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WithBaldur’s Gate 3’s Patch 8 came a variety of new subclasses, including theHexblade. This Warlock subclass is focused on allowing a character to infuse weapons with dark magic, linking themselves to a weapon and gaining a number of significant benefits.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Necromancy of Thay (Act 1)
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This guide discusses what the Hexblade can do and how to take full advantage of the subclass, including some gear that can help you fully utilize your character’s kit.
Subclass Features
The Hexblade is a Warlock subclass that can be selected at Level 1. It immediately grants a character benefits when selected and again at levels 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10. The benefits you gain at each relevant level are as follows (bearing in mind you also gain the benefits typical of standard Warlock progression):
An odd detail of this subclass is that a Hexblade always gains proficiency in Martial Weapons at Level 1andalways counts as proficient with their bound weapon. In theory, Martial Weapon proficiency alone should allow them to already be proficient in every weapon they might bind to themselves.
Many players say investing all of one’s levels in Warlock and fully committing to Hexblade can result in a relatively weak character compared to the alternatives. However, the Hexblade also makes for a very powerful single dip, with one level into Warlock letting you immediately choose the subclass, granting a number of great proficiencies and abilities.
It’s worth noting thatWyllis introduced in a manner that certainly evokes the imagery of a Hexblade, despitethe Fiend subclassperhaps better fitting the actual pacts he is canonically bound into. Either is a fine choice for the character, but Hexblade is a better fit if you want to actually have him dive into melee combat.
Hexblade’s Curse
When attacking with their bound weapon, a Hexblade can sometimes inflict a Hexblade’s Curse on their target. They can also apply this curse as a Bonus Action. A Hexblade’s attacks against a cursed target deal bonus damage equal to their Proficiency Bonus. When the Hexblade attacks the cursed target, that target also has their Crit Window increased by 1 (so if you ordinarily must roll a natural 20 to get a Critical Hit, they now only need to roll a natural 19 or higher). If a cursed target dies, the Warlock heals an amount equal to their Warlock level plus their Charisma modifier.
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This curse lasts 10 turns (with combats rarely lasting that long). Once you reach Level 6 as a Warlock, keep in mind that it can be very advantageous to kill cursed targets, as you can then use your Accursed Spectre ability as a Reaction.
Building a Strong Hexblade
To begin, a Hexblade is usually going to want a high Charisma score (18+) for their magic and to allow their bound weapon to hit as hard as possible. They will also greatly benefit from a decent Dexterity and Constitution score. You can benefit from a number ofgreat Feats, by maximizing your Charisma score with Ability Improvement and gaining the ability to deal massive melee damage with Great Weapon Master (assuming you’re willing to commit to two-handed weapons), both excellent choices.
With Medium Armor proficiency, the Hexblade has a wide array of options (even assuming you aren’t multi-classing). Yuan-Ti Scale Mail, available fairly early in Act II, is a good choice if you’re willing to commit to a high Dexterity or combine the armor with the use of the Gloves of Dexterity (available in Act I in Crèche Y’llek). This armor grants an AC of 15 while also allowing your AC to fully benefit from your Dexterity bonus, so a Dexterity of 18 while wearing the armor means an AC of at least 19 (15 + 4). You are also proficient with Shields and can benefit from magical items that further boost AC, allowing you to become quite hard to hit if you want to commit to a high AC build.
In terms of weapon use, you can use basically anything you want, as you’ll want your primary method of attack to be through a bound weapon, meaning you’ll be using your Charisma when attacking. In Act I, you can quickly get the Sword of Justice from Karlach’s recruitment quest for a decent early choice. Two decent one-handed weapons, also available in Act I, include Phalar Aluve and the Blood of Lathander, if you want to use a shield.
Your general strategy when fighting should be to maximize your strengths. you’re able to make yourself very difficult to hit between a high AC from gear and spells like Shield and Blur. At Warlock Level 6 and beyond, cursing enemies and then killing them can allow you to summon minions, which is only beneficial and who are always a great way to help draw enemy aggro towards allies you don’t typically need to worry about maintaining (they’re already temporary, and you can always summon more).
At Warlock Level 3, you will get to choose a Pact. Pact of the Blade is the best fit if you want to actually create a Warlock that’s a capable melee fighter, as it will eventually grant you an Extra Attack. However, it also admittedly has some major redundancies with Hexblade that can make the initial choice a bit disappointing.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a Dungeons and Dragons inspired RPG developed and published by Larian Studios. Featuring both a single player and cooperative element, players create their character by selecting a starting class, take on quests, level up, and engage in turn-based combat using the D&D 5th edition rule set.
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