Hexblade Universal Tree - Melee Flavor

[SoVeryBelgian]

So we're getting a Ranger / Bow-based Universal Tree, and I was thinking how the Fey Tree really makes CHA Pally, Sorc WF EK (with Arti and BLF Pally) more viable...

...but Melee WLK as cool as it is has plenty of stuff in the Enhancement Trees already. If we added a 4th tree to WLK it would be unused to say the least. But I like how Harper is much less 'main tree' status and instead augments other builds (most of the time for INT to Hit/Damage) so I feel like the more Universal Trees get added, the more niche builds or flavor can be implemented.

So I suggest a Universal Tree with a warlock theme! The HEXBLADE *Air Guitar* *Heavily modified from PnP to match an MMO duhhhh



This tree is based around Curses, Poisons and Disease. I expect it has some synergy with Ninja Spy (lol) and Poison Alchemist.

CORE ABILITIES

• CORE 1 Select Your Curse: Minor Pact Effect (You have [5] Charges to expend for Minor Pact Active Abilities) Also +1 Attack and +10 HP
  
  • Minor Pact - Chaos of the Slaadi (Kythri) Sacrifice 25 HP and expend [1] charge to coat your weapon in ever-changing entropy. 1d6 Random Damage on Basic Attacks. Vorpal Hits inflict a Curse on Enemies.
  • Minor Pact - Poisons of the Faerie Court (Thelanis) Sacrifice 25 HP and expend [1] charge to coat your weapon in faerie poison. 1d6 Light Damage on Basic Attacks. Vorpal Hits inflict a Curse on Enemies.
  • Minor Pact - Sigils of the Grey Wastes (Dolurrh) Sacrifice 25 HP and expend [1] charge to coat your weapon in draining emptiness. 1d6 Bane Damage on Basic Attacks. Vorpal Hits inflict a Curse on Enemies.
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• CORE 2 Your expertise grows and your methods become deft and sinister, +3 Attack +10 HP +3 PRR/MRR. Your regular attacks have % chance to inflict Bane.
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• CORE 3 Depending on your chosen Minor Pact, your Curse grows in strength. [10] Total Charges. 1 Active Ability is added.
  
  • Minor Pact - Growing Chaos of the Slaadi (Kythri) Sacrifice 25 HP and expend [1] charge to attack with +3 [W] at a single target who is immediately confused (6 sec). Your Curse now Lowers the Reflex Saves of Monsters Affected by it.
  • Minor Pact - Twisted Poisons of the Faerie Court (Thelanis) Sacrifice 25 HP and expend [1] charge to attack with +3 [W] at a single target who is immediately blinded (6 sec). Your Curse now Lowers the Will Saves of Monsters Affected by it.
  • Minor Pact - Empowered Sigils of the Grey Wastes (Dolurrh) Sacrifice 25 HP and expend [1] charge to attack with +3 [W] at a single target who is immediately held in magical delirium (6 sec) making them unable to attack (not helpless). Your Curse now Lowers the Fort Saves of Monsters Affected by it.
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• CORE 4 Your methods are refined by dark knowledge, ancient and menacing. +3 Attack +25 HP +3 PRR/MRR. You now recover a pact charge every 3 Minutes.
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• CORE 5 Striking Enemies with your Pact Curse (shown by a glowing orb above their head) now adds further effects.
  
  • Minor Pact - Greater Chaos of the Slaadi (Kythri) Sacrifice your Resistance to Magic (MRR Penalty) for your Patron (Permanent). Expend [1] Charge to make an attack with +5 [W] at a single target who must make a save (10 + Your Level + Highest Ability Score Modifier + Transmutation Bonuses) or be turned into a Frog. Striking foes cursed by your Minor Pact adds Vulnerability.
  • Minor Pact - Greater Poisons of the Faerie Court (Thelanis) Sacrifice your ties to the Physical World (PRR Penalty) for your Patron (Permanent). Expend [1] Charge to make an attack with +5 [W] at a single target who must make a save (10 + Your Level + Highest Ability Score Modifier + Enchantment Bonuses) or be rendered invalid by madness (helpless hold person). Striking foes cursed by your Minor Pact adds Vulnerability.
  • Minor Pact - Greater Sigils of the Grey Wastes (Dolurrh) Sacrifice your ties to your well-being (-25 HP Penalty) for your Patron (Permanent). Expend [1] Charge to make an attack with +5 [W] at a single target who must make a save (10 + Your Level + Highest Ability Score Modifier + Necromancy Bonuses) crushed by emptiness (helpless greater command). Striking foes cursed by your Minor Pact adds Vulnerability.
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• CORE 6 +2 to All Ability Scores Your Minor Pact attacks NO LONGER require the HP Component. Pact Charges now [15], returning 1 every minute.

