Warlock with multiple pacts.

[Asmotherion]

First of all, I am not looking for a mechanics abuse... actually, I'm not even discussing mechanics.

In the game we are playing our party has stubled uppon some sort of fiend (unclear if it's a Demon, Devil or otherwise at this point). My Warlock is a devoted follower of his Old One patron, and is Lawful Evil. As such, if it turns out to be a Devil, he would like to strike a pact with him, not as a Patron, but simply as a follower, with the exchange of granting an "audience" with his patron to give him (the Devil) more power. We are still 3rd level so I'm guessing it won't be that powerful of a fiend, and he will gladly accept the power. Metagame aside, he has not shown to be anything too terrible, as the worst he has done so far is manipulate people to kill on his behalf and killed one fodder bandit (that we probably would have one-shoted anyway) to prove a point.

My question is, since the lore about Warlocks has changed a bit since 3.5, am I still able to have multiple pacts (but only one patron obviously), or would that be considered a "betrayal" of my Patron (and have ill concequances on me)?


Just to clearyfy, Mechanics wise, it wouldn't be much different than gaining a follower. And that's kinda the rp I want to pull... amass a large amound of future followers, then (at higher level) stike the capital and conquer it in the name of my patron. :D

I know it's ultimatelly my DM's call, but we discussed already and he asked me to discuss this online to have a general idea of what would be Lore-correct. So, ultimatelly, my question is, does the Warlock have some arcane knowlage that gives him the option to make a pact (thus a magical contract that cannot be broken without dire concequences), or is a pact more of a verbal agreement between two parties?

'till now I've always assumed the former for my other warlocks, but I didn't find any 5e lore that specifically says so, thus I ask for your oppinions (and, if you can find any lore that backs up one or the other, that would be perfect). :)

[Mortis_Elrod]

Im a huge warlock fan, and whenever i get the chance to play one in any game i always do. Loved the 3.5 warlock and the 4e and 5e iterations thereafter. I would say go ahead, it seems righ up there with flavor of the class as a whole, also with your character. I once played a 3.5 warlock who struck up contracts with people all the time. Eventually he became a deity of Law and Business. 5e has a bit different lore about warlocks, but they are even more inclined to form pacts and contracts with multiple things especially since they seemed to combine the warlock and binder from 3.5 when 4e hit and continued the trend to this current edition. Don't worry too much about betraying you patron. You're a WARLOCK. That word literally means OATHBREAKER. I think this is more in the sense of breaking an oath to never bargain with dark powers but either way embrace the name my brother.

[Joe the Rat]

Think of it this way: What would happen if any other character wanted to strike up such a bargain? While multiclassing warlock is clearly a potential outcome, you'd be looking at a nice little boon or charm or favor (such as a bit of DM exposition drop to get you to your next target) with one hell of a price tag attached.

You have another line of power. Since the pacts are (deliberately?) vague as to whether the Patron is your source of power, or your source of knowledge of how to access that power, said fiend could totally be a source of some new tricks (whatever you get at your next level up), at the small, small cost of having two extradimensional beings with a keen interest in your activities...

Which is to say, this is a bad decision. But Warlocks are often built on bad (or desperate) decisions, so go forth and be merry, for you are now twice-damned!


See if you can manage a hook-up with an Archfey for the triple crown. :smallbiggrin:

[Jacquerel]

Not everyone with a pact is a warlock and the fluff in the book isn't law.
You can have as many pacts as you like (DM permitting), but it won't change your mechanics (unless the DM says it does). You can never take the Warlock class more than once so you will only benefit from a single patron subclass (unless your DM says otherwise, but they really shouldn't).
If you take other pacts during the course of a game but are already a Warlock, well, is "take a level in Warlock" the only way your DM knows how to deal with pacts? Because there are others :P

You could even just say that some of your regular class features are from different pacts. You have misty step from your fey patron but you have an infernal eldritch blast and the old god you hooked up with once taught you to cast disguise self.