theVoidWatches
2018-10-26, 08:38 PM
Greetings, eccentric billionaires! This is an attempt at writing a class which has to manage a pool of resources every round, rather than between rests. In brief, the concept is that every round they have a pool of dice that they can spend to deal damage with eldritch blast, but they can also use them in other ways - but doing so means dealing less damage. And of course, they might want to reserve some dice for use in reaction to things out of their turn.
Basically, I was thinking about the different kinds of resource management in 5e. There are resources like spell slots which (except for the warlock) must be managed between long rests. There are resources like Superiority Dice and Ki which must be managed between short rests. But there really aren't any resources which have to be managed on a shorter-term basis than a short rest. The closest thing is the Rogue's Sneak Attack, which works only once per round, but that's not really a resource. It was, however, an inspiration for this class. This, then, is a version of the warlock that has a dice pool which, similar to Sneak Attack, can be poured into a single attack, but which can also be used to fuel other features on a round-to-round basis.
Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Eldritch Dice
Invocations Known
1st
+2
Eldritch Dice, Otherworldly Patron
2d6
-
2nd
+2
Invocations
3d6
3
3rd
+2
Pact Boon
3d6
4
4th
+2
Ability Score Improvement
4d6
4
5th
+3
Improved Eldritch Blast
4d6
5
6th
+3
Otherworldly Patron Feature
5d6
5
7th
+3
Arcane Evasion
5d6
6
8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement
6d6
6
9th
+4
Eldritch Vigor
6d6
7
10th
+4
Otherworldly Patron Feature
7d6
7
11th
+4
Improved Eldritch Blast (II)
7d6
8
12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement
8d6
8
13th
+5
Improved Pact Boon
8d6
9
14th
+5
Otherworldly Patron Feature
9d6
9
15th
+5
Improved Eldritch Vigor
9d6
10
16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement
10d6
10
17th
+6
Eldritch Reactions
10d6
11
18th
+6
Otherworldly Patron Feature
11d6
11
19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement
11d6
12
20th
+6
Eldritch Master
12d6
13
Class Features
As a Warlock, you gain the following class features:
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Warlock level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8(or 5) + your Constitution modifier
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose two skills from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, and Religion.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
(a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus.
(a) a scholar’s pack or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack
Leather armor, any simple weapon, and two daggers
Eldritch Dice
At 1st level, you are granted access to a store of eldritch power cultivated by your patron. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of Eldritch Dice, which are d6s. Your warlock level determines the number of Eldritch Dice you have, as shown in the Eldritch Dice column of the Warlock table.You can spend these dice to fuel various eldritch features. You start knowing two such features, Eldritch Blast and Arcane Armor. You learn more features as you gain levels in this class. Your eldritch features count as magic, and thus cannot be used in an antimagic field or similar effect. For the purpose of effects which work on spell level such as counterspell, an eldritch feature's spell level is equal to half the amount of eldritch dice spent on the feature. Eldritch features may require somatic or verbal components, which are noted in parentheses at the end of their description.
When you spend an Eldritch die, it is unavailable until the beginning of your next turn, when you recover all expended Eldritch Dice.
Reserving Eldritch Dice
Some of your features require you to reserve a number of Eldritch Dice. When you reserve Eldritch Dice, they count as expended, but do not regenerate at the beginning of your turn. You may free reserved Eldritch Dice at any time with no action required, after which they will regenerate at the beginning of your turn as normal.
Some of your features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the eldritch feature's effects, or require you to make an attack throw to determine if your eldritch feature succeeds.
Eldritch Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Eldritch attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Eldritch Blast
You may expel eldritch energy in a ray to attack your foes. As an action, choose a single target within 120 feet that you can see and spend any number of Eldritch Dice. Make a ranged spell attack against the target, using your Eldritch attack modifier. On a hit, the target takes force damage equal to the expended dice. (s)
Arcane Armor
You may armor yourself with eldritch energy. When you are targeted by an attack, you may expend one Eldritch Die as a reaction to reduce the attack roll by an amount equal to the expended die. You may do so after you see the roll, but before the DM announces the result. (s)
Otherworldly Patron
At 1st level, you have struck a bargain with an otherworldly being of your choice: the Archfey, the Fiend, or the Great Old One, each of which is detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level.
Invocations
Along with the basic uses of eldritch power to attack and defend, your patron offers more esoteric techniques to put your eldritch power to use, called invocations. At 2nd level, you gain 3 invocations of your choice. Your invocation options are detailed at the end of the class description. When you gain certain warlock levels, you gain additional invocations of your choice, as shown in the Invocations column of the Warlock table.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the invocations you know and replace it with another invocation that you are eligible for.
Pact Boon
At 3rd level, your otherworldly patron bestows a gift upon you for your loyal service. You gain one of the following features of your choice.
Pact of the Blade
You can use your action to create a pact weapon in your empty hand. You can choose the form that this melee weapon takes each time you create it (see chapter 5 for weapon options). You are proficient with it while you wield it. This weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Your pact weapon disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you use this feature again, if you dismiss the weapon (no action required), or if you die.You can transform one magical melee weapon into your pact weapon by performing a special ritual while you hold the weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. You can then dismiss the weapon, shunting it into an extradimensional space, and it appears whenever you create your pact weapon thereafter. You can’t affect an artifact or a sentient weapon in this way. The weapon ceases being your pact weapon if you die, if you perform the 1-hour ritual on a different weapon, or if you use a 1-hour ritual to break your bond to it. The weapon appears at your feet if it is in the extradimensional space when the bond breaks.
Pact of the Chain
You learn find familiar and can cast the spell as a ritual with no cost.
When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: imp, pseudodragon, quasit, or sprite. Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own.Your familiar adds your proficiency bonus to the attack and damage of its attacks, and adds twice your level to its health.
