How to: Hexblade Abilities

How to: Hexblade Abilities

The hexblade is one of those D&D classes that look very cool and flavorful, but that nobody plays because there's much more mechanically effective alternatives (duskblade, in this case). Let's take a look at the hexblade's class features and try converting them.

Spellcasting

Let's tackle this first. As the lore states, the hexblades wield intuitive magic - no books, no skills, no spellbooks. So, pretty much sorcerers. On the other hand, it also says that they have access to an extremely small list of spells, implying the lack of flexibility. So, let's use the same approach that was used for the warmage class and remove the ability to improvise.

 Thus, the hexblade takes all his spells as an array of alternative abilities, without Sorcerous Empowerment. Just like the sorcerer, but without SE and the bloodline limitations. However, the hexblade's scope of magical abilities is still limited, so let's look over the spell list and come up with the scope for the hexblade power.

    Most of hexblade spells fit into the following two colleges: Mind Control and Meta. However, there's also a decent selection of "curses," i.e. debuffing spells. Some of them fall into the Mind Control college (Dull (Sense), Dullness, Fear, Panic, Terror, Foolishness, Berserker, Daze, Mental Stune, Disorient, Sleep, Forgetfulness, Permanent Forgetfulness, Weaken Will, Madness, Permanent Madness), some of them fall into the Meta college (Curse), some of them fall into the Body Control college (Itch, Spasm, Tickle, Pain, Clumsiness, Tanglefoot, Hinder, Rooted Feet, Debility, Frailty, Stun, Nauseate, Retch, Fumble, Strike Dumb, Strike Blind, Strike Deaf, Sensitize, Agonize, Weaken Blood, Strike Barren, Sickness), and some of them fall into the Communication and Empathy college (Vexation). As you can see, only Body Control and Communication and Empathy "curses" are outside of the two first colleges, so let's add these curses to the scope of power as well. It is possible to come up with other flavorful spells, such as those that remove Luck, grant Unluckiness or Cursed, etc. That's roughly equivalent to three colleges of magic, so Hexblade Talent will cost 5 points/level, not 10 points/level.

    There's also some imbuements that will be appropriate to hexblades - Continuing Attack, Crippling Blow, Fateful Weapon, Stupefying Blow, Sudden Death.

Arcane Resistance

This is just Magic Resistance (Improved, +150%) [5/level].

Mettle

This is Luck (Aspected, Magic, -20%; Defensive, -20%) [9]. This allows the hexblade to reroll resistances roll or a Quick Contests made to resist spells or magical abilities.

Familiar

See GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 5: Allies and Pyramid #3-75 for an example of implementation. A hexblade familiar is likely to provide ER, Talent, or extra Will.

Hexblade's Curse

This is such a generic effect that I think it does not even need conversion - just use a more appropriate spell. For example, the Clumsiness, Debility, or Frailty, they all work well.

Aura of Unluck

Now this is interesting. Let's stat it up as a Sorcery spell that can be taken by hexblades.

 
    Aura of Unluck
    Keywords: None.
    Full Cost: 31 points.
    Casting Roll: None.
    Range: Self.
    Duration: Indefinite.
 
    The caster surrounds himself with a baleful aura of misfortune. Creatures using mundane and supernatural senses to perceive you attack you at -2. Golems, robots, and other machines are not affected by this, as long as they use technological sensors.
    Statistics: Obscure 2 (Anti-Targeting, -20%; Cosmic, All Mundane Senses, +300%; Cosmic, All Supernatural Senses, +300%; Defensive, +50%; No Area Effect, -50%; Sorcery, -15%; Stealthy, +100%) [31].