Hadar's Order of the Chosen Lycan

The Children of Hadar admit only certain lycanthropes into their most perilous martial discipline. These initiates learn to contain a predatory curse while studying the occult traditions associated with Rashmuwor, also called Hadar. In humanoid form they bear silvered weapons, channel blood curses through the blade, and wield carefully measured otherworldly magic. When the hunt demands a more terrible weapon, they release the curse and take the shape of a great predator. Their two forms are intentionally distinct: the direwolf cannot wield equipment or cast spells, and the swordsman cannot rely on the direwolf’s physical resilience.

Although this tradition originated among the Children of Hadar in Treoling, its rules can also represent another secretive order that binds a lycanthropic curse to a supernatural pact. The patron options below describe different aspects of the same Hadarite initiation.

Heightened Senses

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the improved senses of a natural predator. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Direwolf Transformation

Also at 3rd level, you learn to control the lycanthropic curse that courses through your veins. As a Bonus Action, you assume a Large predatory form resembling a direwolf, great wolf, or another chosen large predator. Choose its appearance when you gain this feature; its appearance does not change the following game statistics. Your transformation lasts for up to 1 hour. You may end it early as a Bonus Action, and it ends immediately if you have the unconscious condition or die. Once you transform, you cannot do so again until you finish a Long Rest, unless a later feature says otherwise.

Retained Statistics. You retain your ability scores, Hit Points, Hit Dice, Proficiency Bonus, saving throws, skills, class features, and Speed except where this feature explicitly modifies them. Your size becomes Large. You do not gain the Dire Wolf monster’s statistics, Pack Tactics, extra Hit Points, or attacks.

Equipment and Spellcasting. You cannot speak ordinarily, use tools or equipment, wield weapons, or wear armor or a Shield in Direwolf Form. Worn and carried equipment merges into the form and becomes unusable, including magical items that require wearing, wielding, or activating. You cannot cast spells from any source while transformed, including Pact Magic or patron spells. Spells already affecting you continue for their normal duration; you may maintain Concentration, subject to Bloodlust.

Feral Might. While transformed, you have Advantage on Strength ability checks and Strength saving throws. You gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls with your Predatory Strikes. The bonus becomes +2 at Blood Hunter level 11 and +3 at level 18.

Resilient Hide. While transformed, you have Resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage from attacks that do not use silvered weapons, whether those attacks are magical or not. Your AC becomes 10 + your Dexterity modifier + 1. You cannot use the AC from armor or a Shield in this form.

Predatory Strikes. In Direwolf Form, you can use Dexterity instead of Strength for Unarmed Strike attack and damage rolls. On a hit that deals damage, you choose a Bite (1d6 Piercing damage) or Claw (1d6 Slashing damage). This die becomes 1d8 at Blood Hunter level 11. You can activate one Crimson Rite on all your Predatory Strikes, treating them collectively as a single weapon for this purpose; the normal rite activation and self-damage apply. After taking the Attack action and making at least one Predatory Strike, you can make one additional Predatory Strike as a Bonus Action.

Predatory Grapple and Shove. When attempting a Grapple or Shove using a Predatory Strike, you can use Dexterity instead of Strength to set its save DC: 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Dexterity modifier. All other 2024 Unarmed Strike restrictions still apply. You can maintain one Grapple using your jaws, which count as a free hand only for this purpose. While maintaining that jaw Grapple, you cannot make Bite attacks, but may make Claw attacks.

Bloodlust. When you begin a turn in Direwolf Form below half your Hit Point maximum, make a DC 8 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, move toward the nearest creature and take the Attack action against it; if creatures are equally close, choose randomly. You may choose whether to make the additional attack from Extra Attack. You regain control after resolving the compelled attacks. You automatically fail this saving throw if you are maintaining Concentration or are under an effect that prevents Concentration.

This feature replaces the rules for lycanthropy in the Monster Manual.

In the Character Builder, set the option for Direwolf Transformation to Direwolf Form to activate the bonuses for that form on the character sheet.

Direwolf Form

Selecting this option has updated the character sheet with the features of your Hybrid Form.

Direwolf Transformation Features

While you are transformed, you gain the following benefits and drawbacks:

Feral Might. You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and you have a +1 bonus to melee damage rolls. This bonus increases to +2 at 11th level and to +3 at 18th level.

Resilient Hide. You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons. Additionally, while you are not wearing heavy armor, you have a +1 bonus to AC.

Predatory Strikes. In Direwolf Form, you can use Dexterity instead of Strength for unarmed strike attack and damage rolls. On a hit that deals damage, you choose a Bite (1d6 Piercing damage) or Claw (1d6 Slashing damage). This die becomes 1d8 at Blood Hunter level 11. You can activate one Crimson Rite on all your Predatory Strikes, treating them collectively as a single weapon for this purpose; the normal rite activation and self-damage apply

Additionally, when you use the Attack action to make an unarmed strike, you can make one additional unarmed strike as a bonus action.

