The following is a quick idea I had for a patron for Sorcerers and Warlocks, I decided on Shadow Sorcerers and Hexblade Warlocks due to their ability to summon shadow creatures and general thematic feel. The Hungry Village idea is based on the Critical Role / Call of Cthulhu game aired in July 2019, it may or may not be related to the great old one known as Hadar the Dark Hunger. I was thinking of it in terms of NPC cult but could be interesting to play it as a patron for a PC. As always, thoughts, comments, questions and feedback welcome
The Hungry Village
The Hungry Village is the name given to a shadowy Demiplane that exists as a nexus point between the Far Realm, the Shadowfell, the Abyss and the Negative Plane. To view or visit the Demiplane directly is to go instantly insane from uncontrollable hunger, to view it indirectly is to see a multitude of emaciated shadowy creatures with ravenous looking eyes and fang filled maws that dwell in a seemingly never ending slum or shanty town that is shrouded in a gloomy fog, to merely know of the plane results in hunger cravings, to align oneself to it and serve it can result in great power. The Hungry Village is a dominating but subtle patron that controls through hunger pangs and the base need to feed to stay alive. The Hungry Village is both one entity and a legion of hungry shadows, it is forever hungry for the life force of living creatures and fearful of light.
To forge a pact with the Hungry Village a creature must starve themselves to the point of death in a ritual that takes 7 continuous days to perform (exact details up to individual DM and player), as exhaustion takes them the darkness closes in and the shadows creep from the darkness to claim the creatures soul. From that point on their blood becomes infused with darkness and they become either a Sorcerer (Shadow only) or a Warlock (Hexblade only) and is forever filled with a craving for food and they start to gorge themselves on any food they can find, food being defined in the loosest terms. As their strength returns the hunger subsides and the powers of the pact come to life. As a bound creature loses hit points it becomes more ravenous. Because of this ritual it is not possible to accidentally become a servant of the Hungry Village.
Terms of the Pact:
The Sorcerer/Warlock may never cast any spell or use any item or ability that produces light or that deals radiant damage, this includes using mundane torches and spells such as Light and Dancing Lights. (DM optional rule: When within the area of a spell that creates light the Sorcerer/Warlock must make a wisdom saving throw or be frightened of the light source for 1 minute, the warlock can make a further saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on a successful save. The DC for the saving throw is DC10 for Cantrips, DC10+ the level of the spell for other spells).
The Sorcerer/Warlock must use spells that deal Necrotic Damage in preference to other damage types whenever possible and must take Chill Touch as one of their starting cantrips. Necrotic energy steals the life force from those it touches and feeds the Hungry Village. (DM optional rule: Sorcerers/Warlocks with this patron may gain the sustenance from using a spell to deal necrotic damage, dealing 10 points of necrotic damage is the same as eating a large meal for them).
The Sorcerer/Warlock must always eat when food is offered to them. (DM optional rule: You can allow a DC10 Wisdom Saving Throw to resist eating food when it is offered to them)
Affinity for Darkness:
The Patron Spells bestowed by the Hungry Village replace those of the Hexblade and are added to the Sorcerer and Warlock spell lists.
Patron Spells:
Level 1: Arms of Hadar, Hex
Level 2: Darkness, Ray of Enfeeblement
Level 3: Hunger of Hadar, Vampiric Touch
Level 4: Blight, Shadow of Moil
Level 5: Enervation, Negative Energy Flood
These spells are added to the Sorcerer/Warlock lists and reflect spells that must be chosen in preference to other spells and once learned cannot be voluntarily unlearned or changed. Should a Sorcerer in service to the Hungry Village multiclass to Warlock or vice versa, they only need to learn each spell once.
DM optional rule: Dying whilst in service to the Hungry Village:
If a Sorcerer or Warlock dies whilst in service to the Hungry Village the material component for any spell to restore them to life is replaced by an equal amount of food (again define din the loosest terms), for example Revivify would require 300gp of food instead of diamond, Raise Dead would require 1000gp of food instead of diamond. When such a spell is attempted inky tendrils seep out of all available shadows to touch the food causing it to decay to mold and then nothingness before the tendrils seep into the body and reanimate it. (DM optional rule to the optional rule: Should a normal attempt be made to bring the Sorcerer/Warlock back to life using diamonds then a number of shadows appear to attack anyone present at the casting and try to steal their life force, the number of shadows that appear equals twice the level of the spell being cast, so 6 for a revivify, 10 for a raise dead etc and for every 3 Shadows that appear in this fashion, 1 spectre is also summoned).
