Warlock Patron: The Beast
The Beast & The Unknown
The souls of the dead go to whichever plane they are intended for. From the Seven Heavens of Mount Celestia to the Nine Hells of Baator, from the Grey Waste of Hades to the Heroic Domains of Ysgard, from the Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo to the Infinite Layers of the Abyss - each soul has its place.
But not all souls arrive. There is a place in between, where all souls spend some time. A thick dark forest, featuring boggy swamps and shallow rivers, this place is the Unknown. Most souls quickly, intuitively find their way out and into the afterlife, to Pottsfield or beyond. Many spend so little time in the Unknown that it takes but a brief instant, imprinting less than a fragment of a memory upon their souls. A rare few of great hope and courage even find their way home, not quite done with life.
For others, this in between place will span eternity. Give into despair or doubt, and all is lost. For the Beast will claim your soul, and you shall become just another of the Edelwood trees destined to be crushed into black oil for the Beast's Dark Lantern. Never do these souls see the afterlife.
The Beast
Your patron is the Beast, the master of the Unknown. A mysterious and manipulative being, he is solely motivated by his own self-preservation and is indifferent to the pain and suffering caused by his actions. The Beast is very well spoken and speaks matter-of-factly, traits he uses to lull his victims into a false sense of security. He is a master of deception, knowing exactly what to say to get people under his power. He typically has an even temperament, but threatening the lantern or defying him for too long can cause him to lose some composure.
DM Note:
The Beast is some form of evil, probably Neutral Evil. If the campaign at any point takes place in the Unknown, the Beast's desires are clear and easy (chop up Edelwood trees, make souls despair, etc.) However, this probably isn't the case for most of your campaign.In the Material Plane, or any other plane, the Beast's overall goal is still the same. He has the Woodsman (his primary Warlock) carrying and feeding the Dark Lantern, and needs souls for Edelwood trees. Consider what actions he wants the PC to take in order to further his goal.
Perhaps he wants the Warlock to find people already in despair, and kill them. Perhaps wants the gods of the afterlife (Hades, Hel, etc.) toppled so that more souls are left to the Unknown. Whatever his immediate goals, they are unlikely to be good.
Expanded Spell List
The Beast lets you choose from an expanded spell list when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.
Beast Expanded Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | entangle, sleep |
| 2nd | calm emotions, moonbeam |
| 3rd | nondetection, plant growth |
| 4th | phantasmal killer, greater invisibility |
| 5th | dominate person, modify memory |
Bonus Cantrip
Additionally at 1st level, you learn the vicious mockery cantrip. It counts as a warlock cantrip for you, but doesn't count against your number of cantrips known.
Langauge Of the Dark Forest
Beginning at 1st level, the Beast teaches you the secret language of its domain.
You know Druidic, the secret language of the druids stolen by the Beast. You can speak the language and use it to leave hidden messages. You and others who know this language automatically spot such a message. Others spot the message's presence with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check but can't decipher it without using magic.
Songs of the Dark Lantern
Additionally at 1st level, the Beast entices you to become a servant of the Unknown, desiring you to drag people into the depths of despair. You have a pool of d4s that you can use to spread this despair. The number of dice in the pool equals 1 + half your warlock level rounded up.
When a creature within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to spend dice from the pool. The maximum number of dice you can spend at once equals half your charisma modifier, rounded up (minimum of one die). Roll the dice you spent, and subtract the total from that attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.
Your pool regains all expended dice when you finish a long rest.
Come Wayward Soul
Starting at 6th level, your voice starts to rumble with the influence of the beast, lulling the ears and minds of listeners. You gain proficiency in the Deception and Persuasion skills. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make using these skills.
Shield of the Edelwood
Starting at 10th level, your association with the Beast turns aside other invasions upon your mind. You are immune to being charmed and have resistance to psychic damage.
Additionally, whenever a creature deals damage to you, you can use your reaction to teleport to a tree you can see within 90 feet, without provoking opportunity attacks.
Into the Unknown
At 14th level, your connection to the Unknown has become so potent that you can drag creatures into it at will.
As an action, choose up to 10 creatures you can see. If the target is unwilling, it can make a Wisdom saving throw. On a success, this feature has no effect on it. A willing target, or a creature who fails the save, is immediately transported to the Unknown. You are also transported into the Unknown.
In the Unknown, creatures have vulnerability to psychic damage and disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws and Wisdom (Insight) checks. Additionally, once per turn when you cast a spell, that spell deals extra psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of 1 damage).
A small humanoid or child that dies in the Unknown becomes an Edelwood tree and remains there forever. Their soul is trapped and they cannot be brought back to life by any means short of a wish spell. All other creatures return to the plane from which they were dragged when they die, or after 1 minute.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Pact Boon
At 3rd level, your patron bestows a gift upon you for your loyal service. With your DM's permission, the following feature may be selected as an alternative to the Pact Boon options offered in the Player's Handbook.
