5e New Warlock Pact Boon, Invocations (and trigger warning)

[BerzerkerUnit]

Here's the warning: if the Pandemic is already eating up head space and something related is going to further agitate you, maybe give this a pass. If you deal with chronic illness, I'm open to any feedback but this wasn't conceived as a 1:1 representation of such conditions.

Spoiler: explanation

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I had this idea sometime in January. Since then the pandemic has been a thing, particularly in the USA and I put off developing the idea until that started to wane. Since that's still up in the air 9 months later, I decided I'd finish it so I can stop thinking about it after exerting some small measure of control over how I think about it.

As I reflected on this idea post "combat wheelchair", I wondered if it was respectful of people that suffer from chronic illness. I can only say it's not deliberately disrespectful and I think presents an opportunity to be representational. I can't speak to the rate at which people with chronic illness might wish it on others, but that would seem a very human and normal thing to do given the treatment those with any type of infirmity are given. While this pact may reinforce some negative stereotypes (contagiousness, punishment) I've explicitly left room for it to exist as an example of a Patron's inscrutable affection or as a test of a Warlock's resolve.

While I realize the Sin Eater's Judgment Invocation ties the historical treatment of the afflicted to a mechanical benefit, I've left it in because I think the notion of the Warlock and their party doing a 3 stooges routine to heal up after a fight, quite in spite of the likely intent of the divine patron, to justify its inclusion.

Spoiler: Pact of the ...

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Pact of the Blight

Your Patron has chosen to afflict you with a supernatural malady, perhaps as punishment, a test, or a twisted display of its affection. Normally this disease is no more debilitating than a mild headache or runny nose, perhaps a palid complexion. In this state it is harmless to those around you, however by force of will you can allow it to ravage your form. It may expand as colonies of fungus across your flesh, horrid pustules that leak ichor, or even shimmering marks of your Patron's claim on your being. In this state it becomes aggressively communicable infecting any within arms reach. Though it harms you, its debilitating effects are twice as bad for others it infects.

Your Blight has 6 stages described below. As a bonus action you can allow it to progress 1 or more stages, up to your Proficiency bonus. At the beginning of your turn you can decide to allow the Blight to recede 1 Stage or remain where it is. Spending a bonus action on subsequent turns can move you to later stages as described above. Stages are cumulative but you use only half your proficiency bonus to determine its effects on you.

Living creatures with discernible anatomies that start their turn within 5 feet of you must succeed on a Constitution save vs your Spell DC or suffer the full effects of your Blight at the current stage. Afflicted creatures can repeat the saving throw at the end of their turn, forcing the effect of the Blight to recede by one stage with a success, however this confers no future immunity.

Spells and effects that cure diseases work normally on other creatures but cannot remove your Blight, only reducing it to its baseline state instantly.

Stage 1
Aches and Pains. The Afflicted suffer a penalty to ability checks equal to your Proficiency Modifier.

Stage 2
Fever. The Afflicted suffer a deadly fever. At the beginning of their turn they suffer fire damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

Stage 3
Stiff Joints. The Afflicted suffer arthritic pain making movement difficult. Their base movement speeds are reduced by 5 x your proficiency bonus feet.

Stage 4
Muscle Weakness. The Afflicted suffer great fatigue. Damage from the creature’s melee attacks is reduced by your proficiency bonus.

Stage 5
Frailty. The Afflicted’s frame begins to wither, skin growing paper thin and bones becoming brittle. The first time the creature takes damage on a turn it suffers additional damage equal to your Proficiency bonus.

Stage 6
Shock. The Afflicted’s body is on the verge of complete shutdown. At the beginning of their turn the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your Spell DC with a penalty equal to your proficiency bonus. On a failure they become disoriented and irrational, incapable of taking reactions, casting spells, or telling friend from foe.

