The Parasite

The theme of this subclass is to have a parasitic relationship with your patron, wether it be that your patron "controls you" when you use your trasnformation feature, or that parasites live within your body and you are using them to Animate dead, and damage your foes. There is an insectile/horror/maggots, etc. style to this class; grim, dark, and mysterious. There is of course space for reflavoring so not everything is set in stone. 

Most of this subclass revolves around necromancy, poison and debuffing, the main ability is the Pestilent Aura, which is given in the Insectile Aberration feature. The aura does not do a lot alone, but it boosts your other abilities. 

 

Expanded Spell List

The Parasite lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.

Parasite Expanded Spells

Spell Level	Spells
1st	detect poison and disease, entangle
2nd	barkskin, web
3rd	animate dead, erupting earth
4th	giant insect, death ward
5th	cloudkill, contagion

Insectile Aberration

Starting at 1st level, upon your request, your patron grants you the gift to transform into a vessel of its power. 

As a bonus action, you can take an abominable form akin to your patron's true form. (May it be a humanoid spider for Lolth, or a humanoid crustacean for a deep dweller monster). 

While you are transformed, you gain the following features:

Pestilent Aura. You exhume heavily toxic fumes in a 30-feet radius. The radius increases to 60-feet at 6th level, and again to 120-feet at 14th level. 

Cruel Appendage.  Each attack you make within your Pestilent Aura is accompanied with a whip-like appendage lashing out at the same target. Your attacks deal an additonal 1d4 magical slashing damage. The damage increases to 1d6 at 6th level, and again to 1d8 at 14th level.

Flight of the Parasite. You gain a flying speed of 10-feet. At 6th level, this speed becomes equal to your walking speed.

You can transform a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Afflicting Ritual

Beginning at 6th level, you can afflict a meal, a drink, a dead creature, a well, or even up to a stream of water. 

As a 1-minute ritual (4-hour for anything larger than a meal or drink), you call forth the power of your patron to afflict the chosen product. 

Any creature that eats or drink from the afflicted source must succeed on a consitution saving throw against your spell save DC or it takes 1d12 poison damage and becomes poisoned for 24-hours. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage and is not poisoned. 

The source stays afflicted for a day, after which it returns to normal. 

You can use this feature once per long rest. 

Rotten Core

Starting at 10th level, you can use your reaction to increase the misery of your ennemies. 

Whenever a creature you can see fails a saving throw, you can use your reaction to make it so until the end of its next turn, that creature is poisoned, its speed is halved, and it cannot take reactions. 

If the creature is inside of your Pestilent Aura, it takes 1d12 poison damage. 

You can use this reaction once per short or long rest. 

Parasitic Consumption

Starting at 14th level, you have perfected the art of parasitic infestation. 

Whenever a small or medium creature dies within your Pestilent Aura, it becomes an undead servant, as if you had cast the animate dead spell on it, any undead created this way lasts until your aura is dismissed, after which, they shrivel to dust. 

You can create and control undead creatures created by the animate dead spell and this ability as long as they are in the Pestilent Aura, regardless of the normal range of the spell.

In addition, while in the Pestilent Aura, each undead under your control adds your proficiency bonus to their attack roll, if it hits, it triggers your Cruel Appendage.