The Publican

The Publican - A Warlock Patron for Tavern Regulars and Caffeine Addicts

Bars. Taverns. Inns. Public Houses. Coffee shops. Cafes. Hookah Lounges. Every town has a place for its locals and visitors to frequent and mingle. If you’re lucky, the person pouring drinks on the other side of the bartop offers good conversation and a few choice bits of information. Sometimes, however, the proprietor goes beyond slinging drinks and sharing gossip. When they’re the lifeblood of the tavern, when rumors circulate about their long-storied past, when you catch the sparkle of wanderlust in the corner of their eye, then maybe, just maybe, you’ve met a Publican.

The Publican and Their House

A Publican is, more often than not, a retired adventurer who once could boast of truly epic feats and accomplishments. Perhaps they have a long-lived origin, perhaps they have achieved immortality; in any event, they choose to hide in plain sight and live vicariously through new generations of adventurers. Rarely, some ancient dragon or legendary djinni or similarly powerful being assumes a mortal form, having tired of the constant vigilance associated with being the target of overzealous heroes and villains. 

Running a Game With a Publican as a Warlock Patron

Perhaps unlike many other patrons, the Publican has the opportunity to be an active and engaged part of the story. However, when comparing a Publican and their warlock, the difference in the scope of their relative perspective and power should still feel immense. For example, a being that’s lived many, many centuries may have lost sight of what it means to struggle from day to day; they might measure a “trifling” quest in terms of months, not realizing the warlock might interpret the task as only requiring a few days. 

Publicans rarely provide direct assistance, offering riddles or stories instead. They are unlikely to venture far from their house, if they leave at all. They may set the beneficiaries of their pact on tasks that benefit the house, quests in search of artifacts the Publican never found themselves, or tests to ensure the warlock remains worthy of their gifts (whatever that may mean to the patron).

Each Publican is different, and the player and DM should work together to create many (but not all!) of the essential features of the patron. A neophyte warlock knows more about the Publican than the average customer, but don’t expect all of their mysteries to be revealed right away. Remember, the Publican may look like a bartender on the outside, but they hide great power; they might not appreciate their secret being shared too widely by those they take under their wing.

Expanded Spell List

The Publican 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.

Fiend Expanded Spells

Spell Level	Spells
1st	alarm, create or destroy water
2nd	blur, heat metal
3rd	create food and water, slow
4th	control water, stoneskin
5th	passwall, telekinesis

Carouser’s Alertness

Starting at 1st level, your patron bestows upon you enhanced powers of observation, honed over many months or years of silently watching others and eavesdropping on their conversations. You become proficient with Perception. Add your CHA bonus to any Perception or Investigation check attempted in a space crowded with non-allies.

Caffeine High

For some, the Publican introduced you to coffee; for others, you bonded with your Patron over the marvelous roasted bean. Beginning at 6th level, the caffeine that runs in your veins takes on truly magical properties. As a bonus action, you summon a mug of a caffeinated beverage (your choice at the time of summoning) and take a swift, dramatic drink. The next round, and for a total number of rounds equal to your Proficiency Bonus, your patron gifts you the same beneficial effects as being boosted by the spell Haste. Once used, this feature cannot be used again until after a short or long rest.

Where Everyone Knows Your Name

Perhaps your patron misses you; perhaps they just miss your business. Starting at 10th level, the Publican empowers you to temporarily transform almost any door into a portal to your patron's place of business. You may invite along willing allies (to a maximum of your levels of Warlock), but you must accompany and vouch for them. The restaurant is always open, food is always available, and there's always vacancies for the party. Exiting the tavern returns you through the door you entered.

Ultimate Multitasker

No matter how busy the night, no customer seems to wait too long for their food or drink; you've always wondered how your patron ran ran such a tight ship, and they're finally ready to share the secret with you. Once you gain your 14th level, you can take a standard action to conjure an exact but temporary duplicate. The duplicate appears in any unoccupied square within 10 feet of you.

Your duplicate has half of your current hit points, shares a perfect telepathic link with you, and has available to it the same spells and other class features you did at the time you willed it into existence. It acts on your initiative at your telepathic direction; if you are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise alive but unable to give it direction, it will act independently to protect you from perceived threats. 

The duplicate disappears from existence after 1 hour, if its hit points reach 0, after casting a spell, or after using a class feature that must be recharged with a short or long rest. If the duplicate casts a spell that requires concentration, you can choose to maintain it if you are able to do so.

You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.