Warlock Patron Obligations

[JPicasso]

Planning on starting a new game and one of my players has expressed interest in a Warlock.
I'm not a big fan of warlocks, but I think my dislike is due to the fact that they appear to get something for nothing.
What I've read is that most DMs don't do much with the "what is the character doing for the patron" part of things,
because really, it seems like a PIA to keep that up and running.

Looking for ideas to keep the Warlock characters continually busy with their patrons wishes so that they don't forget that their powers
were bargained for, not given for free.

What are some tasks and requirements you guys have used for this? Note: characters are good or neutral, so I need ways good characters will need to be inconvenienced.

Thanks!

[EvilAnagram]

Planning on starting a new game and one of my players has expressed interest in a Warlock.
I'm not a big fan of warlocks, but I think my dislike is due to the fact that they appear to get something for nothing.
What I've read is that most DMs don't do much with the "what is the character doing for the patron" part of things,
because really, it seems like a PIA to keep that up and running.

Looking for ideas to keep the Warlock characters continually busy with their patrons wishes so that they don't forget that their powers
were bargained for, not given for free.

What are some tasks and requirements you guys have used for this? Note: characters are good or neutral, so I need ways good characters will need to be inconvenienced.

Thanks!

It depends on the patron.

Fey
Perform a mission undermining a rival to the patron. Kill a hag, steal from an eladrin lord, etc.
They must spread chaos in their patron's name.
They must leave an offering every full moon, and every new moon perform a ritual.


Fiend
Occasionally perform a task with no obvious moral problems.
Kill at least one sentient creature every moon.
Sacrifice small animals for the patron.


Old One
Never draw the attention of your patron.
Ever.
Or else.


I provide precisely as many hoops for other classes, though. I like class-specific story hooks.

[LordEntrails]

IMO, warlocks have a conceptual flaw.

I agree that not having the patron part of the campaign is missing a great role-playing opportunity and ignores the fluff as to how a warlock gets their powers.

But, saddling a PC with obligations that are usually ignored in any other class is not, imo, fair. Do you put obligations on a wizard? How active are you with a cleric and the obligations/duties they have to their deity and organization? Paladins certainly could have obligations, do you bring those in? What types of baggage are you going to put on fighters and rogues?

So, if you're going to use the warlock obligations, what are you going to do with all your other players to put outside influence ontheir characters as well?

[JPicasso]

IMO, warlocks have a conceptual flaw.

I agree that not having the patron part of the campaign is missing a great role-playing opportunity and ignores the fluff as to how a warlock gets their powers.

But, saddling a PC with obligations that are usually ignored in any other class is not, imo, fair. Do you put obligations on a wizard? How active are you with a cleric and the obligations/duties they have to their deity and organization? Paladins certainly could have obligations, do you bring those in? What types of baggage are you going to put on fighters and rogues?

So, if you're going to use the warlock obligations, what are you going to do with all your other players to put outside influence ontheir characters as well?

The issue with warlocks is, they have access to some slightly more powerful spells and abilities. Plus, their patron influence is directly tied to their very existence. If a player wanted to "story out" a warlock background, but use a wizard class, I'd be fine with that, and would include only as much in their story as I do with say, fighter, or rogue. In fact, I played an eldritch knight for a while that was essentially granted his abilities from a pact, but he was just a normal EK, so his patron was just a side note. That's not how I'd characterize a full blown warlocks patron.

As for Cleric and Paladin, both of them have a moderate level of commitment, certainly more than say, fighters, but less than warlock. Generally, I try and put up some story points for every character, regardless of class. But the warlock class itself gains it's powers from keeping its patron happy (or perhaps sleeping), and it would follow that they would require more attention to that aspect of their patron.

[Ganymede]

Ideally, your player should already be role playing his or her patron's obligations. Feel free to mine that roleplay for adventure hooks, but it shouldn't be necessary to populate the world with side quests just because someone took a specific class.

