Design & Development: The Warlock

[BBQ]

Personally, I think Warlock could end up being one of the most roleplaying-rich classes in 4th edition. While tieflings have the advantage in this area (the blood of fiends runs in their veins, so they might be like the mutants of "X-Men"... shunned by a society they endeavor to protect), a warlock of any race opens up doorways to infinite amounts of interesting interactions (One comes to mind: a character similar to "Spawn" or "Ghost Rider"... a character who makes a deal with some extraplanar being, a powerful immortal or some sort of foul fiend, perhaps even to achieve some kind of goodly end [even if his methods/motivations could be shady], then uses the power gained from that deal to battle the forces they once served.) I love the idea of the roleplaying opportunities opened up by the class (encounters with said extraplanar being's minions, avatars of that creature, delving deep into said creature's realm to reclaim your soul/break your deal... the stories write themselves!). You could definitely make an antihero out of a warlock.

Warlocks will also make tough, cool villains. I like to think of Emperor Palpatine as an evil warlock type. I'm sure there are others.

Needless to say, I'm STOKED for 4e warlocks.

 

[see]

Yeah, that ends it for me. There's a name for a character that marks and murders people to gain power from inhuman masters, and it's "non-player".

 

[Frostmarrow]

But, me being always a critic, I do not llike the Tiefling picture. The Horns are ok, but the Tail is ridiculous. Can you imagine a Fighter in the heaviest Plate with a Tail poppong out on the backside? Maybe it will be an armored Tail? Baah!
I already see the "Horns or Tail" and "thats a long tail" jokes.

I hadn't thought of that before. Tieflings have tails?

That's kind of cool. At least it sets them apart anatomically from men. I guess we'll be seeing some feats/powers that require tails.

 

[FireLance]

Yeah, that ends it for me. There's a name for a character that marks and murders people to gain power from inhuman masters, and it's "non-player".

But... isn't that what most PCs do in a typical D&D campaign?

 

[Simia Saturnalia]

But... isn't that what most PCs do in a typical D&D campaign?

Most patrons in D&D games, IMXP, are human nobles, merchants, and wizards. Other than that, he is in fact describing a D&D campaign to the letter.

One could say "mark and murder people for inhuman masters" describes the detect + smite of the paladin perfectly.

 

[Aloïsius]

Infernal patrons : devils, of course
Sahdowy patrons : creatures from the shadowfell ? I guess Shadar Kai (sp ?) are/were warlocks. Think about pacts with vampire lords (something like WoD ghouls...)
Feral : feywild or abyssal ? I can imagine both the formorians and the demons wanting to use the souls you can provide them....


About the "there lacks a "light" side in the PHB. We don't know. Remember the Eladrins ? If they are "light" elves from the feywild, they may balance the tiefling. We already know that there is some kind of "mystery" character in some playtest groups. That means we will have a surprise in the PHB, either a race or a class we did not think about.

 

[WhatGravitas]

You could definitely make an antihero out of a warlock.

Oh, so very true. The warlock description gives me a heavy Elric of Melniboné-vibe! Give that warlock a cursed sword, call his patron Arioch, and we basically have our favourite albino!

While the warlock is not a character for every player, it has a good anti-hero-vibe - I like that very much, mainly because of the Elric-vibe!

Cheers, LT.

 

[Guild Goodknife]

Love that flavor. Especially the Boon of Souls part. Hmm i can hear the multiclassed fighter/warlock screaming "Blood and souls for lord Arioch!"

 

[mhacdebhandia]

Yeah, that ends it for me. There's a name for a character that marks and murders people to gain power from inhuman masters, and it's "non-player".

That's a pretty shallow, whiny complaint you have there.

 

[Plane Sailing]

That's a pretty shallow, whiny complaint you have there.

moderator/
Don't get personal, please.