BoundToAvernus4

BOUND TO AVERNUS
WARLOCK CUSTOMIZATION
BY CHRISTOPHER M. CEVASCO
Give your warlock a distinctive flair with Fiend patron customization

options for Archdevil Zariel and for her rival predecessor Bel
Contents
Foreword..............................................................................1
Patron Customization Options .................................2

Archduchess Zariel of Avernus ..................................2
Bel the Warlord .................................................................5
Bonus Patron: Kostchtchie, Prince of Wrath.........8
Bonus Patron: Jaqon, Exiled Duke ...........................12
Bonus Patron: Tiamat, Queen of Evil Dragons ...15
Bonus Patron: Charon, The Ferryman ...................19 Foreword
Bonus Patron: Flail of Bargrivyek ...........................22 The Fiend patron type and warlock subclass is
described fully in the Player's Handbook and
Bestiary and Nonplayer Characters.....................25 such patrons include demon lords, archdevils,
Baatorian Rat ...................................................................25 lords of the yugoloths, and other powerful deni-
Fallen Cherub ..................................................................26 zens of the lower planes whose aims are wholly
evil. Warlocks who've made a pact with a fiend
Frost Hellion ....................................................................27 might not be evil, might even strive against the
Styx Mephit ......................................................................28 patron's evil aims, but ultimately such patrons
Warlock of Bel (NPC) ....................................................29 enter into the pact out of a desire to corrupt all
Warlock of Zariel (NPC) ..............................................30 things, up to and including their own warlocks.
Your DM might wish to let you consider
choosing one of two patrons from Avernus, the
Bound to Avernus: first layer of the Nine Hells of Baator, if you're
considering making your pact with a Fiend.
Warlock Customization Zariel is the current bellicose archdevil ruler of
Avernus, and Bel is her ousted predecessor, a
By Christopher M. Cevasco powerful pit fiend who now serves as Zariel's
reluctant advisor. Each of these devils might
Art Credits
serve as a warlock patron, and detailed cus-
ON THE COVER: Color manipulated version of an 1866 tomization options for both are set forth below.
illustration for John Milton's Paradise Lost by French To bind yourself to either patron, simply
artist Gustave Doré (1832 - 1883)
sign here, preferably in your own blood…
Apart from those images obtained through DMs Guild
Creator Resource artpacks, all illustrations and artworks
UPDATE 1: In celebration of this supplement
herein are in the public domain or alterations thereof. gaining Copper bestseller status at the DMs-
Guild in November 2019, a brand new patron
page backgrounds by Cole Twogood. Other backgrounds by has been added: Kostchtchie, Prince of Wrath,
Mike Barltrop.
a demon lord imprisoned by Zariel on Avernus.
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgot- UPDATE 2: Upon gaining Silver bestseller sta-
ten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, tus in May 2020, two new patrons have been
Ravnica, Theros, and all other Wizards of the Coast product
added: Jaqon, Exiled Duke (introduced in Ed
names, and their respective logos are trademarks of
Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries.
Greenwood's "Nine Hells Revisited" in Dragon
91), and Tiamat, Queen of Evil Dragons.
This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or
other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community UPDATE 3: Upon gaining Electrum bestseller
Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. status in August 2022, two new patrons have
All other original material in this work is copyright 2019 by Christopher M. been added: Charon (Ferryman of the Styx) and
Cevasco and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon the Flail of the Avernus-based goblinoid deity
Masters Guild (Update 2 is copyright 2020; Update 3 is copyright 2022). Bargrivyek (available to Hexblade warlocks).
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or
photocopy this document for personal use only.
Patron Customization Options
Archduchess Zariel of Avernus
PERHAPS BECAUSE ZARIEL WAS ONCE AN ANGEL,
some are tempted to feel pity toward her, maybe
even to believe there is some hope she might
redeem herself. This is a fool's hope. Save your
pity instead for all the countless souls Zariel
brought down with her into eternal damnation
and torment while she, as a fallen angel, sur-
vived to become a great ruler with legions of
fiendish soldiers and bound servants at her com-
mand and diabolic cultists and tiefling descen-
dants to do her bidding on the Material Plane.
— Mordenkainen, Oeridian archmage
Once among the most powerful angels, Zariel

was charged with observing the shifting tides of
the Blood War being fought between the de-
mons of the Abyss and devils of the Nine Hells.
An impetuous nature and love of battle, per-
haps fueled by the corrupting influence of the
Nine Hells themselves, caused her to become
increasingly frustrated. Why, she wondered,
should she be relegated to mere spectating
when the hosts of Mount Celestia could certain-
ly wipe out both sides of the battle were they to
descend upon Avernus's front lines en masse? tinues to put them, she welcomes warlocks into
To do so would rid the multiverse of great evil. her service, bestowing powers as their patron.
But her repeated requests to mount an attack
were denied. Patron's Goals
Nonetheless, corrupted by her frustrations Foremost, Zariel wishes to resoundingly defeat
and thwarted ambitions, Zariel launched her the invading forces of the Abyss, winning
assault, accompanied not by angels but by a renown as victor of the Blood War. In stark
force of mortal followers. Although she did suc- contrast to Bel's more measured approach,
ceed in slaughtering an entire legion of devils, Zariel's tactics involve bolder, reckless assaults,
eventually their sheer numbers overwhelmed which have succeeded—at least for now—in
her. In the battle's aftermath, she was brought driving out nearly all the demonic invaders.
Zariel
unconscious before Asmodeus, Lord of the Nine Rather than strengthen her position through
Hells, who allowed her to recover from her political alliances with the other Lords of the
wounds before making her an offer… Nine, however, Zariel swells the ranks of her
Asmodeus admired Zariel's passion for war, armies by aggressively recruiting mortals. She
and from that day forward, she was raised as grants martial skills and infernal courage to her
the new ruler of Avernus, the first layer of the cultists and arcane battle powers to her
Nine Hells. In accepting this position, Zariel warlocks.
was transformed into an archdevil, and the Secondarily, Zariel looks for any opportunity
former archdevil ruler of Avernus—Bel—was to further discredit, weaken, and marginalize
demoted to be merely one of her advisors. her predecessor, Bel, whom she resents and
Zariel didn't forget the important role mortals who she suspects might well be plotting some
played in her rise, and among the uses she con- reprisal or scheme to reclaim his position as
photocopy this document for personal use only. Bound to Avernus: Warlock Customization 2
Better to reign in Hell…
Avernus's ruler. Rumors also persist that the
fallen angel seeks vengeance of some sort
Warlock Interactions
Zariel's warlocks are each gifted with a coin
against Asmodeus himself for having contribu- minted from infernal iron and struck with the
ted to her corruption and fall, perhaps even image of a feather engulfed in flame. These
that some small part of her still harbors a wish coins are similar to soul coins (see Appendix C
to drive him from the Nine Hells. Whether this of Descent into Avernus), but rather than
wish—if it exists at all—arises from an ambition containing a trapped soul, each coin has been
to steal his throne for herself or merely out of a imbued with a tiny fragment of Zariel's aware-
smoldering ember of her lost celestial desire to ness. Should Zariel need to contact one of her
see the forces of Baator crushed along with warlocks, as long as the warlock retains the
those of the Abyss is difficult to say… coin, she can initiate two-way telepathic
communication with the warlock. The warlock
Special Terms of the Pact can also use this coin as a spellcasting focus.
Zariel requires no more or less from her
warlocks than that they seek glory in battle and Goads
fame, fortune, and power derived from their Zariel treats her warlock pacts as infernal
victories. What these warlocks may or may not contracts. A warlock's failure to do whatever
realize, however, is that Zariel is fattening them she demands, or one who merely fails to seek
up for the fire like the proverbial goose for a glory in battle, will suffer consequences for
feast—grooming them for the time when she breach of contract. While such a consequence
will eventually claim ownership of their might take the form of any of the common
bargained-for souls and call them home to penalties set forth in Appendix A of Descent Into
Avernus where they will fight eternally on the Avernus, Zariel is particularly fond of imposing
front lines of the Blood War. During their time the following penalty:
of service to her, should her warlocks also find Uncompromising Valor. Whenever the
some way to undermine the goals or diminish warlock rolls initiative, he or she feels an urge
the strength of Bel, Asmodeus, or any of their to rush into battle, engaging the closest enemy
mortal followers, Zariel would not look amiss with either melee weapon attacks or melee spell
upon such deeds. attacks until that enemy is slain. Failure to do
so results in disadvantage on all the warlock's
Binding Marks and Traits attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws
Most of Zariel's warlocks bear a physical mark until he or she acts in accordance with the urge.
of their patron's bond. You might wish to roll
on the following table, which offers common Boons
forms this mark could take. To reward particularly noteworthy glory in
battle (and she will only do so exceedingly
MARKS OF ARCHDUCHESS ZARIEL'S WARLOCKS rarely), Zariel might gift one of her warlocks
d6 Binding Mark with an infernal charm. Typically this will take
1 Your eyes glow with fiery radiance. one of the following forms:
Charm of Diabolical Inspiration. See
2 Your tears contain soot and ash; weeping leaves
description in App. A of Descent Into Avernus.
dark, vertical streaks over your visage.
Charm of Eldritch Rage. While you have
3 Small, black-feathered (useless) wings sprout this charm, you enter battle with a primal
from your shoulder blades. ferocity that hones your otherworldy focus to a
4 When you sleep, you are frequently plagued by sharp edge. On your turn, you can enter an
terrifying nightmares of being overwhelmed and eldritch rage as a bonus action. While raging,
struck down in battle. you have advantage on Charisma checks and
5 Your fingernails blacken and thicken, coming to Charisma saving throws, you make melee spell
resemble charred and splintered bone fragments. attacks with advantage, you cannot be charmed
6 You begin to crave demon ichor as your beverage or frightened, and you have advantage when
of choice. rolling to maintain concentration on a spell.
Your rage lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you

