Otherworldly Patron: The Heroic Spirit
Y ou have made your pact with a warrior from Ysgard, Arborea, or the Beastlands. Your contact may have been serendipitous, meeting their apparition by chance as they temporarily crossed the Material Plane. Or, perhaps you were chosen by them to fulfill a specific destiny.
Though your patron is a heroic spirit, your relationship with them is not necessarily cordial. They may be either harsh or inviting, depending on their personality in life. They may make demands that are impossible to meet. They may even express disappointment towards your current state of combative abilities.
However, in forging a bond with a patron such as this, you have also earned a staunch ally who will push you towards adventure—whether you wanted it or not.
Heroic Spirit Features
| Warlock Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 1st | Expanded Spell List, Heroes' Fortitude, Warrior's Dream |
| 6th | Swiftcast |
| 10th | Legendary Ward |
| 14th | Patron's Legacy |
Expanded Spell List
The Heroic Spirit lets you choose an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.
Heroic Spirit Expanded Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | Absorb Elements, Heroism |
| 2nd | Aid, Magic Weapon |
| 3rd | Haste, Protection from Energy |
| 4th | Death Ward, Fire Shield |
| 5th | Greater Restoration, Holy Weapon |
Heroes' Fortitude
At 1st level, you gain enhanced durability. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 again whenever you take a level in this class.
Also, while you are not wearing any armor, your AC equals 12 + your Constitution modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Warrior's Dream
Starting at 1st level, you remember in dreams rare styles of combat that your patron has accrued over their lifetime.
You specialize in wielding one type of equipment. Choose one of the following options, which you become proficient in using. While armed with your chosen gear, you gain its associated benefits.
Hammers. When you make a melee weapon attack, you can use your bonus action to try to shove the target prone before the attack hits or misses.
Shields. When another creature you can see within 20 feet of you is targeted by an attack, you can use your reaction to throw your shield and boost that creature's AC by 2 for that attack. The shield returns to your hand as part of the same reaction. If a creature receives this bonus from multiple sources, that creature only benefits from the added AC once.
Polearms. Once per turn, when you hit a Huge or smaller creature with a melee weapon attack, you may force the target to succeed a Strength saving throw (DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be moved to an unoccupied space on the ground that you choose within 5 feet of their original position.
A Restless Afterlife
Heroic spirits generally hail from the Upper Planes. However, they run the full gamut from lawful to chaotic, and their widely differing perspectives, eras of birth, and planes of origin mean that they rarely get along with one another.
These spirits are themselves constantly at war with various creatures, beasts, and other heroes. Unable to find peace in death, they fight, slay, and slaughter their enemies, endlessly.
Swiftcast
At 6th level, your patron has shown you how to rapidly imbue your body with magic. When you cast a spell that targets you or a melee weapon you are holding and that has a casting time of 1 action, you may cast it as a bonus action instead. If the spell can target multiple creatures, you must include yourself as one of its targets.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Legendary Ward
At 10th level, your patron strips away a portion of their own protective enchantments and places it upon you instead. You gain a magical benefit based on your choice.
Greater Fortitude. You can hold your breath for a number of hours equal to your Constitution score, and you are immune to exhaustion, disease, and poison.
Diamond Skin. When you use your action to cast the blade ward cantrip, you can make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action. Also, immediately when you roll initiative, a 3rd level armor of Agathys takes effect on you.
Healing Factor. For every 3 years that pass, your body ages only 2 years. In addition, at the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier if you have no more than a quarter of your hit points left. You don't gain this healing if you have 0 hit points.
Patron's Legacy
At 14th level, your patron leaves you with a magic item from their own armory, the power of which they infuse directly into your spirit. You gain a magical benefit based on your choice.
Brute Force. You can shove and grapple a creature no more than two sizes larger than you. In addition, you count as two sizes larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Intangibility. When you make a melee attack against a creature without natural armor, if the total of the roll equals or exceeds 10 + the target's Dexterity modifier, your attack hits, regardless of cover or the target's AC. In addition, you can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain, but you take 10 force damage if you end your turn inside an object.
Seismic Blast. When you take damage from falling and you aren't incapacitated, you can use your reaction to take half as much damage instead and avoid landing prone. In addition, once per short or long rest, you can force each creature within 10 feet of you as you land to make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 8d6 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage. The ground in that area becomes difficult terrain.
Ancient Legends
For a spirit to form pacts with mortals, they may have earned legendary status when they were living. You should discuss with your Dungeon Master the nature and identity of this patron, and their effect to the lore of the campaign.
Here are some legendary warriors of the past who might serve as your heroic patron.
Arthur, the First Paladin. The one who pulled the sword from the stone, Arthur's name has become folklore and myth. He is the originator of all paladins and the paragon of chivalry.
Beowulf, the Dragonslayer. A hero so old he exists only in fantasy, Beowulf is said to have dealt the fatal blow to an ancient, venomous, fire-breathing dragon. His presence was so great that his death presaged the fall of his society.
Heracles, the Demigod. Symbol of masculinity, champion of subterranean monster slayers, and conquerer of labors, Heracles is myth and legend. The magnitude of his accomplishments has moved many to believe that he never existed.
Ragnar, the King of Vikings. So powerful and ancient was Ragnar that his existence is doubted today. In stories, he is known as the man who led the vikings to glory, conquest, and victory, and upon his death, a great army formed to avenge him.
Eldritch Invocations
At 2nd level, a warlock gains the Eldritch Invocations feature. Here are new options for that feature, in addition to the options in the Player's Handbook.
Armor of Shadows
Prerequisite: Pact of the Blade feature
While you are wearing no armor, you are under the effects of shield of faith.
Lifedrinker
Prerequisite: 12th level, Pact of the Blade feature
When you hit a creature with your pact weapon, the creature takes extra necrotic damage equal to your Strength modifier (minimum 1).
Thirsting Blade
Prerequisite: 6th level, Pact of the Blade feature
You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Artwork Credits
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Warlock of the Heroic Spirit
Medium humanoid, any alignment
- Armor Class 17
- Hit Points 68 (8d8 + 32)
- Speed 30ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 8 (-1) 14 (+2)
- Saving Throws Wis +2, Cha +5
- Skills Athletics +7, Acrobatics +4, Perception +2
- Senses passive Perception 12
- Languages Common
- Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Spellcasting. The warlock is an 8th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). It regains its expended spell slots when it finishes a short or long rest. It knows the following warlock spells:
Cantrips (at will): booming blade, eldritch blast, green flame blade
1st-5th level (2 4th-level slots): absorb elements,hellish rebuke, armor of Agathys, aid, magic
weapon, fly, haste, death ward, shadow of moilEldritch Smite (1/turn). When the warlock hits a creature with their pact weapon, they can expend a spell slot to deal an extra 5d8 force damage to the target and to knock it prone if it is Huge or smaller.
Great Weapon Master. When the warlock reduces a target to 0 hitpoints with a melee weapon or scores a critical hit with one, they may make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action.
Improved Pact Weapon. The warlock's weapon attacks are magical, and it can use its weapon as a spellcasting focus for its spells.
Warrior's Dream. When the warlock makes a melee weapon attack, they may shove the target prone before the attack hits or misses.
Swiftcast (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The warlock may cast armor of Agathys, aid, fly, darkness, haste, death ward, or shadow of moil
as a bonus action.
ActionsThirsting Blade. The warlock makes two weapon attacks.
Maul. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning
Power Attack. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 22 (2d6 + 15) bludgeoning
