In the context of Dungeons and Dragons, a Warlock is someone who makes a pact with a mysterious entity in exchange for power. These Patrons can vary drastically in theme, from devilish Fiends and blessed Celestials to wiley Archfey and unfathomable Great Old Ones. From a gameplay perspective, Warlocks are also one of the most customizable classes in the game, featuring Patron, Pact Weapon, and Eldritch Invocation choices that drastically alter how they play. This makes Warlocks in Dungeons and Dragons rather tricky to master, but extremely rewarding for those who do.
However, among all the subclasses available for the Warlock, few are as infamous as the Hexblade. For years, Hexblade Warlocks reigned supreme as masters of sword and spell, and easily became one of the most popular Dungeons and Dragons class dips of all time. That said, the Hexblade will soon change drastically in Dungeons and Dragons, and while it may have lost some of its previous tools, its new tricks make it both extremely powerful and more distinct than ever.
2026 is Suddenly The Year of the Warlock
Thanks to recent announcements, this year has strangely become the biggest time to shine for one of the most popular spellcaster archetypes ever.
The History of the Hexblade in Dungeons and Dragons
The Origin of 5th Edition D&D’s Most Overpowered Warlock Subclass
Though it began as a completely separate class in 3rd Edition, the Hexblade became a Warlock subclass starting in 4th Edition, where it has remained since. For 5e, the Hexblade Warlock was first printed in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything in 2017, one of the best D&D sourcebooks in the last decade. Rather than a Fiend or Archfey, the Hexblade Patron manifested as a connection to a sentient weapon, such as those forged by the enigmatic Raven Queen. These Warlocks, known for shaping their Pact Weapons into facsimiles of legendary blades like Blackrazor, became the quintessential option for Warlock players seeking to create a gish build.
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“Gish” is a colloquial term for a character who uses both magic and martial skills. The word derives from the Dungeons and Dragons Githyanki warrior caste of the same name, known for weaving spell and sword to deadly effect.
Unfortunately, the Hexblade was a little too good at its job. Its ability to use Charisma for weapon attacks and damage rolls after a single level via Hex Warrior completely broke the game. Dipping one level of Hexblade Warlock practically became a requirement for Dungeons and Dragons Paladins, Valor or Swords Bards, or Sorcerers who wanted to mix it up in melee. With powerful spells like Shield and various Smites, the Hexblade had a lot going for it, even with only one level invested. Indeed, while its other features were also strong, most characters would never unlock these abilities, as they mostly just dipped for Hex Warrior.
Then came the 2024 rules refresh of Dungeons and Dragons 5e. Colloquially referred to as “5.5e,” the Warlock class saw the Hex Warrior’s ability to fight using Charisma baked into the core Pact Weapon feature. This meant characters would now have to dip three levels in order to get this feature, and that Hexblade was no longer king of the Charisma gish. Though the Hexblade did not appear in the Player’s Handbook (2024), it did appear in a horror-themed Dungeons and Dragons Unearthed Arcana from May 2025 with some significant changes, many of which moved it away from a weapon-focused archetype:
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Hexblade Spells (level 3)
- Now always prepared
- Blur and Branding Smite replaced with Arcane Vigor and Magic Weapon, Hex added
- Blink and Elemental Weapon replaced with Conjure Barrage and Dispel Magic
- Phantasmal Killer replace with Freedom of Movement
- Banishing Smite and Cone of Cold replaced with Animate Objects and Steel Wind Strike
- Hex Warrior (level 1)
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Hexblade’s Curse becomes Hexblade Manifest (level 3)
- Now level 3 instead of level 1
- Works off of the Hex spell, requires Concentration
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Add an extra Hexblade’s Maneuvers effect when hitting the cursed target:
- Draining Slash: Remove target’s Reaction and reduce speed
- Harrowing Blade: Deal extra damage if the target attacks someone else
- Stymying Mark: Grant the target disadvantage on their next save
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Life Stealer (level 6)
- New ability
- Hungering Hex: Self-heal when killing a cursed target (previously from Hexblade’s Curse)
- Inevitable Blade: Deal damage once per turn when an attack misses
- Accursed Specter (level 6)
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Armor of Hexes (level 10)
