Fighter-Hexblade Multiclass (Carry)

General Info and Suggestions:

• This is the Carry version of the Fighter / The Hexblade multiclass. The goal is to put the important permanent character power into this character, turn Charisma into the main weapon-scaling stat through Bind Hexed Weapon, and use Shadow Blade, Booming Blade, Arcane Synergy, Hexblade’s Curse, and strong defensive gear to carry fights from the front line.
• Alternatively recommended companions for this version are Lae’zel or Karlach. Both fit the martial early game cleanly and can transition into the final setup without awkward roleplay or origin-specific assumptions.
  As a custom character I recommend creating an Half-Orc for the effects of Savage Attacks, Relentless Endurance and Darkvision with the Soldier background.
• Disclaimer: The Extra Attack of the Fighter and the Extra Attack of the Warlock (Deepened Pact) does not stack in Honour Mode. It stacks in all other modes.
• Whether your goal is a build with a shield or a weapon in your offhand, you want to either choose Duelling or Defence as your Fighting Style. Note that there are offhand weapons that might be worth choosing over the 2 extra damage through Duelling (through effects), but consider the reduced AC compared to wearing a shield.
  Make a decision depending on what offhand weapons you have to spare considering your other companions.
• The most important mechanical step after respecializing is to summon or equip Shadow Blade, bind it with Bind Hexed Weapon, and attack with Booming Blade. Bind Hexed Weapon makes the bound weapon use your Charisma modifier, while Booming Blade counts as a weapon attack and can benefit from weapon-related damage bonuses.
• Ideally, another party member should cast Elemental Weapon: Thunder on your equipped Shadow Blade. This gives the blade +1 to Attack Rolls and adds 1d4 Thunder damage. This matters because several item effects care about elemental or Thunder damage, especially Gloves of Belligerent Skies, Boots of Elemental Momentum, and Ring of Elemental Infusion.
• At Warlock level 5, when choosing an Eldritch Invocation, you can take Devil’s Sight instead of Beguiling Influence. Devil’s Sight lets you see through magical Darkness, which allows your party to create Darkness in bright environments and reliably enable Shadow Blade‘s Advantage against Lightly Obscured or Heavily Obscured targets.
• Booming Blade is especially important after character level 5 and character level 11. From character level 5 onward, it adds direct Thunder damage on the initial weapon hit, not only movement-triggered damage. From character level 11 onward, the direct hit and movement punishment both scale again.
• Booming Blade also qualifies for Extra Attack, but it is still limited to one cast per action. In practice, use Booming Blade as the first attack of the action when you want its Thunder, Arcane Synergy, or item-trigger value, then spend the remaining attack normally.
• As your last Feat on Level 12 you want to either:
  1. Choose for a more defensive build with Dual Wielder or Defensive Duellist (depending on if you wear a weapon like Knife of the Undermountain King or a Shield in your offhand) or
  2. Choose a more offensive build with Ability Improvement (+2 CHA)
• This build perfectly synergizes with the Oath of the Crown Paladin Support and Life Domain Cleric Support. The Paladin side can support frontline durability, saves, and aura value, while the Cleric side can maintain healing, buffs, and defensive utility for Broodmother’s Revenge, survivability, and party stability.
• If you aim for a Non-Carry version, for example because you want the permanent buffs on another character, click here.

Permanent Buff Priorities for the Carry Version:

• Auntie Ethel’s Hair: usually put this into Charisma as this character will become the final carry.
• Awakened: valuable if you use Illithid Powers. The usual opportunity is the Zaith’isk in Crèche Y’llek.
• Volo’s Ersatz Eye: useful if you want See Invisibility utility and accept the cosmetic change.
• Potion of Everlasting Vigour: only mandatory if your version values Strength. As the final version is fully Charisma-based through Bind Hexed Weapon, this is optional and may be better used elsewhere.
• Mirror of Loss: prioritize Charisma for the final carry. If your Charisma is already solved through other choices, Constitution is the next most practical defensive option.

