Editing Hexblade (section)

==4th Edition D&D==
Hexblades returned in [[Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition]] as part of the Essentials array of [[Variant Class]]es. Presented in the [[splatbook]] "Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms", they're an alternate version of the [[Warlock]]... just why WotC thought they were needed, given 4e already had a solid [[gish]] base-class in the [[Swordmage]] is unknown, but then, Essentials was full of weird ideas. They went on to bring back the [[Bladesinger]] as a variant [[Wizard]], after all.

It bears mentioning that an editorial in Dragon actually says Hexblades were born out of an early [[meme]] in the 4e fandom of trying to secure heavy armor for [[warlock]]s.

4e Hexblades are still Arcane Strikers based on [[Charisma]], just like their progenitors. The difference is that they are more aimed at close-range, fighting with an implement in one hand and a Pact Blade in the other. What's a Pact Blade? Well, like a true [[Warlock]], Hexblades forge mystic contracts with powerful entities - the default Hexblade has access to the Fey and Fiend pacts, gaining a Star pact in Dragon #393 alongside a variant of the Fey Pact tied to a specific [[Archfey]], an Elemental Pact in "Heroes of the Elemental Chaos", and a Gloom Pact in "Heroes of Shadow". Unlike Warlocks, Hexblades receive a physical manifestation of this pact in the form of an enchanted weapon specific to their patron. They have access to unique spells tied to their Pact Blade, and gain certain features based on their Pact as well. One unusual aspect is that, unlike the conventional Warlock, Hexblades are also [[Conjurer]]s, with the ability to summon certain monster allies based on the combination of their level and their Pact.

Despite what you'd think, Hexblades are less [[MAD]] in this edition; their melee-based powers all key off of Charisma, same as their ranged spells, and unless for some reason you really want to rely on basic attacks a lot, that makes Strength a low priority. That said, you'll want to make either Dexterity or Constitution (for evading or tanking) your secondary ability score.

At 1st level, a Hexblade gains the class features of ''Pact Boon'', ''Pact Reward'' and ''Pact Weapon''. The Pact Boon is an at-will utility power that can be used once per round, and which triggers when either you drop an enemy to 0 HP or an adjacent enemy is dropped to 0 HP. The ''Pact Reward'' is a flat-up damage bonus based on your secondary ability score, a typically Essentials approach to making Strikers the damage dealing class. The ''Pact Weapon'' has certain universal rules; it can be summoned as a minor action so long as you are holding your implement in the other hand, and it only lasts as long as you both will it and you maintain your hold on both items. A pact blade has its own proficiency bonus and damage die, but shares your implement's enhancement bonus, critical hit effect, properties and powers. It can't be enchanted separately. When you use a power associated with your pact weapon and the power has both the weapon and the implement keyword, you are considered to be wielding both your pact weapon and your implement for the purpose of feats and other game elements.

At 3rd level, it gains the ''Improved Pact Weapon'' feature, which lets it use its Pact Blade's associated Encounter power 2/encounter..

At 4th level, it gains the ''Lesser Planar Ally'' feature, which lets them summon a tiny spirit to serve as a spy or scout 1/day.

At 7th level, it gains the ''Pact Weapon Retribution'' feature. This is an Encounter attack power that you can trigger when an adjacent enemy attacks you.

At 9th level, it gains the ''Summon Warlock's Ally'' feature.

At 11th level, it gains the ''Hexblade's Action'', ''Pact Aspect'' and ''Pact Curse'' features. Hexblade's Action is a bonus rider for spending an action point. Pact Aspect is a flat-up character modification. Pact Curse grants you an Encounter attack with a range of 5 squares that causes something nasty to happen to the foe you target.

At 12th level, it gains the ''Pact Invocation'' feature. This is a Daily Utility based on your pact.

At 16th level, it gains the ''Improved Pact Boon'' feature. This upgrades your original Pact Boon at-will utility spell.

At 17th level, it gains the ''Superior Warlock's Ally'' feature, which grants its Warlock's Ally a +3 bonus to damage rolls.

At 20th level, it gains the ''Pact Transformation'' feature. This Daily Utility causes you to undergo a transformation based on your pact, as you can probably tell.

