Pact of Chat

The Pact of Chat is a unique warlock subclass that binds its practitioner to a collective consciousness born of countless voices, opinions, and whims. This patron isn’t a single entity but a swirling amalgamation of thought and emotion, constantly shifting in tone and intent. The Chat is as unpredictable as it is powerful, granting the warlock abilities that are both crowd-driven and wildly dynamic. Those who make this pact wield magic that grows stronger with attention, thrives on collaboration, and can turn the chaotic energy of others into a formidable arsenal.

Pact Boon: Scraps the Drone

Pact Boon: Scraps the Drone

When you make your Pact with Chat, you gain a magical drone named Scraps, a flying construct that acts as your loyal camera and assistant. Scraps has the following features:

•Arcane Focus: Scraps can act as your spellcasting focus and channel spells, allowing you to cast spells as though you were in its location.

•Perceptive Eye: Scraps grants you advantage on Perception checks to spot hidden creatures or objects within 60 feet.

•Help Action: As a bonus action, you can direct Scraps to use the Help action for a creature within 30 feet of it.

If Scraps is destroyed, you can rebuild it using an hour-long ritual and 10 gold pieces worth of materials.

Audience Empowerment

Level 1: Audience Empowerment

Your magic is tied to the engagement of others. When you make this pact, you gain a resource called Engagement Dice—d6s that represent the energy your “Chat” gives you. The number of Engagement Dice you can use per long rest equals your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).

 You can spend Engagement Dice to:

•Boost Spell Damage: Add one Engagement Die to the damage of a spell you cast.

•Aid in Checks: Add an Engagement Die to an ability check or saving throw after rolling but before the DM reveals the result.

•Manifest Spontaneous Effects: The DM may allow you to use Engagement Dice to cause quirky or beneficial effects based on the context of your actions, tied to the whims of your audience.

The more people “watching” (DM discretion based on your roleplaying narrative), the more impactful your Engagement Dice become.

Expanded Mechanics for Engagement Dice and Viewer Impact

Expanded Mechanics for Engagement Dice and Viewer Impact

Your connection to the Chat strengthens as more people “watch” you, their collective energy fueling your abilities. To represent this, Engagement Dice scale in potency based on your viewer count, with the DM determining this based on roleplay or in-game circumstances.

 

Viewer Count Tiers

The number of “viewers” impacts your Engagement Dice and adds dynamic effects to your abilities. The DM uses narrative and contextual clues to set your current viewer count, which may change based on dramatic events, roleplaying, or your character’s performance.

Viewer Tier Description Engagement Dice Additional Effects

Casual Audience ~10–200 viewers d6 No additional effects.

Growing Hype ~201-1,000 viewers d8 Gain 5 temporary hit points at the start of combat.

Local Celebrity ~1,001-5,000 viewers d10 Add +1 to spell save DC.

Massive Following ~5,001-10,000 viewers d12 Advantage on Charisma-based checks and saving throws.

Viral Sensation ~10,001+ viewers d12 Spells deal an extra 1d6 force damage.

 

Gaining and Losing Viewers

Viewer count fluctuates based on your actions, successes, and failures in-game. The DM can adjust your viewer tier based on the following factors:

Gaining Viewers

•Dramatic Success: Landing a critical hit, executing a clever plan, or creating a highly entertaining moment can attract viewers.

•Publicity Stunts: Using your drone, Scraps, to stream events or broadcasting dramatic moments can boost viewership.

•Roleplay Appeal: Engaging in compelling or comedic roleplay moments that “Chat” might find entertaining.

•Crisis Situations: Tense, high-stakes scenarios naturally draw attention.

Losing Viewers

•Boring or Slow Gameplay: Spending too much time without engaging in dramatic or interesting actions might cause viewers to leave.

•Critical Failures: Fumbling in a humiliating way or failing to entertain could result in a viewer drop-off.

•Ignored Chat: Roleplay moments where your character ignores or dismisses the Chat may lead to a temporary dip in engagement.

 

Scaling Engagement Dice

Your Engagement Dice grow stronger with your viewer tier, increasing in both size and frequency of use.

•Casual Audience (d6): You can use Engagement Dice a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest.

•Growing Hype (d8): Gain an additional use of Engagement Dice per long rest.

•Local Celebrity (d10): Engagement Dice refresh on a short rest instead of a long rest.

•Massive Following (d12): You can roll two Engagement Dice at once, at the cost of one, and choose the higher result.

•Viral Sensation (d12): Gain an additional use of Engagement Dice. Engagement Dice can be used without expending a use during particularly dramatic moments (DM discretion).

 

Enhanced Engagement Effects

Your growing audience also influences the potency of your spells and abilities. The more viewers you have, the more dramatic their impact becomes.

Audience Buffs (Passive Effects by Tier):

•Growing Hype: Your spells cantrip damage increases by 1 point.

•Local Celebrity: Allies within 10 feet gain +1 to attack rolls and saving throws.