New Invocations
Brainfire
Prerequisites: Pact of the Blight, Great Old One Patron
Your Patron has also infected you with a psychic virus. You can choose to have creatures resist your Blight with an Intelligence Saving throw. If you do, any damage they suffer from Fever or Frailty is Psychic damage. Creatures with Intelligence scores of 3 or less and those Immune to Psychic damage are Immune to this form of your Blight.

Phlegethian and Stygian Flu
Prerequisites: Pact of the Blight, Fiend Patron
Your Patron has also infected you with two strains of Fiendish Flu. You can choose to replace the Fever stage of your Blight with Stygian Chills or Phlegethian Fever. If you do, creatures affected by your Blight and those within 5 feet of them suffer Fire or Cold damage equal to your proficiency.


Dreamsickness
Prerequisites:Pact of the Blight, Archfey Patron
Your Patron has also infected you with Dreamsickness. You can choose to replace the effects of Shock with the following: At the beginning of an afflicted creature’s turn it must succeed on a Wisdom Saving throw with a penalty equal to your Proficiency bonus. On a failure the afflicted falls unconscious. While asleep the creature experiences the most exquisite and pleasurable dreams making much of mundane reality a nightmare by comparison. The creature will remain asleep until injured or they succeed on a saving throw to reduce the effect of the Blight.

Special: At the DM’s discretion, creatures predisposed to despair may become Charmed by you after succumbing to this effect.

Volatile Blight
Prerequisites: Pact of the Blight, Level 12
Your Blight makes a grotesque effort to spread from those that die while infected. When a creature infected by your Stage 4 or greater Blight is reduced to 0 hit points, it explodes. Creatures within 10 feet must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your Spell DC or be infected by the Blight.

Restless Blood
Prerequisites: Pact of the Blight, Hexblade Patron
Your Patron has also infected you with a cursed malady that makes one’s blood desire to escape. You can replace the effects of Frailty with the following: Weapon Attacks against the afflicted creature have advantage.

Sin Eater’s Judgment
Prerequisites: Pact of the Blight, Celestial Patron
Your Patron has marked you with their Judgment and those that scorn you earn their favor.
You can replace Aches and Pains with the following: The first time an afflicted creature is damaged each turn, its attacker is healed for 1d4 hit points.

Malevolent Malady
Prerequisites: Pact of the Blight, Level 7
Your Blight can affect creatures such as undead, constructs, and elementals. Lesser Restoration has no effect on your Blight unless cast at a level equal to the Blight’s current stage and a Paladin’s Lay on Hands ability will reduce the Blight by 1 stage per 5 hit points spent.

Elemental Sensitivity
Prerequisites: Pact of the Blight, Genie Patron
Your Genie Lord has added an uncomfortable sensitivity to an element to your Blight. Perhaps to keep you from getting complacent or prevent you from being subverted by a rival. Choose one of the following: Thunder, Bludgeoning, Cold, or Fire. You can replace Fever with the following: a creature affected by your Blight that suffers the chosen damage type becomes Frightened of the source until the end of its next turn.

Lingering Blight
Prerequisites: Pact of the Blight, Level 15
If a creature fails 3 saving throws to reduce the effect of your Blight, it suffers the remaining effects permanently.

[faustin]

Papa Nurgle approves.
But how does the affliction hinders the warlock on each stage?

[BerzerkerUnit]

Same effects as foes but the warlock uses half their Proficiency where relevant. So it’s a major risk reward but some of the patron specific Invocations change things up in the warlock’s favor.

Example: Elves can’t be put to sleep, so Archfey Dreamsickness doesn’t bother them (sorry other races, fey play favorites). GOOlocks get resistance to psychic damage and Brainfire makes all the damage it would deal them Psychic so they’re halving it twice. Tieflings are already resistant to fire damage so taking 1 point of fire or cold to deal 6 to every foe around you is a decent trade. Restless Blood basically gives Hexbladelocks Reckless Attack provided their foe fails the Con save, but this is something they save against every round and if they fail they’ll be stuck with the effects for several rounds at least.