Pact of the Tome
Your patron gives you a grimoire called a Book of Shadows. When you gain this feature, choose three cantrips from any class’s spell list that don't deal damage. While the book is on your person, you can cast those cantrips at will. If you lose your Book of Shadows, you can perform a 1-hour ceremony to receive a replacement from your patron. This ceremony can be performed during a short or long rest, and it destroys the previous book. The book turns to ash when you die.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you may replace one of the cantrips you learned with this feature with another cantrip.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Improved Eldritch Blast
As your control over the eldritch power granted to you grows, you can use it to strike at multiple foes at once. Beginning at 5th level, when you use Eldritch Blast, you may select up to two targets. You must expend Eldritch Dice separately for each target.
Magical Resilience
Beginning at 7th level, the eldritch power constantly flowing through your body can protect you from others' spells. You gain a new eldritch feature, Arcane Evasion.
Arcane Evasion
When you make a saving throw against a magical effect, you can expend 1 Eldritch Die as a reaction to increase your saving throw by an amount equal to the expended die. You may do so after you see the roll, but before the DM announces the result. (s)
Eldritch Vigor
Beginning at 9th level, you have learned to infuse yourself with eldritch energy to restore your health. As a bonus action, expend up to 2 Eldritch Dice. You gain temporary health equal to the expended dice. This temporary health expires at the end of your next turn. (s)
Improved Eldritch Blast (II)
Beginning at 11th level, when you use Eldritch Blast you may select up to 3 targets. You must expend Eldritch Dice separately for each target.
Improved Pact Boon
Beginning at 13th level, the boon granted to you by your patron improves in the following way.
Pact of the Chain
You gain a new eldritch feature, Protective Instincts.
Protective Instincts
If your familiar takes damage, you can spend any number of Eldritch Dice as a reaction to protect it. The damage it would have taken is reduced by an amount equal to the expended dice. (s,v)
Pact of the Blade
Once per turn when you deal damage with your pact weapon, you deal 1d6 additional damage.
Pact of the Tome
Pick three additional cantrips from any class's spell list that don't deal damage. You can cast those cantrips at will while the book is on your person.
Improved Eldritch Vigor
Beginning at 15th level, when you use Eldritch Vigor, you may add your Charisma modifier to the temporary health gained.
Eldritch Reactions
Beginning at 17th level, the eldritch power flowing through you can increase your speed. When you spend Eldritch Dice as a reaction, you may spend 2 Eldritch Dice to regain your reaction at the end of the current turn.
Eldritch Master
Beginning at 20th level, your eldritch power is inexhaustible. Once per turn after expending 2 or more Eldritch Dice on an eldritch feature, you regain 1 expended Eldritch Die.
Otherworldly Patrons
The Fiend - Improvements to Base Class Features
Precise Blast
Most fiends were once small creatures which had to hoard their little power and spend it with great care, and your patron remembers that time well enough to teach techniques to use your power carefully. Starting at 1st level, you gain a new eldritch feature, Precise Blast.
Precise Blast
When you damage a creature with Eldritch Blast, you may choose to spend any number of Eldritch Dice to deal additional damage equal to the expended dice to that creature. (s, v)
Burn Through Power
As a fiend's power grows, it learns how to use its power to enhance itself. Your patron teaches you how to do the same. You gain a new eldritch feature, Burn Through Power.
Burn Through Power
Once per turn after using an eldritch feature, you can spend 1 Eldritch Die to reroll any number of Eldritch Dice spent in the triggering feature a single time. You must use the second result. (s)
Fiendish Vigor
Starting at 10th level, the fiendish origins of your power begin to warp your body, making you more accustomed to its presense. When you use Eldritch Vigor, you may expend any number of dice equal to or less than your proficiency bonus, rather than being limited to only 2 dice.
Consumptive Power
Starting at 14th level, your body has been warped to the point that you can spend your own health as power. You may expend up to one Hit Die per turn as though it was an Eldritch Die. Whenever you do so, take psychic damage equal to the result of the spent Hit Die. This damage cannot be reduced by resistances or immunities. Temporary health is ignored by this feature.
Master of Power
Starting at 18th level, your fiendish nature fuels your power as much as your patron does. Whenever you expend only 1 Eldritch Die on an eldritch feature, you regain 1 expended Eldritch Die at the end of the current turn.
The Archfey - Debuff Your Enemies by Messing With Their Heads
Fey Presence
Starting at 1st level, your patron bestows upon you the ability to project the beguiling and fearsome presence of the fey. You gain a new eldritch feature, Fey Presence.
Fey Presence
As an action, you expend a number of Eldritch Dice equal to or less than your proficiency bonus and choose a number of creatures within 30 feet of you equal to the number of dice expended. The chosen creatures must made a Wisdom saving throw against your Eldritch Save DC. The creatures that fail their saving throws are all charmed or frightened by you (your choice) until the end of your next turn. (v)
Dominating Power
Starting at 6th level, you learn to manipulate those whose minds you have touched. You gain a new feature, Dominating Power.
Dominating Power
If a creature that is charmed or frightened by you is the target of an attack roll or must make a saving throw, you can expend 1 Eldritch die as a reaction to add that die to the attack roll or subtract that die from the saving throw. (s)
Beguiling Defenses
Starting at 10th level, your patron teaches you how to resist the mind effecting magics of your enemies. You gain a new feature, Beguiling Defenses.
Beguiling Defense
When you make a saving throw against an effect which would charm or frighten you, you may spend 1 Eldritch Die to add that die to your saving throw. (s)
Fey Domination
Starting at 14th level, you can seize hold of a creature's mind entirely. You gain a new eldritch feature, Fey Domination.
Fey Domination
As an action, you may reserve 9 Eldritch Dice to attempt to dominate a creature that is currently charmed by you. They must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Eldritch Save DC, or be controlled by you as described by the Dominate Monster spell for as long as you maintain concentration. In order to continue concentrating on this feature, you must spend a bonus action each turn. A creature that makes its save against this effect or that this effect ends on is immune to this feature for 24 hours. (s, v)
Master of Charms
Starting at 18th level, your patron has taught you enough to make you a true master of mind-affecting magics. You gain a new eldritch feature, Master of Charms.