- Now reduces damage from the cursed target instead of granting a chance to avoid hits from them
- Limited uses
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Master of Hexes becomes Masterful Hex (level 14)
- Ability to spread Hexblade’s Curse removed (is a baseline part of the Hex spell)
- Accursed Critical: Raises critical hit threshold increase against the cursed target (previously from Hexblade’s Curse)
- Infectious Hex: Target two creatures with Hexblade’s Maneuvers
- Resilient Hex: Can’t lose Concentration on Hex
The Hexblade Warlock in D&D 5e 2024
Putting the ‘Hex’ In ‘Hexblade’
However, the Hexblade wasn’t done transforming yet. It appeared in yet another Dungeons and Dragons Unearthed Arcana in June 2025, featuring even more changes that refocus it as a melee weapon-wielding, Concentration-holding Warlock:
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Hexblade Spells (level 3)
- Magic Weapon removed
- Dispel Magic replaced with Bestow Curse
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Hexblade Manifest reworked back into Hexblade’s Curse (level 3)
- No longer requires Hex or Concentration, but can be used alongside Concentration curse spells like Hex and Bestow Curse
- Hungering Hex from Life Stealer (level 6) returned
- Accursed Shield: +2 to AC while cursed target is within 10 feet
- Hexblade’s Maneuvers removed
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Unyielding Will (level 3)
- New ability
- Deals damage to nearby creatures when the Warlock succeeds on a Concentration saving throw
- Can automatically succeed on a Concentration saving throw once per Long Rest
- Life Stealer (level 6)
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Malign Brutality (level 6)
- New ability
- Harrowing Hex: Attack as a bonus action after casting a spell
- Hindering Curse: Stymying Mark from Hexblade’s Maneuvers (was level 3)
- Inescapable Hex: Pursue the cursed target if they end their turn further than 30 feet away
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Armor of Hexes (level 10)
- Damage reduction reduced, but now with no use limit
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Masterful Hex (level 14)
- Explosive Hex: Damage enemies near the Hexed target on hit and slow their movement speed
- Hex Restoration: Regain a use of Hexblade’s Curse on Short Rests or with Magical Cunning
- Infectious Hex and Resilient Hex removed
Some of the changes implemented in the first Unearthed Arcana were undone; Hexblade’s Curse no longer needs to be used via the Hex spell, and the superfluous Hexblade’s Maneuvers were eliminated. New abilities like Accursed Shield and Inescapable Hex encourage Hexblade Warlocks to stay close to their targets, and Harrowing Hex likewise encourages Dungeons and Dragons builds using the Pact of the Blade once again.
That said, what makes this new Hexblade shine is its focus on Concentration spells in Dungeons and Dragons. Unyielding Will now damages nearby creatures whenever the Warlock succeeds on a Concentration saving throw, all while also granting an emergency option to pass a failed save once per Long Rest. What’s more, Armor of Hexes now reduces damage taken, making Concentration easier to maintain in the process.
With powerful spells like Animate Objects on their list, there should be no shortage of potent choices for Concentration spells. But most importantly, Hexblade’s Curse does not require Concentration; indeed, it can be hooked onto potent Concentration spells like Hex or Bestow Curse, or it can be used on its own. This lets the Hexblade avoid the Concentration pitfall the Dungeons and Dragons Cartographer Artificer falls into with Faerie Fire, or the Ranger class does with Hunter’s Mark.
What’s Next For the Hexblade in Dungeons and Dragons?
While it hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, the Hexblade will likely see its final version printed soon. Dungeons and Dragons recently revealed its roadmap for 2026, and judging from the fact it has shown up in both a horror and high-magic Unearthed Arcana, the Hexblade Warlock will almost certainly appear in either Ravenloft: The Horror Within or Arcana Unleashed. This means fans will likely have an official 2024 Hexblade in June, but no later than September.
It is important to note that the Hexblade could undergo further changes by the time it is officially printed. That said, players shouldn’t expect it to change too much from its second pass, so it can’t hurt to start planning their next Hexblade character now.
- Franchise
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Dungeons & Dragons
- Original Release Date
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1974
- Designer
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E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson
