Witches and Warlocks

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Overview & Creation

The Warlock uses ancient arcane ability to unleash power that most mortals could only dream of having. Though they do increase their powers through hard work and discipline like others, they draw their powers from ancient, mysterious, and immensely powerful entities that have shown them favor. These powers are thrust upon some Warlocks, some bargain with their would-be patron or one of the servants of them, and others work hard to garner enough favor to be gifted the power that they seek. The power of the Warlock gives those that use it choices as to the exact nature of their powers, from the spells they use, to the invocations they take, to the pact boons they receive. The pact boons Warlock receive can be the pact of the armament which gives the user a conventional weapon to match the powers received from their patrons, the pact of the chain deems you the master over a creature that not only serves your patron but now serves under you completely. The final and most important choice a Warlock must make is the pact itself and which patron they will be working under as all them have advantages and drawbacks some kind. Warlocks can invoke pacts with a variety of powerful entities: the Devil, the Eldritch Remnant, the Loa, or the Void.   The Devil as a patrons are sly by nature and will often make bargains that allow you to gain powers in return for something important to the,. This important object may draw its importance not because they want it but because someone does, maybe even you. They require sacrifices that they know they can use later and they frequently opt to take the long con. The deals they ensnare many into often seem too good to be true, and that’s because they are. Though you will gain great power and skill from your pact, often the price you paid will not even be remotely worth it. Sometimes lesser servants of The Devil will form pacts themselves but the power all derives from the same source and the outcome is always the same.   The Eldritch Remnants are ancient, powerful bodies of magical energy. These cosmic fields have been left to fester for millenia. Over the course of time they have grown to massive reserves of potential arcane energy. They have grown powerful enough to form their own consciousness and agency. Though they can not act in their own right, Eldritch Remnants impose their influence through those whom have borrowed from their massive arcane reserves.   Because Eldritch Remnants have no control of their own cosmic bodies, they are often very controlling of their detractors’ actions. Their goals are often fueled by their desire for a physical form. Those who have taken the Eldritch Remnant as a patron will often be given obscure tasks which seem fruitless but will build upon the work of other detractors and ultimately contribute to the Eldritch Remnant’s larger plans.   The Loa exist as powerful spirits, some seeking to guide, others seeking to grant luck (good or bad), and others seeking only further their own goals. The one thing that links them together is that they all very macabre in nature and while it might seem evil to some to them, it’s just how they function and some mean no harm by it. Many Lao seek to help their followers, who revere them as gods in their own rights, though their practices may seem odd and undesirable to outsiders. Just as many Loa are extremely dark entities though pleasure themselves through death and suffering. Sometimes being able to tell the difference between which Loa is which is impossible.   The least is known about The Void than any of the other patrons, which seems impossible considering the Great Old Ones, but at least things are sometimes comprehensible through the gibbering madness of those that chose to study them. The Void however, has few that have had any interactions with it and survived to tell the tale. Those that do survive only speak of a soul crushing black abyss that seeks to envelop all that is into itself. Though some of the Warlocks that make their pacts with the Void follow these ideals, others just thirst for powers. For some it is unknown why The Void gave them these powers, other than that the Void may be seeking to further its horrific and mysterious goals.

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Class Features

Otherworldly Patron

At 1st level, you have struck a bargain with an otherworldly being of your choice: The Devil, The Great Old One, The Loa, or The Void each of which is detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.  

Eldritch Invocations

beginning at 2nd level, in your study of occult lore, you have unearthed eldritch invocations, fragments of forbidden knowledge that imbue you with an abiding magical ability. you gain two eldritch invocations of your choice. your invocation options are detailed at the end of the class description. when you gain certain warlock levels, you gain additional invocations of your choice, as shown in the invocations known column of the warlock table. additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the invocations you know and replace it with another invocation that you could learn at that level.  

Pact Boon

At 3rd level, your otherworldly patron bestows a gift upon you for your loyal service. You gain one of the following features of your choice:  

Pact of the Chain

You learn the find familiar spell and can cast it as a ritual. The spell doesn’t count against your number of spells known. When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: imp, pseudodragon, shadow, or void ooze. Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own.  

Pact of the Armament

You can use your action to create a pact weapon in your empty hand. You can choose the form that this weapon takes each time you create it (a ranged weapon does not come with ammo, you must have ammo for the weapon). You are proficient with it while you wield it. This weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. Your pact weapon disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you use this feature again, if you dismiss the weapon (no action required), or if you die. You can transform one magic weapon into your pact weapon by performing a special ritual while you hold the weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. You can then dismiss the weapon, shunting it into an extradimensional space, and it appears whenever you create your pact weapon thereafter. You can’t affect an artifact or a sentient weapon in this way. The weapon ceases being your pact weapon if you die, if you perform the 1-hour ritual on a different weapon, or if you use a 1-hour ritual to break your bond to it. The weapon appears at your feet if it is in the extradimensional space when the bond breaks.  

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. While the book is on your person, you can cast those cantrips at will. They don’t count against your number of cantrips known. 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.  

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 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.  