Master of Charms
When a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see makes a saving throw against an effect which would charm or frighten them, you may spend 1 Eldritch Die as a reaction to add or subtract that dice from their saving throw. You may do so after you see the roll, but before the DM announces the result. (s)
The Celestial - Buff your Friends
Divine Favor
Starting at 1st level, your patron allows you to share their blessings of power with your allies. You gain a new eldritch feature, Divine Favor.
Divine Favor
As a bonus action, choose any number of creatures within 30 feet other than yourself and expend an equal number of Eldritch Dice. Each creature chosen adds 1d6 to the first attack roll, saving throw, or skill check they make on their next turn. (v)
Healing Hands
Starting at 6th level, your patron gives you the power to heal, for a time. You gain a new eldritch feature, Healing Hands.
Healing Hands
As an action, expend a number of Eldritch Die equal to or less than your proficiency bonus. A creature within 5 feet of you, or of your familiar if you have one, gains temporary HP equal to the die. These dice expire in 10 minutes if not lost. (s, v)
Divine Wrath
Starting at 10th level, your patron's possible blessings expand. When you use Divine Favor, the chosen creatures may choose to add 1d6 to the first damage roll they make on their next turn instead of the first attack roll, saving throw, or skill check they make. They must make this decision when you choose them.
Improved Healing Hands
Staring at 14th level, your healing powers improve. When you use Healing Hands, the temporary hit points granted are increased by your charisma modifier. Additionally, you may use Healing Hands on any number of creatures as part of the same action. You must expend Eldritch Dice separately for each creature.
Improved Divine Favor
Starting at 18th level, your ability to channel your patron's power improves. When you use Divine Favor, you may may expend up to 2 Eldritch Dice for each creature chosen. If you expend 2 Eldritch Dice for a creature, they add your Charisma modifier to their attack roll, saving throw, skill check, or damage as well as 1d6.
The Great Old One - Protect Yourself and a Friend
Awakened Mind
Starting at 1st level, your alien power gives you the ability to touch the minds of other creatures. You can communicate telepathically with any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language. Additionally, you may choose one willing creature and form a mental link with them during a short or long rest. You may communicate telepathically with them from any distance. You remain bonded to that creature until either of you severs the bond, or until you form a new bond.
Additionally, when you use Arcane Armor, you regain your reaction at the end of the current turn.
Eldritch Ward
Starting at 6th level, your patron has taught you to magically ward yourself against attack and turn an enemy's failed strike into good luck for yourself. You can use Arcane Armor when the creature you are bonded to is attacked as well as when you are attacked, and if you roll below your proficiency modifier on the die you may treat it as a roll of your proficiency modifier. Additionally, if the attack misses, your next attack roll against that attacking creature has a bonus equal to 1d6 per expended die.
Eldritch Evasion
Starting at 10th level, you may use Arcane Evasion when the creature you are bonded to makes a saving throw as well as when you make a saving throw, and you may expend up to 2 Eldritch Dice on the feature. Additionally, you can then spend any number of Eldritch Dice to reduce damage you would still take by an amount equal to the expended dice. If both you and the creature that you are bonded to must make saves against the same effect, you must spend Eldritch Dice separately for each of you, but you may do so as part of the same reaction.
Eldritch Resilience
Starting at 14th level, your patron has taught you to ward yourself from damage as well as to ward off attacks. You gain a new eldritch feature, Eldritch Resilience.
Eldritch Resilience
Once per turn when you or the creature that you are bonded to takes damage, you can spend a number of Eldritch Dice equal to or less than your proficiency modifier to reduce the damage by an amount equal to the expended dice plus your charisma modifier. (s)
Spacial Bond
Starting at 18th level, your bond is strong enough that it transcends space. You gain a new eldritch feature, Spacial Bond.
Spacial Bond
You may magically teleport to the position of the creature that you are bonded to, or they may teleport to you. Either of you may choose to do so as an action on your turn, or as a reaction when you would have taken damage. Whenever you or your bonded creature teleports, the other may choose to teleport to the position that the other is teleporting from. Either of you using this feature requires you to expend 3 Eldritch Dice. (s)
Changelog
v0.1 Initial release!
v0.1.1 Celestials can have Warlocks too!
Added the Celestial option for Otherworldly Patrons.
Reordered the Otherworldly Patrons section to put Fiend at the beginning, as the Fiend is the "Default" patron which enhances your core class features rather than adding new features.
Added the Brimstone Blast invocation for Fiendlocks.
Added the Divine Aura invocation for Celestial warlocks.
Added the Frightful Blast invocation for Feylocks.
Added the Radiant Blast invocation for Celestial warlocks.
Added the Unearthly Knowledge invocation for GOOlocks.
v0.1.2 Now incorporating Feedback!
Nerfed Pact of the Blade.
Buffed Eldritch Vigor.
Buffed Improved Pact of the Chain.
Nerfed Fey Presence.
Buffed Beguiling Defenses
Changed Fiendish Vigor to allow you to reroll spent Eldritch Dice rather than convert them to d8s.
Reworded Entropic Ward to give you a 1d6 bonus rather than a bonus equal to the previous Eldritch Die.
Reworded Entropic Ward, and Entropic Evasion to match PBH wording.
Buffed Spacial Bond.
Buffed Beguiling Influence invocation. Cut Unmatched Influence invocaiton.
Nerfed Eldritch Expertise invocation.
Buffed Gift of the Depths invocation.
Added missing reaction requirement to Hellish Retribution invocation.
Cut Mystic Armor and Mystic Evasion invocations.
Combined Eyes of the Rune Keeper invocation and Tongue of the Wanderer invocation.
v0.1.3 Balancing and Editing
Removed Thirsting Blade as it made Pact of the Blade too strong.
Reformatted eldritch features to make it more clear when you receive a new one.
