Warlocks took a shortcut to magical power, through a deal with a powerful extraplanar entity. The details of this deal vary from warlock to warlock, but it is almost never in the warlock's favor - at least not in the long run. Some warlocks are granted their powers in return for a single favor, others are drip-fed magic with continued service.
Subclasses
Warlocks are almost by definition a solitary figure. Only rarely do multiple warlocks of the same patron join forces. If they do, they might view each other with much suspicion during that time, afraid that the other will stab them in the back and usurp their hard-earned power.
Fiend Patron
Devils make their deals sound so good, promising riches, fame, power, and more to those who listen to their whispers. However, there is always a catch. Perhaps not when the warlock is granted their first taste of real power, but sooner or later, the devil will get what it is due. Even relatively low-ranking devils can have mortals trapped by their contracts - there are stories of unwitting men leaving taverns with a succubus, only to fall under her spell and become bound to servitude.
Archfey Patron
The inhabitants of the Feywild have ensnared many mortals in their schemes, luring them in with sweet promises. Perhaps you drank from a chalice extended by the Queen of Winter, or you found yourself caught in the web of Malnystra the Spider, and offered up your soul to not be eaten.
Great Old One Patron
Very little is known about these mysterious arcane beings, only that they are ancient, even to elves and gods. They inhabit the furthest realms, scheming and plotting over millennia. They care very little for individual warlocks, some of whom worship them like deities in cult-like covens. One of the few ones with a known name is Hadar, whose red star is sometimes visible in the night sky as an omen of doom.
Celestial Patron
While the gods themselves have almost uncountably many followers, some people choose to follow the servants of the gods, perhaps doing the bidding of a valkyrie, venerating a particular saint, or serving as protector of a lumin-guarded shrine. In exchange, they are granted powers that approximate that of a cleric.
Ideals
- Knowledge: I want to learn the secrets of the world. (Any)
- Altruism: I must use my powers to help others. (Good)
- Obedience: I will serve my patron faithfully, or they might not have use of me. (Lawful)
- Power: I have tasted true power, and I want more of it. (Neutral)
- No Limits: I obey a power higher than any mortal ruler. (Chaotic)
- Sacrifice: I will not let others stand in the way of my patron's goals. (Evil)
Backstory Questions
- How did you first make contact with your patron?
- How does your patron communicate with you?
- What are the terms of your pact?
- What do you think of your patron? What do you think your patron thinks of you?
- What do you think would happen if you disobeyed your patron?
Warlocks of the Past
Esme Faelight
(human, CN, 1083-?): Warlock who was able to trick her archfey patron and claim their powers as their own. She now rules her gloomy Feywild realm as the immortal Lady of Whispers. There are many incompatible stories as to exactly she accomplished this, many of them fabricated by her or her dark servants.
Sorrow Bloodbane
(tiefling, NE, 666-?): Servant of the archdevil Mephistopheles. His birth was prophesized to tip the scales in the Blood War. It did no such thing, of course, but he was raised to devilhood after slaying several demon commanders with his fiery magic and claming their souls for his master. Is rumored to have scores of warlocks of his own, serving the devils' cause.
Benthos of the Reef
(water genasi, CG, 830-867): A genasi in the service of a powerful Marid who was awarded a wish for his services, which he promptly used to wish for him to become "one with the river". His master then thought for a while, before turning Benthos into a riverstone. Legend has it that the stone is still out there, waiting for someone to free Benthos from this curse.