At 22nd level, it gains the ''Master of Magic'' feature. This s a Daily Utility power unique to epic-level hexblades, which can target either the hexblade itself or an ally in a 5-square burst. The target can either be teleported 20 squares, spend a healing surge & make a saving throw with a +5 bonus, or gain the Insubstantial trait (at the cost of being Weakened) until either the encounter ends or they spend a minor action to end the effect.

At 25th level, it gains the ''Greater Summon Warlock's Ally'' feature.

{{D&D4-Classes}}
===Hexblade Pacts===
====Fey Pact====
Strangely, the default version of the Fey Pact for Hexblades is associated with the [[archfey]] of the Winter Court, giving you a reliance on cold damage. This may be a result of the more limited designs of Essentials classes needing stricter defined power-sets.

''Pact Boon:'' You can use your Dexterity modifier (with a cumulative +2 bonus at levels 5, 15 and 25) as a damage bonus to your warlock attack powers. It also applies to the damage rolls of your Warlock's Ally from 9th level onwards.

''Pact Reward:'' Soul Step, an at-will (though 1/round) teleport of squares equal to your Dex modifier triggered when you drop a creature to 0 hit points or an adjacent creature drops to 0 HP.

''Pact Weapon:'' The Blade of Winter's Mourning, a one-handed melee light blade made from an unearthly blue metal. It has a proficiency bonus of +3, uses a d10 damage die, and grants access to the at-will & encounter attacks Icy Skewer and Piercing Shard, respectively.

''Pact Weapon Retribution:'' Winter's Retributive Escape, an encounter attack power that lets you teleport away from an enemy's melee attack whilst inflicting cold & psychic damage.

''Summon Warlock's Ally:'' You can summon a Wood Woad, a humanoid plant armed with a big club, tough skin, and driven to protect you.

''Hexblade's Action:'' When you spend an action point, you can use a free action to turn invisible and teleport Dex modifier squares, either before or after you take the extra action. You remain invisible until the end of your next turn.

''Pact Aspect:'' +2 to Bluff checks, +1 to Speed.

''Pact Curse:'' You can use the Curse of Shattered Armor 1/encounter. This inflicts 3d10 + Cha modifier damage on an enemy within 5 sqaures and causes them to grant combat advantage until the end of your next turn.

''Pact Invocation:'' You can use the Fey Invocation 1/day; until the encounter's end, roll a D20 whenever you take damage. You double the damage on a 1-2, halve it on a 10+, and take it as normal otherwise.

''Improved Pact Boon:'' When you use Soul Step, you become invisible to your enemies until the end of your next turn.

''Pact Transformation:'' The Feywild Transformation can be invoked 1/day. Until the encounter's end, you gain a +2 power bonus to Reflex and Will, can teleport up to 3 squares as a move action, and, 1/round, can use the secondary power, which inflicts psychic damage on all creatures within a close burst 1 and renders you invisible to any of them that you hit until the end of your next turn.

''Greater Summon Warlock's Ally:'' Your Greater Ally is a Frostbite Treant, a [[treant]] from the wintery regions of the [[Feywild]] that thusly wields gouts of cold and soul-sucking limbs to protect you by destroying your enemies.

=====Fey Pact of the White Well=====
This variant of the Hexblade Fey Pact was introduced in Dragon #393, and is based on bonding to a specific [[archfey]] - the Lady of the White Well. This faerie godling is the illegitimate daughter of the [[Seldarine]] goddesss [[Sehanine]] and a mortal [[eladrin]], the result of an elaborate vengeance ploy by [[Lolth]] based on rape-by-deceit & proxy.

See, before Lolth fully completed her descent into evil and began the elven civil war that spawned the three fey races - [[eladrin]], [[elf]] and [[drow]] - she was obsessed with jealousy over the favor felt by [[Corellon]] for [[Sehanine]]. So, she magically beguiled an eladrin knight, cloaking him in an illusion so he looked like Corellon, and guided him to a pool where Sehanine liked to bathe. Believing the eladrin to be her consort, Sehanine laid with him and conceived a daughter.

Outraged by this act of infidelity, in the heat of passion, Corellon cursed the demigod to be forever bound to the proximity of the pool where she was conceived. The only way she would be free is if she were ever to give her heart freely to another. Sehanine cared for her daughter, giving her power over the night and teaching her powerful magic, but ultimately was forced to abandon her when the elven civil war ended and, in the wake of the [[Dawn War]], the gods were banished to the [[Astral Sea]].

