Hello! I've been sitting on this Pact Boon for a while now, and I'm really glad to share it with the public! (Please don't steal any of this) I am looking forward to feedback!
Pact (Boon) of the Black Hand
Pact of the Black Hand
The Warlock opens their palm, showing the symbol of their malign patron - a single, blood red eye. As they do so, a black, spectral hand that seems to be made of dirt and grave debris manifests to the right of the Warlock. The black hand then slowly hovers towards the cowering victim in the corner of the room, as its orders were clear - leave no witnesses. The black hand shows no mercy as it crushes the body, and then flings the corpse out of the way of its master, the Warlock never breaking in their stride.
When you choose this Pact Boon, you gain the ability to summon a spectral hand as a Bonus Action, taking a form appropriate for your Patron. You can move your Black Hand up to 30 feet as a Bonus Action on your turn. However, if you end your turn while your Black Hand is more than 60 feet away from you, it desummons, requiring you to spend a Bonus Action on your next turn to manifest it once more. While your Black Hand is summoned, you can spend Charges to make the Black Hand perform certain maneuvers, as shown below. (Unless otherwise stated, initiating these Maneuvers is an Action)
(2) Crush: The Black Hand tenses, gripping ever tighter on the poor victim in its grasp. Make a Melee Spell Attack roll against a creature or object grappled by the Black Hand. On a hit, they take Xd6 Bludgeoning damage, where X equals your Proficiency Bonus.
(1) Grab: The Black Hand reaches out towards your intended target, fingers grasping towards its quarry. Your Make a Melee Spell Attack against a creature or object within 30 feet of you. If it is a creature, instead of it’s AC being the target you need to beat, they roll a Strength (Athletics) check against the number rolled. If the Melee Spell Attack roll equals or beats the Strength (Athletics) check rolled, that creature is Grappled, and you cannot use your Black Hand to perform any other maneuvers against creatures or objects other than the one currently Grappled. You may release your Black Hand’s Grapple as a Bonus Action.
(2) Fling: The Black Hand rears backwards, before tossing the broken victim that was previously in its grasp away from its emotionless visage. A creature or object grappled by the Black Hand must make a Strength saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a failed save, they are flung up to 60 feet in a direction of your choice. Upon hitting or landing on a surface, they take 1d6 Bludgeoning damage per 10 feet flung. Upon resolving the effects of this Maneuver, the flung creature or object is no longer Grappled.
You have a number of Charges equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all Charges after a Short or Long Rest.
Black Hand Invocations
Martial Hand
Your Black Hand clenches, granting you the ability to slam lesser beings into oblivion.
You gain a new Maneuver that your Black Hand can perform, as shown below.
(1) Slam: The Black Hand visibly clenches, the victim having only seconds to register their impending demise as they are smashed into a bloody pulp. Choose a creature or object within 5 feet of your Black Hand. Make a Melee Spell Attack Roll, and on a hit, they take Xd4 Bludgeoning damage, where X equals your Proficiency Bonus.
Regenerative Hand
Your Black Hand convulses after you cast your spell - seemingly absorbing the latent magical energy that was cast off the spell.
Whenever you expend a Spell Slot, your Black Hand regains 1 Charge. Your Black Hand cannot have more Charges at one point in time than your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).
Resilient Hand
Upon the summoning of your Black Hand, your Patron imbues it with a small portion of it’s essence, greatly enhancing it.
When you summon your Black Hand, you may gain an additional number of temporary Charges equal to your Proficiency Bonus. These last until your Black Hand is dismissed. You may use this Invocation once, regaining all uses upon a Long Rest.
Rending Hand
After you complete the occult ritual to enhance your Black Hand, you perform the familiar hand gestures to summon your Black Hand. However, after it manifests, its appearance has been altered and warped. Its fingers are more akin to chitinous talons of some dark entity than a hand.
When your Black Hand deals Bludgeoning damage, it instead deals Slashing. In addition, when a creature or object begins it’s turn while Grappled by the Black Hand, it takes a number of Slashing damage equal to twice your Charisma modifier (minimum of 2).
Draconic Claws
Inspired by the might of the species called Dragons, you study how to enhance it with the same awe - inspiring elemental power.
Whenever your Black Hand deals damage, you may deal an additional amount of Fire, Cold, Lightning, Poison, or Acid damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).
Great Wyrm’s Claws
Prerequisites: Draconic Claws, 7th level
After you have altered your Black Hand into a more elemental form, you wonder if it is time to enhance it further in the realms of the elements.
