I was recently hit with a bit of inspiration to create a subclass for Warlocks that doesnt depend on a Patron and instead is granted powers by investing themselves into a phylactery. I know Necromancer Wizards are a thing, and I could have made it a Wizard Subclass but I kinda like the flavor of a Warlock more. Since it focuses a lot around the magic of a phylactery that starts absorbing your soul and life essence, I added a bit of flavor to it, by making it a body snatching class, that can stall off death and instead inhabit new bodies by binding them to the Phylactery.
It allows for refilling of Spell Slots by dealing significant damage through crits or by failed saves. As you depend more and more on the Phylactery, it becomes more and more hazardous to have it destroyed, giving the opportunity to create new side-quests to reacquire the casters soul and life essence, while at level 14 giving you the opportunity to create a contingency.
It might be a bit heavy to read and keep track and maybe a bit overpowered, but I liked the idea of a Warlock switching bodies and maybe even using it to impersonate people, while also becoming semi-immortal.
For some reason I cant share the Subclass with the Community "officially" because of "licensed content" this is even after I removed the referencing tag for Toll the Dead (Xanathar) and replaced Ray of Sickness (PHB) with False Life (Basic rules)
Maybe it's the ability to add a Spell of any school if a caster you take over knew it, but it just keeps saying I am using licensed or homebrew content.
You got hold of a Phylactery, and through researching the methods of Necromancers, you developed your own suite of Lich-like powers.
Your Spellcasting modifier is Intelligence instead of Charisma, as your powers come from your increasing understanding of the necromantic Powers that come with using your phylactery.
Expanded Spell List
As a Pseudo-Lich some Spells become available to you, that other Warlocks may not access.
At level 1 you know the Chill Touch and Toll the Dead (Xanathars) Cantrips. These do not count towards your chosen Warlock Cantrips.
At 1st level you own a phylactery. The Phylactery can have any form, but needs to exist as a physical item, before it can become your phylactery.
Starting at level 1 your Phylactery needs to stay on your person. You slowly deposit parts of your soul and Lifeforce inside it. You may use it as a Spellcasting Focus. Upon losing your Phylactery or being physically seperated, you lose access to your class features and spells. Any part of yourself already deposited may be lost temporarily. Ask your DM what that entails. For example having reduced Max HP or Exhaustion Levels. The same applies when your Phylactery is destroyed. You may create a new one. To do so takes a day of ritual casting and an object the size of a 4inch diameter sphere
You also gain the following effects:
1. Critical Hits with Attacks that deal necrotic damage restore a pact magic slot or restore an amount of HP equal to your Spellcasting Mod + Proficiency 2. If a Spell that requires a save, and deals necrotic damage, deals half of it's maximum damage to at least one target, you might also utilize the first feature.
You can replace Eldritch Blasts Force Damage with Necrotic Damage.
Partial Bond
Starting at level 6 you may be seperated from your Phylactery. As long as the Phylactery is on the same plane as you and at most 300 feet away from you, you may still utilize it. You may only utilize it as a spellcasting focus, if it is on your person. If your Phylactery is destroyed at this stage it might only be reforged by recovering the part of yourself deposited within it. Upon being destroyed, your essence is sent to a place chosen by the DM, to recover them you need to create a new Phylactery, then cast a 1h ritual to reimbue it with your essence.
As your Phylactery as partially bonded with you, it can now delay death.
Once per Long Rest when you fall to 0 HP, instead of falliing unconscious you remain at 1HP as you draw back a part of yourself from your phylactery. You gain an additional use of this at level 10 and 14. If you fall below 0 HP after using this feature, you are drawn into your phylactery. You roll Death Saves as usual. Instead of being stabilized with 3 successful roles, your bodys decay is halted and you may be restored to it. On 3 fails, your body instead starts decaying.
Your conscience might be reconnected to your body by succeeding a DC 15 Arcana Check. If your Body was preserved this has no consequences. If your body started decaying you might still be restored to it, but will progress towards decay and count as an undead:
It will stay fresh for 1d8 + proficiency days, appearing normal
Your surface Skin and flesh will start decaying over the next 1d8 + proficiency days, a DC 15 Investigation or Insight Check will reveal your undeath.
You are almost Zombie like for 1d8 + proficiency days. Unless heavily disguised you will immediatly be recognized as an undead.
You are so decayed you are barely more than a skeleton. You are vulnerable to Bludgeoning Damage
You may transfer your conscience and self into the body of an unconscious humanoid/playable race by succeeding a DC 15 Arcana Check.
You are considered that race and inherit that races features, preserving your ability scores, class, subclass and spells.
