pathFinal Fantasy

There are those born with power and those who search or study for power. The warlock is neither of these things. A warlock bargains for power; earning it in their own way. Such power is Volatile but they would tell you the risk is worth it….

Warlock is an archetype of the Dark Knight class.

Armor Proficiencies:

Warlocks are proficient with mage weapons, mage armor and mage shields.
They can also wear light armour and are not proficient with any non-mage shields. Warlocks can cast spells in light armor without incurring the chance of spell failure.

This modifies the dark knight’s armor proficiencies.

The Price of Power:

The warlock trades some of their vitality and martial potential for mystical power and influence. The warlock's base attack bonus decreases by one step (From full BAB to 3/4). The warlock's hit dice is also decreased from a d12 to a d8. (See below Dark Bargain for a table.)

Dark Bargain (Su):

The warlock makes an arrangement with a powerful Outsider, Aberration, or Undead in order to gain power for an agenda: either the mentor’s or their own. The warlock gains the Planar Mentor feat as a bonus feat and may choose an Aberration or Undead in addition to an Outsider to be their mentor. The Warlock’s own alignment must still be within one step of the mentor’s alignment as normal.

Warlocks cast spells in a slightly different way than other mages. Though they spend MP and augment as normal, they do not learn spells at the start of their play or at each level. Instead, at the start of each day, a warlock prepares a number of spells equal to twice her dark knight level + her charisma modifier. A warlock may prepare and cast any spell on the black mage list. Preparing spells in this way requires that the warlock spend an hour each day in communion with her mentor.

To prepare or cast a spell, the warlock must have a charisma score equal to or greater than the base MP cost of the spell. The Difficulty Class for saving throws against the warlock's spells is 11 + half the MP spent to cast the spell + the warlock’s charisma modifier.

While a warlock can actively augment her spells up to her caster level, the warlock is somewhat limited in the base cost of spells, as noted on the table above. This does not affect the maximum MP a warlock can spend on spells, just the maximum base cost or passive augmentation she can use. For example, a 6th-level warlock cannot cast Fira (which has a base cost of 5), but she is allowed to spend 6 MP on Fire for 6d6 points of damage.

In addition, the Warlock gains a tattoo or sigil somewhere on their body that represents their connection to their mentor. The sigil allows the warlock to communicate with their mentor telepathically, regardless of language or distance.

Characters gain bonus MP for having a high ability score. The ability score for the warlock dark knight class is charisma. Determining how much bonus MP you get is actually a very simple calculation: Your charisma modifier x your caster level x 0.5.

This ability replaces the 4th-, 8th-, 14th-, and 16th-level Umbral Arts.

Cantrips

Warlocks learn a number of cantrips or 0-level spells. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume MP and may be used again. Warlocks begin with 2 0-level spells and gain an additional 0-level spell every four levels after 1st level. The saving throw of a cantrip is 10 + the warlock's charisma modifier.

Eldritch Surge (Su):

At 1st level, the warlock is able to borrow the power lent by her Bargain. When the warlock enters Darkside, the bonus shadow damage can only be applied to supernatural abilities and spells. Otherwise, this functions as Darkside.

This modifies Darkside.

Eldritch Bolts (Su):

A warlock can sling projectiles of magical energy at will by shooting a bolt or touching her foe. A melee eldritch bolt is a touch attack requires the target to be within reach (5ft), and a ranged eldritch bolt is a ranged touch attack with a range of 30 feet. A eldritch bolt deals 1d6 points of damage, plus an additional 1d6 for every 3 dark knight levels the warlock has. The warlock must choose one type of damage for her eldritch bolt: shadow, ice, electricity, or fire. At the start of each day when preparing spells, the warlock may choose a different energy type. Attacking with an eldritch bolt takes the place of one of the warlock’s normal attacks, and she can make a full attack using eldritch bolts. The warlock attacks with mystic bolts as though they were light weapons, and the bolts can be used for two-weapon fighting (with each hand creating one mystic bolt) and feats and abilities that apply to weapon attacks. Weapon Focus (ray) doesn’t apply to mystic bolts, but a warlock can take Weapon Focus (eldritch bolt) and apply it to both melee and ranged mystic bolts.

