I have created a drow hexblade, that is chaotic good and is disgusted by the spider queen and drow culture. He escaped to the surface world and is hunted by his people. In desperation he seeks out power to protect himself.
I‘m having trouble figuring out who to make his patron, it says it is a weapon from the Shadowfell, but doesn’t seem specific.
I have trouble conceptualising hexblade patrons myself, try just letting your imagination go wild. Like, your patron is a solidified moonbeam, awakened by a god of trickery, who instinctively seeks out and aids rebellious drow. There's not really a wrong answer in the end.
This topic comes up pretty frequently in this forum. The Hexblade patron is wildly popular yet perplexing at the same time. There are plenty of long threads in this forum about the misconceptions of the Hexblade Patron. I’d encourage you to read this post:
Raven Queen. Or another powerful entity from the Shadowfell like an ancient Shadow Dragon, Shadow Demon or Night Hag.
A powerful dead or undead being. The Shadowfell is populated with dead creatures such as ghosts, specters, and other undead, so you could choose a powerful lich, vampire or restless spirit of an Archmage.
The Dark Powers, mysterious godlike entities that created the Demiplane of Dread in the Shadowfell.
A Darklord, like Strahd von Zarovich, from the Demiplane of Dread.
A Powerful Hag like Baba Yaga or her daughter Iggwilv. These would be great patrons if you choose Pact of the Chain.
Charon, the Boatman of the River Styx. Technically, Charon is a fiend but he could work well as a Hexblade Patron who grants power in return for souls.
The Vestige of a Dead God that haunts the showdown realm
A powerful servant of a god of the Grave domain. Similar to celestial warlock only darker…
Ideas from others:
The Armorour, (think Mandalorian) A powerful Dwarven Mage Smith who tends the eternal fires of the Floating Forge of Thautam
I'm currently playing a hexblade. Using a glaive. The dm had the glaive haunt my dreams as a child then I stumbled upon the blade while training with family. Dusty and rusted but upon touching it felt it fit my hands perfectly. As I've grown in level so has it. Not the blade but the diety. It is still shadowed from me, wraiths hunt me I thought but actually they hunt the blade. With each hit in combat I see flashes of a past not mine but the blades and it weakens more. Now at level 4 the diety can communicate with me not directly but when sleeping. The blade is magical but not overly. I gain advantage on undead hunting the blade not all undead. Looking forward to where this leads us
So, my character is a swashbuckling rogue named Marrus, was tricked by an ancient green dragon who wanted his power to manifest immortality. He thought the way to do that would be transferring his power and soul to a rapier that Marrus owned. Marrus....isn't a smart man. He isn't a wise man. The dragon assumed he would be able to basically control Marrus. The dragon was so vain in his magical ability he didn't realize the magic he was using would basically destroy his body.
The rapier isn't sentient. The communication manifests only in dreams and during battle. During battle it is intent driven communication. In dreams it is more dialogue.
The patron could be a hag (I think an Annis hag is best, because they are strong) because they like to curse people, and hexblades are all about cursing people. Maybe a genie, because you could be a very weak character, and you wished to be good at a sword, so the genie made it so that your will alone is what powers your blade, and that you can give stronger people who would normally have the advantage over you a disadvantage with the curse, and because you where always pushed around in drow society (because men in drow society are abused) you could turn the tables and make them do what you say as a specter.
I think that the focus might not necessarily be on the weapon as much as it is on the entity that is using it, or has used it, and how their powers became infused in the blade. One example might be a sword that was once used by a powerful Paladin who fell from grace, becoming a cruel tyrant that ravaged the land around him. Seeing the reckoning that awaited him after his death, he sought ways to extend his life, from alchemy to an attempt at lichdom. However, this was all to no avail, as the methods he so desperately applied failed him, one by one. And so, he took upon the last possible recourse available to him, and bound his soul to his blade, a legendary greatsword that had been his trusted tool for his decades of conquest. With that, he had secured immortality, but at a cost that soon became apparent, when the people he had ruled with an iron fist finally struck back. His body, destroyed in the onslaught, left his conscious mind sealed within his sword, seemingly ridden of his strength. And now he seeks for a new body, one whose soul he can manipulate and eventually supplant.