…than serve on CelestiaBound to Avernus: Warlock Customization 3

are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends Dance of the Blood War
and you haven't attacked a hostile creature Prerequisite: 5th level, Pact of the Blade feature
since your last turn or taken damage since On your turn, when you score a critical hit with
then. You can also end your rage on your turn your pact weapon or reduce a creature to 0 hit
as a bonus action. Once you have entered a points with it, you can make one melee weapon
rage 9 times, the charm vanishes from you. attack with your pact weapon as a bonus action.
Charm of Lesser Conscription. See
description in App. A of Descent Into Avernus. Legionary of the First
Charm of the Adamant. See description in Prerequisite: 7th level, Pact of the Chain feature
App. A of Descent Into Avernus.
You summon a spined devil (see Monster Man-
Optional Abilities ual), which appears in an unoccupied space you
can see within range. It disappears when it
Zariel's warlocks may add the following spells
drops to 0 hit points, when you lose concentra-
to those on the Fiend Expanded Spells list.
tion (as if concentrating on a spell), or after 1
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS TO EXPANDED SPELL LIST hour. In combat, roll initiative for the devil,
Spell Level Spells which has its own turn. When you summon it
and on each of your turns thereafter you can
1st heroism, searing smite
issue a verbal command (requiring no action on
2nd spiritual weapon
your part), telling it what to do on its next turn.
3rd crusader's mantle If you issue no command, it will attack any
4th freedom of movement creature in its reach that has attacked it.
5th — Once you use this eldritch invocation, you
Furthermore, upon reaching 11th level in this cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
class, they may add the blade barrier spell to
those 6th level spells from which they may Touch of the Fallen
choose an arcanum. Prerequisite: 12th level
Warlocks of Zariel also gain access to four You can use your action to touch a creature
signature eldritch invocations. When a class within 5 feet of you. The target must succeed
feature lets you choose eldritch invocations, you on a Constitution saving throw against your
may, at your DM's discretion, include these warlock spell save DC or take 2d10 necrotic
among those from which you are choosing. damage and be poisoned for 30 seconds. While
poisoned in this way, the target is also blinded
Avernian Abjuration or deafened (your choice). The target can repeat
You can cast the dispel evil and good spell once the saving throw at the end of each of its turns,
using a warlock spell slot. You can't cast it ending the effect on itself on a success.
again in this way until you Once you use this eldritch invocation, you
complete a long rest. cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
Finally, warlocks of Zariel who have chosen the

Pact of the Chain often choose an imp familiar,
but they are granted three additional special
forms—fallen cherub, Baatorian rat, and
abyssal chicken—among those from which
they can choose when casting the find familiar
spell (as always, with DM approval).
Details and stat blocks for fallen cherubs
and Baatorian rats appear in the Bestiary
below. As for abyssal chickens (see stat block in
Ch. 3 of Descent Into Avernus), although not
native to the Nine Hells, they are particularly
abundant on Avernus, arising from the rotting
trees that sprout around the lakes of demonic
ichor that appear where demons are
slaughtered in great numbers; it sometimes
amuses Zariel to send these unpleasant
bottom-feeders to serve her warlocks.
Bel the Warlord

THE ONLY THING MORE DELIGHTFULLY MISERABLE
than Zariel's fall from celestial grace is the fact
Bel
that the once-mighty Bel must now bend and
scrape before her. Oh, how it must gall him.
Delicious!
— Mad Maggie, night hag and
warlord of the Avernian wastes
One of the Nine Hells' most astute military

minds, the pit fiend named Bel served as the
supreme Ruler of Avernus until the day
Asmodeus appointed Zariel to replace him.
Along with this change in leadership came a
major shift in devil tactics in the Blood War. In
stark contrast to Zariel's bold—some might say mortal
reckless—affinity for all-out frontal assault, Bel and fiend-
always relied more on logistical expertise and ish sometimes
defensive tactics. Unfortunately for him, this worshipped him (a coven of
led to steady but slow advances, and it seemed pit fiends known as the Dark Eight, for example,
all Baator was impatient for more decisive remained ever loyal to him), Bel decided after
victories and wholesale slaughter on the field. his demotion that it was perhaps time to
Perhaps it might have been kinder to kill Bel cultivate a more powerful and diverse following.
or even to banish him from Baator, but It was at this point that he began actively
Asmodeus wisely recognized his military recruiting warlocks to his patronage.
acumen was not something to be wasted. Bel
was instead demoted to be Zariel's second-in- Patron's Goals
command, an advisor and overseer of the forges Ever having been first and foremost a warrior
that churn out weapons and armor for the use and general, Bel seeks Infernal victory in the
of devils in the Blood War. Blood War and wishes to protect Avernus from
Within his volcanic fortress, Bel surrounds the invading demon hordes. That said, he
himself with an army of devils and dark magic would not look amiss upon a deferment of any
that alerts him to any intruders. His hatred and major victory until Zariel is removed from her
resentment toward Zariel is equaled only by position of leadership… ideally with Bel himself
hers toward him, and he doubtless worries as being reinstated as Avernus's ruler. In this
much about treachery from his new leader as regard, although always appearing outwardly
he does about Abyssal assassins. Ever having loyal to Zariel, Bel is ever scheming to under-
been more focused on tactics than politics, Bel mine her reputation and accomplishments. He
never established strong political alliances with might even be willing to go so far as to work
Hell's other rulers or their dukes and toward setting in motion events that could lead
duchesses, nor did he establish a mortal cult of to Zariel's redemption and reacceptance among
followers as did the other Lords of the Nine. the celestial hosts—if such a thing is even
While it was always true that warriors both possible.

Warlord of Avernus
Special Terms of the Pact
For the reasons set forth above, Bel expects his
warlocks to do everything in their power to
tarnish Archduchess Zariel's reputation. They
must jump at any opportunity to thwart the
activities of Zariel's cultists, warlocks, and
mortal contractees in the Material Plane, and
Goads
Although having come late to the game of
contracts and mortal servants, Bel has taken to
this devilish pursuit like a fish to water and
now treats his warlock pacts as infernal con-
tracts. A warlock's failure to do whatever Bel
demands, or one who merely fails to press a
should Bel demand their assistance with mat- tactical advantage against Bel's enemies, will
ters in Avernus itself, they're expected to attend suffer consequences for breach of contract.
him there without delay. Of course, his primary While such a consequence might take the form
enemies remain the demons of the Abyss; his of any of the common penalties set forth in
warlocks should also seek ways of disrupting Appendix A of Descent Into Avernus, Bel is par-
demonic cults, and if they obtain any informa- ticularly fond of magically confiscating either all
tion about Abyssal battle plans or tactics with the warlock's wealth and property or a powerful
regard to the Blood War, Bel would be magic item in the warlock's possession (deter-
particularly pleased to receive such intelligence. mined by the DM), which Bel then redistributes
to a more worthy servant or soldier.
Binding Marks and Traits
Many of Bel's warlocks bear a physical mark of Boons
their patron's bond. You might wish to roll on To reward particularly noteworthy service or
the following table, which offers common forms valor, Bel might gift one of her warlocks with an
this mark could take. infernal charm. Typically this will take one of
the following forms:
MARKS OF BEL'S WARLOCKS Charm of Diabolical Inspiration. See
d6 Binding Mark description in App. A of Descent Into Avernus.
Charm of Greater Conscription. See
1 Your eyes become entirely red.
description in App. A of Descent Into Avernus.
2 You emit a faint odor of volcanic sulfur.
Charm of the Forge. You gain proficiency
3 Shriveled, ruddy bat wings (useless) sprout with any one martial melee weapon of your
from your shoulder blades. choice, proficiency with medium armor, and
4 You develop an obsession with military history, proficiency with smith's tools. This charm
eagerly seeking any martial treatises, war mem- vanishes from you when you die.
oirs, or battle maps you can get your hands on.
5 Blackened scar tissue appears at your temples Optional Abilities
where a pit fiend's horns might be. Bel's warlocks may add the following spells to
6 Your skin is always hot to the touch. those on the Fiend Expanded Spells list.
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS TO EXPANDED SPELL LIST
Warlock Interactions Spell Level Spells
Bel gifts his warlocks with a 1st arcane weapon*
dagger created by fire giants in 2nd augury
his own volcanic forge; during the 3rd glyph of warding
forging, the metal of the dagger's 4th confusion
blade was infused with a single 5th mislead
drop of Bel's own blood. If he
* This spell appears in the Unearthed Arcana:
wishes to contact one of his
warlocks, as long as the war- Artificer playtest material.
lock retains the dagger, he Furthermore, upon reaching 11th level in this
can initiate two-way telepa- class, they may add the guards and
thic communication with the wards spell to those 6th-level spells from
warlock. The warlock can which they may choose an arcanum,
also use this dagger as a and upon reaching 17th level may add
spellcasting focus. the meteor swarm spell to those 9th-
level spells from which they may choose an you can see within range. It disappears when it
arcanum. drops to 0 hit points, when you lose concentra-
Warlocks of Bel also gain access to four tion (as if concentrating on a spell), or after 1
signature eldritch invocations. When a class hour. In combat, roll initiative for the devil,
feature lets you choose eldritch invocations, you which has its own turn. When you summon it
may, at your DM's discretion, include these and on each of your turns thereafter you can
among those from which you are choosing. issue a verbal command (requiring no action on
your part), telling it what to do on its next turn.
Fires of the Avernian Forge If you issue no command, it will attack any
Prerequisite: 5th level creature in its reach that has attacked it.
You can cast the heat metal spell once using a Once you use this eldritch invocation, you
warlock spell slot. You can't cast it again in this cannot use it again until you complete a long
way until you complete a long rest. rest.
Infernal Art of War Surprise and Conquer

Prerequisite: Pact of the Blade feature
Prerequisite: 9th level, Pact of the Tome feature
Any hit you score with your pact weapon
You may inscribe either the fire bolt or against a creature that is surprised is a critical
resistance cantrip and either the erupting earth hit.
or Melf's minute meteors spell into your Book of
Shadows, and these do not count against the Finally, warlocks of Bel who have chosen the
number of spells and cantrips you know. With Pact of the Chain often choose an imp familiar,
your Book of Shadows in hand you can cast the but they are granted one additional special
chosen cantrip at will and the chosen spell form—frost hellion—among those from which
using a warlock spell slot. they can choose when casting the find familiar
spell (as always, with DM approval).
Shock Troop of the Dark Eight Details and the stat block for a frost hellion
Prerequisite: 9th level, Pact of the Chain feature appear in the Bestiary below. These devils are
You summon a bearded devil (see Monster lesser forms of the ice devils that Bel is
Manual), which appears in an unoccupied space legendarily able to summon.

