101 Atypical Warlocks [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

Jendekit

2017-03-27, 10:19 PM

Inspired by the paladin thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?495013-101-Atypical-Paladins), let's do one for warlocks!

1) The Demon Hunter
Stop me if you've heard this story before. A village destroyed and razed to the ground. The lucky villagers died fighting, the unlucky ones were taken to be used as a snack later. A young child however, managed to escape the carnage. By the time he returned to the village, the demons that attacked were long gone. Kneeling next to the cool bodies of their family, their friends, their neighbors, they swore vengeance against all that is evil as they bit into a demon's heart. What? You were expecting a paladin?

2) The Risen
It's been more than a week since I woke up on that battlefield, and the blasted raven won't leave me alone. Not only that, but freaky stuff keeps happening around me! An orc I was fighting yesterday spontaneously burst into flames, an arrow that should have punctured my throat instead bounced off, and my horse Lucky refuses to come near me. What's happening to me?

Draconium

2017-03-27, 10:55 PM

3) The Blackout
So, I went to this party last night, right? It was really fun, but I ended up getting wasted. Really wasted. Next thing I remember, I was waking up in my bed with a pounding headache, oh, and a vast array of eldritch powers that I know I didn't have before. Also, the woman I woke up next to might be a succubus, I'm not sure.

4) The (Unwilling) Descendant
One of her ancestors made a deal with the devil (or rather, a devil), and now, he's come to collect. Except, she calls BS on this, and demands that he give her a way out of this. SO now she's on a quest to find the Guffin of Mac and retrieve to for this devil so she can go back to her normal life.

Lord Raziere

2017-03-27, 11:09 PM

5) The Betrothed:
So one day, this succubus came up to me and warned me of an orc attack, right? and y'know I rightly like, didn't believe her, but she was all insisting about me listening to her and that she didn't mean harm, see? So I was like "ok, show me the proof." and like a fool I followed her to where she pointed to a marching orc warband and I pointed out that my village didn't have any fighters, so she was suddenly all worried and whatnot and then suddenly blurted out.
"make a contract with me! I-I-I'll grant the power to get rid of them!"
So I said, quite reasonably:
"Ok, whats the catch?"
And the darndest thing happened, she actually blushes and says in the most nervous voice:
"Marry me."
and that is how I got married to a Succubus and why she will never suck out my life energy.

6) The Demon Arm:
So this ritual and equal exchange thing kind of went horribly wrong, and now I have this demon arm switched with my usual one, and as I grow in power its energies will expand slowly making me more demonic as I use them, so now I have to search for a way to stop the corruption before I reach level 20 and turn full demon, but all these good deeds that need to be done keep getting in the way....

7) Outsider In a Mortals Body:
So hi, somehow something went horribly wrong, and now I got mind-swapped with this stupid mortal, and eeewww I'm starting to feel and act more human, yuck. Worse, that stupid mortal is probably off in my body, slowly growing into an outsider and having the time of their lives in my place! I'll hunt him down and get back my body!

OR:
So a wizard just forced me into mortal form so that I can only tap into a fraction of my power and make me start to think like you mortals. I hate this already, all your human rules and human physics are so weird and foreign! Wheres my millions of tentacles, ten timelines to choose from and why is gravity so consistent here!?

8) The Thief
Deal? Ha! I made no deal. I cheated. I stole that shard of the outsiders power right from under their nose! Its mine now. Of course they keep sending their minions after me to get it, but I've managed to stay ahead of them so far. And c'mon, I'm just skipping over the deal part to get to the part every warlock does anyways.

9) The Merchant
Only one deal with an outsider? Why, do you take me for amateur? I make many deals my friend, I buy and sell in these supernatural markets like they are my hometown bazaar! Everything wants to make a deal my friend, and I always know how to get the best ones, even from angels, demons, fae and tentacled monstrosities! Everyone has something to sell, for everyone has an eye on something they want to buy....

