The Architect
The Consummate Creator
Creation is inherent to existence; everything came from something. Most scholars distinguish between the natural and the artificial, but even that which is considered natural took form by the aid of some external force. The creations of mortals are tangible. The creations of those above mortality are beyond such scope.
None understand the significance of construction more than the Architect. Sequestered in a globe of gears of their own making, they tirelessly work to build something only they can understand. The schemas, equipment, and craftsmanship they employ are uniquely developed and are kept secret. Artisans would marvel at the knowledge the Architect keeps; some hope to gain even a fragment of it. When they complete their ultimate task, the world will return to order.
The Grand Design
Blueprints are fundamental to making anything, whether they are used to outline an initial design, document a completed product, or replicate another's work. The Architect has several such records in their archive, but the most significant of them is not inscribed in any text.
The multiverse is chaos. Its very existence spurned from a disruption of the equilibrium that preceded it. Locales of order exist within it, but their reach and power always stop at a point. Chaos begets chaos. The Architect utterly resents this fact. Thus, they concocted The Grand Design. It is an incomplete work, continuously being refined and added on to, but within it contains their plan for all of existence. From colossal gods to infinitesimal souls, the raging inferno to the frigid glacier, the stewards of chaos to the Architect themselves, everything has a place within The Grand Design.
Cogs in the Machine
The Architect remains in their palatial, gear-ridden factory, meticulously continuing their everlasting work. The task they've set for themselves is no small undertaking, and while their commitment is absolute, they know it will be easier to accomplish with the service of others.
Mechanical avatars of their form appear to those the Architect deem worthy candidates to join their cause. Often, these are individuals who practice one or many crafts. This is not a requirement, however; The Grand Design accommodates all. A gentle, rhythmic ticking that blends into the noise of their surroundings is the first sign that heralds the arrival of the Architect’s avatar. Promises of knowledge, power, and becoming part of something greater than themselves are often enough to sway those chosen to accept the bargain. Others are visited in circumstances where refusing the offer is a difficult choice to make.
Whatever the case, their selection has purpose. Once the pact has been formed, the avatar imbues the individual with a sliver of the Architect’s being. They are thusly united with the Architect and the Architect’s greater collective. With new purpose, the Architect expects the inductee to honor The Grand Design and heed the role they play in it.
Unification
While not common, there are those who seek out the Architect for the gifts that they can provide. Having learned of the esoteric knowledge they possess, these ambitious individuals try to attract the Architect’s attention by exhausting themselves to create a masterpiece of craft. However, their understanding is limited. They know not of the purpose that the Architect provides alongside their boons. When the crafter is visited by an avatar for their efforts, they are judged worthy or unworthy to be united. Some that are brought into the fold feign interest in The Grand Design and believe they've tricked the Architect to further their own goals. Their arrogance does not go unnoticed.
The Architect’s followers can find one another with ease, due to their connection through them. They can also be identified should they not cover their features, for they each bear a mark denoting the fragment of the Architect they've been given. Congregations frequently occur in large cities, places of some lawful civilization. These are largely meetings that go over accomplishments and progress, discuss greater collective actions that can be taken to further The Grand Design, and revel in the spirit of creation. At times, the Architect may commune with a congregation all at once. Lone followers act as emissaries and missionaries for the Architect while a group of followers act as conscripts bringing righteous order to those places in need of it.
Manifest the Machinations
No corner of the multiverse is out of the Architect’s purview. They will make themselves known where there is sentient life and creation abounds. Any being can be inducted into their implacable mission. The Architect is able to fit into most worlds or settings and may even open the door to other aspects of worldbuilding. With a large presence focused on craftsmanship interweaving its plots in a setting, there may be new technology introduced as a result. Firearms, explosives, mechanical prosthetics, and other inventions that may seem out of place otherwise now have a motivating factor in their inception.
Consider the status and renown of the Architect when introducing them into your setting. Aspects of their following can resemble religious activity. Are they a god with a pious following? Are their followers viewed as more of a cult? How much of their Grand Design has been achieved already? What do they desire to add to their plan? What actually is The Grand Design? All of these questions and more can allow you to integrate the Architect deeply into your world.
