The Hollow (5e Subclass)
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The main contributor(s) of this page determined that this page should be reviewed. Reason: Concerned about relative strength of subclass, but afraid too many nerfs will strip flavor.
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The Hollow[edit]
Warlock Subclass
There are some things in existence which are beyond our comprehension. There are some which are above it. There are some which are beneath it. But there is nothing in existence which defies not only comprehension, but existence itself.
It is this Nothing which you have found. Or perhaps…it has found you. In the hissing silence between the planes, it lurks. A ravenous force; a relentless hunger. And when you whisper to the dark, sometimes, if you are very unfortunate, it may choose to whisper back.
When you choose this subclass at first level, the following spells are added to your list of warlock spells known. They do not count against your number of spells known. These spells are:
| Spell Level | Spells Known |
|---|---|
| 1st Level | False Life, Sanctuary |
| 2nd Level | Blur, Flock of Familiars |
| 3rd Level | Vampiric Touch, Slow |
| 4th Level | Gravity Sinkhole, Evard's Black Tentacles |
| 5th Level | Circle of Power, Cone of Cold |
- Hollowed Soul
You have given part of yourself, willingly or unwillingly, to something both lesser and greater than yourself. In exchange, your patron safeguards this portion of yourself and returns it to you at your command.
When you choose this subclass at first level, you gain the following feature:
- As an action, you may consume one of your spell slots to heal yourself. Roll your remaining Hit Dice and add the total to your current hit points (this does not consume your Hit Dice). You may only heal yourself to your maximum hit points or below with this feature.
- Neutron Flow
Due to the influence exerted upon you by something outside existence, the forces which govern reality hold less meaning for you than for others.
When you choose this subclass at first level, you gain the following feature:
- You can use your Eldritch Blast at close range without disadvantage.
- Reverse Polarity
Reality is now your fabric, and you are the loom. Space is your needle, and time is your thread.
When you reach fifth level in this subclass you gain the following features:
- You learn the Repelling Blast Eldritch Invocation if you do not already know it. It does not count against your number of Invocations known. In addition, when you move a creature with your Repelling Blast, it may be moved in any direction, provided it is a straight line. The distance granted by this effect may be added to the distance granted by the Grasp of Hadar Eldritch Invocation if you know it and if you choose to pull the creature directly towards you.
- If a creature enters your reach, you may make an opportunity attack against the creature using your Eldritch Blast. You may do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all uses on a long rest.
- Child of the Singularity
Perhaps you have probed what lies at the bottom of a black hole. Perhaps you have seen what lies beyond the end of the universe. Perhaps even death itself has relinquished its secrets to you. No matter what your path, you have given up part of yourself to walk it. And in return, the path has given you so much more.
When you reach sixth level in this subclass, you gain one of the following features based on your chosen Pact Boon. These features are:
- Pact of the Blade:
- When you take the Attack action on your turn, you may then immediately make an attack with Eldritch Blast as a bonus action, provided at least one of the beams is directed against the same creature targeted by your original attack. If that target was reduced to 0 hit points by your original attack, you may then direct all of your Eldritch Blast's beams at other creatures.
- You may add either your Strength modifier or your Dexterity modifier to your Eldritch Blast's attack rolls.
- Pact of the Chain:
- Your familiar knows the spell Spirit Shroud, and can cast it on itself a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. It recovers all uses on a long rest. If you command your familiar to take the attack action, you may also instruct it to cast Spirit Shroud as part of its turn. While your familiar is concentrating on Spirit Shroud, it can take the attack action on its turn of its own accord (no command is needed). The damage dealt by Spirit Shroud scales in accordance with your own highest spell level. The damage done by your familiar and its Spirit Shroud may count as force damage if you so choose. If your familiar dies and you resummon it, it regains all uses of this ability. The creatures you summon with the Flock of Familiars spell also possess this ability, and share a number of uses equal to your proficiency bonus amongst themselves.
- Your familiar and the creatures you summon using the Flock of Familiars spell become resistant to force damage.