I think that the focus might not necessarily be on the weapon as much as it is on the entity that is using it, or has used it, and how their powers became infused in the blade. One example might be a sword that was once used by a powerful Paladin who fell from grace, becoming a cruel tyrant that ravaged the land around him. Seeing the reckoning that awaited him after his death, he sought ways to extend his life, from alchemy to an attempt at lichdom. However, this was all to no avail, as the methods he so desperately applied failed him, one by one. And so, he took upon the last possible recourse available to him, and bound his soul to his blade, a legendary greatsword that had been his trusted tool for his decades of conquest. With that, he had secured immortality, but at a cost that soon became apparent, when the people he had ruled with an iron fist finally struck back. His body, destroyed in the onslaught, left his conscious mind sealed within his sword, seemingly ridden of his strength. And now he seeks for a new body, one whose soul he can manipulate and eventually supplant.
I think that the focus might not necessarily be on the weapon as much as it is on the entity that is using it, or has used it, and how their powers became infused in the blade. One example might be a sword that was once used by a powerful Paladin who fell from grace, becoming a cruel tyrant that ravaged the land around him. Seeing the reckoning that awaited him after his death, he sought ways to extend his life, from alchemy to an attempt at lichdom. However, this was all to no avail, as the methods he so desperately applied failed him, one by one. And so, he took upon the last possible recourse available to him, and bound his soul to his blade, a legendary greatsword that had been his trusted tool for his decades of conquest. With that, he had secured immortality, but at a cost that soon became apparent, when the people he had ruled with an iron fist finally struck back. His body, destroyed in the onslaught, left his conscious mind sealed within his sword, seemingly ridden of his strength. And now he seeks for a new body, one whose soul he can manipulate and eventually supplant.
For me, I see the hexblade as one of the most versatile subclasses for storytelling as far as warlocks go. Xanathar’s suggests something from the shadowfell, but why limit it there? I personally like to flavor it as the person over the weapon. For example: I lived in a society on the edge of a fallen kingdom, it’s unfortunate citizens serving for centuries as undead prisons and vessels for the dark forces of a forgotten god. I committed a sin and slew one of these vessels, and now I carry a demonmark that slowly spreads as the Legionnaire consumes me.
This focuses more on the individual’s power and learning to harness their patron. I’ve seen it done where you take the pact of the chain and flavor it so your familiar transforms into your blade (for all you Brando Sando fans out there). Go wild with your flavoring! If it’s cool, it works!
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“Today might be a good day to die, but it’s a better day to visit the municipal pool, in my opinion.”
Basically it's a martial Warlock, something like a Paladin, but one who serves a "lesser" master.
What kind of entity could use a servant who's good at getting in people's faces and killing them?
Well, any of them.
So you don't have to limit yourself to concepts of "weapon patrons". Create your own patron and explain why they offered power to your character and what your character is expected to do for them.
For example, I also have a Drow Hexblade.
His patron is the White Lady, the Saint of Swords. She's an Avatar of Justice, and her servants, her "blades" if you will, punish those whose wickedness escape other forms of justice.
Mine has the Urban Bounty Hunter background, with his proficiencies being in perception, persuasion, deception, investigation, and insight. Pact of the Blade.
I'm still working through his backstory, but he came to the attention of the White Lady while pursuing a criminal.
Basically it's a martial Warlock, something like a Paladin, but one who serves a "lesser" master.
What kind of entity could use a servant who's good at getting in people's faces and killing them?
Well, any of them.
So you don't have to limit yourself to concepts of "weapon patrons". Create your own patron and explain why they offered power to your character and what your character is expected to do for them.
For example, I also have a Drow Hexblade.
His patron is the White Lady, the Saint of Swords. She's an Avatar of Justice, and her servants, her "blades" if you will, punish those whose wickedness escape other forms of justice.
Mine has the Urban Bounty Hunter background, with his proficiencies being in perception, persuasion, deception, investigation, and insight. Pact of the Blade.
I'm still working through his backstory, but he came to the attention of the White Lady while pursuing a criminal.
Being martial is only one part of being a Hexblade Warlock though. Not even a necessary one even. You can play a Hexblade Warlock without ever touching a weapon just fine. So to the question of "What is a Hexblade Warlock?" the answer shouldn't be a martial Warlock. No, it's a Warlock that bring demise to one specific enemy by cursing and then attacking them. That curse also protects them later from that enemy and they can raise whatever (humanoid) they kill as a spectre for one day. They aren't just martial warlocks. Being martial is completely optional. What they are is someone that goes out and kills one specific target. A hunter, an assassin, a precision tool. They can do that at range, they can do that by relying on Eldritch Blast and they can do that in melee if they want to.
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I've never encountered a forum where I got this many "talking to a wall" impressions as this one...
