Warlock
The Warlock is a class that is often portrayed as an agent – be it reluctant or compliant – of terrible and villainous entities. Norse mythology is packed with these kind of destructive forces, so we felt that we would be doing a disservice by only dedicating this archetype to one of the many mortal enemies of the gods: should it be Fenrir or Jormungandr, Nidhoggr or Surtr? And the list does not even end there.
We have always been fascinated with multi-choice classes, so we seized the occasion to include all of these monstrous being in a single archetype. Choosing a wolf patron makes you into a relentless predator, especially effective against restraining abilities; the wyrm gives you wings, the ability to move underwater and to imbue your spells with poison; the giant is a martial class, granting you some of the tools available to the Hexblade, but focusing more on offense. The common theme is to feel like an unstoppable force, just as these patrons are.
Each patron aids a different type of playstyle, be it melee, ranged, or a mix of the two. The wolf has some minor synergies with the Pact of the Chain, while the giant was created with the Pact of the Blade in mind, but could also work with a more creative flame blade build. We hope this subclass opens the way to some pretty fun characters, both mechanically and narratively.
Otherwordly Patron
The Twilight Harbinger
You have struck a pact with an entity that will one day bring about Ragnarok, the twilight of the Gods. Your patron is a foil to the Aesir, a destroyer that hungers for the end of creation. You are walking down the same path, whether you have accepted your fate or decide to struggle against it. Among the end bringers are Linnorms, serpentine dragons such as Niddhogr, the dragon that gnaws on the roots of Yggdrasil, and the world serpent, Jormungandr, as well as countless other wyrm progeny; the canine monsters, counting the hell-hound Garmr, the twin wolves Skoll and Hati, and the great wolf Fenrir, who will ultimately devour the world; and the fire giants of Muspelheimr, led by the fearsome Surtr, who will struck down Asgardr and engulf the nine realms in flame. You choose your patron's nature or determine it randomly, using the Twilight Harbinger Kind table.
Twilight Harbinger Kind
| d6 | Kind |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Wyrm |
| 3-4 | Wolf |
| 5-6 | Giant |
Expanded Spell List
1st-level Twilight Harbinger feature
The Twilight Harbinger lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The Twilight Harbinger Spells table shows the spells that are added to the warlock spell list for you, along with the spells associated in the table with your patron's kind: wyrm, wolf, or giant.
Unrelenting Spite
1st-level Twilight Harbinger feature
You will swiftly pursue your enemies until their fateful demise. You can add your proficiency bonus to initiative rolls.
Portents of Doom
1st-level Twilight Harbinger feature
You gain a fragment of the supernatural capabilities of your patron, granting you enhanced senses or fighting prowess. You gain one of the following features, depending on the nature of your patron:
Blood of the Dragon (Wyrm): You gain a shred of the venomous nature of a wyrm's blood. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
Additionally, you can imbue your spells with the noxious power of wyrms. When you deal damage with a spell of first level or higher, you can force the creature that took the damage to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell DC or be poisoned until the start of your next turn.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Scent of Blood (Wolf): You gain a fraction of the hunting senses of your patron, attaining the sharp smell for blood of the wolf. If there are creatures within 90 feet of you or your familiar that are missing any of their hit points, you know who they are. Once on each of your turns, you can focus your senses on any number of those creatures, and know which of the selected creatures has the lowest current hit points.
Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws made against effects or spells that would reduce your speed or cause you to be paralyzed or restrained, and you can spend half of your movement to automatically escape a grapple.
If you later gain the Pact of the Chain feature, when you cast the find familiar spell, you can choose your familiar to be a wolf.
Prowess of the Giant (Giant): You gain a modicum of the devastating might of the warring giants of Muspelheimr. You gain proficiency with shields, scimitars, and longswords.
Twilight Harbinger Spells
| Spell Level | Twilight Harbinger Spells | Wyrm Spells | Wolf Spells | Giant Spells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | bane | ray of sickness | inflict wounds | burning hands |
| 2nd | phantasmal force | Melf's acid arrow | Maximilian's earthen graspXGtE (appears as chains) | flame blade |
| 3rd | bestow curse | tidal waveXGtE | vampiric touch | elemental weapon (fire only) |
| 4th | phantasmal killer | vitriolic sphereXGtE | Mordenkainen's faithful hound | fire shield |
| 5th | destructive wave (necrotic damage only) | cloudkill | Bigby's hand (appears as a wolf's claw) | ImmolationXGtE |
Additionally, as long as you're not wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier, as a wreathe of flames surrounds you.
If you later gain the Pact of the Blade feature, when you conjure a pact weapon that is a scimitar, shortsword, longsword or greatsword, it becomes embroiled with magical fire. When you attack with that weapon, you can use your Charisma modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls. This effect also extends to the attacks you make with the blade summoned by the flame blade spell.
