[Base] d20 Warlock Class Variant

Posted on October 11, 2015

These materials represent the Incarna i20™ approach based on d20 use.

The Warlock is always trying to balance their personal quest for power (shortcut) with the plans of their patron and the possible outcomes from their Sworn and Beholden service. These outcomes may be detrimental to them in the long run, or those people or places important to them.

Story Emphasis: It is strongly suggested that all characters have some story for the important elements of their characters.

Universal for all classes: Starting Equipment and Money = By campaign setting – DO NOT USE THE ©PLAYERS HANDBOOK.

Primary Aptitude(s): Divine, Occult OR Psychic; Divine followers generally use Conviction and progress through the States of Grace. Doing so violates their pact and they will lose all their powers [except Eldritch Invocations] until they Atone.

• GODS MAY SERVE AS PATRONS. Those Divine Principals that offer patronage may not not demand strict adherence to tenets, but warlocks must swear as part of Sworn and Beholden to never go directly against the agents, avatars, and adherents on in direct service to the god.
• FIENDS MAY SERVE AS PATRONS: [Dark One] It is a pact with the black pits of hell and the outer dark. Sworn and Beholden: They want power. They want to corrupt, control, and siphon it.

LEVEL-UP: The GM rewards a character a level based on Merit. By default, i20™ assumes by campaign milestone and limited by Experiences using Improvement Limits. Multiclassing follows i20 multi-class parameters in addition to the base requirements. Sanity increases by 1 every 4 character levels.

Magic/Spell Changes

They come from the Mystic Tradition of Patronage. This class uses both Spell and Invocation type castings for determining Casting Constraints. With Conviction, this class can use Divine Connexion to call on small intercessions and counters.

Commitment to Mystic Tradition: If a character decides to commit to a single Tradition as well as using Aptitude for d20 and no Multiclassing, they gain a Committed Spell Progression.

Changes to the PHB Warlock Class

1. Warlock Eldritch Invocations that say so, do NOT use a warlock spell slot, they are each a “per Short Rest” power.
2. Essence Bind: The Warlock loses 1 Essence at 1st level for the deep ties to their patron to channel invocations; they may have a basic Shared Litany (good standing with their faith’s tenets) as well.
3. The Warlock’s Arcane Focus is a form of
4. Focus Point.
5. Tasha’s Cauldron: Additional Warlock Spells, Eldritch Versatility (Optional Features)

6. Pact of the Blade Changes:

   • Eldritch Blade: Prerequisite: Pact of the Blade feature & 4th level
     You may choose to make attacks with your Pact Blade as Melee Spell Attacks. When doing so, you may add your Charisma bonus instead of your Strength or Dexterity bonus to the attack rolls (not damage) rolls of your Pact Blade.
   • Phantasmal Blade: Prerequisite: Pact of the Blade feature & 7th level
     When you summon your Pact Weapon, select a damage type: until you dismiss your weapon or take a short or long rest, your Pact Weapon deals this type of damage.
   • Living Blade: The Warlock may sacrifice 1 Essence to further bind their weapon. This causes it to use Charisma as a damage modifier instead of strength as well. Once per turn, upon scoring a hit, the bonded weapon will also evince an effect equal to Prestidigitation.
     > If the item is “destroyed”, it is banished instead for 24 hours and the Warlock takes D4 damage (cannot be killed; automatic madness if it does enough damage) and must make a DC 10 Sanity check or gains a temporary madness during that time.

7. Pact of the Tome Changes:

   • Patron’s Watcher: At 4th level, an Essence Bound Warlock which takes the Ritual Caster feat automatically also gains Find Familiar spell; those with the Pact of the Chain gain Phantom Steed in their ritual book in addition to the normal starting spells.
   • Living Tome: A Warlock character with Pact of the Tome may spend 1 Essence to make their tome a living tome. It has the following benefits: 1) If the tome is destroyed, when it is re-conjured it has the same spells; 2) Their Book of Shadows has a number of Cantrips equal to 3 or their Charisma bonus; If ever their CHA bonus is higher, they gain the difference between 3 and the CHA bonus; 3) If the character has a Book of Ancient Secrets they gain a number of ritual spells equal to equal to 3 or their Charisma bonus (whichever is higher)
     > If the item is “destroyed”, it is banished instead for 24 hours and the Warlock takes D4 damage (cannot be killed; automatic madness if it does enough damage) and must make a DC 10 Sanity check or gains a temporary madness during that time.

8. Pact of the Chain Changes:

   • Eldritch Evocation: Voice of the Chain Master Avatar of the Master requires the Warlock to spend 1 Essence. This Invocation also has the effect of creating such a close bond between the Warlock and his familiar that the familiar is able to maintain concentration on one spell (until the spell’s maximum duration) while the Warlock concentrates on another – just as the Magnify Ritual Spell Ritual Lore ability. Additionally, the Warlock is able to cast an spell with a verbal only component through the Familiar, as if the familiar were casting it, with the Familiar duplicating the Warlock’s actions. A familiar can also control a summoned Mage Hand, Unseen Servant, and may issue commands to a victim of the Warlock’s Charm Person spell.
     > If the item is “destroyed”, it is banished instead for 24 hours and the Warlock takes D4 damage (cannot be killed; automatic madness if it does enough damage) and must make a DC 10 Sanity check or gains a temporary madness during that time.
   • An Unseen Servant may be commanded using a Reaction instead of a Bonus Action
   • Mage Hand may be controlled using a Bonus action instead of a regular Action
   • Charm Person: Any creatures first time spell save against the warlock casting it upon them is made with Disadvantage

Sworn and Beholden

This is a deep part of the Warlock – in exchange for knowledge and power, they serve their patron. At 4th, 8th, and 12th levels, all Warlocks voluntarily subjects themselves to a Gaes from their Patron. They must attempt to fulfill this Gaes as swiftly as possible, or lose the powers of their Eldritch Invocations. While under this Gaes, they gain the use of an additional Elritch Invocation to complete it, and when complete its use fades from the character’s ability.

Powers

• None of the Invocations use a Spell Slot to cast; the Warlock barely has any spell slots already, this penalizes them rather than empowers.
• The following are changed to 1/Short Rest: Thief of Five Fates

Feats

Soul Sacrifice (Offering)

Blood and Souls! The character kills a victim in a manner proscribed by a Ritual. A Number of victims can be sacrificed for gain equal to their Charisma modifier (min. 1). The benefits gained vanish after a period of time equal to a Short Rest (Long Rest if 13th level or higher). For each sacrifice, the Warlock may choose the following benefit:

• [Universal] Switch out 1 of their Eldritch Invocations until the long rest ends. The new one can be any they meet the requirements for.
• Fiend: Dark Ones Own Luck
• Old One: Entropic Ward
• Fey: Misty Escape

Requirements: Soul sacrifice may be done only 1/Long Rest. The victim must be sentient, and have Essence. Type: Enemies of the Patron. Alignment: Must reflect enemies of the Patron.

Warlock Books and Tomes

Inscription Rules: What is inscribed in Warlock grimoires persists through re-conjurings if the inscription cost is doubled. By strict interpretation, anything inscribed therein is gone if it is destroyed or un-conjured. Persistence lasts only a single re-conjuring; if a book is re-conjured each spell and cantrip must be inscribed over the top of again using more expensive materials or the tome’s destruction will cause them to be lost.

• Book of Shadows: Normal Inscription Rules apply…
• Tome of Ancient Secrets: Normal Inscription Rules apply…