TIER 1

• Tier 1-1 Select Your Curse: Lingering Curse /Melee Only/ This will proc in Combat on Critical Hits. Not a Pact Curse (different symbol).
  
  • Body Breaking Curse Your curse invites Disease, ravaging monsters afflicted with CON Damage and Lowered PRR
  • Mind Eating Curse Your curse destroys the Mind, ravaging monsters afflicted with INT Damage and Lowered MRR
  • Soul Sapping Curse Your curse erodes the Soul, ravaging monsters afflicted with Bane Damage over Time, can Stack 10 times, 1d4.
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• Tier 1-2 +5/+10/+15 HP
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• Tier 1-3 Deadly Lunge - Charge Forward a short distance and Attack with +1.5[W] enemies huddled close together will all be hit in a small cone. Tighter hitbox than a cleave. Shares cooldown with regular cleave. Like Dire Charge w/o Stun. Can be used to close distance.
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• Tier 1-4 +2% Force Crit Chance
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• Tier 1-5 +1/+2/+3 Attack

TIER 2

• Tier 2-2 Shield of the Acolyte (Permanent Shield Spell) or Shield of the Devotee +10 PRR.
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• Tier 2-3 Dark Life +10 HP
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• Tier 2-4 +5/+10/+15 Force Spellpower

TIER 3

• Tier 3-1 Improve Your Curse: Lingering Curse /Melee Only/ This Upgrades what your curse does.
  
  • Festering Disease Curse Your curse invites Disease, attacks against afflicted monsters lowers Fort Saves and all attacks against the cursed have 10% Fort Bypass.
  • Searing Mindflame Curse Your curse destroys the Mind, attacks against afflicted monsters lowers Will Saves and all attacks can inflict a Fire Dot affected by Force Spellpower (because its an illusion). 1d4 Stacks 20 times.
  • Soulfracturing Curse Your curse erodes the Soul, ravaging monsters afflicted with Bane Damage over Time, which now can Stack 20 times, 1d4. Their Melee/Ranged power is decreased as well.
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• Tier 3-3 +5%/+10%/+20% Strikethrough Chance
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• Tier 3-4 +4% Force Crit Chance
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• Tier 3-5 +1 Any Ability Score

TIER 4

• Tier 4-2 Beastial Lunge - Charge Forward a short distance and Attack with +3[W] enemies huddled close together will all be hit in a small cone. Tighter hitbox than a greater cleave. Shares cooldown with greater cleave. Like Dire Charge w/o Stun. Enemies struck are Shaken (-2 Saves) and hit with Force Damage that scales with Spellpower (like an EK Cleave).
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• Tier 4-4 +5/+10/+15 Force Spellpower
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• Tier 4-5 +1 Any Ability Score

TIER 5

• Tier 5-1 Enhance Your Curse: Lingering Curse /Melee Only/ This further upgrades what your curse does.
  
