My Hexblade is now at level 5, and I'm debating between Hex or Mind Spike. Hexblade's Curse is a given, and since the majority of our battles seem to last no more than 10 minutes, Hex lasting 24 hours seems like overkill... the ability check disadvantage has maybe helped once.
My thought is we should be coming across "bosses" that escape our clutches, and being able to "track" them for an hour should come in handy. Plus, fairly wicked one-time psychic damage is good.
My Warlock has had Mind Spike for a few levels and I'm swapping it out. It hasn't been nearly as useful as I expected. Picked it up at 3rd level, used it successfully once, had it fail twice, that was all. It's a niche spell, and the "bosses" with enough sense to run away tend to have good Wisdom saves. I'm 6th level now and replacing it with Hypnotic Pattern, a tried and true encounter-changing spell I've used many times in the past.
As for Hex, keep it. Talk to your party members about that ability check debuff; I use Strength if the Barbarian wants to grapple someone, Wisdom if the Rogue wants to hide, or Dex if I think the target will try to hide. I can't even count how many times we've used that debuff. And of course, if Hex has lots of uses other than combat; disadvantage on Cha checks can ruin an NPC's social skills, for example.
You could get a ton easy small 1hp low AC killable creatures and hex that. kill it with a eldritch blast aim the rest the enemy and use your BO to change the hex target. when the last enemy killed you put the hex back on another easy killable creature that in a cage and repeat the proces.
You could get a ton easy small 1hp low AC killable creatures and hex that. kill it with a eldritch blast aim the rest the enemy and use your BO to change the hex target. when the last enemy killed you put the hex back on another easy killable creature that in a cage and repeat the proces.
No need for such shenanigans, though. You don't have to use the bonus action to move Hex onto a different creature on the very turn the current target dies. It can be any turn after that. So with Hex lasting 24 hours, you really only have to cast it once a day, unless you lose your concentration.
Mind spike is a split damage-utility spell, but really can only be used for builds that focus on one or the other. For utility, It's not bad in two very niche situation (Knowing an enemy is about to flee using magical means without passing through another plane, and wanting to track them down; or about to become invisible and attempt to either flee on foot or hide and hope you don't find them), but outside of those niche situations, its utility is very limited. For damage, it won't stack up to Eldritch blast, and it really only works as a damaging spell for classes that have the spell slots to sustain it (I'm thinking specifically about divination wizards, who regain spell slots of a slot lower than the spell cast when they cast a divination spell like Mind Spike).
Hex, however, is quite a nice utility spell for situations that will come up regularly - enemy ability checks. This can include things like breaking your barbarian's grapple or perceiving your Rogue sneaking up on it. Hex also gives you some bonus damage each time it's hit by one of your attacks, and at level 5 eldritch blast will hit the target twice, meaning an extra 2d6 damage from you every round (assuming that both beams hit). And the duration is only 1 hour if cast at the base level of 1. Of course, as a level 5 Warlock you only have 3rd level slots, so it will last for 8 hours. Maybe a bit overkill, but still a better option in my opinion than Mind Spike.
Definitely hex unless you only fight one battle a day and it lasts a few rounds at most, Hex deals damage per attack, spell or weapon, hex doesnt care. Adds disadvantage to one stat check (hello grappling) so with two attacks you could have 2d6 a round extra (thirsting blade invocation) However if you are repeatedly getting hit and failing concentration checks hex might not be for you (I would rectify that if its the case, unless you particularly want to play a non core ability lock)
One detail: You mentioned your Hexblade is at 5, not spell slots, if you meant spell slots (at ninth level of warlock) thats all dandy, if it is your level then your spell slots are only third level, so hex wont last for 24 hours (yet) I hope I am not the bearer of bad news.
Playing devil's advocate here; mind spike has proven useful a few times for my group, letting a few more powerful grunts retreat with an unknowing mole among them. I don't know if your DM will allow it, less intelligent enemies may not know just how you keep finding them. Also is the relative lack of psychic resistance and damage sources (less a problem for warlocks, I know) and the complete lack of obvious counters. A decent cleric can get rid of hex, not so much mind spike.
In your situation, I would still take hex. But mind spike does have several uses if your DM is willing to work with you on it.
