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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Homebrew Pact: Pact of the Staff



StagnantFlux
2019-08-30, 02:14 AM
So I've noticed that I tend to get a lot of homebrew ideas for warlocks. I'm not sure why. The class just gives me fun ideas. Anyways, here's a homebrew pact that popped into my head. It's probably overbalanced because I tend to do that without realizing it.

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Pact of the Staff
Your Patron has given you a magic staff. As an action you can summon the staff to your hand. While wielding the staff you may use it to cast spells from your patrons expanded spell list. You have a combined number of spell levels equal to half your warlock level. (ex: at Warlock level 20 you would have 10 spell levels, equaling ten 1st level spells or two 5th level spells) Once you have expended these spell slots, they are not recoverable until after a long rest.

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I think it's an interesting concept, as it gives you more casting power than Tome, with a much more limited spell list. If you have any advice, it would be greatly appreciated.

BerzerkerUnit
2019-08-30, 08:10 AM
I think it’s a good start. I’d reword it-

The the first time you summon the staff each day it has charges equal to 1/2 your warlock level rounded Up. The staff grants you the ability to expend its charges to cast spells from your patron’s expanded spell list. Spells require a number of charges equal to their level. You can choose to spend more charges when casting the spell to increase its effect of the spell provides that option.
The staff recovers all of its charges at dawn.

I’d add some Invocations that add spells to the staff and let you

Invocations

Spirit Drinking Staff
Spend a warlock slot as a bonus action to grant the staff a number of charges equal to the slots level.

Staff of Knowledge
Req lvl 5, Pact of Staff
Choose a Wizard Spell of 3rd level or lower, add it to the list of spells your Staff allows you to cast. You must still provide any expensive material components or focuses to cast this spell.

Staff of Nature
Druid Spell

Staff of the Heavens/Hells
Cleric Spell

Tree of Life
Fey pact, staff pact
As an action you can plant your staff in loose earth and cause it to grow. It transforms into a hollow tree with a base 15 feet wide for 8 hours. Inside is a hut that comfortably sleeps 4 medium creatures. The tree produces 10 good berries and has cupped leaves with 1 day’s worth of water for 4.
After 8 hours the tree returns to Staff form in the place it was planted. Unharvested berries and water disappear with it.
You must complete a long rest before planting the staff again.

Iron Staff
Fiend pact
The staff is an immovable Rod.

Staff of Nightmares
GOO pact, lvl 9
The staff is a Tentacle Rod.

BerzerkerUnit
2019-08-30, 08:16 AM
If you're really worried about the balance change the number of charges to equal to proficiency bonus

StagnantFlux
2019-08-30, 09:12 AM
Jesus, you really took that and ran. I'm impressed. I personally saw it as balanced off the bat, but I've been known to have an inexperienced eye for it at so far, as I'm still just starting. If you don't mind, I may end up using those invocations on the PDF.

BerzerkerUnit
2019-08-30, 11:27 AM
Let me know if you want to put it on the DMsguild, I have a lot of content up there and I can share the profits depending on how much more you’d like to develop it.

StagnantFlux
2019-08-30, 11:50 AM
Wow, that is certainly not what I expected to hear. I mean, if you think it'll make a profit, I certainly wouldn't be opposed to it.

BerzerkerUnit
2019-08-30, 01:45 PM
I’d package it with an Archmage or Sorcerous Council Patron and go from there. If you want to create maybe 5 more Invocations that’d help. And if you want to collaborate on the Patron features let me know.

StagnantFlux
2019-08-30, 02:35 PM
I'll work on invocations and a new patron to package it with. I was planning on starting one based on Jack Frost, but I could probably go with something more traditionally arcane before I do that.

Bjarkmundur
2019-08-30, 03:13 PM
This thread did not end the way I expected it to...

StagnantFlux
2019-08-30, 03:18 PM
Right there with you, bud. I'm guessing this is abnormal?

BerzerkerUnit
2019-08-30, 07:21 PM
I’m always open to developing content for DMsguild. Maybe you never make more than a few bucks, but at least you have your name on something that’s out there inspiring others or helping them have a good time. DM me if you have an idea you’d like to work on but don’t want to post publicly yet.

If you want to see my stuff you can look up Matt Conlon on DMsguild.com, a lot of it is pwyw if you can’t spare a buck or two.

StagnantFlux
2019-08-30, 09:09 PM
I DM'd you the updates, Berserk.

Vogie
2019-08-31, 10:09 AM
Pact of the Staff
Your Patron has given you a magic staff. As an action you can summon the staff to your hand. While wielding the staff you may use it to cast spells from your patrons expanded spell list. You have a combined number of spell levels equal to half your warlock level. (ex: at Warlock level 20 you would have 10 spell levels, equaling ten 1st level spells or two 5th level spells) Once you have expended these spell slots, they are not recoverable until after a long rest.

This iteration is too powerful. The whole schtick of the Warlock is that their power level is essentially always at max level, up to 5. Being able to use this staff to also have a trailing 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st level slots at level 20 is WAY overkill, not to mention options for the "extra 2 5th level" or "10 1st level" or "5 2nd level" per long rest.

Heck just making this a free "Rod of the Pact Keeper" would be incredibly powerful by itself, doubly so once you tacked on invocations that reference it.


The the first time you summon the staff each day it has charges equal to 1/2 your warlock level rounded Up. The staff grants you the ability to expend its charges to cast spells from your patron’s expanded spell list. Spells require a number of charges equal to their level. You can choose to spend more charges when casting the spell to increase its effect of the spell provides that option. The staff recovers all of its charges at dawn.

This is slightly better, but still runs against the whole schtick of the Warlock's power gating. It essentially gives them domain spells, which isn't really a warlock thing.

What I could see, however, is a pact that opens up the expanded spell list for the warlock in a style similar to the Gift of the Depths or Trickster's Escape invocations - You can choose 1 spell to cast a spell from the expanded spell list once per long rest without expending a spell slot.

BerzerkerUnit
2019-08-31, 04:09 PM
This iteration is too powerful. The whole schtick of the Warlock is that their power level is essentially always at max level, up to 5. Being able to use this staff to also have a trailing 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st level slots at level 20 is WAY overkill, not to mention options for the "extra 2 5th level" or "10 1st level" or "5 2nd level" per long rest.

Heck just making this a free "Rod of the Pact Keeper" would be incredibly powerful by itself, doubly so once you tacked on invocations that reference it.



This is slightly better, but still runs against the whole schtick of the Warlock's power gating. It essentially gives them domain spells, which isn't really a warlock thing.

What I could see, however, is a pact that opens up the expanded spell list for the warlock in a style similar to the Gift of the Depths or Trickster's Escape invocations - You can choose 1 spell to cast a spell from the expanded spell list once per long rest without expending a spell slot.

As I mentioned above, setting it as charges equal to Proficiency bonus is less of an eyebrow raise.

I emphatically disagree with the powerscaling you’re alluding to with the rest of your post. The thrust of the feature is to open up more spell options and the other Invocations open up a few more at the cost of melee competence or Unlimited Rituals or Weird powers and super pet.