Malediction Knight: A Hex Build - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Yunru Sep 27, 2014 18:31:41	Hex is wonderful. Simply wonderful. It fouls up attribute checks of your choice (although you only choose once), including the almighty Dex check for initiative. It also adds an average of 3.5 damage per attack, at the cost of one bonus action per target. Hell, it might even be Twin'able. This build is simple: Go Eldritch Knight fighter, at least until you get 3 attacks. Pick up Hex (how is discussed later), cast Hex, enjoy killing things faster. This also gives you more diversity in what is effectively your class features: your spells. A champion gets Improved Critical at level 3, you get Hex. A champion gets Remarkable Athlete at level 7, you get more spells, more slots and can cast Shield. It all sounds good, but now for the limitations: Hex is a level 1 spell slot. At most you'll be have 3 spell slots to cast it with until level 6 (+1 rechargable slot if you MC Warlock for Hex, but that pushes the level up to 7). That means Shield and all the other goodies will probably take a backseat to being able to cast Hex if needed. Additionally, Hex has Verbal, Somatic and Material components, meaning your best bet is to fire it off before a fight, with on the first round being second best. The easiest way to do this without needing Warcaster or the like, is to start with your weapon sheathed. Now then, picking up Hex: Magic Initiate: Magic Initiate varies. If your DM thinks that the once per Long Rest applies only to the free casting of it you get, great, it's a way to get Hex without multiclassing. If your DM thinks that you can cast the spell picked up with it 1/day regardless, you're going to have to wait for some third level spell slots to get continuous use out of it. Thus the three ratings: Sky Blue if your DM lets you cast it multiple times, Red at early levels if they don't, and black once you have 3rd level spell slots. Multiclass Warlock: Here we go! It costs you your capstone and a bit of health, but you pick up Hex, one of the patron's level 1 gifts (I recommend Infernal's THP), and a Short Rest refreshing level 1 spell slot. You could also dip 2 levels for Devil's Sight if need be. As for when to take this: I'd advise no earlier than level 3. That considered, as soon as you have more than 1 attack per turn. I must thank the Hasten build thread for opening my eyes to the potential for a self-buffing Eldritch Knight, and whoever it was that mentioned Magic Initiate actually means you learn the spell. Without both of them, this wouldn't exist.
#2 spanglemaker Sep 28, 2014 0:25:52	Magic Initiate enables the character to learn 2 Cantrips and 1 level 1 spell. It also enables the character to cast it once per long rest without a spell slot at its lowest level. A battle master fighter could therefore have a couple of utility Cantrips and the single use of a spell. Classes which are spell casters can use their slots to cast the spell they know. Now the real restriction is that the Class that your character is initiated in limits the spellcasting ability. My warlock character Erizel, did a deal with a mysterious fey and received some Bardic Cantrips Light and Message plus Cure Wounds. When she becomes a Tomelock, she may trade out using AL rules Light for Vicious Mockery. Her ability to do this saved her party Paladin, as the Cleric was out of heals, using a pact slot, as she had earlier healed another gratis using Magic Initiate. Some might say that a Warlock who can heal makes the Cleric healer not as potent, I would disagree. Short rests are only available if the party agrees and if the DM permits. Hypothetical nightmare situation, Warlock Healer ( the new mutant) being hunted by Clerics, gifted with Disguise Self spell detectors (Mutant Hunter Sentinels), no real chance for a comfort break of an hour to recharge the running scared mutant/ warlock, so warlock limited to disguise kits and Eldritch Blast. Now for a Warlock character with their limited spell slots which refresh per hours short rest, extra knowledge and even an extra level 1 spell per long rest is really useful for the party and themselves. As they know the spell, it's the same as any other known spell as noted in multiclassing rules they can use spell slots to cast the spell they learned as an initiate at the level of the spell slot ( if the spell is modified by spell slot levels). Multiclass Spellcasters use the spell slot list on p165 of the PHB On another note, someone mentioned that they thought that Magic Initiate should only be taken once. I personally disagree with that, a Lore Bard could hypothetically be initiated into multiple classes, you could take Magic Initiate more than once with a different Class. Diversity and more cantrip options, one of the nice things of 5e is that you can do this but everything comes with a balancing price.
#3 Yunru Sep 28, 2014 2:03:25	Magic Initiate specifies the spell can be cast 1/day period. Not just for free 1/day. As for Multiclassing Spell Slots: Pact Magic is specifically exempt.
#4 Strill Sep 28, 2014 3:30:20	Yunru wrote:
#5 Yunru Sep 28, 2014 3:34:29	I'm going to quote it for reference and ease of access: M a g i c I n i t i a t e Choose a class: bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard. You learn two cantrips o f your choice from that class’s spell list. In addition, choose one 1st-level spell from that same list. You learn that spell and can cast it at its lowest level. Once you cast it, you must finish a long rest before you can cast it again. Your spellcasting ability for these spells depends on the class you chose: Charisma for bard, sorcerer, or warlock; Wisdom for cleric or druid: or Intelligence for wizard.
#6 Strill Sep 28, 2014 3:43:10	Yunru wrote:
#7 Yunru Sep 28, 2014 3:44:05	That's... extreme extrapolation on a level unseen by me before. The rules only do what they state you do, there's no extra spell slot just for Magic Initiate's spell, you can merely cast it for free. And you can only cast it 1/Long Rest. Anything else is DM fiat and thus, I cannot reasonably include it. Note there's not a comma between the free casting and the 1/Long Rest restriction, there's a period. Which means that they're not connected, thus the restriction applies to all castings of the spell, not just the for free one.
#8 Strill Sep 28, 2014 3:45:08	Yunru wrote:
#9 Yunru Sep 28, 2014 3:48:37	Strill wrote:
(Reply to #2) Undrhil	spanglemaker wrote:
#11 realKOFEE Sep 28, 2014 6:08:21	Mearls has commented on this as RaI. The 1/day is a slot for those who don't have any such as a barbarian. The text clearly states you learn the spell and thuse using spell slot RAW a caster can cast any spell he learns with his slots. It's really not a stretch. Nor is it gamebreaking. On the other topic I would allow most feats including this one to be taken multiple times in 5e.

