Maddening Hex 5e Invocation d&d
Let us discuss the Prerequisite of maddening Hex Invocation in 5e dnd. It is the 5th level, Hex spell, or a warlock feature that curses. You can also cause psychic disturbances around the target cursed by your bonus action, Hex spell or a warlock function of yours, Hexblade‘s Curse, or Sign of Ill Omen. You can inflict psychic damage on the cursed target as well as any creature within 5 feet. Your Charisma modifier is equal to the psychic damage (minimum one damage). This invocation can only be helpful if you can see the cursed target within 30 feet of your location.
Your Charisma modifier is equal to your psychic damage (minimum of zero damage).
Hex hits automatically and has no save. Hex also has a range of approximately 90 feet. That is great for straight combat and allows you to use the bonus action. It can also be helpful to kill someone out of battle, as I understand it. A person could, for example, stand in an alleyway 90 feet from a target and deal 3-5 damage every six-second for up to 24 hours.
That seems like an unanticipated side effect and way more potent than other similar features.
A 2nd-level warlock can kill any person, anywhere in town. The only way to stop this effect is with a dispel spell or a curse spell, requiring a 5th level character. These can be dealt with in a manner that is more RP-oriented than mechanical. It could be a way for players to spread the word. People may hire mages to deal with it. Then, another player starts to try and find them. It can be handled in many different ways, as I believe.
The ability has two significant problems. The first is game balance. Because Maddening Hex does not have a save, attack roll, or range and can only be removed with Remove Curse, it is a guaranteed killer out of combat DoT. Do you have a crush on someone? You can casually hex them and then go on with your life. Three days later, trigger Maddening Hex every round until their head explodes. Another problem is usability. Due to the speed of combat in D&D and how well-thought it is to focus fire, it’s sporadic that an enemy will survive one round to trigger Maddening Hex.
Does the 5e Maddening Hex invocation of the Warlock cause all cursed targets to be damaged if activated by a warlock?
- You can only attack one cursed target (and any creatures near it) at a given time.
- Invocations repeatedly refer to one cursed target
- You will notice that the Maddening Hex eldritch invoke says (XGtE p. 56; emphasis mine).
You can cause psychic disturbances around the target that is cursed by your spell or a warlock feature. That causes psychic damage to the cursed target as well as any creature within 5 feet. The invocation can only be used if you can see the cursed target within 30 feet.
The feature doesn’t expressly state that the damage is done to one cursed target only. It refers to the single target repeatedly (i.e., “The [cursed] target,” also known as “it,” is the name of the feature. That means you can have multiple curses active, such as a Hexblade’s Curse on one creature and a Hexblade’s Hex on another. Still, you only need to activate Maddening Hex to deal the damage to that one creature and any other adjacent creatures.
Designer intent suggests that Maddening Hex triggers only one of the cursed creatures.
Jeremy Crawford, the rules designer, answered this exact question in an informal tweet from November 2017.
Does Maddening Hex trigger psychic damage on every target you curse within your range? (one creature cursed with Hexblade’s Curse, another cursed, or similar) or only one cursed target per round?
Maddening Hex works with one cursed target at a time.
Crawford’s informal ruling seems to be consistent with the wording of this feature. Maddening Hex can only be activated on one target. It applies even though multiple targets may be cursed simultaneously using different warlock features or the hex spell. It would be best to point out that it only says “the [cursed] Target” singular. Even if you curse multiple targets, Maddening Hex can only damage one target (or creatures adjacent to it of your choosing).
Does Maddening Hex proc Hex?
Hex hits automatically and has no save. Hex also has a range of approximately 90 feet. That is good enough for straight combat, but it also allows you to use a bonus move.
Is Maddening Hex 5e overpowered? What causes it?
Maddening Hex is activated and dependent on a line of sight. The target must be within 30 feet.
Maddening Hex is a fascinating but potentially powerful feature. It can deliver five dmg per round to the target and the surrounding area. It would take only 10 minutes to dish 500 dmg on a single target.
Consider the following features: Create thrall from great-old one patron or geas obtained through multi-class or guild professions. These, and the ability to bestow curse at 5th-level, are all concentration-free. Maddening Hex is only possible with sight. This sight can be granted by scrying, arcane eye, the gaze of two mind invocation, or a chain masters pet.
You could still deliver an autokill to almost anything with just a narrow interpretation and two spell slots.
Geas can be used to restrain someone beyond what the spell says. This spell lasts for 30 days. You can do whatever I say, and I will kill you in a matter of minutes. There are many options.
