Guiding Patrons

Outside of the bounds of the mortal world exist beings of incredible power. These beings lack the powers of a god but still have enough to empower those mortals that bind themselves to them with a Pact. Some of these beings seek to gain power that they might ascend to a high form of existence while others begrudgingly lend their powers to a single follower. Some Patrons are less of a singular entity, and are rather a collection that acts in one accord to give their power to mortals. Whatever the case, conduits serve as the channel these beings have with the world.

Divine Source

You cast spells as a Divine spellcaster and choose spells from the Divine spell list. Your spellcasting attribute is Cunning.

Spiritual Guidance

At 1st level, you establish a stronger connection with the spirits of your ancestors, allowing them to offer their guidance and wisdom in times of need. For 4 Action Points, you can call upon the spirits of your ancestors to grant you insight and assistance. When you do so, you gain advantage on the next dice roll you make in combat.

Lessons from the Past

At level 6, your ancestors guide you and teach you more of who they were. You are able to take a second conduit Pact Boon.

Weary Spirits

Starting at level 10, the spirits of your ancestors weary your foes. Creatures under the effect of your Strain feature spend 1 extra Action Point when taking actions in combat and free actions now cost 1 Action Point.

Fortitude from Beyond the Grave

At 14th level, your spirit guide grants you a protective blessing. You gain advantage on death saves, immunity to the frightened condition, and resistance to necrotic damage. 

Reincarnation

At 18th level, your ancestors watch over you and protect you. If you die, you are brought back to life as per the resurrection spell, at the beginning of the next round of combat. You must wait a full week before you can benefit from this ability again.

Primal Source

You cast spells as a Primal spellcaster and choose spells from the Primal spell list. Your spellcasting attribute is Cunning.

Fey Presence

Starting at 1st level, your patron bestows upon you the ability to project the beguiling and fearsome presence of the fey. For 6 Action points, you can cause each creature in a 10-foot cone originating from you to make a Mental defense roll against your conduit Spell defense. The creatures that fail their defense roll are all charmed or frightened by you (your choice) until the end of your next turn.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Misty Escape

Starting at 6th level, you are pulled temporarily into the Fey realm in response to harm. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to turn invisible and teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. You remain invisible until the start of your next turn or until you attack or cast a spell.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Fey Curse

Stating at level 10, 1hen you use your strain feature on a creature, that creature also has disadvantage on defense rolls against your illusions. Creatures under the effects of your strain also don't have advantage on defense rolls against your charm effects and spells in combat.

Beguiling Defenses

Beginning at 14th level, your patron teaches you how to turn the mind-affecting magic of your enemies against them. You are immune to being charmed, and when another creature attempts to charm you, you can use your reaction to attempt to turn the charm back on that creature. The creature must succeed on a Mental defense roll against your conduit Spell defense or be charmed by you for 1 minute or until the creature takes any damage.

Dark Delirium

Starting at 18th level, you can plunge a creature into an illusory realm. As an action, choose a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you. It must make a Mental defense roll against your conduit Spell defense. On a failure, it is charmed or frightened by you (your choice) for 1 minute or until your concentration is broken (as if you are concentrating on a spell). This effect ends early if the creature takes any damage.

Until this illusion ends, the creature thinks it is lost in a misty realm, the appearance of which you choose. The creature can see and hear only itself, you, and the illusion.

You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this feature again.

Divine Source

You cast spells as a Divine spellcaster and choose spells from the Divine spell list. Your spellcasting attribute is Will.

Sin Eater

You can pull bad luck and misforture into yourself. Anytime an ally within 30 feet of you is forced to roll at disadvange because of any magical effect, you may spend your reaction to cancel their disadvantage (they cannot afterward get advantage on the same roll). The next roll you make is at disadvantage, and the next attack made against you is at advantage. If no such attack or roll is made in the next minute this feature ceases to apply. You must finish a short or long rest before you may use this feature again.