Additional High-Value Permanent Buffs:

• Sweet Stone Features: one of the best permanent bonuses for this build. Buy a statue from Boney in the Circus of the Last Days and make this character the depicted character. The buff adds 1d4 to Attack Rolls and Saving Throws, which is excellent on a front-line damage dealer that must both hit reliably and resist control effects. Because only one statue can be made, this is a serious carry-priority buff.
• Anointed in Splendour: very strong defensive priority in Act Three. Offer enough gold to a deity at the Stormshore Tabernacle to gain +2 to all Saving Throws. This is not flashy, but it is exactly the kind of permanent reliability a melee carry wants.
• Partial Ceremorphosis: high priority if you accept the irreversible cosmetic change and are already using Illithid Powers. Consuming the Astral-Touched Tadpole unlocks access to tier 3 Illithid Powers, automatically unlocks all tier 1 powers, and grants Fly. This is especially valuable if the character already has Awakened, because bonus-action illithid powers become much easier to weave into carry turns.
• BOOOAL’s Benediction: powerful but route-dependent. It grants Advantage on Attack Rolls against Bleeding targets, which can be excellent for this build if the party can apply Bleeding consistently. Obtain it in The Festering Cove through the BOOOAL encounter. Do not sacrifice an important companion unless that is an intentional roleplay choice; the non-sacrifice route involving the Sickle of BOOOAL is usually the cleaner optimization route.
• Loviatar’s Love: strong but conditional. If this character falls to 30% Hit Points or lower, it grants +2 to Attack Rolls and Wisdom Saving Throws. Get it from Abdirak in the Shattered Sanctum. This is useful on a durable frontliner, but do not build your normal game plan around deliberately staying low unless the party has enough defensive support. The condition is lost if the character dies and is revived.
• Survival Instinct: useful defensive insurance from Omeluum‘s quest in the Underdark. It is a unique Illithid Power that can save a target when they would hit 0 Hit Points. This is not a damage increase, but it is good carry protection.
• Githzerai Mind Barrier: strong late-Act Two defensive pickup. Use the Waking Mind in the Mind Flayer Colony to gain Advantage on Intelligence Saving Throws. This helps against a weakness many martial builds normally ignore. Be aware that bg3.wiki notes the condition can be lost on character death.
• The Tharchiate Codex: Blessing: strong late-game durability. Reading The Tharchiate Codex and removing Tharchiate Withering gives the character Tharchiate Vigour, granting 20 Temporary Hit Points after each Long Rest. This is a strong default choice for a front-line carry.
• Necromancy of Thay / Forbidden Knowledge: useful early and still relevant later. Turning the pages grants +1 to Wisdom Saving Throws and Ability Checks, plus access to Speak with Dead once per Long Rest. It also connects into Danse Macabre and Mirror of Loss routing later.
• Danse Macabre: optional but useful. It creates four ghoul summons after completing the Necromancy of Thay / The Tharchiate Codex route. It does not increase this character’s weapon damage directly, but additional bodies can create pressure, absorb attacks, and help control the battlefield.
• Arabella’s Shadow Entangle: small but natural pickup because this build already cares about Arabella‘s quest for the Shadow Blade Ring. It gives a situational control tool against Undead and shadow creatures.
• Summon Us: optional but worthwhile if you kept Us alive on the Nautiloid and free it in the Mind Flayer Colony. A free summon is useful for scouting, body-blocking, and occasionally drawing attacks away from the carry.

Lower-Priority or Utility Permanent Buffs:

• Brand of the Absolute: optional. It enables benefits from Absolute Equipment and unlocks some dialogue options. It is mainly relevant if you plan to use specific Absolute-tagged early or midgame items; it is not a final damage priority for the Shadow Blade version.
• Find Familiar: Scratch: useful general utility. Scratch can help locate hidden things and gives another body when summoned through Scratch’s Ball. This is not a damage buff, but it is still worth collecting.
• Find Familiar: Cheeky Quasit: optional utility if you route the Scroll of Summon Quasit from the Apothecary’s Cellar correctly. This is more of a utility/familiar pickup than a core carry buff.
• Instrument proficiency: low combat value, but thematically and practically fine on a high-Charisma character. Get it from Alfira in the Emerald Grove if you want the character to be better at performance-related utility.
• Monk’s Hideous Laughter: low priority. It gives a once-per-Long Rest control spell after completing Help the Cursed Monk with the Sentient Amulet, but it is not important for the build and can involve unwanted ability-score consequences if the saves go badly.