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My Hexblade is now at level 5, and I'm debating between Hex or Mind Spike. Hexblade's Curse is a given, and since the majority of our battles seem to last no more than 10 minutes, Hex lasting 24 hours seems like overkill... the ability check disadvantage has maybe helped once.
My thought is we should be coming across "bosses" that escape our clutches, and being able to "track" them for an hour should come in handy. Plus, fairly wicked one-time psychic damage is good.
Is dropping Hex taboo?
My Warlock has had Mind Spike for a few levels and I'm swapping it out. It hasn't been nearly as useful as I expected. Picked it up at 3rd level, used it successfully once, had it fail twice, that was all. It's a niche spell, and the "bosses" with enough sense to run away tend to have good Wisdom saves. I'm 6th level now and replacing it with Hypnotic Pattern, a tried and true encounter-changing spell I've used many times in the past.
As for Hex, keep it. Talk to your party members about that ability check debuff; I use Strength if the Barbarian wants to grapple someone, Wisdom if the Rogue wants to hide, or Dex if I think the target will try to hide. I can't even count how many times we've used that debuff. And of course, if Hex has lots of uses other than combat; disadvantage on Cha checks can ruin an NPC's social skills, for example.
DICE FALL, EVERYONE ROCKS!
You could get a ton easy small 1hp low AC killable creatures and hex that. kill it with a eldritch blast aim the rest the enemy and use your BO to change the hex target. when the last enemy killed you put the hex back on another easy killable creature that in a cage and repeat the proces.
Nox - Adult Oblex - The Trials
Jartrin Ephok - Dragonborn - Zanoliv
Bunol - Grim Angel - The Floating Lands of Goriate
No need for such shenanigans, though. You don't have to use the bonus action to move Hex onto a different creature on the very turn the current target dies. It can be any turn after that. So with Hex lasting 24 hours, you really only have to cast it once a day, unless you lose your concentration.
Mind spike is a split damage-utility spell, but really can only be used for builds that focus on one or the other. For utility, It's not bad in two very niche situation (Knowing an enemy is about to flee using magical means without passing through another plane, and wanting to track them down; or about to become invisible and attempt to either flee on foot or hide and hope you don't find them), but outside of those niche situations, its utility is very limited. For damage, it won't stack up to Eldritch blast, and it really only works as a damaging spell for classes that have the spell slots to sustain it (I'm thinking specifically about divination wizards, who regain spell slots of a slot lower than the spell cast when they cast a divination spell like Mind Spike).
Hex, however, is quite a nice utility spell for situations that will come up regularly - enemy ability checks. This can include things like breaking your barbarian's grapple or perceiving your Rogue sneaking up on it. Hex also gives you some bonus damage each time it's hit by one of your attacks, and at level 5 eldritch blast will hit the target twice, meaning an extra 2d6 damage from you every round (assuming that both beams hit). And the duration is only 1 hour if cast at the base level of 1. Of course, as a level 5 Warlock you only have 3rd level slots, so it will last for 8 hours. Maybe a bit overkill, but still a better option in my opinion than Mind Spike.
Definitely hex unless you only fight one battle a day and it lasts a few rounds at most, Hex deals damage per attack, spell or weapon, hex doesnt care. Adds disadvantage to one stat check (hello grappling) so with two attacks you could have 2d6 a round extra (thirsting blade invocation) However if you are repeatedly getting hit and failing concentration checks hex might not be for you (I would rectify that if its the case, unless you particularly want to play a non core ability lock)
One detail: You mentioned your Hexblade is at 5, not spell slots, if you meant spell slots (at ninth level of warlock) thats all dandy, if it is your level then your spell slots are only third level, so hex wont last for 24 hours (yet) I hope I am not the bearer of bad news.
Playing devil's advocate here; mind spike has proven useful a few times for my group, letting a few more powerful grunts retreat with an unknowing mole among them. I don't know if your DM will allow it, less intelligent enemies may not know just how you keep finding them. Also is the relative lack of psychic resistance and damage sources (less a problem for warlocks, I know) and the complete lack of obvious counters. A decent cleric can get rid of hex, not so much mind spike.
In your situation, I would still take hex. But mind spike does have several uses if your DM is willing to work with you on it.