D&D 5E New Warlock Pacts: What are your concepts?

[Lanliss]

I have been (slowly) trying to work out a Spark of Creation Warlock, kind of a blend of Undying light from UA, and a Cleric. My goal is true healing, rather than temps provided by other pacts, and possibly some small automaton/golem rules to play around with.

Another Patron I have thought of, but is the barest of seeds of thought, is an Undecided Patron. You find a weak thoughtform/spark of energy, and you both grow together, with your actions and alignment shaping what your patron becomes. It could become a tricky fiend (you do a lot of Lying and Murdering where it can see you), or a kind hearted defender of the small (you help a lot of orphans, sit down and talk one-on-one with the patron about it, and what it wants. Make it feel good to get good back.) For this though, I basically need a full character sheet laid out for the patron, with alignment and a full personality, except the alignment is decided by what it sees, rather than what it does.

EDIT: I Forgot boons. I want boons to represent multiclassing of a sort, super lite abilities that nudge the concept towards another class.

Cloak(rogue), probably some tricksy abilities, like waving the cloak to change your appearance, or camouflage yourself.

Rage(barbarian), I imagine a much less refined caster. I would say that all of your spells are either AoE, or melee. You are not precise at range, you are a raging catapult of death, mixed with a battering ram.

Soul(monk), through your studies, you have found your soul, and learned to change it how you must, and possibly project it.

Blood(sorcerer), has already been discussed by others, I would say a Metamagic based on your bloodline. (Yes, I know about all of the talk of sorcerer being so heavily penalized because it has metamagic. That is a discussion for a different thread, and one that would be fixed before this sort of thing is implemented in my games.)

That is all I can think of for now.

 

[pdegan2814]

I think a Boon of Minions would be interesting.

The Patron loans the Warlock a number of individually-weak creatures to act as servants. These little creatures can run around and gather equipment, help with crafting and research, and generally say "yes master" a lot in a funny (or creepy) accent. They can't help in combat, but are great at utility. Perhaps they can even work together and act as a mount (for example, a buzzing swarm of beetles that fly the warlock around).

It is distinct from a familiar because that is a single, fairly-strong servant.

You played a lot of Overlord, didn't you?

 

[tuxgeo]

Pact of the Flak-Jacket

As with the Chain Pact, your patron gives you a magical "flak-jacket" which is spiritual in nature, not physical. Because of its non-physical nature, it doesn't either add to or subtract from your armor class. Instead, it gives you Resistance to piercing and slashing damage. (Hit with bludgeoning damage, or spell / elemental damage? You're on your own.)

Granted, there's more to track when you have your flak-jacket on your back, but at least you can take one more whack and keep standing.

Thus, you have a boon that other characters don't get, and it doesn't cost you a feat or an invocation, and it doesn't interfere with the "Armor of Shadows" invocation (mage armor at will).

For an invocation that takes Pact of the Flak-Jacket as a prerequisite, how about one that gives the second benefit of the Durable feat: 2x your CON mod. as the minimum number of hit points you regain when you roll a hit die to regain hit points.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Izek Strazni in CoS that had a barbed devil's arm that replaced his own. That seems like a good precedent for a pact type to me. It fits the original three patrons pretty well, but I am not quite sure about the ones since then (although a quick introduction of the sorrowsworn to 5e would take care of the Raven Queen, and an armored arm would fit the hexblade [somewhat like Magik of the X-men and the Witchblade]).

A wings invocation would fit.

 

[Cyvris]

We have a book pact with the Tomelock, how about filling out the triad with Bell and Candle?

I'd been toying with a "Candle" Pact that gets some sort of alterable "burst" since well...fire. Haven't though of much beyond that though.



In terms of actual mechanics, I wrote this up taking insperation from the 4e Warlock's "Shadow Step" ability. I'm thinking there would be invocations that make it so you actually gain "concealment" to make stealth checks and can spread it to one ally in 5ft.

Pact of the Mantle
Your patron bestows upon you the garb of some of their most trusted followers. For the Fey, this might take the form of a shimmering, grey cloak which causes enemies’ eyes to slip from you. The Great Old One cuts a patch out a patch of starless sky to wrap you in, while an Infernal lord gifs you the skin of an demon skilled in infiltration.
As long as you are wearing the mantle your patron gifted you, during your turn, if you move 15 or more feet away from where you started your turn your form becomes difficult to see. You are considered to have half cover until the start of your next turn

 

[Storyteller Hero]

PATRON: THE MOTHER-IN-LAW

You have made a pact with one of the most fearsome beings in the known cosmos, capable of reducing your soul to tatters with a single sentence. Your happiness depends on appeasing this being, and your fate may be doomed should you fail to live up to your patron's expectations.

