So I am very new as in haven't played a campaign yet. And I'm very curious as to how the hexblade warlock works. Like do you just start out with this sentient weapon when making your character? Can this weapon be used? What kind of pact should be made with this kind of character? Does pact of the blade give me any special benefits? I am wondering because this is a character I'm interested in making later down the road not as a beginner starting character.
So I am very new as in haven't played a campaign yet. And I'm very curious as to how the hexblade warlock works. Like do you just start out with this sentient weapon when making your character? Can this weapon be used? What kind of pact should be made with this kind of character? Does pact of the blade give me any special benefits? I am wondering because this is a character I'm interested in making later down the road not as a beginner starting character.
Honestly, most of those questions will be ones you work out with your Dungeon Master. I've always found the framework they set up in Xanathar's Guide to be a bit messy. Sentient weapons in D&D tend to be VERY powerful, way overpowered for a low-level character. Perhaps you could have the weapon not be sentient so much as a sort of conduit to your Patron, maybe it's a ceremonial item given to its devotees, akin to a Cleric's holy symbol. Maybe your DM can homebrew something so that the weapon has properties which unlock either at different levels or when you perform tasks for your Patron.
As for a Blade Pact Hexblade, yes there is an extra benefit conferred, it can be found in the Hex Warrior ability. All Hexblades can choose one weapon they are proficient with at the end of a Long Rest, and they can use Charisma as their attack stat instead of Strength or Dexterity. For other Hexblades, this weapon cannot have the two-handed property(meaning Tome or Chain Hexblades can't use this ability with greatswords, longbows, etc). Bladelock Hexblades don't have that restriction.
My Hexblade started with a regular, non-sentiant Katana that was granted to her by her Patron. She could only dish out 1d8 damage with it until level 3 and her blade pact, after which she could use it 2-handed and deal 1d10 damage.
At level 5, it "changed" to be a +1 sword, because she killed someone her patron wanted her to. As a sign from her patron, the sword becomes cold, per DM's discretion, if my character is supposed to vanquish a particular foe.
Later, it may become a +2 sword, but I have no expectation that it will begin talking to me, or anything.
Sentient weapons should be reserved for much higher level characters, because they are super powerful, and are either going to try to take over your mind, or deliver a worse penalty...
Well, the official Hexblade class is not linked to sentient weapons (that was fluff from the UA article). They are instead linked to an entity in the Shadowfell associated with the creation of sentient weapons.
You can choose whichever Pact you want at 3rd level. Pact of the blade does have some synergy and would appear to be the obvious choice, but the other pacts are just as viable. The only special benefit you get, other than the normal Pact of the Blade ability, is that your 1st level Hex Warrior ability is extended to work with any weapon you summon with the Pact of the Blade feature. This gets around the normal restrictions of the "melee weapon without the two-handed property" from the base Hex Warrior ability.
DOn't forget that the PAct fo the Blade feature, lets you change your pact weapon Form when you summon it, but also any magic weapon you find, can become your pact weapon, just need a ritual to bond with the weapon and voila, you have a magic weapon that can be summoned in your hand and also change its form, no matter what the base form of the weapon was.
Now if you reallyw ant to go with the "Sentient" weapon route, Sentient items as it is are insanely powerfull and difficult, and all are Legendary items, with their own personalities and goals.
Its optional rules that lets you have a weapon that can grow with you as you level up and that you can either buy upgrades for it, or have the DM decide wich upgrades you get.
there's also a list of Personality traits and History traits tied to it.
Talk about it to your DM, personaly i think that this is the perfect thing for Hexblades.
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"Normality is but an Illusion, Whats normal to the Spider, is only madness for the Fly"
DOn't forget that the PAct fo the Blade feature, lets you change your pact weapon Form when you summon it, but also any magic weapon you find, can become your pact weapon, just need a ritual to bond with the weapon and voila, you have a magic weapon that can be summoned in your hand and also change its form, no matter what the base form of the weapon was.
I do not believe that if you make an existing magic weapon into your pact weapon that you ca then change it's form. The part about choosing the weapon type in separate from the section on bonding to a magic item.
One other thing to note is that if you can find a way to use your bonus action to attack with the same weapon 3 times, you get a lot of added benefit from that. The double bladed scimitar for example or taking the polearm mastery feat. This requires taking pact of the blade and improved pact weapon eldritch invocation.
Hexblades are somewhat challenging to learn how to use effectively so they might not be the best first class. That being said, it was my first class so it can definitely be done! I'd say if the class excites you the way it did with me, then I think you should go for it. It's a really fun and rewarding class to play!
DOn't forget that the PAct fo the Blade feature, lets you change your pact weapon Form when you summon it, but also any magic weapon you find, can become your pact weapon, just need a ritual to bond with the weapon and voila, you have a magic weapon that can be summoned in your hand and also change its form, no matter what the base form of the weapon was.
I do not believe that if you make an existing magic weapon into your pact weapon that you ca then change it's form. The part about choosing the weapon type in separate from the section on bonding to a magic item.