Boons of Annihilation
6th-level Twilight Harbinger feature
Your patron grants you powerful boons, enhancing your capabilities of seeking out, chasing and destroying your enemies. You gain one of the following features, depending on the nature of your patron:
Flight of the Dragon (Wyrm): Your patron bestows upon you the power to move through air and water as effortlessly as a serpent of legends. As a bonus action, you gain a flying speed and a swimming speed of 30 feet for 10 minutes. During this time, you are capable of breathing underwater and you don't provoke opportunity attacks.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Bloodied Chase (Wolf): Your patron enhances your predatory senses, giving you the power to faultlessly hunt down your enemies, tuning into their smell and chasing them to their demise. You can use a bonus action to target a creature within 90 feet of you that is missing any of their hit points. For 1 minute, the creature is cursed. While that creature is cursed this way, you always know their location if they are within 90 feet of you, they can't become hidden from you, if they're invisible, they gain no benefit from that condition against you, you have advantage on attack rolls you make against them, and the first time you hit them with an attack on each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.
The curse ends early if the creature is healed to their full hit points or if they die.
Once you take this bonus action, you can't take it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Smite of Muspelheimr (Giant): Your strikes are empowered with the searing heat of Muspelheimr's fire. When you take the Attack action, the first time on each of your turns that you hit a creature with a weapon attack or melee spell attack you make, that attack deals an extra 1d6 fire damage. This damage increases to 2d6 at 11th level and 3d6 at 17th level.
Break Free
10th-level Twilight Harbinger feature
You scoff at those who would wish to hold you, to bind you, to banish you: you're coming for them, and they cannot stop you. Your movement is unaffected by difficult terrain, and being underwater imposes no penalties on your movement and attacks.
Additionally, you only need 10 ft of movement to get up from prone and to mount or dismount a creature.
Bring the End
14th level Endbringer feature
As you are finally entrusted with your patron’s most terrible weapons of destruction, each battlefield you partake in resembles that of Ragnarok. You gain one of the following features, depending on the nature of your patron.
Venom of the Linnorm (Wyrm): You release the venom of the linnorms upon your enemies, which eats away their flesh and drags them closer to death with each step they take. You can use your action to breathe poison into a 60-foot-cone originating from you. Creatures in the area must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, they take 10d6 poison damage and are poisoned. On a successful save, they take half as much damage and aren't poisoned. While a creature is poisoned by this feature, they take 1d6 poison damage for each 5 feet that they move.
A creature that is poisoned by this feature can make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on themselves on a success.
After you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Maw of the Wolf (Wolf): You call upon an apparition of your patron to devour your enemies. As a bonus action, you can summon a spectral wolf maw by your side. When you use this feature and as a bonus action on each of your turns, you can make a melee spell attack on a target within 60 feet of you. The wolf maw rushes towards its target, feasting on them. On a hit, the target takes 4d10 necrotic damage and is grappled and restrained by the maw until the start of your next turn. A grappled creature can use their action to make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against your spell save DC. On a success, they free themselves from the grapple.
A creature killed by damage from this feature is swallowed by the maws and disappears, along with anything they was wearing or carrying, with the exception of magical items. The creature can be restored to life only by means of a true resurrection or a wish spell.
The spectral wolf maw doesn't occupy its space and can move any number of feet when you command it to attack. It lasts for 1 minute or until you make it disappear (no action required).
After you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
The Flaming Sword of Muspelheimr (Giant): You are capable of calling upon the magic of the fire giants to summon a scorching blade, reminiscent of those wielded by the denizens of Muspelheimr. As a bonus action, you can choose one of the following options:
- You summon the Flaming Sword of Muspelheimr, which is similar in shape to a longsword, but of unnaturally big size. You can use your action to make a melee spell attack with the sword, which deals 5d6 + your Charisma modifier fire damage on a hit.
- If you're wielding a weapon that can be affected by your Prowess of the Giant feature, you empower that weapon wreathing it in the destructive fire of Muspelheimr.
Regardless of the option you choose, the weapon has a reach of 15 feet, and it sheds bright light in a radius of 15 feet and dim light in a radius of an additional 15 feet. When you hit with a melee weapon attack made with this weapon, you can cause the target to be set ablaze with the flames of Muspelheimr until the start of your next turn. While aflame this way, the target loses all resistances.
Additionally, when you hit a creature with an attack made with this weapon, creatures of your choice within 10 feet of the target creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, they take damage from your Smite of Muspelheimr feature and they lose damage resistances until the start of your next turn. They only take half damage on a successful save.
The summoned or empowered weapon lasts for 1 minute. After you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
