Subclass Warlock Hexblade Patron

What Is the Hexblade Patron?

The Hexblade Patron is a melee Warlock subclass built around Hex. You can cast Hex without spending a Pact Magic slot, and every feature the subclass gains keys off a target you have cursed — extra rider effects on your hits, healing when a cursed enemy dies, and damage reduction when a cursed enemy hits you.

Class Features

Progression Overview

LEVEL	FEATURE
3	Hexblade Spells, Hexblade Manifest, Hexblade's Maneuvers
5	Hexblade Spells (expanded)
6	Life Stealer
7	Hexblade Spells (expanded)
9	Hexblade Spells (expanded)
10	Armor of Hexes

Level 3 Features

Hexblade Spells

Your pact grants you an expanding spell list. These spells are always prepared and do not count against your Prepared Spells limit.

WARLOCK LEVEL	SPELLS ADDED
3	Arcane Vigor, Hex, Shield, Wrathful Smite
5	Bestow Curse, Conjure Barrage
7	Freedom of Movement, Staggering Smite
9	Steel Wind Strike

Hexblade Manifest

You can cast Hex without expending a spell slot a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once). Expended uses return on a Long Rest.

Hexblade Manifest is its own action resource, shown on the resource panel. While you have a charge left, Hex is cast from that charge instead of a Pact Magic slot; once the charges run out, Hex goes back to costing a spell slot.

Hexblade's Maneuvers

When you hit a creature cursed by your own Hex with an attack roll, you apply an additional effect. The three maneuvers are toggles in the same group — only one can be active at a time, and Draining Slash is toggled on by default.

Draining Slash — The target makes a Constitution saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a failed save, it loses its Reaction (so it cannot make Opportunity Attacks) and its Speed is halved until the start of your next turn.

Harrowing Blade — The target makes a Wisdom saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a failed save, the next time it makes an attack roll against a creature other than you before the start of your next turn, it takes 1d6 Necrotic damage.

Stymying Mark — The target has Disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes before the start of your next turn. There is no saving throw to resist this.

Level 6 Features

Life Stealer

Two benefits that both trigger off targets cursed by your Hex.

Hungering Hex — Whenever a creature cursed by your Hex drops to 0 Hit Points from your damage, you regain 1d8 + your Charisma modifier Hit Points. This works automatically and takes no hotbar space.

Inevitable Blade — Once per turn, when you make an attack roll against a target cursed by your Hex and miss, it takes 1d6 Necrotic damage.

Level 10 Features

Armor of Hexes

When you take damage from a creature cursed by your Hex, you can use your Reaction to reduce that damage by 2d8 + your Charisma modifier.

You can use this a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, and all uses return on a Long Rest. Armor of Hexes has its own resource pool, separate from Hexblade Manifest.

Playstyle Notes

The Hexblade is a Charisma-based melee striker whose whole kit runs through one target at a time.

Your combat loop:

1. Cast Hex on your priority target — free while you have Hexblade Manifest charges
2. Pick the maneuver that fits the fight: Draining Slash to pin a melee threat down, Harrowing Blade to punish it for attacking your allies, Stymying Mark to set up a follow-up spell that forces a save
3. Attack the cursed target; from Level 6, even a miss chips 1d6 Necrotic off it
4. Finish it to trigger Hungering Hex and heal yourself back up
5. From Level 10, spend a Reaction to blunt the cursed target's counterattacks

Hex itself lets you curse a new creature for free if the target dies before the spell ends, so the loop keeps running for the rest of the fight — the cost is that everything the subclass gives you is aimed at whatever you cursed, and nothing at all at anyone else.