  • Wasting Bodymelt Curse Your curse melts the body from inside out, no cure exists! You now have an Acid Dot, stacking 30 Times. Vorpal Hits against cursed Enemies can result in them going Septic, inflicting massive Acid Damage to single targets.
  • Devilish Mindflame Curse Your curse drives men to madness, the pain is unbearable! Your Fire Dot now stacks 30 Times. Vorpal Hits against cursed Enemies can Erupt in flame, damaging nearby Mobs.
  • Empty Vessel Curse Your curse hollows out the soul, leaving nothing else! Your Bane Dot now stacks 30 Times. Vorpal Hits against cursed enemies may inflict instant death! (does not work on Red/Purple Named Enemies or Bosses).
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• Tier 5-2 Wilting Curse - Unleash a horrid attack at +5[W] That has a chance to Instantly Evaporate all the Water from a Body. Any creature with Liquid in its body (including Ooze but NOT constructs/undead) must make a save (10 + Your Level + Highest Ability Score + Transmutation Bonuses) or die. Longer Cooldown, similar to Dark Monk Insta, uses a Fort Save. This is Single-Target and saving against it deals 500 Untyped Damage.
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• Tier 5-3 +10%/+20%/+50% Strikethrough Chance - Strikethrough now also works with Khopeshes, Morningstars, Battleaxes and Heavy Maces.
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• Tier 5-4 +1 / +2 / +3 Either Transmutation, Enchantment or Necromancy DC.
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• Tier 5-5 Weapons of Destruction. +1 Comp Crit, +1 Comp Crit Range, Armor Destruction on Weapons.

And that's basically my idea in a nutshell. It is a little unbalanced and I welcome criticism or sharing of ideas. Hexblade is one of my favorite PnP classes.

Please tell me what ye think.

Also bonus note, the Lingering Curse procs on CRIT, but the DOT effects procs on HIT (with small internal cooldown) and ONLY affects CURSED enemies.

[Pandjed]

Would rather see the Hexblade as a base class (like in 3rd edition). There are no arcane melees that are that in their core (while divines have paladins and rangers), only enhancements that brings a spellcaster into melee combat. While they work, I do see some potential into bringing it.

This also opens a stronger debuff style with the curses, auras, and spells that acts as attacks in their core, that only are added to via enhancement trees, instead more or less shoehorning it by trying to have an enhancement tree carry all of that.

Of course, there could be some 5e warlock hexblade influence, like having a pact, plus some special bonus feats like an alchemist that acts like invocations, etc.

For enhancement trees, something like "Bringer of Decay" with a more DoT, poison and negative energy focus, "Runemaster" that can create buff/debuff zones like symbol spells (just much quicker in casting) and enhance equipment, and "Barrierblade" for a more tank-focused tree may bring some variety.

[Xgya]

I think I'd rather see Hexblade as its own class, as it was in 3.5

Though if a new base class had to be introduced to DDO, my vote would go for Beguiler or Duskblade before Hexblade.

Mostly because DDO already has a "melee arcane caster" niche filled - albeit not THAT well - and absolutely no "roguish arcane caster".

Given that Arcane Trickster is one of the iconic few Prestige Classes available straight from the core books, it should at least have SOME level of representation.

[SoVeryBelgian]

This also opens a stronger debuff style with the curses, auras, and spells that acts as attacks in their core, that only are added to via enhancement trees, instead more or less shoehorning it by trying to have an enhancement tree carry all of that.

Of course, there could be some 5e warlock hexblade influence, like having a pact, plus some special bonus feats like an alchemist that acts like invocations, etc.

For enhancement trees, something like "Bringer of Decay" with a more DoT, poison and negative energy focus, "Runemaster" that can create buff/debuff zones like symbol spells (just much quicker in casting) and enhance equipment, and "Barrierblade" for a more tank-focused tree may bring some variety.

The issue here is that for Aura/Tanky Warlock, Enlightened Spirit already kinda hits that Defensive Niche, and Feywild Illusionist makes Melee Sorc EK and Melee Lock more viable.

I agree as with below that Hexblade is definitely worth more than 1 Enhancement Tree. That said, this is just supposing we get more Universal Trees first.

Seeing as Melee could always use something different to augment playstyles, I was more wondering how to tailor this tree for that.

I think I'd rather see Hexblade as its own class, as it was in 3.5

I agree, I'd like to see a minimum 3 Tree fully-fleshed class. The chances of that ahead of a Universal Tree are much lower however, since the current Meta is to add Universal Trees for flavor when considering Prestige Classes and more niche Class Paths.

Though if a new base class had to be introduced to DDO, my vote would go for Beguiler or Duskblade before Hexblade.

I disagree here, I feel like the curse-centric Hexblade as an archetype provides more wackyness than Duskblade, which is more Roguish-Melee blend. Like College of Swords/Daggers Bard.

Mostly because DDO already has a "melee arcane caster" niche filled - albeit not THAT well - and absolutely no "roguish arcane caster".