Mystic Arcanum

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. At higher levels, you gain more warlock spells of your choice that can be cast in this way: one 7th-level spell at 13th level, one 8th-level spell at 15th level, and one 9th-level spell at 17th level. You regain all uses of your Mystic Arcanum when you finish a long rest.  

Black Magic

by 20th level, you can increase the power of your spells by letting in more of your patron’s power and overcharging yourself with your patron’s magical energy. When you cast a Warlock spell that deals damage and uses one of your spell slots, you can deal maximum damage with that spell. The first time you do so, you suffer no adverse effect. If you use this feature again before you finish a long rest, you take 10d6 necrotic damage immediately after you cast the spell. Each time you use this feature again before finishing a long rest, the necrotic damage increases by 8d6. This damage ignores resistance and immunity.

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Starting Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:   a quarterstaff   (a) a derringer and 20 pistol ammo or (b)other weapon of choice   (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus   (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

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Spellcasting

Pact Magic

Your arcane research and the magic bestowed on you by your patron have given you facility with spells.  

Spellcasting

Drawing arcane power from your pact, you can cast spells that reflect the essence of your otherworldly patron. See chapter 10 of the PHB for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the Warlock spell list. (For your list of spells refer to the Warlock list from the PHB)  

Cantrips

You know two 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.  

Spell Slots

The Warlock table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your Warlock spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest. For example, when you are 5th level, you have two 3rdlevel spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell thunderwave, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 3rd-level spell.  

Spells Known of 1st level and higher

At 1st level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the Warlock spell list. The Spells Known column on the Warlock table shows when you learn more Warlock spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 6th level, for example, you learn a new Warlock spell, which can be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Warlock spells you know and replace it with another spell from the Warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.  

Spellcasting Ability

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Warlock spells, so you use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma 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 Charisma modifier   Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier    

Spellcasting Focus

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

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Eldritch Invocations

If an eldritch invocation has prerequisites, you must meet them to learn it. You can learn the invocation at the same time that you meet its prerequisites.  

Advanced Secrets

Prerequisite: 11th level, Pact of the Tome feature You learn a 3rd level spell from any spell list of your choice, you can cast this spell as a warlock spell without expending a spell slot. When you cast this spell you must finish a long rest before you can use this spell again. This spell does not count against the warlock spells you know.  

Agonizing Blast

Prerequisite: eldritch blast cantrip When you cast eldritch blast, add your Charisma modifier to the damage it deals on a hit.  

Armor of Shadows

You can cast mage armor on yourself at will, without expending a spell slot or material components.  

Ascendant Step

Prerequisite: 9th level You can cast levitate on yourself at will, without expending a spell slot or material components.  

Beast Speech

You can cast speak with animals at will, without expending a spell slot.  

Beguiling Influence

You gain proficiency in the Deception and Persuasion skills.  

Bewitching Whispers

Prerequisite: 7th level You can cast compulsion once using a warlock spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.  

Book of Ancient Secrets

Prerequisite: pact of the tome feature You can now inscribe magical rituals in your Book of Shadows. Choose two 1st-level spells that have the ritual tag from any class’s spell list. The spells appear in the book and don’t count against the number of spells you know. With your Book of Shadows in hand, you can cast the chosen spells as rituals. You can’t cast these spells except as rituals, unless you’ve learned them by some other means. You can also cast a warlock spell you know as a ritual if it has the ritual tag. On your adventures, you can add other ritual spells to your Book of Shadows. When you find such a spell, you can add it to the book if the spell’s level is equal to or less than half your Warlock level (rounded up) and if you can spare the time to transcribe the spell. For each level of the spell, the transcription process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp for the rare inks needed to inscribe it.  

Combat Synchronization

Prerequisite: 13th level, pact of the chain feature You may use your bonus action have your familiar take an attack action instead of forgoing one of your attacks.  

Devil's Sight

You can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.  

Dreadful Word

prerequisite: 7th level You can cast confusion once using a Warlock spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.  

Eldritch Sight

You can cast detect magic at will, without expending a spell slot.  

Eldritch Spear

Prerequisite: eldritch blast cantrip When you cast eldritch blast, its range is 300 feet.  

Eyes of the Rune Keeper

You can read all writing.  

Fiendish Vigor

You can cast false life on yourself at will as a 1st-level spell, without expending a spell slot or material components.  

Forceful Weapons

Prerequisite: pact of the armament feature When you make an attack roll with your pact weapon you may substitute your Charisma modifier for the normal ability modifier you would use for the attack roll made.  

Formidable Chains

prerequisite: 10th level, pact of the chain feature You can choose to replace your current familiar with a more formidable familiar, choosing from arcane amalgamation black dog, poltergeist, or scoloxidae.  

Gaze of Two Minds

You can use your action to touch a willing humanoid and perceive through its senses until the end of your next turn. As long as the creature is on the same plane of existence as you, you can use your action on subsequent turns to maintain this connection, extending the duration until the end of your next turn. While perceiving through the other creature’s senses, you benefit from any special senses possessed by that creature, and you are blinded and deafened to your own surroundings.  

Lifedrinker

Prerequisite: 12th level, pact of the armament feature When you hit a creature with your pact weapon, the creature takes extra necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).   Mask of Many Faces You can cast disguise self at will, without expending a spell slot.  

