The Pact-Thief
Silently, a gnome sneaks into a stately manor, warily watching guards making their patrols down the hall. He preemptively conjures up a long, sinuous blade of smoke, stroking the hilt as he waits for the guards to leave. Suddenly, the blade's hilt grows hot, and an angry, hissing voice begins to whisper in the gnome's mind. It speaks of pain and fire, and what awaits the foolish mortal who would dare steal the secrets of the fiends. The gnome chuckles to himself and grins as the guards move on, letting his shadowy blade dissipate as he makes his way deeper into the mansion.
Petting the head of her pseudodragon companion, a half-orc smiles widely at a group of pixies, all nervously fluttering around a small, flowering bush. "But what of the Lady?" one asks, just as another one moans, "Oh, the Lady, the Lady!" The half-orc shrugs, scratching her pseudodragon's head as the creature hisses in contentment. A long scar runs down her arm, and across one of the wings of the pseudodragon as well, though neither appear to pay the injuries any attention. "I don't think she likes me much already," the half-orc says at last, eyes glinting with stolen silver light.
Alone and silent, a human sits in a lighthouse, far above the rocky shore and the harsh, relentless sea. A tome, its cover made of broken seashells and its pages of too-soft parchment, lies open in front of him. The words seem little more than the crazed scribbles of a madman, yet the human mouths syllables as he reads all the same. Lightning flashes outside the window, accompanied only by silence, and the human looks up, glancing through. Outside, the sea has been replaced by an endless ocean of stars, as dark shapes undulate against the cold, burning lights. The man blinks, shaking his head, to see the stormy sea beating against the window once more.
The life of a thief is to steal. A true thief is judged only by the wealth which she manages to take for herself. To gain lasting fame, some steal from heavily secured fortresses, to show that no mortal walls can stop their greed. Others steal the most precious objects they can find, to show that no mortal creation is beyond their reach. But there are those who seek to pull off the most daring of heists; the theft of magic itself, from ancient, powerful entities far outside the mortal realm.
These Pact-Thieves, called so due to their close relation to those known as warlocks, often live short lives, fraught with peril. To steal from that which may truthfully call itself a god is no easy task, and to make such an enemy is to invite a swift and painful death. But some succeed in their endeavors, though the lasting enmity of their "Patron" continues to haunt them, until the end of their days.
Perhaps you stole an ancient artifact of some entity, giving you the power to bend its magic to your own purposes. Or perhaps you went about things the more usual way, and made a pact... albeit one with sufficient room for you to wiggle out of your end of the bargain. Or you might not have even "stolen" the power at all; a clever and cunning Patron merely convinced you that you had, to better manipulate you to its own, dark ends.
Pact-Thief Spellcasting
| Rogue Level | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | Spell Slots | Slot Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1st |
| 4th | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1st |
| 5th | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1st |
| 6th | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1st |
| 7th | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2nd |
| 8th | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2nd |
| 9th | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2nd |
| 10th | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2nd |
| 11th | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3rd |
| 12th | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3rd |
| 13th | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3rd |
| 14th | 3 | 8 | 2 | 3rd |
| 15th | 3 | 8 | 2 | 3rd |
| 16th | 3 | 9 | 2 | 3rd |
| 17th | 3 | 9 | 2 | 3rd |
| 18th | 3 | 9 | 2 | 3rd |
| 19th | 3 | 10 | 3 | 3rd |
| 20th | 3 | 10 | 3 | 3rd |
Pact Magic
When you reach 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast spells. See Chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting, and chapter 11 for the warlock spell list.
Cantrips. You learn two cantrips: eldritch blast and one other cantrip of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn another warlock cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Spell Slots. The Pact-Thief Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your warlock spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher. You know one spell of your choice from the warlock spell list. The Spells Known column of the Pact-Thief Spellcasting table shows when you learn warlock spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be of a level no higher than what's shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the warlock spells you know and replace it with another spell from the warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability. Charisma is the spellcasting ability for your warlock spells, since you gain your magic from the manipulation of extraplanar forces. You use your Charisma modifier whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability, and to make any spell attack rolls.
Stolen Boon
When you take this archetype at 3rd level, you gain an arcane artifact associated with the Patron from which you stole your power. Choose one of the features from the list below.
