Like witches, warlocks gain their power through a bond or pact made with a patron. Warlock patrons may be fiends, angels, demons, or just an unknown but mysterious entity that is willing to grant you power in exchange for some sort of favor. As your bond with your patron grows, so does your power, and warlocks find themselves become more and more like their patrons. Unlike witches, warlocks don't use a familiar as a conduit for their power. Their power is instead grated directly, in smaller but unlimited doses. Warlocks usually crave physical domination over their foes, so their power is often focused toward combat abilities.
Level
Combat Proficiency
Eldritch Blast Damage Dice
Number of Invocations
Weapon Resistance
1st
+0
1
2
--
2nd
+1
1
2
--
3rd
+2
2
2
1
4th
+3
2
3
1
5th
+3
3
3
1
6th
+4
3
4
1
7th
+5
4
4
2
8th
+6
4
5
2
9th
+6
5
5
2
10th
+7
5
6
2
11th
+8
6
7
3
12th
+9
6
7
3
13th
+9
7
8
3
14th
+10
7
8
3
15th
+11
8
9
4
16th
+12
8
10
4
17th
+12
9
10
4
18th
+13
9
11
4
19th
+14/
10
11
5
20th
+15
10
12
5
Level
Abilities
1st
Eldritch Blast, Invocations, Technique
2nd
Detect Magic, Eldritch Form, Technique
3rd
Weapon Resistance
4th
Control Items, Technique
5th
Skill Focus 1
6th
greater invocations, Technique
7th
Unnatural resilience (fast healing 1)
8th
Extra attack, Technique
9th
Imbue Item
10th
Energy Resistance 5, Technique
11th
Superior invocations
12th
Technique
13th
Unnatural resilience (fast healing 3)
14th
Skill Focus 2, Technique
15th
Extra attack
16th
Dark invocations, Technique
17th
--
18th
Technique
19th
Unnatural resilience (fast healing 5)
20th
Energy Resistance 10
Class Features
Prime Ability: Charisma
Hit Points: d8 + Con bonus per level
Skill Points: Low (2 per level)
Knowledge Points: Low (2 per level)
Spell Attack: Character Level + Cha bonus
Save DC: 10 + Character Level + Cha bonus
Starting Proficiencies
Weapon Proficiency: simple weapons
Armor Proficiency: light armor
Eldritch Blast (Sp)
One of the warlock's prime abilities is the eldritch blast, a powerful ray of energy that you channel to deal damage or impart debilitating effects. The basic eldritch blast has the following properties.
Multiple Shapes: Your eldritch blast can take on various shapes. By default, your blast takes the form of a ray.
The damage dice you roll depends on the shape of the blast; the number of dice depends on your level. As a ray, your eldritch blast deals d8 damage. At level you roll 1 dice (see table above), so you start with 1d8 damage. At level 3, your ray deals 2d8 damage. Other shapes might deal d4 damage (1d4 at level 1, 2d4 at level 3, etc.).
Deals force damage
Has a range of 60 feet.
Uses spell attack to hit, as a ranged spell attack normally does.
Functions as a spell-like effect and is therefore subject to spell resistance.
Cannot be improved by metamagic techniques
Does half-damage to objects
Warlock techniques may later be used to modify the blast shape and target creatures differently. Techniques can also be used to modify the type of blast you can produce. You may only use one blast shape technique (those that begin with "blast shape") and one blast modification technique on your eldritch blast at a time.
Invocations (Sp)
Invocations are spells that you know intuitively and can cast as a spell-like ability. You cast invocations at will, and so there is no limit on the number of times per day you can use them. As spell-like abilities, invocations are always cast as a standard action. No components are necessary to cast these, and so they cannot be counterspelled, though they also cannot be used to counterspell. They also cannot be modified by metamagic techniques.
There are four grades of invocations. In order of power, these are lesser, greater, superior, and dark invocations. You start with access to lesser invocations and gain access to the others as you advance (level 6 for greater invocation, level 11 for superior, and level 16 for dark invocations).
