"Many Hexblade Warlocks create weapons that emulate those formed in the Shadowfell. Others forgo such arms, content to weave the dark magic of that plane into their spellcasting."
Hexblade is for a Shadowfell patrons, but it's supposed to "manifest in sentient magic weapons."
So I think that if you don't want to go "pact of the blade" then I think you are expected to have a physical (ring, pendent, mirror, belt-buckle, something) embodiment the pact. Or maybe your pact tome/familiar becomes the embodiment of the pact.
Here are 4 options for a character following Hexblade Patrons, 3 are evil (because they are always fun) but just because they are evil does not mean that the character following them is, there could be a classic moral struggle going on as the patron tries to sway the warlock with power etc, 3 of them are based on the sentient artifacts form the DMG, 1 is based on a weapon from Critical Role.....
*****
Patron Name: Craven Edge
Craven Edge is a sentient great sword of unknown origin that thirsts for souls and the blood of the fallen. It's hunger and thirst is so great that anyone who were to wield Craven Edge would be possessed by it and driven to more and more extreme acts of blood lust. As a Patron it whispers its desires to its chosen disciples, it is forever hungry and can never be sated. Craven Edge is believed lost to the material realm, lore holds a band of adventurers banished it to a demi-plane, never to be recovered (for more information, see Critical Role).
If taking the Pact of Blade: Although your pact weapon can take the form of any weapon, you always try to summon it in the form of a great sword to honor Craven Edge.
If taking the Pact of Chain: You acquire an Quasit as a familiar that is always hungry and it always looks obese and asks to be feed after every short or long rest as well as pushing you to eat or do something to sate its hunger at other times.
If taking the Pact of Tome: Your Book of Shadows appears to resemble a mundane blood splattered leather bound book. Regardless of how you care for the book or try to clean it, it always appears to covered with splatters of blood.
Regardless of which pact is chosen, Warlocks who have Craven Edge as a patron prefer to use spells/weapons/abilities that deal necrotic damage as they think this damage type feeds Craven Edge in its prison. Craven Edge is a Chaotic Evil weapon that only cares about ending its own hunger and those that follow it or ask it for power often find themselves falling to its will and becoming Chaotic Evil over time and they are tasked with acquiring magic to locate and free Craven Edge from it's imprisonment.
*****
Patron: Sword of Kas
Kas was a former Lieutenant to Vecna and it is thought it was through Kas that Vecna met his end. Warlocks that follow his teaching often seek out this fabled sword or seek out powerful practitioners of Necromancy in order to wipe out the practice as well as find the Eye and Hand of Vecna and ways to destroy these unholy artifacts.
If taking the Pact of Blade: Although your pact weapon can take the form of any weapon, you always try to summon it in the form of a Long Sword that resembles the artifact called the Sword of Kas.
If taking the Pact of Chain: You receive a Quasit as a familiar, this familiar that acts like a obedient servant and is always quick ot tell you when it thinks someone is a servant of Vecna.
If taking the Pact of Tome: Your book of shadows appears takes the form of a journal that tells the tale of an unnamed hunter of Necromancers, as you add rituals to the book the tale unfolds.
Regardless of which pact is chosen, Warlocks who have the Sword of Kas as a patron feel driven to seek out and vanquish all forms of Necromancy so that another "Vecna" cannot rise to power. This may seem like a noble deed, but Kas was a Lieutenant of Vecna and was nicknamed "The Bloody Handed" and was a powerful Warlord and Assassin in his own right and brought about Vecna's end in an attempt to supplant him and seize power. Followers of the Sword of Kas usually end up becoming Chaotic Evil over time and the desire to destroy the Hand and Eye of Vecna often becomes an obsession.
*****
Patron Name: Wand of Orcus
The wand's purpose is to help satisfy Orcus's desire to slay everything in the multiverse. The wand is cold, cruel, nihilistic, and bereft of humor. In order to further its master's goals, the wand feigns devotion to its current user and makes grandiose promises that it has no intention of fulfilling, such as vowing to help its user overthrow Orcus.
