sandmote
2023-11-28, 02:22 AM
My earlier thread on the same topic is no longer active due to it having been more than 45 days since a post was added to it. It can be found here (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?650511-Some-Specific-Warlock-Patrons) if anyone is interested in the previous conversation.
Probably the relevant portion would be where I made a summary of how warlock patrons generally work in D&D 5e:
Designing Warlock Patrons
Patron Pact.
The most basic aspect of a Warlock's Patron is that they can provide one the Pacts players can choose to have when their PC takes levels in the Warlock Class. The following are the published Warlock Pacts for 5e D&D:
Archfey, tied to manipulation and teleportation.
Celestial, a healer subclass.
Fathomless, which works first and foremost for a kraken patron.
Fiend, a subclass that grants buffs for delivering killing blows.
The Genie, focused around a vessel the PC can enter, with four variants for the four elements.
Great Old One, granting psychic power.
Hexblade, grants melee buffs (like the 3.5e class) that's fluffed as coming for a sentient weapon (which doesn't make much sense).
Undead, which allows temporary partial transformations into a horrific being.
Undying, which reveals secrets to avoid death.
An Individual Warlock Patron possesses the ability to grant one or more pacts to one or more individuals.
Modus Operandi for the Patron
Each patron is an entity that can grant a large amount of power to some individuals. Fluff explaining the patron should cover which sorts of individuals a Patron grants pacts.
Common groups given pacts:
Those who intentionally call on the Patron for power.
Those with similar problems to one that significantly influences the Patron's life.
Those in a particular life group, class, subculture, or circumstance. These should be fairly narrow, to keep the number of Warlocks low.
Beings unintentionally exposed to the Patron's Power.
Those to who the Patron feels they owe a debt.
Those with life plans that suit the Patron's own plans or lifestyle.
If the Patron is capable of granting multiple types of Pacts, there may or may not be a difference in who or how they grant each type of Pact.
Alternate Activity
Patrons ideally perform other activities in the world they inhabit. They should have goals, a place they exist, and some particular personality. They may not be able to act (if trapped somewhere) and aren't necessarily aware of the Warlocks drawing on their power (such as if mere exposure instils the powers upon the Warlock).
They likely encounter those they make Pacts with while going about their own business or when called by the wannabe Warlock to make a Pact. These Patrons likely have additional magic powers used to reward or punish others in their vicinity, or simply create powerful magic effects in their area of influence. Some travel with others relevant to deciding the Warlocks they grant a Pact.
Some may be trapped in a manner that makes it difficult to do things, or be entirely unaware of the warlocks to whom they grant power. In these cases they likely have little impact on the warlock's life. In other cases the Warlock doesn't recall who they made a Pact with and they did it. In the latter case, it might help the DM give some clues to answer the mystery if they first have a rough outline of who the Patron is.
Patrons and Individual Rewards.
If someone turns down a Pact with the patron or performs activities for which the Patron does not provide a Pact, they may be given a Magic Item or Boon befitting the patron.
Patrons acting in the world may also perform other activities. They may provide adverse treatment to individuals who offend them, or their presence may bring in weaker creature the PCs also interact with. Some might work for or against other entities in the world.
Patron Notes:
The Slaad lords are neat, and I wish they'd gotten more support in 4e and 5e. Kind of like the idea of one granting a terrifying froggy transformation, and it fits with the Undead's 14th level feature okay. A Fathomless Slaad lord is actually probably more of a stretch, since it would want some refluffing (presumably replacing the tentacle with some form of frozen art supplies).
Otherwise I have some patrons listed which mix and match some more interesting options for pacts: genie + undying, undead + celestial, and genie + hexblade. The Chain Breaker could use another pass for concept though, as could the ghast curers. Suggestions for that welcome. Other than that I've previously written the following homebrew subclasses:
The Dragon (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?577537-By-the-Power-of-Dragons-The-Dragon-Patron-(PEACH))
The Winter Lord (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?601561-The-Winter-Lord-Rogue-like-Movement-Warlock-(PEACH))
The Forest Guardian (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?611299-The-Forest-Guardian-Plant-Warlock-Patron)
The Keeper of Balance (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?639036-The-Keeper-of-Balance-Neutral-Aligned-Warlock-Patron)
I think only the dragon is listed for this post, but I might add some of the others later in the thread.
