Domain Expansion (5e Class Feature)
Domain Expansion
This variant Warlock class feature, can be taken by an 11th level Warlock. Replaces Mystic Arcanum feature.
Starting at 11th level, you learn to use this advanced barrier technique considered to be the pinnacle of sorcery. It constructs the user's innate domain inside a barrier infused with their innate magic. Within a domain expansion, the user's attacks are improved and any spells that are activated are guaranteed to hit.
Creating a domain and maintaining requires concentration, more on that in the General Features section.
General Features of Domains
All the superior domains inherit the features of their previous ones. A Domain consists of many parts and all of them can be picked and chose to be used or be left unused. Out of these The Burnout and the Barrier (except in the case of the Incomplete Domain; Open Barrier still has a Barrier but is left intentionally open) cannot be left out as it is the cost of using the Domain. It is to be noted that except when you use a Focus you are always concentrating on maintaining the Domain, a broken concentration breaks the Domain Expansion. It is to be noted that you cannot normally cast spells when you use Domain Expansion except through the use of the Domain itself.
Sure-hit Effect
The Domains all have a Sure-hit effect, meaning all spells that are imbued within the Domain will hit regardless of any rolls or checks at the start of the round and when the domain is first cast. All creatures within the Domain are targeted simultaneously and individually by the Sure-hit effect, the Focus can extend this targeting to objects too. The attacks originate upon the target creature itself and therefore always hit. With Area Spells they are targeted/centered on the target creature. (It is possible for two creatures standing close by to be targeted by two AoE spells at the same time, in this case they can roll the save against the spell that was not centered on them) Lines and Cones always face away from the User of the Domain and are fired at pin-point on the targets.
There are, however, a few ways to avoid them: use a Legendary Resistance to negate the Sure-hit effect for a turn, use a Simple Domain or an Incomplete Domain to overwrite the Sure-hit effect, to be immune to the attack itself, to touch or hold on to the user of the Domain that one is in, or use spells such as counterspell and dispel magic as a reaction against the hit (this method only works on the first spell that is imbued).
The user of the Domain is immune to the Sure-hit effects and the spells casted with it as are all those touching or in contact with the user.
Attack Enhancement
Domains are inherently your own space. Hence you always gain an advantage on all ability checks, saving throws and skill checks and a few other enhancements to your abilities and attacks. Damaging spells have their damage die increased in size by 1, if the spell has a condition then stack the duration of the condition additively or make the condition more severe, if it is neither then increase the intensity of its effect, this is up to your imagination and the DM's discretion.
Spell Imbuing
All Domains can be imbued with a spell or a magical effect that is automatically triggered when the round starts and when the domain is first laid out. The type of Barrier that is used is defining factor that decides how many spells or techniques can be imbued into a Barrier at a time. During a long rest one can decide and swap out spells that they wish to imbue in their domain. A spell can be chosen multiple times and if it is a levelled spell then the spell slot used to imbue it defines at what level it is imbued at (Note that the Attack Enhancement always comes prior to the Spell Imbuing so the spells are improved but that does not count towards the spell limit). The Barrier uses the spells in the order in which they are imbued, thus makes multiple, separate attacks if more than one spell is imbued. Only one spell that requires Concentration can be imbued into the Domain at a time. Since the Domain is regarded as the caster of the spells, the spells do not benefit from any abilities or features unless they are imbued in the domain alongside the spells.
The following table helps determine the number of spell limit that a Barrier has.
| Domain | Limit |
|---|---|
| Incomplete Domain | 1 |
| Full Barrier Domain | 2/3 |
| Complete Domain | 4/5 |
| Perfect Domain | 6/7/8/9 |
| Open Barrier Domain | 6/7/8/9 |
Therefore, a cantrip counts as 1, a level 1 spell slot counts as 2, a level 2 spell slot counts as 3 and so on. A class or racial feature, magical in nature, is considered to be the same as a level 1 spell slot.
Barrier
The creation of a Barrier requires a verbal and somatic component. And, in the case of a Domain Expansion, requires concentration. A Barrier is regarded as a structure and is non-magical in nature.
The Barrier is a necessity for making a Domain, if the Barrier shatters then the Domain simply ends. Closed Domains are often better in keeping creatures trapped within than preventing their entry. However, the DC and the condition can be switched around by the user, a higher level user may even make make it so that the barrier is impenetrable from the outside but shatters from the inside on a single touch. Domain Expansions are versatile and their many moving parts are supposed to be customized and played around by the player.
