Warlock
This class and 5 others are now available in a playtested, balanced, edited, layouted and illustrated version in my 13th Age expansion book Dark Pacts & Ancient Secrets.
Powerful ancient beings exist in the fringes of the Dragon Empire. Fey nobles live beyond portals to the twilight realms. Demon lords stretch their hands through hell holes. The ghosts of past emperors roam their burial sites. The souls of martyrs are still bound in relics in forgotten temples. Power-hungry or desperate souls who seal pacts with these entities to in exchange for arcane power are known as Warlocks.
Unlike sorcerers, warlocks only have weak innate magic ability, or none at all. They do not have the smarts or the patience to unlock arcane secrets through diligent studies like wizards either. Warlocks choose the fast way to power, but it comes as a price. You have sealed a contract with a powerful entity to gain your power.
Most beings who offer pacts are associated with one of the Icons. Demon lords are allied with the Diabolist, fey with the Elf Queen or the High Druid, ancient dark gods with the Priestess or the Crusader. The Emperor and the Archmage grant power from ancient nodes that form the ancient seals of the Dragon Empire. Even the Shadow Prince initiates Warlocks, but it's certain that the powers he channels have been taken from someone who did not guard them closely enough.
Whether your Warlock has sealed the pact willingly or because there was no other choice left is up to you. There have been cases where an infant was given pact powers by overzealous parents or guardians. Some pacts are hereditary, and have been handed down in families over generations.
In either case, never forget that there is also your side of the bargain, and your master will collect it one day.
Overview
Play Style: Warlocks are a tactical spellcaster class. They learn three types of spells: Blasts are straightforward damage spells; curses put a variety of harmful effects on your enemies; and hexes provide a bag of tricks that is useful in and out of combat. Each round, you face the decision whether to weaken an enemy to give your side an edge, or blast at full force to reduce the enemy numbers. Some of your blasts are more powerful if you use them against enemies you cursed first. Your combat role can switch between spoiler and wrecker.
Unlike most other spellcasters, all your spells are at-will, which means you do not need to worry about resource management, daily spells and full heal-ups. As long as you do not lose the support of your pact entity, you can blast and curse freely all day long.
Also, unlike other casters, you have no long-range spells. You can use your tougher allies as meat shields, but you still need to keep an eye on your defenses as you will end up in melee sooner or later. Some Warlocks embrace that and become quite competent with weapons and even armor.
Ability Scores: Charisma is a warlock’s key ability score, as attack and damage of your spells depend on it. As a secondary, Constitution and Intelligence are equally important. A high Constitution will increase your damage with blast spells, while a high Intelligence makes it harder for enemies to shake off your curses. You can focus on either or keep a decent score in both.
Warlocks gain a +2 bonus to Charisma, Constitution or Intelligence, as long as it is not the same ability score you chose for your racial bonus.
Races: Warlocks can be of any race, but most societies view them with suspicion. Often, they are outright shunned as outcasts, even where other spellcasters are treated with respect. A Warlocks social standing also depends on the higher power he or she has sealed a pact with. Warlocks with a fey pact are often welcome among elves, while those with an infernal pact are respected by tieflings. Savage Warlocks have some status among the humanoid races of the uncivilized north.
From a rules perspective, any race with a bonus to Charisma, Constitution or Intelligence has an edge, which includes all races from the core rule book except half-orcs and wood elves. Half-Orcs benefit from the Hexblade talent, as it allows them to make good use of their melee-based racial power.
Backgrounds: An exiled court jester has failed his master in an attempt to overthrow the king. A stage charlatan is hiding greater powers behind petty illusions. An escaped slave of the orc mines has traded his soul for freedom. A baby-faced farm boy is out to avenge the death of his parents. A corrupted wizard apprentice could not resist the book his master tried to hide. A sunburnt hermit of the Red Wastes found an old staff in a tomb. The elf prince touched by the fey can steal your heart with a wink. The gladiator with a dark past has a scar to remind him of his bargain. The street urchin who talks to rats has no idea who he is really talking to.
Icons: The dark entities that channel their power through the Warlock are connected to icons, be it as servants, allies, rivals or ancient enemies. See the pact entries in the class feature chapter on the individual flavor.
Gear
Warlock magic is gained from pact with a powerful being and does not rely on particular equipment. However, many carry a simple melee weapon just in case. Some carry wands to channel their magic, but they are purely for show unless they have innate magic. For clothing, some prefer mundane clothing to draw as little attention as possible, while others dress as flashy as possible to blind and awe the common people. A third kind dresses in dark robes and menacing symbols to show that they are not to be messed with.
You can choose to start with either 25 gp, or if you are the gambling type, 1d6 x 10 gp.
Armor
Warlocks can wear light armor for a small AC benefit. They lack the proper training for heavy armor.
Type | Base AC | Attack Penalty |
None | 10 | - |
Light | 11 | - |
Heavy | 12 | -2 |
Shield | +1 | -2 |
Weapons
Warlocks mostly rely on their spells in combat, so their choice of weapon is mainly based on the image they want to project. If you play the role of a lost prince, a slender, richly decorated blade will serve you well. If you want to appear as a poor beggar, a gnarly old staff will do.
Size | One-Handed | Two-Handed |
Small | 1d4 knife | 1d6 staff |
Light or Simple | 1d6 short sword | 1d8 spear |
Heavy or Martial | 1d8 (-2 atk) longsword, scimitar | 1d10 (-2 atk) greatsword |
Size | Thrown | Crossbow | Bow |
Small | 1d4 dagger | 1d4 hand crossbow | |
Light or Simple | 1d6 javelin, axe | 1d6 light crossbow | 1d6 shortbow |
Heavy | - | 1d8 heavy crossbow | 1d8 (-2 atk) longbow |
Basic Attacks
Melee Attack
At-Will
Target: One enemy
Attack: Strength OR Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: Weapon + Strength or Dexterity damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level
Ranged Attack
At-Will
Target: One enemy
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: Weapon + Dexterity damage
Miss: --
Warlock Level Level Progression
Note: Although not listed on the table, Warlocks get three talents. They do not gain more at higher levels.
You can split your prepared spells among blasts, curses and hexes as you prefer.
Warlock Level |
Total Hit Points | Total Feats | Prepared spells | Level-up Ability Bonuses |
Damage Bonus from Ability Score |
Level 1 | (6 + CON mod) x 3 | 1 adventurer | 4 | ability modifier | |
Level 2 | (6 + CON mod) x 4 | 2 adventurer | 5 | ability modifier | |
Level 3 | (6 + CON mod) x 5 | 3 adventurer | 6 | ability modifier | |
Level 4 | (6 + CON mod) x 6 | 4 adventurer | 7 | +1 to 3 abilities | ability modifier |
Level 5 | (6 + CON mod) x 8 | 4 adventurer 1 champion |
8 | 2 x ability modifier | |
Level 6 | (6 + CON mod) x 10 | 4 adventurer 2 champion |
9 | 2 x ability modifier | |
Level 7 | (6 + CON mod) x 12 | 4 adventurer 3 champion |
10 | +1 to 3 abilities | 2 x ability modifier |
Level 8 | (6 + CON mod) x 16 | 4 adventurer 3 champion 1 epic |
11 | 3 x ability modifier | |
Level 9 | (6 + CON mod) x 20 | 4 adventurer 3 champion 2 epic |
12 | 3 x ability modifier | |
Level 10 | (6 + CON mod) x 24 | 4 adventurer 3 champion 3 epic |
13 | +1 to 3 abilities | 3 x ability modifier |
Multiclass Warlocks start with 3 prepared spells at level 1. See the Multiclass information at the bottom for more details.