Origin- or Route-Specific Permanent Buffs:

• Vampire Ascendant: extremely strong if the carry is Astarion. Ascended Astarion gains Ascendant Bite, Misty Escape, and an extra 1d10 Necrotic damage on weapon and unarmed attacks. If this build is being played on Astarion, this is one of the strongest possible permanent offensive upgrades.
• Vampire: only available through the romanced Vampire Ascendant Astarion route for some characters. It grants Bite (Vampire Spawn) and access to the Circle of Bones buff. Useful if it fits the route, but not assumed for a generic carry.
• Slayer Form: only relevant for The Dark Urge. It is powerful for a specific route, but it does not directly support the normal Shadow Blade / Booming Blade weapon plan, so treat it as a route feature rather than a build priority.
• Slayer Knowledge: route-specific Dark Urge utility. It is not a core damage increase, but it can matter in the relevant Act Three route.
• Consumed Shadow Weave: only relevant if this build is played as Gale‘s Origin, not as companion Gale. The extra level 3 spell slot is useful, but this is not part of the standard carry route.
• Bardic Inspiration: only available to Bards in the Act Two Alfira interaction, so it normally does not apply to this Fighter / The Hexblade setup.

Usually Avoid on This Character:

• Paid the Price: not recommended. It is mutually exclusive with Volo’s Ersatz Eye, gives Disadvantage on Perception checks, and gives Disadvantage when attacking Hags. The +1 Intimidation is not worth losing permanent See Invisibility on this character.
• Unstable Blood: usually not recommended for a normal front-line carry. Explosive blood can be abused in fire-surface strategies, but it can also make positioning and friendly fire worse. Only take it if the entire party is built around exploiting it safely.

Practical priority summary: for a standard Charisma-based carry, the most important permanent pickups are usually Auntie Ethel’s Hair for Charisma, Awakened if using Illithid Powers, Volo’s Ersatz Eye, Loviatar’s Love, Survival Instinct, Githzerai Mind Barrier, Sweet Stone Features, Anointed in Splendour, The Tharchiate Codex: Blessing, and Mirror of Loss for Charisma. If the carry is Astarion, Vampire Ascendant becomes a top-tier offensive priority.

Act One Walkthrough — Character-Relevant Route:

• Nautiloid: if you want a strong early weapon, obtain the Everburn Blade from Commander Zhalk. It is not part of the final setup, but it is excellent while you are still playing the early Strength-based Fighter version.
• Ravaged Beach / Overgrown Ruins: unlock Withers early. Do not delay this. This build expects at least one respecialization once the The Hexblade, Shadow Blade, and item package is ready.
• Early levels: play Fighter first. Eldritch Knight is the most natural early subclass if you want early access to Booming Blade, while Battle Master is still fine if you prefer stronger generic weapon control before respecializing. Reach Extra Attack at Fighter level 5 before changing the build.
• Emerald Grove: keep Dammon alive if you want later access to excellent Act Two and Act Three gear. If you want Broodmother’s Revenge, resolve Investigate Kagha. The item is carried by Kagha; it can be obtained by killing her, or by the non-lethal method after exposing her and keeping her alive.
• Shattered Sanctum: buy Bow of Awareness from Roah Moonglow. It is a simple early ranged stat stick for +1 Initiative.
• Defiled Temple: pick up Amulet of Misty Step if you want early mobility before your later gear comes online.
• Underdark: get Phalar Aluve. It is a Finesse Longsword with strong party utility through Phalar Aluve: Sing and Phalar Aluve: Shriek. It is not the final weapon once Shadow Blade is active, but it is one of the cleanest bridge weapons.
• Ebonlake Grotto: buy Caustic Band from Derryth Bonecloak. The flat +2 Acid damage on weapon attacks is reliable and useful before your final ring setup is locked.
• Grymforge / Adamantine Forge: craft Adamantine Splint Armour. It is the best defensive bridge armour because it gives strong Armour Class, damage reduction, Reeling, and protection against Critical Hits. If nobody else needs the second Mithral Ore, Adamantine Shield is also a strong defensive offhand.
• Grymforge: defeat or otherwise resolve Nere to obtain Disintegrating Night Walkers. They remain useful for a very long time because Misty Step, anti-slip, anti-Enwebbed, anti-Entangled, and anti-Ensnared effects are always valuable on a melee carry.
• Mountain Pass / Crèche Y’llek: this is the most important late-Act One item cluster. Get Diadem of Arcane Synergy, Ring of Arcane Synergy, Ring of Elemental Infusion, Gloves of Belligerent Skies, Gloves of Dexterity, and Knife of the Undermountain King. These items define many of the build’s midgame options.