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

Yunru

Sep 27, 2014 18:31:41

Hex is wonderful. Simply wonderful. It fouls up attribute checks of your choice (although you only choose once), including the almighty Dex check for initiative. It also adds an average of 3.5 damage per attack, at the cost of one bonus action per target. Hell, it might even be Twin'able.

This build is simple: Go Eldritch Knight fighter, at least until you get 3 attacks. Pick up Hex (how is discussed later), cast Hex, enjoy killing things faster. This also gives you more diversity in what is effectively your class features: your spells. A champion gets Improved Critical at level 3, you get Hex. A champion gets Remarkable Athlete at level 7, you get more spells, more slots and can cast Shield.

It all sounds good, but now for the limitations:

Hex is a level 1 spell slot. At most you'll be have 3 spell slots to cast it with until level 6 (+1 rechargable slot if you MC Warlock for Hex, but that pushes the level up to 7). That means Shield and all the other goodies will probably take a backseat to being able to cast Hex if needed.

Additionally, Hex has Verbal, Somatic and Material components, meaning your best bet is to fire it off before a fight, with on the first round being second best. The easiest way to do this without needing Warcaster or the like, is to start with your weapon sheathed.

Now then, picking up Hex:

Magic Initiate: Magic Initiate varies. If your DM thinks that the once per Long Rest applies only to the free casting of it you get, great, it's a way to get Hex without multiclassing. If your DM thinks that you can cast the spell picked up with it 1/day regardless, you're going to have to wait for some third level spell slots to get continuous use out of it. Thus the three ratings: Sky Blue if your DM lets you cast it multiple times, Red at early levels if they don't, and black once you have 3rd level spell slots.

Multiclass Warlock: Here we go! It costs you your capstone and a bit of health, but you pick up Hex, one of the patron's level 1 gifts (I recommend Infernal's THP), and a Short Rest refreshing level 1 spell slot. You could also dip 2 levels for Devil's Sight if need be. As for when to take this: I'd advise no earlier than level 3. That considered, as soon as you have more than 1 attack per turn.

