Warlock Patron: Pact of the Archon

[Goober4473]

I'm tossing around the idea of having an Archon as a patron for a warlock. I'll probably do a full fluff write-up at some point, but I wanted to nail down the mechanics first. Here's what I've go so far:

Pact of the Archon

Expanded Spell List:
The archon lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.
1st: command, detect good and evil
2nd: blindness/deafness, zone of truth
3rd: crusader’s mantle, daylight
4th: aura of purity, death ward
5th: destructive wave, dispel evil and good

Wrath:
Starting at 1st level, you learn an additional spell, chosen from among searing smite, thunderous smite, or wrathful smite. The spell counts as a warlock spell for you, and you can concentrate on it in addition to another spell you are concentrating on.

Each level, you can replace this choice with another from among the list, or from additional options based on your warlock level:
3rd: branding smite
5th: blinding smite
7th: staggering smite
9th: banishing smite

Celestial Resistance:
Starting at 6th level, you gain resistance to electricity and poison damage, you have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you cannot be petrified. If you are already resistant to poison, you become immune instead.

Menace:
Starting at 10th level, your patron grants you a portion of an archon’s menacing aura. As an action, you can menace each creature you choose that can see you within 30 feet. For the next minute, those creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against you. If such a creature hits you with an attack, the effect ends for that creature as it realizes you are mortal. A creature that cannot be frightened is immune to this feature.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you take a short or long rest.

Mark of Justice:
Starting at 14th level, as an action, you can touch a creature and place a magical (invisible) mark upon them. A creature with less than 4 Intelligence, that is Unaligned, or that is otherwise completely incapable of moral choice, cannot be marked.

Any time, to a maximum of once per round, that a marked creature commits a crime according to the moral convictions of your patron or the law of the land (your choice when placing the mark), it must make a Wisdom saving throw with a save DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier or take 5d10 psychic damage. A marked creature knows if the mark will be activated before it commits to an action, and you always know when it is activated or is removed, no matter the distance, even if you are on another plane.

If the marked creature succeeds on a saving throw against the mark, it is removed. Otherwise, the mark is permanent unless you remove it as an action by touching the creature, or you die. The mark cannot be dispelled, but a remove curse, greater restoration, or wish spell can remove it.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you take a long rest.

[Grey Watcher]

Celestial Resistance:
Starting at 4th level, you gain resistance to electricity and poison damage, you have resistance on saving throws against poison, and you cannot be petrified. If you are already resistant to poison, you become immune instead.

Just a language clarification, shouldn't it be "advantage on saving throws against poison" to be consistent with the PHB and MM language on similar abilities? Your wording has the potential to be confusing, because, for example, the Resistance spell adds an extra die to your saving throw, rather than advantage.


Mark of Justice:
Starting at 14th level, as an action, you can touch a creature and place a magical (invisible) mark upon them. Any time, to a maximum of once per turn, that a marked creature commits a crime according to your moral convictions or the law of the land (your choice), it must make a Wisdom saving throw with a save DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier or take 5d10 psychic damage. A marked creature knows if the mark will be activated before it commits to an action, and you always know when it is activated or is removed, no matter the distance, even if you are on another plane.

If the marked creature succeeds on a saving throw against the mark, it is removed. Otherwise, the mark is permanent unless you remove it as an action by touching the creature. The mark cannot be dispelled, but a remove curse, greater restoration, or wish spell can remove it.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you take a long rest.

Is there a limit on how many creatures you can Mark at once? I feel like there ought to be.

[Goober4473]

Just a language clarification, shouldn't it be "advantage on saving throws against poison" to be consistent with the PHB and MM language on similar abilities? Your wording has the potential to be confusing, because, for example, the Resistance spell adds an extra die to your saving throw, rather than advantage.


Yep. That's a definite typo.


Is there a limit on how many creatures you can Mark at once? I feel like there ought to be.

Not currently. I could put a limit, or perhaps a maximum duration. Geas lasts for 30 days, and the mark is similar to that.

[Edit]: More thoughts on the mark: I'm not sure it needs a limit, whether time or number. You can use it once a day, and a significant and/or powerful creature could probably get it removed within a few days, or just do a few crimes (or keep fighting the warlock, as the case may be) until they succeed on a save. Petty criminals who would probably die from the damage may end up with the mark forever, but they aren't terribly important anyways, and it would likely take years of constant marking to make a real impact on society.

If anything, a duration of on year might make sense, or a large limit like 30 or 100 marks at a time, but I wouldn't be too worried about it as a DM.

[Grey Watcher]

Yep. That's a definite typo.



Not currently. I could put a limit, or perhaps a maximum duration. Geas lasts for 30 days, and the mark is similar to that.

[Edit]: More thoughts on the mark: I'm not sure it needs a limit, whether time or number. You can use it once a day, and a significant and/or powerful creature could probably get it removed within a few days, or just do a few crimes (or keep fighting the warlock, as the case may be) until they succeed on a save. Petty criminals who would probably die from the damage may end up with the mark forever, but they aren't terribly important anyways, and it would likely take years of constant marking to make a real impact on society.

If anything, a duration of on year might make sense, or a large limit like 30 or 100 marks at a time, but I wouldn't be too worried about it as a DM.