Mechanical Gift
The Architect grants a sliver of their being in some form to those that serve them. This allows those in the collective to find each other more easily, and makes those who have made this pact stand out from the rest. At times, this mark can even be helpful as a prosthetic. Consider what kind of marking a warlock might gain in their servitude to the Architect.
| d6 | Mark |
|---|---|
| 1 | You have a limb made of metal, containing multiple whirring, clicking gears. |
| 2 | An iron helmet is affixed to your head that only you can remove. |
| 3 | Your skin is wrinkle and blemish free, with an almost marble-like quality. |
| 4 | Metallic divots dot your skin and flare when you use magic. |
| 5 | When you open your mouth, there appears be a glow emanating from your throat. |
| 6 | One of your eyes appears normal, but a closer look reveals it is a mechanical orb. |
Quirks of the Instrument
One that is imbued with a fragment of the Architect feels their influence in more than just their body. The thought process and mannerisms of one such individual can start to reflect their patron. Consider adding one or more of these quirks to a warlock serving the Architect.
| d10 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | You interpret written and spoken word literally, to the exact letter. |
| 2 | You have effortlessly perfect posture. |
| 3 | You blink with precise regularity. |
| 4 | You are enamored by handcrafted goods. |
| 5 | You would rather make your own equipment than buy it. |
| 6 | Before you purchase an item, you inspect it with great scrutiny. |
| 7 | You speak with a monotone. |
| 8 | The distance of your gait is exact, only varying when you change pace. |
| 9 | A ticking sound follows every time you move. |
| 10 | Artisans' work stations rumble or activate when you pass by them. |
Otherworldy Patron:
The Architect
In a world of tumult, the Architect exists as the embodiment of creation and a saving grace that promises order where there is none. Their presence pervades inventors birthing new ideas and cutting edge technology, planting the seed of novelty in their minds. They are ancient, diligent, and righteous, toiling away in their factory to create their masterwork. In their stead, mechanical avatars seek out and induct worthy candidates into their order.
You have been chosen as one to help realize their plans for the world. The Grand Design they foretell is sprawling, intricate, and secret, but your role within it has been made clear. Gifted with knowledge, power, and glorious purpose, you are now an instrument to the Architect. A fragment of them is now part of you and you are no longer a sole person, but an element of a set. You will induce order among the lawless, disavow the self in favor of the collective, and learn the most esoteric knowledge of craft.
Expanded Spell List
The Architect 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.
Optional Rule: Expanded Spells Known
Your patron provides you additional spells when you are able to cast spells at the levels noted in the spell list description. Once you learn these spells, you always know them, and they don’t count against the number of spells you know. If you learn a spell that doesn’t appear on the warlock spell list, the spell is nonetheless a warlock spell for you.
Architect Expanded Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | compelled duel, identify |
| 2nd | heat metal, magic vestment* |
| 3rd | life transferenceXGE, sending |
| 4th | fabricate, summon constructTCE |
| 5th | geas, telepathic bond |
* This homebrew spell is listed at the end of this document.
Living Apparatus
At 1st level, the touch of the Architect begins to shape your body. You don't need to sleep, although you still require rest to reduce exhaustion and still benefit from finishing short and long rests, and magic can't put you to sleep.
At 6th level, your connection to your patron grows stronger. You no longer need to eat, drink, or breathe.
At 10th level, your body has incorporated the Architect's being to such a level that aspects of your mortality fade. You become immune to disease and poison, you stop aging, and you become immune to being magically aged.
Abide The Design
At 1st level, you learn how to channel the influence of The Grand Design. You learn the command spell, it counts as a warlock spell for you, and it doesn't count against your number of spells known. When you cast this spell, your word radiates an inherent authority. A creature you target with this spell doesn't need to understand your language in order to obey the command.
You can cast this spell at the same level as your Pact Magic spell slots once without expending a spell slot. You can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Unified Potential
At 6th level, you gain the ability to share in the experience of others and vice versa. As part of a short or long rest, you can extend a part of your connection with your patron to your allies. When you do so, choose up to six friendly creatures to create a bond to. When you make a saving throw, you can use your reaction and target a creature you're bonded to within 60 feet of you. They make the saving throw instead and you must use their result. Alternatively, when a creature you are bonded to within 60 feet of you has to make a saving throw, you can use your reaction to make the saving throw instead. They must use your result. You can't use this feature if you and your target are making the same saving throw, such as if you were both caught in the explosion of a fireball.
