kosh49
2022-11-12, 05:05 PM
Several years back I created a pact magic based monk subclass. I had wanted the patron to affect the subclass. While I did not use the lazy option of reusing Warlock subclass features, on reflection my subclass was still tied to the Warlock class more that it should have been. Here is my effort to make it more independent of the Warlock class and the Warlock subclasses. Any feedback would be welcome.
I have updated this based on the feedback I have received so far. The change log is at the end. The Omen changes were somewhat extensive, so for reference I put the original omens in my post on November 22.
WAY OF THE HARBINGER:
Many monastic orders serve one or more gods or some other supernatural creature. Some monks seek to increase their connection to those entities by making a pact with one of those entities or with a powerful supernatural servitor of those entities. Not all monastic orders allow their members to follow the way of the harbinger, and none are dedicated to this tradition. But the powerful magics available to those few who follow this tradition makes them very effective indeed.
PACT MAGIC
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your patron grants you the ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the warlock spell list.
Cantrips. You learn two cantrips of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn an additional warlock cantrip of your choice at 11th level.
Spell Slots. The Harbinger Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your harbinger spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest. For example, when you are 13th level, you have two 3rd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell hex, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 3rd-level spell.
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher. You know two 1st-level spells of your choice selected from your harbinger spell list which consists of all warlock spells of 4th level or lower. The Spells Known column of the Harbinger Spellcasting table shows when you learn more harbinger spells of 1st level or higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the harbinger spells you know with another spell of your choice from the harbinger spell list. The new spell must also be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table's Slot Level column for your monk level.
Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your harbinger spells. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a harbinger spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
HARBINGER SPELLCASTING TABLE
Monk Level
Cantrips
Spells Known
Slot Level
Number of Spell Slots
3rd
2
2
1st
1
4th
2
2
1st
2
5th
2
3
1st
2
6th
2
3
1st
2
7th
2
4
2nd
2
8th
2
4
2nd
2
9th
2
4
2nd
2
10th
2
5
2nd
2
11th
3
5
2nd
2
12th
3
5
2nd
2
13th
3
6
3rd
2
14th
3
6
3rd
2
15th
3
6
3rd
2
16th
3
7
3rd
2
17th
3
7
3rd
2
18th
3
7
3rd
2
19th
3
8
4th
2
20th
3
8
4th
2
BONUS PROFICIENCY
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, determine the alignment of your patron. Each patron gives you a skill proficiency and a spell. This spell counts as a harbinger spell for you, but does not count against your spells known. A good patron provides proficiency in Medicine and the heroism spell. A neutral patron provides proficiency in Insight and the dissonant whispers spell. An evil patron provides proficiency in Survival and the absorb elements spell.
MARTIAL ARTS MAGIC
Starting at 3rd level, when you use your action to cast a cantrip you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action, or you can spend 1 ki point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.
DAZING SPELLS
Starting at 6th level your spells can overwhelm an opponent’s psyche. Once per turn when you hit another creature with a spell attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt to daze them. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be incapacitated until the end of your next turn.
HARBINGER'S OMENS
At 11th level your patron makes omens of their power available to you. You select 2 omens from the list below. You gain a third omen at 17th level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the omens you know and replace it with another omen that you could learn at that level.
HARBINGER’S AID
At 17th level you can call on your patron for assistance. As an action you can spend 6 ki points to request your patron to send 1 CR 5 creature or 2 CR 4 creatures to aid you. The creature type that responds depends on alignment of your patron. A good patron sends Celestials, a neutral patron sends Fey, and an evil patron sends Fiends. The DM chooses the specific creature(s) that respond. Each creature that responds appears in an unoccupied space that you can see within 60 feet. Each creature disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when 10 minutes have passed. Each creature that responds is friendly to you and your companions for the duration. Roll initiative for each creature, which has its own turns and obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you), as long as they aren't opposed to its nature. If you don’t issue any commands the creature defends itself from hostile creatures but otherwise takes no actions. A CR 5 creature arrives with temporary hit points equal to your monk level plus your Wisdom bonus, and CR 4 creatures arrive with half that number of temporary hit points. Any creatures summoned by this ability also receives a bonus to all attack rolls equal to your Wisdom bonus. Once you have used this ability you must complete a long rest before you can use it again.
