Together with patch 8, Baldur’s Gate 3 received its last major update with a total of 12 new subclasses. One of these subclasses can shed a completely new light on the warlock as one would previously know it as a spellcaster. A new pact transforms it into a formidable melee fighter.
What can the Hexblade warlock do? This warlock subclass allows players more freedom in melee combat by combining spells with weapon attacks and using the charisma modifier for attack and damage rolls. For this type of melee fighter, dexterity and especially strength are completely secondary.
Already at level 1, the Hexblade warlock is equipped with strong abilities:
- Hex Warrior:
- You are proficient with medium armor, shields, and martial weapons.
- You gain “Bind Hexed Weapon,” allowing you to use your charisma modifier instead of strength or dexterity when attacking with weapons you are proficient with.
- Bind Hexed Weapon:
- Bind yourself to the weapon in your main hand. Its damage becomes magical, and you cannot throw or drop it, and you are proficient with it unless you already were. When you attack with this weapon, there is a chance that “Hexblade’s Curse” will be cast on the target. You can only have one pact weapon at a time, and it uses your charisma modifier.
- Hexblade’s Curse:
- Condition: Cursed by a Hexblade warlock. This warlock adds their proficiency bonus to damage rolls against the target. Additionally, they require 1 less die face on attack rolls against the target to score a critical hit.
Who is the Hexblade warlock suitable for? The Hexblade warlock is particularly suitable for players who prefer a hybrid playstyle. It combines strong weapon attacks, solid ranged attacks through Eldritch Blast, and powerful spells that restrict enemies’ visibility and movement. In our poll on which of the new subclasses you were most looking forward to, the Hexblade warlock received the most votes.
Here you can see a video about the new patch 8 in Baldur’s Gate 3:
A charismatic hybrid class that combines melee combat with magic
Next, we will show you how to create your warlock right from the start, which attributes are best suited, and how to make him stronger from level 1 to level 12. We are assuming a pure warlock in this build and will not incorporate any other class into the build.
Character Creation
Here we will show you how to best prepare your warlock for the adventure right at character creation.
Attribute values: With these attributes, your warlock is perfectly equipped:
- Strength: 8
- Dexterity: 16
- Constitution: 14
- Intelligence: 8
- Wisdom: 10
- Charisma: 17
Race selection: Two races are particularly suitable due to their racially specific abilities. However, you can still choose a race that appeals to you the most. The attribute values are comparatively much more important.
- Half-Orc: A Half-Orc already possesses the talent “Savage Attacker” (The damage is rolled twice, and the higher one is taken.) at the start.
- Zariel Tiefling: A Zariel Tiefling has fire resistance and access to two control spells.
Background: Based on your choice of attribute values, the following backgrounds are particularly suitable for being especially successful in these areas:
- Entertainer: Acrobatics (Dexterity) and Performance (Charisma)
- Charlatan: Deception (Charisma) and Sleight of Hand (Dexterity)
- Urchin: Stealth (Dexterity) and Sleight of Hand (Dexterity)
Other strong abilities:
- Deception: Useful in conversations
- Investigation: Uncover hidden clues and objects
Level Progression – From Level 1 to Level 12
Now we will discuss the individual level ups of your Hexblade warlock and which spells, cantrips, talents, and attributes are especially important.
Level 1
Here you choose your subclass, in this case, the Hexblade. Here you directly gain the aspects Hex Warrior, Bind Hexed Weapon and Hexblade’s Curse at level 1.
- Cantrips:
- Eldritch Blast
- Booming Blade
- Spells:
- Hex
- Wrathful Smite
The Booming Blade is one of the new cantrips released with patch 8. Since it is a cantrip, it does not require a spell slot and can be used as often as you want. This makes it quite practical for a warlock with few spell slots, but it is generally one of the most powerful contents of the new patch.
Level 2
Here you gain a new spell and your first two Eldritch Invocations.
- Spell: Hellish Rebuke
- Eldritch Invocations:
- Devil’s Sight: You can see up to 24 meters in complete darkness (both magical and non-magical)
- Agonizing Blast: The charisma modifier is added to the damage of Eldritch Blast
The trick of Devil’s Sight is that you cast darkness and will be hard to see in that darkness making it harder to hit you, while you can still attack normally.
Level 3
Here you receive a new spell and the Pact Boon that you can choose at level 3.
- Spell: Shadow Blade
- Pact Boon: Pact of the Blade: While the benefits of this pact align closely with those of the Hexblade, the extra attack granted by the pact of the blade is particularly important for future levels. During the stress test of patch 8, the Hexblade warlock had the extra attack without the pact, but this has been fixed. Therefore, the Pact of the Blade is extremely important to unlock the full melee potential of the warlock.