Barriers extend out to overlapping planes too such as the Ethereal plane, preventing escape via phasing out.
Burnout
It takes immense magical effort to create a Domain therefore, the caster loses their ability to cast spells once their Domain ends. And when a Domain Expansion ends, the user experiences a 'burnout'. A person cannot use a Domain Expansion while they are under the effects of the 'burnout'.
However, at higher levels (From level 17) you gain the ability to restore or heal your 'burnout' by using a healing spell/ability/or tool but reducing your intelligence score by 1. This feature called 'Burnout healing' can be used until you decrease your intelligence score below 9, if you do use the feature again the next burnout will also deal 8d6 psychic damage (10d6 at level 17 and 18) to you and you will be unable to use the feature again until your intelligence returns to 9 or above. And you cannot cast a Domain Expansion even if the ability scores are healed and 'burnout' removed until you finish a long rest.
The ability score damage remains lasts until a long rest is completed or until a healing spell is cast which has the effect of removing exhaustion on you.
A Domain Expansion can normally be cast only once per long rest until you reach level 17 and gain the feature to cast a Domain whenever you want except when suffering from a 'burnout'.
Veil
You learn to cast a basic barrier using a somatic component and verbal chant, concentration is not required. A wall of pitch black springs into existence at a point you choose within range. The wall appears in any orientation you choose, as a horizontal or vertical barrier or at an angle. It can be free floating or resting on a solid surface. You can form it into a hemispherical dome or a sphere with a radius of up to 10 feet, or you can shape a flat surface made up of ten 10-foot-by-10-foot panels. Each panel must be contiguous with another panel. In any form, the wall is 1/4 inch thick. It lasts for the duration. If the wall cuts through a creature's space when it appears, the creature is pushed to one side of the wall (your choice which side).
The Veil is considered to be a structure and is non-magical in nature.
In general only those you allow can pass through the veil. The Veil blocks all vision through it. Others have to succeed a strength check vs your spell save DC to break through or deal 10*your spell casting ability modifier worth of damage in a single turn to break through the barrier.
Certain conditions improve the strength of the barrier. The domain is an extension of this very basic veil technique. You can cast a veil as an action up to a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all uses on completing a long rest.
Incomplete Domain
At level 11 you form an incomplete domain using an action.
Activation
It can only be manifested in an enclosed space with gaps of no more than 10 feet. When you release you domain it forms and stretches around this enclosed space no larger than 60 feet across.
Spell imbuing
You can choose to imbue your domain with a cantrip which will trigger at the start of every round.
Attack enhancement
All your attacks are rolled with an advantage and you gain an additional damage die on all your attacks.
Duration
The domain lasts for 1 minute.
Escape from the Barrier
The creatures caught within your domain can break out by breaking through the confines of the room since you are using that as an incomplete barrier.
Burnout
When the domain ends you gain 1 level of exhaustion for 1d8 rounds and you may not use spells until this effect is over.
Full Barrier Domain
At level 13 you learn to form a proper barrier. A Full Barrier Domain inherits all the features from an Incomplete Domain.
Activation
With an action you expand a domain enclosing all creatures within 25 feet of you. Creatures at the edge of your domain must attempt a dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure you get to decide whether to enclose them in the domain or not, on a success it is up to the creature's discretion. The barrier goes around physical objects.
Sure-hit effect
At the start of every round every creature within the domain will be affected by the spells you imbued in the domain. You may only roll attack to determine for a critical hit, the attack is a guaranteed hit always.
Spell imbuing
The barrier has the same effects as before (regarding cantrip spell effect strengthening), but now your spell limit increases to 2, which increases to 3 on level 14. You may change the imbued spells on a long rest.
Attack enhancement
All your attacks are rolled with an advantage.
Duration
The domain lasts for 1 minute.
Barrier strength and breaking
The creatures caught within your domain can break out by breaking through the confines of the barrier by attempting a strength check vs your Spell Save DC + 10 or deal damage equal to your hitpoints at a certain point. Creatures that wish to attempt to enter the domain can break into the barrier by attempting a strength check vs your Spell Save DC or deal damage equal to half of your hitpoints at a certain point. Every time your barrier is broken its duration is decreased by 6 seconds. If the barrier breaks this way then you also take 5d6 psychic damage.