The Chain Breaker
An enigmatic being or group, the chain breaker is credited with a great many jailbreaks, riots, and prison escapees in which the symbol of a square broken into two halves appears covering all manner of surfaces in the vicinity. The leading explanation is that this entity spent an extended period imprisoned itself, and wishes to grant others a more pleasant experience of life.
Pact. The collector can offer to provide a pact as a Genie of Air or as one Undying.
Bringer of Solitude. Some who are present when the Chain Breaker wreaks havoc claim to have been granted not merely powers to avoid capture, but also access to a spacious, solitary refuge to call their own.
Bringer of Time. Others granted power by the Chain Breaker see time stretch out before them, allowing them to serve their time imprisoned and still experience life afterward.
The Collector
An ancient black wyrm rumored to have entire temples, castles, and mausoleums of historical significance squirreled away on the astral plane, the secretive collector is known to offer his power to obtain intelligence for his next acquisition.
Pact. The collector can offer to provide a pact as a Black Dragon.
Seeker of Treasures. The Collector is rumored to appear in various places shortly before they full into ruin, appearing as a wizened man, usually a dwarf or human, and asking those around him to provide him with intelligence for the “preservation” of artifacts and buildings of local significance. He touts the martial benefits of his magical training while remaining vague about who he is, how the information will be delivered, and how he plans to preserve the objects in question.
Ghast Curer
An order of Celestials opposed to orcus, the ghast curers study the transformation of the living into undeath, seeking to find a way to halt, prevent, and reverse the process. While their current methods are imperfect, they continue to experiment to find ways to prevent creatures from becoming undead.
Pact. Ghast Curers can offer to provide a pact as a Celestial or an Undead.
Experimenters in Undeath. The ghast curers occasionally appear in the aftermath of attacks by undead capable of raising their victims into undeath, seeking to find permanent ways to prevent such transformations. When their experiments succeed, the target is typically left with a connection to the Ghast Curer by which they can provide aid to others.
Experimental Aid. The curing of undeath is a highly experimental and poorly studied field, and the ghast curers often use highly dubious, inconsistent, and unstable methods in their research. More often than not, even successful protections against raising a creature into undeath only succeed partially, leaving the target tethered to negative energy and capable of assume a partial transformation into an undead state.
Tribute to the Fallen When someone fails to survive the procedures used to stay of undeath, ghast curers often turn to their family and friends, offering condolences and aid in preventing more victims of undeath. This can involve providing a piece of equipment for facing undead, training in medicinal practices, and performing proper burial to the deceased.
It That Croaks
There is no know reason it that croaks appears to others. Warlocks tied to this enigmatic entity gain the ability to assume froglike forms which strike fear into all that surround them, eventually becoming powerful enough burst with decaying energies, later to perform erratic movement through the ethereal plane.
Pact. It That Croaks can offer to provide a pact as one Undead.
Amphibious Ties. The most common connection scholars have managed to assemble is that those living in swamps are at risk of having it appear when the local frogs are spawning or when froglets first become old enough to swarm from their hidden pools onto dry land. Given this apparently random appearance and connection to frogs, it that croaks is rumored to be some hidden Slaad lord.
The Ladies of Hijinks
An organization of Copper wyrms and trickster fey who regularly meet for tea parties to trade gossip, jokes, and riddles, the ladies of hijinks are always looking for a new source of witticisms or petty drama they can pass on to the rest of their circle.
Pact. The ladies of hijinks can offer to provide a pact as an Archfey or a Copper Dragon.
Teatime Gossips. Elderly ladies bearing scrumptious deserts and delectable tea are known to appear in the dreams of witty conversationalists and incurable busybodies. Those willing to provide them with the scandal and clever insights or wordplay they seek will begin to receive regular visits, paid for with baking advice and a variety of powers to help eavesdrop, prune the garden, and generally provide pleasant company.