Pact of the Lantern
The Beast gives you a small, dark lantern in the likeness of his own.
As a bonus action, you can speak a magic word to light or douse the lantern. The lantern turns goes out automatically if you fall unconscious.
While lit, the lantern casts bright light in a 15-foot cone in front of it, and dim light for another 15 feet beyond that. This light is magical light, and illuminates darkness created by spells.
Additionally, you have advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Perception) checks if the target or subject of your skill check is in an area illuminated by your lantern's bright light. You can choose to have your pact lantern serve as an arcane focus for your warlock spells.
If your lantern is lost or destroyed, you can perform a 1-hour ritual to receive a new lantern from your patron. This ritual destroys the previous lantern, wherever it is.
Eldritch Invocations
The following Eldritch Invocations are presented as options in addition to those in the Player's Handbook.
Lantern of the Unknown
Prerequisite: eldritch blast, Pact of the Lantern feature
When you cast eldritch blast, it is cast directly from your lantern without requiring somatic components. The damage type of the attack changes to psychic, and the damage die becomes a d12.
Soul of the Dark Lantern
Prerequisite: 17th Level, Pact of the Lantern feature
You have learned to do as the Beast has done, and place your soul into your Dark Lantern.
Your lantern no longer turns off when you are unconscious, and cannot be destroyed by means short of a disintegrate or wish spell. While your lantern is lit, you have advantage on death saving throws.
Additionally, if you die, your soul is transported to the Unknown and your lantern's light turns black and begins to pulse. Your lantern calls all evil creatures on its plane of existence toward it, until it is destroyed. In 1d10 days, if the lantern is still lit, your soul creates and inhabits a new body within 5 feet of the lantern and the light returns to normal.
Whispers of the Edelwood
Prerequisite: 9th Level, The Beast patron
You can cast speak with plants at will, without expending a spell slot.
Art Credits
- Image 1: Shot of an Edelwood trees, cut from Over the Garden Wall, Chapter 1. By Cartoon Network.
- Image 2: Shot of the Beast from Over the Garden Wall, Chapter 4. By Cartoon Network.
- Image 3: Shot of the Beast, reaching for his lantern, from Over the Garden Wall, Chapter 10. By Cartoon Network
- Image 4: Shot of a Black turtle, from Over the Garden Wall, Chapter 1. By Cartoon Network.
Contributor Credits
Created by u/Zacharr!
As far as technical stuff goes, a thanks to GMBinder, on which this was made. Also, a giant thank you to /u/blckthorn for the Blackthorn theme he made on GMBinder, which fits the Beast so perfectly well.
As far as subclass ideas, thanks to u/Kumacave who made a Beast patron on r/Unearthed Arcana. I didn't like how Wildshape focus it was, but it was inspirational in giving me names, ideas, and descriptions. A specific thank you goes to u/aphoticConniver for the 6th level feature, "Come Wayward Souls". A peripheral thanks also goes to u/Submortimer, because apparently a lot of the original ideas came from him as well.
A thank you also goes to Ian Lambert from DMsguild, for some ideas on he Pact Boon: Pact of the Lantern.
Finally, a separate thank you goes to Matthew Gravelyn for his "Create-a-Patron" Guide which is fantastically well done, and part of a series of "Create-a-Subclass" type guides. I highly recommend you check them out.
Familair Option: Black Turtle
The following is an alternative familiar option for find familiar, when you cast it using the Pact of the Chain feature.
Black turtles are very small turtles found in forested areas and rivers in the Unknown. Their skin is a desaturated green, their carapaces are black, with four bumps arranged in a symmetrical diamond pattern. They have circular black eyes, no visible mouth, rounded head and legs, and a short, pointed tail.
Black Turtle
Tiny Aberration, Unaligned or Master's Alignment
- Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 16 (3d4 + 9)
- Speed 5 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 2 (-4) 5 (-3) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 18 (+4)
- Skills Deception (+7)
- Damage Resistances psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks.
- Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned.
- Senses Passive Perception 12
- Languages Understands Druidic but can't speak.
- Challenge 1
Deceptively Harmless. The black turtle uses its Charisma (Deception) bonus whenever it would make a Dexterity (Stealth) check. It makes all such checks with advantage.
Magic Resistance. The black turtle has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Limited Telepathy. The black turtle can magically communicate simple ideas, emotions, and images telepathically with any creature within 100 ft. of it that can understand a language.
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: -1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 0 (1d6 - 4) bludgeoning damage.
Ingested Madness. As an action, the black turtle appears an almost irresistible meal to a small or larger best, celestial, dragon, fey, fiend, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, or ooze. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw, or feel compelled to swallow the black turtle.
When a creature swallows a black turtle, it is afflicted with short-term madness for 1 minute. At the end of each of that creature's turns, it can make a Constitution saving throw to retch up the turtle, ending the madness early on a success.
