The warlock is clearly something that has generated a lot of discussion and concern about 4e, and rightly so. But if possible, I'd like to step back from the controversial aspects, and focus on the possible varieties of warlock we might see, and how they might work.
So far we know of three different kinds of pacts: Infernal, Shadowy and Feral. The first is certainly about pacts with devils, and possibly demons? The second is an obvious reference to the plane of shadow, but what kind of pact that is and with who is unclear. The third is likely related to fey, but I don't know why fey would be interested in pacts, or especially souls.
Here's my take on them:
Infernal: Probably a bit more to this than just being evil and collecting souls. Demons have agendas, and it's the warlocks place to further them. This may involve actions taken against other demons as much as anything else.
Shadowy: A reaper of the living? A destroyer of the undead? A bane of those who would be immortal? A commander of undead tasked with returning souls to the mortal realm? Lot's of ways to go with this.
Feral: Agent of the Seelie or Unseelie courts, sworn to defend/weaken the barriers between the Feywild and mortal realms. Or some other purpose perhaps, one which even the warlock may be ignorant of.
We will certainly see new kinds of pacts later on, be it by WotC, third parties, or individuals. Here's some quick ideas on a few possiblities:
Elemental: A subject of the elemental lords who acts against the demonic beings that plague the both elemental lands as well as the mortal realm. Or a conscript of a mighty Djinn, who has his own inscrutable interests in the lands of man.
Celestial: It's a departure from the dark and sinister angle of warlocks, but the servant of an archon can be every bit as capable and ruthless as their darker counterparts (and especially to them).
Mechanus: DOMO ARIGATO, MR ROBOTO... err sorry. Actually I'm not sure why they would form these pacts, subcontracting for Inevitables, perhaps?
Far Realms: I have no idea what I would expect of a warlock that entered a pact with Cthulu, but that's the kind of thing I'm probably better off not understanding. I do expect tentacles to be involved somehow, though.
So far we know of three different kinds of pacts: Infernal, Shadowy and Feral. The first is certainly about pacts with devils, and possibly demons? The second is an obvious reference to the plane of shadow, but what kind of pact that is and with who is unclear. The third is likely related to fey, but I don't know why fey would be interested in pacts, or especially souls.
Here's my take on them:
Infernal: Probably a bit more to this than just being evil and collecting souls. Demons have agendas, and it's the warlocks place to further them. This may involve actions taken against other demons as much as anything else.
Shadowy: A reaper of the living? A destroyer of the undead? A bane of those who would be immortal? A commander of undead tasked with returning souls to the mortal realm? Lot's of ways to go with this.
Feral: Agent of the Seelie or Unseelie courts, sworn to defend/weaken the barriers between the Feywild and mortal realms. Or some other purpose perhaps, one which even the warlock may be ignorant of.
We will certainly see new kinds of pacts later on, be it by WotC, third parties, or individuals. Here's some quick ideas on a few possiblities:
Elemental: A subject of the elemental lords who acts against the demonic beings that plague the both elemental lands as well as the mortal realm. Or a conscript of a mighty Djinn, who has his own inscrutable interests in the lands of man.
Celestial: It's a departure from the dark and sinister angle of warlocks, but the servant of an archon can be every bit as capable and ruthless as their darker counterparts (and especially to them).
Mechanus: DOMO ARIGATO, MR ROBOTO... err sorry. Actually I'm not sure why they would form these pacts, subcontracting for Inevitables, perhaps?
Far Realms: I have no idea what I would expect of a warlock that entered a pact with Cthulu, but that's the kind of thing I'm probably better off not understanding. I do expect tentacles to be involved somehow, though.