Master of Myriad Forms

Prerequisite: 15th level You can cast alter self at will, without expending a spell slot.  

Master of the Tome

Prerequisite: 15th level, pact of the tome feature You learn a 4th level spell from any spell list of your choice, you can cast this spell as a Warlock spell without expending a spell slot, when you cast this spell must finish a long rest before you can use this spell again. This spell do not count against the Warlock spells you know.  

Mind Flayer

Prerequisite: 12th level, pact of the armament feature When you hit a creature with your pact weapon, the creature takes extra psychic damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).  

Minions of Chaos

Prerequisite: 9th level You can cast conjure elemental once using a Warlock spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.  

Mire the Mind

Prerequisite: 5th level You can cast slow once using a Warlock spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.  

Misty Visions

You can cast silent image at will, without expending a spell slot or material components.  

One with Shadows

Prerequisite: 5th level When you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can use your action to become invisible until you move or take an action or a reaction.

Otherworldly Leap

Prerequisite: 9th level You can cast jump on yourself at will, without expending a spell slot or material components.  

Repelling Blast

Prerequisite: eldritch blast cantrip When you hit a creature with eldritch blast, you can push the creature up to 10 feet away from you in a straight line.  

Sculptor of Flesh

Prerequisite: 7th level You can cast polymorph once using a Warlock spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.  

Sign of Ill Omen

Prerequisite: 5th level You can cast bestow curse once using a Warlock spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.  

Soul Incinerator

Prerequisite: 12th level, pact of the armament feature When you hit a creature with your pact weapon, the creature takes extra fire damage equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).  

Thief of Five Fates

You can cast bane once using a Warlock spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.  

Thirsting Blade

Prerequisite: 5th level, pact of the armament feature You can attack with your pact weapon twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.  

Tome of Secrets

Prerequisite: 7th level, pact of the tome feature You learn one 1st level and one 2nd level spell from any spell list of your choice. You can cast these spells as a Warlock spell without expending a spell slot, when you cast either of these spells you must finish a long rest before you can use the spell used again. These spells do not count against the Warlock spells you know.

Visions of Distant Realms

Prerequisite: 15th level You can cast arcane eye at will, without expending a spell slot.  

Voice of the Chain Master

Prerequisite: pact of the chain feature You can communicate telepathically with your familiar and perceive through your familiar’s senses as long as you are on the same plane of existence. Additionally, while perceiving through your familiar’s senses, you can also speak through your familiar in your own voice, even if your familiar is normally incapable of speech.  

Whispers of the Grave

Prerequisite: 9th level You can cast speak with dead at will, without expending a spell slot.  

Witch Sight

Prerequisite: 15th level You can see the true form of any shapechanger or creature concealed by illusion or transmutation magic while the creature is within 30 feet of you and within line of sight.

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Subclass Options

Otherworldly Patron

A Warlock’s choice of patron is the first and most important choice that they will make. Patrons are beings of great power that will lend that power to those they see fit. This first choice is so important because it defines the power the Warlock will receive depending on the type of patron. Even among the same kind patron, the patron’s identity and expectations are very important to how a Warlock will act.   Each patron is unique in their own way, despite how their pacts often have similar effects with patrons of the same type. Some patrons seek to further their own goals through whatever means including living emissaries. Some are unknowable and inscrutable, their true intentions hidden from all views except those they find necessary to know. There are those that are collectors; whether that be knowledge, various arcane secrets, physical objects, or even Warlocks themselves. There exists those that aren’t in these categories and to go through them all would take far too long, as patrons are as diverse as the warlocks they employ.  

The Devil

Deals in the infernal  

Deal with the Devil

At 1st level, the deal with your devil has afforded you some kind of exceptional ability. Choose a skill or tool of your choice that you are not proficient in and you gain proficiency in it, you then also choose a skill or tool (it can be the same skill or tool this feature gave you proficiency in) Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with the skill or tool you’ve chosen.  

Shrewd Minded

At 1st level, the pact with your devil makes it so being charmed by other lesser beings is much harder. You gain advantage on all rolls made against being charmed.  

Light Bearer

By 6th level, the pact you’ve made with your patron has given you insight into to better use of the tools your devil has given you. When you use a spell that does fire or radiant damage you may add your Charisma modifier to the damage roll.  

Fiendish 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 silvered weapons ignores this resistance.  

The Eldritch Remnant

Deals in ancient lost arcane  

Spell Recharge

Starting at 1st level, your patron’s power overflows within you, allowing you to regain magic without even resting. You regain a Warlock Spell Slot for every 8 - your Charisma modifier hours since you’ve finished your last short or long rest. If you already have your maximum number of warlock spell slots you can not regain a spell slot until one has been used.  

Arcane Aura

By 6th level, the magic that your patron has bestowed upon you is seeping out and is creating a magical aura. This aura allows you to always perceive magic around you and cut down the magical defenses of those that oppose you. Your Arcane Aura’s range is a 15 feet radius from you. Within that radius, all creatures have disadvantage on saving throws against your Warlock spells. Additionally, you are always under the effects of detect magic within that 15 feet radius. The radius of your aura increases to 30 feet at 14th level.  

