If the above table doesn't provide a method of breaking out of the control, you can choose to use this table. Some methods may make breaking control incredibly easy, such as the character's full name spoken aloud. This may help create a lighter tone for your character, where possession is not often a problem. For a darker tone, consider a more difficult method of breaking control, such as requiring restriction of the body or a splash of holy water. Like above, this is not a rule. You can decide that your character breaks free of control at any time.

Consider how the poltergeist is capable of taking control of your character's body. How often do you want to play as either personality? Maybe your character is plagued by the poltergeist more in the background, such as in dreams, and only rarely does the poltergeist gain full control. Maybe you mainly play as the poltergeist itself, with the body's original consciousness more of an alternate personality. The circumstances of control will greatly effect this dynamic. Note that this is not a rule, it is a suggestion to aid roleplaying of the character. You can decide your character succumbs to the poltergeist's control at any time.

As you will be playing both your character and the poltergeist, consider the personality of the spirit inhabiting your body.

As a warlock of the poltergeist, you have two spirits with two distinct personalities inhabiting one body. At any time, either personality could be in control while another is simply observing, or both personalities could be struggling for control. Decide the details of the alternate personality and their control here, or roll on the following tables:

Whether willingly or otherwise, you have been possessed by a powerful poltergeist- a trickster spirit native to the ethereal plane. Though not as directly powerful as other patrons, the poltergeist is uniquely capable of channeling power through objects and creatures such as yourself; it grants you powers from within. Poltergeists enjoy using their host as a physical body for themselves, indulging in mischief and using the host's flesh as a reservoir of power.

Mark of Control

Decide whether there are any noticeable effects while you are under the poltergeist's control. Less obvious effects make it uncertain whether your character is possessed at any time. More obvious effects can increase the immediate drama of a scenario where your character falls to the poltergeist's control.

d6 Mark of Control 1 While being controlled, your body moves in an unnatural, jerking manner, as if puppeteered. 2 While being controlled, your eyes glow with a sinister energy or become a deep black that reflects no light. 3 While being controlled, you have control of your shadow. 4 While being controlled, blood pours from your eyes, nose, ears, or mouth. 5 While being controlled, wisps of a smoke-like substance trail behind you. 6 While being controlled, your voice is resonant and/or sounds like multiple voices speaking in unison.

Poltergeist Features

Warlock Level Feature 1st Expanded Spell List, Bonus Cantrips, Spirit Step 6th Ghostly Grasp 10th Perfect Host 14th Hands of the Poltergeist

Expanded Spell List

The Poltergeist lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.

Poltergeist Expanded Spells

Spell Level Spells 1st catapult, shield 2nd pass without trace, blur 3rd blink, life transference 4th greater invisibility, freedom of movement 5th telekinesis, dominate person

Bonus Cantrips

At 1st level, you learn the thaumaturgy and mage hand cantrips, ideal for haunting people and causing a commotion. They count as warlock cantrips for you, but don't count against your number of cantrips known. When you cast mage hand, you can choose for the hand to be invisible or ghostly in appearance.

Spirit Step

At 1st level, the spirit possessing you grants you ghostly power. As a bonus action, you may levitate up to two feet above the ground. While levitating in this way, you can move over any solid or liquid surface at your normal movement speed, and you can stop levitating at any time. You stop levitating if you are more than two feet above a solid or liquid surface, if you are knocked prone, or if you lose consciousness.

Ghostly Grasp

At 6th level, your ability to manipulate objects is powerful enough to pull them from other's hands. You can use mage hand to attempt to disarm a creature within 5 feet of the hand. Make an ability check with your spellcasting ability, contested by the creature's Strength (Athletics) check. If you succeed, the hand grabs the item if it weighs 10 pounds or less, or forces the creature to drop the item if it weighs more than 10 pounds.

In addition, if you know the catapult spell, you can target an object carried by a creature. The creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature loses grip of the item and the spell is cast on it as normal. On a successful save, the creature maintains hold of the item and the spell slot is wasted.

Perfect Host

At 10th level, you show clear signs of being changed by your possession. Your features shift towards more grey tones, dulled by negative energy, and you occasionally exhale a ghostly fog when using your abilities. You gain immunity to necrotic damage and no longer need to breathe, eat, or drink. In addition, the poltergeist possessing you has come to enjoy the power built up in your body, and has used necromantic power to prevent you from aging, whether naturally or otherwise.

Hands of the Poltergeist

At 14th level, you gain a greater ability to call objects to your command. As an action, you can cast animate objects. You can target objects that are being carried with this spell. If you do, the creature carrying the object must make a Strength saving throw versus your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature loses grip of the item and the spell is cast on it as normal. On a successful save, the creature maintains hold of the item and the number of objects the item counted as are deducted from the total you can animate, as if you had animated it successfully. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.