Warlock Patron: The Mimic

This symbiotic union is often born out of desperation – a grievous injury that left the warlock on the brink of death, with the mimic offering a twisted solution – or out of an ambitious willingness to embrace such an alien bond in pursuit of power.

 

Through this pact, the mimic bestows extraordinary abilities, enabling the warlock to reshape their body for combat, subterfuge, or survival. However, this relationship comes at a cost. The mimic’s boundless hunger is ever-present, and it must be fed to maintain balance.

 

Should the warlock fail to satisfy this need, the mimic’s influence grows stronger, threatening to subsume the warlock entirely. As time passes, the warlock finds their identity increasingly blurred with the mimic’s alien instincts and desires, their humanity gradually giving way to something far more monstrous.

 

Patron Personality

 

The mimic is an unusual patron in that it lacks the grandiose schemes or far-reaching ambitions of other entities. Instead, its motives are immediate and primal, driven by hunger and survival.

 

However, the mimic is not mindless; it is cunning and opportunistic, seeing its bond with you as mutually beneficial. It communicates through visceral sensations – pangs of hunger, flashes of instinct, or strange whispers in your mind. As your relationship deepens, it might begin to display signs of intelligence, offering cryptic advice or even bargaining for greater control.

 

Patron Relationships

 

The mimic’s bond with you makes your relationship fundamentally different from most Warlocks and their patrons. Instead of a distant figure doling out commands, the mimic is a constant presence – closer to a parasite or a companion. Other creatures might view this bond with suspicion or horror, particularly those who recognize the nature of your symbiotic bond, while monsters hunters might target you as a dangerous abomination.

Level 1: Symbiotic Transformation

Pseudopod. You sprout a flexible pseudopod, using it as a weapon. For the next minute, you can use your Charisma modifier for attack and damage rolls with unarmed strikes, and on a hit, your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage. This damage counts as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances. This damage scales as you gain levels in the warlock class, increasing by 1d6 at 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

 

Bite. Your jaw distorts into a vicious maw. For the duration, you can use an action during your turn to make a melee spell attack against a creature within 5 feet. On a hit, the target takes 1d4 piercing damage plus 1d8 acid damage. The acid damage scales as you gain levels in the warlock class, increasing by 1d8 at 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

 

Sticky Tendril. You extend a sticky tendril from your body. Immediately when you first use this transformation and as a bonus action on subsequent turns, you can attempt to grapple or shove creatures and objects within 15 feet.

 

Defensive Shell. Your body hardens, granting you a number of temporary hit points equal to your Warlock level for the duration.

 

False Appearance. You alter your appearance to resemble another creature, object, or piece of terrain of similar size for the duration. While in this form, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks to remain undetected as long as you remain motionless.

 

Each time you use this feature, you gain 1 Hunger Point (as detailed in The Hunger subclass feature).

Level 1: Symbiotic Transformation - Bite

Bite. Your jaw distorts into a vicious maw. For the duration, you can use an action during your turn to make a melee spell attack against a creature within 5 feet. On a hit, the target takes 1d4 piercing damage plus 1d8 acid damage. The acid damage scales as you gain levels in the warlock class, increasing by 1d8 at 5th level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).

Level 1: The Hunger

Gaining Hunger Points

 

Using Abilities: Each time you use the Symbiotic Transformation feature, you gain 1 Hunger Point.

 

Reactive Protection: Each time you take damage equal to or greater than half your maximum hit points, the mimic instinctively reacts to protect you, halving the damage taken but increasing your Hunger Points by 1.

 

Restless Mimic: Every 24 hours, you gain 1 Hunger Point as the mimic grows restless.

 

Reducing Hunger Points

 

Feeding on Creatures: You can reduce your Hunger Points by 1 by consuming an appropriate amount of organic material, such as raw meat or a portion of a creature that has died within the past 24 hours. This feeding must take place over the course of a short rest.

 

Hunger Points Threshold

 

You can safely manage a number of Hunger Points equal to your proficiency bonus. If you exceed this limit, the mimic begins to assert control over you, imposing you a cumulative -1 penalty to attack rolls and ability checks for each point above the threshold.

 

If your Hunger Points reach more than double your proficiency bonus at any time, you must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 10 + the number of Hunger Points you have. On a failed save, the mimic takes over you for 1 hour, acting in a way hostile to all creatures, including your allies.

 

Additionally, at the end of each hour, you must repeat the saving throw if your Hunger Points are still above the limit.

Level 6: Predatory Instincts

You gain advantage on initiative rolls and cannot be surprised while you are conscious.

 

Additionally, creatures grappled by you are also restrained until the grapple ends.

Level 10: Symbiotic Adaptation

You gain the following benefits:

 

You can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

 

You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks while you have at least 1 Hunger Point.

 

You can use your Symbiotic Transformation without gaining Hunger Points for a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once). You regain any expended uses of this feature when you finish a long rest.

Level 14: Devour and Adapt

When you do so, you take an action to gain the following benefits for the next minute:

 

Your movement speed increases by 10 feet, and you gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.

 

You gain advantage on Strength and Dexterity ability checks and saving throws.

 

You have advantage on attack rolls against creatures within 5 feet of you.

 

You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

 

While in this form, you gain 1 Hunger Point at the end of each of your turns. You can end the transformation prematurely at any time (no action required).

 

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