The Deathwarden

The Deathwarden is not a reaper, nor a god of death. It is the unyielding presence that guards the boundary between life and what lies beyond. Neither cruel nor kind in the mortal sense, the Deathwarden exists to preserve balance: to protect life from premature unraveling, and to ensure that death, when it comes, remains undisturbed.

As a warlock of the Deathwarden, you are chosen to act not as an executioner, but as a sentinel. You do not summon the dead or bind spirits—you prevent such transgressions. You defend the inviolability of the soul, the sacredness of the veil, and the peace owed to the fallen. You stand where others would trespass, and your power is a warning: life must be honored, death must be kept, and neither should be stolen.

Those who wield necromancy recklessly, who raise the dead without reverence, or who defile the essence of mortality, are your enemies—not out of vengeance, but duty. You are the still hand in the storm. The calm voice at the end. The watcher at the threshold who does not move—because none shall pass.

Expanded Spell List

The Deathwarden 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.

Deathwarden Expanded Spells

Spell Level	Spells
1st	Sanctuary, shield of faith
2nd	Gentle Repose, Zone of Truth
3rd	Spirit Guardians, Revivify
4th	Banishment, Death Ward
5th	Dispel Evil and Good, Hallow

Death's Tools

You gain proficiency with scythes and shovels, treated as martial weapons for you.

Gravekeeper's Ward

When a creature within 30 feet of you casts a necromancy spell, uses a magical effect that manipulates vitality such as:

• casts a necromancy spell,
• uses a magical effect that manipulates vitality (healing, resurrection, life drain, etc.),
• summons creatures from another plane,
• animates a corpse,
• interferes with a soul

 

you may use your reaction to either:

• Impose disadvantage on the triggering attack or ability, or
• Force a Wisdom saving throw (DC = your spell save DC); on a failure, the effect is negated.

 

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses on a long rest.

Sentinel of the Veil

• When you roll initiative, you gain temporary hit points equal to 2 × (your proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier). These vanish after a short or long rest.
• You gain a bonus to initiative rolls equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1)
• During the first round of combat, you gain a bonus to AC equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1)

Defender of Souls

When an ally within 30 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you may use your reaction to:

• Instantly stabilize them at 1 hit point, and

• Grant them resistance to all damage until the start of their next turn.

Each creature can only benefit from this feature once per long rest.
You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

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Warding Aura.
You emit a 10-foot aura of spiritual presence.
Hostile undead that enter this aura must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw DC {{savedc:cha}} or be unable to move closer to you until the start of their next turn.

Keeper of Balance

Turn the Defiled.

As an action, turn undead within 30 ft. 

Undead within 30 ft. must make a Wisdom saving throw DC {{savedc:cha@min:1}} or be turned for 1 minute. While turned the creature:

• Must spend it's turn trying to move as far away from you as it can
• Cannot willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you
• Can't take reactions
• Can only Dash or take actions to escape (e.g., Disengage)

Turn ends early if the creature takes any damage.

 

Soul Chain.

When you cast counterspell or dispel magic on necromancy spells, you gain the following benefits:

• You have advantage on the ability check to counter or dispel the spell.
• If you succeed, the caster takes psychic damage equal to your warlock level.

Well of Souls

As an action, you call upon the Deathwarden’s authority to unleash soul-charged energy at a point you can see within 60 feet. Each creature within 10 feet of that point is affected by one of the following effects (your choice). For each additional spell slot you expend beyond 1st, the radius increases by 5 feet, and the effect is empowered as noted.

You may use this feature once per long rest.

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A. Damage

Choose radiant, necrotic, or cold damage. Each creature in the area must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = your spell save DC):

• On a failed save: it takes 1d6 (+ 1d6 per additional slot) of the chosen damage type.

• On a success: it takes half as much damage.

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B. Frighten

Each creature in the area must make a Charisma saving throw (DC = your spell save DC + 1 per additional spell slot used beyond the first):

• On a failed save: it is frightened for 1 minute. It may repeat the save at the end of each of its turns.

• On a success: the creature is unaffected.

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C. Intimidate

You have advantage on Intimidation checks against all affected creatures.
Once before the end of your next turn, you may add your Charisma modifier + proficiency bonus as an additional bonus to a single Intimidation roll made against these creatures as a group.

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D. Grasp of the Deathwarden

Choose one creature in the area. It must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC = your spell save dc) or become restrained for the duration (1 minute, concentration).

• While restrained this way, it cannot teleport or become invisible.

• At the start of each of its turns, it takes 1d8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus in the chosen damage type (radiant, necrotic, or cold).

• The target can use an action at the end of each turn to repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success.

Death's Emissary

Seal the Soul.
As an action, you may target a creature that has died within the last minute and invoke the Deathwarden’s final mercy. That creature’s soul becomes sealed for 24 hours:

• It cannot be resurrected, animated, possessed, or otherwise reclaimed by any means short of a wish.

• This seal cannot be dispelled or bypassed by typical magic, and is immune to effects like revivify, raise dead, true resurrection, or magic jar.

You may use this feature once per long rest.

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Scythe of Balance.
When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a spell or weapon attack, you may immediately regain hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + proficiency bonus.

• This effect may occur once per round, and does not require an action or reaction.