Warlock: Sworn and Beholden
Warlock: Sworn and Beholden
Warlock: Sworn and Beholden
With a pseudodragon curled on h is shoulder, a young elf in golden robes smiles warmly, weaving a
magical charm into his honeyed words and bending the palace sentinel to his will. As flames spring to
life in her hands, a wizened human whispers the secret name of her demonic patron, in fusing her spell
with fiendish magic. Shifting his gaze between a battered tome and the odd alignment of the stars
overhead, a wild eyed tiefling chants the mystic ritual that will open a doorway to a distant world.
Warlocks are seekers of the know ledge that lies hidden in the fabric of the multiverse. Through pacts
made with mysterious beings of supernatural power, warlocks unlock magical effects both subtle and
Spectacular. Drawing on the ancient know ledge of beings such as fey nobles , demons , devils, hags,
and alien entities of the Far Realm, war locks piece together arcane secrets to bolster their own power.
The magic bestowed on a warlock ranges from minor but lasting alterations to the warlock's being
(such as the ability to see in darkness or to read any language) to access to powerful spells. Unlike
bookish wizards. warlocks supplement their magic with some facility at hand-to-hand combat. They
are comfortable in light armor and know how to use simple weapons.
forbidden lore, a brilliant but crazed student’s mind is opened to realities beyond the material world and
to the alien beings that dwell in the outer void. Once a pact is made, a warlock’s thirst for know ledge
and power can’t be slaked with mere study and research. No one makes a pact with such a mighty
patron if he or she doesn’t intend to use the power thus gained. Rather, the vast majority of warlocks
spend their days in active pursuit of their goals, which typically means some kind of adventuring.
Furthermore, the demands of their patrons drive war locks toward adventure.
Creating a Warlock
As you make your war lock character, spend some time thinking about your patron and the obligations
that your pact imposes upon you. What led you to make the pact, and how did you make contact with
your patron? Were you seduced into summoning a devil, or did you seek out the ritual that would
allow you to make contact with an alien elder god? Did you search for your patron, or did your patron
find and choose you? Do you chafe under the obligations of your pact or serve joyfully in
anticipation of the rewards promised to you? Work with your DM to determine how big a part your
pact will play in your character’s adventuring career.
Your patron’s demands might drive you into
adventures, or they might consist entirely of small Q u i c k B u i l d
favors you can do between adventures. What kind You can make a war lock quickly by following these
of relationship do you have with your patron? Is it suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability
score, followed by Constitution. Second , choose the charlatan
friendly, antagonistic, uneasy, or romantic? background . Third choose the eldritch blast and chill touch
How important does your patron consider you to cantrips, along with the 1st-level spells ray of sickness and
be? What part do you play in your patron ’s plans? witch bolt.
Do you know other servants of your patron?
How does your patron communicate with you? If
you have a familiar, it might occasionally speak
with your patron’s voice. Some warlocks find
messages from their patrons etched on trees ,
mingled among tea leaves, or adrift in the clouds
messages that only the warlock can see. Other
warlocks converse with their patrons in dreams or
waking visions , or deal only with intermediaries.
Class Features
As a warlock , you gain the following class features.
H i t P o in t s
Hit Dice: 1d8 per warlock level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per warlock level after 1 st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose two skills from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, and Religion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background :
• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
• (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack
• Leather armor, any simple weapon , and two daggers
Pact Magic
Your arcane research and the magic bestowed on you by your patron have given you facility with spells. See chapter 10 for
the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the war lock spell list.
Cantrips
You know two cantrips of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn additional warlock cantrips of your choice at
higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Warlock table.
Spell Slots
The Warlock table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is;
all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your warlock spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a
spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.
For example, when you are 5th level, you have two 3rd level spell slots. To cast the 1st level spell thunderwave, you must
spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 3rd level spell.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the warlock spells you know and rep lace it with
another spell from the warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Eldritch Invocations
In your study of occult lore, you have unearthed eldritch invocations, fragments of forbidden know ledge that
imbue you with an abiding magical ability. At 2nd level, you gain two eldritch invocations of your choice. Your invocation
options are detailed at the end of the class description. When you gain certain warlock levels, you gain additional
invocations of your choice, as shown in the Invocations Known column of the Warlock table. Additionally, when you gain a
level in this class, you can choose one of the invocations you know and replace it with another invocation that you could
learn at that level.
Pact Boon
At 3rd level, your other worldly patron bestows a gift
upon you for your loyal service. You gain one of the
following features of your choice.
Mystic Arcanum
At 11th level, your patron bestows upon you a magical secret called an arcanum. Choose one 6th -level
spell
from the warlock spell list as this arcanum. You can cast your arcanum spell once without expending a
spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again. At higher levels, you gain more
warlock spells of your choice that can be cast in this way: one 7th level spell at 13th level, one 8th level
spell at 15th level, and one 9th level spell at 17th level. You regain all uses of your Mystic Arcanum
when you finish a long rest.
Eldritch Master
At 20th level, you can draw on your inner reserve of mystical power while entreating your patron to
regain expended spell slots. You can spend 1 minute entreating your patron for aid to regain all your
expended spell slots from your Pact Magic feature. Once you regain spell slots with this feature, you
must finish a long rest be fore you can do so again.