Improved Bond
Starting at level 10, your Phylactery can be removed at unlimited range, and you still benefit from it, as long as it is on the same plane as your current body. You gain another use of your Stall Death Action.
When destroyed at this stage your essence within the Phylactery escapes to a place designated by the DM. There it will infect a nearby creature, mutating it, and taking on aspects of your soul. To reforge your phylactery, create a new vessel, and slay the creature. After slaying the creature your essence may be reabsorbed by succeeding a DC 15 Arcana Check and enacting a 1h ritual.
You have committed so much of yourself to your phylactery, that your bodies stop aging. When moving your conscience to a new body, you can now chose one of the following benefits:
Preserve one ability proficiency of the body
Preserve one weapon proficiency of the body
Learn a Spell the body knew. (Caster only)
Learn a selection of memories from the bodies life.
Perfected Bond
Starting at 14th level, you have completely bonded with your Phylactery. It is now active wherever in the multiverse it is. At this point destroying your Phylactery is instant and permanent death. You may use an action to summon your phylactery to you. Your Phylactery has Hitpoints equal to your Hitpoint Maximum
Dark Ritual of Contingency: You may create a single Contingency Phylactery. To do so you need an Object worth 1000gp, or a selection of Objects worth 1000gp. The Ritual takes 4 hours to perform and consumes the object/s to create a new Phylactery the form of which you can decide, but it needs to at least be the size of a 4 inch sphere. If your Phylactery is destroyed, or when using an action to do so, you may activate the contingency. Since the powerful magic draws the entirety of your soul, and lifeforce from one object to another, your conscience is also transferred to the phylactery.
You may now willingly enact a body transfer. When killing a creature with a spell you can use the connection between your Phylactery and the spell to transfer your consciousness into the fresh body.
While your conscience remains in the Phylactery (after depleting your Stall Death Charges, or activating a contingency) you may exert your will on nearby humanoids. Chose a target within 10 ft. of your Phylactery, succeeding an Arcana Check contested by a Wisdom Saving Throw of the Target allows you to supplant their conscience with your own. You roll your Check with disadvantage while the target rolls with advantage, if they are hostile and in combat with you.
You still get the options from Improved Bond. You gain the following additional effects when switching Body:
Increase your Intelligence by 2 while within the body, or set one of your scores to the value the body had before you inhabited it, but to no more than 18.
Gain a weakened version of one of the bodies class features. Ask your DM which Feature you get and which restrictions apply
Hey everyone,
I was recently hit with a bit of inspiration to create a subclass for Warlocks that doesnt depend on a Patron and instead is granted powers by investing themselves into a phylactery.
I know Necromancer Wizards are a thing, and I could have made it a Wizard Subclass but I kinda like the flavor of a Warlock more.
Since it focuses a lot around the magic of a phylactery that starts absorbing your soul and life essence, I added a bit of flavor to it, by making it a body snatching class, that can stall off death and instead inhabit new bodies by binding them to the Phylactery.
It allows for refilling of Spell Slots by dealing significant damage through crits or by failed saves.
As you depend more and more on the Phylactery, it becomes more and more hazardous to have it destroyed, giving the opportunity to create new side-quests to reacquire the casters soul and life essence, while at level 14 giving you the opportunity to create a contingency.
It might be a bit heavy to read and keep track and maybe a bit overpowered, but I liked the idea of a Warlock switching bodies and maybe even using it to impersonate people, while also becoming semi-immortal.
For some reason I cant share the Subclass with the Community "officially" because of "licensed content" this is even after I removed the referencing tag for Toll the Dead (Xanathar) and replaced Ray of Sickness (PHB) with False Life (Basic rules)
Maybe it's the ability to add a Spell of any school if a caster you take over knew it, but it just keeps saying I am using licensed or homebrew content.
You got hold of a Phylactery, and through researching the methods of Necromancers, you developed your own suite of Lich-like powers.
Your Spellcasting modifier is Intelligence instead of Charisma, as your powers come from your increasing understanding of the necromantic Powers that come with using your phylactery.
Expanded Spell List
As a Pseudo-Lich some Spells become available to you, that other Warlocks may not access.
At level 1 you know the Chill Touch and Toll the Dead (Xanathars) Cantrips. These do not count towards your chosen Warlock Cantrips.
Pseudo-Lich Expanded Spells
Phylactery
At 1st level you own a phylactery.
The Phylactery can have any form, but needs to exist as a physical item, before it can become your phylactery.
Starting at level 1 your Phylactery needs to stay on your person.
You slowly deposit parts of your soul and Lifeforce inside it. You may use it as a Spellcasting Focus.