Radiant Soul

Starting at 6th level, your link to the Celestial allows you to serve as a conduit for radiant energy. You have resistance to fire damage, and when you cast a spell that deals fire damage, you can add your Will to one fire damage roll of that spell against one of its targets.

Divine Shield

At level 10, your strain hold back your foes. Creatures affected by your Strain must make a Spirit (Will) defense roll at the start of each of its turns. If it fails, it wastes its action that turn doing nothing.

Celestial Resilience

Starting at 14th level, you gain temporary Vitality whenever you finish a short or long rest. This temporary Vitality equals your conduit level + your Will. Additionally, choose up to five creatures you can see at the end of the rest. Those creatures each gain temporary Vitality equal to half your conduit level + your Will.

Searing Vengeance

Starting at 18th level, the radiant energy you channel allows you to resist death. When you have to make a death save at the start of your turn, you can instead spring back to your feet with a burst of radiant energy. You regain Health and Vitality equal to half your maximum, and then you stand up if you so choose. Each creature of your choice that is within 30 feet of you takes fire damage equal to 2d8 + your Will, and it is blinded until the end of the current turn.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Primal Source

You cast spells as a Primal spellcaster and choose spells from the Primal spell list. Your spellcasting attribute is Will.

Call of the Elements

Starting at 1st level, once on each of your turns when you deal acid, cold, fire, or lightning damage, you gain temporary Vitality equal to your Will (minimum of 1) until the start of your next turn. 

Primordial Resistance

Starting at 6th level, when you finish a short or long rest, you can choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, or lightning. You gain resistance to that damage type until you choose a different one with this feature.

Elemental Fury

At 10th level, creatures affected by your Strain feature take 1d8 damage instead of 1d6 on a hit. Instead of poison damage, you can choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, or lightning.

 Elemental Affinity

Starting at 14th level, when you deal damage of the same type as your current Primordial Resistance, you may add your Cunning to the damage. 

Elements Unleashed

Starting at 18th level, you can unleash the fury of the elements. Choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, or lightning. For 4 Action Points, you can unleash a blast of that damage type. Each creature in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on you must make a Mobility (Agility) defense roll against your conduit Spell defense. A creature takes damage of the chosen type equal to 3d6 + your conduit level on a failure.

You can use this feature three times. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. 

Arcane Source

You cast spells as an Arcane spellcaster and choose spells from the Arcane spell list. Your spellcasting attribute is Will.

Knowledge from Beyond

You mind is expanded by the touch of your patron. You learn 1 infusion of your choice in addition to the infusions you would normally learn at level 2.

Psychic Shattering

Starting at 6th level, your connection to your patron strengthens your magic, being especially useful against creatures with feeble minds. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher to inflict damage on creatures, those creatures suffer additional psychic damage equal to your Will.

Armor of the Abyss

At 10th level, your Strain grows more powerful. If the target affected by your Strain hits you with an attack roll, you can spend 2 Action Points as a reaction to roll a d6. On a 4 or higher, the attack instead misses you, regardless of its roll.

Thought Shield

At 14th level, you have resistance to psychic damage, and whenever a creature deals psychic damage to you, that creature takes the same amount of damage that you do.

Pull of the Void

Starting at 18th level, you are able to open a rift to the realm of your dark patron. For 8 Action Points, you can target a creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The target must make a Spirit (Will) defense roll against your Spell defense or be Banished to that realm until the end of your net turn. The maddening presence of that realm deals 10d8 points of psychic damage to the target for just being near the rift, whether they were banished or not.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Arcane Source

You cast spells as an Arcane spellcaster and choose spells from the Arcane spell list. Your spellcasting attribute is Cunning.

Dark One's Blessing

Starting at 1st level, when you reduce a hostile creature to 0 Health, you gain temporary Vitality equal to your Cunning + your conduit level (minimum of 1).