You start out with two invocations, learning more as you advance. Whenever you learn a new invocation, you may also replace one that you already know. Instead of learning a new invocation, you may learn a warlock technique instead. These techniques can later be swapped out in the same way that invocations are.
Each invocation mimics the effect of a spell as if it were cast at a particular spell level. For instance, the greater invocation invisibility allows you to cast the 2nd level version of the invisibility spell. Note that there is also a dark invocation version that allows you to cast invisibility as a 4th level spell. Invocations do not automatically level up as you advance. If you want to learn the dark version of invisibility you will need to devote a new invocation slot to learning it, while presumably swapping out the lower version.
See below for a list of invocations.
Eldritch Form
The pact you have made with your patron has fused an outsider with your soul. This outsider generally plays a passive role, acting only as a conduit for the power you have acquired. However, when circumstances dictate, you can also let this eldritch outsider into your body as well. In doing so, you assume its form, forsaking your own abilities and taking its instead.
At level 2, you can let the outsider transform your body, assuming eldritch form. Doing so takes a bonus action that also forces you to drop concentration on spells. Any active spells that aren't concentration remain in effect, though. The form lasts for 1 minute before your body cannot handle the deformation anymore. You may also attempt to resume control of your body before 1 minute by making a DC 15 Wisdom save (free action). Falling unconscious because your hit points drop to 0 will also force you to revert to humanoid form. Regardless of how you leave eldritch form, when you return to humanoid form you add one point of fatigue. You cannot assume eldritch form again if you have 3 or more points of fatigue.
Base Eldritch Forms
Your eldritch outsider takes the shape of one of the following base forms, chosen at level 2. These provide a template for your eldritch form, but exact details of its appearance are up to you. The base form also determines your eldritch form's starting stats and free evolutions. The bonuses from these free evolutions are already factored into the starting statistics. As you gain new levels, you can continue to evolve your base form to add new features and abilities, though your base form itself always remains the same.
While in eldritch form, you lose access to all of your normal abilities (including class abilities such as eldritch blast and ancestral abilities) as you take on the form of the outsider, gaining its abilities instead. Any armor you are wearing or gear you are carrying melds into your new form, though objects you are holding remain in your hands. If your new form doesn't have hands, then you drop these items.
In eldritch form, you keep
the same skills as your normal form
most of the same ability scores (adjusted by bonuses from evolutions)
the same hit point max
any techniques you know that are still applicable
You lose
Your common, ancestral, cultural, and class abilities
You gain
A +2 bonus to your strength score
2 temporary hit points per level
Darkvision 60
armor, combat, and ability bonuses described below
Combat Proficiency Bonus
In eldritch form, your combat proficiency bonus is equal to your level. In all attacks, you add your strength bonus to attack and damage rolls. All attacks are natural attacks that are rolled at your highest bonus. Primary attacks are rolled normally, while secondary attacks are rolled at disadvantage. You do not gain additional attacks for a high combat proficiency bonus.
Armor Bonus
In eldritch form, you lose any armor or shield bonuses that you normally have, but you gain a +1 natural armor bonus per level on top of your base natural armor AC. You cannot wear any other armor while in eldritch form.
Evasion (Ex)
In eldritch form, you take no damage instead of half damage from successful Dexterity saving throws. At level 14, you also take only half damage from failed saving throws.
Evolutions
As you progress, your eldritch form evolves as well. You can add new resistances, attacks, limbs, heads, or other features to this form. You do so by spending points from your evolution pool. The number of points in this pool is equal to your warlock level. Whenever you gain a level, you can re-distribute and re-spend any points you have.
See below for a list of evolutions.
Warlock Techniques
As a warlock, you are gifted with a faster technique progression than many adventurers. After first level, you gain new techniques every even level.
Detect Magic (Sp)
At level 2, you can use detect magic at will.