The Fey. You gain a familiar from the Feywild. This acts as the find familiar spell, save you can also choose the pseudodragon in addition to the normal forms. This familiar can stow one object on a creature, steal one object from a creature, or pick locks and disarm traps at range, using your action to mentally command the familiar. When you do so, you make the check using your ability modifier and proficiency, but at disadvantage. You must be able to see your familiar in order to use this feature.
The Fiend. You gain a cursed, demonic weapon from the lower planes. You summon this Pact Weapon using an action, and it functions identical to the warlock's Pact of the Blade feature. However, you can only use this feature with melee weapons that you are proficient with, rather than any melee weapon.
The Great Old One. You gain an eldritch manual of maddening and obscure texts. Choose three cantrips from any class's spell list. You learn those cantrips, and they do not count against your Cantrips Known, as shown in the Pact-Thief Spellcasting table.
Eldritch Sneak Attack
Beginning at 3rd level, you can choose to use your Sneak Attack feature with your eldritch blast cantrip. When you do so, you fire only a single beam, even if you normally can attack more than once. This attack follows all the normal rules for your Sneak Attack, save the requirement of a finesse weapon. The extra damage dealt by your Sneak Attack is bludgeoning damage when you use this feature.
Invoked Secrets
At 9th level, you gain a deeper understanding of the magic behind your abilities, and a greater degree of control over the power you stole. You learn a single Eldritch Invocation from the warlock class. When choosing your Eldritch Invocations, you may choose from those listed at the end of this document.
You learn an additional Eldritch Invocation at 13th, 17th, and 20th levels. Furthermore, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the invocations you know and replace it with another invocation that you could learn at that level.
Furthermore, you gain a bonus to your Stolen Boon, as detailed below.
The Fey. You can now use the bonus action granted by your Cunning Action to order your familiar to perform any of the actions detailed in the Stolen Boon feature. Additionally, the check made to take these actions no longer has disadvantage.
The Fiend. You can now summon your Pact Weapon using a bonus action, rather than an action, once per short rest. After doing so, your next attack made with that weapon has advantage.
Someone Out There Hates You
As an optional way to add more flavor to your character, you can pick from or roll on the following table of flaws associated with Pact-Thief rogues. Someone out there does hate you, after all.
Pact-Thief Flaws
d6 Flaws 1 Whenever you are in danger, you smell brimstone. Something is waiting for you to die. 2 Small animals are afraid of you. They always run away, as if they can sense something hunting you. 3 Patterns of eyes sometimes appear in the grain of wood, or in the shifting pattern of shadows in the forest. 4 You often wake up in a cold sweat, memories of infernal fire or cosmic ice fresh in your mind. 5 At night, you can see more stars than you should be able to. Strange, dark shapes writhe in the infinite blackness. 6 Your things always seem to get misplaced. You can find items easily enough, but it does get annoying.
The Great Old One. You learn one additional Eldritch Invocation of your choice. Additionally, you can cast any spell you know as a ritual if it has the ritual tag.
Arcanum Larceny
Starting at 13th level, you gain the ability to cast powerful spells through your stolen power alone, rather than your own abilities. Choose one 4th level spell from the warlock spell list. You can cast this spell once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.
You gain one 5th level spell at 17th level which you can also cast once per long rest, without expending a spell slot.
Misplace Blame
At 17th level, the ire your "Patron" feels for your theft of their magic has become a tool to use to your own advantage. As an action, you can magically infuse a target within 60 ft of you with a portion of your essence, while simultaneously calling them to your erstwhile Patron's attention. The target makes a Charisma saving throw against your Pact-Thief spell save DC. On a success, you have disadvantage on all attacks until the end of your next turn.
On a failure, the target is accosted by a fragment of eldritch power. At the beginning of their next turn, they are subjected to an effect determined by your Stolen Boon choice. You can only use this feature once per long rest.
The Fey. The target is struck with fear by a silver mist that envelops its head. It immediately uses its turn to move as far away from any other creature as possible. If the target ends its turn within 20 ft of another creature, it takes 5d10 psychic damage. This effect lasts a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier, with the target repeating the saving throw on every turn where it takes damage. The creature perceives itself as being hounded by dogs composed of fog, with silver teeth flashing with hateful moonlight.