If taking the Pact of Blade: Although your pact weapon can take the form of any weapon, you always try to summon it in the form of a Mace that resembles the artifact called the Wand of Orcus (A long skeletal weapon with a human shaped skull on the end).
If taking the Pact of Chain: You receive a Pseudo-dragon as a familiar, this familiar resembles a tiny zombie dragon.
If taking the Pact of Tome: Your book of shadows appears to be made out of flayed skin and inked with blood.
Regardless of which pact is chosen, all warlocks that follow the wand of Orcus are expected to find ways to spread Undeath, whether this be through learning necromantic magic or by aiding Necromancers as bodyguards or advisors. Eventually all followers fall to its influence and become Chaotic Evil over time.
*****
Patron Name: Axe of the Dwarven Lords
This Battle Axe was passed down through generations of Dwarven Kings and seeks to find a new heir to unit the Dwarves once again. Although warlocks of this patron are mainly Dwarves, it can reach out to any humanoid race.
If taking the Pact of Blade: Although your pact weapon can take the form of any weapon, you always try to summon it in the form of a Battle Axe that resembles the artifact called the Axe of the Dwarven Lords.
If taking the Pact of Chain: You receive a Pseudo-dragon as a familiar, this familiar resembles a tiny gold dragon.
If taking the Pact of Tome: Your book of shadows appears to be made out of heavy stone lined with pages of gold leaf, these pages can be written on or removed as if they were paper and turn to paper if removed. Whilst within the book the pages appear to list grudges that are held by generations of dwarves in addition to any ritual spells that are placed within it.
Regardless of which Pact is chosen, followers of the Axe of the Dwarven Lords are expected to act in a "Dwarven" fashion, try to unite Dwarves where ever they are found and act as intermediaries in any dispute among Dwarves. Due to this many followers become Good aligned over the course of their service.
*****
EDIT for option 5.....
Patron Name: Moonblade
Moonblades are prized weapons and at one time most Elven Houses had one such weapon. Over the centuries, some blades have faded from the world, their magic lost as family lines have become extinct. Other blades have vanished with their bearers during great quests. Periodically a powerful Moonblade may reach out to a humanoid and bestow power in exchange for some service. This may be aiding an elf or Elven settlement or it may be to find the blade itself and return it to a particular noble house. Moonblades reach out to any humanoid which it considers to be an "Elf Friend", this could be a full blooded Elf, a Half Elf or someone that has provided a valuable service to an Elf in the past or even someone it thinks may be able to mentor an Elf.
If taking the Pact of Blade: Although your pact weapon can take the form of any weapon, you always try to summon it in the form of a Long Sword that resembles the Moonblade.
If taking the Pact of Chain: You receive a Sprite that may or may not be the reincarnation of a previous bearer of the moon blade.Pseudo-dragon as a familiar, this familiar resembles a tiny gold dragon.
If taking the Pact of Tome: Your book of shadows appears to be made out of ornately gilded and well made leather and parchment of ancient design with many glyphs and runes written in elvish which tell the tale of your Moonblade patron.
Regardless of which pact you choose you are expected to act Elvish and aid Elves where possible. Moonblades tend toward Chaotic good Alignments and over time warlocks that receive power from them end up becoming Neutral Good. An exception to this would be a rare few Moonblades that may exist within Drow mythology that seek to bring their Noble Houses more power and tend toward Neutral Evil Alignments.
Most people who play Hexblade Warlock’s pick Pact of the Blade because it was designed to synergize with it perfectly. But you just made the wheels in my head start churning, I can see opportunities for the other pacts now. Thank you!
When I choose to play a Hex blade warlock do I have to choose the packs of the blade option or Am I just getting this whole thing wrong can some one
explain it to me what would be a hex blade patron and how does it differ from packt of the blade
Perhaps with some examples you might have used
I checked out some sources online and Im still a little confused
"Many Hexblade Warlocks create weapons that emulate those formed in the Shadowfell. Others forgo such arms, content to weave the dark magic of that plane into their spellcasting."
