aimlessPolymath
2020-06-01, 06:07 PM
I have a game set in the Forgotten Realms of 5e, Raven Queen and all. However, the game rules are being run using Pathfinder; as a result, while there are warlocks of the Raven Queen in our canon, there are no rules to functionally differentiate them from other characters; they'd just be ordinary sorcerers/clerics/wizards. Additionally, my character is planning to convince others to make warlocky deals, so a custom class that would require people to take levels in it is a miss. As a result, I threw together these rules to handle the process of selling your soul to a patron.
Making Pacts: In order to make a pact, spend an hour sacrificing 100 gp in ingredients to make a DC 20 Knowledge(religion) or Knowledge(the planes) to attempt to contact a patron; another may make this check on your behalf. Divine casters of another deity, or those who have already made a pact with a different patron, cannot make this check. You can not accept a pact if you already have a pact.
On a success, you contact one of your desired patron’s servants; make a Charisma check that cannot be modified by magic (as though you were in an antimagic field). Others cannot make this check on your behalf.
Check Result:
1 or less: You are forced to accept a pact. Lose 2 points of Constitution permanently; you’ll have to steal them back from your patron’s before they may be healed.
2-5: You are forced to accept a pact. You gain two random costs; if you violate a rule, take a -2 penalty to Constitution until you atone. You should feel lucky that it’s not more.
6-10: Gain two random costs and your patron’s boon.
11-15: Gain one random cost, one cost of your choice and your patron’s boon.
16 or more: Gain two costs of your choice and your patron’s boon. You may accept two additional costs of your choice to gain another Boon, with a different domain.
Regardless of your roll result, if you accept a pact, your soul belongs to your patron; it costs 500 gp/level more in various sacrifices to revive you from the dead by any means.
On a 6 or higher, you can choose to back out of a bad pact; if you do, you can never attempt another pact with the same patron (but may attempt a pact with a different patron).
The Patron’s Boons: Gain the Believer’s Boon feat for one of your patron’s domains. If you violate a rule from a cost from your patron, you lose access to this feat until you atone (as per the Believer’s Boon). You do not need to meet the normal requirements of this feat. Substitute your Charisma for your Wisdom for the purpose of the effects of these domains. Instead of having only one use/round per day, you have 1+your Charisma bonus uses/rounds.
Patron: The Raven Queen:
Domains: The Animal domain(birds only), the Death domain, the Luck domain, the Luck(Curse) subdomain, the Repose domain, the Repose(Souls) subdomain, or the Water domain.
Costs: (1-6 on a d6 when randomly rolled; reroll duplicates)
1. Gain the Foul Brand drawback (50% chance of either kind).
2. Gain the Envy drawback, except that you must sacrifice at least 10 gp instead of stealing it.
3. Gain the Tainted Spirit drawback.
4. Rule: You must offer any followers of the Raven Queen at least three days protection and hospitality, should they request it; you are not obligated to do anything more.
5. Rule: Each year, you must convince at least three people to Her worship or to accept warlock contracts.
6. Rule: Do not let undead go unharmed without making an attempt to strike against them.
New Feat:
Warlock’s Might:
Requirements: Cha 13, Believer’s Boon from a contract with the Raven Queen or another patron.
Benefit: Increase the number of uses of a domain you gained through a Believer’s Boon to the normal level for a cleric of your character level, continuing to substitute Charisma for Wisdom for this purpose. For the purpose of the domain’s 1st level ability effects, you are now a cleric of your character level. Furthermore, gain your patron’s boon for a new domain that you do not already have it for (if one exists).
Special: You may take this feat multiple times; each time, you must choose a different domain and a different boon.
Rough balancing: A trait is 1/2 a feat, and a drawback is about -1 traits; the rules are intended to be more constricting than the drawbacks but to come up much less often. I adjusted the uses of Believer's Boon upwards (with my DM's permission) because it is a painfully pulled feat; looking for advice on tweaking that- maybe Cha mod(min 1) uses? Will it make a real difference?
Making Pacts: In order to make a pact, spend an hour sacrificing 100 gp in ingredients to make a DC 20 Knowledge(religion) or Knowledge(the planes) to attempt to contact a patron; another may make this check on your behalf. Divine casters of another deity, or those who have already made a pact with a different patron, cannot make this check. You can not accept a pact if you already have a pact.
On a success, you contact one of your desired patron’s servants; make a Charisma check that cannot be modified by magic (as though you were in an antimagic field). Others cannot make this check on your behalf.
Check Result:
1 or less: You are forced to accept a pact. Lose 2 points of Constitution permanently; you’ll have to steal them back from your patron’s before they may be healed.
2-5: You are forced to accept a pact. You gain two random costs; if you violate a rule, take a -2 penalty to Constitution until you atone. You should feel lucky that it’s not more.
6-10: Gain two random costs and your patron’s boon.
11-15: Gain one random cost, one cost of your choice and your patron’s boon.
16 or more: Gain two costs of your choice and your patron’s boon. You may accept two additional costs of your choice to gain another Boon, with a different domain.
Regardless of your roll result, if you accept a pact, your soul belongs to your patron; it costs 500 gp/level more in various sacrifices to revive you from the dead by any means.
On a 6 or higher, you can choose to back out of a bad pact; if you do, you can never attempt another pact with the same patron (but may attempt a pact with a different patron).
The Patron’s Boons: Gain the Believer’s Boon feat for one of your patron’s domains. If you violate a rule from a cost from your patron, you lose access to this feat until you atone (as per the Believer’s Boon). You do not need to meet the normal requirements of this feat. Substitute your Charisma for your Wisdom for the purpose of the effects of these domains. Instead of having only one use/round per day, you have 1+your Charisma bonus uses/rounds.
Patron: The Raven Queen:
Domains: The Animal domain(birds only), the Death domain, the Luck domain, the Luck(Curse) subdomain, the Repose domain, the Repose(Souls) subdomain, or the Water domain.
Costs: (1-6 on a d6 when randomly rolled; reroll duplicates)
1. Gain the Foul Brand drawback (50% chance of either kind).
2. Gain the Envy drawback, except that you must sacrifice at least 10 gp instead of stealing it.
3. Gain the Tainted Spirit drawback.
4. Rule: You must offer any followers of the Raven Queen at least three days protection and hospitality, should they request it; you are not obligated to do anything more.
5. Rule: Each year, you must convince at least three people to Her worship or to accept warlock contracts.
6. Rule: Do not let undead go unharmed without making an attempt to strike against them.
New Feat:
Warlock’s Might:
Requirements: Cha 13, Believer’s Boon from a contract with the Raven Queen or another patron.
Benefit: Increase the number of uses of a domain you gained through a Believer’s Boon to the normal level for a cleric of your character level, continuing to substitute Charisma for Wisdom for this purpose. For the purpose of the domain’s 1st level ability effects, you are now a cleric of your character level. Furthermore, gain your patron’s boon for a new domain that you do not already have it for (if one exists).
Special: You may take this feat multiple times; each time, you must choose a different domain and a different boon.
Rough balancing: A trait is 1/2 a feat, and a drawback is about -1 traits; the rules are intended to be more constricting than the drawbacks but to come up much less often. I adjusted the uses of Believer's Boon upwards (with my DM's permission) because it is a painfully pulled feat; looking for advice on tweaking that- maybe Cha mod(min 1) uses? Will it make a real difference?