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The following is a quick idea I had for a patron for Sorcerers and Warlocks, I decided on Shadow Sorcerers and Hexblade Warlocks due to their ability to summon shadow creatures and general thematic feel. The Hungry Village idea is based on the Critical Role / Call of Cthulhu game aired in July 2019, it may or may not be related to the great old one known as Hadar the Dark Hunger. I was thinking of it in terms of NPC cult but could be interesting to play it as a patron for a PC. As always, thoughts, comments, questions and feedback welcome
The Hungry Village
The Hungry Village is the name given to a shadowy Demiplane that exists as a nexus point between the Far Realm, the Shadowfell, the Abyss and the Negative Plane. To view or visit the Demiplane directly is to go instantly insane from uncontrollable hunger, to view it indirectly is to see a multitude of emaciated shadowy creatures with ravenous looking eyes and fang filled maws that dwell in a seemingly never ending slum or shanty town that is shrouded in a gloomy fog, to merely know of the plane results in hunger cravings, to align oneself to it and serve it can result in great power. The Hungry Village is a dominating but subtle patron that controls through hunger pangs and the base need to feed to stay alive. The Hungry Village is both one entity and a legion of hungry shadows, it is forever hungry for the life force of living creatures and fearful of light.
To forge a pact with the Hungry Village a creature must starve themselves to the point of death in a ritual that takes 7 continuous days to perform (exact details up to individual DM and player), as exhaustion takes them the darkness closes in and the shadows creep from the darkness to claim the creatures soul. From that point on their blood becomes infused with darkness and they become either a Sorcerer (Shadow only) or a Warlock (Hexblade only) and is forever filled with a craving for food and they start to gorge themselves on any food they can find, food being defined in the loosest terms. As their strength returns the hunger subsides and the powers of the pact come to life. As a bound creature loses hit points it becomes more ravenous. Because of this ritual it is not possible to accidentally become a servant of the Hungry Village.
Terms of the Pact:
The Sorcerer/Warlock may never cast any spell or use any item or ability that produces light or that deals radiant damage, this includes using mundane torches and spells such as Light and Dancing Lights. (DM optional rule: When within the area of a spell that creates light the Sorcerer/Warlock must make a wisdom saving throw or be frightened of the light source for 1 minute, the warlock can make a further saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on a successful save. The DC for the saving throw is DC10 for Cantrips, DC10+ the level of the spell for other spells).
The Sorcerer/Warlock must use spells that deal Necrotic Damage in preference to other damage types whenever possible and must take Chill Touch as one of their starting cantrips. Necrotic energy steals the life force from those it touches and feeds the Hungry Village. (DM optional rule: Sorcerers/Warlocks with this patron may gain the sustenance from using a spell to deal necrotic damage, dealing 10 points of necrotic damage is the same as eating a large meal for them).
The Sorcerer/Warlock must always eat when food is offered to them. (DM optional rule: You can allow a DC10 Wisdom Saving Throw to resist eating food when it is offered to them)
Affinity for Darkness:
The Patron Spells bestowed by the Hungry Village replace those of the Hexblade and are added to the Sorcerer and Warlock spell lists.
Patron Spells:
Level 1: Arms of Hadar, Hex
Level 2: Darkness, Ray of Enfeeblement
Level 3: Hunger of Hadar, Vampiric Touch
Level 4: Blight, Shadow of Moil
Level 5: Enervation, Negative Energy Flood
These spells are added to the Sorcerer/Warlock lists and reflect spells that must be chosen in preference to other spells and once learned cannot be voluntarily unlearned or changed. Should a Sorcerer in service to the Hungry Village multiclass to Warlock or vice versa, they only need to learn each spell once.
DM optional rule: Dying whilst in service to the Hungry Village:
If a Sorcerer or Warlock dies whilst in service to the Hungry Village the material component for any spell to restore them to life is replaced by an equal amount of food (again define din the loosest terms), for example Revivify would require 300gp of food instead of diamond, Raise Dead would require 1000gp of food instead of diamond. When such a spell is attempted inky tendrils seep out of all available shadows to touch the food causing it to decay to mold and then nothingness before the tendrils seep into the body and reanimate it. (DM optional rule to the optional rule: Should a normal attempt be made to bring the Sorcerer/Warlock back to life using diamonds then a number of shadows appear to attack anyone present at the casting and try to steal their life force, the number of shadows that appear equals twice the level of the spell being cast, so 6 for a revivify, 10 for a raise dead etc and for every 3 Shadows that appear in this fashion, 1 spectre is also summoned).