The Hexblade warlock is one of the most popular and powerful subclasses introduced in the eighth patch to Baldur's Gate 3. It's a fan favorite in Dungeons & Dragons as well, giving the warlock some excellent martial features and making for an excellent multiclassing choice, given how great it can be with just one level. But there's one clear problem that came with bringing the subclass to BG3, and that is the way that the Pact of the Blade has been reworked from its tabletop form.

In D&D, the Pact of the Blade provides another way for warlocks to gain some martial power, and it synergizes surprisingly well with the Hexblade's skills. However, the BG3 version of the feature was improved and adapted to do some things that the hexblade does as well, since the subclass wasn't available in the initial version of the game. Given how much overlap the Pact of the Blade and the Hexblade now have, is there any point to still taking the pact for your warlock characters?

The Hexblade Subclass Eclipses The Benefits Of The Pact Of The Blade

In Many Ways, A Straightforward Improvement

Firstly, the Pact of the Blade is still great for warlocks who take other subclasses, like the Fiend or Great Old One. Not only is this pact simply better than the other pact choices, those of the chain and the tome, but it also combos well with some of those subclasses' abilities.

When it comes to the Hexblade itself, however, there isn't much that the Pact of the Blade does that the Hexblade doesn't do better. Both allow warlocks to use their charisma modifier for their weapon attacks, become proficient with additional weapons, and by basic damage resistances. On top of those things, BG3's Hexblade warlock cannot be disarmed and gets a special curse to apply to enemies. It gets all of this at level one, whereas the Pact of the Blade cannot be unlocked until level three.

One Ability Still Makes This Pact Essential In BG3

Full Hexblades Will Still Want More Attacks

Even considering all of that, there's one thing that makes the Pact of the Blade absolutely necessary for martial warlocks: the fact that it grants extra attack. This can be easy to forget, since many other martial subclasses for spellcasting classes provide an extra attack themselves. The Hexblade, however, won't get it unless they take Pact of the Blade and reach level five.

In addition, several weapons like The Baneful and the Charge-Bound Warhammer only get their additional benefits if bonded to a warlock with the pact of the blade, and will not receive those from warlocks that just have the Hexblade's abilities.

For characters who are just dipping into warlock or taking at least five levels in another class like paladin or fighter, the Pact of the Blade will not provide anything new. For players who want to make a full warlock that can fight on the front lines as good as any martial, however, this pact is still required to make the character work. Baldur's Gate 3 may have diminished how well the pact synergizes with the Hexblade, but they are still an inseparable pair.