Ascendant Defiler

In some dead worlds, powerful beings of great magic rule the last stretches of green. Their power, fueled by a vampiric defiling of natural life, draws great numbers of acolytes and followers who seek to claim a fraction of the influence of these sorcerer-gods.

Through blood pacts, these god-like beings – known as ascendant defilers – form powerful bonds with those mad or desperate enough to seek them out. A creature blessed (or cursed) in such a manner gains the ability to inflict their own will upon the world, at a terrible cost to the natural order.

Expanded Spell List

The Ascendant Defiler 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.

Ascendant Defiler Expanded Spells

Spell Level	Spells
1st	command, false life
2nd	blindness/deafness, detect thoughts
3rd	slow, speak with dead
4th	confusion, phantasmal killer
5th	cloudkill, contagion

Pact Defiler

At 1st level, you learn the defiling drain (see below) cantrip. A willing creature can choose to fail their saving throw against this spell when you cast it. If they do so, they take additional damage equal to half your level.

Subdue The Strong

At 6th level, when a creature would succeed on a saving throw against a spell that you cast, you can use your reaction to make the creature to reroll the saving throw and use the new result. You then take necrotic damage equal to half your level.

You regain the use of this feature when you finish a short or a long rest.

Defiler’s Resistance

At 10th level, you gain resistance to necrotic damage.

Defiler’s Power

At 10th level, when you cast a spell using a warlock spell slot, you may draw upon the life energy of nearby creatures to empower your spellcasting.

Increase the level of the expended spell slot by 1. You and all creatures within 10 feet of you take necrotic damage equal to the new spell slot level.

You regain the use of this feature when you complete a long rest. If you reduce a creature of small size or larger to O hit points with a spell, roll a d20. On a 20, you regain the use of this feature.

Essence Tear

At 14th level, as an action you can force every other creature within 15 feet of you to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC, dealing 4d6 + half your warlock level in necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. If you deal 40 or more damage in total across all creatures affected by this feature, you regain a warlock spell slot. If you regain a warlock spell slot with this feature, you cannot use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Otherwise, you regain the use of this feature when you finish a short rest.

Defiling Drain

Necromancy cantrip

Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: 10 feet
Components: S
Duration: Instantaneous

You siphon the life essence from one creature you can see within range. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. If they fail, they take 1 point of necrotic damage, and you choose one of the following benefits:

• You gain a +l bonus to your spell attack bonus or spell save DC until you cast another spell or until the end of your next turn, whichever happens first.
• You gain a +l bonus to the next ability check you make before the end of your next turn.

This spell’s range increases by 10 feet when you reach 5th level (20 feet), 11th level (30 feet), and 17th level (40 feet).