Would a Bladesinger (especially in late game) spend more time casting spells than swinging its sword?
Probably, yes. Spells are that powerful.
Is a Hexblade a martial Warlock?
Also yes.
It has armour and weapon proficiencies, and it encourages the use of the Pact of the Blade to become more weapon proficient. That it can be played without ever touching a weapon doesn't mean that it isn't a martial Warlock.
The difference is that any Warlock can be a martial due to Pact of the Blade being a feature of the baseclass. Bladelock was a term that existed way before Hexblades were a thing and the "new" Undead subclass works really well as Bladelock too. Wizards don't have anything like that. Calling Hexblade just a martial Warlock is a misnomer and doesn't do the subclass justice at all.
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I've never encountered a forum where I got this many "talking to a wall" impressions as this one...
I recently homebrewed a version of hexblade based on "Dawnbringer". If I remember correctly your hexblade is lawful neutral, but all the lore (online) seems to point to the hexblade as being more evil than neutral. The lore of the sword, Dawnbringer is interesting in the fact that it states it was created somewhere else, but was FOUND in Shadowfell.
My point is, make an uber goody-two-shoes weapon...a pact is a promise, not a curse...the pact could be one of mutual benefit and symbiosis, not human enslavement. I have an issue with people who have an issue with multiclassing paladins and warlocks. Paladins aren't the "lawful stupid" folks they used to be, and nothing I've seen in the lore demands your soul from a warlocks patron....and even if it does...so what?
Hello,
I have created a drow hexblade, that is chaotic good and is disgusted by the spider queen and drow culture. He escaped to the surface world and is hunted by his people. In desperation he seeks out power to protect himself.
I‘m having trouble figuring out who to make his patron, it says it is a weapon from the Shadowfell, but doesn’t seem specific.
I have trouble conceptualising hexblade patrons myself, try just letting your imagination go wild. Like, your patron is a solidified moonbeam, awakened by a god of trickery, who instinctively seeks out and aids rebellious drow. There's not really a wrong answer in the end.
This topic comes up pretty frequently in this forum. The Hexblade patron is wildly popular yet perplexing at the same time. There are plenty of long threads in this forum about the misconceptions of the Hexblade Patron. I’d encourage you to read this post:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/class-forums/warlock/14324-common-hexblade-misconseption-the-hexblade-is-your
Here are a few ideas that I recently compiled:
Ideas from others:
The Armorour, (think Mandalorian) A powerful Dwarven Mage Smith who tends the eternal fires of the Floating Forge of Thautam
Thank you these are some really great ideas.
I'm currently playing a hexblade. Using a glaive. The dm had the glaive haunt my dreams as a child then I stumbled upon the blade while training with family. Dusty and rusted but upon touching it felt it fit my hands perfectly. As I've grown in level so has it. Not the blade but the diety. It is still shadowed from me, wraiths hunt me I thought but actually they hunt the blade. With each hit in combat I see flashes of a past not mine but the blades and it weakens more. Now at level 4 the diety can communicate with me not directly but when sleeping. The blade is magical but not overly. I gain advantage on undead hunting the blade not all undead. Looking forward to where this leads us
"Awakens more"
So, my character is a swashbuckling rogue named Marrus, was tricked by an ancient green dragon who wanted his power to manifest immortality. He thought the way to do that would be transferring his power and soul to a rapier that Marrus owned. Marrus....isn't a smart man. He isn't a wise man. The dragon assumed he would be able to basically control Marrus. The dragon was so vain in his magical ability he didn't realize the magic he was using would basically destroy his body.
The rapier isn't sentient. The communication manifests only in dreams and during battle. During battle it is intent driven communication. In dreams it is more dialogue.
The patron could be a hag (I think an Annis hag is best, because they are strong) because they like to curse people, and hexblades are all about cursing people. Maybe a genie, because you could be a very weak character, and you wished to be good at a sword, so the genie made it so that your will alone is what powers your blade, and that you can give stronger people who would normally have the advantage over you a disadvantage with the curse, and because you where always pushed around in drow society (because men in drow society are abused) you could turn the tables and make them do what you say as a specter.
I think that the focus might not necessarily be on the weapon as much as it is on the entity that is using it, or has used it, and how their powers became infused in the blade. One example might be a sword that was once used by a powerful Paladin who fell from grace, becoming a cruel tyrant that ravaged the land around him. Seeing the reckoning that awaited him after his death, he sought ways to extend his life, from alchemy to an attempt at lichdom. However, this was all to no avail, as the methods he so desperately applied failed him, one by one. And so, he took upon the last possible recourse available to him, and bound his soul to his blade, a legendary greatsword that had been his trusted tool for his decades of conquest. With that, he had secured immortality, but at a cost that soon became apparent, when the people he had ruled with an iron fist finally struck back. His body, destroyed in the onslaught, left his conscious mind sealed within his sword, seemingly ridden of his strength. And now he seeks for a new body, one whose soul he can manipulate and eventually supplant.
