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What Hexblade does in Baldur’s Gate 3
Hexblade is a Warlock patron subclass built around combining weapons with the Warlock’s Charisma. Its level 1 features provide defensive and weapon proficiencies, a Charisma-based weapon option, and Hexblade’s Curse. Later levels add a spectre summoned from a cursed foe and a chance to shrug off attacks from cursed enemies.
Larian described the pact’s source as “a mysterious entity from the Shadowfell – a force that manifests in sentient magic weapons carved from the stuff of shadow” in its Patch 8 announcement.
Level 1: Hex Warrior and Hexblade’s Curse
Hex Warrior
Hex Warrior grants proficiency with medium armour, shields, and martial weapons. It also provides Bind Hexed Weapon, which lets you use Charisma instead of Strength or Dexterity for attacks with a proficient weapon you bind. Binding applies to the main-hand weapon. The weapon becomes magical, cannot be dropped or thrown, and grants proficiency if you did not already have it. Attacks with the bound weapon can also trigger Hexblade’s Curse.
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Hexblade’s Curse
As a bonus action, curse one creature. While it is cursed, your damage rolls against it gain a bonus equal to your proficiency bonus, and your critical-hit threshold is reduced by one. If the target dies, you regain hit points equal to your Warlock level plus your Charisma modifier. The curse’s normal use recharges on a short rest.
The expanded spell list at level 1 adds Shield and Wrathful Smite.
Hexblade features and expanded spells by level
| Warlock level | Subclass feature or expanded spells |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hex Warrior and Hexblade’s Curse; Shield and Wrathful Smite. |
| 3 | Blur and Branding Smite. |
| 5 | Blink and Elemental Weapon. |
| 6 | Accursed Spectre. |
| 7 | Phantasmal Killer, Staggering Smite, Dominate Beast, and Greater Invisibility. The BG3 Wiki identifies the last two, Archfey spells as a bug rather than intended Hexblade additions. |
| 9 | Banishing Smite and Cone of Cold. |
| 10 | Armour of Hexes. |
The feature and spell progression is documented on the BG3 Wiki’s Hexblade page.
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Level 6: Accursed Spectre
Accursed Spectre raises a spectre from the soul of a fallen target you cursed. The target’s size determines which of three spectre forms appears.
Level 10: Armour of Hexes
Armour of Hexes gives a 50% chance to nullify an attack made by a creature you have cursed, according to the BG3 Wiki.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the curse works with a bound weapon
In the game, a Hexed Weapon has a 20% chance to apply Hexblade’s Curse on a hit without using the normal short-rest curse use. This is a game-specific interaction recorded on the BG3 Wiki’s D&D 5e class changes page; it is separate from activating the curse as a bonus action.
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The same page notes that the curse’s one-point reduction to the critical-hit threshold can stack with other effects that reduce that threshold. That makes the curse’s critical benefit compatible with other such effects rather than redundant.
What to know about tabletop comparisons
This page describes the Baldur’s Gate 3 implementation, not a full tabletop rules comparison. The game-specific on-hit curse chance and the spell-list bug are examples of why tabletop assumptions should not automatically be applied to the video game. The surfaced D&D Beyond Unearthed Arcana: Horror Subclasses is a draft document and does not establish a complete comparison with final tabletop rules.
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