Your patron is a lord or lady of the fey, one of the OtherWorld beings who emerged from the creation pools of the Forest of Twilight in the aftermath of the Eldar Dissension to serve and bolster nature itself. This being’s motivations are often inscrutable, and sometimes whimsical, and might involve a striving for greater magical power or the settling of age-old grudges. Beings of this sort include Carrus, Aviion, or another member of one of the three factions of the Feywild: The Atrom Court, the Ainelach Retinue, and the Slaugh.
Most of the archfey, especially the Seelie and Unseelie, still hold to their original purpose, which they commit to you; the Charge. A resolution to restore the Forest of Twilight to its former glory, even if it means the downfall of the mortal races. How the separate fey go about accomplishing this goal differs.
This patron has a different mechanism than other patrons; you must choose one of the three factions to be a patron of.
- The Atrom Court – also called the Seelie, the Seelie Court, the Shining Ones, and the Blessed Ones, these archfey are considered to be pleasant and wondrous, the source of merry enchantment and light and beauty in the Feywild. The reality is that these beings can be just as selfish and distant as their darker cousins. The Atrom tend to work with mortals better, however, assisting them and addressing them as equals when it will suit their purposes. Examples of denizens of the Atrom Court are Corellon Larethian, Hanali Celanil, and Deep Sashelas. The code of the Atrom Court is:
- Death Before Dishonor: A member of the Atrom Court would protect his or her honor to the death. Honor was the single source of glory for the Seelie, the only way to attain recognition. A true Seelie would rather have died than live with personal dishonor, and would never bring dishonor to another of the Seelie.
- Love Conquers All: For the Seelie, love was the perfect expression of the soul. It transcended all other things. Though romantic love was considered to be the highest and purest form of love, platonic love was also encouraged.
- Beauty is Life: Beauty was one of the first tenants of the Atrom Court. To belong, a faery had to be beautiful, and all beauty was to be protected. The Seelie were known to go to war to protect beauty, whether it was a beautiful person, place, or thing.
- Never Forget a Debt: This tenant worked in two ways. The Seelie were bound by their code of honor to repay any debt owed as soon as was possible. This included both favors and insults. The Seelie would repay a favor in a timely fashion. At the same time, they would exact vengeance almost immediately.
- The Ainelach Retinue – also called the UnDecided, the Line Walkers, and the Fray, these archfey don’t agree with either the Seelie (Atrom) or the Unseelie (Slaugh). They don’t want to be involved in the political maneuverings of the courts but would prefer to be left alone to work toward their own goals. They don’t hold too closely to the Charge, knowing that if the Charge were to be realized, many mortals would be eradicated, including their own chosen people. Thus, many feel that the Ainelach are subtly working against the Charge and against the Atrom Court and Slaugh. Ironically, for being looked down upon by the two courts, the Ainelach Retinue is the most numerous of the archfey. Examples of denizens of the Ainelach Retinue are Sehanine Moonbow, Aerdrie Faenya, and Solonor Rallathil. The code of the Ainelach Retinue is:
- Death Before Dishonor:
- Love Conquers All:
- Beauty is Life:
- Never Forget a Debt:
- The Slaugh – also called the Unseelie, the Unseelie Court, the Lords of the Earth, the Host, the Unblessed, these archfey could care less about those they consider inferior, which is anybody that is not Slaugh. They are far from kind. These unsavory characters tend towards evil and are often malignant. Some elven legends claim that the Unseelie were fallen Seelie, those who could not live up to the strict standards of chivalry of the shining court. The Slaugh are almost always out to harm mortalkind. Examples of denizens of the Slaugh are Lloth, Selvetarm, Eshabala. The code of the Slaugh is:
- Change is Good: The Slaugh firmly believe that security is an illusion. They consider chaos to be the ruling force in the universe, and accept that they have to adapt and change to survive.
