D&D 5E (+) Share Your Custom Warlock Patrons Here!

[CleverNickName]

I noticed there wasn't a thread for home-brewed Warlock Patrons*, and so I thought I would fix that.

If you have created your own Warlock patron, and if you feel like sharing it with your fellow gamers on ENWorld, maybe getting some feedback or suggestions along the way, I'd like to invite you to post it here in this thread.

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*Okay, I didn't look very hard. Thirty seconds on Google, tops.

 

[CleverNickName]

Here's a few I wrote for the Celestial warlock. I had a player who wanted to play a Celestial warlock, and was curious about what patrons were available. So I cobbled this up for them.


ARCHANGEL SATHIA
The Iron Angel, The Lawgiver
Alignment: Lawful Good
Weapon: greatsword
Familiar: a hawk
Tome: a heavy scroll wound on an iron spool
Archangel Sathia (SATH-e-uh) is the patron of righteous justice and absolute law. They are depicted as an androgynous, faceless human in plate armor, armed with a greatsword, and born aloft on 6 wings. Hard and unyielding as their nickname, The Iron Angel brings justice to those who have been wronged by mercilessly crushing those responsible. They make their presence known through metal: the sound of chimes or bells, the smell and taste of rust, etc.

ARCHANGEL MORWEL
The Brightest Star, The Bringer of Dawn
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Weapon: Glaive
Familiar: a dove
Tome: a slender white scroll on a silver spindle
Archangel Morwel (MORE-well) is a vaguely human being with flowing red hair, their beauty otherworldly and awesome to behold. They are crowned with a halo of stars, and they playfully wield a shining glaive. They inspire like-minded mortals to beauty, creativity, and chaste love. They make their presence known through the sound or smell of rain, the blooming or wilting of flowers, and the taste of wine or vinegar.

ARCHANGEL RAZIEL
The Burning Angel, The Crucible of Heaven, The Purifier
Alignment: Neutral Good
Weapon: Torch (club or greatclub)
Familiar: a white owl
Tome: a thick scroll on a wooden spindle
Depicted as a phoenix, or as a beautiful winged human made entirely of flame, Archangel Raziel (RAZ-e-ell) is the patron of rebirth, purification, and cleansing fire. They make their presence known through flame: the flickering of candles and lamps, the smell of smoke or incense, or the crackling sounds of a fire.

 

[CleverNickName]

And here's a handful of Archfey that I've used in the past.

THE QUEEN OF AIR AND DARKNESS
Queen of the Gloaming Court
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Weapon: Scepter (mace)
Familiar: a black cat
Tome: a moldy black book that is always crusted with frost.
The Queen of Air and Darkness is the patron of darkness, murder, and magic (especially illusions). Her long-lost true name is never spoken among the fey. When she wishes to be seen, she appears as a beautiful faerie with pale, angular features, black eyes, and a mane of black hair. She makes her presence known to mortals in a breeze of cold air, the movement of shadows, or terrible nightmares.

TITANIA, QUEEN OF THE SEELIE COURT
Queen of the Seelie Court
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Weapon: Scepter (mace)
Familiar: a calico cat
Tome: a white book filled with pressed flowers
Titania (tie-TAN-e-uh) is the patron of friendship and magic (especially enchantments) and the sister of The Queen of Air and Darkness. She most often appears to mortals as a beautiful female faerie, only three and a half feet in height, with gossamer wings, golden hair, pale skin, and penetrating blue eyes. She makes her presence known in the mortal world through motes of light, the smell of blossoms, and the sound of insects.

HERLA, LORD OF THE HUNT
Lord of the Wild Hunt
Alignment: Neutral
Weapon: Spear
Familiar: a hunting hound
Tome: a bag of runestones
Herla (HAIR-la), the Lord of the Hunt, is the Archfey of the Beastlands, a vast wilderness where the cruel aspects of nature bleed into our world. He is a centaur, armed with a vine-covered spear and bearing a great hunting horn of white ivory. Stag antlers crown his head, and his eyes glow with a bright green light. He makes his presence known through the baying of hounds, the call of hunting horns, and the thunder of approaching hooves.