- Pact of the Tome:
- If you choose to use your turn to ready a spell to cast, and its damage scales in accordance with the level of the spell slot it is cast with, you may continue to hold the spell for as long as you maintain concentration. On each round of combat you choose to hold the spell, you do so by spending either your action or bonus action. This causes your spell to then behave as if it had been cast at one higher spell slot level (up to level nine). You may release the spell as either a reaction or an action. Upon release, you may choose the damage of the spell to be changed to force damage if you wish.
- While concentrating on a spell, you may either roll a d10 and subtract the roll from any damage you recieve or roll a d10 and add it to any concentration check you make (you may do this after making the roll for the check, but only before you know if the roll fails or succeeds). You may perform either of these actions cumulatively once per round. You may do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all uses on a long rest.
- Pact of the Talisman:
- You learn the Fiendish Vigor Eldritch Invocation if you do not already know it. It does not count against your number of Invocations known.
- If you reduce a creature to 0 hit points while your own hit points are at less than 1/3rd (rounded down) of their maximum, it counts as activating Fiendish Vigor. You immediately gain all the benefits of the Invocation as if you used an action to utilize it.
- While you have temporary hit points, you gain resistance to lightning, cold, fire, thunder, acid, force, and poison damage.
- You gain proficiency with heavy armor and shields.
- If you choose to cast False Life using a spell slot, you may do so as a bonus action instead of an action.
- Entropic Violation
Breaking yourself is one thing. Breaking the laws of nature itself? Not so different after all. All one needs is the proper perspective.
When you reach ninth level in this subclass, you gain the following feature:
- When you (or one of your familiars) reduces a creature to 0 hit points using force damage, the blast will chain to nearby creatures. Any creature within 5 feet of the creature who died takes half the amount of damage dealt in the fatal blow as force damage.
- Beyond Hunger
The hunger of a vacuum. The ravages of time. The appetite of a star. All are less than the vast nothingness you now hold inside yourself.
When you reach tenth level in this subclass, you gain the following features:
- You learn the spell Misty Step if you do not already know it, and may cast it at will without expending a spell slot a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. It does not count against your number of spells known. You regain all uses of this feature after a long rest.
- If you (or one of your familiars) reduces a creature to 0 hit points with force damage, it immediately activates Hollowed Soul without expending a spell slot.
- For two rounds after each activation or reactivation of Hollowed Soul, each time you reduce a creature to 0 hit points it immediately reactivates Hollowed Soul.
- On every reactivation of Hollowed Soul, roll a d10. On a roll of ten, you recover one expended spell slot. If you roll less than ten, add your roll to a sum. If this sum ever exceeds 21 (or you roll a 10) you immediately regain a spell slot and your sum resets to zero. Your sum also resets to zero at the end of a long rest.
- You no longer automatically recover your expended spell slots after a short rest. Instead, you must expend one of your Hit Dice for every spell slot you wish to recover.
- Vortex Accelerant
You have learned how to force the very world around you to share a portion of the hunger you now know.
When you reach fourteenth level in this subclass, you gain the following features:
- You can cast Evard's Black Tentacles at will without expending a spell slot a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier. You regain all uses on a long rest.
- Enemy creatures who are not occupying the same space as your Evard's Black Tentacles have disadvantage on Perception checks regarding the space.
- The damage dealt by your Tentacles can be changed to force damage if you so choose.
- If a creature is restrained by your Tentacles, you choose (instead of the creature) at the time of its escape attempt whether it makes a Strength check or a Dexterity check in order to break free.
- You perceive all creatures restrained by your Tentacles as if you had Blindsight.
- Chaotic Invigoration
Through your efforts, your patron's understanding of existence has grown. As it has done so, so too has the portion of yourself which your patron holds grown along with it. Existence will one day end. But your own time may yet be prolonged.
When you reach eighteenth level in this subclass, you gain the following features:
- If your Hollowed Soul sum is 0 when you roll Initiative, you may immediately add 10 to it.
- If anything occurs which would grant you new temporary hit points, you may instead choose to forgo gaining them and roll a d10. This roll is then added to your Hollowed Soul sum.
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