I must thank the Hasten build thread for opening my eyes to the potential for a self-buffing Eldritch Knight, and whoever it was that mentioned Magic Initiate actually means you learn the spell. Without both of them, this wouldn't exist.

spanglemaker

Sep 28, 2014 0:25:52

Magic Initiate enables the character to learn 2 Cantrips and 1 level 1 spell. It also enables the character to cast it once per long rest without a spell slot at its lowest level. A battle master fighter could therefore have a couple of utility Cantrips and the single use of a spell. Classes which are spell casters can use their slots to cast the spell they know. Now the real restriction is that the Class that your character is initiated in limits the spellcasting ability.

My warlock character Erizel, did a deal with a mysterious fey and received some Bardic Cantrips Light and Message plus Cure Wounds. When she becomes a Tomelock, she may trade out using AL rules Light for Vicious Mockery. Her ability to do this saved her party Paladin, as the Cleric was out of heals, using a pact slot, as she had earlier healed another gratis using Magic Initiate. Some might say that a Warlock who can heal makes the Cleric healer not as potent, I would disagree. Short rests are only available if the party agrees and if the DM permits. Hypothetical nightmare situation, Warlock Healer ( the new mutant) being hunted by Clerics, gifted with Disguise Self spell detectors (Mutant Hunter Sentinels), no real chance for a comfort break of an hour to recharge the running scared mutant/ warlock, so warlock limited to disguise kits and Eldritch Blast.

Now for a Warlock character with their limited spell slots which refresh per hours short rest, extra knowledge and even an extra level 1 spell per long rest is really useful for the party and themselves. As they know the spell, it's the same as any other known spell as noted in multiclassing rules they can use spell slots to cast the spell they learned as an initiate at the level of the spell slot ( if the spell is modified by spell slot levels).

Multiclass Spellcasters use the spell slot list on p165 of the PHB

On another note, someone mentioned that they thought that Magic Initiate should only be taken once. I personally disagree with that, a Lore Bard could hypothetically be initiated into multiple classes, you could take Magic Initiate more than once with a different Class. Diversity and more cantrip options, one of the nice things of 5e is that you can do this but everything comes with a balancing price.

Yunru

Sep 28, 2014 2:03:25

Magic Initiate specifies the spell can be cast 1/day period. Not just for free 1/day. As for Multiclassing Spell Slots: Pact Magic is specifically exempt.

Strill

Sep 28, 2014 3:30:20

Yunru wrote:

Yunru

Sep 28, 2014 3:34:29

I'm going to quote it for reference and ease of access:

M a g i c I n i t i a t e
Choose a class: bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or
wizard. You learn two cantrips o f your choice from that
class’s spell list.
In addition, choose one 1st-level spell from that same
list. You learn that spell and can cast it at its lowest
level. Once you cast it, you must finish a long rest before
you can cast it again.
Your spellcasting ability for these spells depends
on the class you chose: Charisma for bard,
sorcerer, or warlock; Wisdom for cleric or druid: or
Intelligence for wizard.

Strill

Sep 28, 2014 3:43:10

Yunru wrote:

Yunru

Sep 28, 2014 3:44:05

That's... extreme extrapolation on a level unseen by me before. The rules only do what they state you do, there's no extra spell slot just for Magic Initiate's spell, you can merely cast it for free. And you can only cast it 1/Long Rest. Anything else is DM fiat and thus, I cannot reasonably include it.

Note there's not a comma between the free casting and the 1/Long Rest restriction, there's a period. Which means that they're not connected, thus the restriction applies to all castings of the spell, not just the for free one.

Strill

Sep 28, 2014 3:45:08

Yunru wrote:

Yunru

Sep 28, 2014 3:48:37

Strill wrote:

(Reply to #2)

Undrhil

spanglemaker wrote:

#11

realKOFEE

Sep 28, 2014 6:08:21

Mearls has commented on this as RaI. The 1/day is a slot for those who don't have any such as a barbarian. The text clearly states you learn the spell and thuse using spell slot RAW a caster can cast any spell he learns with his slots. It's really not a stretch. Nor is it gamebreaking. On the other topic I would allow most feats including this one to be taken multiple times in 5e.