HARBINGER’S OMENS
Omen of Awareness (Prerequisite: 17th level) – You gain blindsight within a range of 30 feet.
Omen of the Deluge - You can cast tidal wave once without expending a spell slot or material component. You regain the ability to do so after completing a long rest.
Omen of Destruction – On your turn, in place of one of your unarmed attacks you can unleash a swarm of magical darts. Pick a spot within 50 feet of you and make a ranged weapon attack against each creature of your choice within 10 feet of that point. You have disadvantage on any attack rolls against creatures that more than 30 feet from you. Any creature you hit takes damage equal to 4 rolls of your martial arts die. This damage is radiant if your patron is good, psychic if your patron is neutral, and necrotic if your patron is evil. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Wisdom bonus, although never more than once in the same turn, and you regain all expended uses when you complete a long rest.
Omen of Focus – While concentrating on a spell you receive a +1 bonus to your AC and saving throws.
Omen of the Gale – You can cast warding wind once without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to do so after completing a long rest.
Omen of Leeching (Prerequisite: 17th level) – When you successfully stun a creature is with your stunning strike you gain temporary hit points equal to one roll of your martial arts die plus your Wisdom bonus.
Omen of Miring (Prerequisite: 17th level) – You can cast black tentacles once, without expending a spell slot or material components. You regain the ability to do so after completing a long rest.
Omen of Mobility – As part of the bonus action when you activate step of the wind you may spend up to 60 feet of your movement to teleport the same distance. You can use the feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier and regain all expended uses when you complete a long rest.
Omen of Prowess – You gain proficiency in 2 skills, depending on your patron’s alignment. Good patrons provide Persuasion and Religion, neutral patrons provide Deception and Nature, and evil patrons provide Arcana and Intimidation.
Omen of Staggering – Once per turn when you hit with an unarmed attack as part of your flurry of blows or martial arts magic you can force the target to make a Strength saving throw. On a failure the target is pushed 10 feet away from you and knocked prone.
Omen of Vigor – You can cast false life on yourself at will as a 1st level spell, without expending a spell slot or material components.
Omen of Wrath – As part of the bonus action when you activate patient defense you surround yourself with an aura of wrath for 1 minute. During this time, whenever you are hit by a melee attack your attacker takes damage equal to one roll of your martial arts die. This damage is radiant if your patron is good, psychic if your patron is neutral, and necrotic if your patron is evil. Once you use this ability you can not do so again until you complete a long rest.
MULTICLASSING:
The following special rules apply to Way of the Harbinger monks when multiclassing.
Pact spell slots. Characters who have levels in both the warlock class and the monk class following the Way of the Harbinger determine their Pact Magic Level by adding the multiclass character’s warlock level and one third (round down) of the multiclass character’s monk level, and gain the spell slots of a single class warlock at their Pact Magic Level. So a 7th level warlock/11th level Way of the Harbinger monk has two 5th level spell slots (as a 10th level warlock would). Characters having both regular spellcasting classes and pact magic classes ignore their pact magic classes when determining their regular spellcasting slots and ignore their regular spellcasting classes when determining their pact magic slots.
Mystic Arcanum. Whenever a multiclass character’s Pact Magic Level qualifies them for a new Mystic Arcanum they choose one spell from the highest level warlock spell they can learn. This spell can be cast once per long rest without expending a spell slot, and it is treated as if it were cast with a spell slot of the level of the relevant Mystic Arcanum. Whenever the highest level warlock spell a multiclass character can learn increases, any Mystic Arcanum they have which is associated with a spell that is of a lower level than the Mystic Arcanum’s level must replace the associated spell with a spell equal to the new highest level warlock spell the character can learn. At the same level, the character can also replace one spell of 1st or higher level that is not affected by this forced change following the normal rules for the class that gained the level.
Edited to fix Omen of Prowess - each option was supposed to be an INT skill and a CHA skill, but neutral and evil originally had the level 3 WIS skill instead of the INT skill.
Also put the omens in alphabetical order.
