Draconic Patron
By @homebrewlesbian
Dragons are one of the most feared and revered creatures in all the lands. Those who are brave enough to seek them out often find certain doom. However, others return with unfathomable power.
Whether you were orphaned, found and raised as part of a Dragon's hoard, a regal king, seeking backing by a force greater than nobility and military might, or a knight who found something other than death, you may find yourself as a warlock with a Draconic Patron.
Draconic Patron Features
| Warlock Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 1st | Dragon Claws, Elemental Affinity |
| 6th | Dragon's Breath |
| 10th | Scaled Hide |
| 14th | Visage of the Dragon |
Expanded Spell List
Your Draconic Patron 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.
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | Chromatic Orb, Absorb Elements |
| 2nd | Dragon's Breath, Reduce/Enlarge |
| 3rd | Protection From Energy, Fly |
| 4th | Private Sanctum, Freedom of Movement |
| 5th | Dominate Person, Circle of Power |
Dragon Claws
At 1st level, You gain the following cantrip, gifted to you by your patron:
Drake Strike
Evocation, Cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: 10 ft.
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You are capable of conjuring the elemental power of your Draconic Patron into your hands, lashing out to send a wave of energy at an opponent in range. Make a melee spell attack. On a hit, they take 2d6 damage, the damage type corresponding to your Elemental Affinity.
At 5th level, the damage increases to 3d6. At 11th, it increases once more to 4d6, and at 17th level, reaches 5d6.
Elemental Affinity
At 1st level, you also gain a tie to the element representing the power of your Draconic Patron, chosen below
Additionally, when you cast a spell that deals the same damage type as your Elemental Affinity, you may rerolls 1's on the damage type. If the number you roll a second time is a 1 you must take that as the damage.
Elemental Affinity
| Patron Type | Damage Type | Breath Weapon |
|---|---|---|
| Black | Acid | 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) |
| Blue | Lightning | 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) |
| Brass | Fire | 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) |
| Bronze | Lightning | 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) |
| Copper | Acid | 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) |
| Gold | Fire | 15 ft. cone (Dex. save) |
| Green | Poison | 15 ft. cone (Con. save) |
| Red | Fire | 15 ft. cone (Dex. save) |
| Silver | Cold | 15 ft. cone (Con. save) |
| White | Cold | 15 ft. cone (Con. save) |
Dragon's Breath
At 6th level, your body has mutated and changed. You may use your action to exhale destructive energy. Your elemental affinity determines the size, shape, and damage type of the exhalation.
When you use your breath weapon, each creature in the area of the exhalation must make a saving throw, the type of which is determined by your elemental affinity. A creature takes 3d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one.
You may use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier per long rest.
Scaled Hide
At 10th level, you gain resistance to the damage of your Elemental Affinity.
Additionally, as a bonus action, you may coat your skin in scales. When enabled, your Armor Class is equal to 13 + your Dexterity modifier if you are not wearing armor.
Design Note
Drake Strike is meant to be a cantrip that can stand up to Eldritch Blast, which by most is deemed the most powerful cantrip in 5e. As such, if it seems powerful, this is the reason and intended strength.
Visage of the Dragon
At 14th level, you may project the absolute might and majesty of a dragon. As a bonus action, you may cause the illusion of your patron to rise and surround your body. You gain the following benefits:
-
At the start of your transformation each creature of your choice that is within 120 feet of you aware of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become your choice of Frightened or Charmed for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to this effect for the next 24 hours.
-
You gain a +2 to your Armor Class
-
You may use your action to make the following attack:
Spectral Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon surrounding you exhales in a 60-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 10d6 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If a creature succeeded on their saving throw, they gain advantage on future saving throws against this ability until their next long rest.
This ability lasts one minute and can't be used again until you finish a long rest.
Eldritch Invocations
You may choose any of the following as Eldritch Invocations, following their prerequisites:
Crippling Strike
Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with your Drake Strike, you can reduce that creature's speed by 10 feet until the end of your next turn
Draconic Health
Starting at the level you gain this Invocation, your hit point maximum increases by 1 and increases by 1 again whenever you gain a level in this class.
Draconic Reach
When you cast Drake Strike, its range is 20 ft.
Draconic Wings
Prerequisites: 14th level
You gain the ability to sprout a pair of dragon wings from your back, gaining a flying speed equal to your current speed. You can create these wings as a bonus action on your turn. They last until you dismiss them as a bonus action on your turn.
You can't manifest your wings while wearing armor unless the armor is made to accommodate them, and clothing not made to accommodate your wings might be destroyed when you manifest them.
Dragonblade
Prerequisites: Pact of the Blade
You may elect for your weapon to deal elemental damage, determined by your Elemental Affinity, instead of the normal damage type.
Dragon's Bounty
You may enact a 10 minute ritual, communing with your Patron before drawing part of their hoard to you. You may summon either a magical item, that will be returned to their hoard in 24 hours, or gold. If it is a consumable Magic Item, you must use it within the 24 hours or it will return to the hoard.
One you have enacted this ritual, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.
Consult the following chart for the strength of the bounty you may procure.
| Warlock Level | Item | Gold |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | Magic Item Table A | 4d6 gp |
| 5-10 | Magic Item Table B | 8d6 |
| 11-16 | Magic Item Table C | 12d6 |
| 17+ | Magic Item Table D | 16d6 |
DM Note
You may also elect to give the Warlock any object you see fit from the Patron's hoard instead of rolling on a table.
Elemental Dominance
When casting a spell that does elemental damage that is not the element of your affinity, you may elect to replace the damage type with the type of your affinity. You must decide to do this as you are casting the spell.
You regain the ability to do this after a short rest.
Elemental Tome
Prerequisites: Pact of the Tome
When you take this Invocation or learn spells in the future, you may learn any spell that deals the damage type of your Elemental Affinity, regardless of class list.
Enhanced Dragon Claws
You may add your Charisma modifier to the damage dealt with the Drake Strike cantrip.
Predatory Grasp
Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with your Drake Strike, you can move that creature in a straight line 10 feet closer to you.
Personal Space
When you hit a creature with Drake Strike, you can push the creature up to 10 feet away from you in a straight line.
Player Note
If you are not satisfied with the Expanded Spell List, you are more than welcome to work with your DM to make a spell list more representative of your patron.
Final Design Notes
My Draconic Patron is geared towards a slightly more melee capable warlock, with a new cantrip that can replace Eldritch Blast. As such, most of the invocations are buffs to Drake Strike, similar to Eldritch Blast buff cantrips.
I wanted to make sure the features of this subclass were still applicable to Dragonborn, who get abilities such as a breath attack and damage resistance, because it is a likely idea to make a character with a preexisting link to a dragon leading them to a dragon as a patron.
Some of these features are also featured in the Draconic Lineage sorcerer, but given at different levels. This is because of the natural level progression and thematic differences between warlocks and sorcerers. While sorcerers typically get a defensive ability at 1st level, Warlocks tend to get that ability at 10th level.
Art Credits
Dracarys by Daniel Kamarudin.