Okay short recap of the combo.
Spell Combat + Hex strike = hit with spell and hex in the same round.
1st Assumption: its legal to take Hex Strike as a Hexcrafter
2nd Assumption: Gauntlet can be used to spell combat
Assuming you agree with the above would you then allow a character to also have the Bladebound archtype and select a Gauntlet as his "black blade" (which goes against the blackblade being a slashing weapon)
which visually would be the iconic one arm armored and the other arm bare.
Using a Gauntlet would suck alot less with the Blackblade abilities on it.
you are giving up 1d6 for 1d3 and more importantly 18-20 for 20.
In return your getting the blackblade enchantments +arcane pool enchantment on your gauntlet that can deliver the Hex Strike.
you are still limited by the 1 swift per round which clashes with most of your good arcana.
Thoughts ?
That's a bit too many assumptions for me for Rules Questions.
But if it was in Houserules, sure, why not? Although I haven't thought about it enough.
I've never heard of the one arm armored, the other empty imagery. Where is it from?
That's a bit too many assumptions for me for Rules Questions.
But if it was in Houserules, sure, why not? Although I haven't thought about it enough.
I've never heard of the one arm armored, the other empty imagery. Where is it from?
the most recent example I could point you towards would be the main character promo art from Dragon Age 2.
Okay short recap of the combo.
Spell Combat + Hex strike = hit with spell and hex in the same round.
1st Assumption: its legal to take Hex Strike as a Hexcrafter
2nd Assumption: Gauntlet can be used to spell combat
Assuming you agree with the above would you then allow a character to also have the Bladebound archtype and select a Gauntlet as his "black blade" (which goes against the blackblade being a slashing weapon)
which visually would be the iconic one arm armored and the other arm bare.
...
Thoughts ?
1st Assumption looks like it would be legal, by RAI if not necessarily by a strict RAW interpretation. The Hex Strike feat requires that you specify a "one hex that you can use to affect no more than one opponent." The Hex Magus class feature grants "one hex from the witch's hex class feature." In addition, the Hex Arcana class feature allows the hexcrafter to "select any witch hex in place of a magus arcana."
2nd Assumption also looks legal. The gauntlet (along with brass knuckles, cestus, spiked gauntlet, and unarmed strike) is listed as a light melee weapon in the weapon tables. Spell Combat requires "one hand free (even if the spell being cast does not have somatic components), while wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand." Again, a strict RAW interpretation may make the assumption that "in the other hand" requires "holding, not wearing," but RAI it looks OK.
Houseruling the black blade to a "black gauntlet" would be up to the individual GM. It may or may not work in his campaign.
It looks like a fairly clever way of getting semi-decent damage/status effect capability (and being able to combine Hex Strike with Spellstrike during the same round) without taking monk levels or investing a lot in feats and equipment. The only issue you run into is that you can only do lethal damage with the gauntlet (without the -4 penalty, pg. 191 of the Core Rulebook), instead of choosing lethal or non-lethal as with a normal Improved Unarmed Strike.
I hadn't considered only being able to do lethal damage with the gauntlet although its a small price to pay to achieve the combo.
I guess in a pinch in a round I don't spell combat I can use the bare unarmed hand to deliver a non-lethal unarmed strike. or a kick as the iterative attack during a spell combat.
been playing with the early build levels and its very feat intensive. The earliest I can start using this combo is 5th level.
3rd level black gauntlet
4th Hex: e.g. evileye
5th Hex Strike
gets worse when you realize it will cost you 2 feats per hex you want to hex strike with. will need to be very careful with Hex choices
Hex Strike (Combat): "Prerequisites: Hex class feature, Improved Unarmed Strike."
Hexcrafter (Archetype): "Hex Magus (Su)" and "Hex Arcana."
Technically, the Hexcrafter does not have the Hex class feature, so he does not qualify for Hex Strike.
Another question is if the gauntlet still counts as an unarmed strike. Sean K Reynolds (Developer): "Brass knuckles should be armed (light melee weapon) attacks. (As should gauntlets and spiked gauntlets.) Which makes it clear that using brass knuckles is not an unarmed attack"
As to how reasonable it is to house rule otherwise, I don't have any useful opinion. (I would probably allow it outside of PFS as long as it's not overshadowing the rest of the group. Black Gauntlet is kind of cool. Especially if he can't ever take it off!)
Hex Strike (Combat): "Prerequisites: Hex class feature, Improved Unarmed Strike."
Hexcrafter (Archetype): "Hex Magus (Su)" and "Hex Arcana."
Technically, the Hexcrafter does not have the Hex class feature, so he does not qualify for Hex Strike.
Another question is if the gauntlet still counts as an unarmed strike. Sean K Reynolds (Developer): "Brass knuckles should be armed (light melee weapon) attacks. (As should gauntlets and spiked gauntlets.) Which makes it clear that using brass knuckles is not an unarmed attack"
As to how reasonable it is to house rule otherwise, I don't have any useful opinion. (I would probably allow it outside of PFS as long as it's not overshadowing the rest of the group. Black Gauntlet is kind of cool. Especially if he can't ever take it off!)
I acutally had the idea that the character would lose his hand at the end of 2nd level and find the black gauntlet at 3rd level which binds to his flesh.
as for balance its acutally underpowered since there's no benefit of spellstriking through a gauntlet with its threat range of 20
I'd allow it...for what it's worth. Your still kinda losing out on the crit range.
Sorry for the Necro...i found this thread in a search and commented without thinking.
Why not use a non spiked gauntlet.
You count as unarmed when you attack with one of those. I... think.