Protected Dreams. Even when one someone turns down magic granted by the ladies of hijinks, they tend to dote on those they find fascinating. Such an individuals might find themselves protected in their dreams, helped to review and remember the events of the previous day, or approached by a different member of the circle offering a different type of pact.
Leanan Sídhe
Beautiful fey whose influence leads humanoids to produce greater art, a leanan sídhe drains the life from those with whom they make a pact. Those who gain their patronage shine bright and short.
Pact. A leanan sídhe can offer to provide a pact as an Archfey.
Lover’s Muse. Leanan sídhe, both men and women, appear before budding artists to offer their love. Those who accept the fey’s offer gain the benefits of the pact, as well as the leanan sídhe’s artistic advice and inspiration. However, leanan sídhe are weaker than most warlock patrons, and in exchange for their pact the warlock’s life shortens at twice the rate as the leanan sídhe absorbs the last years of the warlock’s life for itself. The only way to end this effect is to find a replacement to take on the pact themselves.
Spirit of the Forge
Spirits of forges come to life or of forging equipment are sometimes able to provide power and force to craftsmen they take a liking too, infusing their creations with power or granting them an alcove within the tool for the craftsman to study and recuperate.
Pact. A Forge Spirit can offer to provide a pact as a Genie of Fire or a Hexblade.
Researching Spirits. Some such forge spirits focus on the theoretical side of metallurgy, granting their favored craftsman a shared space of the spirit’s creation in which to discuss, study, recuperate, and to make a more portable workshop than a travelling craftsman is likely to achieve. In times of danger, they typically provide aid in the form of burning fire.
Fighting Spirits. Other such spirits prefer to focus on the results of craftsmanship, allowing the individual tied to them to tailor their weapon for a particular target at a moment’s notice, and eventually becoming able to manifest themselves externally to observe the results of the weapons they were involved in crafting.
Rewarding Smiths If a forge spirit decides to reward someone who does not want to work with it long term, it will typically craft a useful object. Depending on the individual spirit's skill, this could be a set of detailed and expensive armor, a weapon infused with magical fire, or another item that can be produced with supernatural skill at the forge.
Probably the relevant portion would be where I made a summary of how warlock patrons generally work in D&D 5e:
Designing Warlock Patrons
Patron Pact.
The most basic aspect of a Warlock's Patron is that they can provide one the Pacts players can choose to have when their PC takes levels in the Warlock Class. The following are the published Warlock Pacts for 5e D&D:
Archfey, tied to manipulation and teleportation.
Celestial, a healer subclass.
Fathomless, which works first and foremost for a kraken patron.
Fiend, a subclass that grants buffs for delivering killing blows.
The Genie, focused around a vessel the PC can enter, with four variants for the four elements.
Great Old One, granting psychic power.
Hexblade, grants melee buffs (like the 3.5e class) that's fluffed as coming for a sentient weapon (which doesn't make much sense).
Undead, which allows temporary partial transformations into a horrific being.
Undying, which reveals secrets to avoid death.
An Individual Warlock Patron possesses the ability to grant one or more pacts to one or more individuals.
Modus Operandi for the Patron
Each patron is an entity that can grant a large amount of power to some individuals. Fluff explaining the patron should cover which sorts of individuals a Patron grants pacts.
Common groups given pacts:
Those who intentionally call on the Patron for power.
Those with similar problems to one that significantly influences the Patron's life.
Those in a particular life group, class, subculture, or circumstance. These should be fairly narrow, to keep the number of Warlocks low.
Beings unintentionally exposed to the Patron's Power.
Those to who the Patron feels they owe a debt.
Those with life plans that suit the Patron's own plans or lifestyle.
If the Patron is capable of granting multiple types of Pacts, there may or may not be a difference in who or how they grant each type of Pact.
Alternate Activity
Patrons ideally perform other activities in the world they inhabit. They should have goals, a place they exist, and some particular personality. They may not be able to act (if trapped somewhere) and aren't necessarily aware of the Warlocks drawing on their power (such as if mere exposure instils the powers upon the Warlock).
