The Reforged Serpent

Patron Edicts & Forbidden Knowledge

Edicts of the Reforged Serpent

The Serpent’s pact is not a simple transaction—it is a sacred bond between a creature once manipulated, imprisoned, and reborn. In exchange for power, it demands that its warlocks respect the autonomy of others, especially those of sentient minds. Violating these tenets risks the Serpent’s wrath or withdrawal of its blessings.

Tenets of the Pact:

• Do not bind, dominate, or enslave the will of another sentient creature. Mind control, magical coercion, or slavery is considered a violation of the Serpent’s pain and legacy.

• Do not create constructs, clones, or simulacra that mimic sentience. Such acts echo the Solarii Ascendants’ crimes and are taboo.

• Always break chains where you find them. The Reforged Serpent values freedom—physical and spiritual. Its warlocks are expected to aid the oppressed and destroy institutions built on domination.

Consequences of Breaking an Edict:
At DM discretion, breaking a tenet may result in:

• Temporary loss of patron features (e.g., your patron spells become inaccessible until penance is done).

• Nightmares or visions of the Serpent's rage, leading to exhaustion or debuffs.

• Forced wild surges or magical misfires until redemption is achieved.

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Forbidden Knowledge (Subclass Feature – Level 1)

Awakened Resonance
Your connection to the Reforged Serpent sensitizes you to the divine and arcane resonance of the world. You instinctively feel the hum of celestial power and the thrum of arcane machinery. As a result:

• You gain proficiency in Arcana and Religion. If you are already proficient, your proficiency bonus is doubled for checks involving magical artifacts, divine relics, or celestial phenomena.

• You can cast detect magic without expending a spell slot once per long rest. When you use this feature, you learn if any detected magic bears a divine signature (as opposed to arcane, primal, or psionic), and you can sense the "resonance strength" (e.g., faint, moderate, overpowering).

• At DM discretion, you may also receive brief sensory flashes or emotional echoes when touching relics or witnessing divine magic—especially anything created using a Divine Core or related to the Solarii Ascendants.

This feature establishes that Reforged Serpent warlocks are tuned to the mythic forces of Exalia, sensing the scars left behind by divine conflict and technological hubris.

 

Expanded Spell List

The Reforged Serpent 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.

Reforged Serpent Expanded Spells

Spell Level	Spells
1st	bless, earth tremor
2nd	lesser restoration, Serpent's Grasp
3rd	Echoes of the Serpent, erupting earth
4th	Guardian Serpent's Avatar, stoneskin
5th	flame strike, wall of stone

Bonus Cantrips

At 1st level, you learn the Serpent's Fang and sacred flame cantrips. They count as warlock cantrips for you, but they don’t count against your number of cantrips known.

Echo of the Reforged

You carry the emotional resonance of your Patron within you—both burden and blessing. The divine essence that fuels your power pulses in harmony with your own soul, granting you resilience and emotional strength—but also tying you to the patron's ancient memories. 

This ability emphasizes the empathic link between you and your patron, and it gives both flavor and function to the "connection" forged through divine pain and perseverance.

Resonant Empowerment

When you finish a long rest, choose one of the following effects to last until your next long rest:

• Serpent’s Vitality: You gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + your warlock level.

• Liberator’s Flame: Once per turn when you deal radiant damage, you can add your Charisma modifier to the damage dealt.

• Burrowed Instinct: You can’t be surprised while conscious, and you have advantage on initiative rolls.

Sympathetic Resonance (Unique Mechanic)

Whenever a creature within 10 feet of you is charmed, frightened, or restrained, you can choose to feel a sympathetic echo of that condition. If you do, you gain one of the following:

• You learn the creature’s surface emotion (as if via detect thoughts).

• You can use your reaction to give that creature advantage on their next saving throw to end the condition.

• If you share the condition (e.g., you’re also frightened), you gain advantage on checks to resist or end it.

Divine Carapace

Your Patron’s divine essence fortifies your body with radiant strength, mimicking the augmented resilience of the worm itself.

• As long as you aren’t wearing heavy armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier.

• Whenever you take radiant damage, you can use your reaction to halve that damage and emit a brilliant flare of defiance. Creatures within 10 feet must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency + your Charisma mod) or be blinded until the start of your next turn. You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

This feature reflects the divine core's protection and plays on the idea of radiating power when wounded—perfect for warlocks who walk into battle with righteous fire and serpentine defiance.

Serpent's Resilience

The serpent does not simply strike - it endures. When crushed, it coils tighter. When wounded, it learns.

 Starting at 6th level, your resonance with the Regorged Serpent has increased allowing you to call-on or share some of its divine energies and capabilities. Choose one of the following options for how this resonance manifests in your warlock.

 

Coiled Ward

When you take damage that would reduce you to half your hit points or fewer, a coiled halo of radiant energy erupts around you as a reaction. You gain temporary hit points equal to twice your Warlock level, and any creatures of your choice within 10 feet must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or be blinded until the end of your next turn.

You can use this feature once per long rest. At level 14, you may use it twice per long rest.

Resonant Core (Necrotic)

You gain resistance to necrotic damage as the divine forge that fuels your patron begins to suffuse your body with lasting protections.

Additionally, if you roll a 1 on a saving throw, you may reroll it. You must use the second result. This effect can occur once per short or long rest.

Resonant Core (Radiant)

You gain resistance to radiant damage as the divine forge that fuels your patron begins to suffuse your body with lasting protections.

Additionally, if you roll a 1 on a saving throw, you may reroll it. You must use the second result. This effect can occur once per short or long rest.

Radiant Reproach

You are no longer merely a student of the Reforged Serpent’s will—you are its voice. When deception creeps in, or when dominance rears its head, your light lashes out.

 Starting at 10th level, you gain tremorsense with a range of 10 feet, and can see through magical darkness up to 60 feet.

Additionally, when you deal radiant damage, you ignore resistance to radiant damage.

Echoes of Apotheosis

The divine spark thrums within you now—no longer borrowed, but resonant. You are not merely a servant of the Reforged Serpent. You are its echo in the world.

 Starting at 14th level, the resonance you've achieved with your patron allows you to take on ascended forms for a short time. As an action, you unleash the divine resonance of your patron in a radiant eruption of light and sound. You choose one of the following effects to manifest:

1. Ascendant Form

You take on a celestial-serpentine aspect for 1 minute. While in this form:

• You gain resistance to all damage except force.

• You emit bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. Hostile creatures that start their turn in the bright light or enter it for the first time on their turn must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = your spell save DC) or take 4d6 radiant damage.

• Once per turn when you hit with a spell attack or deal radiant damage, you can force the target to make a Wisdom saving throw or be blinded until the start of your next turn.

2. Divine Resurgence

You pulse with the Serpent’s restorative energies. Each friendly creature of your choice within 30 feet regains 3d8 + your Charisma modifier hit points and is cured of one condition, such as blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned.
Additionally, any creature charmed or frightened within the same area immediately makes a saving throw with advantage to end the effect.

3. Chains of the Apostate

You summon luminous, spectral chains forged of radiant essence to shackle a being of tyranny. Choose one creature within 90 feet. That creature must make a Charisma saving throw or be restrained for up to 1 minute by glowing divine chains. The creature may repeat the save at the end of each of its turns. While restrained in this way, the creature cannot speak, cast spells, or use abilities that require verbal components.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest or expend a 5th-level or higher warlock spell slot.