As a Hexblade of the White Well, you represent one of those few would-be suitors who made it to the White Well and impressed the Lady enough that she offered not only boons, but the legitimate chance to win her hand and her heart.

Except where noted, this functions exactly the same as the standard Fey Pact above.

''Pact Weapon:'' White Well Hexblades wield the Sword of the White Well, the enchanted blade once owned by the Lady's paternal ancestors, which the Lady's father hurled into the pool after learning he had been tricked into conceiving her. This is one-handed melee heavy blade whose blade shines like moonlight, with a +2 proficiency bons and a D12 damage dice. Its associated at-will & encounter attacks are Moonfire Blade and Well of Light respectively.

''Pact Weapon Retribution:'' White Well hexblades can use the Moonlit Escape encounter power, which lets them respond to an attack by an adjacent enemy by inflicting psychic & radiant damage on them, becoming insubstantial until the start of their next turn, and shifting 1 square.

''Summon Warlock's Ally:'' The Lady was served during the early days of her exile by eladrin handmaidens. Though they perished of old age centuries ago, her power sustains them as ghostly warriors, who she sends to attend a powerful hexblade champion. These Mourning Handmaidens are undead fey in the form of beautiful eladrin women, who can paralyze with the touch of their white-bladed swords and partially shield their charge from damage.

''Hexblade's Action:'' When you spend an action point to take an extra action, you regain a number of hit points equal to your Charisma modifier. In addition, you can take a free action to teleport a number of squares up to your Dexterity modifier, either before or after the extra action.

''Pact Aspect:'' You gain a +2 bonus to Diplomacy and Initiative checks.

''Pact Curse:'' By summoning the Curse of Blinding Radiance, once per encounter you can blind and sear a foe with radiant damage, as well as inflicting extra radiant damage with attacks against them until the end of your next turn.

''Pact Invocation:'' Through the power of the White Well Invocation, you can call upon the Lady's attention. Whilst she strives to shield you from harm, her presence may overwhelm you with her sorrow. This Daily utility grants you an aura of bright light that lasts until encounter's end; whilst it is active, roll a D20 whenever you take damage. On a 1-2, you are dazed until the start of your next turn, on a 10+ you can teleport up to 5 squares and become insubstantial until the start of your next turn (you still take the damage, though). Any other result has no effect.

''Improved Pact Boon:'' When you use Soul Step, you become Insubstantial until the end of your next turn.

''Pact Transformation:'' Through the power of the White Well Transformation, you can become a radiance-clad figure whose light fills their foes with terror.

''Greater Summon Warlock's Ally:'' Such is your might that you can summon the Spectral Protector, the watchful shade of the Lady's long-dead father, who employs the crushing weight of his centuries of grief to scour the minds of others and wither their resolve to fight.

====Fiend Pact====
''Pact Boon:'' Soul Feast is an-at will, 1/round utility power that causes you to gain Temporary HP equl to your Con Modifier (with +2 or +5 at 11th and 21st levels) whenever you drop an enemy to 0 HP or an adjacent enemy drops to 0 HP.

''Pact Reward:'' You can use your Constitution modifier (with a cumulative +2 bonus at levels 5, 15 and 25) as a damage bonus to your warlock attack powers. It also applies to the damage rolls of your Warlock's Ally from 9th level onwards.

''Pact Weapon:'' Infernal Hexblades gain the Blade of Annihilation, a one-handed melee heavy blade with a Proficiency bonus of +2 and a damage die of d12 that grants access to the Soul Eater at-will attack and Blazing Doom of the Void encounter attack.

''Pact Weapon Retribution:'' When an adjacent enemy attacks you, you can use Reflexive Hellstrike to inflict fire & necrotic damage before pushing it a number of squares equal to your Con modifier.

''Summon Warlock's Ally:'' You can summon a spined devil lackey to pepper your enemies with its vicious poisoned quills.

''Hexblade's Action:'' When you spend an action point, the next enemy you attack before the end of your next turn takes fire damage equal to 5 + your Con modifier, whether the atack hits or misses.

''Pact Aspect:'' You gain Resist 10 (20 at 21st level) Fire, or +5 Fire Resistance if you already have at least that amount, and a +2 bonus to Intimidate checks.

