Warlock Patron – The Grandmasters

Hello, everyone! The weather outside is gloomy – the perfect weather to get some friends together for some gaming indoors. (Alright, let’s face it, I’d say that no matter the weather, but the sentiment is still there)

Today’s playtest content is a new Warlock Patron, the Grandmasters, a duo of immortals locked in a cosmic chess game.

Warlock Patron

The Grandmasters

The Grandmasters are two enigmatic immortals, locked in an intricate and eternal dance known as The First Game. The art of the game is in its interactions, not its winner, and somewhere, swept up in their battle, the Grandmasters have chosen you as one of their pieces. This decision could be for a variety of reasons, but most typically the Grandmasters will issue their power to two warlocks at a time, all in the interest of keeping The First Game in equilibrium.

Your Pact Boon

The typical Pact Boons provided by the Grandmasters are as follows:
Pact of the Chain. Your familiar can be any of the options offered to a warlock with this pact. When your familiar is destroyed or dismissed, it leaves in your hand a chess piece which somehow reflects its nature. This chess piece disappears when you again summon your familiar.
Pact of the Blade. Your weapon is carved out of a stark contrast of white and black materials, etched with the symbols of the pieces of The First Game.
Pact of the Tome. Your Book of Shadows is an ornate travel chess set with pieces both familiar and unfamiliar to you, hewn from exotic materials from across the cosmos. The arrangement of these pieces imparts the secrets of your Pact Boon’s spells.

Expanded Spell List

The Grandmasters let 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.

Master of Many Games

Starting at 1st level, you gain proficiency with any gaming set which you spend 10 minutes or more studying or playing with.

Additionally, while playing a game with an intelligent creature whose Challenge Rating is equal to your warlock level or lower, you gain advantage on any Wisdom(Insight) checks involving that creature.

Knight’s Move

Also beginning at 1st level, your patrons have bestowed upon you the quiet grace befitting a soldier of your stature. You gain proficiency with heavy armor.

Additionally, your role in The First Game allows you to twist the flow of battle in your allies’ favor. You may expend your movement to command a willing ally to move up to their speed as a free action.  This ally must be able to see or hear you. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

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

Castle Kingside

Starting at 6th level, when a creature misses you with a melee attack, you may use your reaction to teleport yourself and a willing ally who can see or hear you, trading places. That ally then may make a melee weapon attack as a free action.

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

 

Queen’s Forbiddance

Starting at 10th level, your patrons have granted you brief moments of authority over the machinations of The First Game. As an action, choose a creature within 60 feet of you. That creature and all creatures within 20 feet of it must make an Intelligence saving throw against your warlock spell save DC. Choose one of the following effects:

  • On a failure, a creature cannot move until the end of its next turn.
  •  On a failure, a creature cannot make weapon attacks until the end of its next turn.
  • On a failure, a creature cannot cast spells until the end of its next turn.

 

Eldritch Dictation

Beginning at 14th level, your insights into your allies’ abilities and strengths allows you to seize the perfect opportunity for them to act. You can use your bonus action to issue an order to an ally who can see or hear you. That ally may make a melee weapon attack or cast a spell whose casting time is one action as a free action.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you complete a long rest.

Eldritch Invocations

Whenever you would gain an Eldritch Invocation, you may also choose from the following Eldritch Invocations.

Bishop’s Blessing

Prerequisite: 12th level, Pact of the Tome feature

You may learn two spells of your choice from the cleric spell list of 3rd level or lower.

Golden General’s Strike

Prerequisite: 15th level, Pact of the Blade feature

When you use the Attack action on your turn, you may make one melee weapon attack on each creature within your reach.

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