Hexblood 5e

Be careful what you wish for… you might become a Hexblood.

The ink on her skin writhes like a serpent, and at night her eyes fill with devils. The crown of growth around her temples pulsates, and I swear I can hear it whispering. She says she made a pact long ago. I dare not ask what for.

What is a Hexblood in 5e?

DnD 5e’s Hexbloods are “individuals infused with eldritch magic, fey energy, or mysterious witchcraft.” Hexbloods are so infused because “a bargain with a hag or other eerie forces transformed them into a magical being.” The nature of their bargain determines a Hexblood’s appearance. You can choose pure Hexblood lineage, or add Hexblood Lineage to an existing 5e Race.

How do Hexbloods work?

Basically, Hexbloods are corrupted by a hex in their blood, which gives them their powers and looks. You can create a Hexblood from scratch to be a Hexblood Ranger or Hexblood Sorcerer, for example. You can also give any race Hexblood lineage to be a Hexblood Owlin Wizard, Hexblood Kalashthar Monk, etc. Hexblood’s traits differ a bit depending on which route you take. 

Hexblood 5e Traits

These are the traits you get in 5e when creating a Hexblood from scratch:

If you choose to give an existing race Hexblood lineage:

• Replace any Ability Score Increase with Hexblood’s Ability Score Increase.
• Retain any languages you had and gain no new languages.
• Keep any skill proficiencies as well as climbing, flying, or swimming speed.

Hexblood 5e Abilities

Eerie Token and Hex Magic are Hexblood’s signature 5e abilities. Eerie Token is a creepy scrying glass to spy on areas or send telepathic messages remotely. Hex Magic is a package of two crafty spells: Disguise Self and Hex. 

Disguise Self lets you camouflage yourself with magic. Hex tacks on 1d6 necrotic damage to successful attacks or gives targets disadvantage on one type of ability check. These spells are “innate,” meaning you can cast them once each for free per long rest. You can also cast them with any available spell slots. Free witchy magic!

Here are Eerie Token and Hex Magic’s official descriptions from Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft:

Hexblood Eerie Token 5e

Eerie Token. As a bonus action, you can harmlessly remove a lock of your hair, one of your nails, or one of your teeth. This token is imbued with magic until you finish a long rest. Once you create a token using this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest, at which point your missing part regrows. You can take these Actions with the token:

• Telepathic Message. Send a telepathic message to the creature holding or carrying the token, as long as you are within 10 miles of it. The message can contain up to twenty-five words.
• Remote Viewing. Within 10 miles of the token, you can enter a trance. 
• The trance lasts for 1 minute, but it ends early if you dismiss it (no action required) or are incapacitated. 
• During trance, you can see and hear from the token as if you were located where it is. At your physical location, you are blinded and deafened in regard to your own surroundings. 
• When the trance ends, the token is harmlessly destroyed.

Hexblood Hex Magic 5e

Hex Magic. You can cast Disguise Self and Hex. Once you cast either of these spells with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using any spell slots you have.

• Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells (choose the ability when you gain this lineage).

Is Hexblood a good race?

Hexbloods in 5e are not a race, but a lineage. Hexblood’s innate spellcasting offers flexibility to tweak your character towards utility or raw magical power. 

Hexbloods are an excellent choice for players who like stealth and scouting or who want to try their hand at some detective work. Eerie Token and Disguise Self are fun and powerful spying tools, and creative players can get a ton of mileage (and laughs) from them. 

You can also go full-out as a Hexblood Warlock or Hexblood Sorcerer. Hex is a great spell to have innately at the first level and can serve you well throughout your adventure. 

Also, Hexbloods are not humanoid, but Fey. That means Hexbloods are immune from spells that target humanoids. On the other hand, they open themselves up to spells that target Fey. This can make life more difficult for your DM in some cases but can make it easier in others. 

Fey in 5e can’t be targeted by these spells:

• Animate Dead
• Calm Emotions
• Ceremony
• Charm Person
• Crown of Madness
• Dominate Person
• Hold Person
• Magic Jar
• Reincarnate
• Simulacrum

Fey in 5e can be targeted by these spells:

• Commune with Nature
• Conjure Fey
• Conjure Woodland Beings
• Detect Evil and Good
• Dispel Evil and Good
• Divine Word
• Forbiddance
• Hallow
• Magic Circle
• Planar Binding
• Temple of the Gods

Centaurs from Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica and Satyrs from Mythic Odysseys of Theros are also Fey and have the same benefits and drawbacks.

What class is best for Hexblood in 5e?

Hexblood goes best with Warlock builds, as it synergizes well with Warlock abilities to give you cheap and powerful voodoo. Sorcerers and Druids are also robust options to roleplay all your devilish dreams. 