When attacking a target in darkness with the Shadow Blade, you have an advantage on the attack roll. Therefore, it works ideally with the Darkness-Devil’s Sight strategy.
Important: Remember to bind the Shadow Blade (like any weapons you use in this build) to yourself and make it a pact weapon so that you can attack with charisma, not strength or dexterity.
Level 4:
Here you can choose between a new talent or an attribute increase. You will also receive a new spell and a new cantrip.
- Cantrip: Mage Hand
- Spell: Darkness
- Attribute increase: Charisma +2 (If you have obtained Aunt Ethel’s Vittlewort and thereby increased your charisma, you now have a charisma attribute score of 20.)
Now you are perfectly equipped for the Darkness-Devil’s Sight-Shadow Blade strategy!
Level 5
Here you will gain a new spell, a new Eldritch Invocation, and the extra attack that you are granted by the Pact of the Blade.
- Spell: Counterspell
- Eldritch Invocation: Repelling Blast
Level 6
Here you will receive a new spell along with one of the most important passive abilities of the Hexblade warlock: the Accursed Specter.
- Spell: Hunger of Hadar
- Additionally: Swap Hellish Rebuke with Misty Step to make yourself more mobile.
- Accursed Specter: When you or an ally reduces a creature that is affected by Hexblade’s Curse to 0 hit points within 18 meters, you can summon an accursed specter that briefly fights by your side.
- Minor Specter (11 HP): Arises from tiny and small opponents
- Regular Specter (21 HP): Arises from medium opponents
- Primordial Specter (33 HP): Arises from large or huge opponents and can deal heavy damage
Level 7
Here you will gain a new spell and another Eldritch Invocation.
- Spell: Staggering Smite
- Eldritch Invocation: Here you can choose something you like that fits your playstyle.
Level 8
Here you will receive a new spell as well as a new talent or attribute increase.
- Spell: Dimension Door can be quite useful. If you are already satisfied with your mobility (for example, through Misty Step), Blight is a powerful spell for single targets.
- Talent: War Caster, to better maintain concentration for Hunger of Hadar or Darkness)
Level 9
Here you will receive a new spell as well as another Eldritch Invocation.
- Spell: Banishing Smite
- Eldritch Invocation: All the important Eldritch Invocations for the build have already been chosen, feel free to choose something. Perhaps the Chaos Subordinates, which teach you to summon an elemental that can act alongside your Accursed Specter.
Level 10
At level 10, you will receive a defensive buff that is exclusive to the Hexblade warlock, as well as a new spell and a cantrip.
- Spell: Hold Monster
- Cantrip: Here you have free choice.
Armor of Hexes: When a cursed enemy under Hexblade’s Curse attacks you, you can use your reaction to nullify all damage with a 50% success rate.
Level 11
Here you will receive a new spell and your Mystic Arcanum.
- Mystic Arcanum: A very powerful area spell is Circle of Death. This spell can be cast once per long rest without using a spell slot.
- Spell: You have free choice again here.
Level 12
With the final level, you will receive one last talent or attribute increase, a new spell, and a final Eldritch Invocation.
- Talent: Savage Attacker (if you are not already a Half-Orc, otherwise you can choose something else) to deal even more damage
- Spell: Here you have another free choice.
- Eldritch Invocation: Life Drinker, so that your melee attacks deal +5 necrotic damage.
Additional Tips for the Hexblade Warlock
Here are some important notes for your experience as a Hexblade warlock in Baldur’s Gate 3 that we strongly recommend:
- Spells are tempting, but remember that the Hexblade warlock is primarily a melee fighter. Therefore, use your spell slots for smite spells unless another spell (like Hunger of Hadar for crowd control or Darkness for the shadow blade) is more useful in a situation
- Use potions and elixirs: Especially Haste can be very strong for melee fighters with extra attacks and the Booming Blade
- Don’t forget to bind your weapon as a pact weapon so that the Hexblade’s Curse can be triggered. There is a 20% chance for the curse to trigger per strike.
- Use your Accursed Specter and always choose the largest target to have the strongest ally by your side
- Don’t ignore the new photo mode. A pact weapon shines in eerily beautiful light and looks really nice.
The Hexblade warlock is only one of the 12 new subclasses introduced in patch 8 of Baldur’s Gate 3. If you enjoy a spellcaster class that now engages in melee combat, then another build might also be interesting for you. Similar to the warlock, the new Bladesinger wizard combines magic with melee elements: Baldur’s Gate 3: Bladesinger Build in Patch 8 – How to Build Your Bladesinger Mage