Creating an eldritch bolt requires the hand to be free, but the bolt appears only briefly, so a warlock using mystic bolts has a free hand any time she isn’t attacking with a mystic bolt. The warlock threatens with an eldritch bolt, but only if she has a hand free. Because mystic bolts are impermanent, a spell that targets a single weapon (like magic weapon) can’t affect it, nor can a mystic bolt be made with magic weapon special abilities. Abilities that affect all weapon attacks the warlock makes, such as the arcane striker warlock talent, function with mystic bolts.

This ability replaces Grimdark Stance and Siphon Strike.

Contractual Boon (Su):

At 2nd level, the benefactor of The Bargain grants further boons to the growing strength of the warlock. Whenever the warlock fulfils one of the conditions to gain the benefits of the Planar Mentor feat, she gains a profane or sacred bonus (depending on the alignment of her mentor. This bonus can trigger an unlimited number of times per day) to caster level checks to overcome spell resistance equal to half her dark knight level for 1 minute.

This ability replaces Tenacious Combatant.

Warlock Talents (Ex/Su):

At 2nd level, a warlock can select from any of the following warlock talents, in addition to umbral arts.

Arcane Striker (Su):
The warlock gains Arcane Strike as a bonus feat. At 12th level, when she activates Arcane Strike, she can choose to also give her weapons the flaming, frost, shock, or thundering weapon special ability. She makes this choice each time she activates Arcane Strike, and it lasts for the same duration. At 16th level, she adds anarchic, axiomatic, flaming burst, holy, icy burst, shocking burst, and unholy to the list of special abilities she can select. This ability may be used in conjunction with her eldritch bolts, affecting all bolts she hurls this round.

Familiar (Ex):
The warlock gains a familiar, using her dark knight level as her effective wizard level.

Tattoo Chamber (Su):
The warlock can magically absorb items through a tattoo on her hand or wrist and easily retrieve them or activate their magical abilities without making them manifest. The items seemingly disappear into the tattoo, but actually enter an extradimensional space that the warlock can access via the tattoo. Stowing an item in this way requires a full-round action, and the space can store one item plus one additional item per 3 dark knight levels she has. These items must be items the warlock can hold in one hand. Retrieving a stowed item requires mentally activating the tattoo as a swift action. The item appears in the warlock’s hand, so worn items must still be donned to gain their benefits. The warlock can also activate any spell-trigger abilities of a stored item as though he were wielding the item, producing the magic effect from his tattoo rather than from the item. If the warlock dies while items are within his tattoo chamber, those items fade into existence within 5 feet of the corpse.

Abyssal Lesson (Ex):
Your planar mentor has divulged the lost art of Blood Hexes to you. The warlock gains the Cataract blood hex feat as a bonus feat (Ignoring prerequisites). A warlock may use her charisma modifier in place of her intelligence modifier to meet the prerequisites of blood hex feats. Additionally, a warlock is treated as a witch for the purposes of blood hex feats.
Prerequisite: Dark Knight 6

Bottled Bolt (Su):
The warlock learns to manipulate her power in new ways! As a standard action, the warlock can conjure a small, condensed version of an eldritch bolt in a container (the bolt energy has a diameter of 1 inch). She can place her eldritch bolt safely in a container, so long as the container can be sealed. The Warlock must remain within 50ft of the container for the bolt to remain stable. Should the warlock leave this distance, the bolt immediately fades away.

An eldritch bolt contained this way acts as a splash weapon, much like an alchemist’s flask or a grenade, with a splash radius of 5ft. An eldritch bolt can be contained this way for 1 hour per dark knight level. For every 4 hours the bolt stays in its container, the orb-like energy grows by 1 inch and can affect an additional 5ft of area in it’s splash zone, to a maximum of 20ft. When thrown, creatures directly hit take the warlock’s eldritch bolt damage. The creatures caught in the splash zone of the blast must make a Reflex Save (DC 10 + half her dark knight level + her Charisma modifier) or take the minimum damage of the warlock’s eldritch bolt. A successful save halves this damage. If the container in which the eldritch bolt is broken, the energy slowly leaks out harmlessly in 3 minutes as a magical vapor. If the container is destroyed, the bolt explodes prematurely, affecting all creatures who are near.