Bonus Patron
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Kostchtchie, Prince of Wrath

I HAVE HEARD RUMORS THE ODIOUS WRETCH KOST-
chtchie is but a pawn of the human witch-queen
Iggwilv, who may have granted the fallen giant
his demonic form and perhaps allows him to
grow ever stronger as he fights the other demon
lords for supremacy. You'll never find a word of
that in Iggwilv's famed Demonomicon, of course.
If it's true, it can only be because Iggwilv plans
to step in and snatch the Abyssal overlordship
from her thrall should he ever achieve it. One
has to admire her audacity…
— The Dark Prince Graz'zt, Demon Lord
Many ages ago, Kostchtchie was a king among

the frost giants. Known as the Prince of Wrath
for the fury with which he led his followers to
slaughter and victory, Kostchtchie fought his
way to supremacy. His reign only came to an
end during a daring raid against a volcanic
stronghold in the Elemental Chaos said to with relative ease. This layer, known as the Iron
contain powerful artifacts. When Kostchtchie Wastes, was a frozen realm that reminded
fell to his doom within the volcano, his minions Kostchtchie of his former home, and there he
disbanded and scattered, despondent until raised a great fortress for himself, the Glacier
word reached them that their lord had Citadel, whose halls are guarded by winter
somehow cheated death… wolves, white dragons, hordes of babau and
Having been transformed into a squat, barlgura demons, warped fiends resembling
hairless, bandy-legged, shadow of his former cold-adapted leucrotta, and of course frost
self, Kostchtchie was reborn as a demon lord in giants.
the Abyss. As he resembled nothing so much as From this command center, Kostchtchie
an odd hill giant with a flattened, bald head, wars against the rest of the Abyss with an eye
the denizens of the Abyss grossly underesti- toward one day ruling the entire plane, and
mated this new arrival and soon paid for their many lesser demon lords have already fallen
mistake. In short order, Kostchtchie raised a before him. Of severely limited intellect (likely
demonic army supplemented by many of his the main reason he has not yet succeeded in
Kostchtchie
former frost giant subjects, and wielding the his goals), Kostchtchie compensates with an
powerful warhammer Matalotok (forged by the astounding and unbridled degree of brutality
frost giant god Thrym), he waged furious war, and violence, going into berserker rages
conquering the twenty-third layer of the Abyss unprecedented even among demons. Win or
Material Plane, where he delights in slaying a
frost giant tribe's jarl so that he then might lead
that tribe in bloody war against their enemies.
If the giants are all slaughtered, they would not
have made worthy subjects in any event, but if
they achieve victory, then he leads these giants
back to the Iron Wastes to serve him forever.
Lastly, it must be emphasized that any oppor-
tunity to spread rage and militant mayhem
throughout the multiverse is a goal Kostchtchie
would deem worthy.
Warlock Followers. With these aims in
mind, although the vast majority of his followers
are frost giants, Kostchtchie has also welcomed
lose, Kostchtchie seems to grow stronger after an increasing number of hills giants, trolls, and
every battle, drawing strength from the humanoid or ogre barbarians—particularly
bloodshed and mayhem. those hailing from arctic climes—into his
But moderation never having been one of his service. As a relatively new demon lord, his
strong suits, Kostchtchie does not limit his wider cult of worshippers is smaller than those
fighting to the Abyss. Frost giants who forsake of most other archfiends, but that cult is
their own gods and turn to demon worship can growing. As long as he deems such a follower
summon him by making blood offerings on icy sufficiently audacious and bloodthirsty, he
altars. If he deems these offerings worthy, sometimes even agrees to become patron to
Kostchtchie will appear to hunt and fight individuals less suited to physical combat but
alongside those giants, spreading madness and with deviously subtle minds and an affinity for
savagery among them like a disease before the arcane. These individuals in turn recognize
vanishing back to his Abyssal home. Kostchtchie does indeed have powerful eldritch
Chained on Avernus. On one such recent gifts to bestow—gifts of magical rage, chaos,
frost giant raid into the Nine Hells, Kostchtchie and cold—and there have always been a hand-
seemingly overreached and was defeated by the ful of warlocks among his cultists. Many of
archdevil Zariel. She took his prized hammer these naturally choose the Pact of the Blade or
from him and chained him within a deep, tar- else multiclass as warlock-fighters or warlock-
filled chasm on Avernus that would forever after barbarians.
be known as Kostchtchie's Maw. By declining to
kill him, Zariel effectively prevented him from Special Terms of the Pact
simply reforming in the Abyss, and she bound Until he is released from
him in magical chains that suppress innate imprisonment on
demonic spellcasting. Powerless to escape, Avernus, Kostchtchie
Kostchtchie can do little more than howl in first
rage. His followers, however, might do more… and
foremost
Patron's Goals requires his
Foremost, of course, Kostchtchie wishes to warlocks to do all in
escape from his imprisonment on Avernus, their power to free him.
reclaim his hammer Matalotok, and have his Apart from that, the
revenge. In the wider sense, the Prince of Wrath only demand he
wants nothing less than to achieve the com- makes is that his
plete overthrow of all other demon lords so that warlocks kill in his
he himself can become supreme ruler of the name. The wider
Abyss. Finally, Kostchtchie can't abide the fact and more bloody
that not every frost giant in existence worships the slaughter, the
him as leader and god. As such, he frequently better.
plans incursions into both Ysgard and the
Bound to Avernus: Warlock Customization 9
9
Kill - Death
Binding Marks and Traits
All of Kostchtchie's warlocks find that they
harbor a barely suppressed rage that often
erupts in bursts of anger or violence. Most, but
not all, of them also find that they lose all of
their hair apart from their eyebrows.
accomplishing a great feat of widespread
carnage, or personally dealing the killing blow
to a very powerful enemy, Kostchtchie might
bestow one of the following boons upon a
warlock.
Unfettered Wrath. Whenever you take
damage from an attack by another creature,
Warlock Interactions until the end of your next turn, your own
Since becoming imprisoned, Kostchtchie has attacks are made with a -2 penalty, but you
been reduced mostly to a mindless rage, gain a +4 bonus to your damage rolls.
howling bestially or like a great child in Frost Resistance. You gain resistance to
his impotence, stripped of Matalotok cold damage. If you already have resistance to
and blocked from innate demonic cold damage, then you instead gain immunity.
spellcasting. But sometimes he hears
answers to those howls in his mind, Optional Abilities
and he has come to recognize the Kostchtchie's warlocks may add the following
touch of kindred souls reaching to him spells to those on the Fiend Expanded Spells
for power across the planes. He has list.
even discovered that he remains
able to grant such power as a OPTIONAL ADDITIONS TO EXPANDED SPELL LIST
warlock patron so that these Spell Level Spells
newly minted warlocks might 1st absorb elements
use it on his behalf even 2nd enlarge/reduce (enlarge only, self only)
though he can't use it 3rd bestow curse
himself. Perhaps this loophole 4th ice storm
represents a rare oversight by 5th dispel evil and good
Zariel, or perhaps it is an
intentional flaw in the Furthermore, upon reaching 11th level in this
magical chains binding the class, they may add the harm spell to those 6th
demon lord, as these chains level spells from which they may choose an
were wrought in the fires of arcanum.
Bel's volcanic forge… Warlocks of Kostchtchie also gain access to
Old or new, once he four signature eldritch invocations. When a
becomes their patron, Kostchtchie's class feature lets you choose eldritch invoca-
warlocks can hear his voice tele- tions, you may, at your DM's discretion, in-
pathically. Currently, their minds clude these among those from which you are
are filled day and night with their choosing.
patron's wails and bellows to be set free.
Maugbrud Minion
Goads Prerequisite: 12th level, Pact of the Chain feature
Should one of Kostchtchie's warlocks prove You summon a babau (see Demons in Chapter
ineffective in wreaking slaughter, the Prince of 3 of Volo's Guide to Monsters), which appears in
Wrath might afflict the warlock with the an unoccupied space you can see within range.
following curse until such time as he feels the It disappears when it drops to 0 hit points,
warlock has redeemed itself. when you lose concentration (as
Kostchtchie's Blood. When you miss with if concentrating on a spell),
an attack, you suffer cold damage (ignoring any or after 1 hour. In combat,
resistances or immunities) equal to twice your roll initiative for the demon,
level, and you re-roll the attack. which has its own turn.
When you summon it and on
Boons each of your turns thereafter
For a particularly noteworthy act such as you can issue a verbal
freeing Kostchtchie from his chains, command (requiring no
Bound to Avernus: Warlock Customization 10
10
action on your part), telling it what to do on its warlock spell slot but without requiring
next turn. If you issue no command, it will material components. Once you do so, you
attack any creature in its reach that has cannot cast this spell again in this way until
attacked it. finishing a long rest. If you cast it again before
Once you use this eldritch invocation, you a previous glyph created with your talisman
cannot use it again until you finish a long rest. rune has been triggered, that previous glyph's
magic is dispelled.
Roar of the Tundra
Prerequisite: Pact of the Blade feature Step of the Howling Rift
On your turn, whenever you deal a critical hit Prerequisite: 12th level
with you pact weapon or reduce a creature to 0 You cast wind walk once using a warlock spell
hit points with it, you release a primal roar, and slot, but you are able to effect only yourself
all foes within 30 feet of you who can hear you with this spell, and its duration is only 1 hour
must succeed on a Charisma saving throw rather than 8 hours. You can't cast this spell
against your warlock spell save DC or become again in this way until you finish a long rest.
frightened of you until the end of your next
turn. Finally, warlocks of Kostchtchie who have
chosen the Pact of the Chain often choose a
Rune of Grjotgardheim quasit familiar, but they are granted two
Prerequisite: 5th level, Pact of the Talisman* additional special forms—ice mephit, and
feature winter wolf spider—among those from which
A magical rune of the giantkind becomes they can choose when casting the find familiar
graven upon your pact talisman. Copying this spell (as always, with DM approval).
rune onto another surface allows you to A winter wolf spider uses the stat block for a
cast the glyph of warding spell using a giant wolf spider (see Monster Manual) but it is
Small rather than Medium, and its bite deals
cold rather than poison damage.
MORE PATRONS!
Hopefully you enjoyed this
first bonus patron! Four more
bonus patrons with strong ties
to Avernus have now also been
added to celebrate the supple-
ment's Silver and Electrum.
bestseller status.
Meet your new

patrons below…
* The Pact of the Talisman is a Pact Boon option first detailed in the 2019 Unearthed Arcana: Class Feature
Variants playtest material. It later officially appeared in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.
Bonus Patron
SILVER BESTSELLER BONUS #1
achieved Silver Best Seller status
on the DMsGuild, it has been
SILVER
updated and expanded to include SELLER
two brand new bonus patrons!
Jaqon, Exiled Duke