Eldritch Vitality

Starting at 10th level, you have learned to bolster your arcane defenses immensely. As a bonus action, you can gain resistance to all magical damage. But doing so leaves you vulnerable to physical attacks. While you use this feature, you have vulnerability to all non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. You can stop use of this feature as a bonus action.  

Magical Discharge

At 14th level, you gain the ability create a reactive magical explosion when you are damaged by a spell. Whenever you take magical damage, you can use your reaction to make every creature within 30 feet of you make a Dexterity Saving Throw. The DC for the Saving Throw is equal to your Warlock Spell Save DC. On a success, a creature takes damage equal to Warlock level + your Charisma modifier, on a fail they take double that damage. Once you use this feature you must finish a long rest before you regain use of this feature.  

The Loa

Deals in Spirits  

Luck of the Spirits

Starting at 1st level, you can call on your patron to alter fate in your favor. When you make an ability check, attack roll, or a saving throw, you can use this feature to add 1d10 to your roll. You can do so after seeing the initial roll but before any of the roll’s results occur. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.  

Voodoo Doll

By the time you’ve reached 6th level, you’ve learned how to imbue a doll with the likeness and essence of another creature. As an action, you can turn your voodoo doll into one that resembles a creature that you can see within 60 feet, a creature you have met and associated with for at least 30 minutes, or a creature you have observed for at least 4 hours. The voodoo doll has hit points equal to 4 times your Warlock level. While you have the voodoo doll you have advantage on attack rolls made against that creature and advantage Wisdom (Perception) checks involving that creature. The voodoo doll ceases to function if it is farther than 1 mile from the target. You can cast spells and attack the doll as if you were attacking the creature in question and any attack rolls or saving throws for damaging spells the creature would make the doll automatically fails. Non-damaging spells cast on the doll act as if the spell was cast on the creature the doll was made to resemble. Every time you damage the doll, the creature who it resembles make a Constitution saving throw and on a failure they take full damage done to the doll on a success they take half the damage done. The doll dissipates when its hit points drop to 0 and any excess damage is not carried over.  

Hoodoo, Heals, and Hexes

Starting at 10th level, after you finish a long rest you can take a short amount of time to construct hoodoo bags that you can expend to do multitude things. You can construct a number of bags equal to your Charisma modifier. As an action, you can use it to cast nondetection spell without expending a spell slot, you may cast bestow curse without expending a spell slot, or you can heal a creature of your choice within touch range for 3d6 plus your Charisma modifier. As a bonus action, you may cast hex as a 3rd level spell without expending a spell slot.  

Friends from the Other Side

By 14th level, you’ve found a way to bring forth some of the friends you’ve made on the ethereal plane. As a bonus action you can summon a number of spirits. You have 20 points to select a number of spirits to summon that equal to or less than the number of points you have.

• Zombies and Skeletons = 1 point

• Shadows = 2 points

• Specters and Ghouls = 4 points

• Will-o’-Wisps and Ghasts = 8 points

• Wights = 12 points

• Ghosts = 16 points

• Wraiths = 20 points.

On your turn you can use your action to command the spirits you summon and the spirits last for 10 minutes or until their HP drops to 0 at which point they disappear. You can not use this feature again until you finish a long rest.    

The Void

Deals in the Unkown

Bleak Emptiness

At 1st level, you can plunge a creature into an illusory realm. 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 frightened by you 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 dark emptiness of the void which you can detail to your choosing. The creature can see and hear only itself, you, and the illusion. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.  

Crushing Aura

At 6th level, you gain the ability crush and stun your foes with the aura of the void as an action. When you take this action, each creature within 10 feet of must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stun until the end of your next turn. This effect also ends if the creature takes damage.  

Crushing Force

By 10th level you’ve learned how to add the crushing force of the void to your spells. When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for a spell you cast that deals force damage, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2.  

One with the Void

Starting at 14th level you gain the ability to transform yourself into a shadow form as a bonus action. In this form, you have resistance to all damage and immunity to force damage, and you can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. You take 5 force damage (ignoring any immunity) if you end your turn inside an object. You remain in this form for 1 minute or until your concentration is broken (as if you are concentrating on a spell). You can not use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

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Pugilist

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Overview & Creation

Arrows rain down around her as she runs towards the hobgoblins. Desperate to close the distance, the half-orc fights through the sting of a dozen cuts to reach her foes. The pain only makes her stronger. As she descends on the snarling pack she swings wildly, knocking several hobgoblins off their feet and sending the rest scattering before her.   The human braces himself for the impact as the orc rushes him. Then the monster makes a mistake, telegraphing its next move, and that’s all the opening the human needs. He ducks beneath the orc’s wide swing then raises both hands high above his head and brings them down on the orc’s back, forcing the brute to the ground. The dwarf smiles broadly and chuckles as the petty noble raises his hand to strike him for the impudent remark. Quick as a flash, the dwarf shatters the bottle in his hand against the bar and brandishes it before the noble. The young dandy flinches, stumbles backward, and runs away as the dwarf turns back to the bar to order another round.   Wherever they come from, pugilists live a rough and tumble life that leaves them full of determination and reckless, either from overconfidence or desperation. In a fight they can channel this strength of character to dig deep and fight off foes with greater strength of numbers, arms, or armor than anyone else would think possible.  

