tsuyoshikentsu
2016-05-14, 03:41 AM
Introduction
It sometimes seems like threads pop up every day complaining about players multiclassing from Paladin to Warlock, and that posts bemoaning this happenstance are made every hour or so. In the minds of some, this class combination is somehow completely indefensible storywise, and cannot possibly be justified in a game that isn't focused on "roll-playing" or "rule-playing" or whatever pejorative happens to be in fashion that week.
This thread exists to show that this belief is patently false.
Here you will find a short background for a Lawful Good character every possible combination of Paladin Oath and Warlock Pact (with two exceptions, both described below). I am not trying to claim that this is the only possible backstory for these combinations; quite the opposite. My intent is to show how easily a well-told story can lead to this combination making logical sense for a given character. In order to further that end even better, I also set myself a number of rules to avoid some of the obvious "cop-outs" that might arise.
All of these characters start as Paladins and later become Warlocks. The other direction is extremely easy to justify with almost any combination simply by saying "I made a deal and now regret it/am spending my life atoning, while using the power gained to do good." I felt like this was too easy, so I avoided it.
All of these characters know who they are serving. On page 106 of the Player's Handbook, there is a mention of characters only dealing with their patrons through intermediaries. Even though this might open the possibility of a character not knowing who they serve, I have chosen to write stories where that is not the case.
Likewise, all patrons are aware that the characters are serving them. Similarly, page 110 of the PHB suggest that--at the very least, in the case of the Great Old One patron--it is possible for a Warlock to steal power without the patron being aware of it. While this is certainly an interesting story idea--imagine a Paladin desperately trying to steal Great Cthulhu's might to stop him from awakening--it wasn't quite what I wanted to show with this exercise.
All patrons are taken from the lists of example patrons in the PHB and the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. The point of this was to use examples that are indisputably allowed as patrons; if I didn't follow this rule, it became extremely easy to find Lawful Good powers throughout D&D's history that easily accorded with these characters' motivations. With that said, however: If you are looking for patrons for your Warlock, I cannot recommend the vestiges from 3.5's Tome of Magic (and other 3.5 sources) highly enough. This is a fantastic collection of entities that would deign to make pacts of power with a Warlock. It even includes roleplaying tips in each entry!
Each patron is only used for one character--no patron is repeated. This was to stop myself from leaning on easily-used patrons over and over again--otherwise it would be trivial to use the Undying Court for every Undying Pact example. (There is one minor exception to this; I wrote a bonus entry for Archfey/Devotion that reused a patron simply because I wanted an example from Plane Shift: Zendikar and only one of the example patrons is even possibly available in that setting.)
All of these characters are Lawful Good because if LG can be done, then so can the other alignments. Lawful Good is the most difficult alignment to justify this path for; Chaotic and/or Evil Paladins are all more easy to justify traveling this path.
A diverse range of settings is used. This is to show that these combinations are possible in almost any campaign. Unfortunately, I'm only really familiar with Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, and Eberron--and with the SCAG's examples being mostly FR-only, my examples are mostly confined to those three settings. I did manage to fit one in for those of us playing in Zendikar, though!
Only good Paladin/Warlock races are used. The reason for this is that I didn't want story to come at the expense of (theoretical) mechanical power. In other words, I wanted to show that there are plenty of story options available to Paladin/Warlocks who want to be of a race that has good ability scores for that class combination.
Finally, I did not include entries for the Oathbreaker or Undying Light pacts. While both have interesting roleplay consequences, both are also extremely simple to integrate into a multiclass background. An Oathbreaker breaks an oath to form a pact--and what Paladin wouldn't see the good in tapping into the radiance of the Positive Energy Plane?
The Backgrounds
Archfey/Devotion: Oberon (Half-Sun Elf)
Adrie Amakiir had always been a devoted follower of Oberon. From the time she was born to a prominent elven noble in the city of Myth Drannor who had married a wandering swordsman from Cormyr, she had known that her calling was in following the brave example of Titania’s husband. Every evening, she dutifully offered prayers to Oberon--and when she spent her first night in vigil on the eve of her knighting, it was to Oberon she prayed. Even so, she was surprised when, on that fateful night, Oberon answered! In return for her continuing loyalty, Oberon pledged her his aid in the battle against--or, if you will, the Great Hunt for--the forces of evil. Now she is a twice-honored knight: a knight of the realm, and of Oberon.
