Prediction: Pact of the Blade will encompass Hexblade scaling/proficiency in 1.0

[Yojo0o]

Just gonna shoot my shot on this one. OneDnD playtest for warlock, as mixed as the reception has been to it so far, clearly indicates that 5e warlocks are heading in the direction of charisma-scaling weaponry and medium armor being accessible to any warlock who wants to build for it, not just Hexblades. This fits a reasonable narrative for Wyll's mechanics: Some of Larian's homebrew changes to 5e match the direction the game is heading anyway (weapon-specific techniques, notably), so it stands to reason that they may have had some early info on planned mechanic changes.

Pact of the Blade enabling warlock swordsmen makes Wyll's intended build style make sense and function without the Hexblade subclass being in the game. Holding off on adding it to the game makes sense for balancing it and keeping it under wraps at WotC's request since it's a big OneDnD change, and if only one level 3 Pact Boon choice was going to be available, better to not be the one that fundamentally changes the warlock in such a way.

Anyway, there's been a lot of speculation as to how Wyll will look in 1.0, so this is my locked-in theory. Anybody else agree/disagree?

[A Sociopath]

Wholeheartedly disagree, the though of wyll having a 'intended build style' goes against everything larian is doing with bg3

[Lord Adorable]

This has been more or less my theory as well, except mine did include both Hexblade and Pact of the Blade.

Given how Larian is changing some things around-Druids wildhsaping into Owlbears and Phase Beasts, 'Wildheart (Totem Warrior)' Barbarians getting something called Aspect of the Honey Badger- I have hopes. Not high ones cuz I don't wanna be disappointed, but hopes nontheless.

Otherwise I just want a bloody bladelock because they sound very fun to play.

[Yojo0o]

Originally posted by Lord Adorable:

This has been more or less my theory as well, except mine did include both Hexblade and Pact of the Blade.

Given how Larian is changing some things around-Druids wildhsaping into Owlbears and Phase Beasts, 'Wildheart (Totem Warrior)' Barbarians getting something called Aspect of the Honey Badger- I have hopes. Not high ones cuz I don't wanna be disappointed, but hopes nontheless.

Otherwise I just want a bloody bladelock because they sound very fun to play.

Well, we're 100% getting Pact of the Blade, it's a PHB pact boon. Problem is, it's a half-measure, that's the design gap that Hexblade filled. Attempting to be a non-hexblade Bladelock is frustrating and requires a lot of hoop-jumping just to achieve baseline functionality.

[Lord Adorable]

Originally posted by Yojo0o:

Originally posted by Lord Adorable:

This has been more or less my theory as well, except mine did include both Hexblade and Pact of the Blade.

Given how Larian is changing some things around-Druids wildhsaping into Owlbears and Phase Beasts, 'Wildheart (Totem Warrior)' Barbarians getting something called Aspect of the Honey Badger- I have hopes. Not high ones cuz I don't wanna be disappointed, but hopes nontheless.

Otherwise I just want a bloody bladelock because they sound very fun to play.

Well, we're 100% getting Pact of the Blade, it's a PHB pact boon. Problem is, it's a half-measure, that's the design gap that Hexblade filled. Attempting to be a non-hexblade Bladelock is frustrating and requires a lot of hoop-jumping just to achieve baseline functionality.

This is exactly why I have slight hopes that the actual Hexblade subclass makes it somehow cause I have heard horror stories about both it and Blade Pact being.. not good.

And given Wyll's title as the BLADE of Frontiers, well.. Let's hope Larian hasn't tickled and teased me for nothing. That would certiantly put a dampener on my mood at launch.

Edit: Also, dosn't Wyll start proficient with rapiers? Warlocks arn't supposed to be proficient with Rapiers at-say- level 1 I'm fairly sure.

[RealDealBreaker]

Originally posted by A Sociopath:

Wholeheartedly disagree, the though of wyll having a 'intended build style' goes against everything larian is doing with bg3

He's called the Blade of the Frontier... It's baked into his characterisation that he is intended to be pact of the blade.

