4E Star Pact

[DiscipleofBob]

Could someone explain how the whole Star Pact of the warlocks is supposed to work flavor-wise?

I understand Infernal comes from obvious deal-with-the-devil type origin, and the Fey pact comes from those mischievous spirits that somehow share a relation to elves, but what is the Star Pact? Is that supposed to be some sort of elder-god type thing?

I ask because I'm trying to figure out how such flavor would work in my setting, as I do have a Star Pact Tiefling Warlock in the group. Now, I have no trouble with refluffing stuff or letting him switch his powers and background around, I'm just kind of curious.

[Cybren]

Could someone explain how the whole Star Pact of the warlocks is supposed to work flavor-wise?

I understand Infernal comes from obvious deal-with-the-devil type origin, and the Fey pact comes from those mischievous spirits that somehow share a relation to elves, but what is the Star Pact? Is that supposed to be some sort of elder-god type thing?

I ask because I'm trying to figure out how such flavor would work in my setting, as I do have a Star Pact Tiefling Warlock in the group. Now, I have no trouble with refluffing stuff or letting him switch his powers and background around, I'm just kind of curious.

It's not necessarily a pact with anything. It's esoteric knowledge rooted in astrology. It's old magic stealing power from realms far beyond.

Or you dormed with Cthulhu.

[mikeejimbo]

Actually I'm pretty sure that Cthulhu (along with the other Lovecraftian monstrosities) is from the Far Realm. I think the Star Pact has more to do with the Astral Sea.

But I could be wrong.

[Cybren]

The Far Realm is explicitly used in the description, and Cthulu and the other beings of Lovecrafts works are technically from regular solar systems and planetary bodies.

[mikeejimbo]

Oh? Well if the Far Realm is part of the description for the Star Pact then I'm all for dealings with Azathoth and the sort.

[vicente408]

A contract with beings ancient and incombrehensible beyong mortal sanity. Basically Cthulhu or the setting's equivalent.

[Pinnacle]

Despite the name and the generic description of the Eldritch Pact, the Fey Pact is the only one that actually mentions making a deal of any kind.

Infernal Pact has the option that you simply study the secrets from the tomes that were given to warlocks who actually did make deals with devils.

The description of the Star Pact is that from studying astrology, you've discovered arcane secrets.

[The New Bruceski]

Fey Pact: you pledge yourself to a creature from the Feywild.

Infernal Pact: You know Faust forwards and backwards.

Star Pact: You stared into the Abyss, and it just rang your doorbell.

[Pinnacle]

Star Pact: You stared into the Abyss, and it just rang your doorbell.

That sounds more like something the fey might do.

[The New Bruceski]

That sounds more like something the fey might do.

Nah, they're the guy you tell "if you ever need anything..." and by the time you get back home he's already thrown a party and trashed the place.

[drawingfreak]

Nah, they're the guy you tell "if you ever need anything..." and by the time you get back home he's already thrown a party and trashed the place.

I'm guessing that it is like the Fey in Exaulted. Damn, those things are evil little *grumblegrumble*. I got killed just because they thought I was boring.

[Larrin]

The star pact flavor is one of ancient names and unknowable chaos with a mix of tentacles and fear thrown in. Its all the things that are "out there" that they don't want to explain, because if you can explain exactly what the star pact contacts, it looses all its mystery. Star pacts don't know whom they deal with, if they're smart they don't want to, lest the knowledge drive them mad and cause them to be eaten by frothy foamy teeth. When you were young, were you ever afraid of monsters under the bed? These are what gods and primordials fear are under their beds. THEY don't know whats out there either, except for a few ancient names that strike fear in their godly/elemental minds. Star pacts are spoooooky. They are mad sceintists. They are deranged cultists. They use that which man was not meant to know.


if you don't know about Cthullu, read some of lovecrafts stuff: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Author...lips_Lovecraft

thats the feel star pacts should have.

[Bryn]

TV Tropes to the rescue!

Star Pact: Cosmic Horror.

Infernal Pact: Deal With The Devil

Fey Pact: Um, Deal With The Fair Folk seems the best I can think of.

What is this? You are accusing me of cunningly attempting to draw new meat into the black maw of TV Tropes? Never in a million years, sir! Never in a million years!

[DiscipleofBob]

Hm... that's kind of what I was afraid of.

I'm not sure how such a flavor would work in the setting I built, because frankly, there are no elder-god-tentacled-hentai-horror-Cthulu-wannabe-ripoffs in it. I always thought we just left those over there at the uncool kids table with the psions.