The battle at Sea Gate fared poorly. Relar Tol had never trusted the plan of these “planeswalkers,” whatever that was, and it hadn’t worked--the titans had broken free, and their scions were overwhelming the defenders. She resigned herself to die in defense of her people, and made one final charge into the fray. She called upon the spirit of the land to aid her, and it did… along with that of another. Perhaps it was her proximity to the planeswalkers; perhaps it was something awakening in herself. Either way, when she called, she felt a fragment of a spirit from a far away realm answer as well. Relar broke through the line of scions and fell in with the survivors. That night, she communed with this spirit. It was a fragment of a being called Titania, who had died long ago in a place she (it?) called Argoth. Relar did not know this Argoth, just as Titania did not know Zendikar--but in Relar she sensed a kindred spirit. Titania had seen one land destroyed by horrid invaders. She offered Relar a pact, so that Zendikar might not be another.
Archfey/Ancients: Hyrsam (Lightfoot Halfling)
Everyone knew that Alton Brushgather was a bit… dramatic. When he swore an oath as a young boy to always uphold the light in the world, so that a smile might always find a face to live on, no one really took him seriously. It seems that he was on to something, though; even at that age; he was always too serious for the badric arts, but a love of swordplay, a skill with epic poetry, and a valor and devotion to his ideals of light and good led him down the path of the Ancient Oath. And when this larger-than-life halfling--something of a contradiction in terms to many--made his oath, Hyrsam was there to hear it. Because Hyrsam, too, has a vision of light: a pure and pristine Feywild, filled with art and music. Alton has sworn to help make Hyrsam’s beautiful vision a reality… though he may yet come to regret having done so. After all, Alton believes strongly in the traditional halfling bonds of community (what lights one’s face more quickly than family reunited after long separation?), but Hyrsam desires a slightly more disorganized implementation.
Archfey/Vengeance: Prince of Frost (Human)
When the fiends took Jiang away from Shin Qiao, they took everything from her. Though she had never until that moment really cared about the affairs of Good and Evil, the conflict between them suddenly became the most important thing in her life. She had always been a strong warrior, but now she threw herself into her training. She became the best student at her martial academy… but it wasn’t enough. No matter how hard she pushed, it was not enough to gain ground against the forces of darkness. But then Qiao remembered a story… a story of a powerful being, of one who had lost the woman who he loved most. And when she called upon the Prince of Frost, he saw in her determination and her love-torn heart a tiny glimmer of himself. So the two of them struck a deal: he would aid Qiao in her quest for vengeance. And all she had to do was tell him if she ever met a certain kind of woman.
Archfey/Crown: Titania (Half-Star Elf)
Titania is a legend to many in the realm of Faerun--but not to the star elves, and not to Althea Amastacia. Althea is old enough to remember when the Yuirwood held a portion of the Sildeyuir, before it was tied to the Feywild forever. Indeed, she crossed over a number of times--and was proud to serve as a protector of the Yuirwood under the auspices of Titania’s court. Now that the crossing is much harder to achieve--and since she was caught on the Material side of Yuirwood when the shift occurred--Althea sees it as her mission to carry on these principles through great deeds in the Realms. Besides, it is not as though she has lost contact with Titania; her pact made to protect her people and their lands is as strong now as before the shift occurred.
"The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. THAT is why I am your king!”
Fiend/Devotion: Wendonai (Half-Drow)
Sudeiman Khalid has never really found a place in the world. Though he has sworn to uphold all that is good and right, he was raised by his mother after his father passed away. His mother was not only a former slave of Calimport but also a drow--and young Sudeiman met with much cruelty due to the accident of his heritage. His mother counselled disregarding the humans around him and turning to worship Wendonai with her, but he defied her--becoming a good and honorable knight, questing for truth and justice all throughout Calimshan. Yet in a battle against the evil efreeti and djinn attempting to reclaim what was seen as theirs, he found himself cornered and helpless. He was desperate… and he knew who to call. Sudeiman tells himself now that Wendonai was once a solar, and perhaps there is still some good in him. Even so, Sudeiman saved and freed scores like his mother. He would have given his life for them; why not, then, his soul as well?
