Can Hexblade Warlocks Summon Weapons? Unlocking the Secrets of Pact of the Blade
The short answer is: yes, Hexblade warlocks can summon weapons, but the mechanics are nuanced and tied to their specific class features, most notably the Pact of the Blade and the Hex Warrior feature. This unique ability allows them to conjure powerful armaments, becoming formidable warriors on the battlefield. Understanding how this works is crucial for anyone playing or considering playing a Hexblade warlock. Let’s dive into the details and explore the intricacies of weapon summoning for this intriguing subclass.
Understanding the Core Mechanics
Pact of the Blade: The Foundation of Weapon Summoning
The ability to summon weapons stems primarily from the Pact of the Blade feature, a pact boon available to Warlocks at 3rd level. This pact boon allows a warlock to summon a melee weapon to their hand as an action. This conjured weapon is considered a pact weapon, and the warlock gains proficiency with it while they wield it.
Crucially, the basic Pact of the Blade only allows for the summoning of melee weapons. However, Hexblade warlocks benefit from a special interaction between Pact of the Blade and another key feature, Hex Warrior.
Hex Warrior: Extending the Warlock’s Arsenal
The Hexblade subclass, a patron focused on sentient weapons, grants its warlocks the Hex Warrior feature. This feature allows you to choose one weapon, with which you’re proficient, and use your Charisma modifier for its attack and damage rolls, rather than Strength or Dexterity. This is huge, as Warlocks traditionally rely on Charisma for spellcasting.
Moreover, if you choose the Pact of the Blade, Hex Warrior’s benefits extend to every weapon you summon using your pact. This means that every weapon you conjure via Pact of the Blade can be used with your Charisma modifier. However, on its own Hex Warrior does not allow a Warlock to summon a weapon. It grants them proficiency in one chosen weapon, and the ability to use Charisma for it, as well as all summoned Pact of the Blade weapons.
The Improved Pact Weapon Invocation: Breaking the Mold
For a Hexblade who wants to access ranged weapon summoning, there’s the Improved Pact Weapon invocation. This essential invocation, often taken at level 3 when choosing Pact of the Blade, expands the summoning ability of Pact of the Blade to include ranged weapons. This changes everything for Hexblade warlocks and gives them more options. Specifically, the Improved Pact Weapon invocation extends the list of summonable weapons to include: shortbows, longbows, light crossbows, and heavy crossbows. With this invocation, your Pact of the Blade can provide a diverse arsenal.
Non-Pact Weapons vs. Pact Weapons
It’s important to distinguish between your Hex Warrior weapon and your Pact weapon. You have one weapon that you chose after a long rest that you use your Charisma modifier for, thanks to Hex Warrior, and this weapon is not necessarily the same as your Pact weapon. Hex Warrior will work for any weapon you are proficient with and the Pact of the Blade feature will use your Charisma modifier with any weapon summoned by the Pact of the Blade.
It is very important to note that a Shadow Blade is not a Pact weapon, meaning the Hexblade does not get to use their Charisma modifier to attack with it, making it often inferior to using a weapon that the Hexblade is proficient with.
The Ritual of Binding a Magic Weapon
Beyond conjuring weapons from thin air, Pact of the Blade also allows a warlock to perform a ritual, which takes 1 hour, to bond to an existing magic weapon. Once bound, that magic weapon becomes your pact weapon and will appear whenever you summon it. This means that you can’t change the magic weapon’s form when it appears. This offers further customization and power for your Hexblade. This magic weapon doesn’t need to be a melee weapon so you can use this ability to bind a magic longbow to your Pact Weapon.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can a Hexblade warlock summon a greatsword as a pact weapon?
Yes. Once a Hexblade warlock reaches 3rd level and gains the Pact of the Blade feature, they can conjure a greatsword as their pact weapon. They will also be proficient with it no matter their subclass. Further, due to the Hex Warrior class feature, they can use Charisma for attack and damage rolls for the greatsword.
2. Can a Hexblade use any weapon they want?
Yes, with some caveats. They can use any weapon they’re proficient with, using Charisma for attack and damage rolls with one chosen weapon thanks to Hex Warrior and all Pact of the Blade weapons. This includes the weapons they conjure, or a magic weapon they bind.
