Herald of Chaos Warlock (5e Subclass)
Herald of Chaos Warlock[edit]
Warlock Subclass
You have made a pact with an entity that represents the primordial chaos of the Abyss, an overwhelming force of destruction that wishes to see everything in ruins. This entity of the Abyss is a personification of evil chaos and annihilation, and by following this path, you become an instrument of its will, spreading evil and chaos wherever you go. This force is not a single creature or entity, but a manifestation of the Abyss's own volatile and destructive nature. It grants power to its followers, but always at a cost, as chaos seeks to consume everything around It, including you.
- Expanded Spell List
The pact created with the Entity does not grant any additional magic. Instead, it grants you the possibility of strengthening your Abyssal Weapon eternally
- Abyssal Weapon (1st Level)
At 1st level, when you are chosen by the Entity of the abyss to be Its herald of chaos, you gain the ability to summon any weapon, whether melee or ranged, channeling the destructive essence of the Abyss, transforming it into your Abyssal Weapon. As a bonus action, you can create any weapon you want. You become proficient with any Abyssal Weapon you wield, as the essence of the abyss flows through you into your weapon and allows you to use it with ease.
Your Abyssal Weapon disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you use this feature again, if you discard the weapon (no action required), or if you die. You can only create one Abyssal Weapon at a time, and if you create another Abyssal Weapon, the previous one disappears.
While wielding your Abyssal Weapon, it gains the following characteristics:
- It becomes a magical weapon and receives a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls
- Whenever you attack with this weapon, you can use your Charisma modifier instead of Dexterity or Strength for attack or damage rolls
Additionally, you gain proficiency with medium armor and shields.
- Tides of Chaos (1st Level)
Also at 1st level, you gain the ability to bend the chaos that surrounds the planes to your advantage, using it to bring more destruction and evil to this world. As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The chaos begins to take hold of the chosen creature, altering its flow and cursing it for 1 minute. The curse ends early if the target dies, you die, or you are incapacitated. Until the curse ends, you gain the following benefits:
- You gain a bonus to damage rolls against the cursed target. The bonus is equal to your proficiency bonus. In addition, any damage you deal to that creature with your Abyssal Weapon ignores resistances.
- Any attack roll you make against the cursed target is a critical hit on a d20 roll of 19 or 20.
- If the cursed target dies, you regain hit points equal to your warlock level + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 hit point).
- Your cursed target gains disadvantage on all saving throws against your spells and abilities while they are cursed. In addition, the first attack the cursed target makes each turn against you takes a penalty equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of -1).
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. The maximum number of creatures that can be cursed at once is half your proficiency bonus, rounded down (minimum of 1). You regain all uses of tide of chaos after a short or long rest.
- Corruption of the Abyss (1st Level)
Your Abyssal Weapon carries a powerful curse that grows in power as you absorb the energy of demons you slay. Each abyssal essence harvested from demons allows you to become more of the harbinger of chaos that you were meant to be. As you absorb the chaotic energy of demons, the power you gain comes at a cost. The Abyss takes its toll, manifesting a curse upon you that intensifies as you accumulate Chaos Charges.
Thirst for Chaos. Whenever a demon (or creature with an affinity for the Abyss) cursed with tides of chaos, and who has taken any form of damage from you, dies near you, or if you slay the cursed demon yourself while wielding your Abyssal Weapon, you absorb part of its chaotic essence, permanently accumulating Chaos Charges. These charges grant permanent bonuses to your Abyssal Weapon.
Curse of Ruin. As your weapon grows in power, so does the influence of the Abyss over your body and mind. Each Chaos Charge you accumulate in your soul also corrupts you, granting adverse effects.
- Level 1
- Prophet of the Abyss (xxx Chaos Charges)
You begin your journey into the Abyss as an emissary of the primordial chaos, bringing forth the growing darkness that threatens to consume all. At this early stage, your Abyssal Weapon begins to show signs of its evil power, imbued with chaos that corrupts and reduces the defenses of enemies.