Don't think of the patron as being some sort of special class weakness to warlocks as if extra side-quests are there to balance special advantages. Instead, imagine it as a way to help add to your game in the same way you tailor quests to the back stories of any other PCs.

[Tanarii]

First thing to decide is if you want, as the PHB suggests, the patron's demands to drive adventures or be small things between adventures. The first is effective 'plot hook' and the second is effectively 'downtime'. Of course, you can do something in between, but you have to be careful it doesn't pull the PC away from the adventure.

IMO the way to go is 'personal plot hook'. When the adventure starts, figure out a small thing the patron wants related to it, and have that communicated at some point. A couple of ideas:
- A creature dead that the party might decide to spare (unlikely if they're murderheroes)
- more interestingly, keep alive a creature that the party would probably otherwise kill.
- A trinket from a side mission, so the player will have motive to pull the party there.
- influencing an NPC, or more interestingly a party member, subtly & in a specific way or to take a specific action, possibly at a key moment. (It doesn't have to be hostile influence, especially if it's a PC.)
- finding out something the Patron wants to know
- promoting worship of the Patron, or supporting creatures that might eventually come to worship the patron

You do have to be a bit careful with several factors doing this. The Patron is not omniscient, nor necessarily pay attention to everything the Warlock does.

This also works well for Clerics and Paladins that follow Deities of course.

(I'm assuming the player is on board with this. If you've already decided to do this, don't get sidetracked by people telling you not to, or it'll derail your thread. The PhB specifically says "Work with your DM to determine how big a part your pact will play in your character's adventuring career." PHB 106 )

Edit: lol left out a pretty key "not" before omniscient. :smallbiggrin:

[Provo]

The issue with warlocks is, they have access to some slightly more powerful spells and abilities
...
If a player wanted to "story out" a warlock background, but use a wizard class, I'd be fine with that, and would include only as much in their story as I do with say, fighter, or rogue.

Using a patron is great for story purposes, but your quote suggests that you want to do as a balincing tool instead.

I would very heavily suggest you don't do that. The Warlock has some slightly more powerful spells, but this is already countered by other mechanical drawbacks. They are not innately stronger than other casters even though they took the easy path to power thematically.

Feel free to use the Patron as a hinderance, but reward the player for role playing through it (maybe give them some small boon from their patron during the game)

[DevilMcam]

If you plan to run a very "dungeon crawly" game, you can ignore what I am saying.
But if you plan to put some good amount of RP into your game It's interesting to see the prblem the other way around.
You want your PC to each become invested in the world. And each one of them should have at a moment in the campaign his personal story arc, with personnalized rewards (could be a magical item, a boon, some money or XP).
Let's assume that you have 2 PCs : Bobby the mundane fighter, and Lilly the Fey Warlock.
When it's time for the personnal arc of Bobby, you'll have to dig in his background, and actions from the previous session, to find something appropriate (you might as well ask him what he'd like to do).
When it's time for Lilly's Arc well it's much easier : her patron want something.

The patron doesn't have to keep the PC busy all the time. It's a free Guest Giving/Power Selling/Drama generating NPC for you to use.
The warlock is not or at least SHOULD NOT be different from other classes in regard to obligations. Soldiers recieves orders from their supperiors, Farmer have to follow the seasons, Wizards have teachers, most peoples have families, even kings have to compel with geopolitics and economics.
Warlocks actually have it easy on obligations : they have some sort of contract.

[EvilAnagram]

Using a patron is great for story purposes, but your quote suggests that you want to do as a balincing tool instead.

I would very heavily suggest you don't do that. The Warlock has some slightly more powerful spells, but this is already countered by other mechanical drawbacks. They are not innately stronger than other casters even though they took the easy path to power thematically.

Feel free to use the Patron as a hinderance, but reward the player for role playing through it (maybe give them some small boon from their patron during the game)

I would second this. Warlocks have enough mechanical drawbacks (limited slots are a big one) without needing additional plot limitations. If you're going to demand that Warlocks be pestered by their patron, you should at the very least be equally demanding of Cleric's and Paladins.