''Pact Curse:'' You can use the encounter attack spell Curse of the Fiery Soul, which inflicts fire damage on the foe and causes any other enemies that come within 2 squares of it before the end of your next turn to take a small bit of fire damage.

''Pact Invocation:'' The Infernal Invocation is a daily utility that can deliver either of two effects, both of which come at a price. Firstly, you can regain 2 healing surges worth of HP but be unable to heal until the end of your encounter. Secondly, you gain a +10 power bonus to the next saving throw you make during this encounter, but then suffer a -2 penalty to all subsequent saving throws.

''Improved Pact Boon:'' When you use Soul Feast, you can also push each adjacent enemy 1 square away.

''Pact Transformation:'' Using Infernal Transformation turns you into a diabolic warrior, granting you immunity to fire, a +4 power bonus to melee damage rolls, and the ability to make a special melee attack 1/round that does fire damage and pushes the target up to 3 squares.

''Greater Summon Warlock's Ally:'' Your ultimate servitor is an aspect of a pit fiend; a mere shadow of that devil's might, but still a powerful and destructive force.

====Star Pact====
Bound to the same Mythosian dark stars as presented in an earlier Dragon article for [[Warlock]]s, hexblades of the Star Pact excel at crushing minds and manipulating space around them. Their pact is hidden in issue #393 of Dragon.

''Pact Boon:'' You can use the Dire Fate at-will utility 1/round when you reduce a foe to 0 HP or an adjacent enemy drops to 0 HP. In return, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls until the end of your next turn.

''Pact Reward:'' You can use your Intelligence modifier (with a cumulative +2 bonus at levels 5, 15 and 25) as a damage bonus to your warlock attack powers. It also applies to the damage rolls of your Warlock's Ally from 9th level onwards.

''Pact Weapon:'' The Starshadow Blade is a one-handed melee heavy blade with a +3 proficiency bonus and a D10 damage dice. Made of shifting light and shadow, as if someone had folded molten dreams and nightmares in the forge of a star, it grants access to an at-will attack (Resplendent Blade) and an encounter attack (Wield the Warp).

''Pact Weapon Retribution:'' Using Gaze Into Nothing allows you to blind an attacking adjacent enemy until the end of your next turn.

''Summon Warlock's Ally:'' Through a crack in the air, you summon a lumbering invisible monster called a Thought Phantom, which can tear the very minds of your enemies apart.

''Hexblade's Action:'' When you spend an action point to take an extra action, the next enemy you hit or miss with an attack before the end of your turn is dazed until the end of your next turn.

''Pact Aspect:'' You gain a +2 bonus to Arcana checks and Resist 10 to Psychic, which increases to Resist 20 at 21st level. If you already had higher psychic resistance than that, increase your resistance by +5.

''Pact Curse:'' Through the Curse of Forbidden Knowledge, you can scourge a foe with psychic damage and cause it to blindly attack any of your other enemies that are adjacent to it, at least until the end of your next turn.

''Pact Invocation:'' With the power of the Star Invocation, once per day, you become insubstantial and weakened until the encounter's end or you use a minor action to return to the material world.

''Improved Pact Boon:'' When you use Dire Fate, you can choose an enemy within 2 squares and slide it 1 square.

''Pact Transformation:'' Invoking the Starry Trnsformation turns you into a flying figure of brilliant starlight that can blind enemies.

''Greater Summon Warlock's Ally:'' By calling forth a Way Walker, you summon a lumbering phantasm whose alien thoughts can crush the will to live with its sheer apathy towards mortal works.

====Gloom Pact====
Presented in "Heroes of Shadow", the Gloom Pact is a [[necromancer]]-esque pact drawing upon the eerie powers of the [[Shadowfell]].

''Pact Boon:'' Your at-will utility is Convocation of Shadows, where dropping an enemy to 0 HP or being adjacent to an enemy reduced to 0 HP lets you become Insubstantial with Phasing until the end of your next turn.

''Pact Reward:'' You can use your Dexterity modifier (with a cumulative +2 bonus at levels 5, 15 and 25) as a damage bonus to your warlock attack powers. It also applies to the damage rolls of your Warlock's Ally from 9th level onwards.