3. Does a Hexblade Warlock need Pact of the Blade?
No. A Hexblade can choose a different pact, such as Pact of the Chain or Pact of the Tome. Pact of the Blade is not required for a Hexblade, however, it significantly enhances their combat prowess by allowing them to summon weapons. You can also be a non-Hexblade Warlock who takes Pact of the Blade.
4. Can a Hexblade use a longbow as a pact weapon?
Yes, a Hexblade can use a longbow as a pact weapon if they have the Improved Pact Weapon invocation. This is because the base Pact of the Blade only allows for the summoning of melee weapons. They can also make a magic longbow their Pact weapon using the ritual, even without the Improved Pact Weapon invocation.
5. Can a Hexblade warlock use a hand crossbow effectively?
Yes. They can use a hand crossbow effectively thanks to the Hex Warrior ability. This ability lets them use their Charisma for attack and damage rolls, which is a more important stat for a Warlock. However, it doesn’t summon the hand crossbow, the warlock would need to have a real one.
6. Can a Hexblade warlock dual wield pact weapons?
Technically, no. The Pact of the Blade feature only applies to one weapon at a time. However, a warlock can have one pact weapon and a separate weapon chosen for Hex Warrior, thus effectively having two weapons benefiting from their Charisma modifier.
7. Can a Hexblade warlock use a weapon as a spellcasting focus?
Yes. A warlock using the Pact of the Blade feature, with the appropriate Eldritch Invocation, can use their pact weapon as a spellcasting focus. This adds to their versatility in both combat and spellcasting situations.
8. Can a Hexblade use Eldritch Blast, even if they focus on melee?
Yes. Hexblades can still use Eldritch Blast as much as any other Warlock. They are not forced to only use melee attacks. You can freely switch between using spells, and attacking with a weapon in melee or range, with no penalty.
9. Can a Hexblade warlock change a magic weapon into their pact weapon?
Yes. They can use the Pact of the Blade ritual to bond with a magic weapon, making it their pact weapon. The magic weapon will then be summoned when the Pact weapon is called for, taking its magical properties with it. This is a powerful way to customize your Pact of the Blade.
10. Can a Hexblade use a whip as a pact weapon?
Yes, a Hexblade can use a whip as a Pact weapon provided they have chosen Pact of the Blade, and have an appropriate invocation or a ritual bonded magic whip. The Hexblade subclass grants the user proficiency with martial weapons including the whip.
11. Can a Hexblade warlock use a lance?
Yes. A Hexblade can use a lance. While a lance is wielded using two hands, it does not have the two-handed property, so there are no restrictions in using it as a pact weapon, or using Hex Warrior on a real one.
12. Can a Hexblade warlock have two different weapons?
Yes. Hexblades can have one weapon chosen for Hex Warrior and one Pact of the Blade weapon, thus effectively having two weapons that benefit from their Charisma modifier, but still only one pact weapon at a time.
13. What’s the main benefit of taking Pact of the Blade as a Hexblade?
The main benefit is the ability to summon powerful melee and ranged weapons (with the Improved Pact Weapon invocation) that use your Charisma modifier for attack and damage rolls, plus the ability to use the weapon as a spellcasting focus with the right invocation. These features create a potent melee fighter out of a typically spellcasting-focused class.
14. Can you summon two pact weapons at the same time?
No. You can only have one active Pact Weapon at a time. Though a Dungeon Master (DM) may allow it, that is not the default rule. You can only designate one weapon as your Pact weapon through Pact of the Blade, and that is the weapon that is summoned, or used by the Hex Warrior.
15. Can a Hexblade warlock be a ranged fighter?
Absolutely! With the Improved Pact Weapon invocation, a Hexblade can summon ranged weapons like longbows and heavy crossbows, enabling them to excel in ranged combat using their Charisma modifier, alongside their usual spells. The Hexblade does not need to be a melee character.
Conclusion
In summary, Hexblade warlocks absolutely can summon weapons, leveraging their Pact of the Blade and Hex Warrior features. This makes them exceptionally versatile combatants, adept at both melee and ranged engagements. The nuances surrounding invocations and pact choices allow for a vast array of character builds, truly solidifying the Hexblade as a force to be reckoned with on the D&D battlefield. By carefully selecting invocations and making strategic choices, Hexblade players can unlock the full potential of their weapon-summoning abilities, creating a memorable and powerful warlock character.