Identity
Demon Prince warlocks are bound to a specific infernal entity recognized in the registries of the Covenant of the Ebon Creed: a named prince of a named hell, with a court, a sigil, and a long memory. The pact is rarely subtle: the warlock burns hotter than they used to, sleeps poorly, and gradually finds their reflection's mouth out of sync with their own. Their patron likes the small theatre of a fight. Warlocks of this pact tend to be more comfortable in violent situations than they intend to be, which is itself a feature of the bargain.
Features
- L3 Hellish Resistance
Your patron grants you the constitutional benefits of having spent more time on infernal planes than you actually have. You gain resistance to fire damage and resistance to necrotic damage. Additionally, you have advantage on saves against being set on fire from non-magical sources, and you can sleep comfortably in atmospheric temperatures up to 60 degrees Celsius.
- L7 Soul-Bleed
When a creature within Near range fails a saving throw against one of your channels, you can use your reaction to extract a slice of psychic substance from them. The target takes additional 2d8 psychic damage, and you gain temporary HP equal to the damage dealt (max temporary HP = your Warlock level × 2). Usable a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, recovering all uses on a long rest. At Warlock level 13, the additional damage increases to 3d8.
- L11 Infernal Authority
You learn the registered authority phrasing of your patron's court. As an action, you can attempt to compel a lesser fiend (CR 5 or lower, of a type your patron has jurisdiction over — the GM determines this; for most demon princes, the answer is generous), within Near range. The fiend makes a Wisdom save against your channel save DC. On a failure, the fiend treats you as a senior agent of its court for 1 minute: it will obey one reasonable command per round, will not knowingly harm you, and will retreat rather than attack you if you order it to do so. On a success, the fiend is hostile to you on the grounds that you presumed. Once per long rest, you may invoke Infernal Authority without expending an action as an opening move when first encountering a hostile fiend.
- L15 Crown of Embers
You manifest a low halo of infernal embers around your head while you are conscious. The Crown sheds dim light in a 10-ft radius. Hostile creatures that start their turn within 10 ft of you take 1d8 fire damage; this increases to 2d8 against fiends, undead, or creatures of CR 1/2 or lower. You can suppress or restore the Crown as a free action. While the Crown is active, you have advantage on saves against being Charmed. The Crown is highly visible; concealing your nature while it burns requires the standard tools (hoods, baffles, ambient firelight, an evening costume the Covenant of the Ebon Creed in fact issues for the purpose).
- L18 Demon's Visage
Once per long rest, as a bonus action, you assume your patron's bequeathed form for 1 minute. Your skin reddens or darkens to your patron's standard register, your hands grow infernal claws, you grow ash-veined wings, and the air immediately around you rises in temperature. While in this form: • You gain a flying speed of 50 ft. • Your unarmed strikes deal 1d8 + STR (or DEX, or CHA — choose at form entry) slashing damage, plus 1d8 fire damage. Treat as a monk weapon for the purpose of Pact of the Blade if you have it. • Once per turn, when you hit with a claw, you may force the target to make a Constitution save against your channel save DC or be set on fire (taking 1d6 fire damage at the start of each of its turns; a creature can use its action to extinguish itself, and the fire ends after 1 minute or if extinguished). • You may breathe a 30-ft cone of fire once during the duration as an action. Each creature in the cone makes a Dexterity save against your channel save DC, taking 6d6 fire damage on a failure or half on a success. The form ends early if you fall unconscious or end it as a free action.