Pact of the Cannon

The Pact of the Cannon Warlock forges a bond with an eldritch firearm, channeling their patron’s power into devastating ranged attacks. This magical firearm, known as the Eldritch Cannon, serves as both a weapon and a conduit for arcane energy. Unlike mundane gunslingers, Pact of the Cannon warlocks fire shots infused with eldritch power, capable of tearing through enemies with force, fire, or even explosive elemental effects. Whether wielding a finely crafted pistol or a massive rifle, these warlocks specialize in precise, tactical strikes that can reshape the battlefield.

Warlocks of this pact master a unique hybrid of ranged combat and arcane magic. Their eldritch blasts and invocations can ricochet between enemies, explode in devastating bursts, or control enemy movement. As they grow in power, they unlock new abilities, such as elemental cartridges that change the nature of their shots or area-of-effect spells that unleash destructive forces across the battlefield. These warlocks thrive on using their range and tactical superiority to dominate combat, with each shot carrying the potential to change the tide of battle.

The patron a Pact of the Cannon warlock serves plays a major role in shaping their powers. Vulkahn, the Lord of Invention and Destruction, favors chaos and explosive force, granting his warlocks the ability to craft unpredictable, high-damage shots. Galdera, the Goddess of Precision and Fate, offers a more calculated approach, guiding her warlocks to strike with perfect accuracy and fated precision. Forgefather Morgren, the god of black powder and thunder, imbues his warlocks’ cannons with thunderous energy, turning their shots into booming force that shakes the battlefield. Meanwhile, Zarek, the Trickster of Sparks and Misfires, blesses his followers with chaotic luck, allowing them to turn misfires into spectacular successes.

As a Pact of the Cannon warlock, you wield both destructive firepower and arcane might, making each shot more than just a bullet—it’s a burst of eldritch energy that can disorient, debilitate, or annihilate your enemies. Your role in combat is to control the battlefield from a distance, using your empowered shots to either deliver precise blows or unleash wide-reaching destruction. Whether it’s through careful planning or wild, unpredictable chaos, your eldritch firearm becomes an extension of your patron’s will.

Cannon Pact Spells

The magic of your patron ensures you always have certain spells ready; when you reach a Warlock level specified in the Pact of Cannon Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.

Pact of Cannon Spells

Warlock Level	Spells
3	Faerie Fire, Thunderwave, Mirror Image, Shatter
5	Lightning Bolt, Fireball
7	Greater Invisibility, Wall of Fire
9	Cone of Cold, Cloudkill

Pact Boon: Eldritch Cannon

When you take this pact, you forge a magical bond with a unique firearm, the Eldritch Cannon. This weapon is part gun, part conduit for your eldritch power. Choose a form for your Eldritch Cannon:

• Pistol: A light, one-handed firearm.
• Rifle: A two-handed firearm with increased range and damage.

You are proficient with the Eldritch Cannon. While wielding it, you can use your Charisma modifier for attack rolls and damage instead of Dexterity. This firearm acts as your pact weapon and can be summoned or dismissed like any other pact weapon.

Features:

• Eldritch Blast can be fired through the Cannon, adding 1d6 force damage if it hits.
• You can inscribe a Warlock invocation into your Eldritch Cannon, allowing you to apply that invocation’s effect when using the cannon (examples: Agonizing Blast increases the force damage, or Repelling Blast pushes enemies back).

Invocations of the Marksman

You can learn special invocations exclusive to the Pact of the Cannon at certain levels, empowering your firearm with eldritch magic.

Arcane Cartridge

You can imbue your Eldritch Cannon with a rotating elemental cartridge. When you hit a creature with your Eldritch Cannon, you can choose to change the damage type to fire, cold, lightning, etc.

Additionally, when you use Eldritch Blast, you can choose to fire it through your Eldritch Cannon. Doing so allows you to change the damage type to one of the three types above, adding 1d6 additional elemental damage on a hit.

Cannon of the Pact Keeper

Your Eldritch Cannon gains additional magical power through your pact. When wielding your Eldritch Cannon, you gain the following benefits:

• When you score a critical hit with your Eldritch Cannon, you regain a Warlock spell slot.
• If you have the Pact of the Talisman, you can inscribe your talisman into the Eldritch Cannon, allowing you to reroll one attack made with the Cannon once per short rest.
• If you have the Pact of the Blade, your Eldritch Cannon counts as a magical melee weapon when you make attacks with its barrel in close combat, allowing you to deal 1d8 bludgeoning damage.

Deadeye of the Hex

When you cast Hex on a creature, your Eldritch Cannon becomes more attuned to that enemy. Once per turn, when you hit a creature affected by Hex with your Eldritch Cannon, you deal an additional 1d8 necrotic damage.

Additionally, you can use your bonus action to cause one of the following effects against a creature you’ve hexed, but only once per short rest:

• Sharpshooter's Curse: For the next minute, your ranged attacks with the Eldritch Cannon have advantage against the target of your Hex.
• Cursed Scattershot: Your Eldritch Cannon fires a magical scattershot. The hexed target and up to 2 creatures within 10 feet of the target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or take 2d6 force damage.

Eldritch Munitions

You can create and magically imbue special ammunition for your Eldritch Cannon. You can choose one of the following effects to apply to a shot fired from your Cannon once per short rest:

• Blinding Shot: A target hit by your Eldritch Cannon must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or be blinded until the start of your next turn.
• Piercing Shot: Your shot passes through the target, hitting another enemy directly behind it (within 30 feet). The secondary target takes half the damage dealt to the primary target.
• Boomshot: When you hit with an attack, you can create a 10-foot-radius explosion centered on the target. All creatures in the radius must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 thunder damage.

Eldritch Ricochet

When you miss an attack with your Eldritch Cannon, the arcane bullet can ricochet and seek out new targets. You can reroll the attack against a different target within 30 feet of the original target. If the attack hits, it deals 1d6 force damage in addition to its normal damage.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once) per long rest.

Explosive Recoil

Your Eldritch Cannon builds up arcane energy with every shot. When you hit a creature with your Eldritch Cannon, you can release a wave of explosive force as a bonus action, dealing 2d6 force damage to all creatures within 10 feet of the target (including the original target). The target must also succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or be knocked prone.

Damage scales at 9th level and 12th level to 3d6 and 4d6.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Eldritch Overload

You’ve learned to supercharge your cannon with raw eldritch energy, empowering your attacks in dramatic fashion. When you score a critical hit with your Eldritch Cannon, the blast destabilizes the weave around you, triggering one of the following effects of your choice:

• Arcane Surge: You regain one expended Warlock spell slot.
• Overload: The next attack you make with your Eldritch Cannon deals additional radiant or necrotic damage equal to half your Warlock level.
• Shockwave: Your Eldritch Cannon unleashes a shockwave, causing all creatures within 15 feet of you to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, creatures take 4d8 force damage and are pushed back 10 feet.

Doomshot

Your mastery over eldritch firearm magic reaches its peak. Once per long rest, you can imbue your Eldritch Cannon with an overwhelming amount of eldritch energy. As an action, fire a Doomshot, an immense shot that alters the battlefield:

• Straight Line (100 feet): The bullet tears through reality, passing through everything in a straight line up to 100 feet, dealing 10d8 force damage to each creature in its path. Creatures must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, they take full damage and are knocked prone.
• Explosive Blast (30-foot radius): The shot explodes in a 30-foot radius at a point of your choosing within range (200 feet), dealing 8d6 fire damage and 4d6 force damage. All creatures must make a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.

In addition, when you use Doomshot, you regain half of your maximum hit points and gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.