The Dual-Bound (5e Subclass)
The Dual-Bound[edit]
Warlock Subclass
Most warlocks forge a pact with a single patron—a being of immense power that guides and shapes their arcane gifts. But your soul is tethered to two rival entities, each seeking dominance over your mind and magic. Whether you were deceived, desperate, or chosen for a cosmic purpose, you now serve two masters who are locked in eternal conflict.
Every day, one patron rises to claim your power, granting you their full attention. The other, denied control, lashes out with a curse. You are the battlefield of their feud—and its weapon.
Dual-Bound Spell Lists[edit]
When you choose this subclass at 1st level, select two patronal forces from the options below. Each force grants you a unique spell list. At the end of each long rest, you choose which of the two is dominant until your next long rest. You can cast only the Expanded Spells of the dominant patron.
The Flame Spell List[edit]
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | burning hands, hellish rebuke |
| 2nd | scorching ray, heat metal |
| 3rd | fireball, bestow curse |
| 4th | wall of fire, fire shield |
| 5th | immolation, flame strike |
The Frost Spell List[edit]
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | ice knive, armor of agathys |
| 2nd | hold person, snilloc’s snowball swarm |
| 3rd | sleet storm, counterspell |
| 4th | ice storm, greater invisibility |
| 5th | cone of cold, wall of ice |
The Rot Spell List[edit]
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | ray of sickness, inflict wounds |
| 2nd | melf’s acid arrow, gentle repose |
| 3rd | vampiric touch, animate dead |
| 4th | blight, death ward |
| 5th | cloudkill, contagion |
The Dream Spell List[edit]
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | dissonant whispers, sleep |
| 2nd | mirror image, suggestion |
| 3rd | hypnotic pattern, catnap |
| 4th | phantasmal killer, confusion |
| 5th | dream, mislead |
Split Allegiance[edit]
Starting at 1st level, At the end of each long rest, roll a d6 to determine which of your two patrons is dominant until your next long rest. On a roll of 1–3, your first patron is dominant. On a roll of 4–6, your second patron is dominant.
- - You gain access to the Expanded Spells and Patron’s Gift of the dominant patron.
- - You are affected by the Curse of the suppressed patron.
- - You cannot cast Expanded Spells from the suppressed patron.
Once your choice is made, it lasts until your next long rest.
Patron’s Gift[edit]
Each patronal force grants you a unique benefit when it is dominant. When you choose this subclass, select two Patron’s Gifts based on the forces you selected:
- Flame's Wrath. When you deal fire damage with a spell, you can add your Charisma modifier to one of the damage rolls.
- Frost’s Barrier. When you cast a spell that grants temporary hit points or reduces speed, you gain resistance to bludgeoning damage until the start of your next turn.
- Rot’s Hunger. When you deal poison or necrotic damage with a spell, you regain hit points equal to your proficiency bonus.
- Dream’s Veil. Dream’s Veil. When you cast an illusion or enchantment spell, the target has disadvantage on the first saving throw it makes against the spell.
Curse of Betrayal[edit]
Each patronal force grants you a unique benefit when it is dominant. When you choose this subclass, select two Patron’s Gifts based on the forces you selected:
When a patron is suppressed, it afflicts you with a minor curse for the day. This curse reflects the patron’s displeasure and remains until it becomes dominant again.
- Flame’s Curse. When you take the Dash or Disengage action, you take 1d4 fire damage.
- Frost’s Curse. Your speed is reduced by 5 feet.
- Rot’s Curse. You can’t regain hit points from spells or class features.
- Dream’s Curse. You have disadvantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.
Flare of Conflict[edit]
Starting at 6th level, As a bonus action, you unleash a brief surge of both patrons’ power. For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:
- - You gain both Patron’s Gifts.
- - You can cast spells from both Expanded Spell Lists.
- - You suffer from both Curses of Betrayal.
You can use this feature once per long rest, or again by expending a Warlock spell slot of 3rd level or higher.
Torn in Two[edit]
Starting at 10th level, Your internal struggle hardens your body and soul.
- - You gain resistance to two damage types—one associated with each of your patrons (e.g., fire for Flame, cold for Frost, necrotic for Rot, psychic for Dream).
- - When you are reduced to 0 hit points, you can drop to 1 hit point instead and immediately switch your dominant and suppressed patrons. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Ultimate Schism[edit]
You become a living vessel of contradiction. As an action, you enter a state of empowered balance for 1 minute. While in this state:
- - You gain both Patron’s Gifts.
- - You can cast spells from both Expanded Spell Lists.
- - You are not affected by either curse.
- - When you cast a spell from a patron’s spell list, you can choose to apply one of the following additional effects:
- - Flame: The target takes extra fire damage equal to your Warlock level.
- - Frost: The target’s speed is halved until the end of its next turn.
- - Rot: The target can’t regain hit points until the start of your next turn.
- - Dream: The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be confused until the end of its next turn.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can do so again. When the effect ends, you gain one level of exhaustion.
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