Act Two Walkthrough — Character-Relevant Route:

• Last Light Inn: keep Isobel, Jaheira, and Dammon alive. Buy Cloak of Protection from Quartermaster Talli and Darkfire Shortbow from Dammon. Darkfire Shortbow is an excellent ranged stat stick because it grants Resistance to Fire and Cold, plus a once-per-Long Rest cast of Haste.
• Shadow-Cursed Lands: speak with Arabella and start Find Arabella’s Parents. This quest is mandatory for the cleanest version of the build because it rewards the Shadow Blade Ring.
• House of Healing: resolve Malus Thorm and obtain Surgeon’s Subjugation Amulet. It gives a powerful once-per-Long Rest paralysis trigger on a Critical Hit against a Humanoid.
• Campsite: after completing Find Arabella’s Parents, receive the Shadow Blade Ring from Arabella. This is the main respecialization breakpoint. From here, summon Shadow Blade, bind it with Bind Hexed Weapon, and start playing the build around Charisma, Booming Blade, Arcane Synergy, and Shadow Blade‘s Advantage in darkness or dim light.
• Moonrise Towers: buy Sentinel Shield from Lann Tarv. It is one of the best defensive offhands for this build because it gives +3 Initiative and Advantage on Perception checks.
• Moonrise Towers: buy Risky Ring from Araj Oblodra. This is a high-damage option because permanent Advantage on Attack Rolls is extremely strong, but the Disadvantage on Saving Throws is a real defensive cost. Use it when your support setup can cover the weakness.
• Moonrise Towers: if your party route allows it, consider Potion of Everlasting Vigour. It is less important for a final Charisma-bound Shadow Blade setup, but it is still relevant if you continue using Strength-based weapons or want the buff on another character.
• Reithwin Town: Gloves of Battlemage’s Power are a situational Arcane Acuity option. Booming Blade can trigger them, but the old post-Patch 8 Shadow Blade main-hand interaction was removed in a hotfix. Use them only if you actually value Arcane Acuity on this character.
• Grand Mausoleum: collect Vivacious Cloak. It is a solid defensive cloak when casting Booming Blade while Threatened.
• Gauntlet of Shar: collect Dark Justiciar Helmet, Killer’s Sweetheart, and Justiciar’s Greatshield. Dark Justiciar Helmet is strong when fighting while obscured, Killer’s Sweetheart gives a controllable guaranteed Critical Hit, and Justiciar’s Greatshield gives a useful self-contained Darkness Cloak option.
• Mind Flayer Colony: after the second fight against Ketheric Thorm, consider Ketheric’s Shield. It is a strong Shield if you want Advantage on Dexterity Saving Throws and +1 to Spell Save DC and Spell Attack rolls.