When you use the Draconic Claws Invocation, you may add Thunder, Psychic, Radiant, and Necrotic damage to the options. In addition, You gain a new Maneuver that your Black Hand can perform, as shown below.
Drake’s Breath: The Black Hand rears back, showing it’s palm. Moments later, a wave of destructive flame bursts from it, raining death and destruction far and wide. All creatures within a 30 foot Cone must make a Dexterity saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a failed save, they take a Xd8 Fire, Cold, Lightning, Poison, Acid, Thunder, Psychic, Radiant, or Necrotic damage, where X equals your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).
Fiend’s Own Hand
Prerequisites: Fiend Patron
As your Black Hand drops the limp body that was previously in its grasp, the body suddenly explodes, immolating the enemies surrounding your Black Hand as it emerges from the conflagration unharmed.
When your Black Hand reduces a Humanoid to 0 HP, you can choose for the Humanoid to explode. The Humanoid then dies, and all creatures within a 15 foot sphere centered on the body must make a Dexterity Saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a failure, they take 1d6 Fire damage per size the Humanoid had (1d6 for Tiny, 2d6 for Small, and 3d6 for Medium).
Malign Burst
Prerequisites: Fiend Patron, Fiend’s Own Hand
You decide to enhance the destructive force of your Black Hand, making much more devastating bursts of flame upon the deaths of your enemies.
Your Fiend’s Own Hand Invocation triggers when you reduce any creature to 0 HP, instead of just Humanoids.
Frolicking Fist
Prerequisites: Archfey Patron
Your Black Hand has been gifted a small portion of your Patron’s Swiftness, allowing it to practically dance across the battlefield.
The amount of feet you can move your Black Hand as a Bonus Action increases by 30 feet.
Beguiling Grapple
Prerequisites: Archfey Patron
Those held in the clutches of your Black Hand feel a vague sense of comfort, as if being embraced by their mother. Little do they know is that the false sense of security they are feeling is because your fickle Patron has influenced their mind, and that they are seconds away from death.
A creature that is successfully Grappled by your Black Hand becomes Charmed as well, lasting until either the Grapple ends or they take damage.
All Seeing Hand
Prerequisites: Great Old One Patron
Your Patron begins to take notice of your achievements, granting your Black Hand the same ability to see the truth often not seen. However, this takes a great toll on your psyche, as a mere mortal’s mind is not fit to command such great power.
Your Black Hand no longer has Disadvantage on attacking a creature that you cannot see. In addition, as an Action while your Black Hand is summoned, you may expend a Charge to gain 20 feet of Truesight, lasting until the end of your next turn. However, you take Xd4 Psychic damage, where X equals your Proficiency Bonus.
Old One’s Tentacle
Prerequisites: Great Old One Patron, 7th level
Your Patron, when you summon your Black Hand, reaches it’s own tentacle out instead, granting you it’s services.
When you summon your Black Hand, you can instead manifest an Eldritch Tentacle, which is statistically the same as your Black hand, with the following alterations.
It deals Psychic Damage, instead of Bludgeoning.
It is rooted to the space you summoned it into, making it desummon if it leaves 60 feet from that space, instead of you.
When a creature that is Grappled by it starts its turn, it takes a number of Psychic damage equal to twice your Charisma modifier (minimum of 2).
You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all uses upon a Long Rest.
Divine Lance
Prerequisites: Celestial Patron, 11th level
When you summon your Black Hand, you instead manifest a divine spear made of pure, holy radiance - quickly plunging down with such speed it is hard to follow its movements. In a moment, all the Demons are dead on the ground, dissolving into puddles of black ichor.
When you manifest your Black Hand, you may instead summon a Divine Lance, which is statistically the same as your Black hand, with the following alterations.
You can move it 60 feet as a Bonus Action, instead of 30.
It desummons after being moved 240 feet away from you, instead of 60.
It cannot use the Grab, Fling, or Crush Maneuvers.
It can use the Impale and Divine Thrust Maneuvers, as shown below.
(1) Impale: The Divine Lance flies forward with extreme speed, becoming almost impossible to track its movements before it finds its place in the chest of its victim. Make a Ranged Spell Attack against a target within 60 feet. On a hit, they take Xd8 Piercing damage, where X equals how far the target is from the original location of your Divine Lance, divided into increments of 10 (ex. Target is 30 feet away from the Divine Lance, and the Divine Lance hits. The target takes 3d8 Piercing damage.). After you resolve the damage, the Divine Lance teleports to a location within 5 feet of the target.