They likely encounter those they make Pacts with while going about their own business or when called by the wannabe Warlock to make a Pact. These Patrons likely have additional magic powers used to reward or punish others in their vicinity, or simply create powerful magic effects in their area of influence. Some travel with others relevant to deciding the Warlocks they grant a Pact.
Some may be trapped in a manner that makes it difficult to do things, or be entirely unaware of the warlocks to whom they grant power. In these cases they likely have little impact on the warlock's life. In other cases the Warlock doesn't recall who they made a Pact with and they did it. In the latter case, it might help the DM give some clues to answer the mystery if they first have a rough outline of who the Patron is.
Patrons and Individual Rewards.
If someone turns down a Pact with the patron or performs activities for which the Patron does not provide a Pact, they may be given a Magic Item or Boon befitting the patron.
Patrons acting in the world may also perform other activities. They may provide adverse treatment to individuals who offend them, or their presence may bring in weaker creature the PCs also interact with. Some might work for or against other entities in the world.
Patron Notes:
The Slaad lords are neat, and I wish they'd gotten more support in 4e and 5e. Kind of like the idea of one granting a terrifying froggy transformation, and it fits with the Undead's 14th level feature okay. A Fathomless Slaad lord is actually probably more of a stretch, since it would want some refluffing (presumably replacing the tentacle with some form of frozen art supplies).
Otherwise I have some patrons listed which mix and match some more interesting options for pacts: genie + undying, undead + celestial, and genie + hexblade. The Chain Breaker could use another pass for concept though, as could the ghast curers. Suggestions for that welcome. Other than that I've previously written the following homebrew subclasses:
The Dragon (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?577537-By-the-Power-of-Dragons-The-Dragon-Patron-(PEACH))
The Winter Lord (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?601561-The-Winter-Lord-Rogue-like-Movement-Warlock-(PEACH))
The Forest Guardian (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?611299-The-Forest-Guardian-Plant-Warlock-Patron)
The Keeper of Balance (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?639036-The-Keeper-of-Balance-Neutral-Aligned-Warlock-Patron)
I think only the dragon is listed for this post, but I might add some of the others later in the thread.
The Chain Breaker
An enigmatic being or group, the chain breaker is credited with a great many jailbreaks, riots, and prison escapees in which the symbol of a square broken into two halves appears covering all manner of surfaces in the vicinity. The leading explanation is that this entity spent an extended period imprisoned itself, and wishes to grant others a more pleasant experience of life.
Pact. The collector can offer to provide a pact as a Genie of Air or as one Undying.
Bringer of Solitude. Some who are present when the Chain Breaker wreaks havoc claim to have been granted not merely powers to avoid capture, but also access to a spacious, solitary refuge to call their own.
Bringer of Time. Others granted power by the Chain Breaker see time stretch out before them, allowing them to serve their time imprisoned and still experience life afterward.
The Collector
An ancient black wyrm rumored to have entire temples, castles, and mausoleums of historical significance squirreled away on the astral plane, the secretive collector is known to offer his power to obtain intelligence for his next acquisition.
Pact. The collector can offer to provide a pact as a Black Dragon.
Seeker of Treasures. The Collector is rumored to appear in various places shortly before they full into ruin, appearing as a wizened man, usually a dwarf or human, and asking those around him to provide him with intelligence for the “preservation” of artifacts and buildings of local significance. He touts the martial benefits of his magical training while remaining vague about who he is, how the information will be delivered, and how he plans to preserve the objects in question.
Ghast Curer
An order of Celestials opposed to orcus, the ghast curers study the transformation of the living into undeath, seeking to find a way to halt, prevent, and reverse the process. While their current methods are imperfect, they continue to experiment to find ways to prevent creatures from becoming undead.
Pact. Ghast Curers can offer to provide a pact as a Celestial or an Undead.
Experimenters in Undeath. The ghast curers occasionally appear in the aftermath of attacks by undead capable of raising their victims into undeath, seeking to find permanent ways to prevent such transformations. When their experiments succeed, the target is typically left with a connection to the Ghast Curer by which they can provide aid to others.