- Glamour is Free: Glamour is the magick of the Shining Ones. Both the Seelie and Unseelie possess its power. However, the two Courts have differing opinions over its use. The Unseelie believe that to have power and not to use it was near to sin. They use their power for whatever they see fit.
- Honor is a Lie: The Slaugh place no stock in the ideals of honor. Instead, they pursue their own self-interests vigorously. These archfey feel as if truth could only be reached through a devotion to self, not a devotion to others.
- Passion Before Duty: Passion is considered to be the truest state of being. The Unseelie act without thought on pure instinct and passion.
Patron Attitude
The archfey consider themselves far above the mortals, and the way they treat their servants can vary from patron to patron. You may consider how things look from your patron’s perspective and how they view you, or you may roll on the following chart to determine their attitude. Also, consider which faction your patron comes from; the Slaugh tend to consider their servants as tools to be used up, while the Atrom Court wants to nourish the relationship.
| d6 | Patron Attitude |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your patron has guided and helped you and your family for generations and is kindly toward you. |
| 2 | Each interaction with your capricious patron is a surprise, whether pleasant or painful. |
| 3 | Your patron sees your pact as a way for it to influence the world according to its obscure goals. |
| 4 | Your patron is a strict disciplinarian but treats you with a measure of respect. |
| 5 | Your patron tricked you into a pact and treats you like a slave. |
| 6 | You are mostly left to your own devices with no interference from your patron. |
Special Terms
The terms of the pact range from a loose agreement to a formal contract with lengthy detailed clauses and lists of requirements, depending on who the warlock’s patron is. At times, these terms can seem odd or whimsical. You may consider a special term you must follow, or you may roll on the following chart to determine it randomly.
| d6 | Special Terms |
|---|---|
| 1 | When directed, you must take immediate action against a specific enemy of your patron. |
| 2 | Your pact tests your willpower; you are required to abstain from alcohol and other intoxicants. |
| 3 | At least once a day, you must inscribe or carve your patron’s name or symbol on the wall of a building. |
| 4 | You must occasionally conduct bizarre rituals to maintain your pact (your patron will direct this). |
| 5 | You can never wear the same outfit twice, since your patron finds such predictability to be boring. |
| 6 | When you use an eldritch invocation, you must speak your patron’s name aloud. |
Pact Boons
The three factions have differing views on how their goals can be accomplished, and this is one way those differences are reflected. The three allow different pact boons for their servants:
- The Atrom Court – pact of the chain, pact of the steed, pact of the blade, pact of the strings
- The Ainelach Retinue – pact of the chain, pact of the steed, pact of the talisman, pact of the strings
- The Slaugh – pact of the chain, pact of the heart, pact of the blade, pact of the tome
Binding Marks
You may choose a binding mark or you may roll for one. This effect is supernatural and has no in-game benefit or drawback.
| d10 | Mark |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your reflection is always slightly different from you (moves differently, looks more beautiful, etc). |
| 2 | You have an aversion to iron. |
| 3 | When you cast a spell, flowers rain down. |
| 4 | Grass grows from your footsteps and then immediately dies away. |
| 5 | Your skin/hair/eyes glows faintly when you sing. |
| 6 | Animals seem to trust you completely and allow you to approach. |
| 7 | When you cast a spell, crow feathers flurry around you briefly. |
| 8 | Animals seem to despise you and avoid you whenever possible. |
| 9 | Your skin/hair/eyes blackens when you cast a spell |
| 10 | Your footsteps burn black briefly and then immediately fade away. |
Archfey Patron Features
| Warlock Level | Features |
|---|---|
| 1st | fey divinity, domain usurp |
| 6th | fey attunement |
| 10th | domain coup |
| 14th | dark delirium |
Expanded Spell List
The Archfey lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you. In addition, some of the factions grant you an additional spell to select from.