Weapon Resistance (Su)
At level 3, you become resistant to physical attacks, gaining weapon resistance 1. At level 7 and every four levels afterwards, this resistance improved by 1.
Control Items (Ex)
At level 4, your ability to control magic items increases. You gain advantage on magic items checks made to attune to an item or to use it when you normally wouldn't be able to.
Skill Focus (Ex)
Your connection with your patron grants you an abundance of knowledge. At level 5 you gain the skill focus ability in one skill of your choice. At level 14, you may choose Skill Focus in a second skill.
Extra Attacks (Ex)
At level 8 and again at level 15, you gain an extra attack that you can make when making a full attack. In a full attack, all attacks except for your first are made at a -5 penalty.
Unnatural Resilience (Su)
At level 7, you can channel an unnatural resilience to damage. This resilient state is activated with a bonus action and lasts two minutes. In this resilient state, you gain fast healing 1. At level 13, this increases to fast healing 3, and at level 19 it increases to fast healing 5. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to your charisma modifier.
Imbue Item (Su)
At level 9, you can use your innate magical powers to create magical items. You gain one magic item creation proficiency of your choice. You are able to make the magic items for any proficiency you know, even if you don't know the spells required. You still need to pay the cost of any other components required for the item's creation.
Energy Resistance (Su)
At level 10, you gain resistance 5 to any two energy-based damage types (acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic). At level 20, this resistance increases to 10.
The following evolutions cost 1 point from your evolution pool.
Bite (Ex) - Primary Attack, 1d6 damage. You can only have one bite per head.
Bleed (Ex) - Select one attack that you have. That attack deals 1d6 bleed damage.
Claws (Ex) - You have two claw attacks at the end of your limbs. Each deals 1d4 damage (primary). You must have limbs to have claws.
Climb (Ex) - You gain a climb speed equal to your base speed.
Gills (Ex) - In your eldritch form you have gills and can breathe underwater.
Hooves (Ex) - In your eldritch form you have hooves at the end of your limbs (legs), giving you two hoof attacks (secondary). These deal 1d4 damage (1d6 if large, 1d8 if Huge). You must have limbs to have hooves.
Improved Damage (Ex) - You may increase the damage die of one of your attacks (e.g. 1d4 becomes 1d6, etc.)
Improved Natural Armor (Ex) - You have extra thick natural armor, granting a +2 bonus to your natural armor. This evolution can be taken once for every five levels (at 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th levels).
Low-Light Vision (Ex) - You gain low-light vision in your Eldritch form.
Magic Attacks (Su) - You are infused with magic, allowing you to treat all of your attacks as magical. At level 10, your weapons match your alignment for the purpose of overcoming resistances.
Pincers (Ex) - You have pincers at the end of one pair of limbs, giving you two pincer attacks (secondary attack unless this is your only one). These deal 1d6 damage (1d8 if large and 2d6 if Huge). If you have the grab evolution, you gain a +2 to grapple checks.
Pounce (Ex) - You can make a full attack after a charge (only available to those with at least four legs)
Reach (Ex) - The reach of one of your attacks is 5 feet longer.
Resistance (Ex) - You gain 5 resistance to one energy type. You can take this multiple times to gain different energy resistances.
Scent (Ex) - You gain the scent ability.
Slam (Ex) - You gain a single slam attack, which deals 2d4 bludgeoning damage (primary attack, 2d6 if large, and 2d8 if huge). You must have limbs to take this evolution. The slam attack can be used if you don't have damage-dealing appendages (like claws or pincers) at the end of your limbs, but it can also be used in lieu of these attacks.
Slippery (Ex) - You have a particularly slippery skin, hide, or exoskeleton, gaining advantage on defensive grapple checks.
Sticky (Ex) - Your skin is particularly sticky. You gain advantage on offensive grapple checks.