Predatory Grapple and Shove. When attempting a Grapple or Shove using a Predatory Strike, you can use Dexterity instead of Strength to set its save DC: 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Dexterity modifier. All other 2024 Unarmed Strike restrictions still apply. You can maintain one Grapple using your jaws, which count as a free hand only for this purpose. While maintaining that jaw Grapple, you cannot make Bite attacks, but may make Claw attacks.

Retained Statistics. You retain your ability scores, Hit Points, Hit Dice, Proficiency Bonus, saving throws, skills, class features, and Speed except where this feature explicitly modifies them. Your size becomes Large.

Equipment and Spellcasting. You cannot speak ordinarily, use tools or equipment, wield weapons, or wear armor or a Shield in Direwolf Form. Worn and carried equipment merges into the form and becomes unusable, including magical items that require wearing, wielding, or activating. You cannot cast spells from any source while transformed, including Pact Magic or patron spells. Spells already affecting you continue for their normal duration; you may maintain Concentration, subject to Bloodlust.

Bloodlust. If you start your turn with fewer hit points than half your hit point maximum, you must succeed on a DC 8 Wisdom saving throw or move directly toward the nearest creature and use the Attack action against that creature; if creatures are equally close, choose randomly. You may choose whether to make the additional attack from Extra Attack. If you’re concentrating on a spell or are under an effect that prevents you from concentrating (such as the barbarian’s Rage feature), you automatically fail this saving throw. You regain control after resolving the compelled attacks. 

Silver Bane

You have Vulnerability to damage dealt by attacks with silvered weapons; these attacks do not benefit from Resilient Hide. Before Blood Hunter level 6, you also have Vulnerability to damage dealt by attacks with magical weapons. If an attack qualifies for both kinds of Vulnerability, the damage is doubled only once. Apply Resistance and Vulnerability under the normal 2024 rules if both apply to the same damage. The special Vulnerability to magical weapons ends at Blood Hunter 6; Vulnerability to silvered-weapon attacks remains. Wielding your own silvered weapon in humanoid form does not harm you.

Otherworldly Patron

Your pact with Hadar expresses itself through one of four patron aspects: Fathomless, Great Old One, Hexblade, or Undying. Choose one when you enter this Order. The aspect determines your special spells at levels 7 and 15. It does not grant Warlock patron subclass features, and it does not make you a Warlock.

Pact Magic

Also at 3rd level, you augment your combat techniques with the ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 of the Player’s Handbook for the warlock spell list.

Cantrips. You learn one cantrip of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn an additional warlock cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots. The Profane Soul Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your warlock spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.

For example, when you are 8th level, you have two 2nd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell witch bolt, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 2nd-level spell.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher. At 3rd level, you know one 1st-level spells of your choice from the warlock spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Hadar's Chosen Spellcasting table shows when you learn more warlock spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table’s Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 14th level, for example, you learn a new warlock spell, which can be 1st or 2nd level. Your patron spells from Revealed Arcana and Unsealed Arcana are always prepared in addition to the number in the table.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the warlock spells you know and replace it with another spell from the warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability. Your chosen Hemocraft ability (Intelligence or Wisdom) is your spellcasting ability for your warlock spells, so you use your Hemocraft ability whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Hemocraft modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a warlock spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Hemocraft modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Hemocraft modifier

Hadar's Chosen Spellcasting

BLOOD HUNTER LEVEL	CANTRIPS KNOWN	SPELLS KNOWN	SPELL SLOTS	SLOT LEVEL
3rd	1	1	1	1st
4th	1	2	1	1st
5th	1	3	1	1st
6th	1	3	1	1st
7th	1	3	2	1st
8th	1	4	2	2nd
9th	1	4	2	2nd
10th	2	5	2	2nd
11th	2	5	2	2nd
12th	2	6	2	2nd
13th	2	6	2	2nd
14th	2	7	2	2nd
15th	2	7	2	2nd
16th	2	7	2	3rd
17th	2	8	2	3rd
18th	2	8	2	3rd
19th	2	9	2	3rd
20th	2	9	2	3rd

Rite Focus and Silver Judgement

Rite Focus. A silvered melee weapon carrying an active Crimson Rite can serve as a Spellcasting Focus for the Warlock spells granted by this Order. A silver sword is customary among the Children of Hadar, but another qualifying silvered melee weapon also works. A Spellcasting Focus does not remove material components that have a specified cost or are consumed.

Silver Judgment. Whenever one of your Blood Curses successfully affects a creature, the first subsequent attack you hit it with using a silvered melee weapon carrying an active Crimson Rite, while the curse remains in effect, deals extra damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus. You can gain this damage only once for each Blood Curse invocation. A Predatory Strike never qualifies; the hit that delivers Silver Malediction does not itself qualify as the subsequent hit.