Swagger for Days

Pugilists unconsciously tap into their own inner strength in the form of moxie. This is not an esoteric or mystical energy that flows through the multiverse, but the result of determination forged over a lifetime of hardship with a never-say-die attitude. You can teach someone how to fight but you could never teach someone how to be a pugilist. The secret of mastering moxie doesn’t come from disciplined study or rigorous training, it comes from years of wanting and needing.  

Life on the Street

Every city in the worlds of D&D has its back alleys, its underground fighting rackets, its ghettos. The pugilists who live in these places don’t have time to consider the lofty ideals of philosophy or ponder the mysteries of the universe. The pugilists, growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, spend all their time chasing down their next meal or, if they’re fortunate enough to have that, their next drink, bedfellow, or flophouse.   For pugilists, becoming an adventurer might be the only way out of whatever miserable situation they’ve been stuck in since infancy. For others, getting lost out in the world is an escape from the tangled web of debt or enemies they’ve piled up. Other pugilists fight because it’s the only thing they know how to do. Whatever the reason for their adventuring, pugilists are as excited by the prospect of throwing punches as they are spending every last gold coin they earn.

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Class Features

Fisticuffs

At 1st level, your years of fighting in back alleys and taverns have given you mastery over combat styles that use unarmed strikes and pugilist weapons, which are simple melee weapons without the two-handed property, whips, and improvised weapons. You may not use the finesse property of a weapon while using it as a pugilist weapon. You gain the following benefits while you are unarmed or using only pugilist weapons and you are wearing light or no armor and not using a shield:

• You can roll a d6 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike or pugilist weapon. This die changes as you gain pugilist levels, as shown in the Fisticuffs column on the Pugilist table.

• When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a pugilist weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike or grapple as a bonus action.

 

Iron Chin

Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing light or no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 12 + your Constitution modifier.  

Moxie

Starting at 2nd level, your experience laying the beatdown on others has given you a moxie you can channel in the midst of battle. This swagger is represented by a number of moxie points. Your pugilist level determines the maximum number of points you have, as shown in the Moxie Points column of the Pugilist table.   You can spend these points to fuel various moxie features. You start knowing three such features: Brace Up, The Old One-Two, and Stick and Move. You learn more moxie features as you gain levels in this class. You regain all expended moxie points when you complete a short or long rest.  

Brace Up

You can use a bonus action and spend 1 moxie point to brace for attacks. Roll your fisticuffs die + your pugilist level + your Constitution modifier and gain that many temporary hit points.  

The Old One-Two

Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 moxie point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.  

Stick and Move

You can use a bonus action and expend 1 moxie point to make a shove attack or take the Dash action.  

Street Smart

Beginning at 2nd level, carousing, shadowboxing, and sparring all count as light activity for the purposes of resting for you. Additionally, once you have caroused in a settlement for 8 hours or more, you know all public locations in the city as if you were born and raised there and you cannot be lost by non-magical means while within the city.  

Bloodied But Unbowed

Starting at 3rd level, when you take damage that reduces you to half your maximum hit points or less, you can use your reaction to gain temporary hit points equal to your pugilist level + your Constitution modifier and you regain all expended moxie points. You cannot use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.  

Fight Club

Starting at 3rd level, you choose a fight club that best exemplifies your style: Arena Royale, Bloodhound Bruisers, Dog & Hound, Hand of Dread, Piss & Vinegar, the Squared Circle, or the Sweet Science, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your fight club grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.  

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 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.  

Dig Deep

Starting at 4th level, you discover a strength inside you that can’t be broken. As a bonus action, you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage for one minute. At the end of that minute you gain a level of exhaustion.  

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.  

Haymaker

Starting at 5th level, before you make an attack that does not already have disadvantage, you can declare you are swinging wild haymakers. You make all weapon attack rolls until the end of this turn with disadvantage and when you deal damage with a pugilist weapon or an unarmed strike you do not roll for the weapon’s damage die, but use the maximum die result instead.  

Moxie-Fueled Fists

Starting at 6th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.  

Fancy Footwork

At 7th level, you gain proficiency in Dexterity saving throws.  

Shake It Off

Starting at 7th level, you can use your action to end one effect on yourself that is causing you to be charmed or frightened.  

Down But Not Out

At 9th level, when you use your Bloodied But Unbowed feature you can choose to also use this feature. If you do, you add your proficiency bonus to your damage with unarmed attacks and pugilist weapons for the next minute. You can use this feature again after you complete a long rest.  

School of Hard Knocks

By 10th level, you’ve graduated top of the class at the school of hard knocks and you took most of them on the head. You have resistance to psychic damage and gain advantage on saving throws against effects that would make you stunned or unconscious.  

Rabble Rouser

Starting at 13th level, word of your exploits travels quickly in cities and other settlements. Once you have taken a long rest by carousing in a settlement, you gain advantage on all Charisma (Persuasion) and Charisma (Intimidation) rolls made against the people who live there.  

Unbreakable

Starting at 14th level, you gain advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws. Additionally, whenever you make a saving throw and fail, you can spend 1 moxie point to reroll it and take the second result.  