''Pact Weapon:'' Fitting their sinister motif, Gloom Hexblades with the Scourge of Exquisite Agony, a one-handed melee flail with a +2 proficiency bonus, a D10 damage die, and the Reach property. It grants access to Flesh Rend (at-will) and Spirit Flay (encounter).

''Pact Weapon Retribution:'' When an adjacent enemy attacks you, Shadow Scourge lets you punish them with necrotic & psychic damage, as well as making them grant you combat advantage until the end of your next turn.

''Summon Warlock's Ally:'' You can conjure forth a Dark Creeper; a small, sneaky, shadow-bred humanoid that will slink around the battlefield and backstab your enemies for you.

''Hexblade's Action:'' When you spend an action point to take an extra action, you can become insubstantial until the end of your next turn.

''Pact Aspect:'' You gain +2 to Stealth Checks and Resistance 10 to Necrotic, which increases to Resist 20 at 21st level. If you already had higher necrotic resistance than that, increase your resistance by +5.

''Pact Curse:'' You can inflict the Curse of Ages, which inflicts necrotic damage and slows & weakens the target until the end of your next turn.

''Pact Invocation:'' When you use the Dark Invocation, until the end of the encounter, roll a D20 whenever an enemy targets you with a melee or ranged attack. On a 10+ you have total concealment against that attack. On a 1-2, the enemy gets a +10 power bonus to that attack's damage roll if it hits you. On any other result, nothing happens.

''Improved Pact Boon:'' Using Convocation of Shadows also grants you combat advantage against a single target of your next attack before the end of your next turn.

''Pact Transformation:'' Using the Shadow Transformation turns you into a ghostly reaper figure, a slowly flying wraith whose presence dims light and who is insubstantial, yet can lash out with a touch that inflicts necrotic damage and temporary weakness.

''Greater Summon Warlock's Ally:'' You have the power to call forth a Sorrowsworn, a mighty custodian of the cycle of life and death from the darkness of the Shadowfell.

====Elemental Pact==== 
''Pact Boon:'' Warding Chaos, which grants you resist 5 to Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning and Thunder damage until the end of your next turn, and which lets you shift a number of squares equal to your Con modifier.

''Pact Reward:'' You can use your Constitution modifier (with a cumulative +2 bonus at levels 5, 15 and 25) as a damage bonus to your warlock attack powers. It also applies to the damage rolls of your Warlock's Ally from 9th level onwards. You also gain proficiency with Scale Armor.

''Pact Weapon:'' The Elemental Pact Weapon is the Blade of Chaos, a single-edged, serrated, awkward-looking chopping blade. It's a one-handed melee heavy blade with a +3 proficiency bonus, a 2d4 damage dice, and the High Crit property. It grants the Unraveling Strike (at-will) and Elemental Wrath (encounter) powers.

''Pact Weapon Retribution:'' Elemental Roar, which inflicts psychic damage and causes the target to grant you combat advantage until the end of your next turn.

''Summon Warlock's Ally:'' You randomly summon an air, earth, fire or water [[archon]] to do you bidding.

''Hexblade's Action:'' When you spend an action point, gain temporary HP equal to half your level, you also gain a +1 to your melee weapon reach until the end of your next turn.

''Pact Aspect:'' +2 to Endurance checks. Additionally, at the end of each extended rest, you choose to Resist Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning or Thunder, with a resistance value of 10 (15 at 21st level).

''Pact Curse:'' Chaotic Mind inflicts psychic damage and forces it to make any opportunity attack it can until the end of your next turn - during which time its own allies also provoke opportunity attacks.

''Pact Invocation:'' Use of the Elemental Invocation means that, until the end of the encounter, roll a D20 whenever you take Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning or Thunder damage. On a 10+, subtract 15 points from the damage you suffer (before Resistance is applied). On 1-2, you take a further +10 damage.

''Improved Pact Boon:'' After using Warding Chaos, the next melee weapon attack you make before the end of your next turn inflicts bonus Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning or Thunder damage equal to your Con modifier. You choose which type of damage is inflicted.

''Pact Transformation:'' Through the use of Elemental Transformation, you assume the form of a chaos elemental, an ever-shifting mass of elemental energy that can randomly scourge foes with acid, cold, fire, lightning and thunder.

''Greater Summon Warlock's Ally:'' You call forth a Titan of earth, fire, frost or storm.