Here are some different ways to play a Hexblood in 5e:

Hexblood Warlock 5e

Not only can Warlocks fit thematically and make great use of Hexblood’s witchy magic, but a Warlock with Pact of the Chain also gets a special familiar. What could be witchier than having a minion? And with Investment of the Chain Master (from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything), your familiar can even Attack as a bonus action!

The Imp makes a great all-purpose familiar and gives you an extra 60 extra feet of darkvision. Another strong choice is a Pseudodragon familiar, which provides you with airborne scouting and spying abilities. If you take Gift of the Ever-Living Ones from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, you get maximum hit dice heals within 100 ft. of whatever familiar you choose!

Additionally, a Hexblood’s Disguise Self makes the Warlock’s Mask of Many Faces redundant, so you can choose another powerful Warlock Invocation like Agonizing Blast. You also get Hex for free, allowing you to use your bonus action on whatever else you want. Shove enemies near each other with a Repelling Blast, then drive them loco with a Hex + Maddening Hex combo!

GameCows Tip:  If you take Misty Visions as one of your Eldritch Invocations, you can cast Silent Image at will. Cast a 15 foot cube of whatever hocus pocus your twisted mind can muster, whenever you want!

Hexblood Sorcerer 5e

A Hexblood Sorcerer is a great choice in 5e for those that want to lean heavily into a Hexblood’s story. Hags have some of the most powerful dark magic in DnD 5e, and so do Sorcerers. A possessed maniacal Sorcerer with cursed blood can lead to loads of roleplaying fun. 

You can match the hag from your backstory with the type of Sorcerer you choose:

• An Aberrant Mind Sorcerer has terrifying mental powers, which goes great with Dune Hags, which can mentally enslave anyone they kiss. 

• Divine Soul Sorcers have uncanny magnetism, which pairs well with Green Hags who charm victims with their beauty. 

• Shadow Sorcerers are imbued with darkness, a natural fit with Death Hags that control the undead.  

• Wild Magic Sorcerers get their power from chaos, which has lots of potential with Night Hags that roam the dreamlands.

Hexblood Druid 5e

The main benefit of playing a Hexblood Druid in 5e is that you can still communicate with your party while in Wild Shape through the Eerie Token ability. A Circle of the Moon Druid is a great fit thematically since they are loners that guard the wilderness. 

You can even mix in an Annis Hag backstory, the most powerful and terrifying of hags, who dwell in ruins and caves and tear apart prey with their bare hands. Adventurer by day, stalker of the woods by night? You didn’t get the idea from us… 

Hexblood 5e Background

Hags are a big part of a Hexblood’s background. Hags are DnD’s version of witches and can only reproduce by creating more of themselves through magic. Hags are ruthless deceivers obsessed with manipulating others and love to make bargains that turn into a tragedy for those who are too greedy or curious. A Hexblood has often become a Hexblood because a hag fulfilled their heart’s desire. 

The hex in your blood doesn’t have to be from a hag, though! There are 6 official Hexblood origin stories, which you can either roll for or choose:

1. Seeking a child, your parent made a bargain with a hag. You are the result of that arrangement.

2. Fey kidnappers swapped you and your parents’ child.

3. A coven of hags lost one of its members. You were created to replace the lost hag.

4. You were cursed as a child. A deal with the spirits of the forest transformed you into a hexblood, now free of the curse.

5. You began life as a fey creature, but an accident changed you and forced you from your home.

6. A slighted druid transformed you and bound you to live only so long as a sacred tree bears fruit.

Hexblood 5e Backstory

You can also make up your own Hexblood 5e backstory, of course! Hexbloods might want to explore the mysteries of their magic, get closer to the Feywild, or outmaneuver the Night Hag that is terrorizing their dreams.

Wizards of the Coast offers some official inspiration for some domains where your Hexblood may have come of age:

Hazlan: This bizarre magic of this crumbling domain exposes the populace to supernatural forces, occasionally giving rise to Hexbloods. 

Kartkarass: Whimsical witches make their homes in the forests of Kartakass. They eagerly grant the wishes of locals seeking grand fortunes for their children.

Tempest: Many of the children in the town of Viktal are hexbloods who exhibit their supernatural natures from a young age. Each youngster is considered a gift from the town’s patron deity, who is known as Mother.

Hexblood 5e Appearance

Hexbloods in 5e may have these characteristics: “evidence of a hag’s influence” ears that split in forked points, skin in wild shades or sigils, and lengthy hair that regrows if cut. They may also have horns, claws, or other disfigurements. Hexbloods often have an irremovable living crown attached to their head called an eldercross or a witch’s turn. This garland is a testimony to their dark bargain.

Your appearance as a Hexblood might also be affected by the type of Hag or magical being you made a pact with. A Sea Hag might give you a greenish tint and briny skin, while a Bheur Hag might make your skin cold to the touch with frosted-over hair. You can also play with how much influence your hag has over you and change your appearance as their influence takes hold.

Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft

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03/30/2023 02:00 pm GMT

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