I wanted a character type who worships ancestral spirits, or perhaps spirit totems of some kind. A shaman type. Clerics don't really fit this. Druids come closer, but worship an overarching concept of nature rather than specific spirits. A favored Soul Sorcerer comes pretty close, but the Warlock seems like a better fit. Here's my stab at it. Basically, I just re-skinned the Fiend (except for the first level benefit) and allowed access to some appropriate Cleric spells:
Warlock Pact: Spirits of the Ancestors
Your culture reveres the spirits of their ancestors. The Spirits protect your people in exchange for this veneration and remembrance.
Expanded Spell List
The Spirits let 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.
1st Cure Wounds, Shield of Faith
2nd Augury, Lesser Restoration
3rd Speak with Dead, Spirit Guardian
4th Divination; Guardian of Faith
5th Commune, Mass Cure Wounds
Spirits’ Wisdom
The Spirits of your ancestors whisper to you in your dreams, sharing their knowledge with you. At 1st level, you gain proficiency in any two skills of your choice, as well as your choice of two languages or two tool proficiencies, or one language and one tool proficiency.
Spirits’ Blessing
Starting at 6th level, you can call on the Spirits to alter fate in your favor. When you make an ability check or a saving throw, you can use this feature to add a d10 to your roll. You can do so after seeing the initial roll but before any of the roll’s effects occur.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Spirits’ Protection
Starting at 10th level, you can choose one damage type when you finish a short or long rest. You gain resistance to that damage type until you choose a different one with this feature. Damage from magical weapons or silver weapons ignores this resistance.
Spirits’ Wrath
Starting at 14th level, you can call on the Spirits to aid you in battle. You can use this feature to choose one target that you can see within 30 feet of you. The chosen target is surrounded by the ghostly forms of your ancestral spirits, and is restrained until the end of your next turn. The target is also clawed and mauled by the Spirits, and takes 10d10 necrotic damage.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
I wanted a character type who worships ancestral spirits, or perhaps spirit totems of some kind. A shaman type. Clerics don't really fit this. Druids come closer, but worship an overarching concept of nature rather than specific spirits. A favored Soul Sorcerer comes pretty close, but the Warlock seems like a better fit. Here's my stab at it. Basically, I just re-skinned the Fiend (except for the first level benefit) and allowed access to some appropriate Cleric spells:
Warlock Pact: Spirits of the Ancestors
Your culture reveres the spirits of their ancestors. The Spirits protect your people in exchange for this veneration and remembrance.
Expanded Spell List
The Spirits let 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.
1st Cure Wounds, Shield of Faith
2nd Augury, Lesser Restoration
3rd Speak with Dead, Spirit Guardian
4th Divination; Guardian of Faith
5th Commune, Mass Cure Wounds
Spirits’ Wisdom
The Spirits of your ancestors whisper to you in your dreams, sharing their knowledge with you. At 1st level, you gain proficiency in any two skills of your choice, as well as your choice of two languages or two tool proficiencies, or one language and one tool proficiency.
Spirits’ Blessing
Starting at 6th level, you can call on the Spirits to alter fate in your favor. When you make an ability check or a saving throw, you can use this feature to add a d10 to your roll. You can do so after seeing the initial roll but before any of the roll’s effects occur.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Spirits’ Protection
Starting at 10th level, you can choose one damage type when you finish a short or long rest. You gain resistance to that damage type until you choose a different one with this feature. Damage from magical weapons or silver weapons ignores this resistance.
Spirits’ Wrath
Starting at 14th level, you can call on the Spirits to aid you in battle. You can use this feature to choose one target that you can see within 30 feet of you. The chosen target is surrounded by the ghostly forms of your ancestral spirits, and is restrained until the end of your next turn. The target is also clawed and mauled by the Spirits, and takes 10d10 necrotic damage.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Spirit's Protection: What are the acceptable damage types? Bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing?
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Astromancer's Homebrew Assembly
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
The ability is identical to the Fiendish Resilience ability of the Fiend patron, so any damage type.