D&D 5E Should Warlock Patrons be able to revoke a Warlock's powers if the Patron is displeased?

As written, I don't see any (game-mechanical) consequences for a Warlock accepting powers froma Patron and then using said powers in a manner that opposes the desires of his/her Patron, i.e. a Warlock with the Fiend Pact from an Arch-Devil using his powers to fight the Devil's own forces. Can a Patron revoke the powers it's granted to a Warlock? Should a Patron be able to do this? In previous editions, deities could strip a Cleric of some or all of his spells if the Cleric made his god mad - aren't Warlocks basically the Arcane equivalent of Clerics? Of course, in 5th Edition Clerics don't seem to be subject to this rule anymore, either...

There is no real distinction between Arcane and Divine in this edition. Each source of magic is just its own thing.

The idea that you can make a deal with the devil to get cool powers, and then turn right around and use those powers to fight the devil, is all over comic books. Those stories would never be able to happen if the devil could just take the powers back. The thing about a pact is that it's binding, though, so the devil can't just turn around and cancel it when things turn inconvenient. (What does the devil get out of this pact in the first place, anyway? It seems like that should come up at some point.)

If I was an arch-devil, and my warlock was straying over to the path of righteousness, I would send some fiends to go retrieve them. Failing that, I would show up and smite them in person.

But if it's a pact, wouldn't it be MUTUALLY binding? Why would only the PATRON have to live up to his side of the deal?!? Of course, maybe what the Warlock concedes to his Patron isn't obedience, but his SOUL (especially appropriate for a Fiend Pact) or something else... In any case, I can't see a Patron granting a Warlock powers for free. Maybe the Warlock did the Patron a favor at some point (i.e. saved his Patron's bacon from an adversary), and the Warlock powers are returning the favor?

Elderbrain said:

But if it's a pact, wouldn't it be MUTUALLY binding? Why would only the PATRON have to live up to his side of the deal?!?

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That's the big question. What, exactly, is the deal? They don't really go into that anywhere.

Also, it should be noted that, in lore, most warlocks still need their patrons to learn new magic. Its not a once-and-done deal. Its an ongoing relationship. You use granted power against the Patron, then they'll just stop teaching you?

5E leaves it open to interpretation, probably deliberately. For some groups, warlocks/clerics channel their patron's power, and the patron can stop the flow at will. For other groups, warlocks/clerics are given a fragment of the patron's power, and it remains a part of them even if they go rogue.

Personally, I like facilitating the possibility of rebellious clerics and warlocks, so I favor the latter approach. For warlocks in particular, conflict between them and their patron is a grand old trope and I wouldn't dream of squelching it. For clerics, since they do pray for their spell preparation, I think a hybrid approach is appropriate: a cleric on the outs with their god keeps their current spell list and can refresh spell slots -- they're part of their own ability, not their god's -- but they can't prepare different spells until they atone or else find a new god.

Also remember that even if a cleric or warlock keeps their power, that doesn't mean pissing off their patron is consequence-free. The pact between a warlock and an archdevil is likely to have some pretty nasty punitive clauses vis a vis the ultimate fate of one's soul, and the fiend is likely to take a personal interest in their being enforced sooner rather than later. Other patrons may be similarly vengeful -- although some Great Old Ones might not even be aware of the warlock's existence, much less their petty, futile revolt against the inevitable. As for clerics, gods have temples and religions on their side, and being branded a heretic or apostate is seldom a profitable career choice.

Is it fun to do so?

Mephista said:

Also, it should be noted that, in lore, most warlocks still need their patrons to learn new magic. Its not a once-and-done deal. Its an ongoing relationship. You use granted power against the Patron, then they'll just stop teaching you?

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That's not really true, The Great Old One does not know or care about his beneficiary. The Hexblade patron also does not care. The increase of powers and abilities could easily be the beneficiary learning better what he can do and how to access the powers or that as he/she uses their powers they find it easier to draw larger amounts of power out.

Think of that horrible spawn movie that came out year ago. All the power may have been granted up front, but they simple have to "gain the experience" with it in order to unlock their full potential. I would say they are more akin to Sorcerers than Clerics. Sorcerers don't syphon there power, they are altered by it once and become a source of it.

I tend to agree with Saelorn that breaking the "deal" or fighting against ones patron would not allow them to reclaim the power but would defiantly anger an Arched Fey or Demon. Who could send minions, perhaps other warlocks, against them to make a point about breaking deals and perhaps can be tracked by it due to the "connection". If they were caught by there patron or its minions they might have a ritual to lock the power down or kill them in a ritual to draw the power back out to give to a more loyal minion or new beneficiary.

Just my interpretation / opinion.

Seems like a deal should be worked out between warlock player & patron (DM) during character creation: warlock powers for ______ (a task, firstborn, soul, etc.).

But in that case, it doesn't balance with other classes that don't give up something for an ~equal amount of power.

As others have said, it is all up to the story you want to tell. Sometimes the deal is a deal, the Warlock has the power they bargained for, and the Patron has whatever they got out of the pact.

Other times, the Warlock is bound to serve the patron, and moving away from that is either a bad move, or maybe not even possible.

In my world, most patrons hand out power and let the warlocks do as they will, after a quick background check. The only rule most Patrons have is that the Warlock cannot further the power of Chaos, A Multi-plane spanning corruption that is screwing everyone equally, including Fiends and Archfey. Except for the Chaos tainted Patrons, who have the opposite rule, or no rules at all. Making a pact is usually based on a job. Patron wants Workers to clear out Chaos shrine, 2 secret knowledges and 1 cantrip to whoever does it. Archfey usually include a fine print in their pacts that says they get to summon you to the Feywild as a soldier against Chaos, either after you die or once you reach a certain power level. Other than that, most Warlocks are free to do whatever they see fit since, for most people and creatures, that means slowing down chaos.