Dark One's Own Luck

Starting at 6th level, you can call on your patron to alter fate in your favor. When you make a dice roll, you can use this feature to add a d10 to your roll. You can do so after seeing the initial roll but before any of the roll's effects occur.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Flames of Hell

At 10th level, creatures affected by your Strain are subject to the flames of hell when they take damage. You do an 1d8 fire and necrotic damage instead of 1d6 on a hit.

Hellfire

At 14th level, you may call upon the fires of rage burning at your core. You may unleash a wave of fire from the core of your being from the burning heart of hell. For 5 Action Points you may sacrifice a spell slot to deal 5d10 fire damage to everyone within 30 feet of you. You may increase the number of damage dice by sacrificing your own current and maximum Health. For every 1 Health you lose, you may add an extra die to the total, to a maximum of 5 Health. This reduction in maximum Health persists until you take a long rest.

Aspect of Hades

At 18th level, you are changed forever by your connection to your patron. A pair of leathery bat wings wreathed in flame extend from your back, granting you flying movement of 30 feet. For 4 Action Points, you may designate a point you can see within 60 feet to summon a burning meteor to crash there. Anyone within 10 feet Of the point you selected must make a Mobility (Agility) defense roll against your Spell defense. On a failure, they take 4d6 fire and 2d6 bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone by the shockwave. On a success, they take half damage and are not knocked prone. You may use this ability a number of times equal to your Cunning (minimum of one), regaining all uses on a long rest.

Primal Source

You cast spells as a Primal spellcaster and choose spells from the Primal spell list. Your spellcasting attribute is Cunning.

Spiritual Defense

The spirits gather around you to keep you from harm. When you are wearing no armor your passive defense is equal to 10 + your Cunning + your Acuity. You also add your Cunning to your armor. You are trained in the Unarmored skill.

Astral Shield

Starting at 6th level, your spirits reach out into the physical world to protect you and your allies from harm. When you or an ally withing 20 feet takes damage, you may spend 3 Action Points to give resistance to that source of damage. If the damage has multiple sources, you only choose one.

Spiritual Wrath

At level 10, targets of your Strain are attacked by your spirits when they act in aggression. The target of your Strain takes half the damage they deal when they take the Attack action. The attack must hit and must be a physical attack (melee or ranged).

To Walk the Ashes

Starting at 14th level, the natural spirits sustain you. You are immune to disease and poison, and your physical attacks deal additional poison damage equal to the number of dice rolled to the targets Health.

Natural Rejuvenation

Starting at 18th level, your spirit guide grants you the ability to hasten nature's renewal. For 3 Action Points, you can touch a creature and heal it. With each touch, the creature regains from 1d6 to 5d6 Vitality (your choice). You have a total pool of 15d6 you can expend. Subtract the dice you use with each touch from that total. You regain all expended dice from your pool when you finish a long rest. 

Arcane Source

You cast spells as an Arcane spellcaster and choose spells from the Arcane spell list. Your spellcasting attribute is Will.

Form of Dread

You manifest an aspect of your patron's dreadful power. for 2 Action Points, you transform for 1 minute. You gain the following benefits while transformed:

• You gain temporary Vitality equal to 1d10 + your conduit level.

• Once during each of your turns, when you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can force it to make a Mental defense roll, and on a failure, the target is Frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

• You are immune to the Frightened condition.

You can transform a number of times equal to your Will (minimum of one), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

The appearance of your Form of Dread reflects some aspect of your patron. For example, your form could be a shroud of shadows forming the crown and robes of your lich patron, or your body might glow with glyphs from ancient funerary rites and be surrounded by desert winds, suggesting your mummy patron.

Grave Touched

At 6th level, your patron's powers have a profound effect on your body and magic. Once during each of your turns, when you hit a creature with an attack roll and roll damage against the creature, you can replace the damage type with necrotic damage. While you are using your Form of Dread, you can roll one additional damage die when determining the necrotic damage the target takes.

