Avigor
2021-02-21, 03:51 AM
Inspired by a line in my short vs long rest swap variant (link in my sig), I decided to try my hand at this.
The Malconvoker
One day, you stumbled across a thin folio bound in black scales and written in Celestial, the Vital Pact. After an introduction involving a treatise on the limited resources among the forces of Good and entreating unknown parties for aid, it posited that Evil must be made to fight itself. This set you on the path of summoning Evil creatures and bending or tricking them into fighting against their own kin, all in the name of a greater good and at what you presume to be the behest of some unknown, powerful force for Good.
Expanded Spell List:
Spell Level
Spells
1st
Bane, Sanctuary
2nd
Find Steed (Fiend only), Spiritual Weapon (always looks Fiendish)
3rd
Sending, Spirit Guardians (Fiendish only)
4th
Find Greater Stead (Fiend only), Confusion
5th
Planar Binding, Dispel Evil and Good
6th
Planar Ally, Summon Fiend
9th
Gate
(Note: Both Summon Fiend and Gate are part of TCE's variant spell lists regardless of their appearance here, which should minimize the impact of adding them to this list)
Level 1: Deceitful Bargaining: You know Celestial and Infernal, and have proficiency in the Deception skill. You also know the true name of a single Fiend (DM's discretion). Finally, as all Malconvokers must be cautious, you know Protection from Evil and Good as a bonus spell known that does not count against your Warlock known spells, and at 5th level will also learn Magic Circle as a bonus spell known that does not count against your Warlock known spells.
Level 6: Deceptive Summons: When summoning a Fiend with a spell that has a limited duration, you may make a Charisma (Deception) check contested against a Wisdom (Insight) check by the Fiend (if there is more than one, only one makes the roll, DM's discretion if they have different bonuses). If you succeed, you can double the duration of the summon. If you fail, the Fiend is uncontrolled and independent of your concentration, but it will vanish when the original spell duration expires or it is banished or dispelled. Either way, add a bonus equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum +1) to all attack rolls from your summoned Fiends, and all Fiends summoned appear with temporary hit points equal to your Warlock level. You may use this a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses after a long rest.
Level 10: Fiendish Legion: If using Deceptive Summons, you may choose to take disadvantage on the Charisma (Deception) roll in order to summon one additional Fiend appropriate to the spell and your selection of summoned creature(s) (note that if the summon explicitly does not allow multiple creatures, such as Find Steed / Find Greater Steed, this cannot be used with that spell). If you attempt to use this more than once before finishing a long rest, you grant advantage to the opposed Wisdom (Insight) check (or if there are multiple Fiends with different bonuses the DM may choose to make one roll each from two of them), and this cannot be used if you are exhausted.
Level 14: Safe Summoning: As a reaction (typically in response to an undesired action from the Fiend or otherwise discovering they have broken out of your control), you can expend a Pact Magic spell slot or take a level of exhaustion to dismiss any Fiend you personally summoned, regardless of whether it is under your control or not and without requiring any checks or saving throws, so long as you can see it. In addition, when using a spell that involves bargaining with a Fiend or where you benefit from attempting to convince them that your goals are similar, you can impose on the Fiend(s) summoned disadvantage on opposed checks and saving throws related to the spell and any interactions with you, so long as they are under your control; this effect ends early if you lose control for any reason, once you choose to use this you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest, and Safe Summoning cannot affect the Wisdom (Insight) checks from Deceptive Summons or Fiendish Legion (which may still be used while applying this, they just don't take disadvantage on the Deceptive Summons or Fiendish Legion Wisdom (Insight) check due to Safe Summoning, and if you lose control due to those checks this ability will be wasted). Finally, you gain Expertise in the Deception skill against Fiends only (if you gain Expertise elsewhere or already have it, this bonus will not stack)
Note on mentioning multiple Fiends with different bonuses: I imagine that sometimes, a group of Fiends may have a leader with a lower Wisdom (Insight) bonus than an underling, albeit in rare circumstances even Fiendish leaders may listen to an underling they know is more insightful than themselves; for such roleplay circumstances DM discretion is allowed regarding whose bonus to use for Deceptive Summons and Fiendish Legion (including the option to have two different Fiends make simultaneous checks for their group if Fiendish Legion is being overused).
