Base Class: Warlock
Buried in obscurity and lost to time lies The Grimoire, an ancient tome filled with potent magic rumored to seek out hosts for its power. This mysterious book has traveled the world in antiquity, with accounts tracing back many millennia. Despite its long history, information on The Grimoire's origins and intentions with its hosts remain unfound.
Bookkeeper's Magic
Starting at 3rd level, The Grimoire grants access to the arcane rituals hidden among its pages. Once per short rest, you may cast a spell from the Grimoire Spell List as a 10-minute ritual, provided you have met its level requirement. The effects of these spells manifest as entries in the book's pages.
Grimoire Spell List
| Warlock Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3 | Detect Magic, Identify, Augury, Detect Thoughts |
| 5 | Speak with Dead, Tongues |
| 7 | Divination, Locate Creature |
| 9 | Contact Other Plane, Legend Lore |
The Grimoire functions as a special kind of focus, allowing you to cast spells by writing their incantations on its pages. When you cast a Warlock spell while holding The Grimoire, you may choose to ignore the material component, unless it has a cost, and the verbal component. If you do, the spell now has a somatic component.
On your turn, you can use your bonus action to beckon The Grimoire to you. If it has a clear path, it flies from wherever it is and gently lands in your hands.
At 3rd level, if you choose the Pact of the Tome, you may choose to have The Grimoire become your Book of Shadows.
Signed in Blood
At 3rd level, you learn to increase the power of your spells through self sacrifice. Whenever you cast a Warlock spell, you may expend a number of hit dice up to half your proficiency bonus. If you do, you may choose from one of the following effects:
- The spell deals additional necrotic damage equal to the number rolled on the dice.
- The spell's attack roll gains a bonus equal to the number of hit dice expended.
- The spell's save DC increases by the number of hit dice expended.
Incantation Pages
At 6th level, a series of blank pages appear in The Grimoire. At the end of a long rest, you may select a number of spells from the Warlock spell list up to your proficiency bonus to appear as incantations on these blank pages. The spells must be of a level less than or equal to your proficiency bonus. The Grimoire cannot hold more than one copy of the same spell.
While a spell's incantation fills a page in The Grimoire, you may cast it as though it was a known Warlock spell. Additionally, twice per long rest, you may cast a spell from your Incantation Pages without expending a spell slot. If you do, the spell's incantation disappears from the page.
Dispelling Transcription
At 10th level, you've learned to capture magic from others and store it in The Grimoire. When you successfully cast Counterspell or Dispel Magic, you may choose to have an Incantation Page fill up with the incantation for the spell that was dispelled this way. If the spell's level is higher than your proficiency bonus, the transcription fails. This new entry overwrites any previous incantation on that page and functions as if it were a regular Incantation Page entry.
Forbidden Knowledge
At 14th level, you learn the true origin of The Grimoire's power; the souls of its previous owners are bound inside its pages, forced to fuel its dark magic.
This knowledge has allowed you to greatly increase The Grimoire's power in exchange for feeding it bits of your soul. When you cast a Warlock spell of 5th level or lower, you may choose to expend hit dice equal to the spell's level instead of expending a spell slot. If you do, the spell cannot be affected by Counterspell or Dispel Magic.
Additionally, you have learned to communicate with and exploit the souls imprisoned within The Grimoire.
You may use your bonus action to expend two hit dice to gain one of the following boons of your choice:
- You draw from the souls' experiences. You gain advantage on your next attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.
- You consult the souls for guidance. You cast Augury without expending a spell slot. This ability does not lead to random chance.
- You drain the souls' essence. You gain 2d8 hit points. You may expend additional hit dice as part of this bonus action. If you do, you gain an additional d8 hit points for each extra hit die expended, up to a maximum of six hit dice in total.
After learning this information, your fate is sealed. When you die, your soul will be imprisoned inside The Grimoire and you cannot be resurrected by any means short of Divine Intervention. This aid will result in the destruction of The Grimoire.
The Voice of the Grimoire and The Will of the Bookkeepers
Those who read The Grimoire may notice strange notes in the margins that seem to speak directly to the reader and react to their surroundings. The notes will suggest plans, many of which are innocuous, but others are clearly immoral.
Once their plight is discovered, the souls trapped inside The Grimoire will pester its current holder through notes in the book's margins. They will try to keep the holder alive, as they cannot be freed without a living holder. However, if they are mistreated and ignored, they may try to lure the holder into dangerous situations out of spite. Though they cannot physically harm the holder, their words may poison their perspective and pose an existential threat to the holder's sanity.
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