (Like a Level One PC with AC 18-19 can easily take on most CR 3 Monsters.)

Spoiler: Hobgoblins

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I just got done running "CR 1" Hobgoblins against a Level Two party. With the Hobgoblins having AC 18, they were a very hard fight for the Party!

I felt that base (CR 1) Hobgoblins should have AC 14, Veteran Hobgoblins AC 16 (CR 3), and Captain Hobgoblins AC 18. (CR 5)

Especially since monsters aren't really supposed to easily match PCs: just have different or interesting Abilities. And, I felt that not every Hobgoblin would have access to Chain Mail.

Now, I'm an experienced enough DM that I can adapt, but I also wanted to let New DMs know about this problem, and suggest possible ways to how it can be avoided.

Now, Armor Cost keeps all the classes to Scale Mail (50 gp. AC 14 +2 Dex +2 shield = 18) at best, until around 3rd level.

Studded Leather is 45 gold. (AC 12 +2 shield + [5] Dex = 19 max).

At 750 gp for Half-Plate (AC 15 + 2 Dex and +2 shield = 19), even the Fighter and Paladin are not really scary with Splint Mail (AC 17 +2 shield = 19) for 200 gp.

Plate (AC 18 +2 shield = 20) costing 1,500 gp means that this is normally not available until about 5th level.

Since I have Magical Armor in my games, AC can get close to 30 by 17th level!!

And the poor Mage is SOL, with Mage Armor (AC 13 + Dex) and an extra +5 from Shield a few times a day. 23 max: Forever.
(I have my own solution for this)

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Now, as always, the biggest part is optimization at Character Creation.

Anyone with 20 Dex (Halflings, Elves, and Goblins) doesn't need Heavy Armor, since they can get an AC 19 with just Studded Leather and shield. (55 gp) From 1st level!

But, starting out with access to Medium Armor means that even with a 14 Dex, they can still rock out with that same AC 19 as soon as they get 760 gp. (About 3rd level?)

True, Heavy Armor plus shield can get AC 20:
But, it's not like there's an Assembly Line Factory cranking Plate Armor out!

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Shillalah being available to allow for better damage isn't really a problem. Would make even "no Martial Weapons" Hexblades suck less.

Since in my games, a shield and the Shield spell don't add together, I've taken the Shield spell off the Hexblade's expanded spell list, and put Catapult Ice Knife instead.

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IDK. Perhaps having where there is more than one Being making Hexblade weapons? While keeping the weapon itself as the Patron as the better way to go, but adding where each weapon has individual goals and motivations - loosely based on who made it? Hexblade-crafter Beings could at least give an In World explanation on where these Weapons come from.

I have the following Goals:

(Good) "Seek out Good in all Beings, even Undead. Destroy true Fiends and Undead that seek to harm the innocent."

(Evil) "Command the Undead. Enslave the Living." (I'm thinking about changing this to Undying)

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I also agree that both Hex-tomes and Hex-chains are difficult to figure out. But short of declaring Hexblade a Blade Pact only and making new Pacts for “Shadow” Tome and Chain Warlocks, (which I'd rather not do) I'm not sure what to do.

With access to a Martial Weapon from 1st level, taking Blade Pact also means that you can't lose your Bonded Weapon. Perhaps allowing the now Bonded Hexblade Weapon to still change weapon (and damage) type, but always doing the damage of the original Weapon?

I suppose that the Hex-chains could be considered good for recon.
Maybe have an Invocation to allow the Familiar to channel all Attack-based spells, including ranged? "Enspell Familiar"?
Requires Voice of the Chain Master.

Hex-Tomes are more caster-based; but still able to engage more in (melee) combat than any other Tomelock.
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I do agree that all Blade Pacts are intended to be Gish-ish.