Edited to limit Dazing Spells to only be useable once per turn. Updated the Omens by replacing Omen of Revelation with Omen of the Deluge, changed Omen of Destruction from a cone of energy to a swarm of magical darts, improved the language of Omen of Leeching, added a limit to the number of uses for Omen of Mobility, and removed the damage reduction from Omen of Wrath.
I have updated this based on the feedback I have received so far. The change log is at the end. The Omen changes were somewhat extensive, so for reference I put the original omens in my post on November 22.
WAY OF THE HARBINGER:
Many monastic orders serve one or more gods or some other supernatural creature. Some monks seek to increase their connection to those entities by making a pact with one of those entities or with a powerful supernatural servitor of those entities. Not all monastic orders allow their members to follow the way of the harbinger, and none are dedicated to this tradition. But the powerful magics available to those few who follow this tradition makes them very effective indeed.
PACT MAGIC
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, your patron grants you the ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the warlock spell list.
Cantrips. You learn two cantrips of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn an additional warlock cantrip of your choice at 11th level.
Spell Slots. The Harbinger Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your harbinger spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest. For example, when you are 13th level, you have two 3rd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell hex, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 3rd-level spell.
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher. You know two 1st-level spells of your choice selected from your harbinger spell list which consists of all warlock spells of 4th level or lower. The Spells Known column of the Harbinger Spellcasting table shows when you learn more harbinger spells of 1st level or higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the harbinger spells you know with another spell of your choice from the harbinger spell list. The new spell must also be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table's Slot Level column for your monk level.
Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your harbinger spells. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a harbinger spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
HARBINGER SPELLCASTING TABLE
Monk Level
Cantrips
Spells Known
Slot Level
Number of Spell Slots
3rd
2
2
1st
1
4th
2
2
1st
2
5th
2
3
1st
2
6th
2
3
1st
2
7th
2
4
2nd
2
8th
2
4
2nd
2
9th
2
4
2nd
2
10th
2
5
2nd
2
11th
3
5
2nd
2
12th
3
5
2nd
2
13th
3
6
3rd
2
14th
3
6
3rd
2
15th
3
6
3rd
2
16th
3
7
3rd
2
17th
3
7
3rd
2
18th
3
7
3rd
2
19th
3
8
4th
2
20th
3
8
4th
2
BONUS PROFICIENCY
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, determine the alignment of your patron. Each patron gives you a skill proficiency and a spell. This spell counts as a harbinger spell for you, but does not count against your spells known. A good patron provides proficiency in Medicine and the heroism spell. A neutral patron provides proficiency in Insight and the dissonant whispers spell. An evil patron provides proficiency in Survival and the absorb elements spell.
MARTIAL ARTS MAGIC
Starting at 3rd level, when you use your action to cast a cantrip you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action, or you can spend 1 ki point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.
DAZING SPELLS
Starting at 6th level your spells can overwhelm an opponent’s psyche. Once per turn when you hit another creature with a spell attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt to daze them. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be incapacitated until the end of your next turn.
HARBINGER'S OMENS
At 11th level your patron makes omens of their power available to you. You select 2 omens from the list below. You gain a third omen at 17th level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the omens you know and replace it with another omen that you could learn at that level.
HARBINGER’S AID
At 17th level you can call on your patron for assistance. As an action you can spend 6 ki points to request your patron to send 1 CR 5 creature or 2 CR 4 creatures to aid you. The creature type that responds depends on alignment of your patron. A good patron sends Celestials, a neutral patron sends Fey, and an evil patron sends Fiends. The DM chooses the specific creature(s) that respond. Each creature that responds appears in an unoccupied space that you can see within 60 feet. Each creature disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when 10 minutes have passed. Each creature that responds is friendly to you and your companions for the duration. Roll initiative for each creature, which has its own turns and obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you), as long as they aren't opposed to its nature. If you don’t issue any commands the creature defends itself from hostile creatures but otherwise takes no actions. A CR 5 creature arrives with temporary hit points equal to your monk level plus your Wisdom bonus, and CR 4 creatures arrive with half that number of temporary hit points. Any creatures summoned by this ability also receives a bonus to all attack rolls equal to your Wisdom bonus. Once you have used this ability you must complete a long rest before you can use it again.
HARBINGER’S OMENS
Omen of Awareness (Prerequisite: 17th level) – You gain blindsight within a range of 30 feet.
