The Living Sands
In the vast deserts of the world the primal forces of heat, sand, and change are both the bringers of life and the dealers of death. Those that make these deserts their home come to understand just how much like a singular organism the desert is, and some deserts touched by ancient primeval magic make that a more literal statement than outsiders realize. The Sahar-Azan in the heart of Riabeth is one such desert, rich with life, history, and magic.
The Living Sands are an ancient magic with a will of their own, allowing merchants to traverse its expanses or snuffing them out with storm and choking dust seemingly on a whim. Sometimes they take a physical form, but these have only rarely been seen, and may only be a rumor. Some desert peoples, though, learn of the secret knowledge of the Sands, and even find favor with the desert itself, protecting the sunbaked settlements from raiders and worse, or, just like the desert that grants them their powers, destroying them on a whim.
Expanded Spell List
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | fog cloud, earth tremor |
| 2nd | dust devil, Maximilian's earthen grasp |
| 3rd | wall of sand, erupting earth |
| 4th | freedom of movement, Evard's black tentacles |
| 5th | Bigby's hand, cloudkill |
Out of the Desert
Starting at 1st level, you suffer no ill effects of extreme heat and need half the normal water intake. Additionally, you may command the sand and dust around you. As an action, you may lash out at a creature you can see within 15 feet of you. This creature takes magical bludgeoning damage equal to your Warlock level + your Charisma modifier and must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they are blinded until the end of your next turn. This action can be used once and recharges after a short or long rest.
Dustshell
At 6th level the Living Sands protect you from harm. Whenever you are attacked, you can choose to have the sands act as a shield, attempting to block the impact. As a reaction, you may grant yourself a +3 to your Armor Class until the start of your next turn or advantage on a single saving throw. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Armor of Sand
Beginning at 10th level, you have a fine layer of sand covering you at all times which you can harden into a second skin. After a short or long rest you gain temporary hit points equal to your Warlock level. While you have this HP you gain resistance to fire damage.
One With The Sand
At 14th level you learn to create doubles of yourself and use them as a nasty surprise. As an action you may teleport up to 30 feet from your current location to a location you can see, leaving behind a duplicate of yourself made of sand. As a bonus action, you may move this duplicate up to 30 feet. This duplicate looks identical to you, may move and manipulate objects, but may not speak or attack and has hit points equal to your Warlock level. It lasts up to 10 minutes, at the end of which it disintegrates back into sand. As a reaction you may detonate your duplicate, and all creatures within 20 feet of it must make a Dexterity saving throw or suffer 4d8 force damage and be knocked prone. Once you use this feature to create a duplicate you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Eldritch Invocations
Acolyte of the Shifting Sands
Prerequisite: Living Sands patron, Pact of the Chain feature
You may select a moteling as your familiar. When you have a moteling as your familiar, you may cast Commune with Nature once per long rest without expending a spell slot.
Blinding Blast
Prerequisite: Living Sands patron, 7th level, eldritch blast cantrip
Whenever you hit a creature with eldritch blast you may use a bonus action to turn it into a blinding blast. The target must make a constitution saving throw or be blinded until the start of their next turn. This can be done a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier and then cannot be done again until you take a short or long rest.
Desert Constitution
Prerequisite: Living Sands patron, 7th level
Whenever you cast a spell from the patron's Expanded Spell List you gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.
Sword of the Dervish
Prerequisite: Living Sands patron, Pact of the Blade feature
Using your Pact of the Blade feature you create a scimitar made of sand and air that seems to shift and swirl as your swing it. This weapon deals force damage, and when you have it equipped you may make a special melee weapon attack where you expend a spell slot and, if you hit, deal 1d8 force damage per level of the spell slot and the target must make a Constitution saving throw, becoming incapacitated until the end of their next turn on a failed save as the sand swirls around them choking them.
Desolate Sight
Prerequisite: Living Sands patron, Pact of the Tome feature
You may select a surface within 5 feet of you and touch it to your Book of Shadows, leaving a small mark of sand. For the next 5 minutes you may choose to see and hear through that mark as an action, leaving your body blind and deaf. You can end the connection at will. If you are within 30 feet you may use an action to spend a spell slot to instantly teleport yourself to the location.
Dustlord
Prerequisite: Living Sands patron, 9th level
You may cast fog cloud at will, without expending a spell slot.
Al-Seraphima's Perfect Sands
Prerequisite: Living Sands patron, One With The Sand feature
When you use the One With The Sand ability to create a sand duplicate, you may speak through it and may cast spells as if you were in the duplicate's location, but you must use your own senses.
Pact of the Chain Familiar
If you have the Pact of the Chain feature and the required Invocation, you can select the following creature as a familiar. A moteling is a small dust elemental that resembles a miniature dust devil.
Moteling
tiny elemental, true neutral
- Armor Class 14
- Hit Points 22(3d8 + 9)
- Speed 30 ft., flying 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 6 (-2) 14 (+2) 17 (+3) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 12 (+1)
- Damage Resistances non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
- Skills Perception +6, Stealth +6
- Senses passive Perception 16,
- Languages understands Common (Ryoran) and those known by its master, but can't speak
- Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Body of Sand. Moteling can shift into a small cloud of sand and dust, allowing it to slip through cracks and other miniscule places. In this form it gains a +5 to Deception towards hiding its true nature from others.
Magic Resistance. The moteling has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Innate Spellcasting. The moteling's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 14). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.
At Will: mold earth, gust
Artist Credit:
Ubisoft