Act Three Walkthrough — Character-Relevant Route:

• Rivington: buy Hellrider Longbow from Ferg Drogher if available. It is a strong ranged stat stick because it gives +3 Initiative, Advantage on Perception, and a chance to apply Faerie Fire on weapon hits.
• Wyrm’s Crossing: buy Horns of the Berserker from Entharl Danthelon at Danthelon’s Dancing Axe. It is a strong aggressive helmet when you do not need Diadem of Arcane Synergy for the encounter.
• Wyrm’s Rock Fortress: Helldusk Boots are a high-end mobility and defense option. Be careful with timing around Gortash, because entering restricted areas can affect the fortress state.
• Lower City: visit Dammon at the Forge of the Nine. Buy Armour of Persistence, Boots of Persistence, and Legacy of the Masters depending on your current gear. Armour of Persistence is one of the best non-Helldusk Armour defensive armours in the game.
• Stormshore Tabernacle: buy Mantle of the Holy Warrior from Vicar Humbletoes. This is usually better on a supporting party member, because it lets them cast Crusader’s Mantle while the carry keeps attacking.
• Devil’s Fee: get Mask of Soul Perception from Helsik‘s upstairs room. This is one of the best pure accuracy helmets if you do not need Diadem of Arcane Synergy.
• House of Hope: collect Amulet of Greater Health, Helldusk Gloves, and Helldusk Armour. Amulet of Greater Health is a major defensive upgrade because it sets Constitution to 23 and gives Advantage on Constitution Saving Throws.
• Murder Tribunal: obtain Sarevok’s Horned Helmet from Sarevok Anchev. It is one of the best late-game offensive helmets because it lowers the required roll for a Critical Hit and prevents Frightened.
• Cloister of Sombre Embrace: obtain Viconia’s Walking Fortress from Viconia DeVir. It is the strongest defensive Shield option if you want maximum protection against spell-heavy encounters.
• House of Grief / Mirror of Loss: use the final permanent stat boost on Charisma unless your final spread already solved it. This is the most important late-game permanent buff for the Carry version.

Other Good Item Synergies:

Helmet:

• Diadem of Arcane Synergy — best default helmet. Booming Blade inflicts a condition and can trigger Arcane Synergy, adding your spellcasting modifier to weapon damage.
• Sarevok’s Horned Helmet — late-game offensive option for Critical Hit setups.
• Mask of Soul Perception — excellent if you need raw accuracy, Initiative, and Perception more than Arcane Synergy.
• Dark Justiciar Helmet — good if you often fight from Lightly Obscured or Heavily Obscured positions.
• Horns of the Berserker — strong aggressive helmet against already-damaged targets.

Cloak:

• The Deathstalker Mantle — excellent for The Dark Urge, especially when the carry frequently secures kills.
• Vivacious Cloak — defensive value when casting Booming Blade while Threatened.
• Cloak of Protection — simple, reliable +1 Armour Class and +1 Saving Throws.
• Mantle of the Holy Warrior — best used on a supporting party member so the carry can benefit from Crusader’s Mantle without spending their own action economy.

Armour:

• Adamantine Splint Armour — best early defensive armour for this build.
• Armour of Persistence — excellent late-game defensive armour with permanent durability value.
• Helldusk Armour — best-in-slot defensive armour if no other party member needs it more.

Gloves:

• Gloves of Belligerent Skies — strong with Booming Blade, Elemental Weapon: Thunder, and Reverberation.
• Gloves of Battlemage’s Power — situational Arcane Acuity option. Booming Blade can trigger them, but do not expect the removed Shadow Blade main-hand interaction.
• Helldusk Gloves — strong late-game damage gloves with extra Fire damage on weapon attacks.
• Legacy of the Masters — excellent general-purpose weapon gloves for accuracy and damage.
• Gloves of Dexterity — useful if your respecialized ability spread dumps Dexterity but still wants Initiative, Armour Class, and +1 Attack Rolls.