Warlock Stats
Initiative, AC, PD, MD, Hit Points, Recovery Dice, Feats, and some Talents are level dependent.
Ability Bonus | +2 Constitution, Intelligence or Charisma (different from racial bonus) |
Initiative | Dex mod + Level |
Armor Class (light armor) | 11 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level |
Physical Defense | 11 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level |
Mental Defense | 11 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level |
Hit Points | (6 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression chart) |
Recoveries | (probably) 8 |
Recovery Dice | (1d6 x Level) + Con mod |
Backgrounds | 8 points, max 5 in any one background |
Icon Relationships | 3 points; 4 at 5th level, 5 at 8th level |
Talents | 3 |
Feats | 1 per level |
Class Features
Warlock Spells
Your pact lord also grants you spells, which belong to one of three types: blasts, curses and hexes.
Blasts are straightforward spells that throw raw energies at your foes to deal as much damage as possible. Blasts have limited out of combat use, such as starting a campfire with a fire spell or dissolving a lock with acid, but their main purpose is to paint the room with the entrails of your enemies.
Curses weaken and hinder your opponents, making it easier to defeat them. They deal less damage than blast spells, but they show their true value when the party is facing powerful enemies. All curses put a condition on the target that give it a disadvantage in combat.
Hexes target yourself or the environment. They are what Wizards fancifully call "utility spells". As with blasts and curses, you can use any hex at will.
All Spells
The following rules apply to any warlock spell:
- You choose your spells during a full heal-up. You can mix blasts, curses and hexes as you prefer.
- All Warlock spells are at-will.
- You use your Charisma for attack rolls and damage.
- The effect of Warlock spells is determined by your current class level. Unlike other spellcasting classes, Warlock spells deal a number of damage die equal to your class level, similar to weapon attacks.
Blast Spells
- Blast spell are ranged spells
- Blasts target a nearby enemy
- Blast type spells add your Constitution modifier (x2 at 5th level, x3 at 8th) to damage, in addition to Charisma.
- Even though some Warlocks like to shout out fancy names for all their spells for extra effect, this is not necessary with blasts. Blasts only require somatic components, i.e. gestures. Most of them are ranged spells and draw opportunity attacks. Make sure to disengage from enemies before using them. At the DM's discretion, he can rule that you are unable to cast blasts if your hands are bound.
Curse Spells
- Curse spells are close-quarters spells.
- Curses target a nearby enemy.
- Curse spells do not deal miss damage, and omit that entry.
- Most cursed are "save ends" effects. As the name implies, the effect of these spells end when the enemy saves against it. The difficulty of the saving throw against curse spells is 10 + your Intelligence modifier.
- The maximum save difficulty for curse spells, including any buffs from any source, is 18+. In other words, enemies always save on 18+, no matter what.
- Some curses are "Trigger once": These curses have a one-time effect that triggers on a specific condition described in the spell. Once the effect triggers, the curse ends. If the curse is not triggered, it ends at the end of the battle.
- “Cursed enemy” is a shorthand for enemies that are currently under the effect of a warlock curse.
- Cursed enemies are vulnerable to your attacks, thanks to your Malediction class feature (below).
- Curses cannot be stacked; if you hit a cursed enemy with another curse spell, you remove the first curse. Once you have successfully cursed an enemy and it did not manage to shake off the curse, hit it with blasts or switch to a different target.
- Curses only require verbal components; in other words, you to utter words to cast them but don't need gestures. In game terms, they are close-quarter spells and do not draw opportunity attacks. At the DM's discretion, you may be unable to use curse spells when you are unable to utter words, such as when gagged or under the effect of a Silence spell.
Hex Spells
- Hex spells are close-quarters spells.
- Some hex spells are quick actions.
- Hex spells are ongoing effects. These spells last until you end the effect as a free action, get knocked unconscious or die. You can only have one Hex of one type active at a time (one general hex, one mantle hex, one weapon hex). When you cast a second Hex spell of one type, the first ends.
- Mantle Hex: This is a type of Hex spell that you cast on yourself; you cannot cast them on other targets. You can only have one Mantle Hex active; if you cast a second Mantle Hex on yourself the first one ends.
- Weapon Hex: This is a type of Hex that you cast on a weapon. A weapon Hex is only active while you hold the weapon in your hand; if you drop the weapon or get disarmed, it ends. You can cast a weapon hex before combat if you have your weapon drawn. You can only have one weapon hex active; if you cast a second one on the same or a different weapon, the first one ends. Weapon hexes can be used on melee or ranged weapons, unless the hex is restricted to one type in the description. When you are dual-wielding, you gain the effect on both weapons.
Malediction
Cursed enemies are vulnerable to your attacks (+2 to your critical threat range).
Warlock Pact
The entity that you have sealed your pact with is related to an Icon, or ultimately the Icon itself. Choose one of the nine pacts below and gain a pact power associated with the Icon of your choice; you can use this power once per battle.
It is a good storytelling opportunity to tie your pact to your backgrounds and One Unique Thing. Whether you gain your powers is directly from the icon or not is up to you - you could have your pact with a powerful ally or servant. It could even be an old enemy that the Icon defeated and took its powers from.
The Diabolist is served by demon lords, noble fey from the summer and winter courts are allied with the Elf Queen or the High Druid, ancient dark gods grant their power to the Priestess or the Crusader. The Archmage is claims sovereignty over all arcane magic, and is the patron of Warlocks who sign pacts with genies and lords of the elements. Nobody knows where the Shadow Prince takes his power from - likely it was not his to give. Warlocks who gain their power from powerful undead like vampires or banshees will need to deal with the Lich King, whether they want it or not.
The draconic icons, the Gold Wyrm and the Three, do not willingly lend their magic to arcane casters. Those who share it in their blood become Sorcerers instead. The Dwarf King is strongly opposed to everything that Warlocks represent; he will sign a contract over mining rights, but not arcane magic.
After the first Emperor slew the Witch King, the most powerful Warlock to ever walk on the physical realm, he not only ended the Golden Age of Witchcraft, he initiated a hunt for all arcane spellcasters that erased most of the first traditions. Only when the surviving colleges elected the first Archmage, made an uneasy truce and promised to serve the Empire did he relent. Still, Warlocks have not forgotten. It goes without saying that there is no such thing as an Imperial Pact.
Whichever icon you choose, remember that your pact is a two-way deal. Your powers come at a price. There are no game rules to set the price you paid when you sealed your pact, but expect the entity that granted your powers to make demands as your story unfolds, at the threat to leave you powerless.
Divine Pact (The Priestess)
The Priestess is a more forgiving mistress than the other pact lords. But that does not mean that her Warlocks are shining servants of the light. They have dealings with the darker gods that are present in the Cathedral, or long forgotten entities whose temples are forgotten ruins in remote jungles and forbidding deserts.
Special: When learning a spell that deals negative energy damage, you can choose to change it to holy.
Benevolence: Once per battle, when the escalation die is 3+, you can cast a Hex spell on yourself and grant the same effect to a nearby ally.
Champion feat: You can use this ability when the escalation die is 1+.
Epic feat: If the escalation die is 3+, you can grant the hex effect to two allies.
Fey Pact (Elf Queen)
Fey Warlocks gain their power from the lords and ladies of the fey realms. Their power is connected to the Elf Queen. Often, they are kids who have been stolen from the crib by the fey, or even willingly traded by desperate parents.
Blink: Once per battle, as a free action when attacked by an enemy, roll a d20. If your roll is equal to the natural attack roll or higher, teleport to a nearby location and the attack has no e ect on you.
Adventurer feat: Add the escalation die to your d20 roll.