Burnout
When the domain ends you gain 1 level of exhaustion for 2d4 rounds and you may not use spells until this effect is over.
Complete Domain
At level 15 you complete your barrier. A Complete Domain inherits all the features from a Full Barrier Domain.
Activation
With an action you expand a domain enclosing all creatures within 60 feet or less of you, you may adjust its size. Creatures at the edge of your domain must attempt a dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC + 5. On a failure you get to decide whether to enclose them in the domain or not, on a success it is up to the creature's discretion. You may exclude creatures from your domain by having the barrier push against them to the edge of your domain as you expand it. The barrier goes around physical objects and expands from you.
Spell imbuing
Your spell limit increases to 4, on level 16 it increases to 5.
Attack enhancement
Within the domain your attacks have an advantage and attacks against you have a disadvantage. You may add one additional die to all your damage rolls.
Duration
The domain lasts for a maximum of 5 minutes.
Barrier strength and breaking
The creatures caught within your domain can break out by breaking through the confines of the barrier by attempting a strength check vs your Spell Save DC + 20 or deal damage equal to twice your hitpoints at a certain point. Creatures that wish to attempt to enter the domain can break into the barrier by attempting a strength check vs your Spell Save DC or deal damage equal to three quarters of your hitpoints at a certain point. Every time your barrier is broken its duration is decreased by 6 seconds. If the barrier breaks this way then you also take 5d6 psychic damage.
Barrier movement
You may move the domain along with its barrier (moving everyone inside as a result and possibly re-catching an escaping creature) at your movement speed as a move action or an action. You may permit the entry and exit of creatures within your domain, doing so does not decrease its duration.
Burnout
When the domain ends you gain 1 level of exhaustion for 1d6 + 1 rounds and you may not use spells until this effect is over.
Perfect Domain
At level 17 you perfect your barrier. A Perfect Domain inherits all the features from a Complete Domain.
Activation
With an action you expand a domain enclosing all creatures within 200 feet or less of you, you may adjust its size and have the domain expand and shrink pushing around creatures with its barrier. Creatures at the edge of your domain must attempt a dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC + 10. On a failure you get to decide whether to enclose them in the domain or not, on a success it is up to the creature's discretion. You may exclude creatures from your domain by having the barrier push against them to the edge of your domain as you expand it. The barrier goes around physical objects.
Spell imbuing
Your spell limit increases to 6, on the 18th level it increases to 7, on the 19th level to an 8 and on the 20th level to 9. Additionally, as an action you can change one spell imbued in your domain.
Attack enhancement
Within the domain your attacks are guaranteed to hit and attacks against you have a disadvantage.
Duration
The domain lasts for a maximum of 5 minutes.
Barrier strength and breaking
The creatures caught within your domain can break out by breaking through the confines of the barrier by attempting a strength check vs your Spell Save DC + 20 or deal damage equal to thrice of your hitpoints at a certain point. Creatures that wish to attempt to enter the domain can break into the barrier by attempting a strength check vs your Spell Save DC deal damage equal to your hitpoints at a certain point. Every time your barrier is broken its duration is decreased by 6 seconds. You do not take damage when a perfect domain is broken.
Barrier movement
You may move the domain along with its barrier (moving everyone inside as a result and possibly re-catching an escaping creature) at your movement speed as a move action or an action. You may permit the entry and exit of creatures within your domain, doing so does not decrease its duration.
Burnout
When the domain ends you gain 1 level of exhaustion for 1d4 + 1 rounds and you may not use spells until this effect is over.
Burnout healing
You may, however, use cantrips or spells that are cast as a reaction or bonus action. If you receive healing, you an choose to to decrease your intelligence score by 1 to immediately overcome the burnout. You may also cast the domain while you do not suffer from this burnout penalty. You cannot decrease your intelligence score below 9, if you do then the next burnout will also deal 10d6 psychic damage to you.
Open Barrier Domain
Your incredible prowess allows you to open the barrier of your domain. An Open Barrier Domain inherits all the features from a Perfect Domain.
