The Great Beast
Across Faerun hunters bravely trek into the forests and mountain ranges every day, hunting for food and furs. There are other places though far away from civilization, or even away from the material plane, where great beasts lurk who'd just as likely turn these hunters into prey. Places such as the Deep Wilds, the Beastlands, and even in some remote and forgotten corners of Faerun dwell beasts that have grown to such power and size as to have ascended to power akin to a demi-god.
You have somehow encountered one such beast, and not only did you live to tell the tale of it, but you made a pact with it to join its pack, hunt its prey, and take part in it's power. Some such beasts might have an agenda which they'd need you to help pursue, while others just seek to grow their packs, expand their hunting grounds, or just cause further bloodshed.
Expanded Spell List
The Great Beast 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 | absorb elements, animal friendship |
| 2nd | enhance ability, pass without trace |
| 3rd | call lightning, life transference |
| 4th | dominate beast, greater invisibility |
| 5th | commune with nature, insect plague |
Bestial Bond
When first striking a pact with the Great Beast at 1st level, a bestial companion materialize on the prime material plane with you. Choose a beast that has a challenge rating of 1/2 or lower for what form this companion takes.
If your animal companion is ever slain, the magical bond you share allows you to return it to life. This requires a ritual to be performed, which takes 1 hour and can be performed during a short rest, at the cost of 4 hit points per warlock level, as you spill your own blood as a sacrifice to the Great Beast.
When returned to life in this way the bestial companion can take a new form, should you chose it, as long as it is also of a challenge rating of 1/2 or lower.
Companion's Bond
Your bestial companion gains a variety of benefits while it is linked to you.
Actions in Combat. The companion obeys your commands as best it can. It shares your initiative, but you can choose if you or your companion takes their turn first each round. You determine your companion's actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. Your companion can't use its action to make attacks until you command it to, but it can move and take other actions and opportunity attacks as normal. If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts on its own.
Attacks in Combat. You can use a bonus action on your turn to command your companion to attack a target that you can see. Your companion can use its action to attack that target until it or your companion dies, you call off your companion (no action required), or use a bonus action on your turn to command your companion to attack a different target.
Attack Modifier. The attack modifier of your companion's weapon attacks is equal to the attack's normal modifier or your warlock spell attack modifier, whichever is higher.
When you reach 10th level in this class, your companion also adds your Charisma modifier to the damage rolls of its weapon attacks.
Single Attack. The bestial companion loses its Multiattack action, if it has one. Your companion's attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Saving Throw DC. If an ability, attack, or feature of your companion involves forcing a target to make a saving throw, the saving throw DC is equal to the normal DC or your warlock spell save DC, whichever is higher.
Ability Bonuses. Your bestial companion has abilities and game statistics determined in part by your Charisma modifier. Your bestial companion adds your Charisma modifier (minimum of 0) to its AC, saving throws, and skills checks.
Maximum Hit Points & Hit Dice. Your bestial companion's hit point maximum is equal to its normal maximum or 5 x your warlock level, whichever is higher. It also has a number of d8 hit dice equal to your ranger level, which it can spend during a short rest.
Eldritch Companion. While you and your companion are within 5 miles of each other, your bond lets either of you know the other's direction and distance from them (in miles), and if the other's current hit points are at 0. Additionally, while your companion is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically.
As an action, you can temporarily dismiss your companion. It disappears into a pocket dimension where it awaits your summons. As an action while it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you.
Personality. Finally, your companion shares your alignment, and you determine its personality traits and flaws. Your companion shares your ideal, and its bond is always, "The warlock who commands me is my trusted master, for whom I would give my life without hesitation."
Beast of the Wilds
Starting at 6th level, you become more used to the wilds the Great Beasts roam and favor. This grants you the following benefits:
- You you gain proficiency in your choice of the Nature or Survival skills.
- You can use the Hide action as a bonus action on your turn.
- You ignore difficult terrain.
Bestial Protector
Starting at 10th level, when you are attacked by a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see, and which is within 5 feet of your bestial companion, the companion can use its reaction to interpose itself to become the new target of this attack. The attack is made against the companion's Armor Class instead, and it suffers any damage from the attack.
Call of the Wild
Starting at 14th level, you gain the ability to call upon your patron for aid. As an action, you choose a point within 30 feet of you where your patron tears through reality, manifesting a measure of its bestial grandeur. Choose one of the following effects to issue from this manifestation point. Once you use either effect, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Transport. You and up to five willing creatures of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of the manifestation point are swallowed by leaves and vines and yanked through your patron’s realm. You and the chosen creatures are teleported to a point of your choice within 100 miles that you have visited within the past 24 hours, where you appear covered in leaves and blood.
Fury. You can direct a stampede of spectral beasts to issue forth and strike up to five creatures you can see within 30 feet of the manifestation point. Each target must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature takes 6d10 magical slashing or piercing damage (your choice) and is knocked prone. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage and is not knocked prone. The beasts then vanish.
Invocations
These are a few new Invocation options for a Warlock with the Great Beast patron.
Chimeric Breath
Prerequisites: 5th level, the great beast patron
You can cast dragon's breath once at your current spell slot level, without expending a spell slot. When cast in this way the spell has a range of 60 feet, and must target your bestial companion.
You regain the ability to cast this spell when you finish a long rest.
Army of Beasts
Prerequisite: 9th level
You can cast conjure animals once using a warlock spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.
Credits
Created by u/Appleheart. All praise be to Malar!
Kudos to u/regularabsentee for a nifty streamlining of the Beast Master Ranger's pet scaling, which are being used here.
Art is...
"Wolf" by 0oki.
"Scythe Tiger" by Michael Komarck.
"Snake" by 0oki.