Added a new eldritch feature at level 1, Eldritch Armor.
Changed the Eldritch Master feature to make your capstone more exciting.
Changed the Master of Power feature to make the Fiend capstone more exciting.
Corrected wording on all subclass capstones which incorrectly stated that they were available at level 17.
Reordered invocations according to availability.
Turned Eldritch Understanding into the Eldritch Sight invocation.
Replaced Improved Eldritch Blast (III) with Eldritch Reactions.
Changed Improved Eldritch to allow you to strike up to your proficiency bonus in targets immediately.
Changed Improved Eldritch Blast (II) to increase damage when you spread your Eldritch Dice between multiple targets.
Aspect of the Moon no longer requires Pact of the Tome.
Reworded all at-beginning-of-turn eldritch features to clarify that they are triggered after regenerating expended Eldritch Dice.
Added the Slyvan Understanding invocation for Fey warlocks.
Added the Unholy Knoweldge invocation for Fiend warlocks.
Added the Force of Personality invocation for Pact of the Blade.
Eldritch Bomb, Eldritch Beam, and Eldritch Bone now require warlock level 3.
Hellish Retribution now requires warlock level 7.
Added the Mental Rebound invocation for Fey warlocks.
Added the Psychic Revenge invocation for GOO warlocks.
Added the Shining Rebuke invocation for Celestial warlocks.
General wording fixes to make intent more clear.
v0.1.4 Ready for Playtesting
Adjusted scaling of Eldritch Dice to increase the speed at which they are acquired.
Warlocks now get 3 invocations at level 2, and continue to acquire invocations as normal from there.
Buffed GOO warlocks by letting them get back the reaction spent on Arcane Armor from level 1.
Fiendish Vigor no longer has a limit on how many hit die can be spent in a turn.
Buffed out-of-turn options by making several features which required a reaction into once-per-turn actions instead. Features affected include Improved Pact of the Chain, Burn Through Power, and Eldritch Resilience.
Nerfed the Devour Magic and Voracious Counter invocations by making them deal damage to you if you don't have enough Eldritch Dice to match the spell level of the effect being countered.
Merged the Shroud of Shadow invocation with One with Shadows.
General wording fixes to make intent more clear.
v0.1.5 More Invocations
Made it more clear that eldritch effects count as magic (and are affected by anti-magic).
Added somatic and/or verbal component requirements for all eldritch features.
Added the Drawn by Death invocation.
Added the Chains of Carceri invocation.
Added the Devil's Whispers invocation.
Added the Serpent's Tongue invocation.
Added the Shaper of Flesh invocation.
Added The Dead Walk invocation.
Added the Fueled by Death invocation.
Added the Word of Death invocation.
v0.1.5.1 Emergency Hotfixing
Nerfed Consumptive Power to only one hit die per turn again.
Nerfed Eldritch Vigor to a max of two eldritch dice, and lasting only one turn.
Nerfed Fiendish Vigor to a max of your proficiency bonus in dice.
Nerfed scaling of Eldritch Dice back to the original sneak attack + 1 progression.
Changed the Force of Personality invocation to let you add an eldritch die to your attack roll instead of letting you use charisma to attack.
v0.1.6 Tinkering
Changed progression of Invocations to grant a new invocation at every odd-numbered level, plus level 20, to match progression of spell levels and serve as part of the capstone. Also, ending with 13 invocations appeals to me. This is a slight buff because you get invocations faster.
Changed progression of Eldritch Dice to grant a new Eldritch Die at every even-numbered level instead of odd-numbered levels, to contrast the now odd-numbered Invocations. This is a slight nerf because you get Eldritch Dice slower.
Buffed the Fueled by Death invocation as I thought it might be weak at 15th level to get back 11 or less HP on a kill.
Added the Veil the Eyes invocation to help illusionist Warlocks continue to be relevant at higher levels.
Added the Book of Eldritch Secrets invocation, which makes Tomelocks real spellcasters (but eats up Eldritch Dice on a short rest). Not sure how that'll work out, TBH, but it seemed like a better way to add in more spells than making endless invocations that let you cast spells at will or by spending Eldritch Dice.
Added the Blessing of the Blade invocation to keep the number of pact-specific invocations even. It grants real health, but the amount of health it grants is based on the CR of the defeated creature, so hopefully that will avoid being exploitable with bags of ants. I considered granting temp HP, but at the level it becomes available you get Eldritch Vigor already, so you already have a source of temp HP.
Added the Familiar Assistance invocation for the same reason as Blessing of the Blade.
Changed the Eldritch Ward feature of the Great Old One to make it allow for greater reliability rather than greater power - it now prevents you from reducing the attack roll by less than your proficiency modifier (3, at the time you get the feature) instead of letting you roll 2d6 (which would allow it to reduce attack rolls by up to 12, which is too strong at level 6)
Reformatted to make things more collapsible.
Moved all invocations into the second post, as I ran into the character limit.
General wording fixes to make intent more clear.
v0.1.6.1 Reserving Eldritch Dice
Added a section on reserving Eldritch Dice and reworded some features and invocations to reserve dice, rather than have you spend them at the beginning of your turn. This should be mechanically identical, but easier to understand.
v0.1.6.2 Added Flavor Text
Added flavor text for a number of features.
Adjusted the cost of Fey Domination to still require the use of all of your eldritch dice at the time the ability is acquired.
v0.1.7 Playtested Once!
Eldritch Blast no longer allows you to add your Charisma bonus to damage by default. This is to bring the average damage more in-line with that of a Rogue despite having more Eldritch Dice than a similar-leveled Rogue.
Improved Eldritch Blast now only allows you to choose 2 targets. Improved Eldritch Blast (II) now allows you to choose 3 targets instead of increasing the damage when you target multiple enemies.
Added the Agonizing Blast invocation to let you add your Charisma bonus to damage once per turn.
