Turning the Hexblade "Patron" into modular powers

[Great Dragon]

And the reason I add shillelagh to the Warlock list in this "replace the Hexblade Patron" effort is precisely to make the would-be Pact of the Blade Warlock suck less until he can get his Pact, yeah.

I feel it's important to point out, here, that the changes proposed in the opening post and discussed further in this thread are specifically designed to replace and remove the Hexblade Patron entirely as an option. They're meant to fill its function of making Blade Pact Warlocks martially competent enough to gish from level 1, so their acquisition of their Pact Blade is a culmination of the dream rather than a necessity for them to start playing the character they wanted to.

They're likely not terribly useful to those who aren't taking Pact of the Blade, but they're not useless, either. I also am more comfortable with "yeah, this Invocation is meant for somebody taking Pact of the Blade" than I am with "This Patron is custom-designed for this particular Pact."

I'll need to spend some time reading and pondering on your original post.

But, from what I can recall, you're wanting to take Hexblade out completely, add it into all the other Patrons as “Spell plus Invocations” options. Am I close?

Sadly, I don't have a consistent group Experienced enough (and/or willing) to do Playtesting: Where different versions of a Class can be tested and then compared. (See sig)

The main questions that I think of with your option is,
(1) “How does the Hexblade options really fit into another Patron?”

(2) Shouldn't there be a difference between a normal Warlock and a Hexblade, even from the same Patron? And why would anyone want the other Pact options?

(3) What (normal) Warlock abilities does the Hexblade replace?
Just Invocation choices?
No… you're wanting the difference to be there at 1st level.

”Hit Resistence”
As written, I have it cost no action, but it does cost you casting a specific spell and making that as one of your selections for said spell's 3 options you get.

I also like the "Exceed Base Roll" the more I think about it: it matches the overall probability of the d6/4+, but makes it feel more like other "cool" abilities in D&D, and, as you alluded in your concern, makes it so that it mostly negates high rolls.

...no, wait. It's still going to be less effective than the d6/4+. The d6/4+ kicks in only when you are successfully hit. It reduces your chance of being hit by 50%. Any sort of comparison to the attack roll actually only matters when the attack roll is sufficiently high to begin with.

What this does is asymptotically approach a 50% miss chance, the more your opponent breaks bounded accuracy and can just hit you at will. The closer his attack bonus is to your AC-10, the less effective this is.

So, the question is: Is the Hexblade Patron's 50% miss chance appropriate, or should it be less likely to protect you?

Well, I was thinking that the flat 50% miss chance affecting even Natural 20s was a bit much.

Spending a Spell Slot on a 50% miss chance also seems harsh. It might be better to just allow a Reaction to impose Disadvantage, usable Cha modifier times per day.

The Adamant Defense Invocation was to allow the effects of a Critical Hit to be effectively negated, but the Warlock is still hit and takes damage. It also cost a Reaction and a Spell Slot.
Which puts a very hard (but renewable) limit.

Bolding to make sure it's seen: How do you feel about the Hexblade Patron as written granting medium armor and shields at first level?

Sounds like you don't care for it, is the answer to my bolded question above, but confirmation would be nice.

Note: all Bladelocks are nearly as powerful as both Fighter with Extra Attack (Thirsting Blade Invocation) and Paladin with Smite (Eldritch Smite Invocation) at 5th level, without needing to Multiclass.

Confirming: I really kinda don't like it (especially combined with Martial Weapons) since it greatly overshadows all the other Patron options. Having access to shields and a single weapon is still prefered, since that is only a small increase in the Warlock's versatility; and the other Martials (Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin, and Ranger) still have an edge.

Combined with Medium Armor (plus shield) means that the Hexblade is on par with all but the most heavily armored Martials. (Plate+shield)

Makes Hexblade the “go to” class (especially for Gish), and I like to see all the Classes being chosen to be played.

As to your idea about multiple sentient blades to be PAtrons, that's fine and cool, but you can actually now make them each unique patrons. PErsonally, unless the character actually has the weapon in hand, I dislike the notion of weapons as patrons. And it still clashes with Pact of the Blade (and is weird with other Pacts) to have the Patron be a weapon. But with the Hexblade not a "thing" and freedom to take any Patron you want and still Gish as a 'lock, you're free to make more Patrons that fit the same concept without having to make them rehash the bonuses of the "Hexblade Patron."

This seems to be nearly rewriting the other Patrons.
Unless there is an obvious difference between the regular Pact (say, a Great Old One) and the Hexblade option and a real benefit for taking the "regular" Pact, everyone would always choose the Hexblade option: And get "cool" Patron abilities and powers.

I think my take-away on the armor proficiency centers around the purpose of these changes: it's meant to replace the Hexblade Patron with costs in Invocation and spell selection. Hence granting the medium armor proficiency of the Hexblade Patron through that Invocation.

Which might work with how you have your version set up.

*****

I was on a different track:
Keeping the original Hexblade, adding more "Crafters", and making changes to make the Hexblade a little less OP, or being so much of a “go to” (Gish) class.