Champion feat: If the d20 roll fails, you can use this power a second time this battle.
Epic feat: After a successful teleport, if you can see the attacking enemy, you can use a curse or blast spell against it as a free action.
Infernal Pact (Diabolist)
There are many demon princes who are willing to offer a share of their power to gain a foothold in the mortal realms, and their channel to mortals is controlled by the Diabolist. Warlocks with this pact guard their secret well avoid persecution, but all too often they easily visible features such as gnarled horns, glowing red eyes or purple, leathery claws that give them away.
Abyssal Flames: Once per battle, when the escalation die is 3+, treat an odd hit with a spell as a critical hit.
Champion feat: This spell ignores any resistances.
Epic feat: Make another attack roll for the spell against another nearby target. An odd hit is also a critical hit.
Knightly Pact (Crusader)
It's an open secret that that the Crusader has channeled some of the infernal power from the hellholes he conquered. His loyal warlocks are led into battle by champions called Megatherions.
Knightly Shield: Once per battle, when an enemy hits you with an attack, reduce the damage to half as a free action. Apply the reduction after other effects.
Adventurer feat: When using this power, you also gain a bonus to AC equal to the escalation die until the end of your next turn.
Champion feat: You also gain the bonus to your PD.
Epic feat: You gain the bonus to all defenses.
Overworld Pact (Archmage)
Ancient jinns and elementals have pledged allegiance to the Archmage, and they offer pacts to mortals in exchange for their servitude.
Spell Prodigy: Once per battle, you can choose to reroll an attack with a spell after you know whether it was a hit or miss. Take the second result.
Adventurer feat: Add your Intelligence modifier to the reroll.
Champion feat: The additional arcane power you channel into the spell creates a bonus effect appropriate to the spell and the situation. For example, the Hungry Shadows could extinguish nearby torches and allow the party to hide in the darkness. Treat this similar to the Wizard's Polysyllabic Verbalizations talent.
Epic feat: If the reroll is a miss, you do not expend this power.
Savage Pact (Orc Lord)
You are imbued with the savage ferocity of the orcs and other savage humanoid races of the north. Your pact connects you to the shamanist traditions who lend their power to the Orc Lord. The progenitors who created these races still influence the fate of this world, and they share powers with those willing to dedicate their soul.
Savage Spell: Once per battle, after you hit an opponent in melee combat, make a spell attack against the same target as a free action. The spell does not draw opportunity attacks.
Adventurer feat: On a hit, the spell deals an extra die of damage per tier.
Champion feat: The spell also deals an extra die of damage per tier on a miss.
Epic feat: You gain a +2 bonus to hit with the spell.
Shadow Pact (Shadow Prince)
Shadow Warlocks prefer to stay within the cover of darkness. It is rumored that their master, the Shadow Prince, does not possess the ability to grant magic on his own. Most likely, the gift you received was not the Shadow Prince's to give, and he acquired it from a very sinister place through theft or bargain.
Clutch of Shadows: Once per battle, force an enemy to reroll a saving throw against any of your curse spells.
Adventurer feat: If the enemy fails the reroll, you gain temporary hit points equal to twice your level.
Champion feat: If the enemy fails the reroll, you gain a +2 bonus to your next attack roll against the target.
Epic feat: If the enemy fails the reroll, you can use this ability again in this battle.
Underworld Pact (Lich King)
They say that before he was slain by the Emperor, the Witch King was the most powerful Warlock that ever walked, the founder and first ruler of an empire that spread even beyond the borders that the incumbent claims but cannot hope to reach with his rule.
Servants of the Lich King, as he is now known, dress in black robes and fashionably adorn themselves with skulls and other symbols of death. Many also dabble in the necromantic arts. The ultimate price for a pact is eternal servitude - beyond the shedding of your mortal coil. Many hope to join the elite ranks of court liches in Necropolis, to replace their master one day, but many end as lowly wraiths, spectres, even skeletons.
Feed: Once per battle, as a quick action, you can spend a recovery to heal. Deal damage equal to the recovery roll to a nearby cursed enemy. You cannot use the power if there are no cursed enemies nearby.
Adventurer feat: If the damage kills the target, the recovery is free.
Champion feat: You can use the power as an interrupt when you are reduced to zero hit points by an attack (as long as there is a cursed enemy nearby).
Epic feat: Other nearby cursed enemies take half damage.
Wild Pact
You have forged a pact with powerful spirits of the forest who serve the High Druid. These spirits watch over you, guide you in their path, and strike back with furious anger at those who harm you.
Wild Vengeance: Once per battle, when an enemy deals damage to you, you deal 1d6 poison damage per level to it as an immediate reaction.
Adventurer feat: If you are staggered, deal 1d10 damage.
Champion feat: If the attack reduces you to below zero hit points, deal double damage.
Epic feat: In addition to the attacker, deal the damage to all cursed enemies.
Ritual Caster
Warlocks can cast rituals in the same way as Wizards and Clerics do. Some have gained a reputation for collecting items with a connection to their enemies, such as drops of blood or bones of their ancestors. They use these to create fetishes that allow the Warlock to curse their enemies without coming near them. Even though your spells are at-will, using a spell to power a ritual expends the spell, and you cannot cast it until the next full heal-up.
Adventurer feat: You can choose to expend a recovery without healing instead of a spell to cast a ritual. If you do, add your Constitution modifier to the ritual casting check.
Class Talents
Blood Prophet
You can sacrifice your vitality to cast more powerful spells. At the start of each battle, roll a d6. Once during the battle, when the escalation die is equal to the number you rolled or higher, announce that you will pay in blood before casting a spell. When paying in blood, spend a recovery without regaining hit points. Double all damage you deal with the spell. In the case of a critical hit, deal triple damage.
Adventurer Feat: When you pay in blood, reroll the attack roll once if it was an odd miss.
Champion feat: For each relationship point you have with your pact icon, reduce the d6 result that determines when you can use this talent by one.
Epic feat: When paying in blood, roll an extra damage die for each that came up as the highest number.
Brutal Blaster
You prey on the weak with the dark forces you command. As an opponent's life forces are dwindling, you get ready to quench them like a candle on its last flicker.
Your critical hits with Warlock spells deal triple damage.
Champion feat: You treat staggered opponents as cursed. This allows you to gain the bonus effects of spells and powers versus cursed enemies against them.
Epic feat: Once per battle, when you roll a natural 20 on a Warlock spell attack, increase the escalation die by 1.
Child of Doom
When you were born, the sun went dark, crops withered in the elds, and dead birds fell from the sky. Everyone thinks it would have been better if you were never born, and in your darkest hours, you agree with them.
When you cast a curse spell, increase the di culty of the save by 2 (usually to 12+Int).
Adventurer Feat: Your curse spells deal miss damage equal to your Intelligence modifier (x2 at 5th level, x3 at 8th).
Champion feat: Once per battle, after you reduce a non-mook enemy to zero hp with a curse, you can attack a different nearby enemy with the same curse as a free action.
Corrupted Wizard
Unlike other, peasantly Warlocks, you have studied magic in the scholarly fashion of Wizard traditions. As a mark of your status, you carry a proper spellbook, although you can cast your spells without it. You may have sealed the pact willingly, by conducting a dark ritual in a forbidden book as a shortcut to gain power. Or it was a side effect from an incantation you did not fully understand until it was too late.
You gain a 5 point wizard training background to represent your studies. You also gain three cantrips of your choice from the wizard list. You can cast them like a wizard, but without the benefit of Cantrip Mastery.
Adventurer Feat: Starting at 3rd level, you can take a wizard spell in place of a Warlock spell. The wizard spell must be two levels lower than your class level. If you have the Underworld Pact, choose your spell from the Necromancer list instead.