(2) Divine Thrust: The Divine Lance elongates into a titanic beam of radiant energy, reducing all in its wake to naught but dust. All creatures in a 5 foot wide and 60 foot long Line must make a Constitution saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a failed save, they take Xd12 Radiant damage, or half on a success. In this Maneuver, X equals your Proficiency Bonus.
Angelic Shield
Prerequisites: Celestial Patron
You manifest a shield made of radiance - though it appears to be made of transparent force, it is as strong, or stronger than one of the best mastercrafted dwarven plate mail.
When you summon your Black Hand, it takes the shape of a transparent shield, You gain a new Maneuver that your Black Hand can perform, as shown below.
(2, Reaction (when you are hit by an attack roll)) Block: The Black Hand quickly interposes itself between a potentially killing blow, completely nullifying it. Roll Xd4, and minus that amount from the damage you took from the triggering attack. X equals your Proficiency Bonus.
Necropolis Claw
Prerequisites: Undying Patron
Your Black Hand manifests as a skeletal, groping hand from something akin to a lich. Those wounded by its attacks quickly note that healing magic seems to have much less effect, if none at all.
When a creature that is not a Construct or Undead takes damage from your Black Hand, they half all healing from spells that apply to them until the end of their next turn.
Death’s Embrace
Prerequisites: Undying Patron, 11th level
Your Black Hand drops the limp body previously in its grasp. A shadowy spirit rises from the corpse, but before it can go to its respective plane of existence, your Black Hand, with lightning speed, grips it once again, burning the symbol of your Patron into its ethereal flesh. Your Black Hand lets go once more, and you have a deathless servant, bound to your will by your Patron.
When your Black Hand kills a Humanoid, its spirit rises as a Shadow under your control. You can only have a number of Shadows under your control at one point in time equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). If you create another Shadow, over this limit, one of your existing Shadows break free from your control, and attack you.
Wielding Hand
Prerequisites: Hexblade Patron, 7th level
Your Black Hand hovers over to a nearby tree - it suddenly rips the tree out of the ground, and takes a position as if to wield it like some kind of club.
You learn a new Maneuver, as shown below.
(2) Smash: The Black Hand rears back with its weapon - namely, the statue of a forgotten hero of the town which the Black Hand was about to crush. Make a Melee Spell Attack with an object that your Black Hand is grappling against a target within range. On a hit, they take a number of Bludgeoning damage determined by the size of the object, as shown below.
Table #1: Objects
Size
Range + Damage
Tiny
5 feet, 1d4
Small
5 feet, 2d4
Medium
5 feet, 3d6
Large
10 feet, 4d6
Huge
15 feet, 5d8
Gargantuan
20 feet, 6d8
Armament Hand
Prerequisites: Hexblade Patron
When you decree your Hexblade’s Curse upon your target, your Black Hand morphs and changes into your weapon of choice, before your Patron calls out to you to finish off your chosen quarry.
When you activate your Hexblade’s Curse, your Black Hand changes, becoming something more akin to a floating, ethereal weapon than a hand. Your Black Hand is altered in the following ways.
Your Black Hand cannot use the Crush, Grab, or Fling Maneuvers.
Your Black Hand gains the following Maneuver, as shown below.
(1) Weapon: As the Black Hand wobbles eagerly, akin to water flowing into a container. Soon, the Black Hand is an ethereal Greatsword, as hard as any steel, ready to cut deep into the enemy. Make a Melee Spell Attack roll against a target within 10 feet. On a hit, they take a number of Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing damage equal to your Warlock level.
Hand of Fate
Prerequisites: 20th level
Your Patron shows you the truth - that reality is an illusion, a game of chance. You use your Black Hand now, with this knowledge, to much greater effect.
Your Black Hands Charges double. In addition, whenever your Black Hand deals damage, you may expend a Spell Slot to double the damage.
Minor Arcane Hand
Your Patron teaches you that there are more ways than one to harness it’s power into the forms of hands.
You learn the Mage Hand cantrip.
Major Arcane Hand
Prerequisites: 9th level, Minor Arcane Hand
Your Patron teaches you that there are more ways than one to harness it’s power into the forms of hands.
You can cast Bigby’s Hand as a 5th level spell, without expending a Spell Slot. You may use this Invocation once, regaining this use upon a long rest.
Hello! I've been sitting on this Pact Boon for a while now, and I'm really glad to share it with the public! (Please don't steal any of this) I am looking forward to feedback!