Well nothing says that both points are exclusive to one another, but in the end it would'nt be that much of a big deal if you can't.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Normality is but an Illusion, Whats normal to the Spider, is only madness for the Fly"
So I gave my player an item that could be used as a non-magical weapon or arcane focus that had called on them and upon first interaction with the object that seemingly crossed their path normally they heard the voice of their soon to be patron offering them powers in exchange for simply protecting the object for a time. The player doesn’t know that the object is pertinent to their patrons grand scheme and that as they use the powers or object and become more in touch with their patron they are granted more powers along with the object becoming more powerful until they are either so indebted to the unknown force or so prone to the unknown forces commands and path to their goal that they end up being asked to cause their patrons grand plan willingly or with information withheld and if they end up refusing they can lose patronage and if they succeed then they could end up having their power independent of the patron.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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Hello,
So I am very new as in haven't played a campaign yet. And I'm very curious as to how the hexblade warlock works. Like do you just start out with this sentient weapon when making your character? Can this weapon be used? What kind of pact should be made with this kind of character? Does pact of the blade give me any special benefits? I am wondering because this is a character I'm interested in making later down the road not as a beginner starting character.
Honestly, most of those questions will be ones you work out with your Dungeon Master. I've always found the framework they set up in Xanathar's Guide to be a bit messy. Sentient weapons in D&D tend to be VERY powerful, way overpowered for a low-level character. Perhaps you could have the weapon not be sentient so much as a sort of conduit to your Patron, maybe it's a ceremonial item given to its devotees, akin to a Cleric's holy symbol. Maybe your DM can homebrew something so that the weapon has properties which unlock either at different levels or when you perform tasks for your Patron.
As for a Blade Pact Hexblade, yes there is an extra benefit conferred, it can be found in the Hex Warrior ability. All Hexblades can choose one weapon they are proficient with at the end of a Long Rest, and they can use Charisma as their attack stat instead of Strength or Dexterity. For other Hexblades, this weapon cannot have the two-handed property(meaning Tome or Chain Hexblades can't use this ability with greatswords, longbows, etc). Bladelock Hexblades don't have that restriction.
My Hexblade started with a regular, non-sentiant Katana that was granted to her by her Patron. She could only dish out 1d8 damage with it until level 3 and her blade pact, after which she could use it 2-handed and deal 1d10 damage.
At level 5, it "changed" to be a +1 sword, because she killed someone her patron wanted her to. As a sign from her patron, the sword becomes cold, per DM's discretion, if my character is supposed to vanquish a particular foe.
Later, it may become a +2 sword, but I have no expectation that it will begin talking to me, or anything.
Sentient weapons should be reserved for much higher level characters, because they are super powerful, and are either going to try to take over your mind, or deliver a worse penalty...
Well, the official Hexblade class is not linked to sentient weapons (that was fluff from the UA article). They are instead linked to an entity in the Shadowfell associated with the creation of sentient weapons.
You can choose whichever Pact you want at 3rd level. Pact of the blade does have some synergy and would appear to be the obvious choice, but the other pacts are just as viable. The only special benefit you get, other than the normal Pact of the Blade ability, is that your 1st level Hex Warrior ability is extended to work with any weapon you summon with the Pact of the Blade feature. This gets around the normal restrictions of the "melee weapon without the two-handed property" from the base Hex Warrior ability.
DOn't forget that the PAct fo the Blade feature, lets you change your pact weapon Form when you summon it, but also any magic weapon you find, can become your pact weapon, just need a ritual to bond with the weapon and voila, you have a magic weapon that can be summoned in your hand and also change its form, no matter what the base form of the weapon was.
Now if you reallyw ant to go with the "Sentient" weapon route, Sentient items as it is are insanely powerfull and difficult, and all are Legendary items, with their own personalities and goals.
An alternative is to use this: Ancestral Weapons
Its optional rules that lets you have a weapon that can grow with you as you level up and that you can either buy upgrades for it, or have the DM decide wich upgrades you get.
there's also a list of Personality traits and History traits tied to it.
Talk about it to your DM, personaly i think that this is the perfect thing for Hexblades.
"Normality is but an Illusion, Whats normal to the Spider, is only madness for the Fly"
Kain de Frostberg- Dark Knight - (Vengeance Pal3/ Hexblade 9), Port Mourn
Kain de Draakberg-Dark Knight lvl8-Avergreen(DitA)
I do not believe that if you make an existing magic weapon into your pact weapon that you ca then change it's form. The part about choosing the weapon type in separate from the section on bonding to a magic item.
One other thing to note is that if you can find a way to use your bonus action to attack with the same weapon 3 times, you get a lot of added benefit from that. The double bladed scimitar for example or taking the polearm mastery feat. This requires taking pact of the blade and improved pact weapon eldritch invocation.
Hexblades are somewhat challenging to learn how to use effectively so they might not be the best first class. That being said, it was my first class so it can definitely be done! I'd say if the class excites you the way it did with me, then I think you should go for it. It's a really fun and rewarding class to play!
Well nothing says that both points are exclusive to one another, but in the end it would'nt be that much of a big deal if you can't.
"Normality is but an Illusion, Whats normal to the Spider, is only madness for the Fly"
Kain de Frostberg- Dark Knight - (Vengeance Pal3/ Hexblade 9), Port Mourn
Kain de Draakberg-Dark Knight lvl8-Avergreen(DitA)
So I gave my player an item that could be used as a non-magical weapon or arcane focus that had called on them and upon first interaction with the object that seemingly crossed their path normally they heard the voice of their soon to be patron offering them powers in exchange for simply protecting the object for a time. The player doesn’t know that the object is pertinent to their patrons grand scheme and that as they use the powers or object and become more in touch with their patron they are granted more powers along with the object becoming more powerful until they are either so indebted to the unknown force or so prone to the unknown forces commands and path to their goal that they end up being asked to cause their patrons grand plan willingly or with information withheld and if they end up refusing they can lose patronage and if they succeed then they could end up having their power independent of the patron.