Champion feat: If you target a cursed enemy with your wizard spells, gain a +1 bonus to the attack roll.
Epic feat: Choose one of your Wizard spells; you cast this spell at full class level.
Doublecross
Choose two instead of one pact overlord. You gain the pact abilities of both, and can use each once per battle. You must have at least one icon relationship die with both icons. Depending on how the two Icons stand to each other, you are either a truly chosen one, a joker in a puzzle you do not quite understand yet, or a scheming traitor who will soon get what he deserves. At the very least, make sure you are not mistaken which one you are.
Adventurer feat: Once per full healup, you can swap the result of icon relationship rolls between these two icons.
Champion feat: Once per full healup, reroll an icon relationship roll with either icon.
Favored Pawn
You gained the favor, or at least the special attention, of your overlord. It could be that you are the key to an ancient prophecy, as a great hero, or the right sacrifice at the right time. Maybe you were just too smart or too naive and got more with your pact than you bargained for.
You can use your pact power twice per battle.
If you also have the Double-cross talent, you can choose each battle which power to use twice. You also take a -1 penalty to MD from over-stretching your mind with a game that you are not ready for yet.
Adventurer feat: You gain an additional icon relationship point with your pact lord, up to a maximum of three points.
Champion feat: When you roll a 6 on an icon relationship roll with your pact icon, you gain a mook follower that is connected to your icon. e mook is single strength and of your level or lower.
Epic feat: When you use your pact power, you can also spend a recovery.
Hexblade
Besides the formidable arcane might gained through your pact, you are also a worthy combatant in the thick of melee. Your fighting style relies on flashy maneuvers, aided by small magics to trick and confuse your enemies.
You use Charisma instead of Dexterity or Strength with your basic melee attacks. When you attack a cursed enemy, increase your melee weapon damage dice to d10s. Increase your base armor class in light armor to 12.
Adventurer Feat: You can use a melee weapon instead of a staff or wand as an implement for your warlock spells.
Champion Feat: Increase your recovery dice to d8s.
Epic Feat: Against cursed enemies, increase the melee weapon damage dice to d12s.
Quick Curse
With your quick wits, you can throw a curse at your enemies and swiftly follow up with a strike of the blade or a blast of raw arcane might.
Once per battle, when the escalation die is 3+, you can cast a curse spell as a quick action.
Champion feat: You gain a +2 bonus to your attack roll with the quickened spell.
Epic feat: You can use Quick Curse any time during the battle, regardless of the escalation die.
Spell Mastery
Through diligent study, obedient service, or an obscure stellar constellation at birth, your warlock magic is especially strong.
Choose blast, curse or hex spells. You don't need to spend feats on adventurer feats of that type of spell. You gain the benefit for free.
Champion feat: Gain the champion feat effect of ALL spells of the chosen type.
Epic feat: Gain the epic feat effect of ALL spells of the chosen type.
Warlock's Familiar
Your pact lord has gifted you with a little helper to support and guide you, and keep a watchful eye on your misdeeds.
You can choose the type of creature freely, guided by your pact. Infernal Warlocks are usually accompanied by imps or other small demons, while underworld Warlocks have ghostly, skeletal or zombified animals as familiars. Savage Warlocks are often seen with snakes or hyenas. Initiates of the Shadow Pact prefer black cats or outright shadows. Divine Warlocks tend to adopt an animal that represents their dark deity, often snakes, rats or ravens.
Your familiar is quite intelligent and talkative, and typically has a nasty temper. It will consider itself intellectually superior any peasant or commoner, and frankly, that includes you. Warlock familiars are a lot more independent than typical Wizard familiars, and they are willing and able go separate ways and scout around. More than one Warlock had the sneaking suspicion that the true role of their companion is a spy and chaperone for their pact lord.
If your familiar dies, it can come back to you the next time you get a full heal-up, in an even worse mood than usual. The method or story used is between you and the GM.
During combat, your familiar will hide in a pocket (or a pocket dimension) and support you passively, unless it has an ability to actively participate in combat. They aren't damaged by enemy attacks and spells unless the story calls for it.
Familiar Abilities
Your familiar has the Scout and Talkative abilities from the Core Book (p.150), plus one ability that can either come from the wizard talent or the list below.
Arcane Conduit: While your familiar is close to you, you add the escalation die to damage with your blast spells.
Breath Weapon: Once per battle, as a free action, your familiar can make a breath weapon attack against an enemy. This is a close-quarters Cha + level vs. PD attack that deals 1d8 per level damage on a hit. Choose the damage type to match your pact.
Borrow Senses: While your familiar is scouting, you can see through its eyes. You can give it mental commands, but it can disobey if it wants.
Evil Eye: While your familiar is close to you, add +1 to the difficulty for enemies to save against your curses.
Flight: Your familiar can fly, usually because it has wings to do so.
Iconic Sight and Tongue: Your familiar can sense the presence of any creature related to your pact icon (for example, undead in case of the Lich King) and it is able to communicate with them. It doesn't necessarily share its conversation with you if you are unable to understand it yourself though.
Life-bound: While your familiar is close, you gain a +1 bonus to death saves.
Pesky Thief: Your familiar can steal small items for you. (For skill checks, treat this as a 5 point background based on your Charisma)
Shadow Stalker: Your familiar can assume the form of a ghost or shadow while scouting. This allows it to enter areas a physical form couldn't enter, and it is harder to detect with mundane senses (hard difficulty skill check or hard save 16+).
Adventurer Feat: Your familiar gains a second ability.
Champion Feat: Your familiar gains a third ability.
Epic Feat: Your familiar gains fourth ability.
Witchbow
You were raised in an environment where everyone is trained in archery and other ranged weapons from a young age.
You do not suffer an attack penalty with heavy ranged weapons. You also learned to use magic with precision rather than brute force, and can swap Dexterity for Constitution in blast spells. You can use true magic item ranged weapons as implements for Warlock spells.
Adventurer feat: Against cursed enemies, increase your ranged weapon damage dice to d10s.
Champion feat: You deal negative energy damage equal to your level against enemies that make an opportunity attack against you.
Epic feat: When using a bow as an implement, you can attack far away targets with blast spells at a -2 attack penalty.
Spells
1st Level Blasts
Claws of Fire (Blast)
Searing flames shoot from your outstretched hands to form claws that grasp at your target.
Melee attack, At-will
Special: You can cast this spell as a melee basic attack or an opportunity attack.
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 1d8 per level + Charisma + Constitution fire damage. If the enemy is cursed, reroll all 1 on the damage dice.
Miss: Damage equal to your level
Champion feat: Reroll 2 on damage dice against cursed enemies.
Epic feat: If you hit, you can pop free from the opponent.
Hungry Shadows (Blast)
Shadows dance around the target, slowly sucking out its body heat and will to live.
Ranged spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 1d8 per level + Charisma + Constitution negative energy damage. Against a cursed target, increase the damage dice to d12s.
Miss: Negative energy damage equal to your level
Adventurer Feat: On a miss, deal extra damage equal to your Constitution modi er (x2 at 5th level, x3 at 8th).
Champion Feat: If you reduce an opponent below zero hit points, deal twice your level in damage to all nearby enemies.
Epic Feat: You gain a +1 bonus to hit against cursed enemies.
Negative Feedback (Blast)
Lightning crashes down on the target and lingers, to cause painful feedback should it come too close.
Ranged spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 1d8 per level + Charisma + Constitution lightning damage. If the target ends its next turn engaged with you, it takes 5 points of lightning damage per level.