Fiend/Ancients: Malkizid (Drow)
Poor Akorae Aleanafin. She is good, and noble, and true, and also a drow. No one will ever believe that she is any of those things--especially not the surface elves whose society she so desperately wants to be a port of. She is indeed sworn to bring light into this world, despite her dark origins… but she is hopelessly naive. So naive, in fact, that when Malkizid--who specializes in turning drow against each other even more than he does sowing chaos among the surface elves--sought her out to offer her a fiendish bargain, she eagerly accepted. After all, he had promised to help bring her up out of the dark and to show all that she had rejected the ways of the drow. Of course, Akorae didn’t for a second consider why he might be offering to help her in this way. Or what that help would cost… though it may well cost nothing. The sheer delightfulness of watching her fight her own kind’s ways or seeing the surface elves murder a noble paladin because of her race alone might be gain enough to Malkizid.
Fiend/Vengeance: Belaphoss (Dragonborn)
The Yarjerit Clan lay dead--all slaughtered at the hands of the fiends from the Nine Hells. Only little Akra, who had been playing in the forest, survived. When she returned home to find her mother, her father, her brothers and sisters, her whole family lying dead in their own blood, she swore an oath then and there that she would not rest until Demogorgon was destroyed. No evil could surpass the wickedness of this Prince of Demons; Akra knew this as she knew honor and truth. She became a mighty warrior for goodness and the rule of law; stories of her valor began to spread. Such stories reached the ears of Belaphoss--who wants nothing more than he does the throne of Demogorgon. He appeared to Akra one night, and made her an offer:: his assistance in dealing with the demon lord. Akra, taking the lesser evil to combat the greater, accepted his aid. Now Akra is more powerful for his help, and Belaphoss himself is in a win-win: either a valiant and noble knight dies, or Demogorgon does.
Fiend/Crown: Asmodeus (Drow)
Which is worse: a devil or a demon? The question is purely academic to some, but those do not include the drow of the Underdark. What was once their territory has been overrun by demonspawn of all varieties, plunging the Drow lands into chaos. Now the eyes which rolled at Alauna Aleana turn to her pleadingly for protection. Alauna has long espoused a philosophy of nobility and goodness, and of a need to protect the weak. This obviously caused quite a bit of consternation among her kind before the demon invasion, but now that they would qualify as “weak” in need of protection in her eye they’re happy to take advantage. But Alauna cannot do it alone… so she has found common cause with her most bitter of enemies. Asmodeus has lent her his power to fight the demons, as no matter who prevails, Asmodeus wins. While they hate each other, both acknowledge their pact as binding for as long as both of them live… and once the demons are thwarted, both have made no secret to the other that they intend to make sure that loophole is thoroughly examined.
Great Old One/Devotion: Tharizdun (Human)
When an entity speaks to its worshippers only in a screeching, insane babble that is impenetrable to the mortal mind, it does tend to make doctrine a little bit unclear. Hence, Arizima Ankhalab: devoted champion of truth, justice and order… and a devotee of the Chained One. Arizima was stamping out a resurgence of a Tharizdun cult in her native Chessenta when the last of the cultists shouted that the cult would return to destroy both her and Tharizdun. Confused, Arizima held back for a second and asked the cultist what he meant. After much discussion, it turned out that one of Tharizdun’s teachings is that in the all-consuming destruction to come, he himself will be destroyed. After finishing off the cultist (who, apparently, was also quite happy to be destroyed), Arizima conducted a ritual to reach out to Tharizdun. She told him quite plainly that she wanted power in order to destroy him; she has no idea what he said in reply (insane babble, remember) but she got some power out of it. Arizima isn’t much in favor of most of Tharizdun’s doctrine of destruction… but she’s certainly on board with the part about destroying him.
Great Old One/Ancients: Dendar (Dragonborn)
Darkness is the absence of light--but so too is light the absence of darkness. Such is the understanding that has arisen between Biri Myastan and Dendar, the Night Serpent. Biri’s mission is to bring light into the world, and--despite her evil reputation--she sees Dendar as actually aiding in that quest. How? It is well-known that mortals would be continually haunted by their most horrible nightmares should Dendar ever cease to devour them. Therefore, Dendar aids the light by removing the darkness. Biri has chosen to strike a bargain with Dendar: Biri will help the Night Serpent devour such evil thoughts, and in return she will receive a measure of Dendar’s power. She uses this power to bring even more light into the world--and in doing so battles back the darkness twice over.
