Homebrew by Lobonez
Re-imagining The Undying Warlock with stronger themes of the undying lords from whom you've gained your powers.
The Undying
| Level | Features |
|---|---|
| 1st | Expanded Spell List |
| Defy Death | |
| 6th | Undying Aspect |
| 10th | Indestructible Life |
| 14th | Greater Aspect |
You have sworn your service, and likely your soul, to an Undying lord. Ancient beyond mortal reckoning, this might be a Mummy Lord of a forgotten god, A Vampire Lord contemplating eternity in their forgotten citadel, a Lich delving the intricacies of the art in their guarded tower, A death Knight on a corrupted quest or an Eternal Banshee protecting an ancient battlefield. Their cold deathless grip guides and guards you. You may be a passing interest and amusement to them, or sent out on a specific task. Who knows what plots a being which shares its path with eternity might hatch?
Expanded Spell List
The Undying lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.
| Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1 | Inflict Wounds, Wrathful Smite |
| 2 | Aid, Blindness/Deafness |
| 3 | Bestow Curse, Speak with Dead |
| 4 | Death Ward, Otiluke's Resilient Sphere |
| 5 | Antilife Shell, Insect Plague |
Defy Death
1st-level Undying feature
You can never suffer a critical failure of death saving throws (including by being dealt damage). You and those nearby you may also partake of your ties to the Undying to cheat death. When you or a friendly creature within 30 feet succeed on a death saving throw, they may choose to spend a hit dice and regain up to 1d6 + their level hit points. A creature other than you may not benefit from this ability more than once every 24 hours. You have a number of uses of this ability equal to your proficiency modifier, and regain all uses upon completion of a long rest.
If a creature has no hit dice, they may use this ability to stabilize themselves, but they remain unconscious and do not regain hit points.
Additionally, the mark of your patron lingers upon you, and undead have difficulty harming you. If an undead targets you directly with an attack, feature, or a harmful spell, that creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC (an undead needn't make the save when it includes you in an area effect, such as the explosion of Fireball). On a failed save, the creature must choose a new target or forfeit targeting someone instead of you, potentially wasting the attack, feature, or spell. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours. An undead is also immune to this effect for 24 hours if you target it with an attack or a harmful spell.
Undying Aspect
6th-level Undying feature
You inherit an aspect of your undying lord. Choose one of the following aspects, which you may shroud yourself in as a bonus action, and which lasts for 1 minute. You may use this ability a number of times equal to 1/2 your proficiency modifier (rounded up). You regain all use of this ability upon the completion of a long rest.
| Aspect of the Vampire |
| You gain the ability to Spider Climb and the effects of a Feather Fall spell. Compelling Gaze As an action, you may attempt to meet the gaze of a creature within 30 feet that can see you. They must make a Wisdom save against your spell save DC or be charmed by you until the end of your next turn, treating you as a trusted ally. |
| Aspect of the Mummy |
| You gain resistance to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing weapons. Dread Visage As an action, you focus upon a creature you can see within 60 feet. They must make a Wisdom save against your spell save DC or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn. |
| Aspect of the Lich |
| You gain spell resistance. Phylactery If a hostile creature under the effects of one of your spells or damaged by one of your spells in the last round dies, a Phylactery forms on your person in a form of jewelry you choose. This Phylactery lasts for 1 hour has an ac of 10 and 15 hp. If you are slain within that time and the Phylactery is not destroyed, you may revive intact at the location of your death with 15 hit points when the Phylactery expires. |
| Aspect of the Banshee |
| You gain the ability to move incorporeally. You can move through solid objects or creatures as if they were difficult terrain. You suffer 5 points of force damage if you end your turn within an object or creature. Wail of Fear As an action you may let out a piercing wail. All creatures you choose within 30' suffer 3d6 Psychic damage, and must make a Wisdom save against your spell DC. On a failure, they are also frightened of you for 1 minute. At the end of each of your turns, roll 1d6. On a 6, you regain use of this ability. |
| Aspect of the Death Knight |
| You manifest an unholy blade, which you may wield with proficiency and summon or unsummon with a bonus action. It is in the form of a greatsword and may be wielded with your Charisma modifier. It deals 2d4 Fire damage and 2d4 Necrotic + Cha damage on a hit. While wielding the blade you have a minimum AC of 17, as ghostly plate seems to encase you. Hellfire Once as an action, you may throw the sword at a target within 60 feet. Each creature within 20 feet of your target must make a Dexterity save against your spell DC. On a fail they take 2d8 Fire + 2d8 Necrotic damage, on a success they only take Necrotic damage. |
Indestructible Life
10th-level Undying feature
You age at a slower rate. For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year, and you are immune to being magically aged. You gain advantage on saving throws against Poison. Your maximum hit points cannot be reduced, and you cannot die from exhaustion.
Whenever you use hit dice to recover hit points, you recover the maximum amount. At the end of your turn of any combat, or freely when outside of combat, you may spend 2 hit dice to recover hit points or to end a single condition you are under the effects of.