Miss: Lightning damage equal to your level
Adventurer feat: You also cause the feedback effect on an even miss.
Champion Feat: Increase the damage dice to d10.
Vitriolic Blast
Raw power drips from your hands and forms green drops of acid as you hurl them towards the target.
Ranged spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 1d8 per level + Charisma + Constitution acid damage.
Natural even hit: Deal 3 acid damage per level to a different nearby enemy.
Miss: Your level in acid damage
Adventurer feat: If the target is cursed, deal splash damage on any hit or miss.
Champion feat: Deal splash damage to 1d3 nearby enemies.
1st level Curses
Burning Retribution (Curse)
A dancing flame before the target's eyes warns it to stay away from you.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 1d6 per level + Charisma fire damage, and you put burning retribution on the target (trigger once - the target is cursed until you trigger the effect).
Burning retribution: The next time the target deals damage to you, deal fire damage equal to half of the hit points you lost. Do not count temporary hit points.
Adventurer feat: Once per battle, cast this spell as an Interrupt when you are attacked by an enemy. The spell resolves before the enemy attack.
Champion feat: Name one ally. When the target attacks that ally, you can also trigger the curse.
Epic feat: Deal full instead of half damage with the triggered effect.
Frail Body (Curse)
You conjure a dagger of black energy and hurl it at the target's heart.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 1d6 per level + Charisma negative energy damage. The target takes a -2 penalty to AC and PD (save 10+Int+ ends).
Adventurer feat: Increase the AC and PD penalty to -4.
Champion feat: Gain a +2 bonus to hit if the target is staggered.
Screaming Curse
You speak dark, booming words in the forbidden language to rend the target's mind apart.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD
Hit: 1d4 per level + Charisma thunder damage and the target is dazed (save 10+Int+ ends).
Miss: Deal thunder damage equal to your level to any ally engaged with the target.
Adventurer feat: No miss effect.
Champion feat: Gain a +2 bonus to hit if the target is not engaged with an ally.
Epic feat: Add three times your Constitution modifier to the damage if the target is not engaged with an ally.
1st level Hexes
Demontongue (Mantle Hex)
Your voice is ambrosia.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Effect: When making a Charisma check or Charisma-based skill check, roll twice and take the better result.
Adventurer feat: Whenever you succeed at a Charisma-based skill check, gain a +1 bonus to such checks until the end of the scene.
Champion feat: Roll twice on saves against fear and take the better result.
Eyes of the Fey (Mantle Hex)
Beware. What you see behind the Veil cannot be unseen.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Effect: When making a Wisdom check or Wisdom-based skill check, roll twice and take the better result.
Adventurer feat: You can see in the dark as if it was broad daylight.
Champion feat: You can see invisible creatures and objects, arcane enchantments, magic traps and lingering spells as glowing auras.
Epic feat: You gain a +1 bonus to ranged weapon attacks.
Hell Torch (Weapon Hex)
Admit it. Flaming swords are just badass.
Close-quarters spell, At-will, Quick Action
Effect: On a hit, your weapon does extra fire damage equal to twice your level.
Champion feat: You deal the extra damage on hit or miss.
Epic feat: You can place a second Weapon Hex on your blade when you have Hell Torch active.
Immortal Heart (Mantle Hex)
The pact with your master has not only opened your mind, it has strengthened your body to endure what few mortals can.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Effect: Roll twice on Constitution checks, Constitution-based skill check and death saves and take the better result.
Adventurer feat: Roll twice for recoveries and take the better result.
Champion feat: Roll twice for saving throws against ongoing damage.
Epic feat: Add your Constitution modifier to death saves.
Shroud of the Pact (Mantle Hex)
The closest thing you'll ever have to life insurance.
Close-quarters spell, At-will, Quick Action
Effect: When you are hit by an attack from a non-mook enemy, reduce the damage you take by your class level.
Champion feat: Reduce the damage from critical hits by twice your level.
Epic feat: You also reduce ongoing damage.
Spider Skin (Mantle Hex)
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Effect: You can climb any surface with ease, including walls and ceilings. Your unarmed melee attacks do not suffer an attack penalty, deal poison damage, and the damage die is increased to d6.
Adventurer feat: You gain resist poison 12+.
Champion feat: As a standard action, you can create a rope of strong spider silk. You can use this rope to create a net, but this requires practice, time and patience.
Epic feat: Increase the resistance to 16+.
Warlock's Hand (Hex)
Don't you just hate it when you're nicely snuggled in but you left the remote control on the TV?
Close-quarters spell, At-will, Quick Action
Effect: Move a small object via telekinesis. Heavier objects, or objects that are fastened or tied down, may require a Strength check to move. Difficult manipulations, such as moving mechanics inside a lock, require Dexterity checks.
Champion feat: Gain a +5 bonus to Strength checks required for this spell.
Epic feat: You can manipulate one object per level simultaneously. This allows complicated manipulations, such as opening a lock.
3rd level Blasts
Eyebite (Blast)
Now you see me. Now you don't.
Ranged spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD
Hit: 1d8 per level + Charisma + Constitution psychic damage. If the target is cursed, it cannot see you (and therefore not attack you) until the end of its next turn.
Miss: Psychic damage equal to your level
Adventurer feat: On a natural 16+, you can pop free from the target.
Champion feat: Increase the damage dice to d10 against cursed enemies.
Fire and Ice (Blast)
Ranged spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Natural Even Hit: 1d12 per level + Charisma + Constitution fire damage.
Natural Odd Hit: 1d6 per level + Charisma + Constitution cold damage and the target is stuck until the end of its next turn.
Miss: Cold damage equal to your level
Venomous Spit (Blast)
You spit poisoned needles at the target. The needles vanish without a trace, making this spell an assassin favorite.
Ranged spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD.
Hit: 1d8 per level + Charisma + Constitution poison damage.
Beast, Giant or Humanoid target: The target takes half damage again at the end of its next turn, unless it spends a standard action to withstand the poison.
Miss: Poison damage equal to your level
Adventurer feat: You do not provoke attacks of opportunity with this spell.
Champion feat: Add your Intelligence modifier to the attack roll if the target is engaged to an ally.
Epic feat: Deal the extra damage to any target, not only specific types.
Possessed Weapon
You animate your weapon to zigzag across the battlefield, striking the first target that doesn't duck in time.
Ranged spell, At-will
Special: You must wield a melee weapon to cast this spell
Target: A nearby cursed enemy
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. AC.
Hit: WEAPON + Charisma + Constitution damage
Natural even hit: 1d4 per level extra negative energy damage.
Miss: Damage equal to your level
Champion feat: Add your Intelligence modifier to the attack roll if the target is engaged to an ally.
Epic feat: On an even miss, make a second attack roll against a different target.
3rd level Curses
Broken Will (Curse)
Snap.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD
Hit: 1d6 per level + Charisma psychic damage. The target takes a -4 penalty to MD (save 10+Int+ ends).
Adventurer feat: On a natural 20, the target is stunned (save 10+Int+ ends).
Champion feat: On a miss, the target is cursed and takes a -2 penalty to MD until the end of your next turn.
Epic feat: On a hit, the target is also vulnerable to attacks against MD.
Curse of Clumsiness
You cannot fault the dark gods for a lack of humor.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD
Hit: 1d6 per level + Charisma psychic damage and the target is clumsy (trigger once - the target is cursed until you trigger the effect).
Clumsy: When the target rolls a natural 5 or lower on its attack roll, it hits a random ally instead.
Adventurer Feat: When cast against a mook, clumsy affects all mooks in the group. You can still only trigger the effect once per group.
Champion Feat: You can trigger clumsy on any miss.