Fixed some invocations which grant spells. This includes One With Shadows, Spiderwalk and Veil the Eyes. This was mainly wording - the only actual balance change is that One With Shadows previously would have allowed you to cast Invisibility on other characters, but it now only allows you to cast it on yourself.
Basically, I was thinking about the different kinds of resource management in 5e. There are resources like spell slots which (except for the warlock) must be managed between long rests. There are resources like Superiority Dice and Ki which must be managed between short rests. But there really aren't any resources which have to be managed on a shorter-term basis than a short rest. The closest thing is the Rogue's Sneak Attack, which works only once per round, but that's not really a resource. It was, however, an inspiration for this class. This, then, is a version of the warlock that has a dice pool which, similar to Sneak Attack, can be poured into a single attack, but which can also be used to fuel other features on a round-to-round basis.
Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Eldritch Dice
Invocations Known
1st
+2
Eldritch Dice, Otherworldly Patron
2d6
-
2nd
+2
Invocations
3d6
3
3rd
+2
Pact Boon
3d6
4
4th
+2
Ability Score Improvement
4d6
4
5th
+3
Improved Eldritch Blast
4d6
5
6th
+3
Otherworldly Patron Feature
5d6
5
7th
+3
Arcane Evasion
5d6
6
8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement
6d6
6
9th
+4
Eldritch Vigor
6d6
7
10th
+4
Otherworldly Patron Feature
7d6
7
11th
+4
Improved Eldritch Blast (II)
7d6
8
12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement
8d6
8
13th
+5
Improved Pact Boon
8d6
9
14th
+5
Otherworldly Patron Feature
9d6
9
15th
+5
Improved Eldritch Vigor
9d6
10
16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement
10d6
10
17th
+6
Eldritch Reactions
10d6
11
18th
+6
Otherworldly Patron Feature
11d6
11
19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement
11d6
12
20th
+6
Eldritch Master
12d6
13
Class Features
As a Warlock, you gain the following class features:
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per Warlock level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8(or 5) + your Constitution modifier
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose two skills from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, and Religion.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
(a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus.
(a) a scholar’s pack or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack
Leather armor, any simple weapon, and two daggers
Eldritch Dice
At 1st level, you are granted access to a store of eldritch power cultivated by your patron. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of Eldritch Dice, which are d6s. Your warlock level determines the number of Eldritch Dice you have, as shown in the Eldritch Dice column of the Warlock table.You can spend these dice to fuel various eldritch features. You start knowing two such features, Eldritch Blast and Arcane Armor. You learn more features as you gain levels in this class. Your eldritch features count as magic, and thus cannot be used in an antimagic field or similar effect. For the purpose of effects which work on spell level such as counterspell, an eldritch feature's spell level is equal to half the amount of eldritch dice spent on the feature. Eldritch features may require somatic or verbal components, which are noted in parentheses at the end of their description.
When you spend an Eldritch die, it is unavailable until the beginning of your next turn, when you recover all expended Eldritch Dice.
Reserving Eldritch Dice
Some of your features require you to reserve a number of Eldritch Dice. When you reserve Eldritch Dice, they count as expended, but do not regenerate at the beginning of your turn. You may free reserved Eldritch Dice at any time with no action required, after which they will regenerate at the beginning of your turn as normal.
Some of your features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the eldritch feature's effects, or require you to make an attack throw to determine if your eldritch feature succeeds.
Eldritch Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Eldritch attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Eldritch Blast
You may expel eldritch energy in a ray to attack your foes. As an action, choose a single target within 120 feet that you can see and spend any number of Eldritch Dice. Make a ranged spell attack against the target, using your Eldritch attack modifier. On a hit, the target takes force damage equal to the expended dice. (s)
Arcane Armor
You may armor yourself with eldritch energy. When you are targeted by an attack, you may expend one Eldritch Die as a reaction to reduce the attack roll by an amount equal to the expended die. You may do so after you see the roll, but before the DM announces the result. (s)
Otherworldly Patron
At 1st level, you have struck a bargain with an otherworldly being of your choice: the Archfey, the Fiend, or the Great Old One, each of which is detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level.
Invocations
Along with the basic uses of eldritch power to attack and defend, your patron offers more esoteric techniques to put your eldritch power to use, called invocations. At 2nd level, you gain 3 invocations of your choice. Your invocation options are detailed at the end of the class description. When you gain certain warlock levels, you gain additional invocations of your choice, as shown in the Invocations column of the Warlock table.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the invocations you know and replace it with another invocation that you are eligible for.
Pact Boon
At 3rd level, your otherworldly patron bestows a gift upon you for your loyal service. You gain one of the following features of your choice.
Pact of the Blade
You can use your action to create a pact weapon in your empty hand. You can choose the form that this melee weapon takes each time you create it (see chapter 5 for weapon options). You are proficient with it while you wield it. This weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Your pact weapon disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you use this feature again, if you dismiss the weapon (no action required), or if you die.You can transform one magical melee weapon into your pact weapon by performing a special ritual while you hold the weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. You can then dismiss the weapon, shunting it into an extradimensional space, and it appears whenever you create your pact weapon thereafter. You can’t affect an artifact or a sentient weapon in this way. The weapon ceases being your pact weapon if you die, if you perform the 1-hour ritual on a different weapon, or if you use a 1-hour ritual to break your bond to it. The weapon appears at your feet if it is in the extradimensional space when the bond breaks.
Pact of the Chain
You learn find familiar and can cast the spell as a ritual with no cost.
When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: imp, pseudodragon, quasit, or sprite. Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own.Your familiar adds your proficiency bonus to the attack and damage of its attacks, and adds twice your level to its health.
