The Warlock

Names
man just i’m not doing this part right now

Look
Faraway Eyes, Intense Eyes, or Glowing Eyes
Styled Hair, Shaven Tonsure, or Wild Hair
Buckled Leathers, Revealing Leathers, Suggestive Robes
Gaunt Body, Lithe Body, Tattooed Body

Stats
Your maximum HP is 4+Constitution.
Your base damage is d8.

Starting Moves
Choose a culture and gain the corresponding move:

Elf
You are naturally of the fey. If you choose a fey patron, choose an attunement from any other list to
add to your magic. If you choose a different patron, choose an attunement from the fey list to add to
your magic.

Human
Your soul is open to magic. When you weave a spell on yourself alone, get +1.

You start with these moves:

Eldritch Pact
You have made a bargain with otherworldly entities to obtain your power.

When you first learn magic, select a patron from the list and record it below. Your patron supplies
you with a sorcerous weapon, the power to bind creatures of its kind, and attunement to a
particular style of magic. Your patron will speak to you, and you may respond silently in your mind.
They will hear what you say to them. The GM is in charge of what your patron says and does, or, at
the GM’s option they may elect another player to take on this charge instead.

At the beginning of the game, you have 0 debt with your patron.

At the start of a session, roll+debt. On a 10+, your patron holds 3. On a 7-9, your patron holds 1.
During the session, the GM can spend your patron’s hold 1-for-1 to have them demand tribute per
their particular list. At no cost, you can name a tribute you offer up willingly; the GM will say if your
patron will accept it and they lose 1 hold if they do. You can offer tribute when your patron holds 0.

When you make good on a tribute, mark experience and get -1 debt.
If your patron has any hold left at the end of the session, get +1 debt, up to a maximum of debt+4.

As long as you have debt+4, take -1 ongoing to your magic. You can’t ever choose any option on
any move that would make your debt go above 4.

Fey Patron
Your patron is a monarch of the fey. Fey patrons demand tribute in the form of deception, mayhem,
and revelry. You have the power to bind fairies and elemental spirits of the land.

When your patron speaks to you, it is in the form of omens and signs that spark an intuition of what
they desire.

Attuned: Create Illusions, Inflame Passions, Shape Nature

Tribute:
● Your patron names a person present. You must deceive or dismay them.
● Your patron names a person present. You must carouse with them.
● Your patron names a thing present. You must destroy or fundamentally transform it.

Star Patron
Your patron is an unknowable horror of the stars. Star patrons demand tribute in the form of secrets
taken and mortals driven mad. You have the power to bind spirits of the sky and night.

When your patron speaks to you, it is with foreign voices whispering in your mind.

Attuned: Know the Flow of Time, Incite Terror or Panic, Reveal Hidden Things
Tribute:
● Your patron names a person present. You must learn a secret from them.
● Your patron names a person present. You must reveal one of their secrets to all.
● Your patron names a person present. You must cause them to doubt their sanity.

Infernal Patron
Your patron is a duke of Hell. Infernal patrons demand tribute in the form of suffering and betrayal.
You have the power to bind demons and spirits of fire.

When your patron speaks to you, the world stops and it occupies some other body, to speak in their
voice, but strangled, screaming. They don’t remember afterward.

Attuned: Shape Earth and Fire, Take On Terrible Form, Infernal Contracts
Tribute:
● Your patron names a person present. You must harm, debilitate, or deprive them.
 ● Your patron names two people present. You must undermine or destroy their trust in each
other.
● Your patron names a thing present that is a source of comfort. You must destroy it.

Dark Patron
Your patron is a spirit from beyond the Black Gates of Death. Dark patrons demand tribute in the
form of sacrifice, silence, and fear. You have the power to bind ghosts and spirits of shadow.

When your patron speaks to you it is in the night, or in moments of dream or fear. It calls you from
the darkness.

Attuned: Master of Shadows, Speak With the Silent, Chill of the Grave
Tribute:
● Your patron names a person present. You must offer them up, body or soul, to your patron.
● At this very moment you must remain silent, do not say what you want to say.
● Your patron names a person present. You must cause them suspicion or dread.

Sorcerous Weapon
You have a weapon that draws on your relationship with your patron. When you attack with your
sorcerous weapon, you get these tags. Sorcerous weapons don’t have ammo.

Fey Weapon: Rowan Wand

reach, near, blinding
The rowan wand (or stave) emits beams of pure light. It can also be used as a bludgeon.

Star Weapon: Dagger of White Fire

close, reach, 2 piercing
The dagger of white fire is full of twinkling light which issues forth from it in great spiraling gouts. It
can also be used as a cutting weapon.

Infernal Weapon: Burning Orb

reach, near, burning
The burning orb is a smoked-glass sphere surrounded by oily flames.

Dark Weapon: Holy Blood Chalice

reach, near, entangling
The holy blood chalice boils with tendrils of inky smoke that can grasp and choke.

Spellcraft
When you weave magic attuned to you, roll+Cha. On a hit the casting is successful, but it’s
imperfect. On a 10+ choose one, on a 7-9 choose two. You can deal damage as established by your
sorcerous weapon this way.
● Your patron is displeased; gain 1 debt.
● Your spell won’t last long — you need to hurry to take advantage of it.
● Your spell draws unwanted attention.
 ● Your spell requires your active effort and concentration to maintain.
● Your spell has some unforeseen side effect. The GM will tell you what that is.
On a miss, something goes terribly wrong.
As long as your debt is 3 or less, you may weave unattuned magic in the same way, but you gain 1
debt when you roll.

