With the recent launch of Diablo IV, players take on the role of one of five classes in that game: barbarian, druid, rogue, sorcerer, or warlock. These classes bear a notable resemblance to their 5E counterparts (and Tales of the Valiant!).

Continuing the adaptation of the Diablo IV classes, the following warlock subclass takes inspiration from the game’s necromancer class features without exactly replicating all abilities. A character can more closely resemble the Diablo IV class by careful selection of spells. In this case, the warlock focuses on the necromancer’s blood and bone abilities. As a note, since Diablo IV abilities are almost entirely focused on combat, this is generally reflected in this subclass and others in the series.

Warlock Patron: The Grave

While some warlocks make pacts with gods of death or powerful undead, grave warlocks take their power from the remains of creatures buried in the earth. Some have connections to a specific graveyard or necropolis, while others form pacts with primal gods or nature spirits, helping to preserve the memory of all the lives now buried beneath the soil. All the blood spilled upon the ground, and all the bones it has swallowed, are theirs to control.

Many grave warlocks adorn their skin with markings made from a blood-infused dye, while others use fragments of bone as jewelry, or incorporate them into their clothing.

Grave warlocks respect death and the power they draw upon, but they quickly lose any reverence for corpses once the spirit has left the body. They view such remains in a practical fashion, as tools to be used.

Pact of the Blade warlocks usually manifest pact weapons made of bone or weapons that appear to drip blood. Pact of the Chain warlocks sometimes summon familiars who appear to be skeletal, or whose skin is studded with bone shards. A Pact of the Tome warlock’s Book of Shadows is often bound with bone and bears pages where the writing appears to be blood.

Expanded Spell List

The Grave 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.

Grave Expanded Spells

Spell Level	Spells
1st	entangle, false life
2nd	silence, spike growth
3rd	animate dead, stinking cloud
4th	death ward, grasping vine
5th	cloudkill, raise dead

Spells such as entangle, spike growth, and grasping vine take the form of blood tendrils, veins, and/or bone spikes that erupt from the ground. Additional spells can be considered for this subclass such as those associated with Blood Magic (see Deep Magic).

Call the Bones

Starting at 1st level, you can summon bones from the earth to use either offensively or defensively. Choose one of the following options.

Bone Spear. As a bonus action, you pull a spear of sharpened bone from the ground at a point you can see within 60 feet of you. When you summon the spear, you can make a melee spell attack against one creature within 5 feet of it. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 piercing damage. When you reach 10th level in this class, the damage increases to 2d8. As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the spear up to 30 feet and repeat the attack. The spear lasts for 1 minute or until you use this feature to create another spear.

Skeletal Hands. As a bonus action, you summon skeletal hands from the earth. Choose a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you. That creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or be grappled until the end of its next turn.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Crimson Mist

At 6th level, you can use a bonus action to transform yourself, along with everything you are wearing and carrying, into a cloud of bloody mist. While in this form, your only method of movement is a flying speed of 10 feet and you can enter and occupy the space of another creature. You have resistance to all nonmagical damage, and you have advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws.

While in this form, you can’t talk or manipulate objects, and any objects you were carrying or holding can’t be dropped, used, or otherwise interacted with. You also can’t attack or cast spells. However, if you end your movement in another creature’s space, you can use your action to drain that creature of its blood. The targeted creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or take necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus. When you deal damage in this way, you gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. You remain as a cloud of bloody mist for 10 minutes, until you are incapacitated, or until you use a bonus action to transform back into your original form.

Exploding Corpse

When you reach 10th level, you can call on the power of the grave to make a corpse explode. As an action, choose a Large or smaller dead creature within 60 feet of you that you can see. You cause that creature’s corpse to explode in a shower of blood and bone fragments. Each creature within 5 feet of the exploding corpse must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC, taking 2d6 piercing damage plus 2d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, and taking half as much damage on a successful one.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Macabre Mastery

At 14th level, your power over blood and bone is intensified and can be used for the following effects.

Blood Wave. As an action, you summon a tidal wave of blood to strike at your enemies. The wave affects an area 30 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 10 feet tall. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, a creature takes 3d8 bludgeoning damage plus 3d8 necrotic damage and is knocked prone. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn’t knocked prone.

Bone Prison. As an action, you create a 5 foot thick barrier of bone shards that surrounds a 15 foot cube at a point within 60 feet of you that you can see. When the barrier appears, each creature within its area must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC, taking 6d8 slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

A creature can move through the barrier, albeit slowly and painfully. For every 1 foot a creature moves through the wall, it must spend 4 feet of movement. Furthermore, the first time a creature enters the wall on a turn or ends its turn there, the creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. It takes 6d8 slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Get more amazing options for your D&D (or Tales of the Valiant) character with Tome of Heroes.
Find over 70 new subclasses, weapon options, downtime rules, and more! It’s the essential expansion to your game!