Crisis21

2017-03-28, 11:03 AM

10) The Trickster's Apprentice

You know, I'm not even sure how this happened. One minute I'm talking to this odd stranger who's asking me all these weird questions and the next *bam* I've been granted a fraction of their power so long as I continue to prove 'entertaining' or some such nonsense. What does that even mean? And...

...okaaaay my 'patron' just popped in without warning to tell me about this band of marauding orcs and suggest that I use my new powers to tie their boots together so they all trip and fall on their own swords.

Damnit, that actually sounds funny.

NecroDancer

2017-03-28, 11:33 AM

11) The Dividers of Worlds: one day while researching the realms beyond I stumbled across a portal to a land of impossible reality. After investigating the portal a creature of madness and surrealism came out to it and screamed in horror.

After we both calmed down we realized that my reality and its reality are inherently malign to each other, that day we swore a warlock pact to each other to seek out and seperate our realities in order to save them both.

Joe the Rat

2017-03-28, 11:53 AM

12) In the Name of the Moon
So I'm going about my usual day (sleeping in, late for tutoring at the abbess, stuffing my face with sweet rolls) when this talking cat shows up and starts telling me that I'm not just some silly village girl, but a princess from a long forgotten kingdom. So with this fancy rod in hand, I can change into a planet princess, and blast evil monsters, and occasionally destroy minds with chattering madness and summon dark and hungry tentacles from the icy voids between the uncaring stars.

Now if I could just get the handsome shop boy to like me...

13) The Infernal Fist
For many years I have studied at the temple, working hard to master the arts. Always it seems the other disciples progressed faster, and always I seemed to get into trouble for sneaking out of the monastery. One day while cleaning the library, I found an old manual, which showed me a whole new set of techniques, with power above anything the monks could offer.

I'm still not sure how I cut myself on paper that old.

Crisis21

2017-03-28, 03:02 PM

14 - The Paladin Wannabe

They wanted to be a paladin. Badly. It was the only dream they'd ever had that lasted longer than a week. Except that when they applied for basic training they fell short on every physical task set for them. Wear armor? They tripped and fell practically every step. Weapon training? They hurt themselves. About the only thing their teachers could say in their favor was that they never quit, and that they felt sorry for the poor sap because they'd never meet the minimum requirements to become a proper paladin. But their efforts attracted the attention of other powers. A celestial seraph took notice of them and decided to throw them a bone by offering a deal.

They might not be able to become a proper paladin, but through the bargain struck they might be able to make a good divine warlock.

Prince Zahn

2017-03-28, 03:08 PM

15) The Sad Clown
Yes, it is true. I am a clown, and I am sad. do you want to know why I'm sad? I'm sad because I'm not funny, that's why. I can't make cute little cabbage-eyed babies laugh, no matter how hard I try.
One day, I met an enigmatic [insert patron here], who promised me all that my heart desires, in exchange for my services. of course I said yes - all I ever wanted was to make the little chicken-faced children happy.

and so he granted me these dangerous warlock powers, and started sending me off on really dangerous quests. he explicitly told me "You want to be funny? you give me everything I want, and THEN I'll give you what you want. How's THAT for a joke?"

EDIT:

6) The Demon Arm:
So this ritual and equal exchange thing kind of went horribly wrong, and now I have this demon arm switched with my usual one, and as I grow in power its energies will expand slowly making me more demonic as I use them, so now I have to search for a way to stop the corruption before I reach level 20 and turn full demon, but all these good deeds that need to be done keep getting in the way....I have a friend who played this when I DMd for him. had loads of fun with this concept!

gmoyes

2017-03-28, 03:18 PM

16) The Eldritch Druid

Though pacts with the Fey lords or some sort nature spirit, this warlock's gift manifests as magic more fitting of those of druidic faith. Has a bit more of a wild side than most druids and their magic has the additional kick of being arcane, but otherwise the most notable difference between the two is that one had a big animal companion and the other a little familiar.

17) The Diplomat

You patron doesn't wish for your muscle or magical might. Instead they want you as their envoy, to send a good message to those within your patron's circle of influence. You truly believe in your patron's message and wish to spread it wherever you can, even if they can be a little bossy.