Great Old One/Vengeance: Zargon (Tiefling)
Just because he was raised by a holy order doesn’t mean that Tenacious doesn’t know that he comes from a cursed bloodline. The mark of it is visible to anyone who lays eyes on him: the red skin, the burning eyes, the sinuous tail. Many fear him for it. Many hate him for it. Tenacious doesn’t care either way, because he knows what his duty is: to rid the world of fiends once and for all. His order is dedicated to eradicating their evil menace; no one is more relentless in that task than Tenacious. True, he is at heart a good person--honorable, brave, and modest--but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t do what it takes to destroy the rulers of Hell and the Abyss forever. And in that task, he has an ally: he who was deposed by them. Zargon wishes to reclaim his throne, so Tenacious sees them as having a common enemy. And once the devil kings and demon lords are dead? Zargon will be just one more to add to the pile.
Great Old One/Crown: Ghaunadaur (Drow)
Chalyss Daen believes in doing the best thing for his people--all of his people. He has rejected the matriarchal ways of the drow, and is an exemplar of goodness in his community of like-minded dissenters. As the closest thing the enclave has to a sheriff, he has taken it upon himself to make sure the laws of their settlement are defended from both internal strife and external assault. To this end, he has made a pact with Ghaunadaur--who has helped the drow in the past and certainly does not mind making an enemy of Lolth. Is Chalyss totally satisfied with all of Ghaunadaur’s rites? No, but he makes offerings of bone and perfume. Besides, the law is upheld and the common good protected--and that’s what’s most important.
Undying/Devotion: Larloch (Lightfoot Halfling)
The expedition to Warlock’s Crypt had gone horribly wrong. Lorloch himself had cornered the party. The rogue was bleeding out, the wizard’s eyes were glassy, and the cleric wasn’t moving. Jillian Underbough knew she was too badly wounded to continue the fight, and she knew that if she didn’t do something quickly all of them would be lost. So she said a prayer, gritted her teeth… and made a deal. Whatever else he is, Lorloch is a man (if he can still be called that) of his word. Jillian agreed to do his bidding for a year and a day in exchange for the lives of her companions as well as hers. Lorloch has even given her a measure of his own power in the bargain; after all, what use is a weak servant? Jillian still roams the realm, doing good and helping those that need help--but she also has a deal to honor, and she is a hin of her word.
Undying/Ancients: Undying Court of Aerenal (Half-Elf)
Lia Nailo honors her ancestors. She believes in the Undying Court’s righteousness, and honors their commands. In return, they grant her aid in her adventures to help the needy, to rescue the oppressed, and to stop the terrible Blood of Vol. She may not be of pure elven blood, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t recognize the importance of honoring the ancient powers of the world--the Undying Court most certainly included.
Undying/Vengeance: Vecna (Dragonborn Revenant)
Rhogar Norixius was a warrior for good. He was honorable, just, kind, merciful, and extremely effective in his crusade against the criminal elements of the city. Said elements didn’t take kindly to an interloper… which was how, one dark night, Rhogar found himself ambushed in an alley by a group of thugs too large for even him to fight off. They left him bleeding out his last on the cobblestones. As his vision faded, Rhogar’s last prayer was that someone--anyone--allow him to finish his work of eradicating crime in the city. Something heard him--an ancient force who knows much of the ways of vengeance and death. Vecna raised Rhogar from the dead to complete his vengeance, and has granted him some of his own power to help finish the job. Yet even in death, Rhogar remains the exemplar of good he has always been--and he will not, cannot rest until he has finished his task.
Undying/Crown: Gilgeam (Human)
Mumed Fezim fights for his kingdom. Maybe Toril no longer knows the name of Unther, but during their enslavement Gilgeam rose to save his people. Now Mumed follows him, his true king. He does not always approve of Gilgeam’s methods, but ultimately his vow of service has helped him to aid the people of Unther in their time of need--and that is what is most important. Mumed rides all through reclaimed Unther, helping to dispense justice, uphold Gilgeam’s law, and lend a hand to his countrymen in need. There is still a war of freedom to be won before Unther is truly restored, but Mumed will be there to help when it is.