Mother-In-Law Expanded Spells:

1st - Command, Wrathful Smite

2nd - Detect Thoughts, Magic Mouth

3rd - Create Food and Water, Stinking Cloud

4th - Compulsion, Confusion

5th - Bigby's Hand, Dominate Person

 

[Hathorym]

Pact of the Satellite

You can use your action to call a palm-sized stone to fall from the sky into your hand. The satellite is warm to the touch and glows with a soft light of a color chosen by your Patron. As part of the same action, you may release the satellite near your ear. This activates the satellite and it begins to orbit around your head at a distance of no more than 3 feet. While in the air, another creature may use an action to grasp or net the stone to separate it from you, either by making a successful attack roll against AC 24 or a successful DC 24 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. You can use an action to seize and stow the satellite, ending its effect.

As it orbits your head, the satellite uses the spells of others to enhance your own. Each time you are a target of a damaging spell, the satellite absorbs an amount of energy equal to the spell’s level, to a maximum of your warlock level. The satellite absorbs no energy from a cantrip or a spell from which you did not take damage. As a bonus action, you may release this energy to augment the next damaging spell you cast by the end of the turn. Add the stored energy as bonus to damage of the same energy type as the spell you cast.

Invocations

The Mote in the Eye
Pact of the Satellite
While the satellite is activated, you are protected by its power. If you are a target of a spell that requires you to make a saving throw, you may move the stone into the path of that spell, giving you advantage on that saving throw. If your saving throw is successful, the satellite loses its power and falls to the ground, powerless, becoming a simple rock. You must take a short or long rest before you can use this feature again.

Tears from the Heavens
Pact of the Satellite, 9th level Warlock
While activated, you may point to a location you can see within 60 feet. As an action, the satellite will streak forward to that spot with a trail of cosmic energy. Any creature within 5 feet of the trail takes radiant damage equal to your Charisma modifier. As it reaches its destination, the satellite explodes in white fire out to 30 feet. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 radiant damage for each level of energy held within the satellite. You must take a long rest before you can use this feature again.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

You played a lot of Overlord, didn't you?

No, I was thinking of the summoner from Hellgate London, as well as Disney's Minions. I never playerd Overlord, it looks like I missed out on a cool game.

 

[Ganymede81]

Each of the current official pacts basically represent just three of several creature archetypes: fiends, aberrations, and fey. They match up well with three big sources of power: the lower planes, the far plane, and the feywild.

If you want to concoct up some new patrons, you can simply model them off of the remaining types/power sources. Celestials from the upper planes might personally grant a warlock his or her power. Undead or other denizens from the Shadowfell might do the same; the Raven Queen, as a sort of anti-Archfey, was used as an example this week. Especially powerful elementals, giants, dragons could also fit the bill.

(As an aside, the Kingsglaive of FF15 could be considered Warlocks with the crystal as their patron. That's neat.)


Edit: What do you call the Archfey-equivalent denizens of the Shadowfell? The Shrouded?

 

[QuietBrowser]

Each of the current official pacts basically represent just three of several creature archetypes: fiends, aberrations, and fey. They match up well with three big sources of power: the lower planes, the far plane, and the feywild.

If you want to concoct up some new patrons, you can simply model them off of the remaining types/power sources. Celestials from the upper planes might personally grant a warlock his or her power. Undead or other denizens from the Shadowfell might do the same; the Raven Queen, as a sort of anti-Archfey, was used as an example this week. Especially powerful elementals, giants, dragons could also fit the bill.

(As an aside, the Kingsglaive of FF15 could be considered Warlocks with the crystal as their patron. That's neat.)

Edit: What do you call the Archfey-equivalent denizens of the Shadowfell? The Shrouded?

Very wise words. Except... this topic is talking about Pacts. You know, the symbols of a bond between a Warlock and its Patron? From whence we derive the nicknames Bladelock, Chainlock, and Tomelock? I was pretty clear about the difference in the opening post, I thought, but people seem to keep getting the two mixed up.

Personally, I think "The Shrouded" actually works as a really neat title for the Archfey-equivalents of the Shadowfell. Do you mind if I use that term?