Warlock Patron: The Undying

Death holds no sway over your patron, who has unlocked the secrets of everlasting life, although such a prize – like all power – comes at a price. Once mortal, the Undying has seen mortal lifetimes pass like the seasons, like the flicker of endless days and nights. It has the secrets of the ages to share, secrets of life and death. Beings of this sort include Vecna, Lord of the Hand and the Eye; the dread Iuz; the lich-queen Vol; the Undying Court of Aerenal; Vlaakith, lich-queen of the githyanki; and the deathless wizard Fistandantalus.

In the Realms, Undying patrons include Larloch the Shadow King, legendary master of Warlock's Crypt, and Gilgeam, the God-King of Unther.

Expanded Spell List

Your blood pact allows you to learn from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you

Undying Expanded Spells

Spell Level	Spells
1st	False Life, Ray of Sickness
2nd	Blindness/Deafness, Silence
3rd	Feign Death, Speak with Dead
4th	Aura of Life, Death Ward
5th	Contagion, Legend Lore

 

Among the Dead

Starting at 1st level, you learn the Spare the Dying cantrip, which counts as a warlock cantrip for you but does not count against the number of cantrips you know. You also have advantage on saving throws against any disease.

Additionally, undead have difficulty harming you. If an undead targets you directly with an attack or a harmful spell, that creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC (an undead needn't make the save when it includes you in an area effect, such as the explosion of Fireball). On a failed save, the creature must choose a new target or forfeit targeting someone instead of you, potentially wasting the attack or spell. An undead becomes immune to this effect for 24 hours after it succeeds on its Wisdom saving throw or if you target it with an attack or spell.

Defy Death

Starting at 6th level, you can give yourself vitality when you cheat death or you help someone else cheat it. You can regain hit points equal to 1d8 + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 hit point) when you succeed on a death saving throw or when you stabilize a creature with Spare the Dying. When you stabilize a creature with Spare the Dying, you can choose for the target to regain these hit points rather than yourself.

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

Indestructible Life

Also at 6th level, you partake of some of the true secrets of the Undying. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d8 + your warlock level. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Starting at 14th level, if you put a severed body part of yours back in place when you use this feature, the part reattaches.

Undying Nature

Beginning at 10th level, you age at a slower rate. For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year, and you are immune to being magically aged. You also gain the following benefits: 

• While making death saving throws, you score a critical success on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20. 
• You can remove one level of exhaustion as part of a short rest.

 Mastery Over Death

When you reach 14th level, you have obtained the power to allow others to evade death. You can now cast Spare the Dying as a bonus action, and the hit points restored by your Indestructible Life and Defy Death features are determined by rolling 2d8 instead of 1d8. 

Furthermore, your own ability to resist death is enhanced. You succeed on death saving throws on a value of 8 or higher on the d20, and if you take damage while at 0 hit points you only suffer one death saving throw failure regardless of if a critical hit was scored. 

Design Notes

I’m not too sure about moving Indestructible Life to 1st level as it kinda rivals one of the Fighter base class’ features of Second Wind. If it came in at 6th level instead it wouldn’t.

I’m also not too sure about Defy Death and you’re using two different Ability scores for the feature. I think it might be better to just use Cha for both. It would simplify things too.

I would add no longer requiring food or water back to the Undying Nature feature.

Wadaya think?

Quote from IamSposta >>

I’m not too sure about moving Indestructible Life to 1st level as it kinda rivals one of the Fighter base class’ features of Second Wind. If it came in at 6th level instead it wouldn’t.

I’m also not too sure about Defy Death and you’re using two different Ability scores for the feature. I think it might be better to just use Cha for both. It would simplify things too.

I would add no longer requiring food or water back to the Undying Nature feature.

Wadaya think?

1)  It does overlap with Second wind, but is also weaker as its only a d8 rather than a d10 early on. That being said, I may move it to 6th level, which could be a nice compromise

2) I think I will change it to just be Cha. Either way its magical healing

3) Part of the reason I removed it was to reduce overlap with the newer Undead Patron's Grave Touched feature. In that same vein, with some of the reworked mechanics my goal is to make this warlock feel like they have been given the power to avoid / resist death rather than becoming more undead. Granted, the Among the Dead feature still does give that "undead" feeling to the whole thing.

Appreciate the suggestions overall. Will make a couple of changes for now and mull the others over