Once you use your reaction this way, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Irrefutable Edict
At 10th level, you can choose to instill compelling authority into the word of your command spell. If you do, a creature that fails the saving throw also takes 2d8 psychic damage as they struggle to oppose your command. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage.
Additionally, a creature you target with a spell that issues a course of activity, such as suggestion or geas, doesn't need to understand you in order to obey your command.
Artisanal Facsimile
At 14th level, the Architect gifts you with the knowledge and skill to create a masterpiece of craft. The construction of this piece requires 8 hours of continuous work, which can coincide with a long rest. You create a material duplicate of yourself using any type of artisan's tools of your choice. The duplicate is intricately detailed, bearing an uncanny resemblance to your own visage.
At the end of the work, the duplicate is brought to life. It appears identical to you, but has half of your hit point maximum, is formed without any equipment, and is a construct. The duplicate is a creature, made real from the material you used, and it can take actions and otherwise be affected as a normal creature. The duplicate is friendly to you and creatures you designate. It obeys your spoken commands, moving and acting in accordance with your wishes and acting on your turn in combat. The duplicate is a copy of you in the moment that it was created. It can't increase its level or other abilities, and it can't regain expended spell slots and uses of features through resting.
The duplicate can't regain hit points. It lasts until it drops to 0 hit points, at which point it disintegrates into dust, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying.
You can't use this feature while your duplicate still exists. After your duplicate is disintegrated, you can't use this feature again for 7 days.
Eldritch Invocations
All-Encompassing Technique
Prerequisite: The Architect patron
When you take a short or long rest, you can spend 1 hour of it channeling your patron's knowledge of craftsmanship. At the end of the channeling, one type of artisan's tools of your choice appears in your hands, borrowed from the Architect's inventory. You are proficient with this set of artisan's tools and can use them as a spellcasting focus. The tools vanish when you use this invocation again.
Dutiful Subordinate
Prerequisite: Pact of the Chain feature, The Architect patron
If you have an extraction scout as your familiar, it gains additional hit points equal to your Warlock level. When you are hit by an attack while your familiar is within 30 feet of you, it can use its reaction to half the attack's damage against you. If it does, it takes the same amount of damage as you.
Enhanced Exterior
Prerequisite: Pact of the Blade feature, The Architect patron
Your skin takes on a rigid, metallic quality. While you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Strength modifier + your Charisma modifier. If a creature hits you with a melee attack while you are benefitting from this invocation, you can use your reaction to create a concussive burst around you and push them up to 10 feet away from you in a straight line.
Gavel of the Enforcer
Prerequisite: Pact of the Blade feature, The Architect patron
You can create any weapon that inflicts bludgeoning damage using your Pact of the Blade feature. This weapon appears entirely mechanical, gears whirring up and down its handle and turning on the head's faces. A creature hit by this weapon has disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes to resist your commands, such as by the command spell. You must finish a long rest before you can use this invocation on the same creature again.
Inexorable Cortex
Prerequisite: 15th level, The Architect patron
Your mind is altered in such a way that you can't be deviated from your assigned purpose. You can’t be charmed, frightened, or affected by enchantment spells unless you choose to be.
Schematics Manual
Prerequisite: Pact of the Tome feature, The Architect patron
You can spend 10 minutes performing a transcribing ritual while touching a nonmagical object that is no larger than 5 cubic feet. Once completed, a page in your Book of Shadows is filled with notes on how to make the object. As long as this page is within your Book of Shadows, you have advantage on checks made to repair or make a copy of the object. Your Book of Shadows can contain a number of object outline pages equal to your Charisma modifier. As an action, you can magically erase a page by touching it.
Additionally, when you finish the ritual, you can choose to store the object within your Book of Shadows. The object becomes one with the words and diagrams on the page. While stored this way, divination magic that would target the object targets the page it is stored in. If the page is erased or torn out, the object appears in the nearest unoccupied space to your Book of Shadows. If your Book of Shadows is destroyed, all stored objects appear in the space it left or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied.
