Interplay between Patrons of multiple Warlocks

[Hellpyre]

I was brainstorming possible party compositions with a friend, and we came up on an interesting question: how much potential for roleplay would exist in a party with two (or more) Warlocks who had Patrons with personal animosity (or friendship, though that one we didn't discuss at length at this juncture).

Clearly it depends heavily on how invested the Patrons are in their Warlocks and vice versa, but what does the board think about it conceptually? Is the potential for character investment worth bringing such a relationship further towards the forefront of the party dynamic? What level of interpersonal conflict can adventuring parties absorb before it becomes more disruptive to the group than it is engaging?

I like the idea of levelling up the Warlocks coming from the Patrons constantly trying to one-up each other, or of characters casually snarking about the details of the other's Pact, but it's hard to gauge how deep a relationship between the Patrons would want to be for a good combination of narrative depth and party cohesion. I feel like the best results will probably come from lopsided relationships (an Undying Patron who used to own a Genie Patron's magic lamp, who fondly remembers the Genie as a favorite pet, while the Genie vehemently detests their former captivity), with each Warlock player contributing points for the other Warlock character to bring up, but I'm not sure.

On a tangentially related note, if players wanted the characters to do a 'mile in my shoes' bit, would you let two Warlocks temporarily (or permanently) exchange Patrons mid-campaign.

[Mellack]

There is no set relationship between a warlock and their patron. It can vary from a warlock taking some power without a patron even being aware, to a formal contract, to a reward for good service, to a warlock being used and actively hating the patron. I personally don't see warlocks having a different relationship to each other than any other party members would have.

[Cikomyr2]

I once played an Aasimar Celestial Warlock, and there was a Tiefling Fiend Warlock in the party.

I wanted to minimize conflicts, so I immediately suggested we are pulling a "Good Omen", and we acted as partners in crime.

[carrdrivesyou]

There is no set relationship between a warlock and their patron. It can vary from a warlock taking some power without a patron even being aware, to a formal contract, to a reward for good service, to a warlock being used and actively hating the patron. I personally don't see warlocks having a different relationship to each other than any other party members would have.

This is about right. The only thing I can say is that the lore on patrons is vague in most cases. Some, like The Raven Queen, are specific, but otherwise are nebulous entities. In the description for the Celestial, the patron ranges from a unicorn to an angel. Just depends on how you want to flavor it.

In a module, I wouldn't bother with fleshing the patrons out too much.

In a homebrew game, having involved patrons is a TON of fun, and their interactions can be likened to that of clerics of different faiths interacting. It's loads of fun and super interesting.

[Duff]

Clearly it depends heavily on how invested the Patrons are in their Warlocks and vice versa, but what does the board think about it conceptually? Is the potential for character investment worth bringing such a relationship further towards the forefront of the party dynamic? What level of interpersonal conflict can adventuring parties absorb before it becomes more disruptive to the group than it is engaging?

Depends a lot on your players -
Can the warlock's players avoid it getting personal between them?
Will other players get impatient with the warlocks "hogging the spotlight"?

And a bit on the characters -
If one of the characters is simply going to leave or attack, its a short conflict. So they have to both be willing to stay together in the party

Talk it through with the players, allow the rest of the party to discuss and that'll give you the best chance at finding the right balance
Maybe err on the side of low conflict, then as the characters become more powerful they get more attention from patrons and more pressure to toe the party line.

[Greywander]

Something to keep in mind is that warlocks are not their patrons. Their patrons might hate each other, but this by itself should have no bearing on the relationship between the warlocks. Imagine, for example, an employee of McD's and an employee of Burger King hanging out together after work. The relationship between a warlock and their patron can be many things, but a common one is to model it as a mere business transaction. You wanted power, your patron wanted something from you, you exchanged goods and/or services and then went your separate ways.

Another thing to consider is that usually the warlock's deal for power is contained in their backstory, i.e. it's already a done deal. There's no need to worry about maintaining a positive relationship with your patron because you've already gotten what you want from them. Now, some people like the idea of having a continuing relationship with their patron, doing additional tasks for them and fluffing their level ups as their patron granting them more power (though level ups can also be you nurturing the power that was already given to you). A warlock patron who acts more like a regular adventuring party patron, i.e. gives you quests and rewards you for completing them, can be an interesting way to go.

All this to say, if you want to do some cool RP stuff, you totally can, but you don't have to. Warlocks aren't clerics, and don't need to maintain any ties to their patron. Even if they do, it's often a strictly business relationship, and your patron doesn't care what else you do as long as you complete whatever task they give you.