Epic Feat: On an odd hit, attack a second target. A second odd hit does not trigger more attacks.
Misdirected Hatred (Curse)
Did you hear what he said about your mother?
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD
Hit: 1d6 per level + Charisma psychic damage and the target is taunted (save 10+Int+ ends).
Taunted: Choose one of your allies engaged with the target. The target of the spell focuses all of its attention your ally. Any attack against a different creature is an automatic miss, and the target can't disengage. If the target is unable to see or attack your ally, say because of an invisibility spell, the curse ends.
Adventurer Feat: While the target is taunted, it takes a -2 penalty to defenses against all enemies except the creature it focuses on.
Champion Feat: You can misdirect the target against its own ally instead. This makes the effect easier to resist though, with a save DC of 5+Wis.
Epic Feat: Once per battle, after an ally hits an enemy with a melee attack, you can cast Misdirected Hatred on the enemy as an interrupt action to make it attack that ally.
3rd Level Hexes
Ashen Mantle (Mantle Hex)
You cloak yourself in a mantle of grey mist.
Close-quarters spell, At-will, Quick Action
Effect: You gain a +2 bonus to AC and PD. If you are in a dimly-lit area, roll twice on skill checks to hide and take the better result.
Adventurer Feat: You take no damage from missed enemy attacks.
Champion Feat: Your spells do not draw opportunity attacks.
Epic Feat: The mantle allows you to levitate a short distance above the ground and hover, but not fly.
Borrowed Appearance (Mantle Hex)
Don't hurt me! I'm just a poor mad beggar!
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Effect: You gain the outer appearance of a creature you touch, including the face, skin, clothes and any carried objects. The spell cannot change your size by more than a tenth. In combat, touching a creature may require an attack roll against PD. This is an illusion effect; creatures with True Sight are immune to it.
Adventurer feat: You also mimic the target's voice with the help of the spell, and gain the ability to communicate in any language it speaks.
Champion feat: You can switch in and out of the appearance of a creature you touched until the next sunrise.
Epic feat: While touching the target, you get a quick reading of its mind. Usually, that's enough to gather its name and some surface thoughts.
Shadow Servant (Hex)
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Effect: You animate your own shadow into a three-dimensional being. The shadow can perform manual tasks, but it's roughly as strong as an old man. It can't enter areas of bright light, but it can hide in darkness and move very quickly through dimly lit areas. It understands your commands, but it can't speak.
In combat, the shadow has your defenses, but it only has one hit point and dissolves if hit.
Adventurer feat: As a quick action, your Shadow can touch a target. If you succeed at a Charisma attack versus PD, the target counts as cursed for the purpose of your spells and powers until the end of your next turn.
Champion feat: If the shadow is hit, it can make a normal saving throw to take no damage.
Thirsty Steel (Weapon Hex)
Please tell your sword to stop making those slurping noises.
Close-quarters spell, At-will, Quick Action
Effect: When you hit a target with the weapon, heal one hit point per level.
Adventurer feat: Add your Constitution modifier (x2 at 5th level, x3 at 8th) to damage and hit points healed.
Warlock's Steed (Hex)
Why walk when you wield the power of ancient gods?
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Effect: You summon a mount to carry you. The mount has the same speed and endurance as a trained horse, but you can customize its appearance to match your pact. The steed does not fight on its own and does not have separate combat stats. It shares your actions, melee attack and defenses values as well as hit points. The steed stays until you are reduced below zero hit points or until you dismiss it.
Epic feat: The steed can fly.
Whispering Wisps (Hex)
Let the voices speak to me.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Effect: You summon a swarm of small wisps that you can direct. The wisps give out a dim light that can provide illumination in the darkness. You can direct the wisps to surround a nearby enemy. Surrounded enemies lose the benefit of stealth, blur and invisibility effects, and their save difficulty against your curses increases by 1.
Epic feat: Increase the save difficulty bonus to +2.
5th Level Blasts
Draining Fangs (Blast)
Etherial Teeth snap at the target to suck out its life.
Melee attack, At-will
Special: You can choose to cast this spell as a melee basic attack or an opportunity attack.
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 1d8 per level + Charisma + Constitution negative energy damage. You heal one hit point per level.
Natural 16+: You can heal using a recovery.
Miss: Negative energy damage equal to your level
Champion Feat: Heal 1 hit point per level on a miss.
Epic feat: On a natural 16+, if you kill the target with this spell, the recovery is free.
Mental Meltdown (Blast)
A variant of the spell, Metal Meltdown, has the same effect but involves loud music.
Ranged spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD; against cursed enemies, roll twice and take the better result.
Hit: 1d8 per level + Charisma + Constitution psychic damage.
Miss: Psychic damage equal to your level
Epic Feat: If either attack roll is a natural 20, the target is stunned until the end of its next turn.
Warlock's Lightning (Blast)
An arc of lightning sparks between your hands and shoots out to its intended target.
Ranged spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 1d6 per level + Charisma + Constitution lightning damage.
Natural even hit: Make a second attack roll against a different nearby enemy. This attack does not trigger further extra attacks.
Miss: Lightning damage equal to your level
Champion Feat: You gain the second attack on an even miss too.
Epic feat: If the escalation die is 3+, increase the damage dice to d10.
5th Level Curses
Contagious Heresy (Curse)
This curse takes on a life of its own, slowly creeping from target to target.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD
Hit: 1d4 per level + Charisma psychic damage, and the target is infected (save 10+Int+ ends).
Infected: At the start of your turn, if at least one infected opponent is nearby, use Contagious Heresy against one non-infected enemy as a free action.
Champion Feat: Infected targets are vulnerable to psychic damage.
Epic Feat: When you hit with Contagious Heresy, deal 20 psychic damage to all targets that were already infected.
Decreptitude (Curse)
Years, decades, centuries weigh on the target, until it can barely keep itself upright.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 1d6 per level + Charisma negative energy damage, and the target is decrepit (save 10+Int+ ends).
Decrepit: Attacks by the target deal half damage.
Champion feat: You gain a +2 bonus to all defenses against the target while it is decrepit.
Epic feat: You gain a +2 bonus to all attacks against the target while it is decrepit.
Jinx (Curse)
This spell manipulates reality. The crosshairs on the target's head are just for show.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 1d6 per level + Charisma negative energy damage, and the target is jinxed (save 10+Int+ ends).
Jinxed: Attacks against the target automatically hit if the natural attack roll is odd.
Champion feat: Any attack roll that is a natural 1 also hits the target if it is within range, even if it was not the initial target.
Epic feat: When the Jinx curse turns a miss into a hit, the target takes 20 additional psychic damage.
5th level Hexes
Chilly Fog (Hex)
The cold never bothered me anyway.
Ranged spell, At-will
Target: Up to 1d6 creatures and everyone engaged with them
Effect: You create a fog cloud that engulfs the targets (no attack roll required). After you have created the fog, you can move it as a quick action. The fog blocks normal sight for everyone, including you, which makes ranged attacks impossible. At the start of their turn, creatures in the fog take cold damage equal to your level + Constitution modifier. Creatures must succeed at a disengage save to move out of the fog.
Champion feat: Target up to 2d6 creatures.
Epic feat: The disengage check is a hard save (16+)
Dissolve into Creepy Crawlies (Mantle Hex)
It is astounding how many problems can be solved by turning into a swarm of cockroaches.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Effect: You change your body into a swarm of crawling insects. This allows you to crawl through tiny spaces and up and down walls. You cannot use weapons or cast spells in insect form. Attacks against AC deal half damage to you.
Epic Feat: You can fly in creepy crawly form.