Optional Rule: Intelligence-based Warlock
The Architect is a patron that is well suited to a more intellectual than charismatic warlock. Here are are a set of optional rules to play a warlock whose primary ability score is Intelligence rather than Charisma.
Saving Throws. Your saving throw proficiencies become Intelligence and Wisdom instead of Charisma and Wisdom.
Spellcasting Ability. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your warlock spells, so you use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a warlock spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell Save DC
Spell attack modifier
Class Features and Invocations. Whenever a warlock class feature or an Eldritch Invocation refers to your Charisma modifier, refer to your Intelligence modifier instead.
Multiclassing. The Ability Score Minimum of your Multiclassing Prerequisite is Intelligence 13 instead of Charisma 13.
Extraction Scout
The first extraction scout was created by the Architect as a means of traversing the world beyond and retrieving the various materials they needed for their craft. Soon, more came after the first proved its usefulness. They form the foundation of the Architect's hierarchy of creations. They are single-minded and thoroughly obedient. An extraction scout can be found anywhere there is ore, harvesting and collecting as much as it can to bring back to its creator. Its defensive measures are limited, but it is capable of engaging with enemies it comes across by utilizing its spike-like appendages. These spheres of metal can be bound to another master, though it always comes at the permission of the Architect. When its servitude shifts, an extraction scout regards its new master with reverence and stalwart protectiveness.
In addition to charcoal, incense, and herbs, summoning an extraction scout requires the placement of four gems of any value along the edge of the brazier. The summoner beseeches the Architect for the employ of one of their creations as they speak the incantation over the flame. Gifts of crafted make, particularly those handmade by the summoner, aid in the request. Once the Architect hears the summoner's plea, they consult their Grand Design. If the scout's permittance doesn't uphold the design, the flame is instantly snuffed out. If everything is in accord, the flame coalesces into a ball and a gold, plated sphere forms in its center. The plates unfurl into four forelegs that reach out and pluck the gems from the brazier's edge, returning them to the summoner as they exit the basin. With the first task dedicated to its new master complete, the extraction scout's service begins.
The extraction scout is a new familiar made available to Warlocks who have taken the Pact of the Chain. It is primarily suited to those of the Architect patron, but may be taken by other individuals if they desire.
Extraction Scout
Small construct, lawful neutral
- Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 22 (4d6 + 8)
- Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft., climb 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 10 (+0)
- Saving Throws Dex+3
- Skills Athletics +5, Perception +4
- Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
- Damage Immunities poison, psychic
- Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
- Languages understands the languages of its master but can't speak or write
- Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Unerring Balance. The extraction scout can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Magic Resistance. The extraction scout has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Treasure Sense. The extraction scout can pinpoint, by scent, the location of precious metals and stones, such as coins and gems, within 60 feet of it.
Tunneler. The extraction scout can burrow through solid rock at half its burrowing speed and leaves
a 2 1/2-foot-diameter tunnel in its wake.Actions
Stab. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) force damage.
Centrifugal Strikes (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). Each creature within 15 feet of the extraction scout must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
New Spell
The following is an additional low-level spell that improves one's defensive capabilities. Magic vestment is added to the Artificer, Sorcerer, and Wizard spell lists.
Magic Vestment
2nd-level transmutation
- Casting Time: 1 bonus action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You touch a nonmagical set of armor or a nonmagical shield. For the purpose of this spell, an outfit of nonmagical clothing counts as armor. Until the spell ends, the item becomes magical and grants a +1 bonus to AC and saving throws.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the bonus increases to +2. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the bonus increases to +3.
Credits
Created by shawnmower#1064 on Discord and /u/EmbraceTheDeception on Reddit.
- Thank you to /u/GenuineBelieverer for creating The Compendium of Forgotten Secrets: Awakening, it was the biggest inspiration in making this subclass.
- Thank you to /u/CaelReader for the Machine Intelligence Patron and inspiring the Inexorable Cortex invocation.
Artwork Credits
In order of appearance:
- Grand Convergence from the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG by Konami.
- Macro Cosmos from the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG by Konami.
- Page stain templates by Jared Ondricek.
- Coghammer by Dany Orizio from Hearthstone by Blizzard Entertainment.
- Crusadia Krawler render by coccvo.