I've played both of these in the same character.

NovenFromTheSun

2017-03-28, 06:58 PM

18. The changeling.

So my birth parents were fey, they did the whole "turn me into a human and replace me with a real human" routine. My human parents found out pretty quickly, but they were alright about it and didn't start abusing me like some other parents in similar situations. In fact they basically made me the second child, gave me a new name and everything. Still it's sad to see them mourn the first child, even I kind of wonder how he's doing nowadays.

I still have some of my power from being a fey. I think once I'm old enough to move out I'll go looking for the first child. I hope my fey parents won't mind.

mikeejimbo

2017-03-28, 07:28 PM

Admiral Squish

2017-03-28, 08:12 PM

20: The Talentless
Born into a family of wizards, he knew exactly what he would be doing with his life from the very first moment he could remember. He would simply grow into his powers, he reassured himself when his practice cantrips failed over and over. But then he began to study in earnest and simply could not manage a proper spell, no matter how hard he tried. The words and symbols would swim and shift around on the page before his eyes. After several years of agonizing struggle, his father finally refused to continue his lessons without results. Terrified of the prospect of abandoning his magical heritage, he did something desperate, and made a deal with a being from beyond that would allow him to express the latent power within himself without the need of books and scrolls.

Crisis21

2017-03-29, 09:33 PM

21. The Connoisseur

What in the nine hells is up with this weirdo? What does he mean 'magic essence has a flavor'? And why by all that is holy and not does he look at extraplanar lifeforms like he's sizing up the main course? You're honestly not sure who's more creeped out, you or the fiends.

Celestia

2017-03-30, 02:14 AM

19. The Ascended Fileserver

A wizard needed a better way to store his spells, so he made a magic device that could do so. Well, some of that magic rubbed off and the machine awakened. It left its old master and met some being who offered to trade power for its soul. It accepted; only after receiving said power did it reveal that it had no soul. (From a warforged warlock I made once)
In any reasonable world, that would be grounds to invalidate the bargain. It'd be like selling someone your car only for him to say that he doesn't have any money once you hand over the keys. In fact, it's probably quite illegal in most societies.

Also, warforged are alive and, therefore, have souls. That's why they can be resurrected.

Crisis21

2017-03-30, 09:25 AM

In any reasonable world, that would be grounds to invalidate the bargain. It'd be like selling someone your car only for him to say that he doesn't have any money once you hand over the keys. In fact, it's probably quite illegal in most societies.

Also, warforged are alive and, therefore, have souls. That's why they can be resurrected.

Personally, if I were the fiend, I'd patiently wait until the 'soulless' robot developed a proper soul and then come to claim what I'd pre-paid for. Watch the dawning horror on its face as it realizes exactly what it gave up without ever knowing the value.

mikeejimbo

2017-03-30, 09:25 PM

It was... a weird setting. Warforged had artificial souls, so it was more complicated than that. The demon claimed the artificial soul, but it didn't really do him much good.

Dr_Dinosaur

2017-03-30, 10:50 PM

Personally, if I were the fiend, I'd patiently wait until the 'soulless' robot developed a proper soul and then come to claim what I'd pre-paid for. Watch the dawning horror on its face as it realizes exactly what it gave up without ever knowing the value.

Sounds like a warlock I played once who made the deal as a kid. Since kids are both not legally allowed to sign contracts and in setting your soul develops over your lifespan, the devil essentially gave him a "free trial" for a few years. Then it showed up in a really desperate situation (just happened to be exactly 5 years later) and made like WinZip.

Anderlith

2017-03-30, 10:51 PM

The Last of His Name
A terrible evil murdered his House, destroyed his family's Hall. The young scion is all that remains now, he was spared only by chance or fate because he wanted to pick flowers for the Lady he liked, before coming to his family's holy day celebration. Standing in the main chamber he found his father dead in a pool of blood with the family sword in his hand. The young man took the heirloom & swore an oath so powerful & so filled with purpose that something heard, & responded. Now the scion wields Cursebringer the sword of his father & his father's father from now to time immemorial, his ancestors drive him, guide him, & lend him strength enough to destroy the evil that befell his House.