Sting (Ex) - You gain a long barbed stinger at the end of your tail. This is a primary attack that deals 1d4 damage (1d6 if large, 1d8 if huge). You must have a tail to take this evolution. You gain a stinger that deals 1d4 points of damage.
Swim (Ex) - You have webbed hands, webbed feet, or flippers, giving you a swim speed equal to your base speed.
Tail (Ex) - You have a long, powerful tail. You gain a +2 bonus to acrobatics checks.
Tail Slap (Ex) - You can use your tail to make a slap attack (secondary), dealing 1d6 damage (1d8 if large, 2d6 if huge). You must have a tail to take this evolution.
Tentacle (Ex) - you have a tentacle. This grants you a tentacle attack (secondary) that deal 1d4 damage (1d6 if large, 1d8 if huge). You can take this more than once.
Unnatural Aura (Su) - You exude an unnatural aura. Animals will not approach you unless their master makes a DC 25 animal check.
Wing Buffet (Ex) - You can buffet your wings (secondary attack, 1d4 damage, 1d6 if large, 1d8 if huge). You must have the flight evolution with wings to select this.
2-Point Evolutions
The following evolutions cost 2 points from your evolution pool.
Ability Increase (Ex) - When you take on your eldritch form, your body grows stronger and faster. One of your physical ability scores increases by 2 points whenever you take this form. You can take this more than once to improve other scores or take this evolution again in 6 levels.
Alignment Smite (Su) - You can smite an alignment of your choice (determined when you take this evolution). Once per day as a bonus action, you can add 1d6 damage to an attack made against a creature of this alignment. The attack is treated as your alignment for the purpose of overcoming resistances.
Constrict (Ex) - Whenever you successfully grapple someone, you deal extra damage equal to the damage of the attack used to grab your opponent. This is only available to those with a serpentine base form.
Energy Attacks (Su) - Pick one energy type. All of your attacks deal an extra 1d6 points of damage of that energy type when successful. You must be level 5 before taking this.
Flight (Ex) - You have wings and can fly. You have a fly speed equal to your base speed. For each extra point you spend, your flight speed increases by 20.
Gore (Ex) - You have horns on your head, giving you a gore attack (primary, 1d6 damage, 1d8 if large, 2d6 if huge)
Grab (Ex) - Pick one attack you can make. When that attack is successful, you can make a grapple check for free. This only works with attacks that are capable of grasping or holding in some way.
Head (Ex) - You grow an additional head. You don't automatically gain extra attacks for your head, but you can add attacks to it (like a second bite, for example).
Immunity (Su) - You are immune to one energy type. You can select this multiple times, choosing a new immunity each time. You must be level 7 to take this evolution.
Lesser Magic (Sp) - Once per day, you can use one of your lesser invocations. You must be level 4 to take this evolution.
Limbs (Ex) - You grow an additional pair of limbs, either legs or arms. Each additional pair of legs increases your movement by 10. Arms can come with hands, or other evolutions can be used to add attacks to the end of them. If you have hands, you can wield weapons, if you have weapon training (see below).
Venom (Ex) - Pick a bite or sting attack that you have. This attack now secretes venom (injury, DC = Your save DC, 2d4 str damage then 1 str damage per round). You must be level 7 to take this evolution.
Rake (Ex) - When you have grappled a foe, you automatically deal 1d4 damage (1d6 if large, 1d8 if huge) as you rake them with your back feet. You must be level 4 and have the quadruped base form to take this.
Rend (Ex) - Whenever you make two successful claw attacks against the same target in 1 round, the last claw attack deals double damage. You must be level 6 to take this.
Shadow Form (Su) - You gain a shadowy form, granting constant 1/4 cover. Your melee attacks can hit incorporeal creatures, though this damage is not doubled.
Sickening (Ex) - In your eldritch form you smell sickening. Any creature within 20 feet gains level 2 fatigue for 1 round unless it succeeds on a Con save. Afterward, the fatigue goes away. Once successfully saved, a creature cannot be affected by this for another 24 hours.
