The Pact of the Gilded Hand

The Pact of the Gilded Hand

Warlocks of the Gilded Hand are masters of the subtle touch, binding souls with a handshake that seals fates. Their patron is an entity who understands the power of connection, the significance of touch, and the deceptive nature of a welcoming gesture. These warlocks are adept at reading body language, using charm and illusion, and striking a bargain with a touch. Their power resides in the fleeting moment of contact, turning a seemingly innocuous gesture into an eternal contract.

 

Expanded Spell List:

You gain access to the following spells at the levels specified.

Warlock Level	Spells
1st	Charm Person , Disguise Self
2nd	Detect Thoughts , Suggestion
3rd	Clairvoyance , Hypnotic Pattern
4th	Confusion , Greater Invisibility
5th	Dominate Person , Dream

 

Soul Handshake (1st Level):

You learn the art of drawing souls into contracts through a handshake. You can perform a 1-action touch attack, accompanied by a verbal agreement outlining the terms.

• The verbal agreement must clearly state the favor you are offering, the terms of the agreement, and the consequence of failure (the collection of their soul upon death). The agreement must be presented clearly enough that a reasonable person of normal intelligence would understand it.
• The individual agreeing to the contract must be of CR 0 or higher, have an Intelligence of 6 or higher, and be willing to shake your hand (or otherwise touch you if they lack hands - you can adapt slightly).
• Before shaking hands, you must make a Charisma (Deception) check opposed by their Wisdom (Insight) check. If you succeed, they are unaware of the true implications of the deal, such as a very minor but very damaging clause. If you fail, they fully understand the contract.
• If the target agrees to the terms and shakes your hand, you gain a number of Soul Points equal to the CR of the creature who signed the contract.
• You can only have a number of active Soul Contracts equal to your Charisma Modifier (minimum of 1).
• You can use Soul Points to fuel your subclass features.
• Upon the creature's death, whether they fulfilled the contract or not, you automatically collect their soul, granting you additional Soul Points equal to twice their CR. This benefit is lost if the soul is intercepted by another entity.
• While a signed Soul Contract exists, you have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks against the signatory, and they have disadvantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks against you.

 

Gilded Hand (1st Level):

Your touch is imbued with subtle magic, aiding your negotiations and making your handshake more alluring. You gain proficiency in the Insight skill. If you are already proficient, you add double your proficiency bonus to any check you make that uses Insight.

 

Borrowed Life (6th Level):

You can tap into the souls bound to your contracts to temporarily bolster your resilience. As a reaction when you take damage, you can expend Soul Points to reduce the damage you take. The damage is reduced by 1 for each Soul Point spent. You can expend a maximum number of Soul Points equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) in this way.

 

Soul Conduit (10th Level):

When a creature signed to your Soul Contract dies within 30 feet of you, you can immediately expend a reaction to channel their departing essence. You gain temporary hit points equal to their CR + your warlock level. Additionally, you may choose to channel a single skill or saving throw proficiency that the creature possessed for the next minute.

 

Master Manipulator (14th Level):

You have mastered the art of the deal, twisting fate with a single touch. You gain the ability to subtly manipulate your Soul Contract once per short rest. Choose one:

• Phantom Clause: As an action, you can create a clause or condition that the signatory believes to be part of their handshake contract. This clause must be reasonable and not overtly contradictory to the original agreement. The signatory makes a Wisdom (Insight) check against your Spell Save DC. If they fail, they are bound by this phantom clause as if it were real. The illusion lasts for 1 minute.
• Borrowed Expertise: You can immediately end a contract with a signatory and gain their expertise for 1 hour. Chose a single skill that the creature is proficient in. For the next hour, you are also proficient in that skill. You gain a number of Soul Points equal to 1/4th their CR (minimum of 1).
• Soul Transference: You can transfer the soul bound in your Soul Contract with another creature of CR 0 or higher. You must perform a Soul Handshake ritual with both parties (costing you an action for each) and both targets must be willing, though you can use magic to alter their perception of the truth. The old signatory is released and you lose those Soul Points. The new signatory is bound by the same terms.

Soul Handshake

You learn the art of drawing souls into contracts through a handshake. You can perform a 1-action touch attack, accompanied by a verbal agreement outlining the terms.

• The verbal agreement must clearly state the favor you are offering, the terms of the agreement, and the consequence of failure (the collection of their soul upon death). The agreement must be presented clearly enough that a reasonable person of normal intelligence would understand it.
• The individual agreeing to the contract must be of CR 0 or higher, have an Intelligence of 6 or higher, and be willing to shake your hand (or otherwise touch you if they lack hands - you can adapt slightly).
• Before shaking hands, you must make a Charisma (Deception) check opposed by their Wisdom (Insight) check. If you succeed, they are unaware of the true implications of the deal, such as a very minor but very damaging clause. If you fail, they fully understand the contract.
• If the target agrees to the terms and shakes your hand, you gain a number of Soul Points equal to the CR of the creature who signed the contract.
• You can only have a number of active Soul Contracts equal to your Charisma Modifier (minimum of 1).
• You can use Soul Points to fuel your subclass features.
• Upon the creature's death, whether they fulfilled the contract or not, you automatically collect their soul, granting you additional Soul Points equal to twice their CR. This benefit is lost if the soul is intercepted by another entity.
• While a signed Soul Contract exists, you have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks against the signatory, and they have disadvantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks against you.

Gilded Hand (1st Level):

Your touch is imbued with subtle magic, aiding your negotiations and making your handshake more alluring. You gain proficiency in the Insight skill. If you are already proficient, you add double your proficiency bonus to any check you make that uses Insight.

 

Borrowed Life

As a reaction when you take damage, you can expend Soul Points to reduce the damage you take. The damage is reduced by 1 for each Soul Point spent. You can expend a maximum number of Soul Points equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) in this way.

Soul Conduit

When a creature signed to your Soul Contract dies within 30 feet of you, you can immediately expend a reaction to channel their departing essence. You gain temporary hit points equal to their CR + your warlock level. Additionally, you may choose to channel a single skill or saving throw proficiency that the creature possessed for the next minute.

 

Master Manipulator

Choose one:

• Phantom Clause: As an action, you can create a clause or condition that the signatory believes to be part of their handshake contract. This clause must be reasonable and not overtly contradictory to the original agreement. The signatory makes a Wisdom (Insight) check against your Spell Save DC. If they fail, they are bound by this phantom clause as if it were real. The illusion lasts for 1 minute.

• Borrowed Expertise: You can immediately end a contract with a signatory and gain their expertise for 1 hour. Chose a single skill that the creature is proficient in. For the next hour, you are also proficient in that skill. You gain a number of Soul Points equal to 1/4th their CR (minimum of 1).

• Soul Transference: You can transfer the soul bound in your Soul Contract with another creature of CR 0 or higher. You must perform a Soul Handshake ritual with both parties (costing you an action for each) and both targets must be willing, though you can use magic to alter their perception of the truth. The old signatory is released and you lose those Soul Points. The new signatory is bound by the same terms.