TheTeaMustFlow

2017-03-31, 05:21 AM

23. The Oath of the Crown

Yeah, he's not exactly what you'd call human. Okay, let's be explicit, he's some sort of incomprehensible fey lord from beyond reality, or something like that. So what? He's still my liege lord. He's done alright by us, and I for one am proud to do right by him.

Telonius

2017-03-31, 10:13 AM

24. The Perky Warlock

Not every Warlock has to be brooding and emo. This one loves sunshine, baking cookies, fluffy bunnies, and encouraging people to do their best (with high Diplomacy from Beguiling Influence).

NovenFromTheSun

2017-04-01, 02:00 AM

Sounds like a warlock I played once who made the deal as a kid. Since kids are both not legally allowed to sign contracts and in setting your soul develops over your lifespan, the devil essentially gave him a "free trial" for a few years. Then it showed up in a really desperate situation (just happened to be exactly 5 years later) and made like WinZip.

And this is why children should not go calling up the forces of darkness without adult supervision.

Tiri

2017-04-01, 09:20 AM

25. A Sense of Wonder

Invisible! I'm invisible! No one, no one at all, can see me! I could turn visible and invisible all day. Before I had this magic, I wouldn't have been able to imagine having power like this. I still hardly can. I can walk up walls, fly... How can I start to describe the feeling of just lifting into the air like that? Rising up the side of what seems to be the tallest, sheerest building in the world and knowing you're climbing it with your own hands and feet?

Overwhelming, it really is. Every time I set back down, every time I feel that surge of power leave my fingertips, I don't even know if I'll be able to do it again.

I could lose all this tomorrow, but it would still have been worth anything in the world that I have it today, just knowing what it was like to feel so free.

M Placeholder

2017-04-01, 10:21 AM

26 - The Bottom of the Barrel

"So, here I am, trying to find some berk to spread my name, which is one that should be synonymous with rancour, destruction and despair, and the only basher that I could find was a guy that flunked out of all the best magic academies. All the others took one look at the terms and said "Pike this!""

A frustrated fiend washing his frustration away, The Styx Oarsman, Sigil.

Crisis21

2017-04-01, 12:44 PM

27: The Mask Hero

"This is incredible. With these powers, I could be...A SUPERHERO! I could fight crime, protect the innocent, work for World Peace! But first..."

:P Just remembered this quote and thought it would be a funny concept.

DrMartin

2017-04-02, 04:47 AM

28 The Teenager with Attitude
a benevolent extra dimensional entity selected you and a handful of your peers based on your grit, moxie, and non-conflicting color palette of your favored attire. You now can wield eldritch power to fight the Monster of the Week.

29 The Chosen One
You have seen beyond the veil. You know that you, everyone you know, and the whole world is just a mental construct spawned from the imagination of a small group engaged in collective story-telling. You know that they use rules to adjudicate conflicts and interactions in order to keep this collective imagined world "coherent" and "balanced" - and knowing the rules lets you mess with them. You can now wield destructive energy and twirl the mind of other inhabitants of this simulation around your fingers.

Sredni Vashtar

2017-04-02, 07:17 PM

30 - The Slave

It's a lumbering brute, you would think. An orc or bugbear or lizardman. Just a standard barbarous warrior type. Until you see the otherworldly light in its eyes, and you hear the ancient voice in your head, speaking a language that you have never heard but intimately understand. It uses magic and displays powers you have never seen from one of its kind, but you know now that it is not one of its kind. No, it is something else entirely, just wearing the meat of some pitiful weak-minded humanoid. You hope, feeling a strange pity for a monster, that the host's mind is gone completely.

neonchameleon

2017-04-02, 07:37 PM

One I've played:

31: The intended sacrifice.