Pact (Boon) of the Black Hand
Pact of the Black Hand
The Warlock opens their palm, showing the symbol of their malign patron - a single, blood red eye. As they do so, a black, spectral hand that seems to be made of dirt and grave debris manifests to the right of the Warlock. The black hand then slowly hovers towards the cowering victim in the corner of the room, as its orders were clear - leave no witnesses. The black hand shows no mercy as it crushes the body, and then flings the corpse out of the way of its master, the Warlock never breaking in their stride.
When you choose this Pact Boon, you gain the ability to summon a spectral hand as a Bonus Action, taking a form appropriate for your Patron. You can move your Black Hand up to 30 feet as a Bonus Action on your turn. However, if you end your turn while your Black Hand is more than 60 feet away from you, it desummons, requiring you to spend a Bonus Action on your next turn to manifest it once more. While your Black Hand is summoned, you can spend Charges to make the Black Hand perform certain maneuvers, as shown below. (Unless otherwise stated, initiating these Maneuvers is an Action)
You have a number of Charges equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all Charges after a Short or Long Rest.
Black Hand Invocations
Martial Hand
Your Black Hand clenches, granting you the ability to slam lesser beings into oblivion.
You gain a new Maneuver that your Black Hand can perform, as shown below.
Regenerative Hand
Your Black Hand convulses after you cast your spell - seemingly absorbing the latent magical energy that was cast off the spell.
Whenever you expend a Spell Slot, your Black Hand regains 1 Charge. Your Black Hand cannot have more Charges at one point in time than your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).
Resilient Hand
Upon the summoning of your Black Hand, your Patron imbues it with a small portion of it’s essence, greatly enhancing it.
When you summon your Black Hand, you may gain an additional number of temporary Charges equal to your Proficiency Bonus. These last until your Black Hand is dismissed. You may use this Invocation once, regaining all uses upon a Long Rest.
Rending Hand
After you complete the occult ritual to enhance your Black Hand, you perform the familiar hand gestures to summon your Black Hand. However, after it manifests, its appearance has been altered and warped. Its fingers are more akin to chitinous talons of some dark entity than a hand.
When your Black Hand deals Bludgeoning damage, it instead deals Slashing. In addition, when a creature or object begins it’s turn while Grappled by the Black Hand, it takes a number of Slashing damage equal to twice your Charisma modifier (minimum of 2).
Draconic Claws
Inspired by the might of the species called Dragons, you study how to enhance it with the same awe - inspiring elemental power.
Whenever your Black Hand deals damage, you may deal an additional amount of Fire, Cold, Lightning, Poison, or Acid damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).
Great Wyrm’s Claws
Prerequisites: Draconic Claws, 7th level
After you have altered your Black Hand into a more elemental form, you wonder if it is time to enhance it further in the realms of the elements.
When you use the Draconic Claws Invocation, you may add Thunder, Psychic, Radiant, and Necrotic damage to the options. In addition, You gain a new Maneuver that your Black Hand can perform, as shown below.
Fiend’s Own Hand
Prerequisites: Fiend Patron
As your Black Hand drops the limp body that was previously in its grasp, the body suddenly explodes, immolating the enemies surrounding your Black Hand as it emerges from the conflagration unharmed.
When your Black Hand reduces a Humanoid to 0 HP, you can choose for the Humanoid to explode. The Humanoid then dies, and all creatures within a 15 foot sphere centered on the body must make a Dexterity Saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a failure, they take 1d6 Fire damage per size the Humanoid had (1d6 for Tiny, 2d6 for Small, and 3d6 for Medium).
Malign Burst
Prerequisites: Fiend Patron, Fiend’s Own Hand
You decide to enhance the destructive force of your Black Hand, making much more devastating bursts of flame upon the deaths of your enemies.
Your Fiend’s Own Hand Invocation triggers when you reduce any creature to 0 HP, instead of just Humanoids.
Frolicking Fist
Prerequisites: Archfey Patron
Your Black Hand has been gifted a small portion of your Patron’s Swiftness, allowing it to practically dance across the battlefield.
The amount of feet you can move your Black Hand as a Bonus Action increases by 30 feet.
Beguiling Grapple
Prerequisites: Archfey Patron
Those held in the clutches of your Black Hand feel a vague sense of comfort, as if being embraced by their mother. Little do they know is that the false sense of security they are feeling is because your fickle Patron has influenced their mind, and that they are seconds away from death.
