Unleash Your Inner Warrior: A Guide to Pact of the Blade Weaponry
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The Pact of the Blade is a powerful boon for Warlocks, allowing them to conjure forth weapons from thin air. But what exactly can you materialize with this pact? The core of the answer lies in the Player’s Handbook (PHB), specifically chapter 5, which outlines weapon options. Essentially, you can conjure any melee weapon listed in the Weapons table found there. This encompasses a wide array of armaments, from simple daggers and maces to martial weapons like longswords, greataxes, and warhammers. The beauty of this pact is its versatility, allowing you to adapt your weapon choice to the situation at hand.
Delving Deeper: Expanded Weapon Options
While the PHB forms the base for your conjureable arsenal, the Eldritch Invocation Improved Pact Weapon expands your options significantly. This invocation grants you the ability to conjure longbows, shortbows, light crossbows, and heavy crossbows, adding ranged capabilities to your Pact of the Blade repertoire. Remember, however, that this expansion is dependent on selecting the Improved Pact Weapon invocation. Without it, your weapon choices are limited to melee weapons.
The Hexblade Connection: Charisma to the Core
The Hexblade subclass is inextricably linked to the Pact of the Blade, primarily because it allows you to use your Charisma modifier for attack and damage rolls with your pact weapon. This synergy is a game-changer, transforming the Pact of the Blade from a potentially underpowered option into a formidable force. The Hexblade’s influence even extends to two-handed weapons.
What Can You Do With Pact of the Blade
Ultimately, the weapon you conjure is limited by the PHB melee weapon list and the Improved Pact Weapon invocation. Let’s solidify this knowledge with some frequently asked questions:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can you summon a greatsword with Pact of the Blade?
Yes! The ability to conjure any melee weapon from the PHB directly allows you to create a greatsword as your pact weapon. This, combined with the Hexblade subclass, can create a powerful melee combatant.
2. What is the best subclass for Pact of the Blade?
While subjective, many consider the Hexblade to be the best subclass for Pact of the Blade due to its ability to use Charisma for attack and damage rolls. This eliminates the need to invest heavily in Strength or Dexterity, allowing you to focus on Charisma, which also powers your Warlock spells. The Games Learning Society highlights the importance of strategic gameplay, and the Hexblade’s synergy with Pact of the Blade definitely demonstrates such strategic depth. Check them out at GamesLearningSociety.org.
3. What is the Pact of the Blade and magic weapons?
The Pact of the Blade allows you to designate a specific magic weapon as your pact weapon. This is not a magic effect that imbues every created weapon, but the actual magic weapon. Once bonded, you can summon that specific magic weapon to your hand.
4. Can Pact of the Blade make improvised weapons?
No. The Pact of the Blade specifically allows you to choose the form of your weapon from the melee weapon options in the Weapons table in the Player’s Handbook. Improvised weapons are not on that list.
5. Can Pact of the Blade use any weapon?
No, you can’t conjure any weapon. You are limited to melee weapons from the PHB, with ranged weapons added through the Improved Pact Weapon invocation.
6. Can a pact of the Blade warlock use any weapon?
While you are proficient with your pact weapon while you wield it, this doesn’t mean you can conjure anything. It is limited to weapon options as mentioned previously in the article.
7. Can you dual wield Pact of the Blade?
While you can theoretically dual-wield with a Pact of the Blade weapon in one hand and another weapon in the other, only the weapon designated as your pact weapon will benefit from any pact-specific bonuses, like Charisma-based attacks with Hexblade. You only get one active Pact Weapon at a time, unless your DM rules otherwise.
8. What weapons can you create as pact weapon?
Your Pact Weapon can take the form of any melee weapon (from the PHB), and the Improved Pact Weapon invocation expands that pool to include longbows, shortbows, light crossbows, and hand crossbows.
9. Why is Pact of the Blade good for Hexblade?
The Hexblade subclass grants the ability to use Charisma instead of Strength or Dexterity for attack and damage rolls with any one-handed weapon, and with any weapon created with Pact of the Blade. This makes for an incredibly effective combination.
10. Can I use Shadow Blade as my pact weapon?
No. The Shadow Blade spell creates a magical weapon, but it does not count as a pact weapon or as a hex warrior weapon. You cannot use Charisma with it.
11. Can a Hexblade use a greatsword?
Yes, you can turn a two-handed weapon (both melee and ranged) into your pact weapon with the Pact of the Blade feature, and the Hex Warrior feature can then apply.
12. Can Hexblades use longsword?
If you make a longsword your hex weapon (via the Hex Warrior feature) or your pact weapon, then yes, you can use it.
13. Can you have a hex weapon and a pact weapon?
Yes, the Hex Warrior feature works with Pact of the Blade to give a charisma bonus on the created pact weapon. However, remember that it takes an action to create the pact weapon, so use it wisely.
14. Can my pact weapon be my hex weapon?
Yes, they can be the same weapon. Rules as intended allow a Pact Weapon and a weapon that you touch after a long rest to both be considered Hex Weapons.
15. Do Hexblades need pact of the Blade?
No. You can be a Hexblade and not choose Pact of the Blade, or a non-Hexblade warlock who chose Pact of the Blade. They are separate features, though they clearly synergize well. The Pact of the Blade gives Hexblades an avenue to have a weapon to which they can apply their Charisma bonus, making a greatsword user far more viable than it would otherwise be.