PLEASED TO MEET YOU. HOPE YOU GUESS MY NAME.
— Typical salutation by a
summoned devil
Although once a duke in the court of Hell's

supreme leader Asmodeus himself, having now
been exiled to Avernus, Jaqon is no longer even
permitted to use his own name, forced instead
to answer to the embarrassingly demonic name
Dagon.
At the height of his ducal power, Jaqon
traveled throughout the Nine Hells as the
appointed herald and messenger of both
Asmodeus and of the archdevil Adramalech, learned of them, his rage was formidable.
Chancellor of Hell and its Keeper of Records. Rather than destroying Jaqon outright, how-
During this period, the ritual of Jaqon's sum- ever, Asmodeus thought to keep the wayward
moning became relatively well known among archdevil alive, preserving his knowledge of true
humanoid conjurers of the Material Plane. He names as a weapon the Lord of the Nine might
was summoned there so often he began to one day call upon himself so as to ensure the
freely—even enthusiastically—carry on covert future loyalty of one or more of his dukes or
dealings with humanoid spellcasters. For a fee, duchesses.
Jaqon provided those spellcasters with alchemi- Instead, Jaqon was banished to Avernus,
cal substances and material spell components and Asmodeus cursed him by changing his true
found only (or predominately) in the Nine Hells. name. In so doing, Asmodeus hoped both to
Brimstone, infernal iron, demon ichor, soul lessen the exile's treachery and to stop his
coins, and even powdered devil bone and horn frequently being summoned to the Material
flowed steadily into the Material Plane through Plane. Adding insult to injury, the new name
Jaqon's black-market transactions. bestowed upon Jaqon was Dagon, a name
Worse still, having gleaned the true names of shared by the demon prince of the Shadowsea,
innumerable greater devils by perusing the the Abyss's dank, watery 89th layer. As
confidential records in Chancellor Adramalech's Asmodeus had foreseen, this led to the
so-called Book of Fire, Jaqon began to divulge frequent, farcical confounding of rituals
those names to the highest bidders so as to intended to summon his former herald; those
J a q o n-D a g o n
afford mages greater power and control when summoners instead often found themselves
summoning the named devils. Such unsavory mistakenly summoning the demon lord, who
activities threatened to become an existential inevitably devoured them for having dared to
threat to the Nine Hells, and when Asmodeus disturb him.
Victuusa
Patron's Goals
Exceedingly vain and self-centered (even for a
devil), Jaqon/Dagon sees himself as above the
rulings and laws of Asmodeus. He whole-
heartedly disagrees with the reasons for his
punishment, seeing his actions as having been
weapon proficiency, many also favor using the
whip and rapier in combat, as these are
Jaqon's own weapons of choice.
Warlock Interactions
Jaqon/Dagon gifts his warlocks with a talisman
Dreb
no worse or more dangerous than those of any bearing his new true name. With it, a warlock
ambitious devil with a desire to rise through the can initiate telepathic communication with the
infernal ranks. As such, the exile pursues any archdevil once per long rest, for a period of time
means of undermining Asmodeus's authority not to exceed one minute. Although resigned to
and is eager to ally himself with any being who the fact that, owing to his curse, his warlocks
sees Asmodeus as an enemy. In this regard, he must name him Dagon when calling upon him
feels a close kinship with Geryon, whose bid to to grant eldritch powers, he is always pleased
wrest the rulership of frozen Stygia from Levis- and flattered when one of his warlocks addres-
tus was thwarted by Asmodeus's interference ses him by his original, forbidden name.
Kovik
even as victory was within Geryon's reach.
Likewise, in a more general sense, he applauds Goads
the rebellious nature of those pit fiends who As an exiled rule-breaker himself, Jaqon is
dwell at the fringes of Hell's eighth layer, Cania, more forgiving of waywardness in his warlocks
plotting insurrection. than most patrons. Should a warlock greatly
An accomplished actor, the demoted herald displease him however, he might arrange for a
often impersonates a planeswalking adventurer greater devil to be summoned to physically
so as to trap or gain the trust of other heroes assault the warlock. In egregious cases, he
Shummrath
that come to Avernus, hoping to embroil them might even have that devil haul the warlock
in his disruptive schemes. If he sees a greater back to Avernus, so that Jaqon can deliver the
spark of promise in such an interloper, he punishment himself with the lash of his whip.
sometimes even reveals his true nature, offering
to become a warlock patron, granting eldritch Boons
and infernal magic as consideration in a Notwithstanding his own neutral tendencies,
contractually-binding cooperation agreement. Jaqon holds to the wider principals of a lawful
Ever pragmatic, the devil formerly known as society in which the strong rule the weak. Sum-
Jaqon would not even consider it beneath him moned devils or bested foes must serve their
Mazer
to buy a warlock into a pact through bribery. new masters, and warlock protégés must serve
their patrons. Rarely, then, does he see any
Special Terms of the Pact reason for rewarding faithful service, as this is
Warlocks of Jaqon/Dagon are expected to aid no more than he would expect. In exceptional
him in finding any means of revisiting the instances, he might offer a reward or even a
Material Plane of which he had grown so fond, bribe in the form of a devil talisman inscribed
even if only briefly through facilitating rituals of with the true name of another devil (see more
summoning. He also asks that his warlocks about such talismans and their powers under
Balakros
seek out all those conjurers who used to sum- Devils in the Monster Manual).
mon him in bygone days, spreading the word to
them and their associates about the nature of Optional Abilities
his cursed name change and about the niceties Jaqon's warlocks may add the following spells
that must now be observed to successfully to those on the Fiend Expanded Spells list.
summon him rather than his demon namesake.
Binding Marks and Traits Spell Level Spells
Jaqon himself resembles a red-skinned satyr 1st detect magic
Bazelsteen
with a slyly handsome and youthfully hairless 2nd pyrotechnics
visage. Most of his warlocks find that they 3rd Melf's minute meteors
become excessively hirsute from waist to 4th polymorph (self only)
ankles. Among his warlocks with the requisite 5th legend lore
Furthermore, upon reaching 11th level in this Once you have cast the spell in this way, you
class, they may add the wall of thorns spell to can't do so again until you either finish a long
those 6th-level spells from which they may rest or perform the ceremony to replace the
choose an arcanum. talisman again (when the old talisman dis-
Warlocks of Jaqon/Dagon also gain access to appears, a previously summoned devil also
four signature eldritch invocations. If a class vanishes if it is still present).
feature lets you choose eldritch invocations, you
may, at your DM's discretion, include these Finally, warlocks of Jaqon who have chosen the
among those from which you are choosing. Pact of the Chain often choose an imp familiar
when casting the find familiar spell. Owing to
Book of the Bone Brambles Asmodeus's powerful curse, however, these
Prerequisite: 9th level, Pact of the Tome feature warlocks are forced to use the name Dagon
You may inscribe either the thorn whip or when drawing upon Jaqon's power to complete
vicious mockery cantrip and either the plant the familiar-summoning ritual. Slight
growth or summon fey spirit* spell into your differences in inflection or even stray thoughts
Book of Shadows, and these do not count related to the "other" Dagon can corrupt the
against the number of spells and cantrips you arcane process, and there is thus a 1 in 4
know. With your Book of Shadows in hand you chance of accidentally summoning a demonic
can cast the chosen cantrip at will and the minion of Dagon rather than the intended type
chosen spell using a warlock spell slot. of familiar. If this happens, the warlock
summons a fiend in the form of a marine
dretch from the Shadowsea. A marine dretch
Infernal Thespian
uses the stat block of a typical dretch but with
You gain proficiency in both the Deception and a swimming speed equal to its walking speed,
Performance skills, and you have advantage resistance to acid rather than fire damage, an
when making ability checks to impersonate Amphibious trait that allows the dretch to
another being. breathe both air and water, and a further trait
that causes it to treat all environments as
Jaqon's Martial Excess difficult terrain when not under water. The
You gain proficiency with rapiers and whips. marine dretch still otherwise functions as a
familiar; moreover, when summoned as a
Nomenclature of the Left-Hand Path familiar, these demons form a telepathic bond
Prerequisite: 9th level, Pact of the Talisman** with their willing master, the master can sense
feature what the bonded demon senses as long as they
Whenever you perform the 1-hour ceremony to are within 1 mile of each other, and while the
replace your Pact Boon talisman, it is replaced dretch is within 10
with one bearing the inscribed true name of a feet of its
new devil with a CR of your choosing up to the master, the
maximum challenge rating that may be master also
summoned via the infernal calling spell. You shares its
may thereafter cast that spell once without resistance
expending a spell slot, using the devil's true to acid
name to work the summoning magic. As per the damage.
spell's description, when you cast it using your
talisman in this way, you can summon a devil
of the appropriate challenge rating plus 1, and
it obeys your commands with no Charisma Marine
check required. Dretch
* This spell is detailed in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.

** The Pact of the Talisman is a Pact Boon option first detailed in the 2019 Unearthed Arcana: Class Feature
Variants playtest material. It later officially appeared in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.
Bonus Patron
SILVER BESTSELLER BONUS #2
achieved Silver Best Seller status
on the DMsGuild, it has been
SILVER
updated and expanded to include SELLER
two brand new bonus patrons!
Tiamat, Queen of Evil Dragons

WHEN THE QUEEN IS FREE AGAIN, THE PETTY SQUAB-
bles of man against man will no longer matter.
The Time of Dragons will have returned, and all
men will bow down to serve her.
— Ultiss Vannath,
human cultist of Tiamat
Tiamat is the primary deity of evil (i.e. chro-

