Pact of the Chord

M
agical music has long been the
province of the bard, with its ability to
vibrate the threads of creation and tug
at reality. But many powerful entities,
including Warlock patrons, have shown
an interest in music's ability to warp
emotions and the mind. Legends are
replete with stories of magical faerie music deceiving mortal
travelers, fiddle duels with fiends, and otherworldly songs
that cut deftly through time and space.
This Pact Boon is designed to work for single-class
warlocks or warlock/bard multi-classers who want to add a
sinister edge to their musical powers.

Using a Pact Instrument

Upon choosing this pact boon at level 3, you can use your
action to create a pact instrument in your empty hand. You
can choose the form that this musical instrument takes each
time you create it. You are proficient with it while you hold it.
This instrument counts as both a bardic spell focus and an
arcane focus.
Whenever you cast a first-level spell or higher, you may take
an additional action to cast animal friendship, charm person,
command, sleep, or Tasha’s hideous laughter at first level. You
do not need to know the spell and it does not consume a spell
slot when cast in this way. When you use this ability, you may
not use it again for 10 minutes. You may use this ability a
number of times equal to your Charisma modifier. You regain
all expended uses upon completing a long rest.
Your pact instrument disappears if it is more than 5 feet
away from you for 1 minute or more or if another creature
holds it while you are not touching it. It also disappears if you
use this feature again, if you dismiss the instrument (no
action required), or if you die.
You can transform one magical instrument into your pact
instrument by performing a special ritual while you hold the
instrument. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour,
which can be done during a short rest. You can then dismiss
the instrument, shunting it into an extradimensional space,
and it appears whenever you create your pact instrument
thereafter. The instrument ceases being your pact instrument
if you die, if you perform the 1-hour ritual on a different
instrument, or if you use a 1-hour ritual to break your bond to
it. The instrument appears at your feet if it is in the
extradimensional space when the bond breaks.
Eldritch Invocations
If an eldritch invocation has prerequisites, you must meet
them to learn it. You can learn the invocation at the same
time that you meet its prerequisites. The following
invocations all include Pact of the Chord as a prerequisite.
Backmasking
You can hide messages in your music for others to discover.
When you play your pact instrument, you may communicate
telepathically to any one creature you can see within 30 feet.
That creature must be able to hear you.
Crossroads
Prerequisite: The Fiend patron
You are proficient in Performance. If you already have
proficiency, apply double your proficiency bonus on
Charisma(Performance) checks. You can live an aristocratic
lifestyle at no gold expense.
Fairy Circle Dance
Prerequisite: The Archfey patron
As an action, you can conjure a fairy circle of mushrooms
to inflict mischief upon a sleeping target. Roll a d20. If the
target remains asleep in the circle for more than one hour,
the corresponding effect occurs:
1: The sleeping victim is abducted by fae creatures for one
day. Their body is replaced on the plane it was taken from
with a crude wooden figurine. On the dawn after this effect
has occurred, they wake up in the location where they had
gone to sleep. Reroll this result if in the Feywild.
2-9: The sleeping victim falls deeply in love with the first
person they see when they wake up. This condition can be
cured with a remove curse spell or a greater restoration spell.
10-17: The sleeping victim is transformed into a random
Beast of CR 1 or lower. The effect ends upon completion of
another long rest or if the beast’s hit points drop to 0. Any
damage dealt to the beast that is not absorbed by its HP spills
over to the creature’s previous form.
18-20: Whisper a command and a trigger into the sleeping
victim’s ear. The following day, if the triggering event happens,
the victim must obey the command to the best of its abilities
for up to 30 minutes. It will not willing put itself in harm’s
way, such as harming itself or fighting any foe to the death.
Any creature affected by Fairy Circle Dance can never be
affected by it again.
Pestilent Piper
Prerequisite: Level 5
You can cast the find steed spell using a Warlock spell slot.
The only creature you may select for this spell is Swarm of
Rats. Its speed becomes 50 feet. If you are a medium sized
creature, the swarm is large.
Siren Song
Prerequisite: Level 5
As an action, you play an enchanting melody on your pact
instrument. Any creatures within 300 feet who can hear you
and are not currently in combat make a Wisdom saving
throw. Those who succeed suffer no ill effect, but may
investigate or ignore the sound as they see fit. Those who fail
abandon all caution for one minute and approach the location
where the sound came from as fast as possible, including
using the dash action if possible. If this creature takes
damage, they may make another Wisdom saving throw to
attempt to break the music’s hold on them. You may not use
this ability again until you take a long rest.
Synaesthesia
Your music affects the other sensory perceptions of other
creatures. You know the minor illusion cantrip.
Tarantella
Prerequisite: Level 3
You can cast the spider climb spell using a Warlock spell
slot. Its range becomes 30 feet when cast with your pact
instrument.
Unearthly Interval
Prerequisite: Level 17
As a reaction, you play an unusual interval with an
unearthly power on your pact instrument. You impose
disadvantage to an attack roll made against you. You can do
this a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier. You
regain all expended uses on a long rest.
Zannian Melody
Prerequisite: Level 9, Great Old One patron
You know the contact other plane spell and may cast it
without consuming a spell slot. When you cast it, its saving
throw is changed from DC15 Intelligence to DC15 Charisma.
When you use this ability, you may not use it again until you
complete a long rest.

The Right Tools For the Job

Your Pact Instrument can take on different forms
depending on your patron and the nature of your
music. Some examples include golden fiddles and
fearsome black guitars for servants of fiends, ivy-
trussed silver lyres and painted pan flutes for
followers of arch-fey, and misshapen instruments
of any type with hideous off-key sounds for Great
Old Ones.