The Maw

This subclass is made for the Into The Maw campaign, a dungeon dive story into the heart of a newly discovered island known as Sleeping Queen Island. Many an adventurer has attempted to travel into the impossible chasm of this island, The Maw. The Maw is so named because it draws adventurers in, and then imposes a physical and mental toll to leave, thus causing many explorers to be “devoured” by the landscape itself. This phenomenon is known as the Burden, and all adventurers must be willing to bear its consequences in order to enter the Maw. As much as these strange powers might be the death of you, they could also let you survive another day—if you play your cards right.

Your patron is The Maw itself, the impossible tear in the planes that stretches beneath Sleeping Queen Island. The Maw's intentions and motivations are unknown, even to you. You are unsure if The Maw is even aware of your existence, but you can feel the ever-present embrace of the Burden and hear The Maw's whispers through its subterranean tunnels. Whether The Maw consciously reached out to you, or you traversed its rings for long enough and came to understand its rumblings, what you have learned allows you to use uncanny magics. As you traverse deeper into The Maw, the bond with your patron will strengthen, as will your Warlock abilities; however, you also put yourself at risk of losing yourself--mind, body, and soul--to the immense power that lies below.

Expanded Spell List

The Maw lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.

Maw Expanded Spells

Spell Level	Spells
1st	bane, magnify gravity
2nd	enhance ability*, wither and bloom
3rd	bestow curse*, revivify
4th	confusion, [spell[gravity sinkhole[/spell]
5th	contagion*, hallow

 * For the duration of the spell, the target takes on a mutation that matches the spell's effects.

Lighten the Load

Starting at 1st level, you gain some influence over the Burden and can ease its effects. Once per short or long rest, you may grant Advantage to yourself or an ally to roll with Advantage when when resisting the Burden. In rings that call for both Constitution and Wisdom saves, both rolls can be made with Advantage.

Maw to Mind

Starting at 1st level, you have a special connection with The Maw; the closer you get to the bottom, the stronger this connection becomes. Whenever you make an Intelligence (Nature) check regarding the terrain, flora, or creatures of the Maw, take the number of the Ring that you are currently in and add it to your roll.

Sacrificial Transference

Starting at the 6th level, you may transfer effects of the Burden from one creature to another. When a creature falls victim to the Burden's effects, you have 10 minutes to pass the Burden from that creature onto a sacrifice. The sacrifice may be any living creature (no constructs or undead) within 30 ft of both you and the Burden's victim.

If the sacrifice is unwilling, it must make a Constitution and/or Wisdom saving throw, depending on what the Burden's victim is currently suffering from. If the sacrifice succeeds the saving throw, it is unharmed, and the Burden's victim must bear its weight; if the sacrifice fails, it takes on the Burden, and the original victim is freed.

You may use this feature once per short or long rest.

Inescapable Corruption

Starting at 10th level, you become a beacon for the Burden. When a creature moves more than 20 ft away from you on their turn, you can choose to make them make a CON save against your spell DC as a reaction. If they fail, roll a d6 to determine the outcome.

1. The creature is overcome with excruciating pain. The creature's remaining hit points are reduced by half.
2. The creature is Poisoned. They have disadvantage on Attack rolls and Ability checks.
3. The creature is pulled to the ground by an unseen force, rendering them Prone. They cannot stand back up unless they succeed in a CON save at the end of their turn.
4. The creature is overtaken by severe vertigo. They have disadvantage on Attack rolls, DEX skill checks and saving throws, and can no longer perform spells with a Verbal component due to nausea.
5. The creature experiences difficulty breathing. Their speed is halved, they take a penalty of -2 to AC, and they cannot use reactions.
6. The creature recognizes you for what you are, or what you're becoming. They are Frightened of you. The creature has disadvantage on Ability Checks and Attack rolls while within your Line of Sight, and they cannot willingly move closer to you.

With the exception of no. 1, the creature may roll another CON save at the end of their turn(s) to end the effects. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your CHA modifier per day.

Feed

You are now close enough with your patron to call upon it to devour your foes. Starting at the 14th level, when you hit a creature with an attack, you can call upon the ground below to swallow the creature. The creature is pulled underground to lower rings of The Maw.

At the end of your next turn, the creature returns to the space it previously occupied, or the nearest unoccupied space. The creature takes 8d10 damage and takes a major Mutation from the Mutation table.

In addition, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Warlock level + the number of the Ring you are currently in.

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