[Yojo0o]

Originally posted by Lord Adorable:

Originally posted by Yojo0o:

Well, we're 100% getting Pact of the Blade, it's a PHB pact boon. Problem is, it's a half-measure, that's the design gap that Hexblade filled. Attempting to be a non-hexblade Bladelock is frustrating and requires a lot of hoop-jumping just to achieve baseline functionality.

This is exactly why I have slight hopes that the actual Hexblade subclass makes it somehow cause I have heard horror stories about both it and Blade Pact being.. not good.

And given Wyll's title as the BLADE of Frontiers, well.. Let's hope Larian hasn't tickled and teased me for nothing. That would certiantly put a dampener on my mood at launch.

Edit: Also, dosn't Wyll start proficient with rapiers? Warlocks arn't supposed to be proficient with Rapiers at-say- level 1 I'm fairly sure.

Oh, Hexblades are fantastic! If anything, they're overtuned. At least with an overloaded level 1.

As far as I can tell, Wyll's rapier proficiency is associated with his custom background.

[Lord Adorable]

Originally posted by RealDealBreaker:

Originally posted by A Sociopath:

Wholeheartedly disagree, the though of wyll having a 'intended build style' goes against everything larian is doing with bg3

He's called the Blade of the Frontier... It's baked into his characterisation that he is intended to be pact of the blade.

And we can't 'really' have a proper bladelock without Hexblade either. The two HAVE to be togheter for them to work properly. One without the other is like having only one eye: It ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ sucks and I can tell you that from personal, first-hand experience.

[A Sociopath]

Originally posted by RealDealBreaker:

Originally posted by A Sociopath:

Wholeheartedly disagree, the though of wyll having a 'intended build style' goes against everything larian is doing with bg3

He's called the Blade of the Frontier... It's baked into his characterisation that he is intended to be pact of the blade.

Mike tyson is called iron mike but im pretty sure hes made of flesh

[Lord Adorable]

Originally posted by Yojo0o:

Originally posted by Lord Adorable:

This is exactly why I have slight hopes that the actual Hexblade subclass makes it somehow cause I have heard horror stories about both it and Blade Pact being.. not good.

And given Wyll's title as the BLADE of Frontiers, well.. Let's hope Larian hasn't tickled and teased me for nothing. That would certiantly put a dampener on my mood at launch.

Edit: Also, dosn't Wyll start proficient with rapiers? Warlocks arn't supposed to be proficient with Rapiers at-say- level 1 I'm fairly sure.

Oh, Hexblades are fantastic! If anything, they're overtuned. At least with an overloaded level 1.

As far as I can tell, Wyll's rapier proficiency is associated with his custom background.

AH, I meant more like "Keeping bladepact and Hexblade seperate is the big no-no" but bleh.

Also: BOO! Well, here's hoping there's just.. something at all. The only and truly sinciere wish I've ever had of this game is the inclusion of Hexblade. That is literally it. And that might sound weird but here I am regardless, wishing away.

[Yojo0o]

Oh yes, that's entirely true. Hexblade is pretty pointless without Blade Pact, with the exception of playing entirely contrary to the intended theme and flavor of the subclass and building a Hexblade's Curse-enabled Eldritch Blaster.

If Pact of the Blade is loaded up with martial weapons, charisma scaling, and medium armor, Hexblade becomes pretty superfluous. That seems to be the direction 5e is headed, and it's my guess for BG3.

It's worth noting that, as currently implemented, Pact of the Chain is also pretty damn overloaded compared to its tabletop equivalent. Being able to freely re-summon a combat familiar that acts independently is pretty significant. In tabletop, you usually need to spend 10g to summon the familiar and remake it if it dies, and you need to burn your bonus action to actually enable it to attack in a given round. So, we're already operating with pact boons being pretty pushed.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

Sounds reasonable.