REQUEST: Warlock patron

[Occasional Sage]

In the lost city of Kadith-Out-of-Time, the vast collection of spellbooks, rare tomes, and unique manuscripts have caused the Great Library of Kadith to become sentient.

A library without patrons, it thinks, is worse than useless; Kadith must be found, and the Great Library used again. Across the Planes, select beings are observed, and some contacted. One, perhaps, will find Kadith again and bring seekers to the near-limitless collection....


Playground, what would a 5e Warlock look like, if the Great Library were her patron?

[Wilko]

Well mechanically i'd say that's custom picked for Great Old One, with Pact of the Tome.

RP wise perhaps you could have them driven slightly mad with constant whispers from all the books clamouring to be read, or have them with tattoos which constantly change, snatches of sentences from the tomes lost in the Great Library, someone who is obsessed with learning everything they can would be a good basis as well, I might go with a Sage BG and have them find one of the books from the Great Library as a means to make contact...

As for communication with the library I think a cool idea would be to have it's mind made up of the contents of every book, which could cause it to be somewhat schizophrenic on some subjects as it has several different opinions from different books and no way to choose the "right" knowledge. If you went with the tattoo idea it could also always communicate through these, literally writing a "To Do List" down the characters arm...


You could also have an ongoing quest for your warlock to recover books which were stolen from the library, it could be a good source of character conflict that these tomes may have been with their current owner for an extremely long time, they may not even know they are from the Library but to the Library, they belong to It they are part of It and they must be returned.

[Oramac]

Well mechanically i'd say that's custom picked for Great Old One, with Pact of the Tome.

RP wise perhaps you could have them driven slightly mad with constant whispers from all the books clamouring to be read, or have them with tattoos which constantly change, snatches of sentences from the tomes lost in the Great Library, someone who is obsessed with learning everything they can would be a good basis as well, I might go with a Sage BG and have them find one of the books from the Great Library as a means to make contact...

As for communication with the library I think a cool idea would be to have it's mind made up of the contents of every book, which could cause it to be somewhat schizophrenic on some subjects as it has several different opinions from different books and no way to choose the "right" knowledge. If you went with the tattoo idea it could also always communicate through these, literally writing a "To Do List" down the characters arm...


You could also have an ongoing quest for your warlock to recover books which were stolen from the library, it could be a good source of character conflict that these tomes may have been with their current owner for an extremely long time, they may not even know they are from the Library but to the Library, they belong to It they are part of It and they must be returned.

Yea I was going to type some things out, but I think Wilko has hit the nail on the head with this one. Excellent ideas.

[zeek0]

I rather love this patron. It reminds me of the library in Doctor Who - empty and sentient.

Wilko has great ideas.

I agree that it is rather similar to the GOO, but I don't think that it should be the same. I think that the Great Library is less mad and more methodical. It doesn't hold knowledge that can never be known, but knowledge that has been discovered but lost.

Here's a mock-up of the spell list. Absolutely no fire spells, or insect plague:

1st level: identify, sanctuary,
2nd level: locate object, zone of truth
3rd level: clairvoyance, glyph of warding
4th level: Mordekainen's private sanctum, divination
5th level: legend lore, geas

My idea is that Mordekainen's private sanctum creates a small library, like a portal to a small section of the library itself.

In retrospect this is probably as close to a divination warlock as one is likely to get.

Similarly, I think that the features bear some adjustment. I'll take a look at it later and see what happens.

[Occasional Sage]

I rather love this patron. It reminds me of the library in Doctor Who - empty and sentient.

Wilko has great ideas.

I agree that it is rather similar to the GOO, but I don't think that it should be the same. I think that the Great Library is less mad and more methodical. It doesn't hold knowledge that can never be known, but knowledge that has been discovered but lost.

Here's a mock-up of the spell list. Absolutely no fire spells, or insect plague:

1st level: identify, sanctuary,
2nd level: locate object, zone of truth
3rd level: clairvoyance, glyph of warding
4th level: Mordekainen's private sanctum, divination
5th level: legend lore, geas

My idea is that Mordekainen's private sanctum creates a small library, like a portal to a small section of the library itself.

In retrospect this is probably as close to a divination warlock as one is likely to get.

Similarly, I think that the features bear some adjustment. I'll take a look at it later and see what happens.

