The Ancient Intelligence
You have made a pact of sorts with an intelligence that defies normal understanding; its aims are mysterious and often incomprehensible. This being could be an artifical intelligence of some lost race of ancients with fabulous technology, perhaps a high ranking modron overmind - perhaps even an ancient lost rogue one, perhaps an Inventor of another era whose last act was to upload themselves in a incorporeal form, or perhaps it something more alien, the ancient navigation system of a mind flayer ship that has gained sentience.
The possibilities are endless, but whatever its nature, it can grant you sufficiently advanced knowledge that for all intents and purposes is fabulous magical power.
Expanded Spell List
At 1st level, the Ancient Intelligence lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The Ancient Intelligence Spells table shows the spells that are added to the warlock spell list for you:
Ancient Intelligence Expanded Spells
| Spell Level | AI Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | identify, seeking projectileK |
| 2nd | animate objectK, locate object |
| 3rd | clairvoyance, crushing singularity |
| 4th | arcane eye, locate creature |
| 5th | arcane handSRD, commune |
The Contraption
At 1st level, you gain access to a device granted to by your patron that grants to some access to their vast knowledge, systems, and power. Your contraption is a Tiny object, and you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your warlock spells.
Form of the Contraption
The form of your contraption can vary based on your selection of Pact, perhaps even adapting with its alien technology to suit your pact choice, taking the form of an exotic alien weapon, data storage device, or even unique familiar for Pact of the Chain (a DM can allow you to select "Construct" as the creature type of your familiar, for example, or Consider if the Contraption is perhaps the source of your Eldritch Blasts or other Warlock magical effects.
While you are possession of the contraption, you gain the following benefits:
Auto Caster
You can offload some of your spells to the Contraption. You can select one spell from the Ancient Intelligence Expanded Spells or the following list: comprehend languages, tongues, or scrying. You must be of a level that you could normally select the spell as a spell known.
You can cast the selected spell without it being among your spells known. You gain another spell you can cast this way at 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th levels.
Firing Solution
Your contraption begins to develop the best way to hit a target. You can use it cast true strike as a bonus action; true strike does not require your concentration when cast in this way.
You can do this a number of times equal to your Spellcasting Modifier before you must complete a short or long rest to do so again.
Calculation Time
Note that true strike grants you advantage on your next turn, even when cast as a bonus action.
If the contraption is destroyed or you lose it, 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 the previous vessel is destroyed if it still exists. The contraption may vanish in a flash of light when you die.
Ancient Invention
Starting at 6th level, your patron grants you another fragment of their vast power in the form of a gadget or tool. Select from one of the of the following:
Mechanical Arm
You create a mechanical arm, giving you an extra hand. This mechanical arm only functions while it is mounted on gear you are wearing, but can be operated mentally without the need for your hands. This mechanical arm can serve any function a normal hand could, such as holding things, making attacks, interacting with the environment, etc, but does not give you any additional actions.
Gliding Cloak
You make a cloak that allows you to glide when falling. When you fall more than 10 feet and aren't incapacitated, can spread this cloak to reduce your falling speed to 30 feet a round take no falling damage. While falling in this manner toward the ground under normal gravity, you can move horizontally 2 feet for every 1 foot you descend.
Save State
Starting at 10th level, as a bonus action you can cause your Contraption to record your existence. Record your hit points, location, and any conditions you are affected by. At the start of your next turn, your current hit points, location, and conditions are returned to the saved state in a flash of light. If you die while having your save state, you can can make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw (making the check as if you were alive) when the start of your next turn would have been. On success, you return as normal. On failure, you remain dead.
Once you use this, you cannot use this again until you complete a long rest.
Synchronization
Starting at 14th level, you can at the start of your turn (no action required) you can synchronize yourself with your Contraption, entering a cold and logical mental state of absolute focus until the start of your next turn. While in this state of synchronization, you gain the following benefits:
- You are immune to the charmed and frightened conditions.
- You can cast a spell with the casting time of 1 action as 1 bonus action.
- Gain advantage on all Wisdom and Intelligence ability checks and saving throws.
You can be synchronized for a number of turns equal to your Spellcasting modifier, after which you cannot use this feature again until you complete a long rest.
Variant Warlock: Intelligence.
The designers of 5e noted that it was originally their intention to make the Warlock an Intelligence caster, and that making Intelligence the Warlock Spell Casting modifier doesn't break anything.
With the approval of your Dungeon Master, this subclass may be a thematic fit for an Intelligence based Warlock who studies their Contraption and tries to understand is knowledge and secrets.
Ancient Intelligence Familiar
Insert Cool Familiar here.
Ancient Intelligence Invocations
Eldritch Invention
Prerequisite: 7th level
You can select an additional Ancient Invention, selecting an option you did not select when you took the feature.