matic) dragons. A gigantic dragon herself, whose rulership over Avernus, and she accepted the
five heads reflect the morphology of each of the offer, agreeing to keep watch over those outcast
major chromatic dragon types, she is capable of devils Asmodeus had banished to Hell's first
destroying entire armies with her breath layer. Seemingly Tiamat either performed so
weapons, spellcasting, and brute strength. poorly in this new role or made the mistake of
Conflicting theories and legends exist as to betraying Asmodeus in some way, such that
her origins, but the most widely accepted one is the Lord of the Nine demoted her to little more
that during the Dawn War, the dragon deity than a guard over the approach to the gate to
known variously as Io or Asgorath (credited Dis, Hell's second layer.
with having created the very multiverse and all From the beginning of her existence to the
of dragonkind) was slain by a powerful primor- present day, both before and after her confine-
dial, split in two by the death blow, and that ment on Avernus, Tiamat has drawn worship-
the two halves of the divine corpse rose up as pers among chromatic dragons, among dragon-
new gods—Bahamut and Tiamat. In this born, and among humanoids who maintain the
theory, droplets of Io's blood became the first Church of Tiamat. Most recently, a philosophi-
dragonborn. cal shift within the infamous Cult of the Dragon
At some point in Tiamat's existence, the Dra- caused the cult to turn away from its long-held
gon Queen also became trapped on Avernus. veneration and creation of undead dragons to
Again, there are competing theories as to how instead view living dragons as the focus of their
this came to pass. One popular theory main- activities. In particular, the cult's leadership
Tiamat
tains that her confinement arises from the end has come to see freeing Tiamat from Avernus as
of the long, ancient war between dragons and the ultimate fulfillment of those prophecies that
giants which saw a mighty curse cast upon her form the basis of the cult.
by a forgotten god of the giants. Another sug- On Toril, and particularly in Faerûn, Tiamat
gests that while Tiamat attempted to kill a rival has been a longstanding threat, having mani-
deity of the Untheric pantheon, her brother Ba- fested over the centuries—in the flesh or in the
hamut intervened and their respective avatars form of one or more spiritual avatars—in such
slew each other, temporarily diminishing Tia- lands as Chessenta and Unther in a bid to draw
mat's divine status and reducing her to an ever more mortals to worship her. For without
archfiend. Asmodeus thereafter offered her powerful magic and the aid of mortals, it is
impossible for Tiamat to travel bodily from Patron's Goals
Avernus to any Material world, particularly in Escape from Avernus is Tiamat's primary goal.
the wake of the Sundering and the end of the In particular she seeks a means of reentering
so-called Era of Upheaval, which put an end to the Material Plane.
direct worldly meddling by the gods. Moreover, Apart from her seething anger and hatred
although Tiamat's wide array of worshippers toward Asmodeus for having stripped her of her
does maintain her divine status, much in the one-time rulership over Avernus as well as for
way Lolth is both a goddess to the drow and a his ongoing restrictions over her movement and
demon lord of the Abyss, Tiamat is also an power, Tiamat also bears a particular hatred for
archfiend given her power by the influence of her brother Bahamut, the platinum dragon who
the Nine Hells; like that plane's devils, she is god to all good-aligned, metallic dragons. Her
cannot leave the infernal plane of her own will. thoughts are thus ever filled with schemes for
As things currently stand in Hell, although hurting either of these two powerful beings or
Archduchess Zariel rules Avernus in Asmo- thwarting their loyal followers.
deus's name, she cannot kill the dragon god- Finally, like any evil dragon, Tiamat's avarice
dess who is under Asmodeus's enigmatic knows no bounds, and she ever seeks to grow
protection. Nor can she enlist Tiamat's aid in her hoard of treasure and artifacts. Her ulti-
fighting demons, as the Queen is entirely un- mate wish—indeed her fervent belief—is that
interested in involving herself in the Blood War. one day the multiverse and all its treasures will
Instead, Zariel sees the summoning of Tiamat belong to her alone!
back into the Material Plane as one of the only
ways to rid herself of the powerful dragon's Special Terms of the Pact
presence, and the archduchess has thus Tiamat's warlocks must always keep alert for
directed her own mortal and diabolic agents to any magical artifacts or other circumstances or
assist those who seek to bring such a summon- opportunities that might facilitate her escape
ing to pass. Other devils, however, are just as from Avernus. In the mean time, her warlocks
happy to see Tiamat remain trapped, not the must arrange to have the lion's share of any
least of which is Bel, the deposed pit fiend, who treasure they acquire transferred their patron's
secretly welcomes any threat to Zariel's possession.
stability, or even a direct attempt by Tiamat to
depose Zariel; such infighting among his rivals Binding Marks and Traits
would provide a golden opportunity for him to Warlocks of the Dragon Queen do not tend to
make a bid for his own return to manifest any physical sign of their patron's
primacy on Avernus. As for influence, but many choose to
Tiamat herself, she works adorn themselves with dragon
secretly to court favor with bone or dragon scales, either as
both Zariel and Bel, delight- decoration or fashioned into
ing in tricking each into armor and weapons.
believing her a potential
ally and playing one Warlock Interactions
against the other. As mentioned above, Tiamat
However it might come to requires outside assistance to
pass, most sages agree that escape her planar prison. As a
were Tiamat to escape and lesser god, she has the ability to
return to the world, such an grant spells to her cultists and
event would trigger the twi- worshippers, many of whom are
light of humanoid supre- clerics. But in her capacity as
macy on the Material Plane, an archfiend, she can also
perhaps even heralding a grant eldritch powers to
resumption of the age-old, warlocks who make their
cataclysmic war between pacts with her, and she does
giants and dragons now so so if such individuals vow to
long in abeyance. worship her and help her achieve
her goals. She has little interest, however, in OPTIONAL ADDITIONS TO EXPANDED SPELL LIST
regularly interacting with these warlocks as Spell Level Spells
long as they continue to serve her interests. 1st absorb elements
Once her warlocks grow powerful enough, 2nd dragon's breath
Tiamat grants them the ability to cast the com-
3rd elemental weapon
mune spell, which may be used to contact her
4th —
should the need arise. Otherwise, those wishing
T
to communicate with the Queen must venture 5th commune, dispel evil and good
in person to her lair, which exists atop a tower-
ing mountain on Avernus not far from the Pillar Furthermore, upon reaching 15th level in this
of Skulls marking the entrance to Hell's second class, they may add the illusory dragon spell to
layer of Dis, which Asmodeus has bidden her to those 8th-level spells from which they may
keep watch over. Dragons circle in the soot- choose an arcanum.
filled skies over Tiamat's lair, and legions of Warlocks of Tiamat also gain access to five
abishai devils guard the land approaches. A signature eldritch invocations. If a class feature
colossal dragon's skull leans against the foot of lets you choose eldritch invocations, you may,
her mountain, surrounded by equally immense at your DM's discretion, include these among
bones. Smoke rises from the skull's empty those from which you are choosing.
maw, and Tiamat can hear the prayers and
supplications of a faithful servant who speak Breath of the Divine Queen
into this maw. Should she choose to respond, Prerequisite: 15th level
her five voices hiss from the skull. You can cast the prismatic spray spell once in
lieu of the 7th-level mystic arcanum spell you
Goads chose at 13th level, but you must then finish a
Should one of Tiamat's warlocks fail to live up long rest before casting either of those two spells
to her expectations, she might arrange for an again. Moreover, when casting the prismatic
enforcement squad of her cultists to pay the spray spell, you must reroll a result of 6 (indigo)
warlock of visit. In the case of egregious when rolling to determine which color ray
waywardness, Tiamat will simply withdraw her effects a target.
patronage, stripping the character of all
warlock powers. Draconic Affinity
Boons Prerequisite: 5th level
For outstanding service in direct furtherance of You gain resistance to one damage type of your
one of Tiamat's primary goals, the Queen might choice from among the following: acid, cold,
(rarely) bestow one of the following blessings on fire, lightning, or poison. You can also cast the
a warlock: chromatic orb spell using a warlock spell slot,
Blessing of Infernal Awareness. The but when you do so you can only deal damage
warlock gains darkvision to a range of 60 feet of the type for which you have chosen to have
and truesight to a range of 30 feet (if the resistance.
warlock already possesses one or the other
sense, its range is increased by this amount), Draconic Devotion
and can't be surprised while conscious. You have advantage on saving throws against
Blessing of Retribution. When the warlock being charmed or frightened. Moreover, while in
takes damage that reduces it to 0 hit points, it the presence of a chromatic dragon that you
immediately regains 20 hit points. If it has can see, you ignore the effects of being charmed
fewer than 20 hit points at the end of its next or frightened (including the effects of a dragon's
turn, however, the warlock dies and perma- own Frightful Presence trait).
nently loses the benefit of this blessing.
Tongue of the Nemesis
Optional Abilities You gain the ability to speak, read, and
Tiamat's warlocks may add the following spells understand the Draconic and Infernal
to those on the Fiend Expanded Spells list. languages.
Avernus
Wyrmwing
Prerequisite: 5th level
You can use a bonus action to gain a flying
speed of 30 feet until the end of your turn. You
can do so a number of times equal to your
Charisma modifier, after which you must
complete a short or long rest in order to regain
your expended uses.
Note that if you end your turn in the air, you
will fall, sustaining falling damage as
appropriate.
MORE DRAGON-THEMED OPTIONS FROM FIZBAN
If you are playing a warlock of Tiamat, you might
also wish to keep in mind several additional options
set forth in Fizban's Treasury of Dragons (FTD),
which provide even more opportunities for flavor-
ing your PC as a devotee of the Dragon Queen.
For example, if using the optional feat rule in the
Player's Handbook, consider choosing the Gift of
the Chromatic Dragons feat when the opportunity
arises (FTD, chapter 1).
With your DM's permission, you might consider
replacing commune or dispel evil and good on the
Finally, warlocks of Tiamat who have chosen Optional Additions to Expanded Spell List table
the Pact of the Chain often choose a hell- above with the summon draconic spirit spell. Your
spawned pseudodragon as a familiar when DM might also permit you to add the draconic
casting the find familiar spell. A hell-spawned transformation spell to those 7th level spells from
pseudodragon uses the stat block of a typical which you may choose an arcanum at 13th level
pseudodragon, but the familiar is always a (see spell descriptions in FTD, chapter 1).
fiend, it has an innate lawful evil alignment, Finally, as a Boon for outstanding service, Tiamat
and it can understand the Infernal tongue. Its might bestow a dragon wing bow or (rarely) a potion
warlock summoner also gains the benefits set of dragon's majesty (chromatic only) (see Magic
forth for variant pseudodragon familiars in the Items in FTD, chapter 2).
Monster Manual.

Bonus Patron
ELECTRUM BESTSELLER BONUS #1
achieved Electrum Best Seller
ELECTRUM
Charon, The Ferryman

IT AMUSES ME TO NO END THAT THE STYGIAN BOAT-
man now calls himself Charon. You'll never hear
me call him that; to me he'll always be Cerlic,
which is the name my sisters gave him when
they elevated him from among his fellow
yugoloths. But after he saved his kind from the
demodand threat, he developed something of a
messiah complex and decided Charon was a
more imposing name. Unfortunately for him, I
know all Cerlic's secrets—ones he keeps hidden
from the yugoloths… He's not their messiah; he's
a very naughty boy!
— Red Ruth, night hag diviner of Avernus
The River Styx is a foul, rubbish-choked water-