This Lord’s court is the Wild Hunt itself: a group of huntsmen, werewolves, centaurs, and poor souls they sweep up in their frenzy. He and his Hunt move between the Plane of Shadow, the Beastlands, and the most ancient forests of our world, so if he has a hidden seat of power, it could be nearly anywhere.

 

[AOieiosle]

I love the creative work from 5e Trash;

Otherworldy Patron: Zaddyus

The Zaddius pact has some fun with the submissive role the warlock takes with their patron. Foreplay and Safeword highlight the warlock's ability to bend over backwards to please their patron while Zaddy's Riches offers a fun but balanced monetary reward for their service.

www.5etrash.com

 

[Sacrosanct]

Cailleach (AKA Nicnevin)
Queen of the Unseelie Court
Alignment: Lawful evil

Modified Archfey pact as such:
Warlock Patron
Cailleach can be a patron of the Archfey, with the following modifications to that sub-class:

Archfey Expanded Spells
Spell Level Spells
1st create or destroy water, fog cloud
2nd gust of wind, Snilloc’s snowball swarm
3rd lightning bolt, sleet storm
4th control water, ice storm
5th cone of cold, dominate person

Blessing of Cailleach (replaces Fey Presence)
Your body radiates a aura of cold, and your skin is chilling to the touch. You have resistance to cold damage and advantage on any saving throw to resist the effects of cold. Upon reaching 6th level, you gain immunity to cold damage.

 

[Stormonu]

My campaign world was created before warlocks were a thing, so this is me fleshing out my campaign world...

SETHINYOR, The Cruel
The Sly Lord of Change
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Weapon: Tentacles (whip)
Familiar: Beholder-kin
Tome: Tattered scrolls

Sethinyor, the Sly Lord of Change is an ancient and powerful demon who in ancient times collected a vast library of forbidden knowledge. In ancient days, Sethinyor was called upon by wizards to bargain for his secret knowledge and glimpses at the tomes he collected. Eventually, Sethinyor would work his way into a deal that upon a wizard's death, they would be transformed into a tome and added to Sethinyor's collection. Eventually, one of the wizards who Sethinyor collected had delved into secrets of the Great Old Ones. Too curious for his own good, Sethinyor read the wizard that became a tome, and was driven mad with desire to learn more. In his maddened desire to learn more, Sethinyor ventured to forbidden corners of the multiverse and collected stranger and rarer tomes of twisted knowledge. Now he eagerly shares these twisted tidbits of knowledge with others, hoping that it leads to others delving into secrets he has yet to uncover and becoming tomes from which he can read more.

Sethinyor makes himself known by the appearance of dancing, fiery letters that appear on or near targets of his interest.

 

[CleverNickName]

Here are some Great Old Ones that I've added to my campaign a couple years ago. So far, no takers...

THE GREAT CTHULHU
The One That Sleeps, The Slumbering One
Alignment: Unaligned
Weapon: a tentacle (whip)
Familiar: a strange creature that looks like a tiny, foot-long grick (use stats for snake)
Tome: a multi-faceted purple crystal filled with glittering points of light
H. P. Lovecraft describes Cthulhu as "A monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery- looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind." This powerful being currently sleeps beneath the deepest part of the ocean, waiting for the stars to align and signal the Time of Devouring. It makes its presence known through disturbing visions, whispers, and sensations that only you can perceive (and only partially understand.)

THE NIGHT SERPENT
Thing of Nightmares, The Devourer
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Weapon: the fang (dagger)
Familiar: a deadly black viper
Tome: a black book filled with disturbing illustrations, but no text
The Night Serpent is a vile and evil Elder as old as humanity itself. Her cultists say she was created the first time a mortal creature had a nightmare, and took her bodily form from that dream: a great serpent thousands of miles long, with a mouth that will eventually unhinge to swallow the world. She now roams the space between the stars, growing fat upon the nightmares of the living and awaiting the day when the stars align and signal the Time of Devouring. She makes her presence known through disturbing visions only you can see, and maddening whispers that only you can hear.

