Steampunkette
2016-06-09, 10:49 PM
So I saw a slightly unbalanced pact boon for Warlocks called Malediction and it made me realize that it is a style of Warlock that is missing. So I figured I would take a stab at it, with invocation support. This post has been updated to reflect the current thread discussion of the pact and some invocations.
Pact of Malediction: Your Patron has bestowed upon you a gift for your continued service, an Orb of Power known as an Evil Eye. The Evil Eye is a fist sized orb which, when you choose, flares with light and floats nearby. This orb can appear as something specifically tied to your Patron or otherwise have a cosmetic appearance of your choice. For example the orb of the Great Old One might appear as a disembodied eye, while the orb of the Fey might have the appearance of a will o' wisp.
The orb sheds dim light in a 15ft radius and follows you around. So long as you are within the orb's light, you gain the benefit of the Malediction, which augments several Warlock spells.
Hex: While within the light of the Orb, the Malediction allows you to apply Hex to two targets. When moving your Hex to a new target, each target requires a bonus action.
Crown of Madness: To control a target with Crown of Madness you need only expend your Bonus Action, rather than your Action.
Bestow Curse: The four standard functions of the Bestow Curse spell are empowered as follows. You may still only apply one improvement.
Disadvantage on all checks tied to a score, including attack.
Disadvantage on attack and damage rolls.
Wis save with disadvantage or do nothing.
All attacks on the target deal an additional 1d8 damage of the same type as the attack which triggers the effect.
The Orb, while magical, is not bound to your presence in any meaningful way and can be stolen, though after 1 minute it returns to your presence. If it is destroyed you may resummon it through an hour long ritual after you have completed a long rest.
Invocations
Dark Word: (Prerequisite: Pact of Malediction) While a Malediction is active, you may expend your reaction to apply a 1d6 penalty to an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw of a target currently affected by your Hex, Crown of Madness, or Bestow Curse spell. You choose to use this reaction after seeing the result of a d20 roll, but before the DM declares it's ssuccess or failure. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier. Expended uses are recovered at the end of a short or long rest.
Gaze of the Evil Eye:(Prerequisite: Pact of Malediction) You gain the ability to cast the Bane spell once per short or long rest as a second level spell.
Augmented Malediction(Prerequisite: Pact of Malediction, level 5) When you apply a Malediction, the Hex, Crown of Madness, or Bestow Curse spells, you may select one of the following augmentations to take effect for a number of rounds equal to your proficiency modifier. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier. Expended uses are recovered at the end of a short or long rest.
1: Consuming Hunger. The target gains a 1d6 Bite Attack with which they are proficient if they do not currently have a bite attack. On any turn in which they do not succeed at biting a target, they take 1d6 damage.
2: Speak no Evil. The target's mouth is sewn shut by spectral threads, rendering them incapable of intelligible speech.
3: Mirefoot. The target is restrained by vines, skeletal hands, or rising mud that holds them, fast.
Pact of Malediction: Your Patron has bestowed upon you a gift for your continued service, an Orb of Power known as an Evil Eye. The Evil Eye is a fist sized orb which, when you choose, flares with light and floats nearby. This orb can appear as something specifically tied to your Patron or otherwise have a cosmetic appearance of your choice. For example the orb of the Great Old One might appear as a disembodied eye, while the orb of the Fey might have the appearance of a will o' wisp.
The orb sheds dim light in a 15ft radius and follows you around. So long as you are within the orb's light, you gain the benefit of the Malediction, which augments several Warlock spells.
Hex: While within the light of the Orb, the Malediction allows you to apply Hex to two targets. When moving your Hex to a new target, each target requires a bonus action.
Crown of Madness: To control a target with Crown of Madness you need only expend your Bonus Action, rather than your Action.
Bestow Curse: The four standard functions of the Bestow Curse spell are empowered as follows. You may still only apply one improvement.
Disadvantage on all checks tied to a score, including attack.
Disadvantage on attack and damage rolls.
Wis save with disadvantage or do nothing.
All attacks on the target deal an additional 1d8 damage of the same type as the attack which triggers the effect.
The Orb, while magical, is not bound to your presence in any meaningful way and can be stolen, though after 1 minute it returns to your presence. If it is destroyed you may resummon it through an hour long ritual after you have completed a long rest.
Invocations
Dark Word: (Prerequisite: Pact of Malediction) While a Malediction is active, you may expend your reaction to apply a 1d6 penalty to an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw of a target currently affected by your Hex, Crown of Madness, or Bestow Curse spell. You choose to use this reaction after seeing the result of a d20 roll, but before the DM declares it's ssuccess or failure. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier. Expended uses are recovered at the end of a short or long rest.
Gaze of the Evil Eye:(Prerequisite: Pact of Malediction) You gain the ability to cast the Bane spell once per short or long rest as a second level spell.
Augmented Malediction(Prerequisite: Pact of Malediction, level 5) When you apply a Malediction, the Hex, Crown of Madness, or Bestow Curse spells, you may select one of the following augmentations to take effect for a number of rounds equal to your proficiency modifier. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier. Expended uses are recovered at the end of a short or long rest.
1: Consuming Hunger. The target gains a 1d6 Bite Attack with which they are proficient if they do not currently have a bite attack. On any turn in which they do not succeed at biting a target, they take 1d6 damage.
2: Speak no Evil. The target's mouth is sewn shut by spectral threads, rendering them incapable of intelligible speech.
3: Mirefoot. The target is restrained by vines, skeletal hands, or rising mud that holds them, fast.