DEMODANDS: A DEEPER DIVE
way that flows greasily through the topmost
layers of Acheron, the Nine Hells, Gehenna, For more about demodand cosmology, government,
Hades, Carceri, the Abyss, and Pandemonium. and society, see chapter 6 of Fellozial's Ultimate
The river's lesser tributaries wind into the lower Guide to Poison, which also includes complete stat
levels of these planes, thus allowing, for blocks for five types of demodands. Additionally,
example, passage from Hell's first layer of chapter 2 of that guide includes customization
Avernus to its second layer of Dis, from Dis to options for warlocks of the Fiend who choose the
Minauros, etc. all the way to its bottommost Demodand Grand Warden as their patron.
layer of Nessus. Along its waters, a fleet of
ferryboats is captained by merrenoloths— When the ultroloth rulers of the yugoloths
yugoloths who transport passengers safely were unable or unwilling to aid the beset
along the river's dangerous, intellect-shattering, merrenoloths, they turned in desperation to the
and unpredictable waters … for a price. night hags of the Lower Outer Planes. The hags
But such safe passage was not always the used their magic to create a champion—an
norm. Ages ago, the merrenoloths faced altroloth—raised from among the merrenoloths;
Charon
repeated and terrible attacks by hordes of their price for this service was free and
demodands (see sidebar at right). The unrestricted ferry service along the entire
demodands took exception to the free passage length of the Styx in perpetuity. The resulting
of outsiders through Carceri's Tarterian Depths champion, Cerlic (who later adopted the name
and saw the gondoliers and captains as a Charon) was powerful enough to single-
significant security breach that offered a handedly diffuse the demodand threat,
possible means of escape to the wider although how this was accomplished is a secret
Carcerian populace they kept imprisoned there. Charon has never revealed.
Patron's Goals set forth under Optional Abilities below, Charon
Charon rages at any fiends that dares to remains uninterested in communicating with
interfere with the Styx. He deems such beings his warlocks. Warlocks can, however, contact
his hated enemies and hunts them down to Charon telepathically if they are present on one
destroy them wheresoever they are. Moreover, of the Lower Outer Planes touched by the Styx.
Charon is vehement about exacting payment Charon will hear any such communication, but
from any beings who use the Styx to traverse he need not respond if he does not wish to.
the planes. Should any merrenoloths ever call
for his aid, however, he comes faithfully to their Goads
defense (albeit, even then, he charges a steep None.
price, typically one measured in an exorbitant
number of platinum coins). Boons
Charon rarely grants gifts without expecting
Special Terms of the Pact something in return. But for outstanding
Like most other archfiends, Charon is also service in direct furtherance of one of his
willing to make pacts with mortal warlocks, primary goals, the Ferryman might bestow the
conferring Stygian powers upon them in Boon of Planar Travel (see "Epic Boons" in
exchange for their unwavering support in his chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master's Guide), but
various struggles. When his warlocks are only to a warlock whose overall character level
elsewhere than on one of the Lower Planes, is 20th, and the boon would only allow the
Charon demands only that such protégés character to access the Lower Outer Planes
encourage anyone they meet—leastwise those touched by the Styx. Charon would consider
with the ability to travel the planes—to seek out such a powerful character a worthy ally in his
Charon's ferry should they ever find themselves future endeavors.
needing transport through or between those
planes. When present on the Lower Planes Optional Abilities
themselves, in addition to driving passengers to Charon's warlocks may add the following spells
Charon, these warlocks must likewise assist to those on the Fiend Expanded Spells list.
any merrenoloths they come across; they must,
however, charge for such assistance and make
provisions to send half of any such payments to Spell Level Spells
Charon. 1st detect magic
2nd gust of wind
Binding Marks and Traits 3rd —
Charon himself appears as a cloaked and 4th control water, death ward, freedom of
hooded skeletal humanoid with glowing movement
eyes, and many of his warlocks 5th —
therefore paint their faces to
resemble skulls. Like their Charon's warlocks also gain access to the gust
patron, many such and shape water cantrips.
warlocks also dress in When they reach 11th level in this class,
black silk (or black they may add the planar ally spell to those 6th-
armor), often with ermine trim level spells from which they may choose an
and almost always with a deeply arcanum. Only Charon may be beseeched by
cowled hood. A small number the spell, however, and he always sends a
find that their own eyes begin merrenoloth ally; the merrenoloth invariably
to glow dimly, a pale demands treasure as payment as per the spell
imitation of their description, but all listed gp amounts must be
patron's eyes. converted to the equivalent value in pp; there is
no discounted rate for non-hazardous tasks,
Warlock Interactions but especially dangerous tasks might require a
Apart from answer- greater amount of platinum.
ing a petition as per Further, when they reach 15th level in this
the planar ally spell class, the Ferryman's warlocks may add the
No
Not for resale. Permis ted tto print
Permission granted int or
ph
photocopy this docum
document forr per
personal use only.
nly Bound to Avernus: Warlock Customization 20
control weather spell to those 8th-level spells
from which they may choose an arcanum.
Warlocks of Charon also gain access to seven
signature eldritch invocations. If a class feature
lets you choose eldritch invocations, you may,
at your DM's discretion, include these among
those from which you are choosing.
Boatman's Oar
Any quarterstaff you wield gains the reach
property, and its attacks are considered
magical for the purpose of overcoming
resistance to nonmagical attacks. Once per
turn, when you hit with a quarterstaff attack, 15th level, but you must then finish a long rest
you deal extra force damage equal to half your before casting either of those two spells again.
warlock level, rounded up. Moreover, when casting the feeblemind spell in
If using an oar, barge pole, or similar object this way, it has a range of touch rather than its
as an improvised weapon, you may treat the usual range.
object as a quarterstaff.
Styx Ward
Ferryman's Crew Prerequisite: Gift of the Depths eldritch
You gain proficiency with water vehicles. You invocation
can also cast the mending cantrip at will and You are immune to the deleterious effects of the
without requiring material components but River Styx. Moreover, whenever a creature of
only to repair the hull of a ship you've boarded. your choice within 10 feet of you must make a
Whenever you cast mending in this way, the saving throw arising from being submerged in
ship's hull regain 2d6 hit points. or drinking Styx water, the creature gains a
bonus to the saving throw equal to your
Press Gang Charisma modifier (minimum bonus of +1). You
Prerequisite: 12th level must be conscious to grant this bonus.
You can cast the summon fiend spell once in Thought Eddy
lieu of the 6th-level mystic arcanum spell you
chose at 11th level, but you must then finish a
long rest before casting either spell again. You can cast modify memory once using a
Moreover, when casting the summon fiend spell warlock spell slot, but only to eliminate a
in this way, you must choose the Yugoloth form memory. You can't do so again until you finish
for the spell's Fiendish Spirit stat block. a long rest.
Stygian Rigor Finally, warlocks of Charon who have chosen

Prerequisite: Boatman's Oar eldritch invocation the Pact of the Chain often choose a crab,
octopus, or quipper as a familiar, but they are
Whenever you deal extra force damage to a
granted one additional special form—Styx
target via your Boatman's Oar eldritch invoca-
mephit—among those from which they can
tion, the target must also succeed on a Consti-
choose when casting the find familiar spell (as
tution saving throw or become paralyzed for 1
always, with DM approval).
minute. A paralyzed target can repeat the
A Styx mephit stat block appears in the
saving throw at the end of each of its turns,
bestiary below.
ending the condition on itself on a success.
Styx Touch
You can cast the feeblemind spell once in lieu of
the 8th-level mystic arcanum spell you chose at
Bonus Patron
ELECTRUM BESTSELLER BONUS #2
achieved Electrum Best Seller
ELECTRUM
The Flail of Bargrivyek

WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG? THE MORE
that different peoples can come together,
overcome our differences, and cooperate, the
easier it is to slaughter disgusting orcs… or
anyone else who comes too close to our lands.
— Nargoth Nosesplitter, High Peacemaker
of Bargrivyek's priests
Bargrivyek is the goblinoid god of cooperation,

