D&D 5E Warlocks and there patrons

[GMforPowergamers]

So in my new 5e game I have a PC who took Infernal lock but left it up to me who he made his deal with. (I do hate doing PC background work but I guess I can) I was starting to think about how it may come up. Do I use NPC devils as go betweens?

has anyone got a good use of patrons, intesting stories or ideas?

 

[Cernor]

If a player asked me to come up with a warlock backstory for them, I'd veto the character and make them play something else. Warlocks have awesome backstories built into their class, and the extent of their pact (how much service they have to give their patron, how they fit into their patron's plans, how they think they fit into their patron's plans...) is possibly the single most important factor in how that character would think and act. IMO it's like a fighter asking the DM to choose which weapon they use, or a cleric asking the DM which domain they want to play.

If you're cool with choosing such an important part of a PC for them, more power to you. Typically warlocks make pacts with archdevils (and occasionally pit fiends), while lesser devils like imps might be used as intermediaries. Depending on the patron, a telepathic link might be made such that direct communication -- either in the form of visions/dreams or a telepathic communication -- would be the preferred method of communication.

You could always make the character think he outmaneuvered his patron and got an amazing deal, when in reality he got shafted and is given a trivial amount of power in exchange for an enormous commitment (including his soul). Or the warlock could be willing to forfeit his soul as long as his thirst for blood is slaked, or he could have accidentally made the deal, agreeing to something which he didn't understand at all (only that he was told he'd receive a fate beyond his wildest dreams). Good-aligned warlocks can also be interesting: he makes a deal with a devil to have the power to stop a greater, or at least more immediate, threat. Once that's done he realizes there's an even bigger evil which he can't fight by himself, and enters into another contract, and it keeps escalating from there.

 

[trentonjoe]

There are two warlock patrons in my games.

1.) The Patron is a trapped Aboleth who is way more evil the character. The PC finds himself trying to hide his thoughts from his patron on a consistent basis. I only the PC to "commune" with patron in between sessions to ask questions but he is afraid to do it to often.

2.) The other is a dwarf who had a connection with a devil but jettisoned the connection when he joined the church of Bahamut. The Dragon god now grants him all the powers the devil use to. The devil is pissed and the DM secretly does some stuff behind the scenes. The character is 6th level and has ZERO magic items (the other PC's have between 0-3), I think the pissed off ex-patron might be behind that somehow.

 

[AxisofJedi]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Dungeons_&_Dragons_deities

If you have the Tomb of Magic 3.5, the Vsetiges used by Binders make outstanding patrons. They are uber creep, mysterious and they have that aura of WTF about them. They are also listed on the link I provided, along with demons, devils, celestials and others.

 

[Cannyjiggit]

This is an opportunity for a plot drop on the player. If you so choose, you can have his patron have a specific interest in the events and the area the campaign is set in, if you have no interest in this then make the player decide for himself.

I've mentioned on here before that I have a plan for a Warlock character but I have no preference for which type of patron he is aligned to (as long as he is a tome pact Warlock). I do however have a personality style mapped out so when the time comes, I will have a discussion with my DM about how I want to play the character and if he has a preference for the type of patron that will fit then that is what it will be. Otherwise, I'll probably end up picking based on the patron features and my mood at that time.

The personality I plan is a little mischievous and constantly "nagging" in my characters thoughts to the point that my character appears to be more than a little crazy a lot of the time, carrying on 2 conversations at the same time as he responds to his patron criticising or prodding his every move. The patron has long term plans for my character and is a little impatient but my character is far more interested in the immediate happenings. I can imagine any of the 3 types fitting this in one way or another so will be perfectly happy with any of them.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Well I am far from comfortable with doing his work for him, I am trying to make it interesting at least. Those vestigies do give me some ideas. thanks a lot.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Well I am far from comfortable with doing his work for him, I am trying to make it interesting at least. Those vestigies do give me some ideas. thanks a lot.

A vestige can always be a false front for a demon or devil later in the campaign.

 

[DM_]

If a player asked me to come up with a warlock backstory for them, I'd veto the character and make them play something else. Warlocks have awesome backstories built into their class, and the extent of their pact (how much service they have to give their patron, how they fit into their patron's plans, how they think they fit into their patron's plans...) is possibly the single most important factor in how that character would think and act. IMO it's like a fighter asking the DM to choose which weapon they use, or a cleric asking the DM which domain they want to play.

If you're cool with choosing such an important part of a PC for them, more power to you. Typically warlocks make pacts with archdevils (and occasionally pit fiends), while lesser devils like imps might be used as intermediaries. Depending on the patron, a telepathic link might be made such that direct communication -- either in the form of visions/dreams or a telepathic communication -- would be the preferred method of communication.

You could always make the character think he outmaneuvered his patron and got an amazing deal, when in reality he got shafted and is given a trivial amount of power in exchange for an enormous commitment (including his soul). Or the warlock could be willing to forfeit his soul as long as his thirst for blood is slaked, or he could have accidentally made the deal, agreeing to something which he didn't understand at all (only that he was told he'd receive a fate beyond his wildest dreams). Good-aligned warlocks can also be interesting: he makes a deal with a devil to have the power to stop a greater, or at least more immediate, threat. Once that's done he realizes there's an even bigger evil which he can't fight by himself, and enters into another contract, and it keeps escalating from there.

Funny thing is this just makes me want to make random tables for the nature of the pact, specific Patrons, services, level of servitude, alignment of goals and price. Then when I eventually run into such a player I could let them roll for their role. Such would be very useful for new players who want to experience a pact before designing their own.

 

[Roger]

Good news, buddy -- you sold your soul to the Nose of Vecna.

 

[Beleriphon]

Well I am far from comfortable with doing his work for him, I am trying to make it interesting at least. Those vestigies do give me some ideas. thanks a lot.

Don't. Let us do if for you. Devil pacts are always fun, but if you want infernal powers demons are pretty awesome too. Imagine a pact with Demogorgon for example. Demogorgon is all about duality, in either splitting his personalities or uniting them and thus applying that same logic to the entire universe. I'd imagine such a pact would be informal to say the least, but the important part is that the warlock may be affected by Demogorgon's two personalities. It might even be that the pact is only with one of them, either Aameul (the left head) or Hethradiah (the right head).