The Fiend. The target takes 10d10 fire damage, and is blinded and deafened until the end of its next turn. The creature perceives itself as being lost in a realm of smoke, surrounded by anguished screams and tortured by infernal flames.
The Great Old One. The target is driven mad, and viciously attacks creatures near it. The target prefers attacking former allies, but will attack any target within its movement range if no allies are nearby. This effect lasts for 1 minute, and the target makes an additional save at the beginning of each of its turns, after the first. Attacks against the target also have advantage until the end of its next turn. The creature perceives itself as having cold iron spikes driven into its eyes, while the void begins to suck away its mind.
Eldritch Invocations
As a Pact-Thief, you gain access to powerful magic abilities called Eldritch Invocations. These invocations grant you different abilities and skills to augment your existing talents.
You may take any Eldritch Invocation from the warlock class, save those which require a certain Pact feature, or grant you the ability to cast spells using warlock spell slots. Thus you could take the Mask of Many Faces invocation, but not the Minions of Chaos or Chains of the Carceri invocations.
Additionally, you may take any of the following Eldritch Invocations, as long as you meet the requirements of it.
Dark One's Own Luck
Prerequisites: Stolen Fiend Boon feature, Pact-Thief archetype
When you make an ability check or a saving throw, you can use this feature to add a d10 to your roll. You can do so after seeing the initial roll but before any of the roll's effects occur. You can use this feature once per long rest.
Dreaming Plague
Prerequisite: 13th level
You can cast phantasmal force once with a Pact-Thief spell slot. If the target dies while under the effects of this spell, you can use a bonus action or a reaction to move the spell to another target within range. The new target must make a saving throw or be affected by the spell, and the duration resets if the saving throw fails. You can only transfer the spell in this manner a number of times equal to half your Charisma modifier (rounded up).
You cannot cast this spell in this fashion again until you finish a short or long rest. If you know phantasmal force from another source and cast it with a spell slot, you can not transfer the effects to a new target.
Entropic Ward
Prerequisites: Stolen Great Old One Boon feature, Pact-Thief archetype
When a creature makes an attack roll against you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the roll. If the attack misses you, your next attack roll against the creature has advantage if you make it before the end of your next turn. You can use this feature once per long rest.
Fangs of Shadow
Prerequisites: Stolen Fiend Boon feature, 5th level
When you summon your Pact Weapon, you can choose to summon two weapons instead of one. Both of these weapons must have the Finesse property.
Fog of the Night
You can cast fog cloud as a 1st level spell without expending a spell slot or material components. When you do so, the duration of the fog is reduced to 1 minute, and it no longer requires your concentration. You can cast the spell in this manner a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier.
Gift of the Outsiders
Prerequisites: Stolen Great Old One Boon feature, Pact-Thief archetype
Choose a single casting class from the following list; bard, cleric, druid, or wizard. You learn two 1st level spells from that class which have the Ritual tag. These spells do not count against your spells known. You can cast these spells as rituals, but can not cast them otherwise unless you know the spell from another source.
On your adventures, you may come across spell scrolls or books containing spells from your chosen class. If you find any spells from that class, you can inscribe them into your book, and add it to the list of ritual spells you can cast. For each level of the spell, inscribing it into your book takes 2 hours and 50gp of rare inks.
Misty Escape
Prerequisites: Stolen Fey Boon feature, Pact-Thief archetype
When you take damage, you can use your reaction to turn invisible and teleport up to 60ft to an unoccupied space you can see. You remain invisible until the start of your next turn or until you attack or cast a spell. You can use this feature once per long rest.
Sandman's Breath
Prerequisites: 5th level
You can cast sleep once with a Pact-Thief spell slot. You can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Warlocks and Invocations
At your DM's option, a warlock character may also take any of the Eldritch Invocations listed here, as long as they meet the requirements of it. For a normal warlock, certain requirements have analogues, while others do not. Any Eldritch Invocation unavailable to warlocks will list the Pact-Thief archetype as one of its requirements.
Stolen Fey Boon. For a warlock, this requires the Pact of the Chain feature.
Stolen Fiend Boon. For a warlock, this requires the Pact of the Blade feature.
Stolen Great Old One Boon. For a warlock, this requires the Pact of the Tome feature.
Pact-Thief Spell Slot. For a warlock, these invocations use warlock spell slots.