THAT WHICH LURKS
The Primordial
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Weapon: the flail
Familiar: a giant slug the size and color of a banana
Tome: a bag containing dozens of crystals of different sizes, colors, and shapes
A very ancient deity, That Which Lurks is rumored to have emerged from the primordial ooze itself. Over the ages, it has grown fat on the intellect and sanity of sentient beings, gorging itself on their thoughts and ideas. That Which Lurks appears as an amorphous, dark purple blob with many tentacles. It makes its presence known through moisture, dampness, and the smell of mildew.

 

[CleverNickName]

The Hexblade is a popular choice at my table, so I've been asked to come up with different Shadowfell patrons over the years. Here's the three that made it into my campaign; maybe I'll post more later.

MASK
The Master of Thieves, The Lord of Shadows
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Weapon: Longsword
Familiar: a tarantula
Tome: a black leather book with black pages, the words within scribed in white ink
Mask fancies himself to be the god of shadows, crime, rogues, and thievery. While he is not a god, he is nonetheless a very powerful entity worshipped by thieves, assassins, bodysnatchers, and other mortals of ill repute. He is known for his constant scheming, his cool head, and his hatred of rivals--particularly the god Olidammara. When he wishes to be seen, he appears as a thin humanoid dressed in black leather armor, wearing a black velvet mask and carrying dual longswords. He makes his presence known through the flickering movement of shadows and the sound of footsteps in empty rooms.

NERA, THE RAVEN QUEEN
The Queen of Death and Winter
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Weapon: war pick
Familiar: a raven, obviously
Tome: a black leather book with a raven embossed on the front
The Raven Queen was once a powerful mortal sorceress and queen named Nera. When she died, her soul came to Pluton (the realm of Nerull, the god of death). Impressed with her beauty and ambition, Nerull gave her form and enslaved her to be his wife. She eventually stole Nerull's power over shadows and specters, and used that power to overwhelm him and escape to the Shadowfell. There she waits, and plots her revenge. She makes her presence known to mortals through black feathers, gusts of cold wind, and the sound of crows.

SHAR, WEAVER OF SHADOW
Mistress of Night, Lady of Loss
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Weapon: a quarterstaff
Familiar: a bat
Tome: a matte black scroll with a wood spindle, bound with a purple ribbon
Shar is one of the primordial entities that existed long before the creation of our world. In the chaos of the universe's creation, Shar pulled the darkness away from the light and wove it together to create the Shadowfell, the first shadows, and all incorporeal undead. It is said she can see everything that lay in darkness, and everything that ever happened in the dark. Thus, she is associated with darkness, shadow, caverns, and secrets. She makes her presence known to mortals through the sound of bats, the echoes of dripping water, and the moaning of wind.

 

[Blue Orange]

I love the creative work from 5e Trash;

Otherworldy Patron: Zaddyus

The Zaddius pact has some fun with the submissive role the warlock takes with their patron. Foreplay and Safeword highlight the warlock's ability to bend over backwards to please their patron while Zaddy's Riches offers a fun but balanced monetary reward for their service.

www.5etrash.com

You know, I've always thought that, and this is why I never played a warlock.

I like the ones people have come up with!

 

[Shiroiken]

In my first 5E campaign, I needed a patron for story purposes, so I came up with the following based on the Belgeriad books.

Essence of Light
In the plane of Positive Energy resides The Light, whose purpose is the opposition of The Dark that lay within the plane of Negative Energy. These are fundamental forces of the multiverse, beyond the ken of even the Elder Gods. Each manifests an Essence to forward its agenda, which largely involves thwarting its opposite. To achieve this end, the Essence of Light chooses a being to become its agent. While these agents are normally mortals, occasionally even a lesser god can be pressed into service. The agent gains powers specifically designed to fulfill its mission, but the base warlock abilities are not revoked once the mission is complete.