The Horned One
(Jushara Archetype / Warlock Subclass)
Fear and apprehension permeate the autumn winds. Lush greens pass to dying oranges, soft grass turns to prickling leaves, and vibrant life slows towards deathly stillness. Hunters ready their tools, wit, and ferocity to seek out food and glory. And it is here, in this season of dispassionate bloodshed, that your patron comes to be. A being of blood and sweat, the Horned One is a proud and harried participant in the thrill of the hunt. For sport or for survival, many attempt to share in the Horned One’s chase. But only those with true determination and courage can endure the autumn hunt and be molded by its power.
The Horned One often takes the form of hunted or harried animals, testing would-be warlocks to see if they have the courage to face blood. At other times, they take the form of a large and terrifying predator to harry potential warlocks and challenge them to pit fortitude against fear. Those who pass such trials are given the blessing of the autumn hunt: a pact with the Horned One.
Silent and patient, the Horned One rarely interferes with the actions of those who receive their favor, but may call upon you one crisp fall day for a hunt of great importance. Until such a time, it is up to you to continue to prove yourself with dangerous prey and grand kills.
Arcadia (Issue 2 February 2021) p. 6-7
Expanded Spell List
The Horned One 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.
| Spell Level |
Spells |
| 1st |
Goodberry, Hunter's Mark |
| 2nd |
Pass Without Trace, Silence |
| 3rd |
Nondetection, Phantom Steed |
| 4th |
Freedom of Movement, Locate Creature |
| 5th |
Mislead, Tree Stride |
Horned Hunter
At 1st level, you are given the tools to take on a proper role in the hunt. You gain proficiency with martial weapons and the Stealth skill, and you can use a ranged weapon as a spellcasting focus for your warlock spells.
In addition, you learn the Eldritch Blast cantrip, which doesn’t count against the number of warlock cantrips you know. When you cast eldritch blast, you can make each beam you create with the cantrip take the form of an arrow, without the need for verbal and somatic components, and immediately fire this arrow from a shortbow, longbow, light crossbow, or heavy crossbow you are wielding. When used in this way, any benefits the weapon may confer to normal ammunition also apply to the magical arrow.* For instance, a +1 longbow would confer a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with your eldritch blast cantrip. The weapon may be used as a spellcasting focus for all warlock spells, but only grants its bonuses to the eldritch blast cantrip.
* You must keep track of this manually.
Blessing of the Hunt
At 6th level, the hunt feeds and rewards you for each creature you slay. Each time you kill a creature with a CR of 1 or higher, your melee and ranged attacks deal an extra 1d4 damage for the next 10 minutes.
Additionally, after killing a creature with a CR of 1 or higher, you no longer have to eat or drink that day.
Territory of the Harrier
At 10th level, you’ve learned to emulate fellow predators and their tactics. As an action, you can declare a number of 5-foot-square spaces on the ground equal to your Constitution modifier to be trapped. Each trapped space must be within 30 feet of you, and cannot be farther than 10 feet apart from another trapped space. The first time a creature enters a trapped space, it must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC as spectral claws and thorns burst from the ground. On a failed save, the creature takes 2d10 force damage and its walking speed is halved for 1 minute. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage and its speed isn’t reduced. A space remains trapped until it is triggered, you regain uses of this feature, you use this feature again, or 8 hours pass.
You can use this feature three times, and you regain all uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Autumn Feast
All creatures of the hunt grow strong from bloodshed, and you are no exception. Beginning at 14th level, you score a critical hit with an attack from the eldritch blast cantrip on a roll of 19 or 20. Additionally, when you score a critical hit against a creature, you regain a number of hit points equal to your level.
