New Warlock Pacts

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Right, so working off of the Darksun thread where it was suggested that you could make templars by giving Warlocks pacts with Sorceror-Kings:

What other nicely thematic Pacts do you think we could posit for warlocks? Will pacts become the new domains for 4E?

Just off of the top of my head -

Pacts with the Elemental Courts = Sha'irs = minor genie summoning, elemental nastiness, and rituals to do with major genie summoning.

Pacts with Totems = Shamans = some animal benefits, spirit/beast realm nastiness, and rituals to do with totemic empowerment.

Pacts with Astrological Houses = Geomancers = wards and curses, fate nastiness, and rituals to do with destiny and divination

I'm just intrigued by this idea since I think it turns what has been described as a fairly narrow class into a real world building tool.

As a side note - we know clerics and wizards get rituals, has that been confirmed for Warlocks as well?

 

[ZombieRoboNinja]

The trick will be figuring out how narrowly the pacts are defined. For example, it seems that ALL pacts have some kind of "Boon of Souls" that gives you a bonus when you curse and then kill an enemy - so presumably no pacts with pacifist factions. ;-)

 

[FabioMilitoPagliara]

As a side note - we know clerics and wizards get rituals, has that been confirmed for Warlocks as well?

I like your idea

yes... well almost, in the races and classes there is the picture of an Elven Warlock making a ritual (and I would say she has a fey pact) page 71
and by the look of the ritual it's very power of the green themed

btw another class very open is the new Bard, a truly inspiring class as is (briefly) described in races and classes

 

[FireLance]

I'm just intrigued by this idea since I think it turns what has been described as a fairly narrow class into a real world building tool.

The flavor is narrow. The mechanics can probably be turned to several uses.

Couatl pacts: Turn the couatls into paragons of justice, as was hinted at briefly in the 3.5e MM write-up. Warlocks who make a couatl pact are required to pursue justice at all costs - if necessary, placing the demands of justice over compassison and forgiveness.

Phoenix pacts: As symbols of renewal and rebirth, phoenixes hate the mockery of life represented by the undead. Warlocks who make a phoenix pact are required to seek out and destroy undead creatures whenever they have the opportunity.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

yeah, it's interesting to note that real world Sha'irs were more bards who allowed themselves to be possesed by djinns than anything else.

 

[Sitara]

Hoo boy...

Suddenly i see a ton of future supplements for warlocks, or at least something innane like a pact in every new sourcebook.

Bloat is unavoidable though, so I hope they organize it better, so say publish a "book of pacts" and be done with it. That way gm's and players wont have to flip through a million sourcebooks to find an obscure pact a new player wants for his character.


(Sorry for going of topic for a bit, just that I had a horrific 3E PRC bloat flashback)

 

[Walking Dad]

Hoo boy...

Suddenly i see a ton of future supplements for warlocks, or at least something innane like a pact in every new sourcebook.

Bloat is unavoidable though, so I hope they organize it better, so say publish a "book of pacts" and be done with it. That way gm's and players wont have to flip through a million sourcebooks to find an obscure pact a new player wants for his character.


(Sorry for going of topic for a bit, just that I had a horrific 3E PRC bloat flashback)

I think WotC want to sell books. They will use bloat. Don't hope for anything more compact, than "Complete Arcane". The Compendium style of books (Spell, Madic Item,Rules) will only become avaiable in the wake of 5th Edition

 

[Rechan]

I think "Feral" may fill the totem route, given that it's described as Feral.

But then, I'm hoping for a Shaman class that deals with spirits.

 

[tresson]

How about a pact with a small talking animal, (fluff ball, animated object, etc) = magical girl (like sailormoon), = for mid battle costume changes and far to short skirts?

 

[Walking Dad]

I think "Feral" may fill the totem route, given that it's described as Feral.

But then, I'm hoping for a Shaman class that deals with spirits.

I think feral will be the Fae. Why should they dumb one of the two 3.5 origins?

How about a pact with a small talking animal, (fluff ball, animated object, etc) = magical girl (like sailormoon), = for mid battle costume changes and far to short skirts?

NOOOOooooooo