Boots:

• Disintegrating Night Walkers — best all-around midgame boots because of Misty Step and terrain immunity.
• Boots of Elemental Momentum — useful when your Booming Blade setup reliably deals elemental damage; see the Honour Mode bug note below.
• Helldusk Boots — strong late-game mobility and defensive reaction boots.
• Boots of Persistence — reliable defensive boots if you prefer permanent Freedom of Movement and Longstrider.

Amulet:

• Broodmother’s Revenge — strong if your support setup can trigger healing often, adding 1d6 Poison damage to weapon attacks.
• Surgeon’s Subjugation Amulet — strong control option when combined with Critical Hits.
• Amulet of Greater Health — excellent late-game defensive choice.
• Amulet of Misty Step — useful early mobility before better amulets are available.

Rings:

• Shadow Blade Ring — core item for the build.
• Ring of Arcane Synergy — strong because Booming Blade is a damage-dealing Cantrip.
• Ring of Elemental Infusion — strong with Booming Blade, especially when Elemental Weapon: Thunder makes the weapon itself deal elemental damage.
• Caustic Band — excellent early and midgame damage ring.
• Risky Ring — high-damage option if you can tolerate the defensive downside.
• Killer’s Sweetheart — excellent for planned burst turns and guaranteed Critical Hits.

Weapon (melee):

• Shadow Blade — final core weapon.
• Everburn Blade — strong early Strength-based bridge weapon.
• Phalar Aluve — excellent Act One bridge weapon and party utility tool.
• Knife of the Undermountain King — strong crit-support weapon or backup option before the final Shadow Blade setup is stable. You can also use it as alternative offhand weapon for its effects.

Weapon (ranged):

• Bow of Awareness — early +1 Initiative stat stick.
• Darkfire Shortbow — excellent midgame ranged stat stick for Fire and Cold Resistance, plus Haste.
• Hellrider Longbow — excellent late-game Initiative and Perception stat stick.

Offhand:

• Adamantine Shield — strong early defensive shield if you can spare the Mithral Ore.
• Sentinel Shield — one of the best general offhands because +3 Initiative is extremely valuable.
• Justiciar’s Greatshield — useful if you want a self-contained Darkness Cloak option.
• Ketheric’s Shield — useful if you value Dexterity Saving Throws and spellcasting-related bonuses.
• Viconia’s Walking Fortress — strongest late-game defensive shield.

Known Bugs and Patch 8 Notes (May 2026):

Booming Blade:

• Booming Blade is not correctly classified as a Thunder spell. Because of this, Necklace of Elemental Augmentation and Ring of Absolute Force do not trigger from it reliably, even though Booming Blade deals Thunder damage at higher character levels.
• Gloves of Belligerent Skies, Boots of Elemental Momentum, and Ring of Elemental Infusion interact differently from Necklace of Elemental Augmentation and Ring of Absolute Force. However, in Honour Mode, these items may fail unless the weapon itself deals elemental damage. This is why Elemental Weapon: Thunder on Shadow Blade is so important for the optimized version.
• Booming Blade can work with Extra Attack, but it is limited to one cast per action. Do not expect to cast Booming Blade on every attack in the same action.

Shadow Blade Ring:

• As of Patch 8, Shadow Blade Ring no longer requires Concentration, and the conjured Shadow Blade lasts until Long Rest.
• Shadow Blade Ring can be unequipped after summoning Shadow Blade. However, unequipping the ring can still break the character’s current Concentration spell while the blade is summoned, so avoid doing this on a character currently maintaining an important Concentration effect.
• Shadow Blade Ring has inventory-related bugs that can allow transferred or persistent blades. Treat these as bugs, not as required build assumptions, because they may change in future hotfixes.

Gloves of Battlemage’s Power:

• Gloves of Battlemage’s Power were redesigned in Patch 8. Booming Blade can trigger Battlemage’s Power, but the old interaction where general damage while wielding Shadow Blade in the main hand triggered the gloves was removed in a hotfix after Patch 8. Use them as a Booming Blade-based Arcane Acuity option, not as a generic Shadow Blade engine.