Herculean

At 15th level, your carrying capacity is doubled, and when you deal damage with a melee weapon or unarmed strike to an inanimate object that damage is doubled. Your standing jump distance is the same as your running start jump distance.  

Fighting Spirit

Starting at 18th level, when you have 4 levels of exhaustion or fewer and are reduced to 0 hit points, you regain half of your maximum hit points, half of your maximum moxie points, and gain a level of exhaustion. You cannot use this feature again until you finish a long rest.  

Peak Physical Condition

At 20th level, your Strength and Constitution ability scores increase by 2 to a maximum of 22. Additionally, when you take a long rest you recover 2 levels of exhaustion instead of 1 and you regain all your expended hit dice instead of half your expended hit dice.

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Starting Equipment

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

• (a) leather armor or (b) any simple weapon

• (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

• (a) a set of artisan’s tools (b) a gaming set or (c) thieves’ tools

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Subclass Options

Fight Clubs

Despite the name, fight clubs are not formal fraternities or sororities, but collections of pugilists who, by training or happenstance, share a similar style. In some D&D worlds, fight clubs can tell you a lot about where a person comes from, while in others there are representatives of many fighting styles in all metropolitan areas.

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Arena Royale

Pugilists in the Arena Royale fight club travel the world earning their keep as equal parts performer and gladiator. Whether performing in staged physical competitions, or fighting it out in unscripted brawls, pugilists in the Arena Royale care as much about the theatrics of a fight as they do its outcome. Pugilists in this fight club also care deeply about their reputation and work to build up local and regional legends about their performing personas.  

Bonus Proficiency

Starting when you choose this Fight Club at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Performance skill, if you don’t have it already. If you do, you gain proficiency in your choice of the Intimidation or Persuasion skill.  

Persona Libre

Also at 3rd level, you create an alternate persona that you can adopt or discard as a bonus action on your turn. When you create an alternate persona you should give the persona a striking name as well as some physical signifier (such as a mask, colorful cape, or another prominent idiosyncratic feature). Unless you tell a creature, or the creature sees you adopt your persona, they do not know you and the adopted persona are the same person.   Additionally, you have a pool of persona points equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). When you use an ability that costs moxie points, you can spend persona points instead. In addition, before you make a Charisma ability check you can spend a persona point to add your Strength modifier to the result. You can only use persona points while you have adopted your persona. You regain all expended persona points when you finish a long rest.  

Work the Crowd

At 6th level, while you have adopted your alternate persona, you can use your action to inspire your choice of fear or adoration in those nearby. When you do, all creatures within 30 feet who can see you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be charmed, if you chose adoration, or frightened if you chose fear. This effect lasts for one minute. Each time a creature takes damage from you or one of your allies it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success. You can use this feature again after you finish a long rest.  

High Flyer

Starting at 11th level, your base movement increases by 10 feet, your jump distance is doubled, and you can use a bonus action on your turn to take the Dash action.  

Signature Move

Starting at 17th level, you create a signature move that you can use while you have adopted your alternate persona. Give your signature move a name and a description. You can replace one of your unarmed attacks or attacks with a pugilist weapon on your turn with this signature move.   When you use your signature move, you can jump in any direction up to your movement speed, make an attack roll with advantage against a creature in your reach and, if you hit, the attack is a critical and the creature is stunned until the end of your next turn. If you hit with your signature move, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again. If you miss with your signature move, you regain the use of it after 1 minute.  

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Bloodhound Bruisers

Pugilists in the Bloodhound Bruisers fight club are notorious for looking for trouble and finding it every time. Members of this fight club are highly observant of character traits and physical evidence and can form an almost supernatural connection to the cities they live in. Most use these abilities to become urban defenders of the downtrodden but others lend their talents to less savory organizations.  

Ever Vigilant

When you choose this fight club at 3rd level, you have advantage on initiative rolls. During the first round of combat, you have advantage on attack rolls against creatures who haven’t acted yet.  

Detective Work

Also at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Insight, Investigation, or Perception. In addition, when you make an Intelligence (Investigation), Wisdom (Insight), or Wisdom (Perception) ability check you can spend 1 moxie point to gain advantage on that ability check.  

Scrap Like a Sleuth

At 6th level, you can use a bonus action and expend 2 moxie points to hone in on the idiosyncrasies and bad habits of an enemy you can see within 30 feet. When you do, you have advantage on weapon attacks against the creature and you add your proficiency bonus to your AC against attacks made by that creature. These effects continue for 1 minute or until you use this feature again.  

Heart of the City

Starting at 11th level, when you take a long rest in a settlement, you can choose to become familiar with the settlement. When you use this feature again, you replace your previous familiar settlement with the current one. You gain the following benefits while in a familiar settlement:

• You cannot be surprised and you add your proficiency bonus to your initiative.

• You have darkvision to a range of 120 feet.

• When you make an ability check using the Insight, Investigation, or Perception skills that adds your proficiency bonus, add twice your proficiency bonus instead.

• You cannot be lost by any means

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• When you are not in combat, you can travel between any two points in the settlement twice as fast as your speed would normally allow.