Conclusion
I hope that, if you managed to read through this gigantic wall of text, you now see how it is perfectly possible to multiclass between Paladin and Warlock without compromising the roleplaying integrity of one's character. Please feel free to use these backgrounds for your own characters as well. :)
It sometimes seems like threads pop up every day complaining about players multiclassing from Paladin to Warlock, and that posts bemoaning this happenstance are made every hour or so. In the minds of some, this class combination is somehow completely indefensible storywise, and cannot possibly be justified in a game that isn't focused on "roll-playing" or "rule-playing" or whatever pejorative happens to be in fashion that week.
This thread exists to show that this belief is patently false.
Here you will find a short background for a Lawful Good character every possible combination of Paladin Oath and Warlock Pact (with two exceptions, both described below). I am not trying to claim that this is the only possible backstory for these combinations; quite the opposite. My intent is to show how easily a well-told story can lead to this combination making logical sense for a given character. In order to further that end even better, I also set myself a number of rules to avoid some of the obvious "cop-outs" that might arise.
All of these characters start as Paladins and later become Warlocks. The other direction is extremely easy to justify with almost any combination simply by saying "I made a deal and now regret it/am spending my life atoning, while using the power gained to do good." I felt like this was too easy, so I avoided it.
All of these characters know who they are serving. On page 106 of the Player's Handbook, there is a mention of characters only dealing with their patrons through intermediaries. Even though this might open the possibility of a character not knowing who they serve, I have chosen to write stories where that is not the case.
Likewise, all patrons are aware that the characters are serving them. Similarly, page 110 of the PHB suggest that--at the very least, in the case of the Great Old One patron--it is possible for a Warlock to steal power without the patron being aware of it. While this is certainly an interesting story idea--imagine a Paladin desperately trying to steal Great Cthulhu's might to stop him from awakening--it wasn't quite what I wanted to show with this exercise.
All patrons are taken from the lists of example patrons in the PHB and the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. The point of this was to use examples that are indisputably allowed as patrons; if I didn't follow this rule, it became extremely easy to find Lawful Good powers throughout D&D's history that easily accorded with these characters' motivations. With that said, however: If you are looking for patrons for your Warlock, I cannot recommend the vestiges from 3.5's Tome of Magic (and other 3.5 sources) highly enough. This is a fantastic collection of entities that would deign to make pacts of power with a Warlock. It even includes roleplaying tips in each entry!
Each patron is only used for one character--no patron is repeated. This was to stop myself from leaning on easily-used patrons over and over again--otherwise it would be trivial to use the Undying Court for every Undying Pact example. (There is one minor exception to this; I wrote a bonus entry for Archfey/Devotion that reused a patron simply because I wanted an example from Plane Shift: Zendikar and only one of the example patrons is even possibly available in that setting.)
All of these characters are Lawful Good because if LG can be done, then so can the other alignments. Lawful Good is the most difficult alignment to justify this path for; Chaotic and/or Evil Paladins are all more easy to justify traveling this path.
A diverse range of settings is used. This is to show that these combinations are possible in almost any campaign. Unfortunately, I'm only really familiar with Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, and Eberron--and with the SCAG's examples being mostly FR-only, my examples are mostly confined to those three settings. I did manage to fit one in for those of us playing in Zendikar, though!
Only good Paladin/Warlock races are used. The reason for this is that I didn't want story to come at the expense of (theoretical) mechanical power. In other words, I wanted to show that there are plenty of story options available to Paladin/Warlocks who want to be of a race that has good ability scores for that class combination.
Finally, I did not include entries for the Oathbreaker or Undying Light pacts. While both have interesting roleplay consequences, both are also extremely simple to integrate into a multiclass background. An Oathbreaker breaks an oath to form a pact--and what Paladin wouldn't see the good in tapping into the radiance of the Positive Energy Plane?
The Backgrounds
Archfey/Devotion: Oberon (Half-Sun Elf)
Adrie Amakiir had always been a devoted follower of Oberon. From the time she was born to a prominent elven noble in the city of Myth Drannor who had married a wandering swordsman from Cormyr, she had known that her calling was in following the brave example of Titania’s husband. Every evening, she dutifully offered prayers to Oberon--and when she spent her first night in vigil on the eve of her knighting, it was to Oberon she prayed. Even so, she was surprised when, on that fateful night, Oberon answered! In return for her continuing loyalty, Oberon pledged her his aid in the battle against--or, if you will, the Great Hunt for--the forces of evil. Now she is a twice-honored knight: a knight of the realm, and of Oberon.