Now I'll probably have to figure out how a Star Pact could work or be different. Of course I could just say it's the same as an Infernal or Fey Pact or whatever the player wants to use as well...

[Lord Tirian]

[QUOTE=DiscipleofBob;4576704...elder-god-tentacled-hentai-horror-Cthulu-wannabe-ripoffs in it.[/QUOTE]See, the problem is that tentacle horror became a trope with images - it's hard to think of "unspeakable horror that makes you mad", if you see squishy-face illustrations.

Part of the Lovecraftian horror comes from being an insignificant part of something incomprehensible. Not fitting your setting means that it doesn't fit your view - but that could make the Star Pact even more interesting, flavour-wise.

Just leave it there and don't explain anything - it's not supposed to be explainable, it doesn't need to fit your setting - if the players think about it and "get" your setting, then they get the feeling of being "off" (which fits the Star Pact), if they don't think too hard about it, they won't notice anyway.

Just don't think of it tentacled elder god. Think of it as a mystery.

Cheers, LT.

[Arakune]

The star pact flavor is one of ancient names and unknowable chaos with a mix of tentacles and fear thrown in. Its all the things that are "out there" that they don't want to explain, because if you can explain exactly what the star pact contacts, it looses all its mystery. Star pacts don't know whom they deal with, if they're smart they don't want to, lest the knowledge drive them mad and cause them to be eaten by frothy foamy teeth. When you were young, were you ever afraid of monsters under the bed? These are what gods and primordials fear are under their beds. THEY don't know whats out there either, except for a few ancient names that strike fear in their godly/elemental minds. Star pacts are spoooooky. They are mad sceintists. They are deranged cultists. They use that which man was not meant to know.

Sigged!

[Starbuck_II]

Hm... that's kind of what I was afraid of.

I'm not sure how such a flavor would work in the setting I built, because frankly, there are no elder-god-tentacled-hentai-horror-Cthulu-wannabe-ripoffs in it. I always thought we just left those over there at the uncool kids table with the psions.

Now I'll probably have to figure out how a Star Pact could work or be different. Of course I could just say it's the same as an Infernal or Fey Pact or whatever the player wants to use as well...

I always saw the Star Pact as Sailor Moon power.
No, not the Senshi transformers, but the bad guys.

Nephlite used the Stars to further his progress: see who to drain energy fronm, warm of danger, and gave him power.

[skywalker]

See, the problem is that tentacle horror became a trope with images - it's hard to think of "unspeakable horror that makes you mad", if you see squishy-face illustrations.

Part of the Lovecraftian horror comes from being an insignificant part of something incomprehensible.

Just don't think of it tentacled elder god. Think of it as a mystery.

An add-on to this: The idea behind Lovecraftian horror is that the elder things/gods are impossible to picture. Making an image of Cthulhu is like trying to map discworld. It is something so alien that it absolutely destroys your mind even to look at it. Cthulhu became cutesy-fied and had an image created for him. This was never Lovecraft's intent.

That being said, some ways to manipulate the fluff could be that you know the stars well enough to know things no-one else knows. For instance, the Dreadful Word power could be explained, instead of you telling your foe a name of Cthulhu, as you telling your foe the exact date, time, and place of his death. I know hearing that would mess me up. Or that you understand(in a flat-world culture) that the world is round, revolves around the sun, and is but one tiny point in a huge galaxy. That completely destroyed people's minds when they first learned it back in the day.

[Oracle_Hunter]

I always saw the Star Pact as Sailor Moon power.
No, not the Senshi transformers, but the bad guys.

Nephlite used the Stars to further his progress: see who to drain energy fronm, warm of danger, and gave him power.

I am seriously considering making Star Warlocks Sailor Soldiers now.

If my players complain about having to pose and say their catch phrase before using Warlock's Curse, I'll point them in your direction.

[mabriss lethe]

Y'see.

Now you've gone and done it. I'll have to throw together a star pact warlock based off Robert W. Chambers' the King in Yellow.

[Merlin the Tuna]

If you want to get some of that nice far realm-y flavor in a hurry, consider reading the wikipedia entry for Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. It's heavily Lovecraft-inspired without pulling things wholecloth, which makes it useful if your players are familiar with Lovecraft and don't want "reruns," as it were. The Sanity effects are a good start to adding a bit of creepers to it, as well.