A creature that is successfully Grappled by your Black Hand becomes Charmed as well, lasting until either the Grapple ends or they take damage.
All Seeing Hand
Prerequisites: Great Old One Patron
Your Patron begins to take notice of your achievements, granting your Black Hand the same ability to see the truth often not seen. However, this takes a great toll on your psyche, as a mere mortal’s mind is not fit to command such great power.
Your Black Hand no longer has Disadvantage on attacking a creature that you cannot see. In addition, as an Action while your Black Hand is summoned, you may expend a Charge to gain 20 feet of Truesight, lasting until the end of your next turn. However, you take Xd4 Psychic damage, where X equals your Proficiency Bonus.
Old One’s Tentacle
Prerequisites: Great Old One Patron, 7th level
Your Patron, when you summon your Black Hand, reaches it’s own tentacle out instead, granting you it’s services.
When you summon your Black Hand, you can instead manifest an Eldritch Tentacle, which is statistically the same as your Black hand, with the following alterations.
You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all uses upon a Long Rest.
Divine Lance
Prerequisites: Celestial Patron, 11th level
When you summon your Black Hand, you instead manifest a divine spear made of pure, holy radiance - quickly plunging down with such speed it is hard to follow its movements. In a moment, all the Demons are dead on the ground, dissolving into puddles of black ichor.
When you manifest your Black Hand, you may instead summon a Divine Lance, which is statistically the same as your Black hand, with the following alterations.
Angelic Shield
Prerequisites: Celestial Patron
You manifest a shield made of radiance - though it appears to be made of transparent force, it is as strong, or stronger than one of the best mastercrafted dwarven plate mail.
When you summon your Black Hand, it takes the shape of a transparent shield, You gain a new Maneuver that your Black Hand can perform, as shown below.
Necropolis Claw
Prerequisites: Undying Patron
Your Black Hand manifests as a skeletal, groping hand from something akin to a lich. Those wounded by its attacks quickly note that healing magic seems to have much less effect, if none at all.
When a creature that is not a Construct or Undead takes damage from your Black Hand, they half all healing from spells that apply to them until the end of their next turn.
Death’s Embrace
Prerequisites: Undying Patron, 11th level
Your Black Hand drops the limp body previously in its grasp. A shadowy spirit rises from the corpse, but before it can go to its respective plane of existence, your Black Hand, with lightning speed, grips it once again, burning the symbol of your Patron into its ethereal flesh. Your Black Hand lets go once more, and you have a deathless servant, bound to your will by your Patron.
When your Black Hand kills a Humanoid, its spirit rises as a Shadow under your control. You can only have a number of Shadows under your control at one point in time equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). If you create another Shadow, over this limit, one of your existing Shadows break free from your control, and attack you.
Wielding Hand
Prerequisites: Hexblade Patron, 7th level
Your Black Hand hovers over to a nearby tree - it suddenly rips the tree out of the ground, and takes a position as if to wield it like some kind of club.
You learn a new Maneuver, as shown below.
Size
Range + Damage
Tiny
5 feet, 1d4
Small
5 feet, 2d4
Medium
5 feet, 3d6
Large
10 feet, 4d6
Huge
15 feet, 5d8
Gargantuan
20 feet, 6d8
Armament Hand
Prerequisites: Hexblade Patron
When you decree your Hexblade’s Curse upon your target, your Black Hand morphs and changes into your weapon of choice, before your Patron calls out to you to finish off your chosen quarry.
When you activate your Hexblade’s Curse, your Black Hand changes, becoming something more akin to a floating, ethereal weapon than a hand. Your Black Hand is altered in the following ways.
Hand of Fate
Prerequisites: 20th level
Your Patron shows you the truth - that reality is an illusion, a game of chance. You use your Black Hand now, with this knowledge, to much greater effect.
Your Black Hands Charges double. In addition, whenever your Black Hand deals damage, you may expend a Spell Slot to double the damage.
Minor Arcane Hand
Your Patron teaches you that there are more ways than one to harness it’s power into the forms of hands.
You learn the Mage Hand cantrip.
Major Arcane Hand
Prerequisites: 9th level, Minor Arcane Hand
Your Patron teaches you that there are more ways than one to harness it’s power into the forms of hands.
You can cast Bigby’s Hand as a 5th level spell, without expending a Spell Slot. You may use this Invocation once, regaining this use upon a long rest.
If anyone has suggestions or feedback for The Pact of the Black Hand, I would appreciate it.