Pact of the Tome
Your patron gives you a grimoire called a Book of Shadows. When you gain this feature, choose three cantrips from any class’s spell list that don't deal damage. While the book is on your person, you can cast those cantrips at will. If you lose your Book of Shadows, you can perform a 1-hour ceremony to receive a replacement from your patron. This ceremony can be performed during a short or long rest, and it destroys the previous book. The book turns to ash when you die.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you may replace one of the cantrips you learned with this feature with another cantrip.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Improved Eldritch Blast
As your control over the eldritch power granted to you grows, you can use it to strike at multiple foes at once. Beginning at 5th level, when you use Eldritch Blast, you may select up to two targets. You must expend Eldritch Dice separately for each target.
Magical Resilience
Beginning at 7th level, the eldritch power constantly flowing through your body can protect you from others' spells. You gain a new eldritch feature, Arcane Evasion.
Arcane Evasion
When you make a saving throw against a magical effect, you can expend 1 Eldritch Die as a reaction to increase your saving throw by an amount equal to the expended die. You may do so after you see the roll, but before the DM announces the result. (s)
Eldritch Vigor
Beginning at 9th level, you have learned to infuse yourself with eldritch energy to restore your health. As a bonus action, expend up to 2 Eldritch Dice. You gain temporary health equal to the expended dice. This temporary health expires at the end of your next turn. (s)
Improved Eldritch Blast (II)
Beginning at 11th level, when you use Eldritch Blast you may select up to 3 targets. You must expend Eldritch Dice separately for each target.
Improved Pact Boon
Beginning at 13th level, the boon granted to you by your patron improves in the following way.
Pact of the Chain
You gain a new eldritch feature, Protective Instincts.
Protective Instincts
If your familiar takes damage, you can spend any number of Eldritch Dice as a reaction to protect it. The damage it would have taken is reduced by an amount equal to the expended dice. (s,v)
Pact of the Blade
Once per turn when you deal damage with your pact weapon, you deal 1d6 additional damage.
Pact of the Tome
Pick three additional cantrips from any class's spell list that don't deal damage. You can cast those cantrips at will while the book is on your person.
Improved Eldritch Vigor
Beginning at 15th level, when you use Eldritch Vigor, you may add your Charisma modifier to the temporary health gained.
Eldritch Reactions
Beginning at 17th level, the eldritch power flowing through you can increase your speed. When you spend Eldritch Dice as a reaction, you may spend 2 Eldritch Dice to regain your reaction at the end of the current turn.
Eldritch Master
Beginning at 20th level, your eldritch power is inexhaustible. Once per turn after expending 2 or more Eldritch Dice on an eldritch feature, you regain 1 expended Eldritch Die.
Otherworldly Patrons
The Fiend - Improvements to Base Class Features
Precise Blast
Most fiends were once small creatures which had to hoard their little power and spend it with great care, and your patron remembers that time well enough to teach techniques to use your power carefully. Starting at 1st level, you gain a new eldritch feature, Precise Blast.
Precise Blast
When you damage a creature with Eldritch Blast, you may choose to spend any number of Eldritch Dice to deal additional damage equal to the expended dice to that creature. (s, v)
Burn Through Power
As a fiend's power grows, it learns how to use its power to enhance itself. Your patron teaches you how to do the same. You gain a new eldritch feature, Burn Through Power.
Burn Through Power
Once per turn after using an eldritch feature, you can spend 1 Eldritch Die to reroll any number of Eldritch Dice spent in the triggering feature a single time. You must use the second result. (s)
Fiendish Vigor
Starting at 10th level, the fiendish origins of your power begin to warp your body, making you more accustomed to its presense. When you use Eldritch Vigor, you may expend any number of dice equal to or less than your proficiency bonus, rather than being limited to only 2 dice.
Consumptive Power
Starting at 14th level, your body has been warped to the point that you can spend your own health as power. You may expend up to one Hit Die per turn as though it was an Eldritch Die. Whenever you do so, take psychic damage equal to the result of the spent Hit Die. This damage cannot be reduced by resistances or immunities. Temporary health is ignored by this feature.
Master of Power
Starting at 18th level, your fiendish nature fuels your power as much as your patron does. Whenever you expend only 1 Eldritch Die on an eldritch feature, you regain 1 expended Eldritch Die at the end of the current turn.
The Archfey - Debuff Your Enemies by Messing With Their Heads
Fey Presence
Starting at 1st level, your patron bestows upon you the ability to project the beguiling and fearsome presence of the fey. You gain a new eldritch feature, Fey Presence.
Fey Presence
As an action, you expend a number of Eldritch Dice equal to or less than your proficiency bonus and choose a number of creatures within 30 feet of you equal to the number of dice expended. The chosen creatures must made a Wisdom saving throw against your Eldritch Save DC. The creatures that fail their saving throws are all charmed or frightened by you (your choice) until the end of your next turn. (v)
Dominating Power
Starting at 6th level, you learn to manipulate those whose minds you have touched. You gain a new feature, Dominating Power.
Dominating Power
If a creature that is charmed or frightened by you is the target of an attack roll or must make a saving throw, you can expend 1 Eldritch die as a reaction to add that die to the attack roll or subtract that die from the saving throw. (s)
Beguiling Defenses
Starting at 10th level, your patron teaches you how to resist the mind effecting magics of your enemies. You gain a new feature, Beguiling Defenses.
Beguiling Defense
When you make a saving throw against an effect which would charm or frighten you, you may spend 1 Eldritch Die to add that die to your saving throw. (s)
Fey Domination
Starting at 14th level, you can seize hold of a creature's mind entirely. You gain a new eldritch feature, Fey Domination.
Fey Domination
As an action, you may reserve 9 Eldritch Dice to attempt to dominate a creature that is currently charmed by you. They must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Eldritch Save DC, or be controlled by you as described by the Dominate Monster spell for as long as you maintain concentration. In order to continue concentrating on this feature, you must spend a bonus action each turn. A creature that makes its save against this effect or that this effect ends on is immune to this feature for 24 hours. (s, v)
Master of Charms
Starting at 18th level, your patron has taught you enough to make you a true master of mind-affecting magics. You gain a new eldritch feature, Master of Charms.
