The Anchored

An Anchor, the object needn’t be valuable, beautiful or even useful to anyone else. 

A battered hammer, broken stop sign, length of chain, old lantern or childhood toy can carry greater meaning than any enchanted blade. Through obsession, memory, belief and repeated use, you have impressed that meaning upon reality itself. Your Anchor did not grant you power… 

You cared about it until reality stopped being able to tell the difference.

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Anchored Features

 

Warlock Level	Feature
3	Anchor Bond, Inherent Purpose
6	Anchor Functions
10	Strain Response
14	Anchor Actualisation

 

 

 

Level 3: Anchor Bond

Level 3

You bind your supernatural power to one mundane object, transforming it into your Anchor.

Choose a non consumable Tiny, Small or Medium object you possess. The object can’t already be magical when you form the bond. Your Anchor has the following properties:

• Arcane Conduit: You can use your Anchor as a Spell-casting Focus for your Warlock spells.  

• Imposed Will: If you Anchor can reasonably be wielded as a weapon, you are proficient with it, and you can use your Charisma modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity for its attack and damage rolls. If struggling, work with your DM to determine an appropriate Simple or Martial weapon to use for the Anchors statistics. Its appearance and original purpose remains unchanged. Masteries still apply from your Anchor, dependent on the aforementioned stats choice.

• Constant Object: Your Anchor’s attack count as magical. Your Anchor also has resistance to all damage while you are carrying or wearing it.  

• Singular Bond: You can have only one Anchor at a time. You can’t voluntarily replace your Anchor simply because you discover a more powerful or convenient object.

Recall Anchor

As a Bonus Action, you can call your Anchor to you, causing it to disappear from its current location and appear in your empty hand or at your feet. You can recall the Anchor from any distance provided it is on the same plane of existence as you.

Dislocation

Your connection to your Anchor is powerful enough that prolonged separation causes your magic to become unstable.

If you remain more than 60 feet from your Anchor for 1 minute, you become Dislocated. While Dislocated, you can't use your Inherent Purpose, Anchor Functions, Strain Response, or Anchor Actualisation. Dislocation ends immediately when your Anchor returns within 60 feet of you.

Level 3: Inherent Purpose

Level 3

Every object was made, used, or treasured for a reason. Your connection magnifies that purpose until it becomes something greater.

When you form your Anchor Bond, describe your Anchor's Purpose in a short phrase. Your Purpose describes what the object fundamentally does or what its repeated use has caused it to mean to you. For example:

Anchor	Possible Purpose
Hammer	Break, Build, Strike
Chain	Bind, Restrain, Connect
Shield	Protect, Divide, Endure
Key	Open, Close, Permit
Lantern	Reveal, Guide, Illuminate
Bell	Warn, Announce, Summon
Broom	Clear, Sweep, Remove
Cooking Pot	Contain, Nourish, Withstand
Rope	Connect, Climb, Secure
Toy	Comfort, Distract, Remember

Your Purpose isn't itself a mechanical ability. Instead, it determines how your later Anchored features manifest.

Whenever an Anchored feature asks you to express your Anchor's Purpose, describe an effect that follows naturally from that Purpose. The feature's rules determine the limits of what that expression can accomplish. Your Purpose can be unusual, but it must arise from the object's history, function, or significance rather than simply describing a desired supernatural ability.

Level 6: Anchor Functions

Level 6

Your conviction has become powerful enough to force different interpretations of your Anchor's Purpose upon reality.

You gain three Anchor Functions: Fracture, Bulwark, and Influence. Whenever you finish a Short or Long Rest, choose one Function as your active Function. As a Bonus Action, you can change your active Function. Only one Function can be active at a time.

Fracture:

The Anchor enforces its Purpose through force.

Once per turn when you deal damage with your Anchor or with a Warlock spell cast through it, you can invoke Fracture. The target takes additional damage equal to your Charisma modifier, and you can express your Anchor's Purpose against the target in one of the following ways:

• push the target up to 10 feet;
• reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn; or
• if the target is Large or smaller, knock it Prone.

The chosen effect should be described through the nature of your Anchor. A chain might wrench a creature from its footing, while a hammer sends it reeling from the impact. You can impose only one of these effects per turn.

