Malefex

In alleys, shantytowns, and wildernesses of the world there are people who make their way on the edges. Street gangs band together for mutual protection, tribes form traditions that help ensure their survival, and criminal organizations turn to shards of strange magic for an edge against their rivals. Malefexes are part of these traditions, an unspoken sorority of the downtrodden who master curses remembered in children’s songs and grandparents’ stories. When wizards turn up their noses at street-level work and sorcerers abandon the slums for a better life granted by their magic, the malefex is there, often trained by little more than life on the streets and traditions remembered from the last time the gang or neighborhood had a malefex. Many go their entire lives thinking their skills are a tradition unique to their own city or tribe, while others travel and discover to their surprise that other malefexes, remarkably like themselves, exist the world over.

Malefactions

Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you can apply malefexes to enemies. As an action, select one creature within 60 feet that you can see or know the exact location of. The target must succeed a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to your spellcasting modifier), or suffer one of the following effects:

• Baleful Glare - The target has disadvantage on concentration checks and wisdom saving throws
• Face Stealer - The target suffers disadvantage on Charisma saving throws and ability checks, while the Malefex gains the benefit of the Disguise Self  spell
• Glued Boots - The target's movement speeds are reduced to half, and the Malefex gains the benefit of the Longstrider spell
• Traitor's Blade - The target has disadvantage on attack rolls against the Malefex. The Malefex can designate an ally to be protected by this ability as a bonus action, which removes the protection from themselves.
• Vampiric Curse - The target is drained for five hit points at the start of their turn, at which time the Malefex heals for five hit points. This cannot reduce a targets hit points below one.

The Malefex can only have one Malefaction active at a time. The effects of this ability can be removed by the Remove Curse spell. They are also removed when one hour has passed, or the target drops to 0 hit points. 

Schadenfreude

 

When the malefex successfully curses a target, they immediately gain the benefit of their Second Wind class feature without expending a charge. This ability can be used twice per long rest. 

Communal Curse

At 10th level, you can have a number of Malefactions active equal to your proficiency bonus. If a cursed target drops to 0 hit points, you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn of yours to curse a new creature. The new curse must be reapplied within 3 rounds of the previous target dropping to zero hit points. 

Lingering Misfortune

Starting at 15th level, you can expend a bonus action to teleport to a space adjacent to one of your cursed targets as long as you have line of sight on the target. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. 

Grim Malediction

Beginning at 18th level, you can apply Grim Maledictions to enemies. As an action, select one creature within 60 feet that you can see or know the exact location of. The target must succeed a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to your spellcasting modifier), or suffer one of the following effects:

• Word of Doom - The cursed target has vulnerability to all damage for the duration of this curse. If the target was previously resistant to a damage type, they now take this damage as normal. If the target was previously immune to a damage type, they now have resistance to it. 
• Word of Necrosis - The cursed target receives half of the benefit when healed. If the target is above half of their maximum hit points, they cannot receive healing until they fall below half of their maximum hit points. 
• Word of Bane - The target has disadvantage on ability checks and saving throws for the duration of the curse
• Word of Silence - The target is unable to use abilities of cast spells that require a verbal component for the duration of the curse 

The Malefex can only have one Malefaction active at a time. The effects of this ability can be removed by Wish or similar effects. These curses do not have a duration, and last until cured or the creature is reduced to 0 hit points.