Your Abyssal Weapon gains +2 to attack and damage rolls. In addition, the curse you place on your enemies now also reduces the Cursed Target's armor by 1 while under the curse's effect.
Voices from the Abyss. As you gain more Chaos Charges, voices from the Abyss begin to whisper in your mind, attempting to destabilize your sanity. Whenever you are in a place of rest or in silence, you must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = number of Chaos Charges) to ignore the voices. If you fail, you take a -1 penalty on all Wisdom and Charisma checks until your next long rest. This penalty stacks to a maximum of -3.
- Level 2
- Avatar of Chaos (xxx Chaos Charges)
The corruption deepens, and you become a true avatar of destruction, echoing the voices of the Abyss that call for annihilation.
Now the Abyssal Weapon transcends the ordinary, infused with the power to wound the soul and prevent the healing of the wounded. The corruption begins to take deep root.
Your Abyssal Weapon now deals additional necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier with each attack. The curse also causes the cursed target to take damage equal to your Warlock level if they attempt to heal themselves while cursed.
Evil Presence. The aura of the Abyss begins to distort your presence, causing creatures around you (allies and enemies alike) to feel a constant threat. Creatures within 10 feet of you have disadvantage on saving throws against fear and enchantment.
- Level 3
- Herald of Ruin (xxx Chaos Charges)
You become a relentless reaper, laying waste to everything around you with the chaotic energy you have absorbed, bringing the Abyss to the very heart of your enemies. The Abyssal Weapon becomes an instrument of pure devastation, with the ability to blind and wound the very essence of your enemies. The Abyssal Weapon takes on a form that terrifies and destroys with its blows.
Your Abyssal Weapon transforms into a +3 weapon and can deal critical damage on 18, 19, or 20. The curse now also inflicts blindness on the Cursed Target the moment you curse it (DC equal to your spell DC), which lasts until the curse ends.
Mark of the Abyss. As you collect more Chaos Charges, physical signs of corruption begin to appear on your body, such as horns, warped skin, or abyssal eyes. This causes you to have disadvantage on all Charisma checks made to interact socially with any creature that is not demonic, diabolical, or abyssal. In civilized societies, your presence may be cause for hostility or panic.
- Level 4
- World Devourer (xxx Chaos Charges)
You assume the role of a destroyer of worlds, channeling unimaginable powers that desolate everything around you, becoming an unstoppable force. At this stage of your power, the Abyssal Weapon becomes an artifact of pure destruction, capable of absorbing the life force of your enemies and breaking even the toughest defenses.
The Abyssal Weapon becomes a +4 weapon, and when you hit a cursed creature with a critical hit, you can temporarily absorb a portion of its life force, gaining temporary hit points equal to the total damage dealt. The curse also halves all resistances (e.g., fire resistance becomes 1/4) while the Cursed Target is under the curse.
Chaos Dependence. If you reach this chaotic level, you become partially dependent on the energy of the Abyss. For each week that you do not absorb new Chaos Charges (by killing demons or abyssal creatures), you begin to suffer 1d6 psychic damage per hour, which cannot be healed until you absorb new Chaos Charges and prevents you from taking short or long rests. This represents the mental and physical deterioration of your character as the Abyss takes its toll.
- Level 5
- Bearer of the Apocalypse (xxx Chaos Charges)
At the height of your journey as the embodiment of the Abyss, you transform into the Bearer of the Apocalypse, a being who transcends mortality and becomes an unrelenting force of destruction. Your presence is marked by calamity, and your touch by pure chaos. Wherever you go, the earth splits open, the sky darkens, and the very air seems to boil with the energy of the Abyss. The Bearer of the Apocalypse is not just a being; you are the embodiment of the end of times, the harbinger of boundless chaos, spreading devastation with every step you take. Your Abyssal Weapon, now an extension of your own corrupted essence, cuts not only the flesh but the souls of your enemies, condemning them to total annihilation.