Otherworldly Patrons
The beings that serve as patrons for war locks are mighty inhabitants of other planes of existence—not
gods , but almost god like in their power. Various patrons give their war locks access to different
powers and invocations, and expect significant favors in return. Some patrons collect warlocks , doling
out mystic knowledge relatively freely or boasting of their ability to bind mortals to their will. Other
patrons bestow their power only grudgingly, and might make a pact with
only one warlock. Warlocks who serve the same patron might view each other as allies, siblings, or
rivals.
Fey Presence
Starting at 1st level, your patron bestows upon you the
ability to project the beguiling and fearsome presence of the
fey. As an action, you can cause each creature in a 10 -foot
cube originating from you to make a Wisdom saving throw
against your war lock spell save DC. The creatures that fail
their saving throws are all charmed or frightened by you
(your choice ) until the end of your next turn. Once you use
this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or
long rest.
Misty Escape
Starting at 6th level, you can vanish in a puff of mist in response to harm. When you take damage, you
can use your reaction to turn invisible and teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.
You remain invisible until the start of your next turn or until you attack or cast a spell. Once you use
this feature, you can 't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Beguiling Defenses
Beginning at 10th level, your patron teaches you how to turn the mind affecting magic of your enemies
against them. You are immune to being charmed , and when another creature attempts to charm you,
you can use your reaction to attempt to turn the charm back on that creature. The creature must succeed
on a Wisdom saving throw against your warlock spell save DC or be charmed by you for 1 minute or
until the creature takes any damage.
Dark Delirium
Starting at 14th level, you can plunge a creature into an illusory realm. As an action, choose a creature
that you can see with in 60 feet of you. It must make a Wisdom saving throw against your warlock spell
save DC. On a failed save, it is charmed or frightened by you (your choice ) for 1 minute or until your
concentration is broken (as if you are concentrating on a spell). This effect ends early if the creature
takes any damage. Until this illusion ends, the creature thinks it is lost in a misty realm , the appearance
of which you choose. The creature can see and hear only itself, you , and the illusion. You must finish a
short or long rest before you can use this feature again.
The Fiend
You have made a pact with a fiend from the lower planes of existence , a being whose aims are evil,
even if you strive against those aims. Such beings desire the corruption or destruction of all things,
ultimately including you. Fiends powerful enough to forge a pact include demon lords such as
Demogorgon, Orcus, Fraz’Urb-luu, and Baphomet; archdevils such
as Asmodeus, Dispater, Mephistopheles, and Belial; pit fiends and balors that are especially mighty;
and ultroloths and other lords of the yugoloths.
Fiendish Resilience
Starting at 10th level, you can choose one damage type when you finish a short or long rest. You gain
resistance to that damage type until you choose a different one with this feature. Dam age from
magical weapons or silver weapons ignores this resistance.
Awakened Mind
Starting at 1st level, your alien know ledge gives you the ability to touch the minds of other creatures .
You can communicate telepathically with any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You don ’t
need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the
creature must be able to understand at least one language.
En-tropic Ward
At 6th level, you learn to magically ward yourself against attack and to turn an enemy’s failed strike
into good luck for yourself. When a creature makes an attack roll against you, you can use your
reaction to impose disadvantage on that roll. If the attack misses you, your next attack roll against the
creature has advantage if you make it be fore the end of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you
can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Thought Shield
Starting at 10th level, your thoughts can’t be read by telepathy or other means unless you allow it. You
also have resistance to psychic damage , and whenever a creature deals psychic damage to you, that
creature takes the same amount of damage that you do.
Create Thrall
At 14th level, you gain the ability to infect a humanoid’s mind with the alien magic of your patron. You
can use your action to touch an incapacitated humanoid. That creature is then charm ed by you until a
remove curse spell is cast on it, the charm ed condition is removed from it, or you use this feature
again. You can communicate telepathically with the charm ed creature as long as the two of you are on
the same plane of existence.
Eldritch Sight
You can cast detect magic at w ill, without
expending a spell slot.
Eldritch Spear Other worldly Leap
Prerequisite: eldritch blast cantrip Prerequisite: 9th level You can cast jump on
When you cast eldritch blast, its range is 300 feet. your self at will, without expending a spell slot or
material components.
Eyes of the Rune Keeper Repelling Blast
You can read all writing. Prerequisite: eldritch blast cantrip
When you hit a creature with eldritch blast, you
Fiendish Vigor can push the creature up to 10 feet away from you
You can cast false life on yourself at will as a in a straight line.
1st level spell, without expending a spell slot or
material components. Sculptor of Flesh
Prerequisite: 7th level You can cast polymorph
Gaze of Two Minds once using a war lock spell slot. You can’t do so
You can use your action to touch a willing again until you finish a long rest.
humanoid and perceive through its senses until the
end of your next turn. As long as the creature is on Sign of Ill Omen
the same plane of existence as you, you can use Prerequisite: 5th level You can cast bestow curse
your action on subsequent turns to maintain this once using a warlock spell slot. You can ’t do so
connection, extending the duration until the end of again until you finish a long rest.
your next turn. While perceiving through the other
creature’s senses , you benefit from any special Thief of Five Fates
senses possessed by that creature, and you are You can cast bane once using a warlock spell slot.
blinded and deafened to your own surroundings. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.