Hexblade is for a Shadowfell patrons, but it's supposed to "manifest in sentient magic weapons."
So I think that if you don't want to go "pact of the blade" then I think you are expected to have a physical (ring, pendent, mirror, belt-buckle, something) embodiment the pact. Or maybe your pact tome/familiar becomes the embodiment of the pact.
So "hex-blade" is basically an object that is tied to a creature from shadow fell
I can dig that
thanks man :)
Here are 4 options for a character following Hexblade Patrons, 3 are evil (because they are always fun) but just because they are evil does not mean that the character following them is, there could be a classic moral struggle going on as the patron tries to sway the warlock with power etc, 3 of them are based on the sentient artifacts form the DMG, 1 is based on a weapon from Critical Role.....
*****
Patron Name: Craven Edge
Craven Edge is a sentient great sword of unknown origin that thirsts for souls and the blood of the fallen. It's hunger and thirst is so great that anyone who were to wield Craven Edge would be possessed by it and driven to more and more extreme acts of blood lust. As a Patron it whispers its desires to its chosen disciples, it is forever hungry and can never be sated. Craven Edge is believed lost to the material realm, lore holds a band of adventurers banished it to a demi-plane, never to be recovered (for more information, see Critical Role).
If taking the Pact of Blade: Although your pact weapon can take the form of any weapon, you always try to summon it in the form of a great sword to honor Craven Edge.
If taking the Pact of Chain: You acquire an Quasit as a familiar that is always hungry and it always looks obese and asks to be feed after every short or long rest as well as pushing you to eat or do something to sate its hunger at other times.
If taking the Pact of Tome: Your Book of Shadows appears to resemble a mundane blood splattered leather bound book. Regardless of how you care for the book or try to clean it, it always appears to covered with splatters of blood.
Regardless of which pact is chosen, Warlocks who have Craven Edge as a patron prefer to use spells/weapons/abilities that deal necrotic damage as they think this damage type feeds Craven Edge in its prison. Craven Edge is a Chaotic Evil weapon that only cares about ending its own hunger and those that follow it or ask it for power often find themselves falling to its will and becoming Chaotic Evil over time and they are tasked with acquiring magic to locate and free Craven Edge from it's imprisonment.
*****
Patron: Sword of Kas
Kas was a former Lieutenant to Vecna and it is thought it was through Kas that Vecna met his end. Warlocks that follow his teaching often seek out this fabled sword or seek out powerful practitioners of Necromancy in order to wipe out the practice as well as find the Eye and Hand of Vecna and ways to destroy these unholy artifacts.
If taking the Pact of Blade: Although your pact weapon can take the form of any weapon, you always try to summon it in the form of a Long Sword that resembles the artifact called the Sword of Kas.
If taking the Pact of Chain: You receive a Quasit as a familiar, this familiar that acts like a obedient servant and is always quick ot tell you when it thinks someone is a servant of Vecna.
If taking the Pact of Tome: Your book of shadows appears takes the form of a journal that tells the tale of an unnamed hunter of Necromancers, as you add rituals to the book the tale unfolds.
Regardless of which pact is chosen, Warlocks who have the Sword of Kas as a patron feel driven to seek out and vanquish all forms of Necromancy so that another "Vecna" cannot rise to power. This may seem like a noble deed, but Kas was a Lieutenant of Vecna and was nicknamed "The Bloody Handed" and was a powerful Warlord and Assassin in his own right and brought about Vecna's end in an attempt to supplant him and seize power. Followers of the Sword of Kas usually end up becoming Chaotic Evil over time and the desire to destroy the Hand and Eye of Vecna often becomes an obsession.
*****
Patron Name: Wand of Orcus
The wand's purpose is to help satisfy Orcus's desire to slay everything in the multiverse. The wand is cold, cruel, nihilistic, and bereft of humor. In order to further its master's goals, the wand feigns devotion to its current user and makes grandiose promises that it has no intention of fulfilling, such as vowing to help its user overthrow Orcus.
