31 Flavors of Warlock

[Wolfwood2]

I do. I think a pact is neutral at best, but possibly evil. You don't make a pact with angels because angels don't "bargain."

The key to a pact is the bargain, and the quid pro quo. That can't be truly "good" because (even if you agree to do good things), you're doing it for the material reward, not because if the action's inherant goodness.

At first I was thinking that this meant there could never be a Celestial Warlock; but now I realize this just means there could never be a good Celestial Warlock. However, there are some interesting possibilities with being a "spiritual mercenary, doing good deeds, because that's what you're paid to do." Hmmm.

You know, it's possible to be Good without your every action being Good. Most of the actions that anybody takes are neutral.

I also kind of question the idea that angels don't bargain. In the ideal bargain, both sides walk away better off for it. Self-sacrifice is fine if sacrifice is necessary. Isn't it much better that everyone involved's lives should improve, though?

 

[grimslade]

A Celestial Warlock would probably be like taking an oath of fealty to an up and coming demigod or hero god. Not yet at full godhood but a mover and shaker in the Heavens. He is looking for a few good creatures to help him influence his portfolio on the Prime. Proto-worshipers I guess. The 'lock would be a smiter and protector. A celestial maw would be the noble jaws of a hound or lion, Boon of Souls would be for sending an evil being to their just reward or for redeeming or converting a follower of the proto-god.

How about an Elder Brain warlock? Definitely an NPC, but a pact with an illithid elder brain. Plays well off the Far Realms warlock but is a servant of a critter in the Prime or the astral.

Warlock of the Lich Queen, a Githyanki pact. Not sure the powers would be any different than an Infernal or maybe Shadow 'lock.

Death'lock. Heh. More than a Shadow warlock, a Death 'lock has made a pact with Death itself. Great for a vengeance style theme like the Crow but a blaster not a brawler.

 

[Kesh]

Definitely a cool idea ... for NPC's. Anyone even capable of understanding the goals and motives of Cthulu is probably already irredeemably insane.

And this is bad... how?

Seriously, one of the 3e characters I've been dying to play is a (chaotic) good cleric of The Dragon Below in Eberron. Yes, the Dragon Below cults are based on worship of aberrations and stuff That-Must-Not-Be-Named, but that doesn't mean the character can't be striving towards doing good in Its name. Even if they're weird to be around.

I'd love to turn this concept into a Warlock variant, too. Yes, it's hard to justify making a pact with a Daelkyr and still being "good," but it can be done and can make for some... interesting role playing.

 

[Snapdragyn]

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.

This really makes me think of the Summer Knight from the Dresden Files, particularly for a character multiclassed with some sort of defender. Hmmm, really liking this idea.

 

[Mercule]

Sort of like Dexter, I guess ....

Or Constantine.

 

[The Little Raven]

I'm not really getting any negative connotations from "pact". Really, I'd say the word "binding" has more infernal connotations. A "pact" can be something along the lines of a peace treaty or an agreement between friends.

Exactly. Pact implies an agreement. Binding implies servitude or imprisonment.

 

[Flynn]

Out of curiosity, but does anyone think it's strange that a class based on oaths and pacts with supernatural entities has a name that originally meant "oath breaker"?
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/warlock

Just Curious,
Flynn

 

[Gloombunny]

It would be pretty cool if breaking their infernal agreements was something common enough among warlocks to make demons wary about what pacts they make, and master warlocks teach their apprentices strategies for reneging on deals and coming out ahead despite that wariness.

 

[Crashy75]

Re: Ur priest pact.

Actually, I think it's exactly like a pact, only the 'patron' isn't willing or aware of their part in it.
...

That's a good point especially if one alters the flavor a little. I'm still not sure the word pact would fit but that can always be changed. There are ideas for angels (oath's), demons (bound) I know I saw others...

Ahh... The Palladium Diabolist. Now there was a genuinely original magic using class. One of my all time favorite classes to play too.

Truely! There was a wizard everybody was afraid to touch! And as for range? Stone ward bombs baby!

...
Pseudonatural? You can't make pacts with them because they're too alien to grasp the concept. But you can open yourself and let the Far Realms leak through you into the real world.

You can do anything with retheming.

This idea I really like. I actually had a monk/sorcerer character based on a very similar concept.

EDIT:

It would be pretty cool if breaking their infernal agreements was something common enough among warlocks to make demons wary about what pacts they make, and master warlocks teach their apprentices strategies for reneging on deals and coming out ahead despite that wariness.

Wasn't the 3.5 warlock like this?

 

[Nyaricus]

Out of curiosity, but does anyone think it's strange that a class based on oaths and pacts with supernatural entities has a name that originally meant "oath breaker"?
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/warlock

Just Curious,
Flynn

Irony is goodrightfun