 

Eyes Wide Open

Starting at 17th level, you can use a bonus action and spend 1 moxie point to open your senses to your surroundings for 1 minute. During this time, you have advantage on saving throws against being blinded or deafened and have truesight out to a distance of 30 feet  

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Dog & Hound

You’ve never had a friend you could rely on that walked on two legs. Lucky for you, you’ve got the best fourlegged friend a body could ask for. Pugilists in the Dog & Hound fight club are as faithful to their canine companions as their canine companions are to them.  

Bonus Proficiency

When you choose this fight club at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the Animal Handling skill if you don’t already have it. If you do, you gain proficiency in your choice of the Perception or Survival skill.  

Brawler’s Best Friend

Also at 3rd level, you gain a hound that accompanies you on your adventures and fights alongside you. Your hound can be any breed of dog or similar canine creature, but uses the statistics of a wolf (found in appendix A of the Monster Manual). You add your proficiency bonus to your hound’s AC, saving throws, attack rolls, and damage rolls.   For each level you gain after 3rd, your hound gains an additional d8 hit die and increases its hit points accordingly.   You can use a bonus action on each of your turns to verbally command your hound to take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help action that turn. It does not have its own turn unless you are incapacitated or absent. If you are incapacitated or absent, the hound acts on its own (continuing to act on your turn, if you are incapacitated), focusing on protecting you and itself. The hound never requires your command to use its reaction, such as when making an opportunity attack. If your hound dies, you can obtain a new one by spending 8 hours bonding with a canine animal that isn’t hostile to you.  

Mutt With Moxie

At 3rd level, you share everything with your faithful hound: food, shelter, even moxie. When you use certain moxie abilities, your hound gains a benefit as well.

Brace Up

. When you gain temporary hit points as a result of using your Brace Up moxie ability, your hound gains the same number of temporary hit points.

The Old One-Two

. When you use your The Old One- Two moxie ability, your hound can make one or both attacks instead of you.

Stick and Move

. When you use your Stick and Move moxie ability, your hound can take the Dash action.  

Arcanine Bite

At 6th level, your hound’s attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.  

Coordinated Attack

Also at 6th level, you and your canine companion form a more potent fighting team. When you use the Attack action on your turn, if your hound can see you, it can use its reaction to make a melee attack.  

Hound’s Best Friend

At 11th level, when a creature deals damage to your hound with an attack, you can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against that creature if you are within range.  

Dire Hound

Beginning at 17th level, you use the statistics for a dire wolf (found in appendix A of the Monster Manual), instead of a wolf, for your hound, except that its size remains Medium. These statistics are modified as described in your Brawler’s Best Friend feature.  

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Hand of Dread

In your darkest hour you pleaded for the strength to take what you wanted from the world and a dread power took notice. At first, you may have relished the cathartic rush that came with channeling your dread power to claim what you felt you deserved. This pact, however, came with strings attached. In times of distress you hear the entity whispering in the back of your mind, encouraging you to indulge your most base impulses.  

Black Magic

When you choose this fight club at 3rd level, you learn the blade ward, eldritch blast, and prestidigitation cantrips. Constitution is your spellcasting modifier for these spells since you channel the magic of dread powers through your body when you cast them. In addition, you learn to speak, read, and write one of the following languages of your choice: Abyssal, Infernal, or Sylvan. At the DM’s discretion, you may choose another language more appropriate to your dread power.  

Dread Hand

Also at 3rd level, you can use a bonus action on your turn to manifest the evidence of your foul pledge. When you do, one of your limbs (often an arm) transmogrifies into a monstrous appearance reminiscent of your dread power for 1 minute.

• When you roll a 1 on a damage die for an unarmed strike attack you made, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1.

• The first time you miss with an unarmed strike attack each turn you can make an additional unarmed strike attack as part of the same action.

• Immediately after you take the Attack action on your turn, you can spend 2 moxie points to make three unarmed strikes as a bonus action.

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

Deal With The Devil

Starting at 6th level, you gain two eldritch invocations of your choice from among those available to the warlock class. When you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the invocations you know and replace it with another invocation that you meet the prerequisites for.  

Grotesque Growth

At 11th Level, when you use your Dread Hand feature you can choose to grow into a towering misshapen form for one minute. When you do, your size increases by one category — from Medium to Large, for example. If there isn’t enough room for you to grow to that size, you grow to the maximum possible size the space will allow. While enlarged in this way, you have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, your reach becomes 10 feet, and your melee weapon attacks deal 1d4 extra damage. When the minute is over, you suffer one level of exhaustion (as described in appendix A of the Player’s Handbook).  

Fountain of Viscera

At 17th level, you can use an action and expend 6 moxie points to attempt to execute a creature of your choice within reach by burrowing your hand into its body and extracting its innards. The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier). On a failure, the creature takes 100 piercing damage. On a success, the creature takes 50 piercing damage instead. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points or less, it immediately dies as you rip a hole through it, creating a stomach-turning fountain of viscera. When this happens, each creature within 30 feet of you who can see you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or be frightened of you for 1 minute. A creature who fails the saving throw can make the Wisdom saving throw again at the end of each of its turns, ending the frightened condition early on a success.   Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.  