Greater Aspect
14th-level Undying feature
You further embody the undying nature of your patron when you shroud yourself in their aspect, and you may do so more frequently. You may now use your Undying Aspect ability a number of times equal to your 1/2 proficiency modifier, +1. You regain all use of this ability upon the completion of a long rest. You gain additional abilities while using your Undying Aspect feature, as described in the following table.
| Aspect of the Vampire |
| Bite Your bite is a natural weapon which you are proficient with and uses your CHA modifier, dealing 1d8+CHA necrotic damage. You heal for 1/2 damage dealt. Misty Escape As a reaction when reduced to 0 HP, become mist as per gaseous form spell, may roll any # HD, otherwise have 1 hit point when you become corporeal |
| Aspect of the Mummy |
| Cursed Aura Creatures you designate within 30' must make a Wisdom save vs your spell DC or be effected by the Bane spell. Creatures which save are immune for 24 hours. Dread Visage May now be used as a bonus action |
| Aspect of the Lich |
| Paralyzing Touch As an action, you may touch a creature within your reach. They must make a Wisdom save or be Paralyzed until the end of your next turn. Once a creature saves against this feature they are immune for the next 24 hours. |
| Aspect of the Banshee |
| Wail of Despair Your wail now deals 6d6 psychic damage. If creatures fail their Wisdom save they are slowed as per the spell, if they succeed they are rightened. You gain 10' of Increased Movement while using your Aspect. |
| Aspect of the Death Knight |
| Nightmare Rider You may summon and mount a Nightmare as part of using your Aspect, which serves as a loyal mount for the duration. It remains within 60' of you. Its Ethereal Stride may only apply to you, and if it departs or is slain while you are on the Ethereal plane, you immediately return to the Material plane. Greater Hellflame your Hellfire ability now deals 4d8 fire + 4d8 Necrotic damage. |
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Invocations From the Undying Archives
Power Divide
Requirement: Level 5 Warlock
At the end of a long rest, you may choose to double the number of warlock spell slots you have available, but you halve their spell level (rounding down).
If a warlock feature or Invocation would normally require you to spend a Warlock spell slot, that invocation or feature is unavailable if your Power Divided warlock spell slots are of insufficient level.
The Dead Also Serve
Requirement: Pact of the Chain
"Undead Beast" is added to the list of special creatures the Find Familiar spell can summon. When you choose this option, an added material component to the Find Familiar spell when you use this feature becomes the corpse of a beast of challenge rating 1/4 or less, into which the spell binds an undead spirit to animate it. This creature gains the immunities & senses of a Ghoul in addition to its existing statistics, and its physical attacks have the same paralyzing ability as a Ghoul's claws. Your Undead Beast cannot be turned while within 100' of you or while under your direct control.
Subsequent castings of the Find Familiar spell can restore the creature to its full hit points if it has not been destroyed. If it is destroyed, it falls to dust. A casting of the Find Familiar spell to summon a new creature causes the old corpse to fall prone and inanimate if it was at full hit points, or to turn to dust if it was damaged.
Wraith Walk
Requirement: Level 7 Warlock
As a bonus action, you gain a Fly speed equal to your walking movement, can hover, and can move through solid objects or creatures as if through difficult terrain. When you do so, your form appears translucent. You can choose to leave behind any worn or carried item if you do so, which falls to the ground in your vacated space. If you end your turn inside another creature or object, you take 1d10 damage and are forced to the nearest adjacent empty space. This effect lasts until the end of your next turn.
You regain the use of this ability upon the completion of a short or long rest.
Ghoul Reference
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Damage Immunities Poison
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Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Poisoned
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Senses Darkvision 60 Ft., passive Perception 10
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Special Abilities If the target of a successful attack is a creature other than an elf or undead, it must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success
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Art Attribution
Cover Art: Vindictive Lich by Toma Feizo Gas https://media.wizards.com/2017/images/daily/c4rd4r7_I6aMvqDgLC.jpg
Page 3 Art: Sengir, the Dark Baron MtG Art by Bastien L. Deharme http://www.artofmtg.com/art/sengir-the-dark-baron/
Page 3 Art: Lord of the Accursed MtG Art by Grzegorz Rutkowski http://www.artofmtg.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Lord-of-the-Accursed-2-Amonkhet-MtG-Art.jpg
Page 3 Art: Morkrut Banshee MtG Art by Svetlin Velinov http://www.artofmtg.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Morkrut-Banshee-Art.jpg
Page 3 Art: Embercleave MtG Art by Joe Slucher https://www.deviantart.com/joeslucher/art/Embercleave-812826804
Page 4 Art: Accursed Witch MtG Art by Wesley Burt http://www.artofmtg.com/art/accursed-witch/
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Version, changes, commentary
Version 4.1 Changes from Original Undying, Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
- Expanded Spell List heavily modified - false life was redundant when you have armor of agathys on list; Further spell choices made in the flavor of preserving life without leaning on healing, alternatively choosing effects in the theme of the Undying Aspects.
- Defy Death rolled into 1st level feature and modified to provide a bit more group utility, as well as adding the additional minor feature that the Undying Warlock can't crit fail death saves - pertinent for rolling them or if something melee crits you.
- Took the opportunity for the level 6 feature to evoke the flavor of the undying patron you chose, while also providing a real and powerful benefit on a long rest use limit, so a little variety from the short rest play style. I have a partial list of additonal abilities for each Aspect that I didn't note in but which might be an alternative for one of the higher level features if those didn't "click"
- Indestructible life - This is where I rolled some of the flavor and theme of the original undying, with a little bit more "punch" to what you get. Hit dice seem under-utilized often. This gives a new way to use them so they aren't sitting in the background, that also seems in the theme of an undying being that is hard to put down.
- I liked the idea of what exhibiting some sort of aspect of an undying lord meant that I tried to up the ante while still staying within the bounds of reason.