Ghostbow (Weapon Hex)
You enchant your bow to shoot swirling arrows of darkness that strike at its lifeforce, ignoring any metal in the way.
Close-quarters spell, At-will, Quick Action
Effect: Your weapon attacks target PD instead of AC. Targets you hit are considered cursed until the end of your next turn.
Champion feat: The weapon ignores the resist weapon ability of monsters such as skeletons and wraiths.
Leaking Soul (Mantle Hex)
The blackness of your soul can no longer be contained by your physical shell.
Close-quarters spell, At-will, Quick Action
Effect: At the start of your turn, all enemies engaged with you take your level in negative energy damage. Increase to twice your level if the escalation die is 2+. You gain resist negative energy 10+your level+.
Epic feat: Deal twice your level in damage, or three times if the escalation die is 3+.
Make It Speak (Hex)
As you will soon find out, not everything that can talk is worth listening to.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Target: Any nearby creature or object
Effect: You gain the ability to communicate with the creature or object. Its words are audible to everyone nearby. When cast on an object or creature that can already speak, the hex translates its words into a language of your choice. If the target does not wish to make its words understandable, it can make a saving throw to end the effect. The effect also ends after one hour per level, or when you cast the spell on a different object or creature.
Note that non-intelligent creatures and objects can only relate what is within their ability to perceive and understand. A mountain might tell you that there is something or someone cutting a hole deep within, but it may not know the difference between dwarves and goblins.
Summon Messenger (Hex)
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Effect: You call upon a small creature that is tied to your pact lord to deliver a message for you. For the Diabolist, that would be a small imp, while the High Druid might send an owl and the Shadow Prince a small, animated cloud of darkness. The messenger can deliver a spoken message or carry small, light items like a letter or a ring. It travels with the speed of a pigeon. The target of the message has be known to you or your pact lord, but you do not need to know the target's current location. The messenger can deliver an answer back.
Once you cast the spell, you have to wait for the messenger to return to cast the spell again.
Epic Feat: You can use this spell across planes.
7th Level Blasts
Blinking Blast
Ranged spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 1d8 per level + Charisma + Constitution force damage
Miss: Force damage equal your level
Natural Even Roll: Teleport to a location you can see.
Natural 1: You and the target swap places.
Epic feat: You can choose to attack MD and deal psychic damage with this spell.
Shriek (Blast)
It also shatters glass in a 15-foot radius.
Ranged spell, At-will
Target: 1d3 nearby enemies in a group.
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD
Hit: 1d4 per level + Charisma + Constitution psychic damage.
Miss: Psychic damage equal to your level to the target and any allies engaged with it.
Champion Feat: You no longer damage allies with this spell.
Epic Feat: Increase the damage dice to d6.
Unleash the Bees (Blast)
Not the Beeeeees!
Ranged spell, At-will
Target: All nearby cursed enemies
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 1d6 per level + Charisma + Constitution poison damage.
Miss: Poison damage equal to your level
Epic Feat: On a natural even hit, deal 10 ongoing poison damage.
7th Level Curses
Feeding Curse
The mob that came to kill you just made you stronger.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Target: 1d4 nearby enemies
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: The target is under a feeding curse (save 10+Int+ ends).
Feeding curse: At the start of your turn, deal your level + Charisma + Intelligence negative energy damage to the target and heal half that amount.
Epic Feat: Heal the full amount.
Nightmare Fuel (Curse)
Foolish mortals! If you fear what you don’t understand, RUN!
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD
Hit: 1d4 per level + Charisma psychic damage, and the target is affected by nightmarish fear (save 10+Int+ ends).
Nightmarish Fear: The target is dazed (-4 to attacks) and can’t use the escalation die. It also can’t move to engage you, and it will try to disengage and run away if it is able to.
Special: Creatures that have a fear-based attack or effect are immune to this spell.
Champion Feat: If you hit one mook in a group with this spell, the fear affects all of them.
Spelleater (Curse)
The inquisition did not expect that.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD
Hit: 1d4 per level + Charisma psychic damage, and the target is under a spelleater effect (trigger once - the target is cursed until you trigger the effect).
Spelleater: When the target makes a non-basic attack and the natural roll is odd, you negate the effect.
Epic Feat: When you trigger the effect, you heal hit points equal to your level.
Web of the Spider Queen (Curse)
Look what I caught for dinner.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD. Against large and huge creatures, you take a -4 penalty to attack. Against spiders, the attack is always a miss.
Hit: The target is hampered and takes 3 times your level ongoing poison damage (save 10+Int+ ends both).
Epic Feat: You no longer have an attack penalty against large and huge creatures.
7th Level Hexes
Duplicity (Hex)
As if one of you was not terrible enough.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Special: This spell requires a few drops of blood to cast. You take damage equal to your level.
Target: Self
Effect: Teleport to a location you can see. You leave a mirror image of yourself behind. The mirror image is an illusion effect. It mimics all of your movements and gestures. If it takes damage, it disappears.
Epic Feat: When your Mirror Image takes damage, roll a hard save (16+). If you succeed, the image persists.
Edge of Despair (Weapon Hex)
You cut right into their will to live.
Close-quarters spell, At-will, Quick Action
Effect: If you hit a target with your weapon, it rolls twice on saving throws until the end of its next turn and takes the lower result.
Epic feat: The effect lasts past the end of its next turn, until the target has to make its next saving throw.
Shadow Body (Mantle Hex)
Very slim, very shady.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Effect: Your body is subsumed into your shadow. As a living shadow, you can blend into other shadows and vanish in darkness. You appear as an unattached shadow in areas of full light. You can move along any surface, including walls, ceilings, and even liquids. Roll twice on skill checks to remain unnoticed and take the better result. You cannot make physical attacks or manipulate objects, and you cannot use your spells. Any physical attack against you has no e ect if the natural attack roll is odd.
Champion Feat: You can cast spells while in shadow form (but using a different mantle hex still ends the effect).
Epic Feat: As a shadow, you gain a Constitution-based melee attack with a d6 damage die that does negative energy damage and weakens the target (save ends) on a hit.
Whirling Entropy (Mantle Hex)
Close-quarters spell, At-will, Quick Action
Effect: When an enemy's ranged attack against you is a natural even miss, that attack hits a random nearby enemy instead.
9th Level Blasts
Blood and Gore (Blast)
Ranged spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level -4 vs. PD
Hit: 2d6 per level + Charisma + Constitution damage. Deal extra damage equal to all ongoing damage effects currently on the target.
Miss: Damage equal to your level.
Epic Feat: Against cursed enemies, ignore the attack penalty.
Kiss of the Witch Queen (Blast)
Who would refuse a kiss from you?
Melee attack, At-will
Special: If the target willingly accepts a kiss from you, you hit without an attack roll.
Attack: Charisma + level vs. PD or MD
Hit: 1d10 per level + Charisma + Constitution damage. If you chose to attack PD, deal poison damage. If you chose to attack MD, deal psychic damage.
Natural odd hit: Until the end of its next turn, the target is unable to attack you.
Natural 20: Until the end of its next turn, the target is dominated.
Epic feat: You dominate the target on a natural 18+.
9th Level Curses
Curse of the Traitor
With enemies like you, nobody has friends.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD
Hit: The target is confused (save 10+Int+ ends). If the target is a double-strength or triple-strength monster, it can choose to take 50 psychic damage to ignore the confusion effect for the duration of its turn. Even if it does so, it is still considered cursed and still needs to save against the effect.
Epic Feat: If the confused target makes an attack, the target is not determined randomly, you designate it.
Killing Curse
I am become death, destroyer of worlds.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Target: One nearby enemy
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: You put a killing curse (save 10+Int+ ends) on the target.