Trample (Ex) - As a full-round action, you can charge. Any creature in your path automatically takes 1d6 damage (1d8 if large, 2d6 if huge).
Tremorsense (Ex) - You gain tremorsense 30.
Trip (Ex) - Whenever you make a successful bite attack, you can attempt a free trip attack.
Weapon Training (Ex) - While in your Eldritch form you can use your humanoid weapon proficiencies.
3-Point Evolutions
The following evolutions cost 3 points from your evolution pool.
Blindsense (Ex) - You gain blindsense 30, allowing you to pinpoint the location of creatures without having to see them or make a perception check. You still take all the disadvantages of not being able to see a target, though. You must be level 9 to take this.
Burrow (Ex) - You gain a burrow speed equal to half your base speed.
Damage Resistance (Su) - You gain weapon resistance 5. At level 12, this protection can be increased to 10 by spending 2 additional evolution points. You must be level 9 to select this.
Frightful Presence (Ex) - You can use this ability as a free action, causing all opponents in 30 feet to make a Wisdom save or gain level 1 fear for 3d6 rounds.
Major Magic (Sp) - Once per day, you can use one of your greater invocations.
Sacrifice (Su) - You can sacrifice hit points (max level x 2) to heal a touched ally half that number.
Swallow Whole (Ex) - If you begin your turn with someone grappled by your bite attack, you can attempt a grapple check to swallow them. Each round, they take double your bite damage that round and each afterward. You must have a bite, the grab evolution, and level 9 to select this. See swallow whole rules.
Web (Ex) - You gain the ability to spin webs. You can use these webs to support itself plus up to one creature of the same size. You can throw webbing as a ranged touch attack up to 8 times per day, entangling a creature up to one size larger than you. The webbing has a range of 10/25/50. Creatures entangled by the web can escape with a Strength check at a -4 penalty. The webs have a Hardness equal to the 1/4 your Hit Dice. You can climb your own webs at its climb speed and can pinpoint any creature touching your webs. You must have the climb evolution to take this evolution and be level 7.
4-Point Evolutions
The following evolutions cost 4 points from your evolution pool.
Blindsight (Ex) - You gain blindsight 30. You must have blindsense and level 11 to take this.
Breath Weapon (Su) - You gain a breath weapon in either acid, cold, electricity, or fire. You can breathe a 30-foot cone (or 60-foot line) that deals 1d6 points of damage of the selected type per level. Those caught in the breath weapon can attempt a Dex save for half damage. You can use this ability once per day. You must be level 9 to take this.
Dimension Door (Sp) - You can cast dimension door as a spell-like ability once per day. You must be level 13 to take this.
Fast Healing (Su) - You gain fast healing 1. You must be level 11 to take this.
Incorporeal Form (Sp) - Once per day, you can become incorporeal for 1 round per level. While incorporeal, your hit points temporarily double (halving again once you are solid). All other benefits and disadvantages of incorporeality apply. You must be level 15 to take this.
Large (Ex) - You become large, gaining a +8 to strength, +4 to constitution, a +2 to natural armor, but you take a -1 size penalty to AC, a -2 penalty to dexterity. You also make stealth checks at disadvantage. You must be level 8 to take this.
By spending 6 additional points, you become Huge. You gain +16 to strength, +8 to constitution, +5 to natural armor, but take -4 to dexterity, -2 to AC. You still take disadvantage on stealth but you gain a 10-foot reach and your base speed increases by 15. You must be level 13 to take this.
Magical Flight (Su) - You fly by magical means with perfect maneuverability. You may choose to have wings if you wish, but you don't need them to fly. For each extra point you spend, your flight speed increases by 20.
No Breath (Ex) - You no longer need to breathe.
Spell Resistance (Ex) - You gain spell resistance 13 + your level. You must be level 9 to take this.
Ultimate Magic (Sp) - Once per day you can cast a superior invocation that you know.