Given that Arcane Trickster is one of the iconic few Prestige Classes available straight from the core books, it should at least have SOME level of representation.

I feel like Wiz Rogue already kinda works for that. But Arcane Trickster COULD be a Uni Tree. I see it more as a 4th Rogue Tree tho, and that probably wont get added.

Maybe I need to add Tactics to Tier 3-2? Hum. Does a blended secondary tree that augments a main one need Self Healing maybe? Kinda pointless with reep... Vampirism?

The tree also works best with CHA-to-Damage OR any of STR/DEX/CON in effect being a little more melee accessible

[Xgya]

I disagree here, I feel like the curse-centric Hexblade as an archetype provides more wackyness than Duskblade, which is more Roguish-Melee blend. Like College of Swords/Daggers Bard.

I named both Duskblade and Beguiler, but out of those two, I'd rather favor Beguiler.

"If a target would be subject to sneak attacks from you, your spells work better against it".
Now THAT's something unique and worth mentioning. Something nothing in DDO can currently achieve that effectively blends discretion and spellcasting.
Even mixing their abilities so we'd eventually get the ability to channel spells through sneak attacks sounds unique and new enough to warrant its own new Class.

I'm just doubtful that a Hexblade could bring anything to DDO that another class couldn't already do and indeed choose to focus itself on doing.
I'm not only talking multiclass here (as this opens a SLEW of different builds that could definitely deserve their own classes), but single classed characters wishing to do what a Hexblade is supposed to do best - debuff using magic and then hit things in melee - can already do so.

[SoVeryBelgian]

Out of those two, I'd rather favor Beguiler.

"If a target would be subject to sneak attacks from you, your spells work better against it".
Now THAT's something unique and worth mentioning. Something nothing in DDO can currently achieve that effectively blends discretion and spellcasting.
Even mixing their abilities so we'd eventually get the ability to channel spells through sneak attacks sounds unique and new enough to warrant its own new Class.

I don't disagree, it certainly would be interesting if spellcasters could utilize sneak attack. Yet my post notes that we have a surfeit of casters with a myriad of casting options. More is certainly better, but I was considering Melee.

I'm just doubtful that a Hexblade could bring anything to DDO that another class couldn't already do and indeed choose to focus itself on doing.
I'm not only talking multiclass here (as this opens a SLEW of different builds that could definitely deserve their own classes), but single classed characters wishing to do what a Hexblade is supposed to do best - debuff using magic and then hit things in melee - can already do so.

Again, I would like to note that having more options is never a detriment to enhancement tree choices. I don't think Warchanter, Wiz EK/Sorc EK or Melee Lock / FvS really hit this niche.

DoTs for melee? Nice to have more. Minor Pacts in DDO? I'd like em. Growing curses? Nice to have more honestly. I was more worried about the exact balancing of the tree. Its not as if SSG really would do this anyway haha. I mean, I was aiming for non-spellcaster DC accessibility (like Dire Charge before U51 nerf kek)

I appreciate your input tho, and I can understand why you'd find that it seems to blend with other Multiclasses (which it does).

[shmagmhar]

yes! i love it , thank you! I have suggested this before as a warlock enhancement tree . I have played a hexblade in table top D&D . also melee warlocks . debuffing , and cursing stuff has a role to play in the party .

its a part of D&D so sure it should be added to the game . as its own class, a warlock tree or a universal tree not sure yet .

[SoVeryBelgian]

yes! i love it , thank you! I have suggested this before as a warlock enhancement tree . I have played a hexblade in table top D&D . also melee warlocks . debuffing , and cursing stuff has a role to play in the party .

its a part of D&D so sure it should be added to the game . as its own class, a warlock tree or a universal tree not sure yet .

I agree, it definitely warrants it's own full class +3 Enhancement Trees. SSG seems more likely to continue adding Universal Trees though.

If we're crossing our fingers I'd also like to see a 3-tree take on Warlord / Warmaster.

[Nym_Craian]

If we're crossing our fingers I'd also like to see a 3-tree take on Warlord / Warmaster.

I'd love to try a warlord in DDO.
I don't think a separate caste is absolutely necessary. Can be solved with universal enhancement tree.

For example (expanded to be CON based): Warlord