Killing curse: The target takes 30 ongoing negative energy damage. When the target rolls a save against the effect, and the natural roll is equal to the escalation die or lower, the target dies. (If the target has 600 or more hit points, it doesn’t die and merely takes 300 damage.)
Epic Feat: Increase ongoing damage to 50.
Prisoner of the Void (Curse)
If it wasn’t for the scintillating walls and occasional guttural screams in the distance, the cell wouldn’t be too bad.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. PD
Hit: 1d6 per level + Charisma psychic damage. The target is removed from the map and teleported into a prison dimension (save 10+Int+ ends).
Epic Feat: While in the prison dimension, the target takes 20 points of ongoing psychic damage (save 10+Int+ ends both).
9th Level Hexes
Dark Portal (Hex)
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Effect: You open a portal to a realm that is connected to your pact lord. A servant of the Diabolist or the Crusader would open a portal to a hell hole. For the Archmage, the portal would be to a ying realm of the overworld. For the Shadow Prince, the the portal would lead to a back alley behind a gambling den. Note that the strongholds of the icons usually have wards against teleportation, and it’s better to open the portal outside of the gates.
Channeling such magic without a proper ritual is very strenuous, and costs you one recovery. You can keep the portal open by concentrating on it, but doing so requires a standard action every turn.
Epic feat: You can open portals to realms of other icons, as long as you have a relationship with them.
Iron Maiden (Mantle Hex)
Close-quarters spell, At-will, Quick Action
Effect: When an enemy deals damage to you with a melee attack, deal damage to it equal to half of the hit points you lost.
Epic feat: Once per battle, you can cast this spell as an interrupt when you are attacked.
Vexing Weapon (Weapon Hex)
Close-quarters spell, At-will, Quick Action
Effect: Your weapon grows glaring eyes and silently screaming mouths. This is disconcerting enough that your attacks target MD instead of AC.
Epic Feat: Increase your critical threat range with the weapon by 2.
Warlock Wings (Mantle Hex)
Not a food item.
Close-quarters spell, At-will
Effect: You grow wings, which allow you to fly with the same speed and maneuverability as a large vulture. You cannot hover, and require Strength checks to stay aloft over long periods. While flying, you take a –2 penalty to your attacks and you are vulnerable to attacks.
Multiclass Warlock
It's not unusual for a Warlock to seal his or her pact late in life, when they have already built a personality and gained training and experience. For such a Warlock, a good way to express this in rules is a multiclass. Multiclass Warlocks function both in combination with martial and with spellcaster classes; suggested combinations are Warlock / Wizard, Warlock / Cleric, Warlock Bard and Warlock / Rogue.
* Multiclass Warlocks gain all Warlock class features: Warlock spells, Pact and Ritual Casting.
* As a clarification of the "No Power Crossovers" rule, any spells of your other class count as neither Blasts, Curses or Hexes, and not as Warlock spells in general, so no ability that keys off these applies to them.
* In particular, any Warlock pact power that applies to spells only works with Warlock spells
* For the Key Ability Modifier table, use the Sorcerer entries. Sorcerer / Warlocks use Con/Cha.
* First level multiclass Warlocks start with 3 Warlock spells.
* You take the multiclass weapon damage penalty, unless you have the Hexblade talent.
You can use the following feat to help you in your adventuring. However, most multiclass Warlocks benefit more from spending feats to use class features of the other class to boost their Warlock spells, such as Gather Power.
Multiclass Curse
Adventurer tier: Once per combat, cast a non-Warlock spell and increase the save difficulty against its effect to 10+Int+. The target is considered cursed while under the spell.
Version 2.0 (published version + errata), 15 October 2017
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Guest - Raolin
PermalinkGood stuff, and good to know!
I'm left wanting more info on the Shadow Servant hex! Does the Servant have to stay attached to me at a reasonable shadow length, or can it separate from me and wander freely? Do I issue orders to it telepathically? Verbally? Can it respond in kind? Can it be utilized as a spy or a scout? Could an observant individual banish it by some means? What does it look like -- a three-dimensional shadow-creature, or a two-dimensional shadow on the ground, or is it up to me to choose what it looks like? In essence, just how cool is this thing?Like 0 -
It's as cool as your DM allows it to be. The only rule is that it doesn't fight (except for the ability granted by the adventurer feat). For everything else, make something up. If your DM is ok with letting it wander freely, sure, why not. However, it's still a shadow, right? It's silent, can't speak, and it can only move on surfaces. It can stretch and bend and take wild shapes. I'd also allow it to manipulate objects somehow.
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It's as cool as your DM allows it to be. The only rule is that it doesn't fight (except for the ability granted by the adventurer feat). For everything else, make something up. If your DM is ok with letting it wander freely, sure, why not. However, it's still a shadow, right? It's silent, can't speak, and it can only move on surfaces. It can stretch and bend and take wild shapes. I'd also allow it to manipulate objects somehow.
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Guest - Dante
PermalinkI just noticed that this is listed as "Version 1.6, 9 January 2017"... The document my group has been using is "Version 1.3, March 2016". However, I don't see a change log to figure out what is different. Any possibility of giving us a rundown of what has been tweaked from version to version?
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There's been a long list of small tweaks as I've been updating the class based on playtesting. There aren't any big changes, and if your group has no issues with version 1.3, you can keep using that. The bigger ones are:
* Buff-type hex spells are quick actions
* Nerfed a few high-level utilities (no more flight at will)
* Reigned in the ability to heal / reduce damage without spending recoveries (removed Charging Blast - that was just too much)Like 0 -
Guest - Dante
PermalinkMaking the buffing hexes Quick Actions seems like a very nice, synergy-inspiring change. Likewise, looking through, I appreciate that so many of the curses now have one-time triggered effects. Comparing to what we were playing with, it looks like most of the big changes came int he cut to several later powers. Our group's Warlock is only at 5th right now though, so...
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Cool. What pact / talent / powers is your Warlock using?
The cut to higher level powers mainly came because my own playtest PC went up to 9th level and I got a better understanding of what a high-level PC should and shouldn't be able to do. I'm quite happy with how things are now.Like 0 -
Guest - Dante
PermalinkOur group's Warlock is using the Infernal Pact, with talents in Hexblade, Quick Curse, and Spell Mastery (Curses). I don't recall all of the powers she has chosen, but she quite often uses Warlock's Hand, Burning Retribution, Frail Body, and Warlock's Lightning. It's only been in the last two or three sessions that she seems to have gotten the swing of really using the synergy between her attacks, to create some pretty impressive chains. This seems especially important with the Hexblade though, since it deals more damage to Cursed enemies.
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What roll does Kiss of the Witch Queen count as on a kiss? Does it count as an odd hit or a nat 20?
Is Contagious Curse supposed to be Contagious Heresy, or vice versa?
I'm going to try this class out with two other players; an Abomination and an Occultist. I'll be taking the Divine Pact, Corrupted Wizard, Secret Of True Names, and Spell Mastery (Curse). I'm going to grab as many Hexes as I can except for Weapon ones (one or two maybe) and keep the other two spell types to a practical minimum. I'm unsure how this will go together but I'm looking forward to it. If you want my experience after for improving things, I'll glad share.Like 0 -
The special effect of Kiss of the Witch Queen gives you a normal hit. Since you don't roll a die, odd hit and nat 20 can't trigger.
Yes, Contagious Heresy allows you to use the same spell again as long as there's an infected enemy. I'll fix the wording.
If you grab a lot of hexes, consider taking Spell Mastery (Hex) instead.
Have fun playing! Feedback is always welcome.Like 0
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