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The classes ofDungeons & Dragonsall have unique features, so they engage with the world you, the dungeon master, create in unique ways. Classes like clerics and paladins will likely play differently depending on the god that they worship. Unlike adhering to specific religious doctrine, warlocks draw their powers from an enigmatic patron, subject to their unpredictable whims.
Warlock patrons are powerful entities that grant mortals access to their power in exchange for a pact that binds the warlock to their patron’s will. That means a warlock is more likely to interact with their patron on a regular basis, and you will have to step into the eldritch shoes of a patron.
Where To Start?
The first step to role-playing a memorable patron is totake the timeandhave a conversation with your warlock player. Find out a little bit aboutwho their warlock isandwhat they are looking for in a relationship with their patron.
A few questions you might want to ask are: How did your player and their patron strike theireldritch pact? Why did your warlock’s patron offer your warlock theirmagicin the first place? Is the warlock’s patron incomplete controlof thepactor are theybound just as tightly?
Does your player want to be a warlock whoembracesorrejectstheir patron? That question alone provides a simple but interesting basis to building acomplex relationship. Flavor it further by finding out why your player rejects or embraces their warlock and let thatguide your interactions.
All these little details can help you know how to flavor the interactions between your warlock and patron. Patrons who have a pact in their favor are likely to be more demanding but also less directly antagonistic. Vice versa and in every other unique direction that our modern multiverse media landscape allows for.
Your warlock player is not the only one you should discuss with the patron that will be playing at your table. Youdo not give out any specificsbut mentiongeneral subjectthat people might find disruptive to their fun andbe open to their responses.
Some warlocks and parties may opt not to have much or any interaction with their patron. If this is the case, you canlimit your patron’s influence over the warlock to vague sensesorsubliminal messagesto maintain the pact fantasy without delving too deeply into patron dynamics.
Who Is The Patron?
Your warlock player obviously decides what kind of patron they have, butit is ultimately up to youwho their patron is. Once you have a bit of information on who your warlock is and what your warlock player is looking for,start thinking of ways the patron might fit into your campaign.
Regardless, it always helps to take the time to understand thepersonalityandquirksof your otherworldly patron andhow they interact with the party, the world,andthe narrative.
For example, if you are running Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus with a fiend warlock, you might want to consider theimplications of a player receiving their powers from a devilordemonwhen they are some of the major villains of Descent into Avernus.
The good news is thatyou don’t need to force your warlock into turning on the partyin these situations. For the Descent Into Avernus for example, you may have a devil who empowers a warlock to fight their supposed comrades. That choiceimmediately adds depthto the patron without extra work on the part of the dungeon master.
The devil might be pretending to assist the party only to ambush them later when they have the advantage in their own domain. Alternatively,The Nine Hellsis not exactly afriendly workplace, so the warlock’s devil patron might be making moves to advance.
You can make just about any situation work with enough mental gymnastics, so take the time tostretch your creative brain muscles. Things that seem impossible to justify are often opportunities for unique storytelling opportunities.Never shy away from a strange idea, especially when working with eldritch beings.
While you might want to have a stat block for your patron,keep in mind that anything with health points can be killed by your players. If you want the party to be able to slay the warlock’s patron, then full steam ahead. Otherwise, keep your patron nebulously powerful to avoid any unwanted class changes.
What Does The Patron Want?
Bargains arenever struck for no reason, even if that reason is simply a desire to bargain. Consider whatgoalsyour warlock’s patron might have for the realm at large. This will inform whattasksyour patron might give your warlock
Tasks Given To Warlock
Fiend
A devil near the bottom of hell’s hierarchy who needs more souls to rise through the ranks of devils.
Archfey
An archfey noble seeks to strike down a rival through complicated fae politics.
Great Old One
A slumbering eldritch being is on the cusp of awakening to reshape the world in their terrible image.
It will help you toestablish how intensely your patron desires their goalat this moment. A great old one who rests in a slumber of over ten thousand years is not as likely to harass your warlock as a fiend who needs to meet their soul quota before the end of the month.
Do not give your warlock tasks that interferetoo significantlywith party harmony. A goodsession zeroconversation to have with the party is what everyone’s limits are. Remember,you may control the lore, you can absolutely play around with what a patron might ask of their warlock.
Rather than making your fiendish warlock come to blows with the paladin over a recent orphanage burning in the name of Asmodeous, look at other less intense but equally devious tasks. Maybe they need to deliver an innocuous-seeming item to a temple that turns out to defile it.Take the time to talk it out with your playersbecause you want to create party discord, not table discord.
Once you know what your patron wants and the tasks they assign their warlocks to get what they want,you can consider how to place them in your world. Is your patron a well-known entity within your world or is knowledge about them a closely guarded secret?
Do people regard your patron withfear, awe,ordismissaland does your patron like that response or abhor it? Knowing the way your patron is regarded by the world at largecan help provide further contextfor how they interact with your warlock player.
A fiend who revels in the fear they inspire in the masses might find themselves bored with a stoic warlock, while an archfey accustomed to mortals fawning over their ethereal beauty might be excited by the same warlock.
Why Does Your Patron Punish?
Your warlock has a good chance at failing to uphold their end of the bargain, leading to a punishment from their patron. Consider first if your patron is likelyto punish your warlock frequentlyorinfrequently.This is somethingyou must discusswith your warlock player.
Your player signed up to be a warlock, which means there is thebuilt-in understandingthat they will deal with a patron and the consequences that entails. However, that does not mean that your warlock playerwants to be constantly pitted against theirtableorface punishment.
Be creative about what consequences your patron gives your warlock. Nobody likes to play the powerless guy at the table, so think outside the box. For example: An archfey patron might punish their warlock’s failure by making them smell like fermented berries for a month.
Once you have an idea of the consequences your warlock’s patron might impose, think of the reasonswhy your patron imposes those specific punishments. Not all punishments are the same and the manner in which your warlock’s patron punishes their warlock says a lot about them.
A fiend might be sadistic in their punishments while setting their warlock up for failure just to punish them more later. Meanwhile, a mortal loving archfey might hesitate in their punishment, but they are obligated by the fae court to follow through.
When To Let The Dice Rule
Finally, the best tip for ensuring you have a memorable patron is topay attention to the way the dice roll.Let the results of your warlock attempting to use the patron’s power inform you of whom the patron is.
Does your warlock consistently roll high and pull off amazing maneuvers? Your patron might have their eye on the warlock and a vested interest in their success. Warlocks who roll low and experience epic failures might have apatron who is less impressivethan the grandiose supernatural being they originally struck a deal with.
Keep an open mindandwork with your warlockto create afunandengagingstory for them and the rest of the players at your table. No matter the details of your patron, your players are going to remember how much fun they were to work with or against.