The would-be warlock who'd tied her to the altar was wearing a belt knife as well as holding a sacrificial knife so she got one hand free and stabbed him with his own knife. The dark gods laughed themselves silly and decided that the ritual had been completed, the human sacrifice had been made, and the power should be granted just to see what happened next. And messed with her in terms of power granted of course.

Dr_Dinosaur

2017-04-02, 09:27 PM

Shoreward

2017-04-02, 09:41 PM

36? Wait, what happened to 32 through 35? Space is warped and time is bendable!

33. What Do You Mean You Can't See Him?
Everyone had an imaginary friend, right? Appeared when you were a kid, sometimes told you to do things you knew weren't good ideas? Sometimes helped you blast the village bully with magic darker than the space between stars, or help you scare the pants off of the local clerks by trapping them in a stygian nightmare of flesh and bone for a few seconds? On second thought, maybe this Warlock's imaginary friend wasn't so imaginary after all.

Samzat

2017-04-02, 11:08 PM

34. "It seemed like a good idea at the time"
Looks like you had a hard day. That smug bastard Dave stole your masterpeice and the rank that was rightfully yours in the Blacksmith's guild, and it turned out your woman was having an affair with a palace guard. So you decided to go drink away your sorrows. As your sense drowned in booze, you decided in drunk determination that you would show them. You would show them all! You know a guy who can help you summon a demon to bargain with, and you do! But when you sober up the next morning, 2 miles out of the city you just burned down, you realize that you owe a demon way more thsn you are comfortable with. Guess you are stuck with it.

(Got the main concept from Geek & Sundry)
EDIT: Seems that #3 is similar, but hey, mine's plot is more of a "paying off a massive debt with a fraction of the power that I started with"

Joe the Rat

2017-04-03, 12:41 PM

35. Wormwood is a lousy fiend
"Look, I know we had an agreement here, and you held up your end technically, but I was really hoping to see you drown the puppies, not just give them a bath. You could of at least used one of those horrible all-natural shampoos that smell like whale puke and bat droppings. Yes, yes, poorly-worded legal documents. But the spirit of the agreement..."

"I'm getting a lot of grief from the Lowerarchy about the amount of evil you aren't perpetrating. I didn't give you all the powers of hell to go around thwarting villains and exposing corruption and generally being a nice guy. Ewww... I need a mudbath. But my tail is really in the sling here. Couldn't you do at least a little bit of Evil or your old buddy Wormwood? I can sweeten the deal for you..."

"OH COME ON!"

Though the way they get played, Warlocks with lousy negotiators may be the norm...

Crisis21

2017-04-03, 06:26 PM

36. The Child of Light

The evil wizard Wyl'ee and his army of constructs are at it again! But his nemesis, Archmage Rite, has created a warforged supersoldier to fight for everlasting peace using his trusty blaster and ability to copy the mystical powers of his automaton brethren!

37. The Wily Son

Blast that Rite and his creation! Time and again they've twarted your forces and destroyed your strongholds! But not this time! With the studies you've made and this fragment of power from a being far beyond conventional planes, you'll finally create the ultimate war construct and reign supreme!

TheTeaMustFlow

2017-04-04, 05:52 AM

Bohandas

2017-04-16, 09:41 PM

38.) The Dyslexic- Accidentally sold his soul to Santa

oudeis

2017-04-17, 12:28 PM

38.) The Dyslexic- Accidentally sold his soul to SantaI want to bear your children.

eru001

2017-04-17, 05:44 PM

The I Warned You

Hey look, I told the guy that I'd already sold part of my soul to something else. He said he was ok taking what was left over. He just didn't realize how little was left over. Now I have his power, and the other guy's. He's been a good sport about the whole thing though. He honestly thought it was hilarious. And since he has so little hold over me, we ended up buisness partners rather than master and servant. All in all worked out pretty well for both of us. Now we travel the world. Occasionaly thwarting evil, occasionally thwarting good. Making the world save for neutral, and a pretty profit while we're at it. Heck of a partnership.

