Demonology Warlock

*Imagine what you could do if you led a group of shaman who controlled the source of their powers, instead of begging and scraping for it. Imagine if these shaman had servants who could also fight on your side. Servants who could send your enemies fleeing helplessly in terror. Suck their magic dry as the insects in the summer suck blood.* — *Gul'dan*

An imp skitters behind her as a young human clad in robes smiles warmly, weaving magical charms into her honeyed words, bending the palace sentinels to her will.

A brutish orc waves his hand in the air, sparking flames of green and red, with a flash of his hand, he hurls a ball of fel infused fire against a night elf.

Shifting his gaze between a battered tome and the rough drawn glyphs made in the dirt. A wild eyed forsaken begins a slow chant, as a demonic gate erupts from the ground.

Warlocks and seekers of the knowledge that lies hidden in the fabric of the multiverse. Through their powerful fel magic and secret grimoire, warlocks unlock magical effects both subtle and spectacular. They draw on powers often forbidden throughout Azeroth to bolster their own power.

## Dark Arts, Dominance

In the face of demonic powers, most adventurers see death and destruction. Warlocks see only opportunity, dominance is their aim, and have found a path to it in their shadow magic. These voracious spellcasters enslave demon as their minions to fight and protect besides them. The power of their enslaved demons strengthens as the warlock does, making them able to summon deadly demons to their aid.

## Wielders of Fel

warlocks are the wielders of the destructive fel magic, a form of magic often used by demons and members of the Burning Legion. It is a form of magic that is demonic, entropic, and extremely chaotic. Its practice has been banned throughout most regions of Azeroth, and is not something even warlocks dare practice openly, yet it is still practiced by most warlocks in secrecy.

Whilst other forms of magic comes as a natural source from the wielder or is granted by the spirits, fel magic is a bargain, it corrupts the minds of those surrounded and affected by it, and desecrates the land it touches. If their demonic companion was not enough to frighten common folks of Azeroth, the knowledge of the fel powers they wield are enough to discourage service to them.

## Delvers of Secrets

Warlocks are the most volatile and insatiable of spellcasters. Though they often pledge themselves to the service of noble causes and are not innately evil, their desire to understand darker magics and exercise unwavering command over demonic forces breeds mistrust among even their closest allies. Warlocks peer into the Void without hesitation, leveraging the chaos they glimpse within to devastating ends in battle—their greatest abilities are fueled by the souls they’ve harvested from their victims.

They exploit powerful shadow and fel magic to manipulate and degrade the minds and bodies of their enemies. They employ hellish fires to rain from the skies, immolating their opponents. summoning and commanding indomitable demons from the Twisting Nether to do their bidding, or even to be sacrificed as the Warlock sees fit, empowering and protecting the dark caster from harm.

## Sworn and Beholden

Warlocks are defined by the powers they wield, the powerful fel that the have studied, granting them knowledge of powers hidden to mages and arcanists. A warlock might be a new found member of one of Azeroth's many cults hidden in ruins no longer used, studying fel in secrecy, attempting to unlock devastating powers.

The boons bestowed upon a warlock through their studies ranges from minor but lasting alterations to the warlock's being, to access of powerful spells. Unlike bookish wizards, warlocks supplement their magic with some faciliy at hand-to-hand combat.

## Creating a Warlock

As you make your warlock character, spend some time thinking about why you decided to delve into the secrets of fel, its impressive and destructive nature. Were you seduced by the powers it had? What the fel promised for you? Did you seek out a warlock yourself? or perhaps you became addicted to its powers. How your studies came to be is for you to decide.

### Quick Build

You can make a warlock quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution.

# Class Features

As a warlock, you gain the following class features.