Spirit Binding
When you use a symbol of power to bind an entity, roll+Cha. On a 10+, the binding is strong and
will hold the entity still, shorn of its magics, and unable to aggress against you and yours, as long as
you maintain it. It remains able to speak. Maintaining a binding requires your presence, attention,
and active exercise of your magic. You can only maintain one binding at a time, and you can’t
maintain a binding while performing spellcraft or using your sorcerous weapon. On a 7-9, the
binding is flawed. Choose 1:

● Your patron is displeased; gain 1 debt.

● You are bound as well, as long as you maintain the binding.
● The entity can move as long as it stays in shouting distance of you.
● The binding needs no maintenance, but it crumbles instantly if the symbol of power is
moved or destroyed.
● The ritual of binding attracts unwanted attention.
●
On a miss, the binding doesn’t take.

When you release the binding, the spirit will generally go back to whence it came, but it may
extract some vengeance from you if it has been mistreated.

When you have time and safety, you can create a symbol of power as easily as drawing it with
chalk or charcoal, whatever’s convenient, but you can also use more permanent methods to create
more durable symbols.

Shadow Walk
When you rush through danger, your patron cloaks you in shadow. You are invisible as long as you
do nothing but keep moving. When you move in safety, you may invoke this power, but gain 1 debt
when you do.

Alignment
Lawful
Make good on a promise.

Chaotic
Surprise or confuse your enemies.
 Evil
Spread suspicion and fear.

Gear
Your Load is 7+Str. You start with your sorcerous weapon (1 weight), chalk for drawing symbols,
and dungeon rations (5 uses, 1 weight). Choose your defenses:
● Leather armor (1 armor, 1 weight)
● Light robes (0 armor, 0 weight) and 3 healing potions
Choose your weapon:
● Dagger (hand, 1 weight)
● Staff (close, two-handed, 1 weight)
Choose one:
● Healing potion (0 weight)
● 3 antitoxins (0 weight)

Bonds
____________ doesn’t trust me, and for good reason.
My patron desires ____________’s soul.
I owe ____________ a big favor.

Advanced Moves
When you gain a level from 2-5, choose from these moves.

Enchanter
When you have time and safety with a magic item you may ask the GM what it does. The GM will
answer you truthfully.

Fell Weapon
When you strike a foe with your sorcerous weapon, its radiance clings to them balefully. The next
time they approach you or act against you, they take 1d4 damage.

First Blood
When you get the drop on your enemies, and attack with your sorcerous weapon, choose one
additional tag for the attack: area, forceful, or messy (+1d4 damage).

Great Binder
You can convert a bound spirit into a loyal familiar that works like a hireling. The GM will decide its
loyalty and skills. You can have one spirit familiar at any given time. If the familiar dies or quits, gain
1 debt. You can release it at any time without penalty.
 Misty Step
When you are cloaked in shadows, you can teleport short distances. This doesn’t let you move any
faster, but you can move between places without crossing the intervening space.

Multiclass Dabbler
Get one move from another class. Treat your level as one lower for choosing the move.

Shadow Ally
When you shadow walk, you can conceal one additional person with you. You are both concealed as
long as neither of you does nothing but keep moving.

Shoot First
You’re never caught by surprise. When an enemy would get the drop on you, you get to act first
instead.

Spell Deflection (DEX)

When a spell targets you and you try to deflect it, roll+Dex. On a 10+ you deflect it safely. On a 7-9,
choose 1:
● In the process of deflecting the spell, you drop your weapon.
● You break the spell but are stunned by the impact; take -1 forward.
● You deflect the spell into something or someone else; the GM will tell you what.

Summoner
You can summon a spirit as part of a binding ritual. When you do this, gain 1 debt before you roll.
When you release the binding of a summoned spirit, it immediately returns to the immaterial
worlds from whence it was summoned.

Master Moves
When you gain a level from 6-10, choose from these moves or the level 2-5
moves.

Dark Whispering
Your patron keeps you supplied with occult knowledge. When you spout lore on an arcane subject,
on a 10+ you tell the GM something instead of the GM telling you.

Dicing With Death

Your patron wants you to keep working. When you roll your Last Breath, add your debt.

Enforcer
When someone makes a deal with you and reneges on their part, take +1 ongoing against them until
they make good.
 Master Spellcraft
You have refined your magical arts. When you use spellcraft, on a 10+, don’t choose any options. On
a 7-9, choose only one.

Multiclass Initiate
Requires Multiclass Dabbler
Get one move from another class. Treat your level as one lower for choosing the move.

Pact Boon
When you defeat an enemy with your sorcerous weapon, your patron gives you a surge of energy.
Heal 1d6 damage.

Shadow Dancing
When you shadow walk, you can climb and cling to vertical and inverted surfaces. When you
suddenly reveal yourself from such a position, you get the drop on your enemies.

Spell Reflection (DEX)

Replaces Spell Deflection
When a spell targets you and you try to reflect it, roll+Dex. On a 10+ you reflect it back on its caster.
On a 7-9, choose 1:
● In the process of reflecting the spell, you drop your weapon.
● You reflect the spell but are stunned by the impact; take -1 forward.
● You deflect the spell into something or someone else; the GM will tell you what.

Spirit-Shredding Fingers
Your sorcerous weapon ignores the armor of spirits and sworn enemies of your patron.

Witch’s Binding
Using the nails, hair, or some other body part of a living creature or person, you can bind it as
though it were a spirit.

Credits and Inspirations

by Shreyas Sampat

Co-Conspirators:
Jamey Crook
Seanna Musgrave
Dev Purkayastha
Jonathan Walton

Sources:
Apocalypse World, Vincent Baker
Dungeon World, Sage LaTorra and Adam Koebel
The D&D 4e Warlock, various
The Hoarder, Vincent Baker and Elizabeth Sampat
Heralds of Hell, Johnstone Metzger
The Warlock, David Guyll
The Mage, Jacob Randolph
The Spellslinger, Adrian Thoen