Bulwark:

The Anchor turns its Purpose toward preservation.

When you or another creature you can see within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your Reaction to interpose the concept of your Anchor between the creature and the harm. Reduce the damage by 1d8 + your Charisma modifier + your Warlock level.

Describe how your Anchor's Purpose provides this protection. A shield might manifest an impossible barrier, a chain might drag an ally from danger, or a lantern might expose an incoming attack a heartbeat before it lands.

You can use Bulwark a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Influence

The Anchor imposes its Purpose upon the world around it.

As a Magic action, choose a creature or object you can see within 30 feet of you and impose a minor supernatural expression of your Anchor's Purpose upon it until the start of your next turn. Choose one of the following effects:

Bind: A creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or have its Speed reduced to 0.

Displace: Move an unsecured object of Large size or smaller up to 15 feet. Alternatively, a creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be moved up to 10 feet.

Expose: The next attack roll made against the target before the start of your next turn has Advantage.

Suppress: The target can't take Reactions until the start of your next turn.

The manifestation should reflect your Anchor's Purpose whenever possible.

You can use Influence a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), regaining all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.

Level 10: Strain Purpose

Level 10

Your bond responds most violently when placed under pressure. You have learned to deliberately push your Anchor beyond what your connection can safely sustain.

When you fail an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw while holding or wearing your Anchor, you can Strain the Bond. You take Psychic damage equal to your Warlock level. This damage can't be reduced or prevented in any way. You then reroll the d20 and must use the new roll.

If the reroll succeeds, your Anchor visibly or audibly reacts to the strain in a manner appropriate to its Purpose: cracking the air, rattling violently, distorting nearby space, shedding impossible light, or producing another supernatural manifestation.

You can Strain the Bond once per turn.

Under Pressure

While you have half your Hit Points or fewer, the bond becomes especially responsive.

The Psychic damage from Strain the Bond is reduced to your Proficiency Bonus.

In addition, when you successfully Strain an attack made using your Anchor or a Warlock spell cast through it, you can immediately activate Fracture, Bulwark, or Influence as though that Function were currently active. Doing so doesn't change your active Function.

Level 14: Anchor Actualisation

Level 14

Your conviction reaches its ultimate expression. For a brief period, your Anchor ceases to be constrained by what the object physically is. Instead, reality recognises what you believe it to be, what you know it can be. 

As a Bonus Action, you Actualise your Anchor for 1 minute. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

While Actualised, your Anchor visibly transforms into an exaggerated expression of its Purpose. Its size, shape, material, and appearance can change dramatically, though you remain capable of wielding or carrying it. You gain the following benefits for the duration: 

Absolute Purpose

When you Actualise your Anchor, state one simple expression of its Purpose. For example:

• Hammer — "Break."
• Chain — "Bind."
• Shield — "Protect."
• Key — "Open."
• Lantern — "Reveal."

For the duration, your Anchor can apply that Purpose to things that would ordinarily resist its mundane function!

A hammer might damage magical barriers. A chain might bind an incorporeal creature. A lantern might reveal an Invisible creature. A key might attempt to open a magically sealed passage. Absolute Purpose doesn't automatically overcome legendary creatures, artefacts, or effects created by deities or similarly powerful forces. When the outcome is uncertain, the DM may require an attack roll or an ability check using your Charisma against an appropriate DC.

Perfect Function

You have access to Fracture, Bulwark, and Influence simultaneously while Actualised. You don't need to change your active Function.

Additionally, using Bulwark or Influence during Actualisation doesn't expend one of that Function's normal uses. 

Unbreakable Constant

Your Anchor can't be destroyed, damaged, forcibly removed from you, or transformed against your will while Actualised. If an effect would cause you to drop it, you can choose to retain it instead.

Final Strain

Once during the Actualisation, you can Strain the Bond without taking Psychic damage. When you do, instead of re-rolling the failed d20, treat the roll as a 20.

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When the Actualisation ends, the Anchor returns to its mundane appearance. It is still the same battered, ordinary object it always was. Only now there is no question that your obsession, belief and even care can change the world…