Pact of the Tome
Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold
The door to the library creaks open, as if calling to her. She can’t ignore the voices any longer; something is offering her power, offering her a solution, and she’s going to take it. Upon entering the two story open museum of texts, one ancient book immediately draws her attention. A seemingly ordinary book, set upon a pedestal, gently rumbles, title and author worn away from centuries of wear. Whispers slip from its binding, washing over her, compelling her to take this Book of Shadows, and with the twisted secrets within find a path to justice.
Pact of the Tome is the Pact Boon for warlocks who want to feel more like a traditional spellcaster. Mechanically, on its own, you get three bonus cantrips of your choice agnostic of class list, giving you curated control over designing your own spell repertoire to fit your theme and patron perfectly. An archfey warlock can pick up Mage Hand, Thorn Whip, and Druidcraft to embody the tricky nature prankster. Pick up Message, Minor Illusion, and Mind Sliver on a Great Old One warlock for the psychic damaging horror themed spellcaster.
If you just want three powerful cantrips, if you don’t have other casters with them already, I’d recommend Guidance, Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Message, and Shillelagh (if you want to engage in melee combat a bit more). Given that you already have two warlock cantrips, this can be an easy place to pick up cosmetic cantrips like Shape Water if you want to feel like a true master of the waves as a Fathomless warlock. Vicious Mockery can be the perfect fit for a tormenting demon or fey look, and while a bit worse than Frostbite, comes with enough flavor to justify the pick.
As far as their invocations go, Aspect of the Moon can find a home on some munchkin “Coffeelock” builds, but otherwise is likely going to feel like a wasted invocation.
Book of Ancient Secrets may be the best tool Pact of the Tome offers for expanding your magical repertoire, as it gives you any two first level ritual spells from any class lists and the equivalent of the ritual casting feature for your book. Find Familiar is a stand out ritual spell that can majorly empower your character here, and if you wanted the cantrips bad enough to take Tome over Chain, you can get a familiar this way still without much fuss. In addition, Detect Magic and Speak with Animals both are invocation spells you can take as rituals here, letting Book of Ancient Secrets kind of act like a two in one invocation deal if either of those were considerations for you prior. On top of the initial influx of useful abilities, it also lets you add rituals of any level you find to your book, giving you an expandable feature as the game progresses to surpass even wizards in the ritual spell casting department.
Far Scribe is one of the coolest versions of Sending you can get, giving you at will Sending to your proficiency bonus amount of creatures. This is like Message on steroids, and while not outrageously powerful, delivers on the fantasy of a divining, dream visiting kind of magical communicator.
Gift of the Protectors, too, is an amazing utility invocation. If you’re playing a supportive warlock and want a way to keep allies alive, Gift of the Protectors lets you prevent creatures from dropping in the first place with just your reaction, potentially saving them turns and getting the extra actions your team needs to win.
Pact of the Tome is an excellent Pact Boon. It is entirely fair and reasonable as a boon on its own, and truly shines when paired with some of its invocations. If you like the forbidden knowledge angle a lot of warlock fantasy’s sit in, Pact of the Tome is a great choice for you.
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