Why do all warlocks have magic?

[TigerT20]

An often asked question is what a patron's motivation is to sign a pact. But one thing I can't find any record of is someone asking what their motivation to grant magic is.

For example, let's take a pact between Rythan and a grandmother night hag.
For some (slightly cliche) backstory, Rythan has twin infants that one day mysteriously feel ill. Nothing could cure them. So, as a last resort she went to the hag that lives near the village. The hag presented her with a cure, warning of Dire Consequences in the future, but Rythan is young, desperate and a little impatient so she took the deal.
Later on, the guilt from dealing with such a vile creature got to her and she walked out, unable to hide her secret from the village any longer. Now she's joined an adventuring party as a way to get around, and a familar face is showing up in her dreams...

So we have the pact. Rythan gets to save her family - potentially her village if the disease could have spread - at the cost of having to leave them behind, and then has to serve the hag's wishes for fear of her undoing the cure's effects.

How exactly does Rythan get magic from this? Would she not actually classify as a warlock, and instead be something different?

[Aett_Thorn]

I would say you've got two different questions here: 1) Do all deals with these types of creatures result in magic, and 2) Why do all Warlocks have magic.

The answer to 1 is no. So in your example, I would say that the hag would strike a deal with Rythan to save the children in exchange for whatever price was agreed upon. This would likely not result in Rythan getting magic, because the reward was something else. Now, magic could be a side effect, or even part of the bargain, but it does't have to be.

As for 2, because that is what sets Warlocks apart from other people that have made bargains that DON'T involve getting magic. You could have a Fighter that made a pact with one of these creatures, and now they're out adventuring to find a way out or to satisfy the requirements of the pact. No magic, just a deal. Meanwhile, the Warlock created a pact that either specifically gave them magic or had that as an added bonus. As to why the creature gave them magic? Well, that is something that the DM should work out, either with the player or without, and let the player find out over time.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

No, generally speaking the example you just gave would be someone who would not be a warlock. Lots of people make pacts with hags, devils, and so on without being Warlocks. Rapunzel's parents weren't warlocks when they traded their firstborn for salad toppings. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapunzel) However, they might be a Warlock if the Hag asked them to go do something that required magical powers as part of the deal and then supplied the magic powers.

Warlocks usually arise when the person making the deal wants power from the magical being (not necessarily explicitly magical power, maybe just the power to get revenge or defend themselves) or, more rarely, when the magical being wants a minion with magical powers and the power is so that the person under their thumb has a better chance of fulfilling their requests.

[Reynaerde]

All warlocks have pacts, but not everybody with a pact is a warlock. Just like all clerics serve gods or divine principles, but not everybody who serves a god or divine principle is a cleric.

[MrStabby]

I did play a monk who got their monk powers from a pact with a shadow demon.

In general anything extraordinary can work well.

[Joe the Rat]

Warlock is the specific result of making a pact for "Power" to do whatever the hell, in exchange for... whatever is required by the Patron. Wizards of lore truck with all manner of otherworldy spirits to gain their knowledge. Bards... are even more open, and probably from more than one source.

[Contrast]

In general anything extraordinary can work well.

It doesn't even have to be extraordinary (well, depending on how you define extraordinary anyway).

You could roleplay a straight fighter as receiving their physical prowess as a result of a bargain made with some other powerful entity.

[Keravath]

Well no?

Any character can make any sort of deal with any powerful creature. Just because they make a deal doesn't suddenly change the character into a warlock.

A warlock is a specific example of a character forming a bond with a creature who can or chooses to grant some abilities along with magic as a part of forming the pact. The method of transferring this knowledge isn't described and is left up to the DM. The patron could teach the character, the patron might waken latent abilities in the character, association with the patron might allow the character to either learn something or take something from the patron (some GOOs might not even realize that they are a patron because they could care less).

However, this doesn't prevent a fighter, wizard, ranger, paladin, rogue etc from forming a pact with a powerful creature in exchange for services. In this case, the hag saved her children and possibly the village. Likely in exchange for some number of tasks or time period of service to the hag. If the character is a warlock, the hag could become their patron ... teaching them or providing knowledge. On the other hand, if they aren't a warlock the hag is then a narrative plot element and quest giver closely linked to the character background.

[Reynaerde]

Bards... are even more open, and probably from more than one source.That describes my whisper bard rather well... :smallredface:

[Arvin Natsuko]

It doesn't even have to be extraordinary (well, depending on how you define extraordinary anyway).

You could roleplay a straight fighter as receiving their physical prowess as a result of a bargain made with some other powerful entity.

Like Captain America

[MrStabby]

Like Captain America

The first powerful entity that comes to mind is Captain America?

If captain America were a warlock patron, what abilities would he bestow?

[TigerT20]

The first powerful entity that comes to mind is Captain America?

If captain America were a warlock patron, what abilities would he bestow?

Actually, I think they meant the super serum was the patron.

If we're going by that logic Superman has a pact with the sun and iron man has a pact with... jarvis? iron?

[KorvinStarmast]

Re: Why do all warlocks have magic?
Warlock, the word, is a synomym for magician, wizard, witch, etc.

If I may quote Webster's ...

warlock noun
war·​lock | \ ˈwȯr-ˌläk \
Definition of warlock
1: a man practicing the black arts : SORCERER
— compare WITCH
2: CONJURER
----------------
First Known Use of warlock
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
----------------------------
History and Etymology for warlock
Middle English warloghe, from Old English wǣrloga one that breaks faith, the Devil, from wǣr faith, troth + -loga (from lēogan to lie); akin to Old English wǣr true — more at VERY, LIE
This is one of those deals where the simple answer is: words have meanings. :smallsmile:

[Arvin Natsuko]

The first powerful entity that comes to mind is Captain America?

If captain America were a warlock patron, what abilities would he bestow?

The Patron was the US Goverment, and Cap the Fighter.

[Arvin Natsuko]

Actually, I think they meant the super serum was the patron.

If we're going by that logic Superman has a pact with the sun and iron man has a pact with... jarvis? iron?

Superman didn't made any pact, he was born like that, like.

Tony made his own tech.

But Cap was a simple guy, chosen by a powerful entity (US Goverment) to make a pact (enlist) in exchange for physical might. Tha was the logic.

[narrator667]

Each Warlock is different. Some made deals, Some are genuine worshipers. Some just kind of got in through birth without any side affects for uh, some reason.
I generally don't like backstories where the Magic is gifted as a side affect, or especially when it's an in-born side affect, especially when it's shown off as something negative but your character can actively control it. I'd have less of a problem with that for Wild Magic Sorc, or any Class where the DM imposes the Wild Magic table on you. But Magic is strong and can be controlled, being able to act as a turret firing eldritch blast with no consequence ain't a tragic backstory, and it sure as hell ain't realistic.
But in that situation, I would actually be glad to have ,not Rhythan as a party member, but one of her twin babies. The Old Hag still has a Clutch on her Godchildren, gifting them dark arts they can CHOOSE to use. Luring them back home in their sleep and guiding them deeper into the dark arts. They could pick up a sword and shield and get revenge, multi class to a Holy or Non-magic class to turn over a new leaf , they could apprentice under the hag or usurp her control with the aid of what they taught her.