D&D 5E L&L November 4th Warlock Design

[steeldragons]

Faust. Nuf sed? No?

Justice League (the animated series) Faust. No? Someone who studied the arcane arts. He had power. He had the mad magical skillz. Then he makes a pact with ...dunno the original, but Hades...gets more pow-wow.

That's a warlock.

Now, I agree, it shouldn't be with gods...that's a cleric's job. But with some non-god entity (wherever its from)...it's bad. Its' wicked...if not eeeeevillllll. It's grabbing for power...yes, out of desperation or desire, completely justified or justifiable needs or pure power-grab and/or wicked intentions ...but there's no way you're coming out of this unscathed...if indeed your soul is still attached at all.

That's a warlock.

Try to defend your power...Try to defend/rationalize why you made that pact...Try to kill your "patron" [sooner than later ] to reclaim your soul/side-of-the-bargain and/or before your side of the bargain costs your life [cuz you know what happens to you if you die!].

That's a warlock.

This blade/book/chain thing sounds great to me. Your patron can be what you want...add the shpooky sauce...bloody sauce...happy dancey fey sauce [til your patron needs something else] or oh-so-weeeeird unspeeeeakablllle tentacle madness sauce...Who cares which? Well, as the player of the warlock, you'd better.

Anything that gets the class beyond "I get at will magic! nah-nahnahnah-boo-boo." is a-okay in my book.

 

[LostSoul]

What I really want to see is the patron demanding something of the PC in order for the PC to have these powers.

 

[jrowland]

What I really want to see is the patron demanding something of the PC in order for the PC to have these powers.

A Shrubbery!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

A Shrubbery!

Ni, please!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

What I really want to see is the patron demanding something of the PC in order for the PC to have these powers.

And actually, I agree with this, 100%.

The warlock's pact should be as structured and demanding as befits his patron...perhaps as restrictive as a Palsdin's Code, perhaps as free form as a Shoggoth's face.

I could even see a Warlock pact being patronless if the Warlock in question lived under a set of taboos, much like the Blue Star Adepts of Thieves' World.

 

[urLordy]

What I really want to see is the patron demanding something of the PC in order for the PC to have these powers.

I would have some fun with the patron making demands of the warlock that are pertininent to the current adventure (like "when you get to Hommlet, tell the blacksmith so-and-so" or "when you find the iron crown, bring it to the grey witch") and these demands may be at odds with the party's interests, or seem to be in sync with the party but a set-up for betrayal, or provide a hook to a quest. The warlock might keep it secret, confess everything to the party, or reveal only half-truths. But I know it's tricky to handle this kind of bluffing mini-game, and it'll only work once (after the warlock screws the party, the players wil be forever suspicious of warlocks.)

 

[Stormonu]

See, for D&D in general, I'm of the opinion that there doesn't need to be just one, solitary, unique, lone way to embody a given archetype. I'm a "three kinds of vampire" kind of guy.

So long as none of those "vampires" sparkles in the sun, I'm down with that.

 

[Weather Report]

I like the taking on aspects of your Vestige from the 3rd Ed Binder class.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

So long as none of those "vampires" sparkles in the sun, I'm down with that.

Let's compromise on this one: have them sparkle in the sun...rrrrrright before they become a towering pillar of flame.

 

[MoonSong]

Let's compromise on this one: have them sparkle in the sun...rrrrrright before they become a towering pillar of flame.

I have a better compromise zero sparkling, but vampires get to be in the sun when strong enough.