How do warlock powers work?

[Th3N3xtGuy]

You receive power from a patron but I am under the impression most of it is permanent with or without the patron. Some abilities wouldn't work without the patron that calls upon them. But from what I read they teach you these secrets that wizards or sorcerers don't have access too, not just given borrowed power like clerics. Also say your patron dies or your contract is fulfilled. What happens then? I figure you are unable to further develop the class via leveling, but being completely neutered sounds ridiculous and mean spirited towards the player. Also what do you think a contract with a fey deity of freedom would entail? Also where does your soul belong after death?

Edit: Oh I assume you would lose your pact boom without your patron? Or would your dead patron live on(in a sense) through said item and could you resurrect them with their remaining essence?

[mealar]

this is very dependant on the type of pact you have made your patron, which is why it's important to work this stuff out with your backstory.

if you have a fey patron and they die then i too would assume you have serious issues with progression however my warlock for example is great old one, with the idea that it doesn't even know my guy exists. the idea is when my guy is sleeping he shares dreams with this being slowly going insane and unlocking new powers at the same time, therefore he doesn't have any direct relations with the patron.

i suppose the boon may actually stay if it's a weapon just maybe you can't bond another one or change its form, same with the book you keep it but if it's destroyed it doesn't reform and the pet probably just leaves unless you've made some kind of bond with it.

alot of this depends on how you built the back ground of your guy but for example your patron dies so you stop goinging benefits, this could be timed with a multi-class and help you be more story driven or maybe you get a quest you find a new patron.

overall i'd say talk to your DM on any given game if this is likely to happen

[Tanarii]

The flavor points to a bit of everything. Some arcane secrets ferreted out by the warlock on own, some taught by the patron, some grants of power. The latter isn't explicit if it's one time gifts that remain in effect, a burst of power granted per use of power, or an ongoing flow of power as long as the pact remains. Probably some combination depending on the powers, pact and patron.

[Th3N3xtGuy]

Also can you cast warlock spells in armor?

[Tanarii]

You can cast any spell in armor, so long as you are proficient with the armor.

[Millstone85]

I would say it is up to you and your DM.

The way I play it, the connection between my warlock and a great old one is much the same as between a cleric and a god, however the warlock's mind and flesh have been infected with the Far Realm and are progressively changing into something else. If the connection were broken, the warlock might seemingly lose all magic for a while but then quickly reharness the aberrant power within. Further leveling up might require restoring the connection, making a new pact, or multiclassing as a sorcerer.

[JoeJ]

You receive power from a patron but I am under the impression most of it is permanent with or without the patron. Some abilities wouldn't work without the patron that calls upon them. But from what I read they teach you these secrets that wizards or sorcerers don't have access too, not just given borrowed power like clerics. Also say your patron dies or your contract is fulfilled. What happens then? I figure you are unable to further develop the class via leveling, but being completely neutered sounds ridiculous and mean spirited towards the player.

Why would that be any more mean spirited than depriving a cleric of their powers if their deity dies? Warlock patrons shouldn't be dropping dead much more often than gods (Maybe less often in the FR).

[Th3N3xtGuy]

Why would that be any more mean spirited than depriving a cleric of their powers if their deity dies? Warlock patrons shouldn't be dropping dead much more often than gods (Maybe less often in the FR).

I never said a warlock losing its powers is worse then a cleric losing their powers both scenarios suck. A Archfey,Demon,Devil or Great One is more likely to perish then a god. What I was saying fluff-wise it doesn't make sense to lose ALL of the warlock abilities considering they seem to be more of knowledge in return I do tasks for you. They are not clerics so to lose everything doesn't make any sense was my point.

[Millstone85]

Great One is more likely to perish then a god.It is a Great Old One. That thing has seen your puny gods in diapers and it will survive them. :smalltongue:

[Th3N3xtGuy]

It is a Great Old One. That thing has seen your puny gods in diapers and it will survive them. :smalltongue:

Okay, okay, calm down, Esoteric Order of Dagon

[solidork]

It is sort of left up in the air how exactly your character gets their magic: is it something you learn, something innate, both?

My personal favorite headcanon is that your patron instills you with a tiny portion of his/her/it's power when you make your pact. As you adventure that spark of power grows stronger and when you die for good that spark returns to your patron, making them more powerful than they were before. Basically magical investment banking.

[Douche]

It is a Great Old One. That thing has seen your puny gods in diapers and it will survive them. :smalltongue:

Yeah, eldritch horrors are generally known for existing before the dawn of time, possibly existing outside of reality. Therefore, they can't truly be killed. At worst, they'd take corporeal form to try and unmake reality, but killing their avatar would just cause them to sleep until a new cult comes along and summons him again.

[rollingForInit]

There's no mechanical way that a Warlock can lose their powers, RAW.

Honestly, the premise of the classes should always be that they will work and they will have a progression and they won't lose their abilities (other than during short, special circumstances). If a DM wants something different, it should be made clear from the start. If the DM wants to pit the party against the Warlock's patron, and the patron dying means the Warlock loses their powers or can't progress any more, this should be mentioned very clearly in advance. If a DM wants the ability to arbitrarily strip a Paladin of powers for whatever reason, this should be mentioned in advance. It's just decent DM'ing.

Some players might be perfectly fine with the Warlock losing their powers if the contract is broken or if the paladin dies. Some players would be outraged. Which is why it's important that these things are clear from the start.

And likewise, if the players start down a path that the DM determines as likely to end with a character losing their powers, a decent DM would mention that.

[Randomthom]

I'm now imagining a cool story where a warlock kills their own patron with the help of another would-be patron. It could bring about a high level character 'rebuild' with a different archetype.

[dread05]

I've made a Pact with an Archdemon to grand me powers. I have the powers, now I secretly try to get rid of him to end the contract as the price is too high. I think tho that i will keep the powers granted, since it was an one time deal and not a "channeling of power". As you see, it depends on the fluff.

[JoeJ]

I never said a warlock losing its powers is worse then a cleric losing their powers both scenarios suck. A Archfey,Demon,Devil or Great One is more likely to perish then a god. What I was saying fluff-wise it doesn't make sense to lose ALL of the warlock abilities considering they seem to be more of knowledge in return I do tasks for you. They are not clerics so to lose everything doesn't make any sense was my point.

To me, either seems unlikely to ever happen, and if it did it would probably be the climax of the campaign, so if the PC lost their class abilities it wouldn't really matter.

[Tanarii]

There's no mechanical way that a Warlock can lose their powers, RAW. nor do clerics.


If a DM wants the ability to arbitrarily strip a Paladin of powers for whatever reason, this should be mentioned in advance. It's just decent DM'ing. I disagree, unless you're using 'arbitrarily' to mean other than for a violation of his oath. The player has already been warned in advance that violating his oath will have consequences up to being forced to abandon his class and select another. See the Breaking Your Oath side bar, PHB Pg 86.