Hex is the Warlock’s bread-and-butter concentration buff. You curse a creature; until the spell ends, you deal extra necrotic damage when you hit it with an attack, and you choose one ability — the target has disadvantage on ability checks made with that ability.
This Hex 5E guide covers ability choice, blast synergy, and upcasting duration.
- Spell Level
- 1st
- Spell Type
- Enchantment
- Casting Time
- 1 Bonus Action
- Range
- 90 feet
- Component Requirements
- Verbal, Somatic, Material (the petrified eye of a newt)
- Duration
- Concentration, up to 1 hour
- Class
- Warlock
- At Higher Levels
- Longer duration (up to 24 hours at higher slots — confirm your print)
How does Hex work?
Bonus action, curse one creature you can see within range:
- When you hit it with an attack, you deal extra necrotic damage (typically 1d6).
- Choose Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma — the target has disadvantage on ability checks with that ability.
- If the target drops to 0 HP before the spell ends, you can use a bonus action on a later turn to curse a new creature.
Best ability to hex
- Strength — shove/grapple contests
- Dexterity — less common for checks mid-fight, but sneaky for initiative-adjacent tables that treat certain contests oddly
- Wisdom — Insight contests and some contested features
- Charisma — social scenes if Hex lasts into downtime roleplay (campaign-dependent)
In pure combat, Strength is the most frequently useful contest dump.
Hex + Eldritch Blast
Each Eldritch Blast beam that hits triggers Hex’s bonus damage. With Agonizing Blast, that is the classic Warlock nova pattern. See the Eldritch Blast 5E guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hex affect saving throws?
No. Only ability checks and the bonus damage on hits.
Can you Hex the same creature twice?
You maintain one Hex. Moving it after a kill is the intended refresh pattern.
Does Hex work with magic missile?
Magic Missile is not an attack roll. Hex’s bonus damage requires you hit with an attack.
