How to Level Up Your Hexblade From Level 2 to Level 3, Gary

"I choose Pact of the Soup." - Gary

If you or someone you know is a Gary - sitting on a level 2 warlock, procrastinating leveling her up to level 3 - you have come to the right place.

Right now, unbeknownst to you, because you haven't looked at the Player's Handbook, you are standing at a crossroads. Up until now, you have been playing your Hexblade as a "traditional" spellcaster: hurling hexes and Eldritch Blast from the backlines. Now, you have to make a choice that will define your character for the rest of the campaign.

It's time to choose a Pact.

Just what is a pact? I thought I chose that at level 1.

No, at level 1, you chose your Patron. You selected the Hexblade, a powerful sentient weapon from the Shadowfell. At level 3, your patron will bestow upon you a powerful gift, a symbol of the bargain you struck.

You must choose between the Pact of the Blade, the Pact of the Chain, or the Pact of the Tome.

Thematic/Roleplay Concerns for Garys

The Pact of the Blade will give you a magical weapon from the ether that you can summon any time you like. When it appears in your hand, it will take any form you like. Want to swing a giant shadowy greatsword? Go right ahead! Want to wield a mace? Or a dagger? Or a whip? Take your pick! It's thematic and very cool.

Pact of the Chain gives you a special familiar. This is a powerful little ally that can fight by your side. Want your own demon to sit on your shoulder and cackle at your evil quips? Now you can have one!

Pact of the Tome gives you a demonic spellbook, bound in skin and sinew (or just regular paper, if your warlock is a little more of the tame variety). It's a powerful boon to your spellcasting, and unlike those sucker wizards, if you lose it, you can always get a fresh one for free from your patron.

Mechanical Concerns - Gary of the Blade

"But I'm Gary," you say, "I only care about min maxing for big DPS!" Fair enough, Gary.

Let's talk mechanical. Have you been enjoying playing a ranged character? Do you wish you were back charging into melee like a barbarian? You can have that option! Just choose Pact of the Blade!

Hexblades get a special ability to attack with their Charisma modifier instead of their Strength or Dexterity, so you can instantly transition to being a melee character.

The biggest issue here is that your Eldritch Invocations will become kind of spoken for. You won't get to choose as many "fun" ones because you'll need to take ones for Extra Attack, Eldritch Smite, and other essential "Bladelock" dps options.

That said, it's an extremely fun spec to play and you could be right back in the melee if you don't think the ranged caster playstyle is for you.

Mechanical Concerns - Gary of the Chain

This is in my opinion the most underrated option. Your special familiar is extremely powerful. Many options have the ability to turn themselves invisible, shapeshift, or do other amazing things. You can send them ahead of the party, invisible, to scout out enemy defenses or perform small heists. Many of them fly, as well.

One of the coolest things about them is that several of them also give a special bubble that gives you advantage on saving throws against magic. This is a very powerful effect that can save you from magic that can take you out of the fight or deal massive damage to you.

Mechanical Concerns - Gary of the Tome

Pact of the Tome will push you even further into the true-spellcaster realm. You can choose three cantrips from any caster's spell list, which is an option that NOBODY else gets. You can pick one from the druid list, one from the wizard, and one from the cleric list... and they all become warlock spells for you!

On top of that, there's an invocation you can (and should) take that lets you copy ritual spells you find and cast them from your spellbook. This is an awesome ability that is otherwise only available to the wizard. It will let you greatly expand your otherwise limited spell list and let you cast a lot more spells per day than you normally could, shoring up a critical weakness of the warlock.

So what should a Gary do?

Up to you! But you should definitely decide because we're playing tomorrow!