Did a little searching but nobody seems to really talk about the optional boon swap on ASI other than it immediately wipes your invocations that depend on the old boon (and I guess, you repick them immediately if so, seems to be the consensus).
But what happens to the Book of Shadows itself in the Tome pact boon?
Pact of the Tome
Your patron gives you a grimoire called a Book of Shadows. When you gain this feature, choose three cantrips from any class's spell list (the three needn't be from the same list). While the book is on your person, you can cast those cantrips at will. They don't count against your number of cantrips known. If they don't appear on the warlock spell list, they are nonetheless warlock spells for you.
If you lose your Book of Shadows, you can perform a 1-hour ceremony to receive a replacement from your patron. This ceremony can be performed during a short or long rest, and it destroys the previous book. The book turns to ash when you die.
The language of the second bullet point implies that the original book persists until your death or the replacement ceremony is performed.
Also, the language of the first bullet point is similar to that of the wizard's spellbook, in that these known spells are contained on the pages of the book itself. Mechanically it's weird though, as wizards don't know cantrips from their book, they know those mentally (and inherently). It seems like with the Book of Shadows you don't actually know the cantrips (they don't count against your known warlock spell total, for instance) and instead memorize them from the book much like a wizard would do with any non-cantrip. Trippy!
So my question(s) are along the lines of:
Do you lose the Book of Shadows when you change boons? Seems like no.
Can you keep the cantrips in the Book of Shadows as part of your spell list? Seems so, given the similarity to a spellbook and the fact they become Warlock spells when in the grimoire.
Do you lose the ability to cast from the Book of Shadows if not a Pact of the Tome anymore? Doesn't seem to say one way or another.
Basically, I am wanting to branch out from Hexblade a bit but still have the melee + CHA mod option with Shillelagh...I build a lot of characters with the versatility to still bang up close if need be. Tome lets you use CHA mod for Shillelagh through the Book of Shadows, you can pick up Extra Attack with a multiclass feature somewhere else (plenty have it) or just not care about Extra Attack by using GFB/BB or even feats to get more output.
If you swapped boons away from Tome to something else later like Talisman or Chain, would you just lose that access to Shillelagh instantly, you think? I'm hardly familiar enough with everything to know for sure but I haven't found a RAW why so far -- see bullet point #1 "while the book is on your person..."
I definitely see why, logically, you would at least lose the ability to know those cantrips as free Warlock spells, even if the book still physically exists -- you are no longer receiving that boon from your patron, no more cross-class casty-casty. Easy interpretation to make.
The Pact Boon class feature only allows you to choose your boon when you gain third level. Maybe you could talk your DM into letting you swapping and make it an interesting character/rp moment between you and your patron. But RAW you can only make the choice once.
The Pact Boon class feature only allows you to choose your boon when you gain third level. Maybe you could talk your DM into letting you swapping and make it an interesting character/rp moment between you and your patron. But RAW you can only make the choice once.
Tasha’s allows you to change your pact whenever you get an asi.
The Pact Boon class feature only allows you to choose your boon when you gain third level. Maybe you could talk your DM into letting you swapping and make it an interesting character/rp moment between you and your patron. But RAW you can only make the choice once.
Tasha’s allows you to change your pact whenever you get an asi.
Oh thank you! I was just looking at the Pact Boon class feature and missed the Eldritch Versatility optional class feature.
Eldritch Versatility tells us that when you can replace the option for Pact Boon you chose with another Pact Boon option. When you replace your Pact of the Tome with another Pact Boon option you lose everything described in the Pact of the Tome option.
This includes losing the Book of Shadows and the cantrips it grants. Similarly a Pact of the Chain warlock would lose its familiar, a Pact of the Blade's magic weapon would cease to be a Pact Weapon, etc.
As for invocations such as Book of Ancient Secrets that require the Pact of the Tome you are now ineligible for them. The Eldritch Versatility class feature tells us that if the change makes you ineligible for any of your current invocations you must replace them with one you are eligible for.
For plot purposes, you could have the book of shadows either disintegrate slowly after breaking a pact boon, or it could just lose its power entirely. Another option is that the book still exists, but the writing and incantations disappear from the pages.
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
The book would still exist but you would no longer get any benefits.
However if you spent gold copying rituals for the book of ancient secrets it still has your version of those spells. So taking ritual caster wizard should let you use wizard rituals.(or druid if ritual caster :druid) or use it as your wizard spell book if you're still following the multi-class rules.(no using spells beyond your wizard level)
For plot purposes, you could have the book of shadows either disintegrate slowly after breaking a pact boon, or it could just lose its power entirely. Another option is that the book still exists, but the writing and incantations disappear from the pages.