If taking the Pact of Blade: Although your pact weapon can take the form of any weapon, you always try to summon it in the form of a Mace that resembles the artifact called the Wand of Orcus (A long skeletal weapon with a human shaped skull on the end).
If taking the Pact of Chain: You receive a Pseudo-dragon as a familiar, this familiar resembles a tiny zombie dragon.
If taking the Pact of Tome: Your book of shadows appears to be made out of flayed skin and inked with blood.
Regardless of which pact is chosen, all warlocks that follow the wand of Orcus are expected to find ways to spread Undeath, whether this be through learning necromantic magic or by aiding Necromancers as bodyguards or advisors. Eventually all followers fall to its influence and become Chaotic Evil over time.
*****
Patron Name: Axe of the Dwarven Lords
This Battle Axe was passed down through generations of Dwarven Kings and seeks to find a new heir to unit the Dwarves once again. Although warlocks of this patron are mainly Dwarves, it can reach out to any humanoid race.
If taking the Pact of Blade: Although your pact weapon can take the form of any weapon, you always try to summon it in the form of a Battle Axe that resembles the artifact called the Axe of the Dwarven Lords.
If taking the Pact of Chain: You receive a Pseudo-dragon as a familiar, this familiar resembles a tiny gold dragon.
If taking the Pact of Tome: Your book of shadows appears to be made out of heavy stone lined with pages of gold leaf, these pages can be written on or removed as if they were paper and turn to paper if removed. Whilst within the book the pages appear to list grudges that are held by generations of dwarves in addition to any ritual spells that are placed within it.
Regardless of which Pact is chosen, followers of the Axe of the Dwarven Lords are expected to act in a "Dwarven" fashion, try to unite Dwarves where ever they are found and act as intermediaries in any dispute among Dwarves. Due to this many followers become Good aligned over the course of their service.
*****
EDIT for option 5.....
Patron Name: Moonblade
Moonblades are prized weapons and at one time most Elven Houses had one such weapon. Over the centuries, some blades have faded from the world, their magic lost as family lines have become extinct. Other blades have vanished with their bearers during great quests. Periodically a powerful Moonblade may reach out to a humanoid and bestow power in exchange for some service. This may be aiding an elf or Elven settlement or it may be to find the blade itself and return it to a particular noble house. Moonblades reach out to any humanoid which it considers to be an "Elf Friend", this could be a full blooded Elf, a Half Elf or someone that has provided a valuable service to an Elf in the past or even someone it thinks may be able to mentor an Elf.
If taking the Pact of Blade: Although your pact weapon can take the form of any weapon, you always try to summon it in the form of a Long Sword that resembles the Moonblade.
If taking the Pact of Chain: You receive a Sprite that may or may not be the reincarnation of a previous bearer of the moon blade.Pseudo-dragon as a familiar, this familiar resembles a tiny gold dragon.
If taking the Pact of Tome: Your book of shadows appears to be made out of ornately gilded and well made leather and parchment of ancient design with many glyphs and runes written in elvish which tell the tale of your Moonblade patron.
Regardless of which pact you choose you are expected to act Elvish and aid Elves where possible. Moonblades tend toward Chaotic good Alignments and over time warlocks that receive power from them end up becoming Neutral Good. An exception to this would be a rare few Moonblades that may exist within Drow mythology that seek to bring their Noble Houses more power and tend toward Neutral Evil Alignments.
Most people who play Hexblade Warlock’s pick Pact of the Blade because it was designed to synergize with it perfectly. But you just made the wheels in my head start churning, I can see opportunities for the other pacts now. Thank you!
Professional computer geek
I see what you did there with the artefacts and what not
haven't heard of the kraven edge tho
Hexblade is the patron, pact of the blade is a pact boon (a gift from the patron).
Hexblade warlocks do not inherently have to take pact of blade any more than a fiend warlock has to take pact of chain (for the imp/quasit familiar).
Pact of blade synergizes best with hexblade, but hexblade is more than versatile enough to support any pact or build.