Lo'Tek

2017-04-18, 02:52 AM

40: Fiend Familiar
Used the forbidden Summon Spell to conjure an Imp
Misjudged its power, made a deal and bound the Imp with "Find Familiar" to this plane.

41: Licenced By Evil Inc
The contractual clauses include a dress code and showing corporate/brand identity.

Metahuman1

2017-04-18, 05:32 AM

42 The Lawyer:

Hey, I am a gifted and glib talker, and a expert at all relevant fields of study. (Knowledge: Law. Profession: Attorney. Intimidate. Bluff. Diplomacy. Sense Motive. Forgery (of course!). )

And oh yeah, I cut a deal with the devils and infernal powers. Cause getting or being a good lawyer requires selling one's soul and/or going through hell at least once.

Dappershire

2017-04-20, 04:53 AM

43. It Takes a Village

Sure, it may be all i've ever known, but it doesn't take a Sage to realize that being raised by a forest full of feylings is not normal. Sure, they kept me from being eaten by the Grey Ones, and tried to keep me from even being Noticed by Archfey Royalty; but seriously, this "Hero of Legend" thing is a big pillbug to swallow.
'Darkness across the land', 'Monsters in every direction' yadda yadda. They could have at least given me a sword and shield before they tossed me out in the name of 'destiny'.
But I suppose the powers they blessed me with -are- pretty wicked. They said something about pooling all their eggs in one basket, sharing their combined magic with me. But to be caaaaareful, because using my spells will weaken them.
Pfff. I'm gonna go set some **** on fire. Hope I give them all nosebleeds. 'Slay the Orc Demigod', yeah fornicating right.

Anderlith

2017-04-21, 04:06 PM

The Impulse Buyer
Read a weekly magazine/newspaper/whatever fits, on the back of which had a list of crappy ads from charlatans. The young reader was entralled by one which promised nightvision & the ability to shoot fire from your fingertips! Who new the devil bought ad space...

sengmeng

2017-04-21, 05:38 PM

45) the bardlock

He tried to make it with talent. It wasn't pretty. Selling your soul for musical ability never backfires, right?

Crisis21

2017-04-21, 08:32 PM

46. The Paradox

So... um... it's totally fine that I made a deal with an archmage for power... who was basically me... from the future... right...? I mean... this isn't going to sunder that space-time continuum thing I've heard about, is it?

DontEvenAsk

2017-05-15, 08:05 AM

as they bit into a demon's heart.

as they bit into a demon's heart.

Probably not what you meant, but...

47. The Catalysist

Drink supernatural blood, get supernatural power. That's how it works, right?

(Mythology time: apparently, for the Greeks, gods' blood could power a giant robot. No joke. Then there was that time Sigurd ate a dragon's heart and gained the ability to talk to animals. Or the time Loki ate a witch's heart and got troll minions. (He also became evil, but isn't that a risk for every warlock?) And, uh, then there's the story of Saint Bridget and the Holy Prepuce, which is NSFW, but let's just say that she claimed to have had visions via eating a holy relic that was also a body part. And doesn't drinking demon blood do something wonky on Supernatural? (I don't watch it, so I wouldn't know, but I've heard of it.) I might also be influenced by Elder Scrolls here, where you can get healed by eating a Daedra's (close enough to demon as only rarely makes a difference) heart, turn invisible after choking down the ashy remains of a vampire, and gain magical power by ingesting ectoplasm.)

Hagashager

2017-05-15, 01:20 PM

The Ponzi Scheme:

I don't like Diablo, I don't like his smug style, his opulent throne, his thralls of women, his circus of freaks.
That ought-a be me dammit!
Turns out, I wasn't the only one, I may be the only mortal fool enough to envy Diablo, but I ain't the only being. The plans simple, see, I'll take this lowly imp's crap, I'll get a bunch of Imps actually, get their power. Then, I make that a down-payment for some real-juice from a devil, and give that juice to a succubus (if ya get my drift) and bargain with a fiend.
Stupid fools won't know what's hittin' 'em, but sooner or later the big-boss himself'll want a bit of my action.
It's perfect, nothing could go wrong.