I think we might be cross-communicating due to terminology mix-ups.

As I understand the terms, "Pacts" are Blade, Chain, and Tome. The differences between Pacts are their specifically-granted features, and any Invocations that are exclusive to them.

What I think you're referring to half the time are the different Patrons. What differentiates them are the spells they add to the list of choices to learn, and their Patron powers (e.g. the Fiend's temporary hp on killing things, or the Great Old One's Thrall). There are no Invocations, to my knowledge, exclusive to any of them.

Spells that are on the Warlock list natively never differentiate between Patrons.

So, by eliminating the Hexblade Patron, I am deliberately aiming to grant its powers to a Warlock of any Patron. It may be feasible to lock some things behind Pact of the Blade, but they all have to be things I'm willing to make a Warlock wait until 3rd level or later for. The point of Hexblade-the-Patron was primarily to patch levels 1 and 2 for would-be Blade Pact Warlocks, hence my replacement mechanics mostly focusing on making those same patches.

Instead of "paying" your Patron choice for them, though, I'm making you "pay" a spell and at least one Invocation choice for them. And also making the use of the former Patron power of Hexblade's Curse cost a spell slot each use, and be weaker until you start upcasting it (to keep it from being too good a choice for grabbing with multiclassing or Magic Initiate).


Notably, it is available on Magic Initiate, so eldritch curse could be learned and upcast by Eldritch Knights.