Upon losing your Phylactery or being physically seperated, you lose access to your class features and spells.
Any part of yourself already deposited may be lost temporarily. Ask your DM what that entails. For example having reduced Max HP or Exhaustion Levels.
The same applies when your Phylactery is destroyed. You may create a new one. To do so takes a day of ritual casting and an object the size of a 4inch diameter sphere
You also gain the following effects:
1. Critical Hits with Attacks that deal necrotic damage restore a pact magic slot or restore an amount of HP equal to your Spellcasting Mod + Proficiency
2. If a Spell that requires a save, and deals necrotic damage, deals half of it's maximum damage to at least one target, you might also utilize the first feature.
You can replace Eldritch Blasts Force Damage with Necrotic Damage.
Partial Bond
Starting at level 6 you may be seperated from your Phylactery.
As long as the Phylactery is on the same plane as you and at most 300 feet away from you, you may still utilize it.
You may only utilize it as a spellcasting focus, if it is on your person. If your Phylactery is destroyed at this stage it might only be reforged by recovering the part of yourself deposited within it. Upon being destroyed, your essence is sent to a place chosen by the DM, to recover them you need to create a new Phylactery, then cast a 1h ritual to reimbue it with your essence.
As your Phylactery as partially bonded with you, it can now delay death.
Once per Long Rest when you fall to 0 HP, instead of falliing unconscious you remain at 1HP as you draw back a part of yourself from your phylactery. You gain an additional use of this at level 10 and 14.
If you fall below 0 HP after using this feature, you are drawn into your phylactery. You roll Death Saves as usual. Instead of being stabilized with 3 successful roles, your bodys decay is halted and you may be restored to it. On 3 fails, your body instead starts decaying.
Your conscience might be reconnected to your body by succeeding a DC 15 Arcana Check.
If your Body was preserved this has no consequences.
If your body started decaying you might still be restored to it, but will progress towards decay and count as an undead:
You may transfer your conscience and self into the body of an unconscious humanoid/playable race by succeeding a DC 15 Arcana Check.
You are considered that race and inherit that races features, preserving your ability scores, class, subclass and spells.
Improved Bond
Starting at level 10, your Phylactery can be removed at unlimited range, and you still benefit from it, as long as it is on the same plane as your current body.
You gain another use of your Stall Death Action.
When destroyed at this stage your essence within the Phylactery escapes to a place designated by the DM. There it will infect a nearby creature, mutating it, and taking on aspects of your soul. To reforge your phylactery, create a new vessel, and slay the creature. After slaying the creature your essence may be reabsorbed by succeeding a DC 15 Arcana Check and enacting a 1h ritual.
You have committed so much of yourself to your phylactery, that your bodies stop aging.
When moving your conscience to a new body, you can now chose one of the following benefits:
Perfected Bond
Starting at 14th level, you have completely bonded with your Phylactery. It is now active wherever in the multiverse it is.
At this point destroying your Phylactery is instant and permanent death. You may use an action to summon your phylactery to you.
Your Phylactery has Hitpoints equal to your Hitpoint Maximum
Dark Ritual of Contingency:
You may create a single Contingency Phylactery. To do so you need an Object worth 1000gp, or a selection of Objects worth 1000gp.
The Ritual takes 4 hours to perform and consumes the object/s to create a new Phylactery the form of which you can decide, but it needs to at least be the size of a 4 inch sphere.
If your Phylactery is destroyed, or when using an action to do so, you may activate the contingency.
Since the powerful magic draws the entirety of your soul, and lifeforce from one object to another, your conscience is also transferred to the phylactery.
You may now willingly enact a body transfer.
When killing a creature with a spell you can use the connection between your Phylactery and the spell to transfer your consciousness into the fresh body.
While your conscience remains in the Phylactery (after depleting your Stall Death Charges, or activating a contingency) you may exert your will on nearby humanoids. Chose a target within 10 ft. of your Phylactery, succeeding an Arcana Check contested by a Wisdom Saving Throw of the Target allows you to supplant their conscience with your own.
You roll your Check with disadvantage while the target rolls with advantage, if they are hostile and in combat with you.
You still get the options from Improved Bond.
You gain the following additional effects when switching Body:
hmm
copy and paste your homebrew into a google doc or something, create a blank homebrew, then resubmit it that way.
Best Spells: https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/2190706-applause, https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/2047204-big-ol-switcheroo, https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/2188701-cerwicks-copper-cables
Best Feats: https://www.dndbeyond.com/feats/1512461-soapbox-revised
Best Monsters: https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3775489-jar-jar-binks, https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/3860024-spare-ribs