Master of Charms
When a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see makes a saving throw against an effect which would charm or frighten them, you may spend 1 Eldritch Die as a reaction to add or subtract that dice from their saving throw. You may do so after you see the roll, but before the DM announces the result. (s)
The Celestial - Buff your Friends
Divine Favor
Starting at 1st level, your patron allows you to share their blessings of power with your allies. You gain a new eldritch feature, Divine Favor.
Divine Favor
As a bonus action, choose any number of creatures within 30 feet other than yourself and expend an equal number of Eldritch Dice. Each creature chosen adds 1d6 to the first attack roll, saving throw, or skill check they make on their next turn. (v)
Healing Hands
Starting at 6th level, your patron gives you the power to heal, for a time. You gain a new eldritch feature, Healing Hands.
Healing Hands
As an action, expend a number of Eldritch Die equal to or less than your proficiency bonus. A creature within 5 feet of you, or of your familiar if you have one, gains temporary HP equal to the die. These dice expire in 10 minutes if not lost. (s, v)
Divine Wrath
Starting at 10th level, your patron's possible blessings expand. When you use Divine Favor, the chosen creatures may choose to add 1d6 to the first damage roll they make on their next turn instead of the first attack roll, saving throw, or skill check they make. They must make this decision when you choose them.
Improved Healing Hands
Staring at 14th level, your healing powers improve. When you use Healing Hands, the temporary hit points granted are increased by your charisma modifier. Additionally, you may use Healing Hands on any number of creatures as part of the same action. You must expend Eldritch Dice separately for each creature.
Improved Divine Favor
Starting at 18th level, your ability to channel your patron's power improves. When you use Divine Favor, you may may expend up to 2 Eldritch Dice for each creature chosen. If you expend 2 Eldritch Dice for a creature, they add your Charisma modifier to their attack roll, saving throw, skill check, or damage as well as 1d6.
The Great Old One - Protect Yourself and a Friend
Awakened Mind
Starting at 1st level, your alien power gives you the ability to touch the minds of other creatures. You can communicate telepathically with any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language. Additionally, you may choose one willing creature and form a mental link with them during a short or long rest. You may communicate telepathically with them from any distance. You remain bonded to that creature until either of you severs the bond, or until you form a new bond.
Additionally, when you use Arcane Armor, you regain your reaction at the end of the current turn.
Eldritch Ward
Starting at 6th level, your patron has taught you to magically ward yourself against attack and turn an enemy's failed strike into good luck for yourself. You can use Arcane Armor when the creature you are bonded to is attacked as well as when you are attacked, and if you roll below your proficiency modifier on the die you may treat it as a roll of your proficiency modifier. Additionally, if the attack misses, your next attack roll against that attacking creature has a bonus equal to 1d6 per expended die.
Eldritch Evasion
Starting at 10th level, you may use Arcane Evasion when the creature you are bonded to makes a saving throw as well as when you make a saving throw, and you may expend up to 2 Eldritch Dice on the feature. Additionally, you can then spend any number of Eldritch Dice to reduce damage you would still take by an amount equal to the expended dice. If both you and the creature that you are bonded to must make saves against the same effect, you must spend Eldritch Dice separately for each of you, but you may do so as part of the same reaction.
Eldritch Resilience
Starting at 14th level, your patron has taught you to ward yourself from damage as well as to ward off attacks. You gain a new eldritch feature, Eldritch Resilience.
Eldritch Resilience
Once per turn when you or the creature that you are bonded to takes damage, you can spend a number of Eldritch Dice equal to or less than your proficiency modifier to reduce the damage by an amount equal to the expended dice plus your charisma modifier. (s)
Spacial Bond
Starting at 18th level, your bond is strong enough that it transcends space. You gain a new eldritch feature, Spacial Bond.
Spacial Bond
You may magically teleport to the position of the creature that you are bonded to, or they may teleport to you. Either of you may choose to do so as an action on your turn, or as a reaction when you would have taken damage. Whenever you or your bonded creature teleports, the other may choose to teleport to the position that the other is teleporting from. Either of you using this feature requires you to expend 3 Eldritch Dice. (s)
Changelog
v0.1 Initial release!
v0.1.1 Celestials can have Warlocks too!
Added the Celestial option for Otherworldly Patrons.
Reordered the Otherworldly Patrons section to put Fiend at the beginning, as the Fiend is the "Default" patron which enhances your core class features rather than adding new features.
Added the Brimstone Blast invocation for Fiendlocks.
Added the Divine Aura invocation for Celestial warlocks.
Added the Frightful Blast invocation for Feylocks.
Added the Radiant Blast invocation for Celestial warlocks.
Added the Unearthly Knowledge invocation for GOOlocks.
v0.1.2 Now incorporating Feedback!
Nerfed Pact of the Blade.
Buffed Eldritch Vigor.
Buffed Improved Pact of the Chain.
Nerfed Fey Presence.
Buffed Beguiling Defenses
Changed Fiendish Vigor to allow you to reroll spent Eldritch Dice rather than convert them to d8s.
Reworded Entropic Ward to give you a 1d6 bonus rather than a bonus equal to the previous Eldritch Die.
Reworded Entropic Ward, and Entropic Evasion to match PBH wording.
Buffed Spacial Bond.
Buffed Beguiling Influence invocation. Cut Unmatched Influence invocaiton.
Nerfed Eldritch Expertise invocation.
Buffed Gift of the Depths invocation.
Added missing reaction requirement to Hellish Retribution invocation.
Cut Mystic Armor and Mystic Evasion invocations.
Combined Eyes of the Rune Keeper invocation and Tongue of the Wanderer invocation.
v0.1.3 Balancing and Editing
Removed Thirsting Blade as it made Pact of the Blade too strong.
Reformatted eldritch features to make it more clear when you receive a new one.
Added a new eldritch feature at level 1, Eldritch Armor.
Changed the Eldritch Master feature to make your capstone more exciting.
Changed the Master of Power feature to make the Fiend capstone more exciting.