I is the feels good.
- Kefko, the Traveler
I love this!
Thanks, I'm glad to hear it!
I is the feels good.
- Kefko, the Traveler
For me, I see the hexblade as one of the most versatile subclasses for storytelling as far as warlocks go. Xanathar’s suggests something from the shadowfell, but why limit it there? I personally like to flavor it as the person over the weapon. For example: I lived in a society on the edge of a fallen kingdom, it’s unfortunate citizens serving for centuries as undead prisons and vessels for the dark forces of a forgotten god. I committed a sin and slew one of these vessels, and now I carry a demonmark that slowly spreads as the Legionnaire consumes me.
This focuses more on the individual’s power and learning to harness their patron. I’ve seen it done where you take the pact of the chain and flavor it so your familiar transforms into your blade (for all you Brando Sando fans out there). Go wild with your flavoring! If it’s cool, it works!
“Today might be a good day to die, but it’s a better day to visit the municipal pool, in my opinion.”
You can also look at it from another angle.
What is a Hexblade Warlock?
Basically it's a martial Warlock, something like a Paladin, but one who serves a "lesser" master.
What kind of entity could use a servant who's good at getting in people's faces and killing them?
Well, any of them.
So you don't have to limit yourself to concepts of "weapon patrons". Create your own patron and explain why they offered power to your character and what your character is expected to do for them.
For example, I also have a Drow Hexblade.
His patron is the White Lady, the Saint of Swords. She's an Avatar of Justice, and her servants, her "blades" if you will, punish those whose wickedness escape other forms of justice.
Mine has the Urban Bounty Hunter background, with his proficiencies being in perception, persuasion, deception, investigation, and insight. Pact of the Blade.
I'm still working through his backstory, but he came to the attention of the White Lady while pursuing a criminal.
Being martial is only one part of being a Hexblade Warlock though. Not even a necessary one even. You can play a Hexblade Warlock without ever touching a weapon just fine. So to the question of "What is a Hexblade Warlock?" the answer shouldn't be a martial Warlock. No, it's a Warlock that bring demise to one specific enemy by cursing and then attacking them. That curse also protects them later from that enemy and they can raise whatever (humanoid) they kill as a spectre for one day. They aren't just martial warlocks. Being martial is completely optional. What they are is someone that goes out and kills one specific target. A hunter, an assassin, a precision tool. They can do that at range, they can do that by relying on Eldritch Blast and they can do that in melee if they want to.
I've never encountered a forum where I got this many "talking to a wall" impressions as this one...
Is a Bladesinger a martial wizard?
As Wizards go, yes.
Would a Bladesinger (especially in late game) spend more time casting spells than swinging its sword?
Probably, yes. Spells are that powerful.
Is a Hexblade a martial Warlock?
Also yes.
It has armour and weapon proficiencies, and it encourages the use of the Pact of the Blade to become more weapon proficient. That it can be played without ever touching a weapon doesn't mean that it isn't a martial Warlock.
The difference is that any Warlock can be a martial due to Pact of the Blade being a feature of the baseclass. Bladelock was a term that existed way before Hexblades were a thing and the "new" Undead subclass works really well as Bladelock too. Wizards don't have anything like that. Calling Hexblade just a martial Warlock is a misnomer and doesn't do the subclass justice at all.
I've never encountered a forum where I got this many "talking to a wall" impressions as this one...
I recently homebrewed a version of hexblade based on "Dawnbringer". If I remember correctly your hexblade is lawful neutral, but all the lore (online) seems to point to the hexblade as being more evil than neutral. The lore of the sword, Dawnbringer is interesting in the fact that it states it was created somewhere else, but was FOUND in Shadowfell.
My point is, make an uber goody-two-shoes weapon...a pact is a promise, not a curse...the pact could be one of mutual benefit and symbiosis, not human enslavement. I have an issue with people who have an issue with multiclassing paladins and warlocks. Paladins aren't the "lawful stupid" folks they used to be, and nothing I've seen in the lore demands your soul from a warlocks patron....and even if it does...so what?
PS, paladins serve an oath...not a god.