Prohibiting fire-based spells hadn't occurred to me. I like that.

[zeek0]

Prohibiting fire-based spells hadn't occurred to me. I like that.

Eh, I wouldn't mechanically bar a warlock from them (I can only find a few that they get from Elemental Evil anyhow).

Maybe the library has a Fahrenheit 451 thing going - "Only the Great Library may control written knowledge."

Here's my flavor text for the patron:

Spoiler: Flavor Text

Show

Your patron is a Great Library that is so vast and ancient it has gained some level of sentience and influence in the world. Many Great Libraries are lost in time or space, and must influence the world through more indirect means. Others are very present in the world and their influence spans continents. Its motives range from the accumulation of knowledge, to the dispersion of knowledge, or the concealment of knowledge. Warlocks to the Great Library make contact by researching long-lost knowledge or encountering a book that belongs in the Great Library.
Libraries great, powerful, and magical enough to forge pacts include Alexandria, the Hogwarts Library, The Cemetary of Forgotten Books, and the Great Library of Kadith.

I think that it's difficult to write features for this subclass while keeping in line with the subclass conventions for warlocks. In that light I think that the first three class features are fine, but that Create Thrall is a bit off-theme.

I can't think of a proper replacement. So here's a joke in the meantime:

Spoiler: Hurl Through Library

Show

Starting at 14th level, when you hit a creature with a sharp glance, you can use this feature to instantly transport the target through the Great Library. The creature disappears and hurtles through vast stacks and sorting rooms.
At the end of your next turn, the target returns to the space it previously occupied, or the nearest unoccupied space. If the target is not a librarian, it takes 10d10 psychic damage as it reels from information overload. It is frightened of books for one round.
Once you use this feature, you can't us it again until you finish a long rest.

[GorinichSerpant]

I personally wouldn't make many great libraries, there is The One Great Library, also known L Space, the Wanderer's Library, the Library of Babel and many other things. Each library of sufficient size can warp space around it, sometimes people who get lost in libraries end up in a different time and place.

[Submortimer]

1st level: identify, sanctuary,
2nd level: locate object, zone of truth
3rd level: clairvoyance, glyph of warding
4th level: Mordekainen's private sanctum, divination
5th level: legend lore, geas

This is a pretty perfect spell list, and I'm pretty comfortable making this guy less effective in combat if it means interesting abilities.

Librarian's Gaze
Starting at 1st level, you gain the ability to read and understand all written languages. Additionally, as an action, you may fix your gaze on a creature you can see. That creature must make a wisdom saving throw: failure renders the victim mute, unable to speak or cast spells requiring a verbal component. You may concentrate on this ability, maintaing it for up to 1 minute. The effect ends if you lose sight of the target. A creature who is targeted by this ability, weather or not they pass the saving throw, may not be affected by it again for 24 hours.

Librarian's Knowledge
Starting at 6th level, Following a short or long rest, select two skills from the following list: Arcana, History, Medicine, Nature, Religion. You add your proficiency bonus to all ability checks involving those selected skill, or double your proficiency bonus if you were already proficient in that skill.
Additionally, you have advantage on all Investigation checks involving reading and literary research.

Codex of Infinite Pages
Starting at 10th level, you may tap into the library's vast array of spellbooks. Immediately following a short or long rest, you may expend one of your pact magic slots. If you do so, you may select a spell of 5th level or lower from any spell list; you may cast that spell at a later time without expending a spell slot. When you cast a spell in this fashion, it is cast at the same level as the spell slot you initially expended.
A spell gained in this fashion is lost following a short or long rest.

Personal Archive
Starting at 14th level, you gain access to a private santum connected to the Great Library. As an action, you may open any door you can touch: doing so turns that doorway into a portal connecting it to a portion of the great library, through which you and any allies you designate may pass. Once you are inside, the door shuts and returns to its normal state.
The inside of the sanctum is safe and clean, if not particularly inviting: it's smells slightly musty, the light is dim (though enough to read by), and nearly every wall is lined with books, tomes, and scrolls. In all other ways, the sanctum is identical to Mordekainen's magnificent mansion.
When you exit the sanctum, you may choose to have the exit appear in any doorway you have used this ability on.

[Goran]

Amazing concept. Been tinkering with some ideas about warlocks too, as I feel that there could be more done in the patron space that has not been yet done.. Will check up for future reference!