There are few powers darker than manipulation of the soul. Whether you use it to make a pact with a foul creature - demon, devil, or something else -, collect the souls of others to draw strength from, or twist your own soul into a corrupted mockery of the life it represented, it can be agreed that horrid powers are at play. The Hexblade is both an expert warrior and a practiced spellcaster, but their true power comes from the Hexes and Curses they use to both physically and mentally assail their opponents.

Hit Die: d10

Base Attack Bonus: High

Saving Throws: High: Fortitude; Low: Reflex and Will

Proficiencies: All simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields.

Skill Points: 4 + Int Modifier

Skills: concentration, craft mastery, craft trap, bluff, discipline, intimidate, heal, lore, parry, persuade, ride, spellcraft, taunt

Alignment: Any Evil

Special: Arcane Spell Failure for Armor and Shields is reduced by 20% if the majority of your levels are in Hexblade.

Features

Level 2: Dark Blessing

Level 4: Find Familiar

Level 6: Hex and Curse Weapon (details below)

Levels 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 26, 28, and 30: Bonus Feats

Spellcasting: Arcane (spell failure from armor is a factor), charisma-based (a base charisma score of 10 + the spell's level is required to cast a spell, bonus spells are based on modified charisma, and the charisma modifier affects spell DCs), and spontaneous cast (no spell preparation required).

(Spellbook listed below)

Hexes

Hex - A Hexblade can use their dark magic to cast a Hex on someone, lowering their skills by -1 per 6 Hexblade levels.

Hex Feats - The following feats will add additional benefits to your Hex ability. They can be taken only as bonus feats at levels 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 26, 28, and 30.

Hex of Ineptitude - All those nasty little things you hear in the back of your mind are true - I am the voice that whispers them. Let all your pitiful anxieties and insecurities become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The mind affects the body. The body affects the mind. Cause enough dissonance between the two and expertise crumbles into ineptitude. All that's left is to watch you fail. The Hex now lowers your target’s skills by a further -1 per 6 Hexblade levels.

Hex of Elemental Decay (Requires 23 Hexblade) - Nature has no power here. The primal forces the foolish druids strive to protect have been corrupted to serve your own purposes. The target of your Hex receives 1% vulnerability to all elemental damage per Hexblade level.

Hex of Duality (Requires 23 Hexblade) - Light and dark. Good and evil. It's all just two sides of the same coin. Who cares if you call yourself a paladin or a warlock. You're both killers in the end. The target of your Hex receives 1% vulnerability to positive and negative damage per Hexblade level.

Hex of Neglect - Time is the enemy of all things. Perhaps you should have taken care of your armor better. The little things you neglected in life will be your final regret. The target of your Hex loses 1 armor AC per 6 Hexblade levels.

Hex of Hallucination - Do you even know where you are right now? You seem to be lost, or is it simply the madness taking over, leading you astray. The target of your Hex loses 1 attack bonus per 6 Hexblade levels.

Hex of Acedia - You look about anxiously this way and that, and sigh that none of your brethren care to save you, a kind of unreasonable confusion of mind takes possession of you like some foul darkness. The target of your Hex receives a penalty of -1 to all saving throws per 6 Hexblade levels.

Curses

Curse Weapon - While common folk fear curses, you embrace the dark power and the horrible deeds they urge you to do. Once a day, you can curse your own weapon, giving it a +1 enhancement bonus per 6 Hexblade levels. This effect lasts for 24 hours.

Curse Feats - The following feats will add additional benefits to your Curse Weapon ability. They can be taken only as bonus feats at levels 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 26, 28, and 30.

Curse of Hypocrisy - You say you fight for justice, but you care more about delivering the punishment than finding the truth of the crime. You say you fight for good, but you've murdered far more than any villain. The Curse on your weapon now adds +1 positive and +1 negative damage per 10 Hexblade levels.

Curse of Worms (Requires 26 Hexblade) - You think your so-called good deeds make you a better person? When it's all over, our bodies will be eaten by the same worms, and we will both face the same Wall. Anyone hit by your Cursed Weapon can no longer be magically healed for 6 seconds.

Curse of Blood - The only difference between us is the color of our armor. Our blood is just as similar as our fondness for killing. Upon hitting an enemy, the Hexblade will be healed 1 hit point per 6 Hexblade levels.

Curse of Flames - All your accomplishments were built to feed the flames. Let it all be judged in fire, and reduced to ash. Sacrifices are made in blood, and offered in fire. This blade was forged to anoint such unholy sacraments. Your Cursed Weapon will deal 1 fire damage per 6 Hexblade levels.

Curse of Frost - You think you’re cold? You don’t know the meaning of cold. I’ll make your breath turn to frost, and your blood into ice. Your Cursed Weapon will deal 1 cold damage per 6 Hexblade levels.

Curse of Acid - You think your friends will save you? I’ll melt your very bones into nothing. By the time I am through with you, there will be nothing left for them to find. Your Cursed Weapon will deal 1 acid damage per 6 Hexblade levels.

Curse of Lightning - You fear being struck down by your god for your sacrilege? Your words are as meaningless to the gods as the wind. I, on the other hand, will strike you down like lightning for your insolence. Your Cursed Weapon will deal 1 electrical damage per 6 Hexblade levels.

Curse of Dissonance The sounds of our swords clashing may be music to your bloodlusted ears, but I much prefer hearing the vibrations grinding your bones into dust. Your Cursed Weapon will deal 1 sonic damage per 6 Hexblade levels.

Curse of Draining (Requires 28 Hexblade) - A cunning adventurer? A devil? A demon? Even a dragon? You are nothing more to me than the lowest peasant is to you. On a successful hit, your Cursed Weapon will drain 1 level from your opponent.

Curse of Sacrifice (Requires 23 Hexblade) - You think you've made sacrifices? Giving a few pennies to the poor isn't a sacrifice. Leaving your home to serve your so-called god isn't a sacrifice. Look at me! I've sacrificed everything for this power, and I won't have it taken from me by some noble hearted fool. Your curse weapon deals 2 magic damage per 6 Hexblade levels on hit (this damage is not multiplied by criticals), but it also damages the Hexblade by 1 damage per 6 Hexblade levels.

HEXBLADE SPELLBOOK

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

As always further detail and feedback will appear on our forums, and this class will first be trialed on the PGCC server

Arelith original Hexblade artwork by Matheus Graef.