D&D 5E Trying to make player's Warlock Patron more interesting (hexblade)

HawaiiSteveO · Dec 7, 2017

Clerics / Paladins generally default to the 'pray & get your spells' type deal for me.

Hexblade PC is different case, he carries his patron around with him!? I'd really like to flesh it out as a full NPC, but don't want to be constantly passing notes, texting to player, etc. Not even sure how involved I want patron to be - how much does it care about the day to day goings on? I suppose it could start talking, but then everyone will hear it and what would a patron say to others that are not Warlocks? Ignore them!? "Convert" them?

It doesn't seem right to have patron just carted around and not be part of the fun.

Any ideas appreciated!

pdegan2814 · Dec 7, 2017

This is part of what I don't like about the 5e Hexblade, the flavor behind it is "meh" to me. The way they describe it in Xanathar's, the Patron is the "mysterious entity" from the Shadowfell that manifests in sentient magic weapons, but there's nothing that says the Hexblade Warlock needs to actually possess such a weapon. It's all a bit fuzzy. They even hint that the Raven Queen might the the entity behind these weapons, and that she's the one the Hexblade actually makes their Pact with. Which just makes me even more bitter they didn't bring in the Raven Queen Warlock from UA

pukunui · Dec 7, 2017

The hexblade makes a pact with a "shadowy entity" that may or may not be the Raven Queen. They don't carry that entity around with them. So you can treat their patron like any other patron.

EDIT: Damn! Ninja'd!

Quickleaf · Dec 7, 2017

HawaiiSteveO said:
Clerics / Paladins generally default to the 'pray & get your spells' type deal for me.

Hexblade PC is different case, he carries his patron around with him!? I'd really like to flesh it out as a full NPC, but don't want to be constantly passing notes, texting to player, etc. Not even sure how involved I want patron to be - how much does it care about the day to day goings on? I suppose it could start talking, but then everyone will hear it and what would a patron say to others that are not Warlocks? Ignore them!? "Convert" them?

It doesn't seem right to have patron just carted around and not be part of the fun.

Any ideas appreciated!

With the Hexblade in particular, you have a lot of leeway as DM to interpret it as you desire.

Generally, I treat warlock pacts as more tactical than a cleric's deities; that is, the cleric's deity professes ideals/overarching principles which it is up to the PC to figure out what that means on the ground, whereas a warlock's patron has very precise instructions on the ground (without explanation), which it is then up to the PC to deduce what ideal/principle/objective the patron is pursuing/professing.

So what I'd do is (A) first determine what the Hexblade wants, then (B) determine how it makes its will known to the PC. Personally, I'd go with subtle coincidences that only the player of the warlock picks up on...sort of like how Druidic can be used to leave "trail signs" that only other Druids understand. Maybe there are certain words you establish that, when spoken by a NPC, clue the warlock player into subtle messages "coming from" the Hexblade? Maybe there is a thing in your setting where swords are arranged in patterns near smithies & battlefields, and nobody really knows why, some assume it's folk tradition to repel evil spirits or let potential bandits know the inhabitants are armed...but actually they are hidden messages from the Hexblade?

MechaTarrasque · Dec 7, 2017

Go the Glen Cook route and have an evil dwarf (slave of the blade) show up every so once in a while to tell the warlock what the blade wants. That is a good scheme for most patrons (and for chainlocks, their familiar makes a good "messenger from the boss") as it makes it clear that the warlock is free to do as he/she wishes unless the evil dwarf is hanging around.

ccs · Dec 7, 2017

The weapon may be the patron itself.
Or it might just be the instrument that the patron speaks to its minion through....

In either case you should answer (at least for yourself as DM)
1) Who/What is the patron?
2) What do they want?
3) What/How do they expect the PC to accomplish this?

tuxedoraptor · Dec 7, 2017

Generally, with such a vague patron, I would just put it down to: "you have been given near unlimited power, you don't know why and you don't know who gave it to you. All you know is that whatever gave it to you will want a favor in return and you shudder to think what happens if you renege on your end of the deal" Pretty much, it allows you to hook the player into any subquest you want,for fear that its sent by the patron rather than just a normal subquest. Add subtle creepy things whenever the patron is brought up (player starts to research the patron, the next day the library burns to the ground and kills everyone inside. The player was the only one to escape unharmed)

TheOneGargoyle · Dec 7, 2017

pdegan2814 said:
They even hint that the Raven Queen might the the entity behind these weapons, and that she's the one the Hexblade actually makes their Pact with. Which just makes me even more bitter they didn't bring in the Raven Queen Warlock from UA

Agreed.

Xanathar's Guide to Everything said:
"You have made your pact with a mysterious entity from the Shadowfell—a force that manifests in sentient magic weapons carved from the stuff of shadow. The mighty sword Blaclrrazor is the most notable of these weapons, which have been spread across the multiverse over the ages. The shadowy force behind these weapons can offer power to warlocks who form pacts with it. Because the Raven Queen is known to have forged the first of these weapons, many sages speculate that she and the force are one and that the weapons, along with hexblade warlocks, are tools she uses to manipulate events on the Material Plane to her inscrutable ends."

(emphasis mine)

My take on it is that they are strongly hinting but not outright stating it, which gives a guideline for players & DM's to run with if it works for them, but leaves enough wiggle room for them to take it in a different direction if they prefer.

So, my suggestion would be : does it work for the player and the DM for it to be the RQ ? If so, then go with it, it gives lots of scope for great RP. If not, either come up with something else collaboratively, or else, let the DM keep it secret from the player and let the story unfold throughout the campaign.

Personally, I love the RQ so I'd be all over that like white on rice, but of course YMMV

Aldarc · Dec 8, 2017

I like the idea of reflavoring - not for everyone but some of my own campaigns - the Hexblade into an alternate Fey pact. There are fey of the Feywild and there are Dark Sidhe of the Shadowfell, with whom the Hexblade corresponds.

SkylarkR6 · Dec 8, 2017

Not sure if it helps but my hexblade patron is the Shadowforge. A company based in the Shadowfel with a mysterious CEO that makes magical arms and armor. My character is a troubleshooter sent to make new contracts and punish people who break deals. 5% finder's fee of course, along with discounts to the company store and full access to their "Demonstration Gallery"(blade pact summons)