Warlock - Pact of the Verdant
While the teachings of druidism tells of drawing life forces and energies from the branches and streams of the leyline flowing throughout the earth, some practitioners of druidic magic are gifted with boons from the Viridian Grove itself, the great fairy oak that mothers all of the druidic leylines of Terre. With verdant blessings in hand, these spellcasters harnesses life and nature around them to hinder their foes and heal their allies.
Pact Theme. The Pact of the Verdant is centered around nature, both the life and the decay of it. Spellcastings and magics of this pact manifests around such concepts - the Eldritch Blast cantrip, for example, can take forms of a spectral wood spike or a thorn whip, while the Arms of Hadar invokes thorn and vine tentacles to assault nearby enemies.
Expanded Spell List
The great fairy oak gifts you with an expanded knowledge of the ways of nature. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.
- 1st: Entangle, Faerie Fire
- 2nd: Barkskin, Spike Growth
- 3rd: Erupting Earth, Plant Growth
- 4th: Grasping Vine, Guardian of Nature
- 5th: Contagion, Wrath of Nature
Great Oak’s Boon
When you choose this pact at 1st level, the Viridian Grove bestows its blessing upon you. You learn the Druidcraft cantrip, resistance to poison damage, and advantages on saving throws against the poisoned condition.
Seed of Hexation
Starting at 1st level, you can call upon the Grove to plant a sapping hex upon an enemy, that weakens and drains them with every beat of the heart. As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 60 ft of you, and choose between Piercing, Poison, and Necrotic damage. The target is hexed for 1 minute. The hex ends early if the target dies, you die, or you are incapacitated.
While hexed, the creature’s movement speed is decreased by 10 ft. Additionally, whenever the hexed creature takes an Action, you may choose one of the following:
- The hexed creature takes 2d4 damage of the chosen type.
- A creature of your choice within 30 ft of the hexed creature recovers 2d4 hitpoints.
The damage and healing of your hexes increases by 1d4 with your proficiency bonus at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Essence Drain
Starting at 6th level, your hexes drain their victim of its fading breaths. When the target hexed by your Seed of Hexation is defeated, you may recover one of your expended spell slots granted by the Pact Magic feature.
Spreading Blight
Starting at 10th level, your hexes bloom from the corpses of those they consume, spawning seeds to seek out new targets. Whenever the target hexed by your Seed of Hexation is defeated, you may immediately place the hex on a new target within 30 ft of its old host.
When you reapply the hex in this way, you do not benefit from the Essence Drain feature from the defeat of the previously hexed creature.
Verdant Blossom
Starting at 14th level, you may graft a branch of the great fairy oak to the ground, providing sanctuary for your allies and unleashing wrath on your foes. As an Action, you may choose a point you can see within 30 ft of you. A spectral sapling grows and blossoms on the ground, providing the following benefits:
- Whenever a friendly creature within 30 ft of the sapling receives healing, it gains temporary hitpoints equal to the double amount of hitpoints recovered.
- Once per turn when the creature hexed by your Seed of Hexation is hit by an attack while within 30 ft of the sapling, its hex activates as if it took an Action.
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.