Activation
At level 19 you can cast a domain without a barrier, it is akin to painting on air instead of a canvas and is remarked as divine, even by the standards of domains. With an action you expand a domain having it expand up to 550 feet or less of you, you may adjust its size. Creatures at the edge of your domain are considered to be within your domain as well as creatures up to 1000 feet above your domain in a cylindrical shape.
Spell imbuing
Your spell limit increases to 6, on the 18th level it increases to 7, on the 19th level to an 8 and on the 20th level to 9.
The Focus
The domain has a central structure measuring 10 feet in diameter. The focus has an AC of 14 and twice your hit points and a Damage Reduction of 3. It is resistant to all types of damage except force to which it is vulnerable. As long as this focus exists the domain will continue to function. You no longer need to concentrate on the domain or on spells as the focus does it for you. You may cast spells through the focus using an action, if you cast it this way then the spell is heightened to your class level and is cast from the focus. If the spell's target is within the domain's area of effect then they are hit automatically, else the rolls are required. The focus has its own spell slots equal to your own and can concentrate on one additional spell spell at a time (a total of 2).
Domain Movement
You may move the domain along with its barrier and central structure at your movement speed as a move action or an action. The Open Barrier does not move the creatures within it with itself.
Burnout
When the domain ends you gain 1 level of exhaustion for 1d4 + 1 rounds and you may not use spells until this effect is over.
Burnout healing
You may, however, use cantrips or spells that are cast as a reaction or bonus action
If you receive healing, you an choose to to decrease your intelligence score by 1 to immediately overcome the burnout. You may also cast the domain while you do not suffer from this burnout penalty. You cannot decrease your intelligence score below 9, if you do then the next burnout will also deal 8d6 psychic damage to you.
Domains Clashes
Only one Domain can exist at a place at a time. When two Domains overlap, they cancel out their Sure-hit effect and the two engage in a Domain Clash in the area in which they overlap. As a rule of thumb a more refined Domain wins over a lesser one without rolls. So Open Barrier Domain = Perfect Domain > Complete Domain > Full Barrier Domain > Incomplete Domain. However, an Incomplete Domain has the advantage that it uses an enclosed space as a Barrier for it has no Barrier of its own, hence it can exist for a certain duration (number of rounds equal to the difference in a successful contested throw), merging with the Barrier of a better Domain and quite possibly opening a free-to-pass hole in the Barrier of the Domain.
A Domain Clash of equal domains (Incomplete Domain is an exception) is resolved by a contested Spell Attack Roll, when the difference is more than 5 the winner breaks the other's Domain and other's Domain ends immediately. On a difference of 5 or less the Domains are in a dreadlock and the users are free to act. (usually they will try to break the other's concentration)
Domain as a Reaction
When a creature uses Domain Expansion, another creature with the ability to use a Domain Expansion can use it by giving up their next turn and casting it simultaneously.
Simple Domains
At level 11 you are able to create a Simple Domain.
A simple domain tries to create a simple barrier to increase one's own abilities while trying to cancel out the effects of a Domain Expansion. You may use a Simple Domain a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. Use an Action to create a Simple Domain. It requires no verbal components but requires a somatic one and requires concentration. It expands to a circular diameter equal to 5*your Spell Casting Ability Modifier and you gain the following benefits:
- Sure-hit effects and other opposing Domain effect are neutralized by your Simple Domain
- Your Simple Domain follows you and is centered around you
- You gain an Advantage on all the attacks made on creatures within your Domain
- You gain a +2 Dodge bonus to your AC and an advantage on dexterity based saving throws
- You can use your spells while using a Simple Domain
- A Simple Domain lasts for 1 minute
- Once you have used your Simple Domain, you may not use it for 1d6 - your spell casting ability modifier rounds (to a minimum of 1)
Simple Domain VS Other Domains
A Simple Domain will only last for a short while when it is within another Domain. It follows the same contested Spell Attack Roll rule when used against another Simple Domain. Against a Domain Expansion it will always lose: perform a contested Spell Attack Roll, if the Simple Domain wins then it will last for a number of rounds equal to difference in the rolls before collapsing. If the Simple Domain loses by a difference of 5 or less it will last for 1 round else it will collapse immediately.
Simple Domain as a Reaction
When a creature uses Domain Expansion, another creature with the ability to use a Simple Domain can use it by giving up their next turn and casting it simultaneously as a reaction.
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