### Hit Points

**Hit Dice:** 1d8 per warlock level

**Hit Points at 1st Level:** 8 + your Constitution modifier

**Hit Points at Higher Levels:**:1d8 + your Constitution modifier per warlock level after 1st

### Proficiencies

**Armor:** Light armor

**Weapons:** Simple weapons, longswords, rapier, scimitar, shortswords

**Tools:** None

**Saving Throws:** Intelligence, Wisdom

**Skills:** Choose two skills from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, and Religion

### Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

* (a) shortsword or (b) any simple weapon
* (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
* (a) a scholar's pack or (b) a dungeoneer's pack
* Leather armor, and a dagger

## Fel Study

At 1st level, you have begun studying into the powers and chaotic fel, uncovering knowledge of your choice:

* Study of Affliction
* Study of Demonology
* Study of Destruction

Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

## Shadow Magic

Your research of shadow and its devastating magic have given you facility with spells. See chapter 10 of the Player's Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 6 of this book for for the warlock spell list.

### Cantrips

You know three cantrips of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn additional warlock cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Warlock table.

### Grimoire

At 1st level, you have a spellbook containing six 1st-level warlock spells of your choice. Your Grimoire is the repository of the warlock spells you know.

### Adding New Spells

When you find a warlock spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a level which you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it.

For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells.

### Replacing your Grimoire

You can copy a spell from your own Grimoire into another book. This is just like copying a new spell into your Grimoire, but faster and easier, since you understand your own notation and already know how to cast the spell. You need spend only 1 hour and 10 gp for each level of the copied spell.

If you lose your Grimoire, you can use the same procedure to transcribe the spells that you have prepared into a new Grimoire. Filling out the remainder of your Grimoire requires you to find new spells to do so, as normal.

### Preparing and Casting Spells

The Warlock table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your warlock spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells. you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of warlock spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of warlock spells from your spellbook equal to your Intelligence modifier + your warlock level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest.

### Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your warlock spells, so you use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a warlock spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one

**Spell save DC** = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
**Spell attack modifier** = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
### Ritual Casting

You can cast a warlock spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your Grimoire. You don't need to have the spell prepared.

### Spellcasting Focus

You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your warlock spells.

### Learning Spells of 1st Level or Higher

Each time you gain a warlock level, you can add two warlock spells of your choice to your Grimoire. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. as shown on the Warlock table. On your adventures. you might find other spells that you can add to your Grimoire.

## Life Tap

Starting at 2nd level, you are able to sacrifice your own life force to restore spell slots. As an action, you can deal 1d6 necrotic damage per spell level to yourself, and replenish an expended shadow magic spell slot.

Your maximum hit points are reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken, and are restored when you finish your next long rest.

## Shadow Embrace

At 3rd level, you've been embraced by shadow, granted knowledge and powers unknown to most. You gain one of the following features of your choice.

### Embrace of the Great Dark

You gain a grimoire from the Great Dark Beyond. When you gain this feature, choose three cantrips from any class's spell list. While the book is on your person, you can cast those cantrips at will. The cantrips are warlock spells for you and don't count against your cantrips known.

Additionally, you learn one spell of your choice from any class's spell list. The spell must have a level equal or lower than your shadow magic's spell level. You can cast that spell once per long rest without expending a spell slot. When you receive a replacement grimoire, you may change this spell to another from any class's spell list.

If you lose your grimoire, you can perform a 1-hour ritual to receive a replacement from the Great Dark. This ritual can be performed during a short or long rest, and destroys the previous book. The book turns to ash when you die.

### Embrace of the Shadowlands

You can harvest the souls of the living. If you have a free hand, you can use your reaction when a creature dies within 90 feet of you, to trap its soul in a shard in that hand. The creature must have a CR of 1/2 or greater.

Each soul shard keeps its potency for 8 hours before crumbling into dust. You can never have more soul shards than your Warlock level.

You can expend soul shards within 5 feet of you to use one of the abilities below. Once a shard have been spent, it disappears.

