The Occult

Pact of the Cursed Dagger

Warlocks who make a pact with the Occult wield a cursed dagger that harbors dark powers. This cursed blade is a conduit for spreading malign influence and raising the dead to fight for the warlock. The Occult warlocks are feared for their ability to turn fallen foes into undead minions and unleash a cascade of curses upon the battlefield.

Cursed Blade

At 1st level, you form a pact with a cursed dagger. This magical weapon deals 1d4 piercing damage and 1d4 necrotic damage. You can use this dagger as a spellcasting focus for your warlock spells.

As a bonus action, you can curse a creature you hit with this dagger. The curse lasts for 1 minute. If the cursed target dies while under this effect, it rises at the start of your next turn as a zombie under your control for 1 hour. This zombie obeys your verbal commands and acts on your initiative. You can only have one such zombie at a time; creating a new one causes the previous one to crumble to dust.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Malign Influence

Starting at 6th level, when a creature cursed by your Cursed Blade dies, the curse spreads to up to two creatures of your choice within 30 feet of the original target. These new targets must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be cursed for 1 minute. If a cursed target dies while under this effect, it also rises as a zombie under your control for 1 hour.

You can control up to three zombies at a time with this feature. If you create a new one beyond this limit, the oldest controlled zombie crumbles to dust.

Dread Convergence

At 10th level, your connection to the cursed dagger deepens. When you hit a creature with your Cursed Blade, you can use your reaction to invoke Dread Convergence. The target and each creature within 10 feet of it must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, creatures take necrotic damage equal to half your warlock level + your Charisma modifier and are cursed for 1 minute. On a successful save, they take half damage and are not cursed.

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

Cursed Army

At 14th level, your mastery over the cursed blade and undead reaches its peak. When a creature cursed by your Cursed Blade dies, it rises as a ghoul instead of a zombie. Ghouls created in this way remain under your control for 24 hours.

Additionally, you can now control up to 40 undead creatures at a time created through your Cursed Blade or Malign Influence features. If you create a new undead beyond this limit, the oldest controlled undead crumbles to dust.