promoting unity among the goblinoid races. In
this capacity he is sometimes known as the
Peacekeeper, although the unity he promotes is
for the purpose of warring more effectively
against other races. In addition to his peace-
keeping role, Bargrivyek is also a god of
territory, order, and discipline. Initially part of A LINK TO BALDUR'S GATE: DESCENT INTO AVERNUS
the distinct hobgoblin pantheon, Bargrivyek is DMs wishing to more firmly connect Bargrivyek to
one of the few such deities to survive when a Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus campaign
Maglubiyet, the Mighty One, slaughtered might wish to establish that some or all of the
almost all of them as he rose to become the hobgoblin warriors serving the Avernian warlord
chief deity of all goblinoids—goblins, Bitter Breath initially came to Avernus to hone their
hobgoblins, and bugbears. skills at Bargrivyek's training ground. Bargrivyek
Unlike most of the other members of the might now consider these hobgoblins deserters or
goblinoid pantheon, who make their divine traitors to their kind and might be willing to enlist
homes on the Infinite Battlefield of Acheron, the aid of a goblinoid PC to help capture or punish
Bargrivyek's has taken up residence on those hobgoblins, even offering a warlock pact as
Avernus in the Nine Hells. There he pursues his compensation.
"peaceable" agenda within a vast training
ground in which he puts goblinoid legions
through intense regimens of military
instruction and harsh calisthenics. Patron's Goals
Bargrivyek's signature weapon is a sentient Notwithstanding his Peacekeeper moniker,
white-tipped flail that has no name but which Bargrivyek is a thoroughly malevolent and
bargrivyek
is said to have been forged ages ago in the ruthless conqueror in keeping with the rest of
Shadowfell. It is through the eldritch coopera- the goblinoid pantheon and his weapon's own
tion of this dark weapon that Bargrivyek has alignment. Philosophically, however, the god
the power to cultivate Hexblade warlocks in his and his flail approach these militaristic goals in
service, as detailed more fully below. a less dictatorial manner, favoring cohesive
effort and seeing strength in unity. Put another Binding Marks and Traits
way, peace among his own kind allows for more Most warlocks of the Flail of Bargrivyek mani-
effective war-making against outside enemies. fest no physical sign of their pact, but a very
And when it comes to outsiders, Bargrivyek small number find that their hands blacken to
considers none a greater enemy than orcs. The the color of charcoal, while their fingernails
god certainly prioritizes any endeavor aimed at become white and thickly opaque like ivory.
destroying or weakening the orc race or the orc Nearly all warlocks of the Flail choose to
pantheon, over which the despised god, wield a flail as their weapon of choice and as
Gruumsh, holds sway. Bargrivyek also harbors the weapon they imbue with their Hex Warrior
a fierce enmity toward the chief kobold deity, subclass feature. A much smaller number
Kurtulmak, in large part because Kurtulmak sometimes opt instead for a morningstar.
maintains an underground realm on Avernus.
Bargrivyek sees this infernal Underdark analog Warlock Interactions
as a threat to his own Avernian territory, and If Bargrivyek or his flail ever wishes to commu-
so he leads frequent raids against the kobold nicate with one of the Flail's warlocks, the god
forces dwelling there. prefers to send omens or signs that take the
form of atmospheric phenomena; often this will
Special Terms of the Pact be a falling star pointing the way to a new terri-
Bargrivyek is a god, and many of his devotees tory to settle or from which Bargrivyek would
thus serve him as clerics (typically of the Order see orcs pushed out. Should a more specific
or War domains) or paladins (often swearing message need to be delivered, a warlock might
the Oath of Conquest or Oath of Vengeance). suddenly start speaking in a babble of unknown
But Bargrivyek is also capable of granting war- tongues or stammering, but a brief interval of
lock pacts through his shadow-forged flail. Such coherent speech from Bargrivyek himself will
magically militant warlocks often fight in tan- also issue forth amidst the nonsense.
dem on the god's behalf alongside his warriors
and under the guidance of his high priests. Goads
Typically, the god encourages all of his Should a warlock of Bargrivyek's Flail ever
devotees to slaughter orcs, while also seeking to intentionally do anything to stoke enmity
engender peaceable relations between and between goblinoids or groups of goblinoids,
among goblinoids. Bargrivyek will arrange punishment through
Restriction: Goblinoids Only. Only the power of his flail, causing that warlock to
goblinoid characters (goblins, hobgoblins, or become afflicted with Watchers (see "Dark
bugbears) can choose The Flail of Bargrivyek as Gifts" in chapter 1 of Van Richten's Guide to
their warlock patron. This archetype fills a Ravenloft). These Watchers are spirits that will
particular niche in goblinoid society and take the form of tiny flails formed from
culture. As always, however, your DM can lift shadowstuff.
this restriction to better suit your campaign. Moreover, other than during a period in
Restriction: Hexblade Patron Type. All of which the warlock has temporarily dispersed or
the other warlock patrons appearing in this hidden the Watchers as per the rules in the
supplement offer options for aforementioned chapter, the warlock will
customizing the Fiend patron manifest the following Seed of Fear:
type. As it is from Bar-
• "I hate feeling isolated or being alone."
grivyek's powerful and
sentient flail that the god's This fear represents Bargrivyek's desire to see
warlocks are granted their the warlock form bonds of cooperation with
eldritch powers, however, other goblinoids. See the "Using Seeds of Fear"
these warlocks must chose section in chapter 4 of Van Richten's Guide to
the Hexblade patron type Ravenloft for suggestions on how to use this
and warlock subclass Seed in a campaign.
described fully in chapter 1 Only when Bargrivyek is satisfied that the
of Xanathar's Guide to warlock has made sufficient amends for the
Everything. transgression will he cause his flail to
permanently remove the Watchers.
Not for resale. Permission g
granted to print or
photocopy this documen
document for personal use only. Bound to Avernus: Warlock Customization 23
Boons Guiding Star
For truly exceptional service (e.g. foiling a cos- Prerequisite: 12th level
mic plot by the agents of Gruumsh or Kurtul- You can cast the find the path spell once in lieu
mak, wiping out a major orc population to allow of the 6th-level mystic arcanum spell you chose
for goblinoid expansion, helping Bargrivyek's at 11th level, but you must then finish a long
high priests complete a holy quest), Bargrivyek rest before casting either spell again.
might (rarely) bestow the following blessing on a
warlock:
Blessing of the Devout. You gain a +2
Pacifying Strike
bonus to spell attack rolls and the saving throw Prerequisite: 5th level, Shadow-Spiked Flail
DCs of your spells. Bargrivyek can choose to eldritch invocation
revoke this blessing at any time for bad Once per turn when you hit a creature with
behavior. your pact weapon, you can expend a warlock
Alternately, Bargrivyek might choose to spell slot to deal an extra 1d6 force damage to
reward warlocks of the Flail by gifting them the target, plus an additional 1d6 per level of
with one of the following magic weapons. the spell slot, and the target becomes stunned
• Devotee's Censer. See "Magic Items" in for 1 minute. A stunned creature can make a
chapter 3 of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, Constitution saving throw at the end of each of
but the item is modified as follows: the its turns, ending the effect on itself on a
warlock can attune to it; it deals necrotic success.
rather than radiant damage; and its
command word causes it to emanate a cloud
Shadow-Spiked Flail
of faint shadow, rather than incense. Prerequisite: Pact of the Blade feature, flail as
• Vicious Flail. When you roll a 20 on your pact weapon
attack roll with this magic weapon, the target A flail summoned as your pact weapon deals
takes an extra 7 damage of the weapon’s type 1d6 bludgeoning plus 1d4 piercing damage
• +1, +2, or +3 Flail. With the bonus rather than the usual flail damage.
determined by the worthiness of the deed
being rewarded. Finally, warlocks of the Flail of Bargrivyek who
have chosen the Pact of the Chain often choose
Optional Abilities a raven as a familiar, but they are granted two
The Flail's warlocks may add the following spells additional special forms (with DM approval)
to those on the Hexblade Expanded Spells list. among those from which they can choose
when casting the find familiar spell: a
cockatrice and a norker thrall.
Spell Level Spells A norker thrall is a norker (see
1st compelled duel Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio,
2nd — Volume 1) whose mind has been
3rd slow all but burned out by exposure to
4th compulsion Bargrivyek's frightening divinity.
5th commune with nature, hallow It uses the norker stat block,
modified as follows: Int 3 (-4);
Warlock protégés of the Flail of Bargrivyek also Cha 5 (-3); understands Com-
gain access to the friends and message cantrips. mon and Goblin but can't
When they reach 15th level in this class, speak; lacks Mace attack action.
they may add the antipathy/sympathy spell to
those 8th-level spells from which they may MORE PATRONS TO COME!
choose an arcanum. Hopefully you enjoyed these two newest bonus
patrons! As promised when this supplement was first
Warlocks of Bargrivyek's Flail also gain released, more patrons with strong ties to Avernus
access to three signature eldritch invocations. If will be added every time the supplement gains
a class feature lets you choose eldritch invoca- another bestseller metal status. So stay tuned…
tions, you may, at your DM's discretion, include
these among those from which you choose. Next stop: Gold!
Bestiary and Nonplayer Characters
Baatorian Rat
BAATORIAN RAT Though resembling overgrown, spike-spined
Small fiend, typically chaotic evil
rats with glowing red eyes, these vicious crea-
tures are actually not rats at all but a type of
Armor Class 13(natural armor) fiend native to the Nine Hells and found almost
Hit Points 13 (3d6 + 3) nowhere else. Occasionally, a pack will follow or
Speed 30 ft. stow away with a defeated demon battalion as it
retreats to the Abyss, so they are sometimes
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA found in that plane, typically gorging on
10 (+0) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 4 (-3) 12 (+1) 5 (-3) abyssal chickens. Wherever they're found, they
look for weak or injured prey, moving as a pack
Damage Resistances cold and trailing after the shifting lines of Blood War
fighting like bestial camp followers. They've
Damage Immunities fire, poison
learned to avoid attacking devils—or perhaps
Condition Immunities poisoned they merely dislike the taste of Hell's fiends—
Senses darkvision 90 ft., passive Perception 11 but will gladly eat any other creature. As men-
Languages understands Infernal but can't speak tioned, they have developed a particular taste
Challenge 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 for abyssal chickens and will often encircle a
lake of demonic ichor, waiting for the chickens
Keen Smell. The Baatorian rat has advantage on Wisdom to spawn from the rotting lakeshore trees, then
(Perception) checks that rely on smell. moving in as a pack to have a feeding frenzy.
When not eating or stalking prey, they tend to
Pack Tactics. The Baatorian rat has advantage on attack nest in areas of particular filth or rot.
rolls against a creature if at least one of the rat's allies is Baatorian Rat Familiars. Some Pact-of-
within 5 feet of the creature and isn't incapacitated the-Chain warlocks of Archduchess Zariel
choose a baatorian rat as their pact familiar.
ACTIONS When summoned as a familiar, these crea-
tures form a telepathic bond with their willing
Multiattack. The Baatorian rat makes two melee attacks,
master. The master can sense what the bonded
one with its bite and one with its claws.
familiar senses as long as they are within 1
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one mile of each other. While the rat is within 10
target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage, and the target feet of its
must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or master,
become poisoned for 1 minute. the master
also shares
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
its immu-
target. Hit: 1 slashing damage, and the target must
nity to fire
succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or con-
damage.
tract Cackle Fever (see Dungeon Master's Guide, Ch. 8).
Fiery Miasma (Recharge 5-6). As a bonus action, the rat
emits a burst of flames in a 5-foot radius sphere with
itself at the center. All creatures within range must make
a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw, suffering 7 (2d6) fire
damage on a failure or half as much on a success.

FALLEN CHERUB
Tiny celestial, typically lawful evil
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points 10 (3d4 + 3)
Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

6 (-2) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 14 (+2)
Skills Insight +3, Perception +3

Damage Resistances fire, radiant; bludgeoning, piercing,
and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Celestial, Infernal, Common
Challenge 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Angelic Weapons. The cherub's weapon attacks are

magical. When the cherub hits with any weapon, the
weapon deals an extra 2d6 radiant damage (included in
the attack). Fallen Cherub
Innate Spellcasting. The cherub's spellcasting ability is Cherubim are small, winged angels, outwardly
Charisma (spell save DC 12). It can innately cast the resembling humanoid babies but with celestial
following spells, requiring only verbal components: powers that belie their appearance. When more
powerful forms of angels such as devas, plane-
At will: detect evil and good, invisibility (self only) tars, and the mighty solars are formed from the
Magic Resistance. The cherub has advantage on saving astral essence of benevolent gods, cherubs are
throws against spells and other magical effects. the byproduct of that act of creation, essentially
scattered whorls of overflowing divinity that
ACTIONS coalesce into lesser reflections of the intended
result.
Bow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/120 ft., Unfortunately, like all angels, cherubim are
one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage plus 7 sometimes susceptible to letting pride lead
(2d6) radiant damage. them toward an act of evil. Whether intentional
or not, these acts permanently sully them,
marking them as outcasts. When a cherub falls,
it retains its powers but, like any fallen angel,
VARIANT: FALLEN CHERUBIM OF THE ABYSS loses its connection to the deity from which it
The above stat block represents a fallen cherub that was made. Often taking banishment very per-
has found a place in the hierarchy of the Nine Hells sonally, cherubim in these circumstances tend
of Baator, likely in the service of Archduchess Zariel to rebel by seeking a position within the
of Avernus. A fallen cherub that instead migrates to hierarchy of either the Abyss or—as with the
the Abyss would adapt and evolve differently to its sort represented by the stat block at left—the
new environment. Likely it would have resistance to Nine Hells. In almost all cases, cherubim who
poison damage rather than to fire damage, and it end up in Hell come to serve Archduchess Zar-
would have learned the Abyssal language rather iel of Avernus, herself a one-time fallen angel.
than the Infernal language. Although remaining celestials, cherubim of
the Nine Hells develop a ruddier hue and
perpetually—often disturbingly—angry visages.
They also develop a degree of resistance to fire FROST HELLION
damage and an immunity to being poisoned, Small fiend (devil), typically lawful evil
while losing the typical cherub immunity to
exhaustion and seeing a slight reduction to Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
their Constitution and Charisma as they no Hit Points 9 (2d6 + 2)
longer maintain a link to the divine.
Speed 20 ft., fly 30 ft.
Fallen Cherub Familiars. Some Pact-of-
the-Chain warlocks of Archduchess Zariel
choose a fallen cherub as their pact familiar. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
When summoned as a familiar, these evil 10 (-1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 12 (+1)
celestials form a telepathic bond with their
willing master. The master can sense what the Saving Throws Dex +4, Con +3
bonded familiar senses as long as they are Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
within 1 mile of each other. While the cherub is from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered
within 10 feet of its master, the master also weapons
shares the cherub's Magic Resistance trait.
Damage Immunities cold, fire, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Frost Hellion (Pachnigon) Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive
A frost hellion is a lesser, diminutive, flying Perception 10
cousin of the fearsome ice devils, and they are Languages Infernal, Common
similarly found most commonly on Hell's cold Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
layers of Stygia and Cania. Not nearly as for-
midable in a fight, nonethe-
less if frost hellions appear Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the
in great numbers over a hellion's darkvision.
battlefield, they can wreak Innate Spellcasting. The hellion's spellcasting ability is
havoc, particularly if many of Charisma (spell save DC 11). It can innately cast the
them are carrying their sig- following spell, requiring no material components:
nature barbed javelins whose
2/day: armor of Agathys
frosty touch can signifi-
cantly slow down enemy Magic Resistance. The hellion has advantage on saving
forces. throws against spells and other magical effects.
Frost Hellion Famil-
iars. Bel the Warlord is ACTIONS
legendarily able to sum-
mon ice devils to fight for Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
him on Avernus, and some target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6)
of Bel's Pact-of-the-Chain cold damage.
warlocks choose to receive a
frost hellion from their patron
VARIANT: FROST HELLION JAVELIN
as their pact familiar. When
summoned as a familiar, these Some frost hellions have the following additional
devils form a telepathic bond action option.
with their willing master. The Frost Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +1
master can sense what the to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target.
bonded familiar senses as Hit: 2 (1d6 -1) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) cold
long as they are within 1 mile damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed
of each other. While the frost on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, or for 30
hellion is within 10 feet of its seconds, its speed is reduced by 10 ft. and it can't
master, the master also shares take reactions. The target can repeat the saving
the devil's Magic Resistance trait. throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the
effect on a success.
STYX MEPHIT
Small elemental, typically neutral evil
Armor Class 11
Hit Points 22 (5d6 + 5)
Speed 20 ft., fly 20 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