Omen of the Deluge - You can cast tidal wave once without expending a spell slot or material component. You regain the ability to do so after completing a long rest.
Omen of Destruction – On your turn, in place of one of your unarmed attacks you can unleash a swarm of magical darts. Pick a spot within 50 feet of you and make a ranged weapon attack against each creature of your choice within 10 feet of that point. You have disadvantage on any attack rolls against creatures that more than 30 feet from you. Any creature you hit takes damage equal to 4 rolls of your martial arts die. This damage is radiant if your patron is good, psychic if your patron is neutral, and necrotic if your patron is evil. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Wisdom bonus, although never more than once in the same turn, and you regain all expended uses when you complete a long rest.
Omen of Focus – While concentrating on a spell you receive a +1 bonus to your AC and saving throws.
Omen of the Gale – You can cast warding wind once without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to do so after completing a long rest.
Omen of Leeching (Prerequisite: 17th level) – When you successfully stun a creature is with your stunning strike you gain temporary hit points equal to one roll of your martial arts die plus your Wisdom bonus.
Omen of Miring (Prerequisite: 17th level) – You can cast black tentacles once, without expending a spell slot or material components. You regain the ability to do so after completing a long rest.
Omen of Mobility – As part of the bonus action when you activate step of the wind you may spend up to 60 feet of your movement to teleport the same distance. You can use the feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier and regain all expended uses when you complete a long rest.
Omen of Prowess – You gain proficiency in 2 skills, depending on your patron’s alignment. Good patrons provide Persuasion and Religion, neutral patrons provide Deception and Nature, and evil patrons provide Arcana and Intimidation.
Omen of Staggering – Once per turn when you hit with an unarmed attack as part of your flurry of blows or martial arts magic you can force the target to make a Strength saving throw. On a failure the target is pushed 10 feet away from you and knocked prone.
Omen of Vigor – You can cast false life on yourself at will as a 1st level spell, without expending a spell slot or material components.
Omen of Wrath – As part of the bonus action when you activate patient defense you surround yourself with an aura of wrath for 1 minute. During this time, whenever you are hit by a melee attack your attacker takes damage equal to one roll of your martial arts die. This damage is radiant if your patron is good, psychic if your patron is neutral, and necrotic if your patron is evil. Once you use this ability you can not do so again until you complete a long rest.
MULTICLASSING:
The following special rules apply to Way of the Harbinger monks when multiclassing.
Pact spell slots. Characters who have levels in both the warlock class and the monk class following the Way of the Harbinger determine their Pact Magic Level by adding the multiclass character’s warlock level and one third (round down) of the multiclass character’s monk level, and gain the spell slots of a single class warlock at their Pact Magic Level. So a 7th level warlock/11th level Way of the Harbinger monk has two 5th level spell slots (as a 10th level warlock would). Characters having both regular spellcasting classes and pact magic classes ignore their pact magic classes when determining their regular spellcasting slots and ignore their regular spellcasting classes when determining their pact magic slots.
Mystic Arcanum. Whenever a multiclass character’s Pact Magic Level qualifies them for a new Mystic Arcanum they choose one spell from the highest level warlock spell they can learn. This spell can be cast once per long rest without expending a spell slot, and it is treated as if it were cast with a spell slot of the level of the relevant Mystic Arcanum. Whenever the highest level warlock spell a multiclass character can learn increases, any Mystic Arcanum they have which is associated with a spell that is of a lower level than the Mystic Arcanum’s level must replace the associated spell with a spell equal to the new highest level warlock spell the character can learn. At the same level, the character can also replace one spell of 1st or higher level that is not affected by this forced change following the normal rules for the class that gained the level.
Edited to fix Omen of Prowess - each option was supposed to be an INT skill and a CHA skill, but neutral and evil originally had the level 3 WIS skill instead of the INT skill.
Also put the omens in alphabetical order.
Edited to limit Dazing Spells to only be useable once per turn. Updated the Omens by replacing Omen of Revelation with Omen of the Deluge, changed Omen of Destruction from a cone of energy to a swarm of magical darts, improved the language of Omen of Leeching, added a limit to the number of uses for Omen of Mobility, and removed the damage reduction from Omen of Wrath.