I'm less concerned about that and more about either the potential for rules-lawyer abuse (eg "my moral code says it's a crime to disobey a servant of good such as myself" or similar cheese).

My other thought is that the Archon might not WANT you to use it willy-nilly, and thus only give you a handful at once ("You've only got so many; use them wisely.")

[Goober4473]

I'm less concerned about that and more about either the potential for rules-lawyer abuse (eg "my moral code says it's a crime to disobey a servant of good such as myself" or similar cheese).

My other thought is that the Archon might not WANT you to use it willy-nilly, and thus only give you a handful at once ("You've only got so many; use them wisely.")

"I am the law and it is a crime to disobey me" is a totally legit use of this power. That said, I think I will change it to the moral convictions of your patron, not you. Which still allows for the aforementioned "I am the law" in some circumstances, but doesn't quite let you make complete slaves of anyone unless you are in a position to make the law of the land yourself.

The idea of the power is twofold: You can use it in combat or during interrogation or a similar conflict to either deal damage, or force a surrender, with the knowledge that it will probably hit them a couple of times, though they might save right off the bat, or you use it on normal people as a preventative measure or punishment for crimes, acting as a real deterrent and allowing you to keep tabs them.

In the former case, if the damage is dealt twice, it's about equal to the "hurl through hell" power, with slightly different side benefits. That requires two failed saves, but it also has some more use socially. That seems about right to me.

[Markoff Chainey]

about the general idea... it's one of my favorite, I also love the "holy light" Warlock from the UA and think an angelic Warlock patron would rock...

What I think must be sorted out so that it works nicely is the warlock's spell list, because it is (IMO) just not made for a character like this... I am looking at arms of hadar, bane, hex, etc. and even poison spray seems a bit odd. The list of inappropriate spells is actually quite long!

I also think that Mark of Justice needs a restriction AND a more clear condition... otherwise a very minor "moral" act - like stepping on an ant - could turn into a death-sentence. There should be something like "7 sins" that must not be broken or the "curse" works.

I like your idea that the Warlock slowly turns in something a bit like the patron himself, but this could be even more so. - maybe by replacing or adding 1 / 2 Warlock invocations as well that are "Pact of the Archon only" and make the warlock himself a bit more "angelic".

Resistance against electric damage is funny because it creates an image of angels being constantly hit by lightning... but also a bit weird. - I think it should be radiant instead.

Wrath MUST use concentration! This opens a huge door for abuse (besides the fact that it would be absurdly OP on itself). I see a paladin/warlock with 2 smites at once and things like that. I do not like this feature at all because it is only for weapon user and the warlock has 3 paths - this would very much favor the pact of the plade over the other 2 and they do not get anything while pact of the blade would get an more than awesome feature.

Cheers!

[PoeticDwarf]

The level 14 feature is now little too strong, it would be nicer if you can only have a mark on one creature at a time.

[Goober4473]

about the general idea... it's one of my favorite, I also love the "holy light" Warlock from the UA and think an angelic Warlock patron would rock...

What I think must be sorted out so that it works nicely is the warlock's spell list, because it is (IMO) just not made for a character like this... I am looking at arms of hadar, bane, hex, etc. and even poison spray seems a bit odd. The list of inappropriate spells is actually quite long!


The important thing to remember here is, the warlock isn't a chosen one or a worshipper. A warlock is looking for a shortcut to power. That power may come from a holy place, but the use of that power is largely up to the warlock. No one is praying for spells every morning and receiving them directly from a divine source. An archon makes a pact with such a power hungry mortal in order to turn that power, in some way, into a force of eradicating evil and chaos, but the reason the warlock makes the pact is, typically, for access to more power, more arcane secrets, more magical energy to power what they already know, etc.

At some point I might write up a more detailed fluff for this, but that's the general idea. An archon pact warlock is still very much a warlock in every way. It's just when their boss comes calling, it's usually to send them on a mission to serve justice, instead of some nefarious or alien agenda.



I also think that Mark of Justice needs a restriction AND a more clear condition... otherwise a very minor "moral" act - like stepping on an ant - could turn into a death-sentence. There should be something like "7 sins" that must not be broken or the "curse" works.


The ability is intended to be balanced such that it could trigger every single round until a save is made, and that would be fine. Adding more things that trigger it also adds more chances for it to be removed, and thus less social control of the target. If anything it does counts as a crime, then why bother trying not to do crime?

I've explained my reasoning in not having a limit on marks already. If anyone wants to use this and is concerned, adding a limit is very simple.



Resistance against electric damage is funny because it creates an image of angels being constantly hit by lightning... but also a bit weird. - I think it should be radiant instead.


This was just because archons have traditionally been immune to electricity and poison, and this is specifically an archon pact, not a generic divine or angelic pact. I like that this differentiates the archon patron from a generic angel.



Wrath MUST use concentration! This opens a huge door for abuse (besides the fact that it would be absurdly OP on itself). I see a paladin/warlock with 2 smites at once and things like that. I do not like this feature at all because it is only for weapon user and the warlock has 3 paths - this would very much favor the pact of the plade over the other 2 and they do not get anything while pact of the blade would get an more than awesome feature.

I'm less concerned about the balance issues, since you're expending spell slots either way, but the fact that it's only really useful to blade pact warlocks is something I've been concerned with. I'll probably replace this ability.