**Concentrated Souls.** As a reaction when making a concentration check for a spell, you can spend a number of soul shards equal to the spell's level. You automatically succeed the concentration check, and have advantage on any additional concentration checks until the start of your next turn.
**Drain Life.** As an action, you can spend soul shards to force a target within 60 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 1d4 necrotic damage per soul shard spent, or half as much on a successful save. You regain hit points equal to the damage dealt.
**Healthstone.** As an action, you can spend soul shards to create a healthstone, the stone keeps its potency for 24 hours before vanishing. As an action, a creature can crush the stone, regaining 1d4 hit points for each soul shard spent in its creation.
### Embrace of the Twisting Nether

You learn to summon and bind a demon from the twisting nether to serve as your companion. With 1 hour of work and the expenditure of 50 gp worth of charcoal and herbs, you summon your choice of an imp, voidwalker, succubus or felhunter, each of which are described in Appendix C at the end of the book.

Your demon gains all the benefits of your Demon Servant ability. You can only have one demon summoned at a time.

If your demon companion is ever slain, you can call forth another using the rules mentioned above.

You can dismiss the demon companion permanently any time you choose, using 1 minute, or you can temporarily dismiss it to a pocket dimension. You can recall the demon from the pocket dimension, as an action, to reappear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you.

### Demon Servant

Your demon companion gains a variety of benefits while summoned by you.

* The demon obeys your command as best it can. It rolls for initiative like any other creature, but you determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. If you are incapacitated or absent, your demon acts on its own.
* Your demon has abilities and game statistics determined in part by your level. In addition to the areas where it normally uses its proficiency bonus, your demon also adds its proficiency bonus to its AC. The demon uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own, and gains more abilities as you gain Warlock levels.
* For each level you gain after 3rd, your demons health increases by the average of its hit dice.
* The demon keeps its alignment, but it can't willingly do any actions that goes against your alignment.

## Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th,
16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of
your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of
your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability
score above 20 using this feature.

## Shadow Master

At 20th level, you can draw on your inner reserve of shadow to regain expended spell slots. You can spend 1 minute to regain all your expended spell slots from your Spellcasting feature. Once you regain spell slots with this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

# Fel Study

Warlocks have come into contact with the powerful fel, studying its uncontrollable energy. Three such studies exist, each delving into a different aspect of the powers wielded by warlocks.

## Study of Affliction

Warlocks that study affliction become masters of shadowtouched powers, unlike priests of the shadow priesthood, warlocks delight in the use of fel as a force to cause pain and leaving their enemies in whirls of torment.

### Expanded Spell List

Affliction lets 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.

Affliction Expanded Spells

### Curse of Agony

Starting at 1st level, you gain the ability to place a baleful curse on someone. As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The curse ends early if the target dies, you die, or you are incapacitated. The target is cursed for 1 minute. Until the curse ends, you gain the following benefits:

* You gain a bonus to damage rolls against the cursed target equal to your proficiency bonus.
* Any attack roll you make against the cursed target is a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20.

You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

### Nether Ward

At 6th level, you learn to magically ward yourself against attacks and to use an enemey's failed strike as an opening for yourself. When a creature makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on that roll. If the attack misses you, your next attack roll against the creature has advantage if you make it before the end of your next turn.

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

### Unstable Affliction

Upon reaching 10th level, when you deal damage to a creature under the effects of your Curse of Agony, you can use your bonus action to attempt to afflict it. The target must succeed on a saving throw against the chosen affliction. On a failed save, the creature gains the effects of the corruption until the end of your next turn.

* **Weakness (Strength Save).** Weapon attacks deal half damage and Strength saving throws are made with disadvantage.
* **Graceless (Dexterity Save).** Attack rolls and Dexterity saving throws are made with disadvantage.
* **Illness (Constitution Save).** The creature can't regain hit points and Constitution saving throws are made with disadvantage.
* **Stupidity (Intelligence Save).** The creature must use its action to use their bonus action or movement.
* **Negligence (Wisdom Save).** The creature uses its movement on its turn to move towards you by the most direct route possible.
* **Abhorrence (Charisma Save).** The creature becomes frightened of you, and uses its turn to move more than 60 feet away from you if possible.