| Archfey Expanded Spells | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spell Level | Spells | Extra Spell |
| 1st | cure wounds, faerie fire | charm person (AC), detect magic (AR), inflict wounds (S) |
| 2nd | calm emotions, lesser restoration | spiritual weapon (AC), summon beast (AR), enthrall (S) |
| 3rd | plant growth, summon fey | hypnotic pattern (AC), blink (AR), bestow curse (S) |
| 4th | conjure woodland beings, freedom of movement | banishment (AC), guardian of nature (AR), dominate beast (S) |
| 5th | mass cure wounds, seeming | dominate person (AC), dispel evil and good (AR), geas (S) |
Fey Divinity
The archfey are particularly interested in keeping the secret of their presence a mystery. Thus, at 1st level, you gain the ability to cast your warlock spells as if they were cleric spells. All warlock spells that you cast count as cleric spells in terms of appearance, and will always present as a clerical spell. If you have the pact boons of blade, strings, talisman, or tome, that pact item be used as a divine focus when casting your spells. If an observer of your spellcasting attempts to identify the spell you are casting, you may attempt to oppose their Intelligence check with a Charisma (Deception) check; on a success, your opponent believes that you cast a clerical spell.
Also at 1st level, choose one of the following skills: Deception, Performance, or Persuasion. You gain proficiency in that skill, and you add double your proficiency checks related to that skill.
Domain Usurp
Also at 1st level, your patron allows you to emulate the powers of a cleric. You may select one domain. If you are the warlock of an elven deity, you select a domain granted by your deity, otherwise, you may select one of the following: Air, Animal, Creation, Darkness, Destruction, Life, Luck, Nature, Travel, Trickery, War. You may select one domain spell granted for you at each level to add to your warlock spell list.
You also gain proficiency in Religion skill checks. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you made that uses this skill.
Fey Attunement
Your connection to the Feywild bestows upon you the ability to project the beguiling and fearsome presence of the fey. At 6th level, you can add your Charisma bonus to a number of ability, attack, skill, or saving throws equal to your proficiency bonus.
In addition, you can cast misty step as a reaction. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Domain Coup
At 10th level, your patron gives you more leeway to emulate a cleric. You may select another domain under the effects of your Domain Usurp ability, taking a domain spell to be added to your warlock spell list. You also gain the bonus features associated with taking the domains in the first place.
In addition, you can double your Charisma modifier on any single ability, attack, skill, or saving throw. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Dark Delirium
Starting at 14th level, you learn to apply your talent for deception and misdirection to your mind-affecting spells. When you cast an illusion or enchantment spell and one of the targets succeeds on their saving throw, you can force the target to reroll their saving throw and take the new result.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Expanded Invocations
The following invocations have been added as additions for the Archfey warlock.
Faerie Strike
Prerequisite: 7th level, pact of the blade boon
Your patron enhances your pact weapon with eldritch power, changing its damage type to force damage. In addition, the weapon gains a bonus to its attack and damage rolls equal to your Charisma modifier.
Channel Glamour
Prerequisite: 10th level
You gain the channel divinity class feature of a cleric. You can only use it once per day, but do not gain the Turn Undead effect of the class feature, only the effect determined by your domain.
Feywild Frolic
Prerequisite: 7th level
You are able to cast misty step at will, without expending a spell slot.
Nature’s Cradle
Prerequisite: 5th level
You are able to cast the entangle spell at will without expending a spell slot. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, a bed of magical flowers within a cage of thick vines is instantly summoned round your body, stabilizing you and bringing you up to 1 hit point. While inside the cradle, your speed is reduced to 0. At the start of your turn, you can choose to dismiss the cradle or remain inside. You regain hit points equal to 2d8 + your Charisma modifier each round while inside the cradle, but cannot take any actions or bonus actions. Upon dismissal, the cradle withers away and cannot be used further.
The cradle has an AC of 20, 40 hit points, and has vulnerability to fire damage. If the cradle is destroyed while you are still inside of it, you fall to the ground prone.
Once you use this invocation, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
Shadows of Dakaron 