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Piss & Vinegar

Pugilists in the Piss & Vinegar fight club revel in their reputations as heels. Widely despised for their obscene curses and dirty tricks, these pugilists take pride in their ability to provoke and fight to win at all costs.

Bonus Proficiency

Starting when you choose this fight club at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the Intimidation skill if you don’t have it already.  

Salty Salute

Also at 3rd level, you have mastered the art of the enraging insult. You can use a bonus action on your turn to provoke a creature within 60 feet who can see or hear you. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes your fisticuff’s damage die + your Charisma modifier in psychic damage and has disadvantage on any attack rolls it makes that do not include you as a target before the start of your next turn. For any of your Piss & Vinegar features that require your opponent to make a saving throw, the saving DC is calculated as follows: Piss & Vinegar save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier  

Dirty Tricks

Starting at 6th level, you have a few tricks up your sleeve to even the odds when the going gets rough. You can each of these dirty tricks once and regain their use when you finish a short or long rest.  

Heelstomper

. When you deal damage with an unarmed attack, you attempt to slow the creature you hit. The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, you gain 1 moxie point (up to your maximum) and its movement speed is halved for one minute.  

Low Blow

. When you deal damage with an unarmed attack you can choose to hit them below the belt. The creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, you gain 1 moxie point (up to your maximum) and it is knocked prone.  

Pocket Sand

. You can use a bonus action to attempt to blind a creature within 5 feet. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, you gain 1 moxie point (up to your maximum) and it is blinded until the end of its next turn.  

Mean Old Cuss

At 11th level, your threats and mean spirited tricks pack an extra punch. When you make a Charisma (Intimidation) ability check, you can use your reaction and spend 1 moxie to give yourself advantage on the roll. When a creature makes a saving throw against one of your Piss & Vinegar features, you can use your reaction and spend 1 moxie to give that roll disadvantage.  

The Uncouth Art

Starting at 17th level, you gain the ability to offend every creature in the room with minimal effort. When you use your Salty Salute feature, you can choose to target a number of creatures within 60 feet who can see or hear you up to your level in this class instead of a single creature. You gain 1 moxie point (up to your maximum) the first time each creature targeted in this way hits you with an attack before the start of your next turn. You can use this feature again after you finish a long rest.  

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The Squared Circle

Pugilists who fight in the Squared Circle know you don’t have to knock an opponent senseless to get them to submit. Of course, members of the Squared Circle do beat their opponents senseless, they just know they don’t have to.  

Groundwork

Starting when you choose this fight club at 3rd level, you gain the following additional moxie features.

Compression Lock

. When a creature attempts to break a grapple with you and succeeds, you can use your reaction and spend 1 moxie point to force the creature to roll again. The creature must use the second result.  

Quick Pin

. When a hostile creature’s movement provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction and spend 1 moxie point to make a grapple attack instead of an opportunity attack.  

To the Mat.

You can use a bonus action and spend 1 moxie point to make a grapple attack against a creature within range. If successful, the creature is also knocked prone.  

Meat Shield

At 6th level, when you have an enemy creature grappled, you gain half cover against all attacks made against you by a creature you are not grappling. When a weapon attack made by a creature you are not grappling misses you, you may use your reaction and spend 1 moxie point to have that creature make the same attack with a new roll against an enemy creature you are grappling.  

Heavyweight

At 11th level, you count as one size larger than you are for the purposes of grappling. In addition, you can move your full movement speed when you are dragging or carrying a grappled creature your size or smaller.  

Clean Finish

At 17th level, your mastery of grappling reaches its peak. While you have a creature grappled, you gain advantage on all attacks against it. Additionally, when you make an unarmed strike or pugilist weapon attack against a creature you have grappled, you score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.  

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The Sweet Science

Pugilists who practice the Sweet Science hit hard, fast, and often. This style is sometimes used by fighters who battle for the entertainment of the upper classes, but is just as often practiced in the back alleys and the bars by those whose next breath depends on a knockout.  

Cross Counter

Starting when you choose this fight club at 3rd level, you can block the brunt of an attack and launch one of your own in the same fluid motion. You can use your reaction and spend 2 moxie points to reduce the damage of a melee weapon attack made against you by 1d10 + your Strength modifier + your pugilist level.   If you reduce the damage to 0, you can make an unarmed strike, or pugilist weapon attack, against a creature within range as part of the same reaction.  

One, Two, Three, Floor

At 6th level, when you use your bonus action to use the Old One-Two and hit the same creature with both attacks, you can spend 1 moxie to make an additional unarmed strike against that creature as part of the same bonus action. If you hit, the creature is knocked prone in addition to taking damage as normal for your unarmed strike.  

Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee

At 11th level, when you reduce damage from an attack to 0 and successfully hit an enemy creature using your Cross Counter feature you regain 1 moxie point (up to your maximum).  

Knock Out

At 17th level, when you hit with an unarmed strike or pugilist weapon, you can spend 1 or more moxie points to try to knock out the opponent instead of dealing damage. Roll 3d12 + 2d12 for every moxie point spent after the first and add your pugilist level to the result; if the total is equal to or greater than the creature’s remaining hit points, it is unconscious for 10 minutes.

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