Pact of the Lich
A Warlock patronage of a lich, with temporary hit points, healing when a creature drops, a hit point draining word, and a return from 0 hit points.
Identity
The Pact of the Lich is the Warlock patronage of an archmage who declined to finish dying. The patron was a person once, has the notes to prove it, and has spent the centuries since becoming a being that wants company only as staff. Lich Warlocks are apprentices in all but title: they are set reading, examined on it, and sent to fetch. In exchange they receive instruction, and they end up exacting and badly rested.
Features
- L3 Deathless Tutelage
Your patron teaches by rote and expects recitation. You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill and in one language your patron considers dead. When you finish a short rest, you can spend 10 minutes reciting a passage of your patron's work to gain temporary hit points equal to your Warlock level. These last until your next short rest.
- L7 Death Siphon
When a creature you can see within Close range drops to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to draw on its death. You regain hit points equal to 1d8 plus your Charisma modifier, and the next attack roll you make before the end of your next turn has advantage. You can use this feature once per short rest.
- L11 Withering Word
Once per short rest, as an action, you speak one word from your patron's oldest notebook. One creature within Medium range makes a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, it takes 5d8 necrotic damage and its hit point maximum is reduced by that amount until it finishes a long rest. On a success, it takes half damage and its maximum is not reduced. A creature reduced to a hit point maximum of 0 by this feature dies, and your patron is notified.
- L15 Undying Body
You have resistance to necrotic damage and your hit point maximum cannot be reduced by any effect. You no longer need to sleep, and 4 hours of study counts as a long rest. Once per long rest, when you would die, you instead fall Unconscious at 0 hit points and stabilize at the start of your next turn.
- L18 Second Death Capstone
Once per long rest, when you are reduced to 0 hit points, you rise at the start of your next turn with hit points equal to half your maximum. For 1 minute afterward, you are undead: you are immune to poison damage and to the Poisoned condition, you do not need to breathe, and your spell attacks deal an extra 2d6 necrotic damage. When the minute ends, you gain one level of the Exhausted condition.