The Exalted Mind

”Hundreds of thoughts teared through his mind, bombarding his senses. A grieving mother, wishing nothing but for her baby to wake up; an over-ambitious scholar, seeking forbidden knowledge of the arcane; a simple urchin, only wanting to be a part of a family again. All of these lives webbed intricately back to the large, purple eye he stared into. Manipulation, tempting the poor souls with promises that couldn’t be fulfilled, that was the true nature of his patron. In an instant, the voices ceased once more.”

— A passage from “In the Eye of the Beholder,” by Cirrus Skylark, former warlock of the renowned beholder, Xanathar.

 

You have formed a connection with a being of great psionic power. They may dwell in the Material Plane, being completely mortal, or they could be something old and ancient, sleeping in the furthest reaches of the planes, reaching out to you in its dreams. No matter where your patron may lie, the two of you will be interconnected, your thoughts in the same mind, able to communicate across vast distances. The ways of an Exalted Mind are founded on this connection, droves of warlocks working in tandem to further their patron’s goals. It is all-seeing, all-knowing, managing its pawns in clockwork fashion, but that does not mean it is wise in any regard. These creatures tend to be vain, arrogant, and see themselves as superior to those they make pacts with, leading to many a tale of warlocks outsmarting their patrons, and gaining untold rewards in the process.
There are dozens of entities that are willing to extend their abilities to mortals, such as Elder Brains, Beholders, and even some extremely powerful Gith.

Secrets of the Mind

An Exalted Mind acts as a wellspring of knowledge, every memory categorized neatly within its brain. Warlocks can access this library, leading to them becoming nearly twice as knowledgeable as even the oldest wizard. But, these secrets do not just extend to the physical, to history, science, and the arcane, but to the very mind itself. A connection to a patron of this caliber grants access to vast psionic powers, unlocking abilities laid deep within one’s brain, ripe for the warlock to use however they please.

Knowledge for a Price

Those seeking to form pacts with an Exalted Mind often wish for only one thing—knowledge. Warlocks can have their fill from a near infinite store of knowledge and universal truths, all the answers at their fingertips. The price for those secrets varies between the patron. Some may not ask for much, perhaps a simple trade of knowledge, playing to their everlasting thirst to expand their wide catalog of skills and secrets. Others can ask for quite a lot, connecting the warlock to others and itself, creating hive-like communities of powerful magic-wielders to do their bidding. Whatever an Exalted Mind may ask, it is almost never with any regard for the wishes of those who seek them out.

Everlasting Web

 Warlocks of this type are very unlike others, much more connected to their patrons, as well as other warlocks. Each and every pact is a node on an infinite array of pathways, each vital to fulfilling the wishes of the patron. Warlocks, if the patron allows it, can communicate with each other, able to locate others connected to their patron to better carry out their plans. Much like a colony of Mind Flayers, every creature is intricately weaved to work perfectly together. However, similarly, there are rogues who escape the network, seeking not knowledge, but freedom, and yet again with the similarities, all others in service hunt them down mercilessly.

Expanded Spell List

The Exalted Mind lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. You have additional spells added to your spell list.

Spell Level	Spells
1st	command, dissonant whispers
2nd	detect thoughts, zone of truth
3rd	haste, hypnotic pattern
4th	dominate beast, phantasmal killer
5th	dominate person, synaptic static

Elevated Knowledge

Starting at 1st level, your patron allows you access to its collection of knowledge. Whenever you make an Intelligence check, you can add your Charisma modifier (minimum of +1) to the amount rolled.

Subtle Persuasion

Also at 1st level, your patron grants you the power to subtly influence others. You can cast the spell charm person without using a spell slot, and you are able to do so a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. Whenever you use this feature to cast this spell, the target must make its saving throw with disadvantage, and will not know if it was charmed when the spell ends.

Additionally, you gain proficiency in Persuasion if you did not previously.

Telepathic Network

Starting at 6th level, as an action, you can create a mental link between yourself and up to five willing creatures within 30 feet of you. For the next X hours, where X equals your Charisma modifier, you and the five creatures you selected can telepathically commune with each other, regardless of whether or not you share a language. This communication is only possible within a 1-mile-radius circle centered on you at all times. Additionally, you and the affected creatures cannot have their thoughts read by telepathy or any other means during this time.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Apprehension

Also at 6th level, your psionic abilities allow you to strike down your opponents before they can attack. When a creature within 60 feet of you targets you or anyone benefitting from your Telepathic Network feature with an attack, you can use a reaction to psychically attack them. Before rolling to hit, the target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw against your Warlock spell save DC, or take 1d8 psychic damage and be stunned until the end of its next turn, taking half as much damage and not being stunned on a success. When you reach 10th level in this class, the damage increases to 2d8.

Once you use this feature, you cannot do so until you finish a short or long rest.

Psionic Casting

Starting at 10th level, whenever you cast a spell using your Pact Magic or Expanded Spell List features, you may choose to cast it without verbal or somatic components, and without material components, unless they are consumed by the spell. You can uses this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses after a short or long rest.

Psionic Bulwark

Starting at 14th level, your telepathic abilities allow you to protect those within your network. Once per short or long rest, when you use your Telepathic Network feature, you can use a reaction to activate this feature. For next minute, you and those within 30 feet of you who are benefitting from your Telepathic Network feature gain the following benefits;

• You gain immunity to psychic damage.
• You gain advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws.

Additionally, when you use your Apprehension feature on a target attacking a creature who benefits from this ability, it does not consume a charge.