Thoughts?
The Malconvoker
One day, you stumbled across a thin folio bound in black scales and written in Celestial, the Vital Pact. After an introduction involving a treatise on the limited resources among the forces of Good and entreating unknown parties for aid, it posited that Evil must be made to fight itself. This set you on the path of summoning Evil creatures and bending or tricking them into fighting against their own kin, all in the name of a greater good and at what you presume to be the behest of some unknown, powerful force for Good.
Expanded Spell List:
Spell Level
Spells
1st
Bane, Sanctuary
2nd
Find Steed (Fiend only), Spiritual Weapon (always looks Fiendish)
3rd
Sending, Spirit Guardians (Fiendish only)
4th
Find Greater Stead (Fiend only), Confusion
5th
Planar Binding, Dispel Evil and Good
6th
Planar Ally, Summon Fiend
9th
Gate
(Note: Both Summon Fiend and Gate are part of TCE's variant spell lists regardless of their appearance here, which should minimize the impact of adding them to this list)
Level 1: Deceitful Bargaining: You know Celestial and Infernal, and have proficiency in the Deception skill. You also know the true name of a single Fiend (DM's discretion). Finally, as all Malconvokers must be cautious, you know Protection from Evil and Good as a bonus spell known that does not count against your Warlock known spells, and at 5th level will also learn Magic Circle as a bonus spell known that does not count against your Warlock known spells.
Level 6: Deceptive Summons: When summoning a Fiend with a spell that has a limited duration, you may make a Charisma (Deception) check contested against a Wisdom (Insight) check by the Fiend (if there is more than one, only one makes the roll, DM's discretion if they have different bonuses). If you succeed, you can double the duration of the summon. If you fail, the Fiend is uncontrolled and independent of your concentration, but it will vanish when the original spell duration expires or it is banished or dispelled. Either way, add a bonus equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum +1) to all attack rolls from your summoned Fiends, and all Fiends summoned appear with temporary hit points equal to your Warlock level. You may use this a number of times equal to your Proficiency bonus, and regain all expended uses after a long rest.
Level 10: Fiendish Legion: If using Deceptive Summons, you may choose to take disadvantage on the Charisma (Deception) roll in order to summon one additional Fiend appropriate to the spell and your selection of summoned creature(s) (note that if the summon explicitly does not allow multiple creatures, such as Find Steed / Find Greater Steed, this cannot be used with that spell). If you attempt to use this more than once before finishing a long rest, you grant advantage to the opposed Wisdom (Insight) check (or if there are multiple Fiends with different bonuses the DM may choose to make one roll each from two of them), and this cannot be used if you are exhausted.
Level 14: Safe Summoning: As a reaction (typically in response to an undesired action from the Fiend or otherwise discovering they have broken out of your control), you can expend a Pact Magic spell slot or take a level of exhaustion to dismiss any Fiend you personally summoned, regardless of whether it is under your control or not and without requiring any checks or saving throws, so long as you can see it. In addition, when using a spell that involves bargaining with a Fiend or where you benefit from attempting to convince them that your goals are similar, you can impose on the Fiend(s) summoned disadvantage on opposed checks and saving throws related to the spell and any interactions with you, so long as they are under your control; this effect ends early if you lose control for any reason, once you choose to use this you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest, and Safe Summoning cannot affect the Wisdom (Insight) checks from Deceptive Summons or Fiendish Legion (which may still be used while applying this, they just don't take disadvantage on the Deceptive Summons or Fiendish Legion Wisdom (Insight) check due to Safe Summoning, and if you lose control due to those checks this ability will be wasted). Finally, you gain Expertise in the Deception skill against Fiends only (if you gain Expertise elsewhere or already have it, this bonus will not stack)
Note on mentioning multiple Fiends with different bonuses: I imagine that sometimes, a group of Fiends may have a leader with a lower Wisdom (Insight) bonus than an underling, albeit in rare circumstances even Fiendish leaders may listen to an underling they know is more insightful than themselves; for such roleplay circumstances DM discretion is allowed regarding whose bonus to use for Deceptive Summons and Fiendish Legion (including the option to have two different Fiends make simultaneous checks for their group if Fiendish Legion is being overused).
Thoughts?