Pact Boon At 3rd level, your otherworldly patron bestows a gift upon you for your loyal service. You may choose the option below in addition to those presented in the Player's Handbook. Pact of the Cage Your patron has gifted you with a soul cage, a tiny object that can imprison the souls of the deceased within a demiplane of your patron’s design. You may determine the appearance of the object. The object may be used as a spellcasting focus for your warlock spells. When a creature within 30 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points you can use your reaction to imprison their soul within your soul cage. While a creature’s soul is in your soul cage, they cannot be resurrected until they are released from your soul cage, and cannot be freed by any means short of destroying the cage or a wish spell. If you are killed and remain dead for 24 hours, the souls of the imprisoned creatures are sent to your patron. Constructs or creatures without a soul cannot be imprisoned with this feature. While a creature is imprisoned within your soul cage, you can speak, read, and write one language that creature knows. Additionally if the creature has proficiency in any skills, you can gain proficiency in one of those skills if you do not already have it. Alternatively if the creature has an ability score of 14 or higher in any ability, you can choose to gain any proficiency that uses that ability score. (For example if a creature has a 15 in strength, you can gain proficiency in Athletics). The proficiency is determined by you when you first entomb the creatures soul, however at the end of a long rest you can change the skill a soul provides you so long as . it meets the aforementioned requirements. When you first claim a creatures soul you know all proficeincies it can grant you. As an action you may summon the spirit of a soul kept in your soul cage, which takes the form of an incorporeal wisp of energy that only you can see and hear. The summoned spirit cannot interact with objects in any way. You can communicate with the creature as if it were alive, and the creature retains the same knowledge and mental stats that it had when it was alive. The creature may respond however it chooses, and is under no obligation to tell the truth or respond to your questions or commands (however you may threaten or persuade the spirit if you so choose). The number of souls that can be kept in your soul cage at once is equal to your proficiency bonus. If your soul cage is full, you cannot put another creature's soul inside. You may release a creature's soul to your patron as a bonus action. If a soul is released you lose the language and proficiency which it grants you. If your soul cage is destroyed all the souls kept within return to the surrounding world as a ghost or similar undead at your DM’s discretion, but do not return to their bodies. You can perform a 1 hour ritual in order to recover your soul cage if it is destroyed or lost, which will destroy the current soul cage if it is not already destroyed.

Customizing Your Soul Cage The non-mechanical attributes of your soul cage can be whatever you desire. Consider your patron, what a soul cage from them would look like, what it’s purpose would be, and what its interior would look like. Below are some ideas from official warlock subclasses. Fiend. Your patron may be collecting souls to fuel their infernal legions or abyssal hordes, or consume them to heighten their power. Some devils may use a warlock with a soul cage to collect the souls of those who have failed to meet the conditions of a contract. A Fiend’s soul cage may appear as a rusty black bird cage or the contract with which the warlock’s pact was signed on. Those imprisoned might see themselves in a pit of flame or encased in infernal ice. Archfey. If your patron is a seelie fey they may be collecting souls to free them from the monotony of a mortal life and enjoy an eternal ball, while an unseelie fey may use them as toys to play with for eternity. An Archfey’s soul cage may take the form of a birdhouse, a magical plant, or a magic mirror where the consumed souls faces appear in the reflection to only your eyes. The imprisoned may be inside a beautiful garden or a lavish party. Great Old One. The Great Old One’s soul cage will likely be as mysterious as the Great Old One’s own form. A strange black crystal that appears to contain a void or an eldritch tomb, where the words of the trapped souls appear as otherworldly writing which only you can decipher. As for the reasons a Great Old One is collecting souls… it may be beyond your comprehension. For those trapped in this soul cage they likely experience horrors of other worlds while they float through an endless void. Undying. An Undying’s soul cage would likely take the form of something related to death itself, such as a skull. A Undying patron may use its collected souls to power the rituals that keep it alive. Those trapped inside likely sit in a crypt or graveyard. Celestial. A Celestial likely uses its collected spirits for benevolent reasons, freeing them from the suffering of the material plane or punishing evil spirits for their crimes. A holy symbol, golden chalice or sacred artifact is likely to be a soul cage for a Celestial patron. Hexblade. A soul cage for a Hexblade patron is likely to take the form of either an object from the shadowfell, a weapon, or an object attached by a chain to the hilt of the Hexblade. A creature trapped in a Hexblade's soul cage willl likely experience an enviroment much like the shadowfell, one full of despair and darkness. Eldritch Invocations If an eldritch invocation has prerequisites, you must meet them to learn it. You can learn the invocation at the same time that you meet its prerequisites. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class. Each of these invocations are exclusive to the Pact of the Cage. Blade of Imprisonment Prerequisite: Pact of the Cage feature Your soul cage can take the form of a weapon you are proficient in. When you take the attack action with this weapon you gain a bonus to damage rolls equal to the number of souls currently in your soul cage. Collector of Secrets Prerequisite: 17th level, Pact of the Cage feature When a creature is imprisoned within your soul cage you immediately know any information that creature would know, regardless of whether the spirit would willingly divulge that information. Eldritch Rebirth Prerequisite: 17th level, Pact of the Cage feature Over the course of a 1 hour ritual you can place the spirit of one of your imprisoned souls into a nearby corpse within 60 feet of you. The soul is released and is sent to that body, where the stolen soul is reincarnated into the new body given to it. The reincarnated soul retains any knowledge its soul had but takes on the physical stats of its new creature. The creature suffers from the penalties of the resurrection spell if it is reincarnated this way. Prisoner's Curse Prerequisite: Pact of the Cage feature You can use a bonus action to cause one of your souls to place a curse on a creature within 60 feet of you. That creature must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC or be cursed. While cursed you may add your proficiency bonus to the damage dealt to that creature. Additionally that creature has disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws against any warlock spell or feature that would force them to make such a saving throw. If that creature is killed, it’s soul is immediately added to your soul cage if your soul cage is not full. You can use this feature once per each soul kept within your soul cage, and regain all expended uses on a long rest. Prisoner's Wail Prerequisite: 5th level, Pact of the Cage feature As an action you can call for your spirits to let out a haunting wail. Each creature within 30 feet if you must make a wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be stunned until the end of their next turn. You must have at least one soul in your soul cage to use this feature. Once you use this feature you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest. Sense Stealer Prerequisite: 12th level, Pact of the Cage feature If a creature imprisoned in your cage has a special sense, such as darkvision or truesight, you gain this sense so long as the creature’s soul remains in your possession.