The battle at Sea Gate fared poorly. Relar Tol had never trusted the plan of these “planeswalkers,” whatever that was, and it hadn’t worked--the titans had broken free, and their scions were overwhelming the defenders. She resigned herself to die in defense of her people, and made one final charge into the fray. She called upon the spirit of the land to aid her, and it did… along with that of another. Perhaps it was her proximity to the planeswalkers; perhaps it was something awakening in herself. Either way, when she called, she felt a fragment of a spirit from a far away realm answer as well. Relar broke through the line of scions and fell in with the survivors. That night, she communed with this spirit. It was a fragment of a being called Titania, who had died long ago in a place she (it?) called Argoth. Relar did not know this Argoth, just as Titania did not know Zendikar--but in Relar she sensed a kindred spirit. Titania had seen one land destroyed by horrid invaders. She offered Relar a pact, so that Zendikar might not be another.
Archfey/Ancients: Hyrsam (Lightfoot Halfling)
Everyone knew that Alton Brushgather was a bit… dramatic. When he swore an oath as a young boy to always uphold the light in the world, so that a smile might always find a face to live on, no one really took him seriously. It seems that he was on to something, though; even at that age; he was always too serious for the badric arts, but a love of swordplay, a skill with epic poetry, and a valor and devotion to his ideals of light and good led him down the path of the Ancient Oath. And when this larger-than-life halfling--something of a contradiction in terms to many--made his oath, Hyrsam was there to hear it. Because Hyrsam, too, has a vision of light: a pure and pristine Feywild, filled with art and music. Alton has sworn to help make Hyrsam’s beautiful vision a reality… though he may yet come to regret having done so. After all, Alton believes strongly in the traditional halfling bonds of community (what lights one’s face more quickly than family reunited after long separation?), but Hyrsam desires a slightly more disorganized implementation.
Archfey/Vengeance: Prince of Frost (Human)
When the fiends took Jiang away from Shin Qiao, they took everything from her. Though she had never until that moment really cared about the affairs of Good and Evil, the conflict between them suddenly became the most important thing in her life. She had always been a strong warrior, but now she threw herself into her training. She became the best student at her martial academy… but it wasn’t enough. No matter how hard she pushed, it was not enough to gain ground against the forces of darkness. But then Qiao remembered a story… a story of a powerful being, of one who had lost the woman who he loved most. And when she called upon the Prince of Frost, he saw in her determination and her love-torn heart a tiny glimmer of himself. So the two of them struck a deal: he would aid Qiao in her quest for vengeance. And all she had to do was tell him if she ever met a certain kind of woman.
Archfey/Crown: Titania (Half-Star Elf)
Titania is a legend to many in the realm of Faerun--but not to the star elves, and not to Althea Amastacia. Althea is old enough to remember when the Yuirwood held a portion of the Sildeyuir, before it was tied to the Feywild forever. Indeed, she crossed over a number of times--and was proud to serve as a protector of the Yuirwood under the auspices of Titania’s court. Now that the crossing is much harder to achieve--and since she was caught on the Material side of Yuirwood when the shift occurred--Althea sees it as her mission to carry on these principles through great deeds in the Realms. Besides, it is not as though she has lost contact with Titania; her pact made to protect her people and their lands is as strong now as before the shift occurred.
"The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. THAT is why I am your king!”
Fiend/Devotion: Wendonai (Half-Drow)
Sudeiman Khalid has never really found a place in the world. Though he has sworn to uphold all that is good and right, he was raised by his mother after his father passed away. His mother was not only a former slave of Calimport but also a drow--and young Sudeiman met with much cruelty due to the accident of his heritage. His mother counselled disregarding the humans around him and turning to worship Wendonai with her, but he defied her--becoming a good and honorable knight, questing for truth and justice all throughout Calimshan. Yet in a battle against the evil efreeti and djinn attempting to reclaim what was seen as theirs, he found himself cornered and helpless. He was desperate… and he knew who to call. Sudeiman tells himself now that Wendonai was once a solar, and perhaps there is still some good in him. Even so, Sudeiman saved and freed scores like his mother. He would have given his life for them; why not, then, his soul as well?
