Alhazred

## Early Life

Alhazred, a simple man from the Scorched Barrens with a dark secret. Born a human as the son of cultists who worship a Great Old One, Alhazred could only see the horrors in their actions. To worship a creature that would destroy the very planet they live on? Alhazred could not comprehend why a person would do such a thing. But he pretended to go along with his parent’s teachings, until the day he was of age when he ran away into the world.

He would spend his time at first finding a job, and managed to get one as a librarian. This turned out to be quite a fortunate choice as he wanted to research more about Great Old Ones and Voidborn. He discovered that a piece of the Great Old One known as Lidz might be nearby. If he had this piece of Lidz, he could perhaps absorb the power from it. And with this power he could try to fight against the very creature that drove his parents to madness and has caused so much death and destruction.

After a few days of travel, he had done it, he had found a piece of Lidz. A chunk of flesh filled with the power of the Void. Alhazred took the piece, hid it in a bag and went back home where he would perform the necessary rituals to take the power from this flesh with the help of Xerian, a person who had a similar idea. After completing this ritual that most could only call heresy, he had successfully managed to integrate the flesh of Lidz into his own body, the power changing the nature of his body and erupting from it if he isn’t focussed on controlling it. Now brimming with power, Alhazred is prepared to do anything that's necessary in order to stop the threat of the voidborn.

## Weapons of choice

* Magic that applies conditions, such as Stunned, Frightened, Blind, Deaf and Bane
* A ritual dagger

## Racial Abilities

##### **Darkvision.**

Blessed with a radiant soul, your vision can easily cut through darkness. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

##### **Celestial Resistance.**

You have resistance to necrotic damage and radiant damage.

##### **Healing Hands.**

As an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

##### **Light Bearer.**

You know the light cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.

##### **Radiant Consumption**

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing a searing light to radiate from you, pour out of your eyes and mouth, and threaten to char you. Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. During it, you shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet, and at the end of each of your turns, you and each creature within 10 feet of you take radiant damage equal to half your level (rounded up). In addition, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell. The extra radiant damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

##### **Devourer of Cosmic.**

Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal Necrotic damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

## Background

##### **Acolyte**

* Skill proficiency in Religion and Insight
* Two language proficiencies of your choice (Umbral and Void Speech)
* A holy symbol (a gift to you when you entered the priesthood), a prayer book or prayer wheel, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp.

## Class Abilities

##### **Class Proficiencies**

* Wisdom and Charisma saving throws
* Arcana and Investigation
* Robes, Light armor
* Simple weapons

##### **Pact Magic**

Known cantrips:

* Eldritch Blast
* Prestidigitation
* Memento Mori
* Booming Blade

Known spells:

* Hellish Rebuke
* Bane
* Negative Image
* Blindness/Deafness
* Counterspell
* Demon Within
* Dark Heraldry
* Power Word Pain
* Banishment
* Sickening Radiance
* Synaptic Static

##### Form of Dread

*1st-level Undead feature*

You manifest an aspect of your patron’s dreadful power. As a bonus action, you transform for 1 minute. You gain the following benefits while transformed:

* You gain temporary hit points equal to **1d10** + your warlock level.
* Once during each of your turns, when you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can force it to make a Wisdom saving throw, and if the saving throw fails, the target is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
* You are immune to the frightened condition.

You can transform a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

The appearance of your Form of Dread reflects some aspect of your patron. For example, your form could be a shroud of shadows forming the crown and robes of your lich patron, or your body might glow with glyphs from ancient funerary rites and be surrounded by desert winds, suggesting your mummy patron.

##### Eldritch Invocations

* Agonizing Blast
* Eldritch Sight
* Eyes of the Runekeeper
* Aspect of the Moon
* Gift of the Protectors

##### **Pact Boon: Pact of the Tome**

Your patron gives you a grimoire called a Book of Shadows. When you gain this feature, choose three cantrips from any class's spell list. The cantrips do not need to be from the same spell list. While the book is on your person, you can cast those cantrips at will. They don't count against your number of cantrips known. Any cantrip you cast with this feature is considered a warlock cantrip for you. If you lose your Book of Shadows, you can perform a 1-hour ceremony to receive a replacement from your patron. This ceremony can be performed during a short or long rest, and it destroys the previous book. The book turns to ash when you die.

Cantrips chosen:

* Guidance
* Mage Hand
* Message

##### **Ability Score Improvement**

Warcaster Feat

* You have advantage on Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain your concentration on a spell when you take damage.
* You can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands.
* When a hostile creature's movement provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature, rather than making an opportunity attack. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only that creature.

##### **Eldritch Versatility**

*4th-level warlock optional feature*

Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can do one of the following, representing a change of focus in your occult studies:

Replace one cantrip you learned from this class's Pact Magic feature with another cantrip from the warlock spell list.

Replace the option you chose for the Pact Boon feature with one of that feature's other options.

If you're 12th level or higher, replace one spell from your Mystic Arcanum feature with another warlock spell of the same level.

If this change makes you ineligible for any of your Eldritch Invocations, you must also replace them now, choosing invocations for which you qualify.

##### **Grave Touched**

*6th-level Undead feature*

Your patron’s powers have a profound effect on your body and magic. You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe.

In addition, once during each of your turns, when you hit a creature with an attack roll and roll damage against the creature, you can replace the damage type with necrotic damage. While you are using your Form of Dread, you can roll one additional damage die when determining the necrotic damage the target takes.

##### **Ability Score Improvement**

Skill Expert Feat

* Increase one ability score of your choice by 1, to a maximum of 20. (Dexterity)
* You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice. (Perception)
* Choose one skill in which you have proficiency. You gain expertise with that skill, which means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with it. The skill you choose must be one that isn’t already benefiting from a feature, such as Expertise, that doubles your proficiency bonus. (Religion)

##### **Necrotic Husk**

*10th-level Undead feature*

Your connection to undeath and necrotic energy now saturates your body. You have resistance to necrotic damage. If you are transformed using your Form of Dread, you instead become immune to necrotic damage.

In addition, when you would be reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to drop to 1 hit point instead and cause your body to erupt with deathly energy. Each creature of your choice that is within 30 feet of you takes necrotic damage equal to **2d10** + your warlock level. You then gain 1 level of exhaustion. Once you use this reaction, you can’t do so again until you finish **1d4** long rests.

##### **Mystic Arcanum (6th level)**

At 11th level, your patron bestows upon you a magical secret called an arcanum. Choose one 6th-level spell from the warlock spell list as this arcanum.

You can cast your arcanum spell once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.

Chosen Spell:

* Soul Cage

## Magic Items

##### **Uncommon Items**

* Bag of Holding
* Rod of the Pact Keeper +1
* Wand of Secrets

##### **Rare Items**

* Amulet of Health
* Battle Robe of Cold Resistance +1