8 (-1) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 11 (+0) 9 (-1)
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +3 Styx Mephit

Damage Resistances fire Mephits are impulsive, unpredictable creatures,
Damage Immunities cold, poison mostly native to the Elemental Planes (see the
Condition Immunities poisoned Monster Manual for more on mephits generally).
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 Styx mephits, however, are an unusual form of
mephit that arises from the current-churned
Languages Abyssal, Infernal, Primordial
sediment at the bottom of the River Styx. This
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 oozy, wet sediment consists primarily of the
silted souls of the damned and the residue of
Death Burst. When the mephit dies, it explodes in a memories lost to the river's amnestic touch.
burst of mud and soul silt. Each creature within 5 feet of Unlike typical mephits, which sometimes
it must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking find their own way into the Material Plane, Styx
7 (2d6) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much mephits are found only on the Lower Outer
damage on a successful one. Planes unless summoned elsewhere by magic
or, more rarely, in an area of swampland or
False Appearance. While the mephit remains motion-
stagnant water desecrated by some influence of
less, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary mound of
the Lower Planes—e.g. a wastrilith's corrupting
clay or mud or puddle of silty water.
touch, the introduction of Hades larva, a ritual
performed by a diabolical or demonic cult, or a
ACTIONS tendril of Abyssal corruption or the pervasive
Fists. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one evil of the Nine Hells emanating from a nearby
target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage, and the portal to one of those planes.
target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, Styx mephits tend to manifest a profound
taking 7 (2d6) psychic damage on a failed save or half as state of depression and slightly befuddled
much damage on a success. confusion; often this leads them to lash out in
seemingly cruel or violent acts against other
Silt Breath (Recharge 6). The mephit belches soul silt creatures they encounter.
onto one creature within 5 feet of it. The target must Unusual Nature. A Styx mephit doesn't
succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or take 14 require air, food, drink, or sleep.
(4d6) psychic damage and be forced to make an Styx Mephit Familiars. Some Pact-of-the-
additional DC 11 Intelligence saving throw. A creature Chain warlocks of Charon choose a Styx mephit
that fails this Intelligence saving throw has its intellect as their pact familiar. When summoned as a
and personality temporarily shattered, reducing its familiar, these creatures form a telepathic bond
Intelligence and Charisma scores to 1 for one minute, with their willing master. The master can sense
during which time it can't cast spells, activate magic what the bonded familiar senses as long as they
items, understand language, or communicate in any are within 1 mile of each other. While the
intelligible way; the creature can repeat the Intelligence mephit is within 10 feet of its master, the
saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the master also shares its immunity to poison
effect on itself on a success. damage.

Warlock of Bel (NPC)
Bel's warlocks share his bitterness over his
demotion from rulership over Avernus, and
they work tirelessly behind the scenes to tar-
nish Archduchess Zariel's reputation or thwart
her servants. Many of his warlocks are former
soldiers who admire the Warlord's military
expertise and understanding of logistics and
defensive tactics, and they seek to emulate him
in this regard when they enter combat.
VARIANT: NONHUMAN WARLOCKS

The NPC statistics presented on this and the
following page assume a base human. However,
you can also use the statistics to represent non-
human warlocks, adding verisimilitude by allowing
it to retain one or more of its humanoid racial traits.
For example, a dragonborn warlock might have the
Breath Weapon and Damage Resistance traits.
WARLOCK OF BEL
Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment Spellcasting. The warlock is a 14th-level spellcaster (spell-
casting ability is Charisma, save DC 16, +8 to hit with
Armor Class 11 (14 with mage armor) spells). It regains expended spell slots when it finishes a
Hit Points 88 (16d8 + 16) short or long rest. It knows the following spells:
Speed 30 ft.
Cantrips (at will): create bonfire, friends, mage hand,
true strike
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 1st–5th level (3 5th-level slots): arcane weapon*, armor of
12 (+1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 18 (+4) Agathys, augury, confusion, dispel magic, fireball, fire
shield, glyph of warding, infernal calling, Melf's minute
Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +8 meteors, mislead, protection from evil & good, wall of fire
Skills Arcana +6, Athletics +5, Deception +8, Intimida- Dark One's Own Luck (Recharges after Short or Long
tion +8 Rest). When the warlock makes an ability check or saving
Damage Resistances bludgeoning damage from non- throw, it can add a d10 to the roll after the roll is made
magical attacks not made with silvered weapons but before nay of the roll's effects occur.
Senses. darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Hurl Through Hell (Recharges after Long Rest). When the
Languages Infernal, Common warlock hits a creature with an attack, it can instantly
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +4 transport the target through the lower planes until the
end of the warlock's next turn, after which the target
returns to the space it previously occupied and takes 55
Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the (10d10) psychic damage.
warlock's darkvision.
Innate Spellcasting. The warlock innately casts the follow- ACTIONS
ing spells, requiring no material components:
Light Hammer. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to
At will: control flames, detect magic, disguise self, mage hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4
armor, produce flame, resistance, vicious mockery + 1) bludgeoning damage.
1/day each: guards and wards, heat metal, plane shift
* This spell appears in the Unearthed Arcana: Artificer playtest material.

Warlock of Zariel (NPC)
Warlocks of Archduchess Zariel of Avernus seek
glory in battle, particularly against the soldiers
of the Abyss, and they pursue fame, fortune,
and power derived from their victories. When
not fighting, they also work to covertly
undermine the servants and allies of Bel the
Warlord and Asmodeus, Lord of the Ninth,
hoping both to strengthen their patron's
position of rulership and decrease the likeli-
hood of her predecessor staging a successful
coup to reclaim Avernus from her.
1st–5th level (4 5th-level slots): burning hands, com-

WARLOCK OF ZARIEL mand, crusader's mantle, fireball, freedom of movement,
Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment hallow, hellish rebuke, heroism, infernal calling,
invisibility, searing smite, sickening radiance, spiritual
Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor) weapon, wall of fire
Hit Points 117 (18d8 + 36) Dark One's Own Luck (Recharges after Short or Long
Speed 30 ft. Rest). When the warlock makes an ability check or saving
throw, it can add a d10 to the roll after the roll is made
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA but before nay of the roll's effects occur.
12 (+1) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 18 (+4)
Hurl Through Hell (Recharges after Long Rest). When the
warlock hits a creature with an attack, it can instantly
Saving Throws Wis +4, Cha +8 transport the target through the lower planes until the
Skills Arcana +5, History +5, Persuasion +8, Religion +5 end of the warlock's next turn, after which the target
Damage Resistances piercing damage from nonmagical returns to the space it previously occupied and takes 55
(10d10) psychic damage.
attacks not made with silvered weapons
Senses. darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Magic Weapon. The warlock's rapier attacks are magical.
Languages Celestial, Infernal, Common Further, if the warlock scores a critical hit with its rapier
Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +4 or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with it, the warlock
can make one rapier attack as a bonus action.
Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the ACTIONS

warlock's darkvision.
Multiattack. The warlock makes two attacks with
Innate Spellcasting. The warlock innately casts the follow- its rapier.
ing spells, requiring no material components:
Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
At will: mage armor target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage plus 4 necrotic
1/day each: astral projection, blade barrier, dispel evil and damage.
good, finger of death, glibness
Touch of the Fallen (Recharges after Long Rest). The
Spellcasting. The warlock is a 17th-level spellcaster (spell- warlock touches a creature within 5 feet of it. The
casting ability is Charisma, save DC 16, +8 to hit with target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving
spells). It regains expended spell slots when it finishes a throw or take 11 (2d10) necrotic damage and be
short or long rest. It knows the following spells: poisoned for 30 seconds. While poisoned in this way, the
Cantrips (at will): create bonfire, friends, mage hand, sword target is also blinded or deafened (warlock's choice).
burst The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of
each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

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BOUND TO AVERNUS

Give your warlock a distinctive flair with Fiend patron customization

Patron Customization Options .................................2

Once among the most powerful angels, Zariel

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or

…than serve on CelestiaBound to Avernus: Warlock Customization 3

Finally, warlocks of Zariel who have chosen the

Bel the Warlord

One of the Nine Hells' most astute military

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or

Infernal Art of War Surprise and Conquer

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or

Kostchtchie, Prince of Wrath

Many ages ago, Kostchtchie was a king among

Meet your new

Jaqon, Exiled Duke

Although once a duke in the court of Hell's

* This spell is detailed in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.

Tiamat, Queen of Evil Dragons

Tiamat is the primary deity of evil (i.e. chro-

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or

Charon, The Ferryman

The River Styx is a foul, rubbish-choked water-

Stygian Rigor Finally, warlocks of Charon who have chosen

The Flail of Bargrivyek

Bargrivyek is the goblinoid god of cooperation,

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Skills Insight +3, Perception +3

Angelic Weapons. The cherub's weapon attacks are

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Skills Perception +2, Stealth +3 Styx Mephit

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or

VARIANT: NONHUMAN WARLOCKS

* This spell appears in the Unearthed Arcana: Artificer playtest material.

1st–5th level (4 5th-level slots): burning hands, com-

Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the ACTIONS

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or

DOWNLOAD IT TODAY DOWNLOAD IT TODAY FOR A UNIQUE,

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