I decided to revisit an old idea about having animal spirits as patrons. I liked the idea of patrons that were not quite so alien. This idea would work well in some settings more than others. If the world has a strong presence of nature spirits, like in the Worlds Beyond Number podcast actual play, this might be a suitable warlock pact.

I made some corrections to match the 2024 version of Warlocks and tweaked some of the mechanical design to make it a little more compelling. The Bestial Presence ability has become a longer-lasting effect and generally becomes more useful as you level. 

The Animal Spirits are not friendly spirits, of course.  They are the spirits of wild things and care very little for people, but they have no implied moral qualities. When writing this up I was thinking about the stories where witches cut deals where they can become different animals. I was also thinking of Shamans in Shadowrun who often channel animal spirits to define their magic. It was a soup of ideas that this was born from.  I hope you will find it useful. 

I should also put a John Maynard Keynes joke here…

Warlock Patron: Animal Spirits

The Animal Spirits

Animal Spirits are a constant presence in the wild places. They are not civilized but are primal and powerful. They do not have signed contracts but the bonds formed with them are still real.  The warlock who forms a pact with the Animal Spirits will manifest a mask, or image of them as they work their magic. Some societies may sometimes wear a physical mask when doing this, but a magical one always manifests for the warlock when they call on the Spirit’s power. 

Animal Spirits are ephemeral and hard to understand. They are not making deals for souls, or to expand power into a world they are unwelcome in. They are also not as political and courtly as the Fey often are. The Animal Spirits simply ARE. They exist as long as animals have existed. The pact made with them is more about being more like them than making a “deal.” It is more like channeling those spirits; their power and their understanding of the world. 

Quirks

Being bound to Animal Spirits can often shape the Warlock’s thinking. The spirits pull on more primal portions of the mind causing odd quirks. Here is a chart to roll some, but they can be something else. Roll 1D6 on the chart below, or pick, or make up another similar quirk. 

1. You collect shiny small objects for no real purpose other than to decorate a space. 
2. You are incapable of resting comfortably on a bed.  You need to curl in a corner, on a floor, or on the ground. 
3. You are incapable of sitting still. You must constantly reposition yourself.  
4. You are constantly covering yourself with dirt. You will roll around in dirt till you are coated in dirt and dust. 
5. You must constantly sniff everything you come in contact with. Your sense of smell is no greater than normal, but it is the most important sense to you. 
6. You feel a need to perch, in trees, on tables, on castle walls. Your preference is always to find an elevated and narrow place to stand, sit, or lie down. 

Animal Spirit patrons in your campaign.

Most fantasy settings do have vast wild spaces. The warlocks bound to this set of patrons often find them in such wild places. It may be that they find them with more nomadic tribal societies or in the long term permanent settlements on the edge of the so-called civilized lands. If you have barbarian tribes in your world then this fits well with them. 

Alternatively, they do sometimes appear in more metropolitan cities that attract travelers, merchants, and refugees from around the world. Such cities will often have pockets of such societies and this will bring a warlock to the Animal Spirits attention.  I could easily see an Animal Spirit Warlock finding his patron in the cogs of Sharn, or on the docks of Waterdeep. 

The spirits may be different in different worlds. A Serpent spirit might be a Lizard in another world, or maybe a spider. The Vulture can be the Vulture in Midgard, and be an Eagle in Mystara or a Falcon in the Forgotten Realms.  Rename and reskin the spirits to one that matches your world. 

Expanded Spell List

The Animal Spirits 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.

Animal Spirit Expanded Spells

Spell Level     Spells

3rd Animal Messenger, Summon Beast

5th Conjure Animals, Aura of Vitality

7th Polymorph, Conjure Woodland Beings

9th Awaken, Commune with Nature

Bestial Presence

Starting at 3rd level, as a bonus action you take on the features of an Animal Spirit you are tied to. While manifesting this spirit, you can also gain a benefit tied to that creature as long as it is active. You may choose one of the following. While manifesting this beast’s “masks” it is visible to those around you as a translucent image of the animal’s face. It can only be maintained for up to the length of a scene. While the mask is present, you also enjoy the effects of the Speak with Animals spell. 

Serpent: For the rest of the turn, you are immune to poisons. You gain advantage on any Wisdom or Charisma checks related to serpents or lizards.

Cat: You have advantage on Strength(Athletics) and Dexterity(Acrobatics) checks. Your movement speed while climbing is the same as your walking speed.

Raven: For the rest of your turn, you gain advantage on tool use tests. You also can see into the Ethereal Plane. Ethereal creatures and objects appear ghostly and translucent.

Rat: You have advantage on Dexterity(Stealth) checks. You may also use an action to chew through any bonds. 

Vulture: Your movement is flight at half your normal walking speed. You also can sense corporeal undead as a free action. You can detect their distance and direction up to 300 feet.

Ox: You gain advantage on Strength checks and saves. You may add your Charisma bonus for any Strength-based checks.

Bat: You gain blindsight up to 30 ft. You also gain advantage on Wisdom(Perception) or Intelligence(Investigation) checks.

Goat: You have advantage on Strength(Athletics) checks related to a Shove. You also can speak and understand Infernal, Abyssal, and Deep Speech.

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

Animal Form

Starting at 6th level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a beast, but the shape from the following list.

As a Bonus Action, you shape-shift into a Beast form Poisonous Snake, Cat, Raven, Rat, Vulture, Ox, Bat, or Goat. You stay in that form for a number of hours equal to your Warlock level. You can do this once per long rest. 

Unlike the Druid, you may speak in your animal form. You may cast any spell that only has a Verbal component.

Expanded Animal Forms

Beginning at 10th level, you can choose to take the form of any animal with a challenge rating of 1 or lower. 

What is more, Improve Attribute may be cast once per short rest without expending a spell slot and you have an advantage on Wisdom(Survival) checks.

Bestial Self

Starting at 14th level, While wearing the Bestial Presence mask, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Warlock level. 

Additionally at 14th level, while wearing the mask of the Bestial Self, you may cast the spell Fear without spending a spell slot or material components. Creatures with an intelligence greater than 4 are at a disadvantage on their save. You may only use this once per time you activate the Besial Presence mask. 

You are still only able to use the Bestial Self feature once per short or long rest. 

Eldritch Invocations

Gifts of the Hunt

Prerequisite: Pact of the Chain feature

If your familiar takes damage, as a reaction, you may regain hit points for yourself equal to the damage done to the familiar. This can only be done once per short or long rest. 

Raven’s Question

Prerequisite: 5th level

You may cast Speak with the Dead without expending a spell slot. This can only be done once per short or long rest.