Fiend/Ancients: Malkizid (Drow)
Poor Akorae Aleanafin. She is good, and noble, and true, and also a drow. No one will ever believe that she is any of those things--especially not the surface elves whose society she so desperately wants to be a port of. She is indeed sworn to bring light into this world, despite her dark origins… but she is hopelessly naive. So naive, in fact, that when Malkizid--who specializes in turning drow against each other even more than he does sowing chaos among the surface elves--sought her out to offer her a fiendish bargain, she eagerly accepted. After all, he had promised to help bring her up out of the dark and to show all that she had rejected the ways of the drow. Of course, Akorae didn’t for a second consider why he might be offering to help her in this way. Or what that help would cost… though it may well cost nothing. The sheer delightfulness of watching her fight her own kind’s ways or seeing the surface elves murder a noble paladin because of her race alone might be gain enough to Malkizid.
Fiend/Vengeance: Belaphoss (Dragonborn)
The Yarjerit Clan lay dead--all slaughtered at the hands of the fiends from the Nine Hells. Only little Akra, who had been playing in the forest, survived. When she returned home to find her mother, her father, her brothers and sisters, her whole family lying dead in their own blood, she swore an oath then and there that she would not rest until Demogorgon was destroyed. No evil could surpass the wickedness of this Prince of Demons; Akra knew this as she knew honor and truth. She became a mighty warrior for goodness and the rule of law; stories of her valor began to spread. Such stories reached the ears of Belaphoss--who wants nothing more than he does the throne of Demogorgon. He appeared to Akra one night, and made her an offer:: his assistance in dealing with the demon lord. Akra, taking the lesser evil to combat the greater, accepted his aid. Now Akra is more powerful for his help, and Belaphoss himself is in a win-win: either a valiant and noble knight dies, or Demogorgon does.
Fiend/Crown: Asmodeus (Drow)
Which is worse: a devil or a demon? The question is purely academic to some, but those do not include the drow of the Underdark. What was once their territory has been overrun by demonspawn of all varieties, plunging the Drow lands into chaos. Now the eyes which rolled at Alauna Aleana turn to her pleadingly for protection. Alauna has long espoused a philosophy of nobility and goodness, and of a need to protect the weak. This obviously caused quite a bit of consternation among her kind before the demon invasion, but now that they would qualify as “weak” in need of protection in her eye they’re happy to take advantage. But Alauna cannot do it alone… so she has found common cause with her most bitter of enemies. Asmodeus has lent her his power to fight the demons, as no matter who prevails, Asmodeus wins. While they hate each other, both acknowledge their pact as binding for as long as both of them live… and once the demons are thwarted, both have made no secret to the other that they intend to make sure that loophole is thoroughly examined.
Great Old One/Devotion: Tharizdun (Human)
When an entity speaks to its worshippers only in a screeching, insane babble that is impenetrable to the mortal mind, it does tend to make doctrine a little bit unclear. Hence, Arizima Ankhalab: devoted champion of truth, justice and order… and a devotee of the Chained One. Arizima was stamping out a resurgence of a Tharizdun cult in her native Chessenta when the last of the cultists shouted that the cult would return to destroy both her and Tharizdun. Confused, Arizima held back for a second and asked the cultist what he meant. After much discussion, it turned out that one of Tharizdun’s teachings is that in the all-consuming destruction to come, he himself will be destroyed. After finishing off the cultist (who, apparently, was also quite happy to be destroyed), Arizima conducted a ritual to reach out to Tharizdun. She told him quite plainly that she wanted power in order to destroy him; she has no idea what he said in reply (insane babble, remember) but she got some power out of it. Arizima isn’t much in favor of most of Tharizdun’s doctrine of destruction… but she’s certainly on board with the part about destroying him.
Great Old One/Ancients: Dendar (Dragonborn)
Darkness is the absence of light--but so too is light the absence of darkness. Such is the understanding that has arisen between Biri Myastan and Dendar, the Night Serpent. Biri’s mission is to bring light into the world, and--despite her evil reputation--she sees Dendar as actually aiding in that quest. How? It is well-known that mortals would be continually haunted by their most horrible nightmares should Dendar ever cease to devour them. Therefore, Dendar aids the light by removing the darkness. Biri has chosen to strike a bargain with Dendar: Biri will help the Night Serpent devour such evil thoughts, and in return she will receive a measure of Dendar’s power. She uses this power to bring even more light into the world--and in doing so battles back the darkness twice over.