Silver Malediction

Once per Short or Long Rest, when you hit a creature with a silvered melee weapon bearing an active Crimson Rite, you may invoke one Blood Curse you know that normally requires a Bonus Action and targets only one creature. You do so as part of the hit without spending your Bonus Action, but must expend a Blood Maledict use and may amplify the curse as normal.

The target must be eligible for the curse. Resolve the curse immediately after determining that the weapon attack hits and before dealing the attack’s damage. If a curse modifies the triggering attack (such as Blood Curse of the Marked), it may apply to that attack. Any extra Silver Judgment damage must wait for a subsequent hit and cannot apply to the triggering attack. If the curse has no effect on the creature, Silver Judgment is not triggered.

Hadarite Bestiary

You gain proficiency in Investigation or Religion (your choice). If you already have proficiency in the selected skill, you instead gain Expertise in it.

You learn Detect Magic. It is always prepared for you and does not count against the spells prepared through your Pact Magic. You can cast it once without expending a spell slot, regaining that free use after a Long Rest. You can also cast it as a Ritual without spending a spell slot, even if you have no other Ritual Casting feature. You cannot cast it in Direwolf Form.

Stalker's Prowess

At 7th level, your speed increases by 10 feet, and you add 10 feet to your long jump distance and 3 feet to your high jump distance. Your Direwolf form also gains the following additional benefit.

Improved Predatory Strikes. You have a +1 bonus to the first Predatory Strike attack roll you make each turn. This bonus increases to +2 at 11th level and to +3 at 18th level, still applying only to your first Predatory Strike attack roll of that turn. Additionally, when you have an active crimson rite on your unarmed strike while in your Direwolf form, your unarmed strikes are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Mystic Frenzy

Once on each of your turns, when you take the Attack action with a weapon (not Predatory Strikes), you may replace one attack from that action with casting a Warlock cantrip that normally requires a Magic action. You resolve the cantrip as part of that Attack action, without using a Bonus Action. You cannot make more than one such substitution on a turn, even if you take an additional Attack action. This feature cannot be used in Direwolf Form.

A cantrip such as Eldritch Blast produces its ordinary number of attacks. Spells, Pact Magic, and Invocations gained from an actual Warlock class function only under that class’s rules.

Revealed Arcana

Your patron aspect grants the spell shown below. It is always prepared and does not count against your ordinary number of Pact Magic spells prepared. You can cast it once without expending a spell slot, regaining that use after a Long Rest, or cast it using any suitable spell slot you possess. It uses your Hemocraft spellcasting ability when cast through this feature.

Hadarite patron aspect	Revealed Arcana at level 7
Fathomless	Silence
Great Old One	Detect Thoughts
Hexblade	Shining Smite
Undying	Silence

 

A Shining Smite granted by the Hexblade aspect can be used only with a silvered melee weapon, not with Predatory Strikes. It otherwise follows the 2024 spell rules.

Advanced Transformation

You can use Direwolf Transformation twice between Long Rests. When you finish a Short Rest with no uses remaining, you regain one use. You cannot have more than two unused transformation uses.

Brand of the Sapping Scar

A creature bearing your Brand of Castigation has Disadvantage on saving throws against spells you cast using this Order’s Pact Magic. You also gain the Blood Hunter’s Sanguine Strike feature at level 11, with its normal once-per-turn limitation.

Unsealed Arcana

Your patron aspect grants the spell shown below. It is always prepared in addition to your ordinary number of Pact Magic spells. You can cast it once without expending a spell slot, regaining that use after a Long Rest, or cast it with any suitable spell slot you possess. It uses your Hemocraft spellcasting ability when cast through this feature.

Hadarite patron aspect	Unsealed Arcana at level 15
Fathomless	Slow
Great Old One	Slow
Hexblade	Blink
Undying	Bestow Curse

Hadar’s Voice

While in Direwolf Form, you can communicate telepathically with one creature you can see within 60 feet, provided it understands at least one language. You and that creature can exchange thoughts telepathically while you remain within range and can see it. This telepathy does not allow you to cast spells or speak aloud.

Also while in Direwolf Form, you can use a Bonus Action to open your senses to magic for up to 10 minutes, gaining the detection and aura-perception benefits of Detect Magic without casting a spell or using Concentration. You regain this magical-sight use after a Long Rest. It does not overcome the ordinary limitations of Detect Magic, including barriers that block its detection.

Direwolf Transformation Mastery

You can enter Direwolf Form any number of times, and the form no longer has a one-hour maximum duration. It lasts until you end it, become unconscious, or die.

You also gain the Blood Curse of the Howl for your Blood Maledict feature. This doesn’t count against your number of blood curses known.