- Infinite Evolution
From this stage onwards, the Bringer of the Apocalypse's power knows no bounds. For each new stage that would be reached and that you accumulate after reaching this level, you can choose to increase one of the following attributes of your Abyssal Weapon or the effects of your tides of chaos:
Blade of Destruction. Increase the Abyssal Weapon's magical bonus by +1, up to a maximum of +10.
Chaotic Fury. Increase the Abyssal Weapon's critical hit chance by 1 point, up to a maximum of 10 additional points (can cause critical hits on 10-20).
Touch of Chaos. Add another condition to the curse's effects such as deafened, frightened, poisoned, restrained, or stunned. You can add other conditions such as petrified or paralyzed (requires 2 advancements), or incapacitated (requires 3 advancements) forcing the target to make a saving throw against your spell save DC.
Irreparable Wound. Increase necrotic damage dealt by twice your Charisma modifier, up to a maximum of 5 times your Charisma modifier
Aura of Destruction. Expand the number of targets that can be cursed by 1, up to a maximum of 10 targets cursed simultaneously
Complete Corruption (requires the sacrifice of 4 augments). Your curse now completely removes all resistances and immunities from the cursed target.
- Curse of the Apocalypse
The immense power of the Abyss exacts a terrible price. As the Bringer of the Apocalypse, you bear the ultimate curse:
Burden of Eternal Chaos. With each new tier gained after 5th level, your body and mind are progressively consumed by the essence of the Abyss. This manifests itself in the following ways:
Disintegration of Humanity. Your physical constitution begins to deteriorate. Each time you reach a new stage of Chaos, you must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 18 + number of Chaos stages). If you fail, your armor class is permanently reduced by 1 point, representing your body's weakness to the abyssal corruption.
Loss of Identity. With each new stage gained, you must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 18 + number of Chaos stages). If you fail, you permanently lose 1 point of Charisma, symbolizing the loss of your own identity and sanity as you become one with the Abyss.
- Hunger of the Abyss
If you go more than 3 days without absorbing a new Chaos Charges, you begin to suffer 2d10 psychic damage per hour, which cannot be healed until you absorb new Chaos Charges and prevent short or long rests. This damage is cumulative and increases by 1d10 for each additional hour without absorbing new Chaos Charges. This represents the mental and physical deterioration of your character as the Abyss takes its toll, until you feed on the chaotic energy again.
'P.S.:' Talk to your DM to decide how many Chaos Charges are necessary to achieve each of the levels mentioned above
- The Twilight of Ruin (6th Level)
At 6th level, the destructive power of the Abyss flows through you, amplifying the power of your Abyssal Weapon. When you hit a creature with your Abyssal Weapon, you can use a reaction to deal additional necrotic damage to that creature equal to your warlock level + your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1 point of damage). If the creature is already cursed by you, it must also make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, it is weakened, dealing half as much damage with its attacks until the end of your next turn.
You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all uses when you finish a short or long rest.
- Bringer of Chaos (10th Level)
At 10th level, your Abyssal Weapon becomes an extension of the chaos of the Abyss. When you score a critical hit against a creature using your Abyssal Weapon, chaotic energy is released, creating a destructive explosion in a 15-foot radius around the target. Each creature in that radius must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, they take 6d6 necrotic damage. On a successful save, they take half as much damage. The damage of this feature increases by 1d6 every four levels taken in this class.
You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all uses when you finish a short or long rest.
In addition, while your Abyssal Weapon is cast, you can choose to reroll any attack roll that resulted in a 1 (you must use the new result).
- Cataclysm of the Abyss (14th Level)
At 14th level, you channel the full power of the Abyss into a single devastating blow. When you hit a creature with a critical strike using your Abyssal Weapon, you can use a bonus action to unleash the essence of the Abyss. A blast of abyssal energy radiates out in a 30-foot radius from the creature struck. All creatures in the area except you must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, they take 10d10 necrotic damage and are paralyzed for 1 minute. On a successful save, they take half as much damage and are not paralyzed.
In addition, the area affected by the blast becomes difficult terrain until repaired, reflecting the devastation caused. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
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