Great Old One/Vengeance: Zargon (Tiefling)
Just because he was raised by a holy order doesn’t mean that Tenacious doesn’t know that he comes from a cursed bloodline. The mark of it is visible to anyone who lays eyes on him: the red skin, the burning eyes, the sinuous tail. Many fear him for it. Many hate him for it. Tenacious doesn’t care either way, because he knows what his duty is: to rid the world of fiends once and for all. His order is dedicated to eradicating their evil menace; no one is more relentless in that task than Tenacious. True, he is at heart a good person--honorable, brave, and modest--but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t do what it takes to destroy the rulers of Hell and the Abyss forever. And in that task, he has an ally: he who was deposed by them. Zargon wishes to reclaim his throne, so Tenacious sees them as having a common enemy. And once the devil kings and demon lords are dead? Zargon will be just one more to add to the pile.
Great Old One/Crown: Ghaunadaur (Drow)
Chalyss Daen believes in doing the best thing for his people--all of his people. He has rejected the matriarchal ways of the drow, and is an exemplar of goodness in his community of like-minded dissenters. As the closest thing the enclave has to a sheriff, he has taken it upon himself to make sure the laws of their settlement are defended from both internal strife and external assault. To this end, he has made a pact with Ghaunadaur--who has helped the drow in the past and certainly does not mind making an enemy of Lolth. Is Chalyss totally satisfied with all of Ghaunadaur’s rites? No, but he makes offerings of bone and perfume. Besides, the law is upheld and the common good protected--and that’s what’s most important.
Undying/Devotion: Larloch (Lightfoot Halfling)
The expedition to Warlock’s Crypt had gone horribly wrong. Lorloch himself had cornered the party. The rogue was bleeding out, the wizard’s eyes were glassy, and the cleric wasn’t moving. Jillian Underbough knew she was too badly wounded to continue the fight, and she knew that if she didn’t do something quickly all of them would be lost. So she said a prayer, gritted her teeth… and made a deal. Whatever else he is, Lorloch is a man (if he can still be called that) of his word. Jillian agreed to do his bidding for a year and a day in exchange for the lives of her companions as well as hers. Lorloch has even given her a measure of his own power in the bargain; after all, what use is a weak servant? Jillian still roams the realm, doing good and helping those that need help--but she also has a deal to honor, and she is a hin of her word.
Undying/Ancients: Undying Court of Aerenal (Half-Elf)
Lia Nailo honors her ancestors. She believes in the Undying Court’s righteousness, and honors their commands. In return, they grant her aid in her adventures to help the needy, to rescue the oppressed, and to stop the terrible Blood of Vol. She may not be of pure elven blood, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t recognize the importance of honoring the ancient powers of the world--the Undying Court most certainly included.
Undying/Vengeance: Vecna (Dragonborn Revenant)
Rhogar Norixius was a warrior for good. He was honorable, just, kind, merciful, and extremely effective in his crusade against the criminal elements of the city. Said elements didn’t take kindly to an interloper… which was how, one dark night, Rhogar found himself ambushed in an alley by a group of thugs too large for even him to fight off. They left him bleeding out his last on the cobblestones. As his vision faded, Rhogar’s last prayer was that someone--anyone--allow him to finish his work of eradicating crime in the city. Something heard him--an ancient force who knows much of the ways of vengeance and death. Vecna raised Rhogar from the dead to complete his vengeance, and has granted him some of his own power to help finish the job. Yet even in death, Rhogar remains the exemplar of good he has always been--and he will not, cannot rest until he has finished his task.
Undying/Crown: Gilgeam (Human)
Mumed Fezim fights for his kingdom. Maybe Toril no longer knows the name of Unther, but during their enslavement Gilgeam rose to save his people. Now Mumed follows him, his true king. He does not always approve of Gilgeam’s methods, but ultimately his vow of service has helped him to aid the people of Unther in their time of need--and that is what is most important. Mumed rides all through reclaimed Unther, helping to dispense justice, uphold Gilgeam’s law, and lend a hand to his countrymen in need. There is still a war of freedom to be won before Unther is truly restored, but Mumed will be there to help when it is.
Conclusion
I hope that, if you managed to read through this gigantic wall of text, you now see how it is perfectly possible to multiclass between Paladin and Warlock without compromising the roleplaying integrity of one's character. Please feel free to use these backgrounds for your own characters as well. :)