Experimental Aid. The curing of undeath is a highly experimental and poorly studied field, and the ghast curers often use highly dubious, inconsistent, and unstable methods in their research. More often than not, even successful protections against raising a creature into undeath only succeed partially, leaving the target tethered to negative energy and capable of assume a partial transformation into an undead state.
Tribute to the Fallen When someone fails to survive the procedures used to stay of undeath, ghast curers often turn to their family and friends, offering condolences and aid in preventing more victims of undeath. This can involve providing a piece of equipment for facing undead, training in medicinal practices, and performing proper burial to the deceased.
It That Croaks
There is no know reason it that croaks appears to others. Warlocks tied to this enigmatic entity gain the ability to assume froglike forms which strike fear into all that surround them, eventually becoming powerful enough burst with decaying energies, later to perform erratic movement through the ethereal plane.
Pact. It That Croaks can offer to provide a pact as one Undead.
Amphibious Ties. The most common connection scholars have managed to assemble is that those living in swamps are at risk of having it appear when the local frogs are spawning or when froglets first become old enough to swarm from their hidden pools onto dry land. Given this apparently random appearance and connection to frogs, it that croaks is rumored to be some hidden Slaad lord.
The Ladies of Hijinks
An organization of Copper wyrms and trickster fey who regularly meet for tea parties to trade gossip, jokes, and riddles, the ladies of hijinks are always looking for a new source of witticisms or petty drama they can pass on to the rest of their circle.
Pact. The ladies of hijinks can offer to provide a pact as an Archfey or a Copper Dragon.
Teatime Gossips. Elderly ladies bearing scrumptious deserts and delectable tea are known to appear in the dreams of witty conversationalists and incurable busybodies. Those willing to provide them with the scandal and clever insights or wordplay they seek will begin to receive regular visits, paid for with baking advice and a variety of powers to help eavesdrop, prune the garden, and generally provide pleasant company.
Protected Dreams. Even when one someone turns down magic granted by the ladies of hijinks, they tend to dote on those they find fascinating. Such an individuals might find themselves protected in their dreams, helped to review and remember the events of the previous day, or approached by a different member of the circle offering a different type of pact.
Leanan Sídhe
Beautiful fey whose influence leads humanoids to produce greater art, a leanan sídhe drains the life from those with whom they make a pact. Those who gain their patronage shine bright and short.
Pact. A leanan sídhe can offer to provide a pact as an Archfey.
Lover’s Muse. Leanan sídhe, both men and women, appear before budding artists to offer their love. Those who accept the fey’s offer gain the benefits of the pact, as well as the leanan sídhe’s artistic advice and inspiration. However, leanan sídhe are weaker than most warlock patrons, and in exchange for their pact the warlock’s life shortens at twice the rate as the leanan sídhe absorbs the last years of the warlock’s life for itself. The only way to end this effect is to find a replacement to take on the pact themselves.
Spirit of the Forge
Spirits of forges come to life or of forging equipment are sometimes able to provide power and force to craftsmen they take a liking too, infusing their creations with power or granting them an alcove within the tool for the craftsman to study and recuperate.
Pact. A Forge Spirit can offer to provide a pact as a Genie of Fire or a Hexblade.
Researching Spirits. Some such forge spirits focus on the theoretical side of metallurgy, granting their favored craftsman a shared space of the spirit’s creation in which to discuss, study, recuperate, and to make a more portable workshop than a travelling craftsman is likely to achieve. In times of danger, they typically provide aid in the form of burning fire.
Fighting Spirits. Other such spirits prefer to focus on the results of craftsmanship, allowing the individual tied to them to tailor their weapon for a particular target at a moment’s notice, and eventually becoming able to manifest themselves externally to observe the results of the weapons they were involved in crafting.
Rewarding Smiths If a forge spirit decides to reward someone who does not want to work with it long term, it will typically craft a useful object. Depending on the individual spirit's skill, this could be a set of detailed and expensive armor, a weapon infused with magical fire, or another item that can be produced with supernatural skill at the forge.