Corrected wording on all subclass capstones which incorrectly stated that they were available at level 17.
Reordered invocations according to availability.
Turned Eldritch Understanding into the Eldritch Sight invocation.
Replaced Improved Eldritch Blast (III) with Eldritch Reactions.
Changed Improved Eldritch to allow you to strike up to your proficiency bonus in targets immediately.
Changed Improved Eldritch Blast (II) to increase damage when you spread your Eldritch Dice between multiple targets.
Aspect of the Moon no longer requires Pact of the Tome.
Reworded all at-beginning-of-turn eldritch features to clarify that they are triggered after regenerating expended Eldritch Dice.
Added the Slyvan Understanding invocation for Fey warlocks.
Added the Unholy Knoweldge invocation for Fiend warlocks.
Added the Force of Personality invocation for Pact of the Blade.
Eldritch Bomb, Eldritch Beam, and Eldritch Bone now require warlock level 3.
Hellish Retribution now requires warlock level 7.
Added the Mental Rebound invocation for Fey warlocks.
Added the Psychic Revenge invocation for GOO warlocks.
Added the Shining Rebuke invocation for Celestial warlocks.
General wording fixes to make intent more clear.
v0.1.4 Ready for Playtesting
Adjusted scaling of Eldritch Dice to increase the speed at which they are acquired.
Warlocks now get 3 invocations at level 2, and continue to acquire invocations as normal from there.
Buffed GOO warlocks by letting them get back the reaction spent on Arcane Armor from level 1.
Fiendish Vigor no longer has a limit on how many hit die can be spent in a turn.
Buffed out-of-turn options by making several features which required a reaction into once-per-turn actions instead. Features affected include Improved Pact of the Chain, Burn Through Power, and Eldritch Resilience.
Nerfed the Devour Magic and Voracious Counter invocations by making them deal damage to you if you don't have enough Eldritch Dice to match the spell level of the effect being countered.
Merged the Shroud of Shadow invocation with One with Shadows.
General wording fixes to make intent more clear.
v0.1.5 More Invocations
Made it more clear that eldritch effects count as magic (and are affected by anti-magic).
Added somatic and/or verbal component requirements for all eldritch features.
Added the Drawn by Death invocation.
Added the Chains of Carceri invocation.
Added the Devil's Whispers invocation.
Added the Serpent's Tongue invocation.
Added the Shaper of Flesh invocation.
Added The Dead Walk invocation.
Added the Fueled by Death invocation.
Added the Word of Death invocation.
v0.1.5.1 Emergency Hotfixing
Nerfed Consumptive Power to only one hit die per turn again.
Nerfed Eldritch Vigor to a max of two eldritch dice, and lasting only one turn.
Nerfed Fiendish Vigor to a max of your proficiency bonus in dice.
Nerfed scaling of Eldritch Dice back to the original sneak attack + 1 progression.
Changed the Force of Personality invocation to let you add an eldritch die to your attack roll instead of letting you use charisma to attack.
v0.1.6 Tinkering
Changed progression of Invocations to grant a new invocation at every odd-numbered level, plus level 20, to match progression of spell levels and serve as part of the capstone. Also, ending with 13 invocations appeals to me. This is a slight buff because you get invocations faster.
Changed progression of Eldritch Dice to grant a new Eldritch Die at every even-numbered level instead of odd-numbered levels, to contrast the now odd-numbered Invocations. This is a slight nerf because you get Eldritch Dice slower.
Buffed the Fueled by Death invocation as I thought it might be weak at 15th level to get back 11 or less HP on a kill.
Added the Veil the Eyes invocation to help illusionist Warlocks continue to be relevant at higher levels.
Added the Book of Eldritch Secrets invocation, which makes Tomelocks real spellcasters (but eats up Eldritch Dice on a short rest). Not sure how that'll work out, TBH, but it seemed like a better way to add in more spells than making endless invocations that let you cast spells at will or by spending Eldritch Dice.
Added the Blessing of the Blade invocation to keep the number of pact-specific invocations even. It grants real health, but the amount of health it grants is based on the CR of the defeated creature, so hopefully that will avoid being exploitable with bags of ants. I considered granting temp HP, but at the level it becomes available you get Eldritch Vigor already, so you already have a source of temp HP.
Added the Familiar Assistance invocation for the same reason as Blessing of the Blade.
Changed the Eldritch Ward feature of the Great Old One to make it allow for greater reliability rather than greater power - it now prevents you from reducing the attack roll by less than your proficiency modifier (3, at the time you get the feature) instead of letting you roll 2d6 (which would allow it to reduce attack rolls by up to 12, which is too strong at level 6)
Reformatted to make things more collapsible.
Moved all invocations into the second post, as I ran into the character limit.
General wording fixes to make intent more clear.
v0.1.6.1 Reserving Eldritch Dice
Added a section on reserving Eldritch Dice and reworded some features and invocations to reserve dice, rather than have you spend them at the beginning of your turn. This should be mechanically identical, but easier to understand.
v0.1.6.2 Added Flavor Text
Added flavor text for a number of features.
Adjusted the cost of Fey Domination to still require the use of all of your eldritch dice at the time the ability is acquired.
v0.1.7 Playtested Once!
Eldritch Blast no longer allows you to add your Charisma bonus to damage by default. This is to bring the average damage more in-line with that of a Rogue despite having more Eldritch Dice than a similar-leveled Rogue.
Improved Eldritch Blast now only allows you to choose 2 targets. Improved Eldritch Blast (II) now allows you to choose 3 targets instead of increasing the damage when you target multiple enemies.
Added the Agonizing Blast invocation to let you add your Charisma bonus to damage once per turn.
Fixed some invocations which grant spells. This includes One With Shadows, Spiderwalk and Veil the Eyes. This was mainly wording - the only actual balance change is that One With Shadows previously would have allowed you to cast Invisibility on other characters, but it now only allows you to cast it on yourself.