Face of the Dead

Starting at 10th level, creatures affected by your Strain face visions of their own death before them. the target must make a Mental defense roll at the start of each of its turns. If it fails, it wastes its action that turn doing nothing.

Necrotic Husk

At 14th level, your connection to undeath and necrotic energy now saturates your body. You have resistance to necrotic damage. If you are transformed using your Form of Dread, you instead become immune to necrotic damage.

In addition, when you would be reduced to 0 Health, you can spend 3 Action Points as a reaction to drop to 1 Health instead and cause your body to erupt with deathly energy. Each creature of your choice that is within 30 feet of you takes necrotic damage equal to 2d10 + your conduit level. You then gain 1 level of exhaustion. Once you use this reaction, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Spirit Projection

At 18th level, your spirit can become untethered from your physical form. For 6 Action Points, you can project your spirit from your body. The body you leave behind is unconscious and in a state of suspended animation.

Your spirit resembles your mortal form in almost every way, replicating your game statistics but not your possessions. Any damage or other effects that apply to your spirit or physical body affects the other. Your spirit can remain outside your body until your concentration is broken (as if concentrating on a spell). When your projection ends, your spirit returns to your body or your body magically teleports to your spirit's space (your choice).

While projecting your spirit, you gain the following benefits:

• Your spirit and body gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

• Your spell no longer require verbal components or material components that lack a gold cost.

• You have a flying speed equal to your movement and can hover. You can move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain, but you take 1d10 damage if you end your turn inside a creature or an object.

• While you are using your Form of Dread, once during each of your turns when you deal necrotic damage to a creature, you regain Vitality equal to half the amount of necrotic damage dealt.

Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Divine Source

You cast spells as a Divine spellcaster and choose spells from the Divine spell list. Your spellcasting attribute is Will.

Valkyries Spear

Your Patron does not send you into Battle without preparation in their Art of Battle. At 1st level, You are trained with medium armor, and can use your Spirit defense instead of Body to block with a shield.

The influence of your patron allows you to mystically channel your will through a particular weapon - the spear. When you attack with that weapon, you can use your will, instead of Dexterity and Strength, for the attack and damage rolls. The spears damage die changes from 1d6 to 1d8 one-handed, and from 1d8 to 1d10 two-handed.

Defiant Defense

At 6th level, you can let out a triumphant roar as a reaction when you are attacked or witness a creature that is non-hostile to you get attacked by an enemy creature, in an attempt to shake the resolve of your foes and weaken their attacks.

Each hostile creature within 30 feet of you must make a Spirit (Will) defense roll against your Spell defense, or lose half their movement and suffer disadvantage to attacks against their current targets until the beginning of your next turn. Any enemies that are immune to being frightened are also immune to this effect.

Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again until after a short or long rest.

Holy Flame

Starting at level 10, your Strain is harder for your enemies to deal with. When you strike your enemies the damage is 1d8 fire damage per hit instead of 1d6.

Aegis Shield

At 14th level, your patron has imbued you with an limited aura . For 3 Action Points, a divine light washes out from you and coalesces in a soft radiance in a 30-foot radius around you. Friendly creatures in that radius feel refreshed, reducing their exhaustion by one level. Additionally, friendly creatures gain advantage on Spirit defense rolls.

Once you have used this feature, you cannot do so again until you have completed a short or long rest.

Celestial Orison

At 18th level, your attunement to your Patron's energy has become enough that, for 6 Action Points, you can speak a Patron-taught prayer spell unleashing the energy. A wave of bright celestial energy bursts forth in a 60 foot radius from you, engulfing all creatures in it with the following effects:

• All friendly creatures gain 2d10 temporary Health and Vitality, and until the end of the next round, may choose to perform the dash action at no extra cost, without provoking counterattacks.

• All enemy creatures affected by this must make a Spirit (Will) defense roll against your Spell defense or take 12d6 fire damage.

Once you have used this feature, you cannot do so again until you have finished a long rest.