That’s exactly how I would handle it. If the book stays its just a paper weight, at best.
Did a little searching but nobody seems to really talk about the optional boon swap on ASI other than it immediately wipes your invocations that depend on the old boon (and I guess, you repick them immediately if so, seems to be the consensus).
But what happens to the Book of Shadows itself in the Tome pact boon?
The language of the second bullet point implies that the original book persists until your death or the replacement ceremony is performed.
Also, the language of the first bullet point is similar to that of the wizard's spellbook, in that these known spells are contained on the pages of the book itself. Mechanically it's weird though, as wizards don't know cantrips from their book, they know those mentally (and inherently). It seems like with the Book of Shadows you don't actually know the cantrips (they don't count against your known warlock spell total, for instance) and instead memorize them from the book much like a wizard would do with any non-cantrip. Trippy!
So my question(s) are along the lines of:
Do you lose the Book of Shadows when you change boons? Seems like no.
Can you keep the cantrips in the Book of Shadows as part of your spell list? Seems so, given the similarity to a spellbook and the fact they become Warlock spells when in the grimoire.
Do you lose the ability to cast from the Book of Shadows if not a Pact of the Tome anymore? Doesn't seem to say one way or another.
Basically, I am wanting to branch out from Hexblade a bit but still have the melee + CHA mod option with Shillelagh...I build a lot of characters with the versatility to still bang up close if need be. Tome lets you use CHA mod for Shillelagh through the Book of Shadows, you can pick up Extra Attack with a multiclass feature somewhere else (plenty have it) or just not care about Extra Attack by using GFB/BB or even feats to get more output.
If you swapped boons away from Tome to something else later like Talisman or Chain, would you just lose that access to Shillelagh instantly, you think? I'm hardly familiar enough with everything to know for sure but I haven't found a RAW why so far -- see bullet point #1 "while the book is on your person..."
I definitely see why, logically, you would at least lose the ability to know those cantrips as free Warlock spells, even if the book still physically exists -- you are no longer receiving that boon from your patron, no more cross-class casty-casty. Easy interpretation to make.
What do ya think?
Yes, you lose the book. Otherwise you effectively have two pact boons at once.
The Pact Boon class feature only allows you to choose your boon when you gain third level. Maybe you could talk your DM into letting you swapping and make it an interesting character/rp moment between you and your patron. But RAW you can only make the choice once.
Tasha’s allows you to change your pact whenever you get an asi.
Oh thank you! I was just looking at the Pact Boon class feature and missed the Eldritch Versatility optional class feature.
Eldritch Versatility tells us that when you can replace the option for Pact Boon you chose with another Pact Boon option. When you replace your Pact of the Tome with another Pact Boon option you lose everything described in the Pact of the Tome option.
This includes losing the Book of Shadows and the cantrips it grants. Similarly a Pact of the Chain warlock would lose its familiar, a Pact of the Blade's magic weapon would cease to be a Pact Weapon, etc.
As for invocations such as Book of Ancient Secrets that require the Pact of the Tome you are now ineligible for them. The Eldritch Versatility class feature tells us that if the change makes you ineligible for any of your current invocations you must replace them with one you are eligible for.
Changing your pact means you lose all benefits of it, and no longer qualify for some invocations.
As a DM, I would let you exchange your invocations that used it as a pre-req, but RAW you just lose the benefit.
I would say that if you no longer meet the prerequisite for an invocation, your character cannot have it at all.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
For plot purposes, you could have the book of shadows either disintegrate slowly after breaking a pact boon, or it could just lose its power entirely. Another option is that the book still exists, but the writing and incantations disappear from the pages.
Orange Juice!
Your patron can also take away
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
The book would still exist but you would no longer get any benefits.
However if you spent gold copying rituals for the book of ancient secrets it still has your version of those spells. So taking ritual caster wizard should let you use wizard rituals.(or druid if ritual caster :druid) or use it as your wizard spell book if you're still following the multi-class rules.(no using spells beyond your wizard level)
That’s exactly how I would handle it. If the book stays its just a paper weight, at best.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
I would rule they keep the book, they can read the book and understand it, but when they attempt to use the spells in it, nothing happens.
Having a wizard's books do not let you cast the spells, even if the wizard laboriously explains what the books says on each page.
Font choices do not determine whether or not a ruling is accurate.