A warlock can sustain a number of bolts in this way equal to her charisma modifier.
Prerequisite: Dark knight 4

Coursing Bolt (Su):
The warlock learns the intricacies of how to form and shape her powers into her weapons. Upon taking this talent, the warlock can spend a use of Profanity as a swift action to give one manufactured weapon she is holding the Conductive special weapon quality. The warlock treats her eldritch bolts as a touch attack for the purposes of applying them via this quality. The manufactured weapon must have, at least, a +1 enhancement bonus or be under the effects of the Arcane Striker talent to gain this quality (in which case, it is a free action that can be performed once per turn). This benefit lasts for 1 minute.
Prerequisite: Dark Knight 4

Shared Knowledge (Ex):
The warlock exudes her thirst for knowledge by basking in the mentor’s wisdom. Upon taking this talent, you learn up to two languages your mentor knows and may teach your mentor up to two languages you know that it doesn't. You can use these languages for Linguistics checks to create ciphers and secret messages. In addition, you can spend one hour communicating and writing a page of notes on up to two Knowledge skills (warlock’s choice) that the mentor has ranks in. This allows the warlock to make those knowledge checks untrained so long as the warlock has their notes with them (Though the warlock does not have to choose a knowledge skill she does not have ranks in). At 5th level, whenever the warlock makes a knowledge check related to knowledge skill within his notes, she can roll twice and take the better result. At 10th level, she can use the mentor’s modifier in the skill in place of her own if it is better. The Warlock may change the knowledge skills that gain these benefits by spending another hour in communication and study with the mentor.

Shared Prowess (Ex):
The warlock can mimic the talents of her mentor, to a degree. As a move action, the warlock can spend a use of Profanity to gain a single combat feat that her mentor knows. She uses her dark knight level in place of her base attack bonus for the purposes of meeting prerequisites when using this ability. She may also use her Charisma score in place of Intelligence or Wisdom for the purposes of meeting prerequisites. She benefits from the feat for 1 minute. This can allow the Warlock to use monster feats if she meets the prerequisites but that may be up to GM discretion.
At 8th level, she can take the benefits of up to 2 feats at once and gain the benefits of up to 3 feats at 16th level.
Prerequisites: Dark Knight 4

Shared Repository (Ex):
This talent allows the warlock to be able to telepathically retrain, using her mentor as the trainer to learn feats or skills. The warlock must still spend gil and downtime as normal, per the retraining rules. The warlock may learn spells from the mentor as well, if she has levels in another casting class, provided the mentor can teach those particular spells.
Prerequisites: Shared Knowledge, Dark knight 6

These abilities may replace some Umbral Arts.

Entreat the Patron (Su):

At 5th level, The warlock can beseech his Planar Mentor for assistance, as per the agreement. As a full-round action, the warlock can spend a use of his Planar Mentor feat to summon a portion of the Mentor’s power. The Warlock can choose 1 special sense (such as darkvision, blindsense, mistsight), form of movement (such as swim, burrow or flight), or skill the mentor has. If the warlock chooses a special sense, they gain that sense. If the sense is something the warlock already has (such as lowlight or dark vision) she adds half of the range to her own. If the warlock chooses a form of movement, she grows the necessary appendages needed to perform the movement (if required) and the speed of that movement is equivalent to her base land speed. If a skill is chosen, the warlock may treat it as a class skill and may perform the skill untrained. The warlock retains these benefits for a number of hours equal to half her dark knight level.

At 10th level, the Warlock gains an additional use of his Planar Mentor feat and can spend it for further assistance. The warlock can choose to unleash 1 special attack or spell-like ability the mentor has. The warlock must spend the appropriate action for the ability and uses his own modifiers in place of the mentor’s when performing it. The Warlock cannot perform any spell or special attack that leaves a permanent effect (like a Dunagh’s Curse) on a creature until 15th level. In the case of spells, the Warlock can only cast a mentor’s spell if he is already of the needed caster level to cast it. The Warlock must still spend MP in order to cast and augment the spell and it provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. In the case of special attacks, if the attack requires an appendage or natural attack to perform, the Warlock temporarily gains the natural attack or appendage in order to perform it. However, this does not allow the warlock to perform special attacks or qualities that require the warlock to have a template or racial ability (such as a Vampire Lord's create spawn ability or a Wraith's ability to phase through walls). Any supernatural or extraordinary abilities that inflict a saving throw has a DC of 10 + half the warlock's dark knight level + their Charisma, instead of what it would normally be.

This ability replaces Soul Eater and Dark Wave.

Eldritch Missionary(Ex):

Dark Missionary functions the same, but only triggers when entering Eldritch Surge or launching a special attack (or spell) with Entreat the Patron.

This ability modifies Dark Missionary.