•Massive Following: Your spell range increases by 10 feet, and Scraps gains a fly speed boost of 10 feet.

•Viral Sensation: Once per long rest, you can automatically succeed on a Charisma check as the Chat “carries” you to victory.

Spell Amplification (Active Effects by Tier):

•Growing Hype: Add half your Charisma modifier (rounded up) to spell damage rolls.

•Local Celebrity: Spend 2 Engagement Dice to cast a spell without using a spell slot.

•Massive Following: Your concentration spells no longer require concentration for the first minute of their duration.

•Viral Sensation: Gain an additional spell slot of your highest available level (refreshes after a long rest).

 

Viewer-Driven Roleplay

The DM can bring the Chat to life by adding commentary, introducing random challenges, or providing “gifts” during gameplay. These elements can simulate the whims of your digital patrons, creating unique interactions and an evolving narrative tied to your growing fame.

This system allows for flexibility while rewarding roleplaying creativity and engagement with the Chat, making every moment in-game feel like a performance for an audience that’s as powerful as it is unpredictable.

Chat's Whimsy

Level 1: Chat’s Whimsy

Your Chat has a mind of its own, granting you unpredictable boosts or minor complications depending on its “mood.” At the start of your turn in combat, roll a d6 to determine the Chat’s current vibe:

Roll Chat’s Vibe Effect

1 Critical Feedback You take a -1 penalty to attack rolls or spell save DCs until the start of your next turn.

2 Troll Energy A random harmless magical effect occurs within 10 feet of you (DM decides what happens).

3 Neutral Observer No effect—Chat is just watching.

4 Casual Support You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls or saving throws until the start of your next turn.

5 Cheerful Guidance You can reroll one attack roll, ability check, or saving throw this turn (you must use the new roll).

6 Massive Hype Your spell damage or healing is increased by 1d4 until the end of your turn.

This feature emphasizes the volatile and entertaining nature of your pact with the Chat. Outside combat, the DM may allow the Chat’s Whimsy to trigger in social or exploration contexts, with similarly unpredictable effects based on your roll.

By relying on the Chat’s chaotic influence, you show your willingness to embrace its quirks—and sometimes its mischief—as the source of your power.

Gift of the Crowd

Level 3: Gift of the Crowd

Your Chat is an endless font of advice and sometimes questionable generosity. Once per short or long rest, you can channel the energy of your Chat to summon an item, object, or piece of equipment that a viewer might “gift” you. Roll a d6 to determine its quality:

1-2: Useless or comedic object (e.g., a squeaky toy, a strange hat).

3-4: A mundane but useful tool or item (e.g., a lantern, a rope).

5-6: A minor magical item or piece of gear appropriate to your current challenge.

This item remains until the end of your next long rest or until it’s destroyed.

Chat Reactions

Level 6: Chat Reactions

Your bond with the Chat allows you to feed off their real-time reactions, turning their energy into magical retaliation or support. Whenever you or an ally within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to invoke the Chat’s intervention in one of the following ways:

•Spam Healing Emojis: The Chat floods you or your ally with restorative energy. Roll your Engagement Die and add your Charisma modifier. The chosen creature regains hit points equal to the result.

•Fury of the Chat: The Chat lashes out with spectral force. The attacker takes force damage equal to your Engagement Die + your Charisma modifier.

•Hype Shield: The Chat manifests a barrier of supportive energy. The next attack against you or an ally within 30 feet before the end of your next turn is made with disadvantage.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1), and you regain all uses after a short or long rest.

Chatstorm

Level 10: Chatstorm

You have mastered the chaotic energy of your Chat, allowing you to summon a powerful magical effect in the heat of battle. As an action, you can unleash a Chatstorm:

•Inspiration Surge: Choose up to three allies within 30 feet. Each ally gains temporary hit points equal to your Warlock level + your Charisma modifier and advantage on their next attack roll.

•Overclocked Magic: For one minute, you can cast a spell of 2nd level or lower as a bonus action without expending a spell slot, but each spell cast this way uses up an Engagement Die.

•Crowd Chaos: You summon spectral, cheering figures within a 20-foot radius around you. Enemies in the area must make a Wisdom saving throw or become distracted (incurring disadvantage on attacks and concentration checks) for 1 minute.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Viral Phenomenon

Level 14: Viral Phenomenon

You become a global sensation in the magical sense, attracting a surge of metaphysical energy when the stakes are highest. Once per long rest, when you drop to 0 hit points, your Chat intervenes. You instantly regain half your hit points and rise to your feet, surrounded by glowing, encouraging figures.

In addition, for the next minute:

•Your spells deal additional force damage equal to your Charisma modifier.

•Engagement Dice refresh and can be used without limit (subject to their normal uses).

•The battlefield is flooded with spectral cheering voices that bolster allies within 30 feet, granting them temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + your Warlock level at the start of their turns.

The Chat thrives on drama, and this surge of energy is as dazzling as it is unpredictable.