¶ ALIENIST
Priests of annihilation, students of maddening stars, those corrupted by artifacts from before the creation of the world. Alienists are scholars of paradox, chaos, and absurdity in all its forms—most especially the forces which twist the body and mind. These warlocks may be agents of alien forces, investigators seeking to root them out, or merely a passerby caught in the snares of interplanetary conflict.
¶ STARSTRUCK
When you take this archetype at 1st level, your study of alien forces conveys mind-altering magical insights. Choose one of the following:
¶ ALIEN CURSE
You can use a bonus action to place a curse on a creature you can see within 30 feet. The curse lasts for 1 minute, and ends early if the target dies, you die, or you become incapacitated. The curse has the following effects:
- When you deal damage against the cursed creature, it takes an additional 1d4 psychic damage. This bonus increases by 1d4 at 10th level, and again at 15th and 20th level.
- You gain a pool of beyond dice, which begins empty. Each beyond die represents a sliver of the future revealed by the use of this gift from your patron. When the cursed creature fails a saving throw, add one beyond die to this pool. You can spend a beyond die when making a saving throw to gain a 1d4 bonus. The pool disappears when you finish a short or long rest.
Once you have used this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
¶ PSIONIC AWAKENING
You gain telepathy out to a range of 30 feet. You can telepathically communicate with one creature you can see so long as that creature knows at least one language. If you already have telepathy, its range increases by 30 feet.
Additionally, when you cast a warlock spell you can choose to do so psionically, without the need for vocalized or seen components. Once you have used this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
¶ MUTATED CARAPACE
At 6th level, your skin mutates and sheds, revealing armor-like patches of barnacles, chitinous plates, glowing crystals, scales, or the like. When you take damage, except for psychic damage, you can use your reaction to reduce the amount taken by your spellcasting ability modifier + your warlock level (minimum 1). Once you have used this feature a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.
¶ SUBTLE DISTURBANCE
At 10th level, your uncanny presence sows unease and panic. You gain the following benefits.
- You gain resistance to psychic damage. When you take psychic damage, the creature that dealt psychic damage to you takes an equal amount of psychic damage.
- If you have telepathy, your telepathy is not limited by language. Your telepathy works on any creature within range that you can see.
¶ INSIDIOUS SEED
At 14th level, your psychic tendrils latch on their victim and do not let go. You learn dominate beast and dominate person, if you do not already know these spells. For you, dominate beast, dominate person, and dominate monster gain the ritual tag.
When you cast one of these spells, you can change the duration to 1 hour per warlock level and do so without the need for concentration.
Once you have used this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.