Alright, let’s dive into this Dungeons & Dragons chaos. So, Wizards of the Coast — those guys who seem to run our magical lives — are always tinkering with things, right? They’ve got this thing called Unearthed Arcana where they test new stuff. Sometimes it’s genius, sometimes… not so much. You know that Warlock subclass, Hexblade? Yeah, they messed with it in May, and let’s just say it didn’t go down well.
Warlocks, for those not in the know, are these spellcasters who get powers from a deal with some big scary entity. Typically, they’re in the back tossing out spells like they’re candy. But in 2017, things got spicy with the Hexblade subclass. Suddenly, Warlocks had this cool magic sword and were joining the melee madness right in the thick of things! Heavy armor and all. Wild, right?
So, this subclass also appeared in Baldur’s Gate 3’s Patch 8 and became an instant fan favorite. Everyone loved it because, hello, powerful much? Initially, Warlocks had this thing called Pact of the Blade – neat, yeah, but not super effective. Hexblade switched it up by letting Warlocks use Charisma to slash and hack with a sword, not just from afar but smack dab in the enemy’s face.
Fast forward to 2024’s Player’s Handbook – no Hexblade! Instead, we get the Celestial patron, which is cool, I guess. But the real drama? D&D’s team decided to jazz things up for all Warlocks, making the Pact of the Blade way more awesome. Bonus action to summon your weapon, three types of damage – it was like giving your Warlock a major upgrade card.
The problem? Hexblade kinda lost its edge as a unique subclass. Even if your DM was cool with mixing Xanathar’s Guide and new rules, it was like, “Huh, why am I even playing this?” Their take in May’s Horror Subclasses UA was to make it more about a magic weapon deal. Sounds kind of rad, but then you couldn’t actually fight with the thing?! Like, the main appeal just vanished.
By June, stuff changed again. They tweaked it for more melee focus. You got things like Hungering Hex — heal when your cursed target bites the dust — and Unyielding Will — no-fail concentration checks (once a day, don’t get too excited). The highlight? Harrowing Hex lets you attack with a weapon as a bonus action after casting a non-cantrip spell. Sweet, but something felt off.
But, here’s the kicker – still no medium armor proficiency. Seriously, D&D? The “Accursed Shield” thing? Meh. Need no armor and to be hugged up on your cursed target. Felt more like a puzzle than a solution. Late-night thoughts – just toss on some light armor and take invocations you actually want. Like, duh.
So, yeah, OG Hexblade was a bit OP (overpowered for the cool kids), with the flavor of a stale pizza, and an odd Specter ability that honestly might’ve ruffled some Paladin feathers. Makes sense they’d rethink it. But real talk, fingers crossed they roll out something fun yet balanced by the time it hits those shiny new pages. Players deserve something that screams, “I’m cool, I belong here,” without throwing the game table into chaos.
