Nontraditional Pacts
By @homebrewlesbian
An aasimar reaches for the light of the angel that guides them, before that light fizzles and dies in their palm. An elf lures an Archfey into a rigged deal; a dangerous game for unfathomable power.
Both of these warlocks have abnormal pacts, one that has been damaged and one that has taken control over their Patron to gain more power. They have the following additions and stipulations to the Warlock class.
Broken Pact
A warlock with a broken pact is one who has betrayed their patron and lost the might they once had. However, the magic their body hasn't completely faded. You gain the following modifications to the Warlock class:
Empty Pact
You lose access to the Additional Spells granted by your patron. Additionally when attempting to use Otherworldly Patron features, you must make Charisma checks against your Patron's spell DC, determined by the your Dungeon Master.
Features that give you resistance or immunity to damages or effects are not effected by this stipulation.
Arcane Spark
A piece of magic resides in your permanently. When you gain a warlock level you may elect to learn a spell from the sorcerer spell list. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what's shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the warlock spells you know and replace it with another spell from the sorcerer or warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Invoker
You may expend a spell slot to add an Invocation to your list of known invocations until your next short or long rest.
Magic Surge
While casting a spell of 1st level or higher, you may invoke a Magic Surge, and roll on the Wild Magic table for an additional effect. If the Wild Magic effect is a spell that normally requires concentration, it doesn't require concentration in this case; the spell lasts for its full duration.
Spell Salvage
You may expend a spell slot to add an additional spell to your list of known spells until your next short or long rest.
Broken Pact Notes
Playing as a Broken Pact warlock is supposed to be punishing, however, not totally unbalanced. If you elect to give this stipulation to a player, make sure they know that it is punishing, and their goal should either to be to slowly multiclass, transfer levels to a new class, or regain favor with their patron.
Controlled Pact
In some circumstances, Warlocks may decide that being the pawn of an entity of greater power is not enough, and strive to claim more of that power for their own.
Through means of trickery and deceit or otherwise, you have gained advantage over your Patron, and have bolstered your power as a warlock, however, not without repercussions. You gain the following modifications to the Warlock class:
Heightened Casting
While casting a spell of 1st level or higher, you may choose to bolster the spell, expending hit points equal to 5 x your spell slot level to raise the spell to the level above your spell slot level.
Lapsed Concentration
When you are concentrating on a spell and lose concentration as the result of damage, you take additional damage equal to half your Warlock level, rounded down.
Magic Siphon
As an action, you may pull power from your patron. Make a DC 20 Charisma saving throw. On a success, you regain a spell slot. Regardless of whether you succeed or fail, you regain this capability after your next short or long rest.
Pact Bind
Each day your Patron fights to regain control and weaken you. Make a charisma saving throw against your Patron's spell dc, as determined by the DM. On a success, you maintain control of your pact. On a failure, your Patron places a Scourge on your for that day, weakening you. If you fail three days in a row, your Patron breaks free of your grasp and you lose control of the pact.
Scourges
Archfey. You suffer from delusions of grandeur, and believe yourself superior to anyone around you. You additionally can see into the Feywild, but cannot interact with anything you see there.
You have disadvantage on Perception checks relying on sight and have disadvantage on Charisma checks due to the deluded fervor in your eyes.
Celestial. You are afflicted with Bane until your next long rest.
Fiend. Your skin begins to crack, tingle, and burn. Until your next long rest, both rolls of 19 and 20 on the dice are considered Critical Hits against you.
Great Old One. You suffer an effect of long term madness until your next long rest, roll for the effect on the long term madness table.
Hexblade. Your sword hand becomes shaky. Until your next long rest, you cannot apply your Charisma modifier to your weapon of choice, and must use Strength or Dexterity depending on the weapon's properties.
Undying. Death now seeks to claim you. Until your next long rest, you have disadvantage on death saving throws.
Spellcasting Supremacy
While casting a spell that deals damage, you may choose to gain a point of exhaustion to cause one of the following effects:
-
Your spell automatically does maximum damage
-
When a spell includes a save to only take half damage on a success you may choose to have it deal full damage. Those with evasion, however, would still take half damage.
Controlled Pact Notes
Controlled Pacts are volatile and high risk, and the abilities granted are dangerous, but highly rewarding.
Likewise, think of the flavor of the nature of the Controlled pact.
How has this Warlock gained power over their Patron? Via spell? Via a loophole in principle? By overpowering their will?
As a DM, also consider the repercussions of this transgression when it comes.
Overall Design Notes
Just by means of concept, I cannot promise that these are going to be extremely balanced. I have attempted to put in a series of checks and balances, adding versatility and change, boons and banes to make it as fair as possible, but the bottom line is that Broken Pact is slightly underpowered and Controlled Pact is slightly overpowered.
That doesn't mean they shouldn't be fun to play with. Broken Pact is great for story purposes when there's tension. Controlled Pact is as well, and also a great reward for a Warlock, giving them more power should they rise to meet it.
In addition, my final thoughts on this build in general are: if you like it but think it's too strong in any area, use it as a guideline. Make your own Scourge for a homebrew Patron. Use a one day Scourge as a punishment for a "Broken Pact" style warlock. There are numerous ways to adapt Warlocks as consequence to their actions relating to their Patron, this is just my take on some of what could be done.
Art Credits
Tiamat by Vadim Marchenkov.