### Seed of Corruption

At 14th level, you can plunge a creature into an illusory realm of the horrific twisting nether. As an action, choose a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you. It must make a Wisdom saving throw against your warlock spell save DC. On a failed save, it is charmed or frightened by you (your choice) for 1 minute or until your concentration is broken (as if you are concentrating on a spell). This effect ends early if the creature takes any damage.

Until this illusion ends, the creature thinks it is lost in the eternal cosmos of the twisting nether. The creature can see and hear only itself, you, and the illusion around it.

You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this feature again.

## Study of Demonology

Warlocks that study demonology harness the powers of the malefic demon beings of the twisting nether. Uncovering secrets unknown by residents of Azeroth, and twisting their magic with the aid of demonic powers from the great dark.

### Expanded Spell List

Demonology lets 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.

Demonology Expanded Spells

### Fiendish Influence

Starting at 1st level, you learn the Friends cantrip, which counts as a warlock cantrip for you.

Additionally, fiends have difficulty harming you. If a fiend targets you directly with an attack or a harmful spell, that creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC (a fiend needn't make the save when it includes you in an area effect, such as the explosion of fireball). On a failed save, the creature must choose a new target or forfeit targeting someone instead of you, potentially wasting the attack or spell. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours. A fiend is also immune to this effect for 24 hours if you target it with an attack or harmful spell.

### Wild Imps

Upon reaching 6th level, your spells are able of open rifts into the twisting nether to bring forth wild imps. Each time you roll a 20 on the d20 roll for a spell attack, or deal the killing blow to a creature of significant threat (DM's discretion). You summon an imp in an unoccupied space within 30 feet of you. A statblock can be found in Appendix C.

A summoned imp obeys your commands as best it can. It rolls initiative like any other creature, but you determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. If you are incapacitated or absent, the imp acts on its own.

Imps stay for 1 minute before being dragged back to the twisting nether. You can have a number of imps summoned equal to your proficiency bonus.

### Demonic Resilience

Starting at 10th level, you can choose one damage type when you finish a short or long rest. You gain resistance to that damage type until you choose a different one with this feature. Damage from magical weapons or silver weapons ignores this resistance.

### Mark of Service

At 14th level, you gain the ability to infect fiends minds. You can use your action to touch an incapacitated fiend. That creature is charmed by you until a Remove Curse spell is cast on it, the charmed condition is removed from it, you use this feature again, or 24 hours pass.

You can communicate telepathically with the charmed creature as long as the two of you are on the same plane.

## Study of Destruction

Warlocks that study destruction meddle with the energy of fel and fire, combining the two to create devastating spells. They require little motivation for the havoc they wreak, and are happy to revel in the destruction they cause, thrilled at any opportunity to watch the world erupt in discord.

### Expanded Spell List

Destruction lets 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.

Destruction Expanded Spells

### Ignite

At 1st level, as an action, you can magically ignite a flammable object you touch with your hand.

### Chaos Magic

Starting at 1st level, whenever you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that deals fire or necrotic damage, you can use your bonus action and choose a creature hit by your spell. Volatile magic erupts in a 10 feet radius around the target, dealing fire or necrotic damage equal to your warlock level to all creatures within range.

### Havoc

Starting at 6th level, you can duplicate certain spell effects. When you cast a spell with a spell slot that targets only one creature and doesn't have a range of self, you may choose to target a second creature in range with the same spell.

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

### Soul Fire

Beginning at 10th level, you gain the ability to use your tapped life to empower your spells. Whenever you use your Life Tap feature, you are able to reroll a number of damage dice up to your Intelligence modifier for the next spell you cast within 1 minute.

### Chaos Bolt

At 14th level, you are able to hurl a roaring bolt of chaotic energy towards a target. As an action, choose a creature within 120 feet of you, the target must make a Constitution saving throw. Taking 7d8 necrotic plus 30 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

A creature killed by this feature and everything it is wearing and carrying, except magic items, are reduced to a pile of fine gray dust. The creature can be restored to life only by True Resurrection or Wish.

Once you have used this feature you cannot use it again until you have finished a long rest.