Sweet warlock pacts article up

[Kzach]

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page

I generally don't have much use for Dragon or Dungeon articles but this one piqued my interest. Warlock pacts are definitely an under utilised roleplaying hook and this article expands on them in logical and interesting ways.

The feats add some very powerful options to the warlock as well which is probably a welcome incentive for many warlock players who feel a bit left behind in the DPR game.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I am a little disappointed in the article - I was actually hoping for a higher amount of crunch rather than fluff. I already love the Warlocks flavor and story, I didn't necessarily need more...

That said... The Demonweb Spider Patron I really like, and now I might actually be interested in playing a Dark Pact Warlock. "Her spies are everywhere"? Good reason for my fellow Warlock to crunch every spider he sees. "I hate spiders" is a common motif for my characters, as I do hate them, too. (Yes, I know they are beautiful and fascinating and all that. They definitely are. They are also icky and might at any point jump on me, and who knows what happens then )

 

[Klaus]

Good article, even if the fey patron in my campaign is already created. It's this guy:

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

To go into a little more depth:

Fluff
- I like Yorgrix, Weaver of the Poison Web. Interesting patron. I like the idea of her using spiders as her "communication" method. Should create interesting relationship between the PC and spiders. (In my case, obviously hostile )

- Eochaid doesn't appeal to me much, to be honest. I guess I'll take Klaus take on it.

- The Prisoner in Iron is an interesting take. I am not sure I would want him to be a former Warlock, and wouldn't prefer him to be a Fallen Angel trying to redeem himself. The Evil/Good/Evil confusion certainly has its appeal.

- Ulban, the Messenger is interesting. Reading of paradox I immediately had to think of the Paradox Machine that the Master build in the new Doctor Who, though in that case, it was a ... darker purpose.

- The Bleak Guide makes sense to me. I half-way expected that it would be one of the vestiges, which kinda would have been strange - a Vestige giving access to other vestiges? The precious memory you gave up is obviously a great story hook.

Fluff-wise, I think the Dark Pact gained the most. I also like the associated Background, though I would probably subvert it to something like "you grew up in a dark cellar".

Crunch
I think Offering to the Prisoner and Patron's Guidance are a little too weak for my taste. Either too weak or to fiddly.
Cruel's Whimsy is okay.
Diminishing Spirit Curse, Ulban's Flare seem nice. Spirit Poison of course depends on your power selection, but should help dealing with resistances to some extent. (Though I think resistances to poison and necrotic damage together are still not uncommon)

Ulbans Flare is pretty good, I think. It only modifies one at-will power, but the condition is easily satisfiable.
The paragon feats are nice, though I think Prisoner's Resolve might be a little too costly. Though of course that depends on the effect you suffer from (or benefit from). Against a stunned/dazed effects, it's probably worth the cost.

Crunch-wise, I think the Star Pact gained the best feats. That might be intentional, since he can be the most challenging to build well.

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Why does the article not contain a short blurb on the authors like the most other artiles? Work-in-Progress? There is definitely still some space left at the end of the article.

 

[Kzach]

Spirit Poison is AWESOME.

It's one of those feats that act as a gateway to an entire build that depends upon it.

I just made up a very cool drow dark pact warlock with 13 Dex, 14 Int and 20 Cha. That gives me Shadow Initiate which gives me Stealth plus Assassin's Shroud twice per encounter. That then acts as a gateway to Venom Hand Master and Venom Hand Killer. Then take Spirit Poison and make sure to choose necrotic or poison powers and you're set.

Add in some great drow feats like Cursed Advantage and Merciless Killer and you too can pump out loads of damage to anything and everything

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Spirit Poison is AWESOME.

It's one of those feats that act as a gateway to an entire build that depends upon it.

I just made up a very cool drow dark pact warlock with 13 Dex, 14 Int and 20 Cha. That gives me Shadow Initiate which gives me Stealth plus Assassin's Shroud twice per encounter. That then acts as a gateway to Venom Hand Master and Venom Hand Killer. Then take Spirit Poison and make sure to choose necrotic or poison powers and you're set.

Add in some great drow feats like Cursed Advantage and Merciless Killer and you too can pump out loads of damage to anything and everything

I see, that sounds like a pretty good combination, absolutely. With the ability to use either poison or necrotic, you'd have more powers to pick from.

 

[Jack99]

Good article, even if the fey patron in my campaign is already created. It's this guy:

Got anything interesting written down? I need a fey patron for the feylock in my campaign. It has been fairly undefined so far.

 

[Rechan]

I can't read this article right now, but I've been looking forward to it for the fluff. I love the RP potential for patrons.

Wait, a Demonweb spider patron? I Hope that's for the Dark Pact, and not the Infernal pact. It annoys me when Demons get in on the Infernal pact when that's for Devils.

Got anything interesting written down? I need a fey patron for the feylock in my campaign. It has been fairly undefined so far.

In my last campaign, I worked out a patron for a player. The Patron is the Mistress in Darkest Dream - delirium, madness and euphoria. She is trapped by more powerful fey for some unspecified deed of wickedness. The only physical details I got from my player was that she was 13 feet tall.

We described his pact boon as every time he killed someone he had cursed, he briefly was sent into the Feywild. Since he is a conduit for his patron, and with him on her plane, he could then send fragments of his victim's mind - their fears, their dreams, their most vivid memories - to his mistress to be nourished with.

 

[Klaus]

Got anything interesting written down? I need a fey patron for the feylock in my campaign. It has been fairly undefined so far.

Just this:

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[Mouseferatu]

I am a little disappointed in the article - I was actually hoping for a higher amount of crunch rather than fluff. I already love the Warlocks flavor and story, I didn't necessarily need more...

Whereas I'm the exact opposite. I think this is one of Dragon's best short articles to date, precisely because of the flavor. The mechanics are just icing.

In fact, if I had one complaint, it's that I'd rather have seen a longer article by this team, detailing two or three sample patrons per type, rather than just one.