Talk:Hexer Variant (5e Class)

Balance

So, a few things I wanted to point out.

• table is done wrong, features are not on correct levels.
• Class offers more skill proficiencies, and armor and weapon proficiencies than any other of the official classes, while still retaining an d8 for hit die as a full spelcaster. And while yes, clerics are similar in this regard, clerics have an okay spell list, while this hexer have very decent one, having both healing options, buffs, blasting, control and summoning options. Not mediocre ones mind you, but really good ones. Wizard is paying for his spell list with no armor, 2 skills, and d6 for hit die. Why here this is that vastly different? (better, not different)
• This class knows more cantrips than any other class. Yes, starts out with less than sorcerer, but come on top of any other through 1-20 lvls
• also, this class knows more spells than any other similar, namely warlock and sorcerer, through 1-20 lvls, again. Weirdly, you cannot change your known spells when you level up, why is that?
• I. Hexes - bread and butter of this class. Well, this have some problems as a whole. Namely, multitude of hexes lack duration, also duration should follow normal length(until next turn, 1 minute, 1 hour etc.) not some mod+smth turns. How do the hexes are even cast/invoked? Action, bonus action, reaction, no action? This is not specified. Hexes themselves do not need concentration, which is not that great of a problem, provided only one hex at a time is cast, without this you can wreck havoc with some sick combos. And that scaling is just lazy writing. Also some hexes have specific problems:
  • Sustaining Hex - this should never existed in first place. Concentration is very important mechanic in dnd 5e, and circumventing it like that is just bad writing. Whole team of polymorphed creatures, no concentration? I don't even want to write all of the common cases to throw the balance off the skyscraper with this one.
  • Warding Hex - this is nowhere near level of 1st level spell, and it costs 1 point, so taking spell slots to change on points this severly lacks in cost.
  • Exploding Hex - NOTHING equivalent in cost to 2nd level spellslot have the efficiency of this one, nothing
  • Hex of Confusion - better crown of madness, for less the cost
  • Hex of the Puppet - just plain ridicolous, 3d10 as a bonus action, without any posibility of fail, just an automatic damage. At the cost of 2nd level spell slot, that is refundable, and by huge margin, while also regaining spell slots Without limit whatsoever? Nuts. Also, creatures do not have levels, they have CR.
• II. unique benefits from focuses - really great idea for something like that, with the exception of balancing it. Like, really:
  • Athame - just broken. For the cost of 4 hit points I can increase my DC by 4? And I can heal myself from my normal spells? I take your entire stock! And this is getting even more and more potent as you level up, and your base DC increases, while relative cost is decreasing, more and more.
  • Broom - free fly. Except two levels sooner. And longer. And without concentration. Broom of flying is an extremely good magic item. Which you gain for free at level 3.
  • Hat - questionably unbalanced, I do not believe 3rd level is the time to get 2 unconditional advantages, moreso that no other official class gives that, or something comparable, so soon.
  • Mirror - I do not even need to write here, do I? Truthful answer to any question, if not extremaly specific? per day? And a free defender, you know, the one like beast ranger or battle smith artificer gets?
  • Staff - one more spellslot of the highest level you can have. This alone ensures that hexer is just better than any other spellcaster in the game. Period.
• Blood Sacrifice - one more way to gain points, is that really necessary?
• Witcher Heart - 180 degrees turn, way to weak. While resistance to necrotic damage is okay as a fluff, it is always rewarder sooner, 6th level, 10th, and giving someone darkvision, at 18th level, is like paying 10$ for shopping that were 9.99$ and saying to clerk "keep the change, today you play at my cost ;)" It is not even worth mentionig.
• Hex Rebound - while capstones should be powerful and something to fell excited about, they should not break the class play altogether. Now you just don't care why or what curse, you go cursing' everyone, because you propably will never run out of points.

As for subclasses, well, for starters you should never gain class or subclass features when gaining new spell slot levels, even more when you are a full caster, and this happens at 3rd, 5th and 15th level. Even more, some some subclasses give things on 5th, some on 6th; probably a mistake.

• Draconic Familiar:
  • Dragon Familiar - Badly worded throught, half of the time I do not know what and how. 80 points is more any normal charactel would have, and increasing it futher is just funny. It have more Hit points than any of similar features like beast ranger or battle smith artificer gets, and scales better.
  • Draconic Hex - NOTHING gives that effect in entirety of D&D 5e, and it is more apart in power from 2nd level spell than the moon is apart form earth.
  • Dragon Heart - 1.Only one type of damage 2. Once again, more damage relative to cost and effect of comparable spell. way more
  • Avatar of the Dragon - ok, but persisting effects have saving throws at the end of the turn, not when isn't hexed
• Demonic Familiar:
  • Demon Familiar - exactly as above, except considerably more broken. Healing from attacks at level one? ridicolous
  • Demonic Hex - ok
  • Demon Soul - I don't understand what is written here, how it works. And using such strict and clear phrases like "other one" does not help.
  • Avatar of the Fiend - as above, lacks clarity, and persisting effects have saving throws at the end of the turn, not when isn't hexed
• Fey Familiar:
  • Fey Familiar - as those in other subclasses
  • Fey Hex - ok
  • Fey Body - Through and through, this is badly written, it needs more clarity to be even used.
  • Avatar of the Fey - like the fiend, persisting effects have saving throws at the end of the turn, not when isn't hexed
• Elemental Familiar:
  • Elemental Familiar - as the other, and once again, randol lengths of effects are not D&D 5e thing
  • Elemental Hex - ok, if weirdly written.
  • Elemental Being - First one clear enough to understand. And it is ok
  • Avatar of the Elemental - same as the rest, persisting effects have saving throws at the end of the turn, not when isn't hexed

Summary: this class needs way more work, in balancing department as well as wording of some features. --Cezaryx (talk) 05:19, 24 January 2022 (MST)