Warlock Pact: The Rider (hint: the warlock is the thing being ridden)

I wanted to build a warlock pact whose powers were more rooted in role playing. Each ability after the first level has a cost that the warlock pays during downtime. The GM should have an idea of the entity's goals for the warlock, and a plan for what it will do with any opportunities it gains to use the warlock to further those goals during that downtime. A warlock that gives in and gets corrupted by it's entity too much may see some of the benefits of being evil, as it's entity will take care of it's host, but if it falls to far the player's time with the character becomes limited. The pact offers a great deal of power to the warlock in the moment, but that is checked by how far they are willing to fall to corruption, and eventually limit their lifespan, and how much of the party's trust they will lose. 

This pact is intended for those players who want to roleplay an actual hero who is determined to destroy the entity riding him, rather than a player who plans to fall to corruption at the first opportunity. I feel that any imaginative GM out there could sufficiently curb the power offered by this class to be a reasonable level, but if you are a GM that tends to let players get away with things without consequence, this subclass may be very, very wrong for your group, as it depends on the GM providing a check to it's power. 

It's also best used in a game where the GM is okay with the campaign going drastically awry due to an imaginative player with the power to back up their imagination. Expect it, because that's kind of what this subclass is made for. 

And if you wonder where my ideas came for it, it is almost entirely inspired by the Sanderis magic in the 7ths Sea 2nd Edition RPG. And that system might give you a bunch of more ideas on how to handle a class like this. 

Anyway, I hope someone out there likes what they see in it, and enjoys having it in a game. If you do, please share your stories with me!

Warlock Pact: The Rider

Your patron is a being who exists solely to corrupt mortal heroes. They are a creature of bargains. Your bargain with them takes the form of a contest: Can they corrupt your soul before you learn their true name? If you learn their true name you can destroy them utterly… and take on a new Rider to test yourself against. After the bargain is struck they become a constant companion in your mind, “riding” you. The ridden warlock can ask their Rider favors in exchange for giving some control up to it temporarily. This power makes the ridden extraordinarily powerful, even for a warlock, but at a dangerous cost. 

***Note: anything the Rider does while it is in control can affect the warlock’s alignment, since they agreed to let the entity take control.

Expanded Spell List

The Rider 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. This warning applies to both Minor Favor and Favor.

Expanded Spells

Spell Level Spells
1st Ceremony, Command
2nd Augury, Zone of Truth
3rd Bestow Curse, Glyph of Warding
4th Divination, Locate Creature
5th Commune, Geas

1st-The Exact Truth

The Warlock with a Rider pact has learned to speak in a precise, direct, and clearly stated manner that allows no misinterpretation. They learned this skill from the entity riding them. Whenever the player’s exact wording matters (whether for a spell or a social interaction), the player may describe what they want to the GM rather than provide an exact wording. All abilities that detect lies or truth detect the player’s words as truth. The player may not use this ability when a bluff check would be called for. 

6th-Minor Favor***

Starting at 6th level, the warlock may cast a spell that is on the warlock’s spell list, and of a level they could cast, but is not currently prepared. In exchange, during the next downtime, their Rider may cast suggestion on them, with no save available. It is up to the GM, based on what exactly the Rider will be asking, how many times the Rider is willing to let this ability be used. It will only queue up as many suggestions as it thinks you can accomplish during that next downtime. This may be used even if all of the Warlock’s Spell Slots have been used.

10th-Favor***

Starting at 10th level, the warlock may cast any spell that is on any spell list, as long as it is of a level they could cast warlock spells at. In exchange, during the next downtime, their Rider may cast Dominate on them, with no save available, lasting for 10 minutes. Additional uses of this ability increase that time. It is up to the GM, based on what exactly the Rider will be asking, how many times the Rider is willing to let this ability be used. It will only queue up as much dominated time as it thinks it can use during that next downtime. This may be used even if all of the Warlock’s Spell Slots have been used.

14th-Major Favor

Starting at 14th level, the warlock may cast Wish. The price for this is to move one step closer to chaotic or evil on the alignment track. Nothing can prevent this alignment shift. To call upon the warlock’s Rider for this kind of power is ALWAYS corrupting. If the warlock reaches Chaotic Evil on the alignment track, the Rider claims their soul, and takes their body as its own permanently, becoming an NPC. If the warlock uses this power Seven Times without reaching Chaotic Evil, they learn the True Name of their Rider, destroy it utterly, and take on a new Rider. The temptation to corrupt the warlock is too great for any Rider to resist, so there will always be another one willing to bargain with the warlock. Note: the warlock does not lose any class features when this occurs, it continues on with all the abilities it has gained, as it has become experienced in dealing with a rider.