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4e Planar Warlock Benefactors

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Mon, 2008-12-29 01:45
#1
Center of All
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4e Planar Warlock Benefactors

The 4e PHB lists three pacts that warlocks may take, and the Forgotten Realms guide lists a fourth.  The pacts all seem relatively cut and dry.  Infernal pacts are forged with devils, Fey pacts are forged with fey creatures, the Star pacts come from delving too far into the beyond, and the Dark pacts originate among the drow.

Planescape, however, opens up a whole new world of Pact options.  The 4e PHB presents a somewhat narrow scope, although one any creative cutter can expand however he needs.  But when you take the 4e warlock concept to the Planes, you open up a whole new Pandora's Box of options for warlock patrons that can work in the same four pacts.  

So what other options do you see for warlock patrons in the Multiverse beyond the usual?  Here are some I came up with, after Dunamin's post in my game thread (shameless plug: join my game!) really got my mind thinking.

Infernal Pact

  • Efreeti - An efreet is a magical creature of fire and evil.  They're close "friends" of the baatezu and share many similar outlooks on life.  Their magical nature means they may be able to bestow fiery power upon mortals foolish enough to enter a pact with them.

Fey Pact

  • Djinn, Marids, and Dao -  Similar to the efreeti, all of the other genies are very magical beings, capable of great power.  They're already able to bestow the occasional wish, but perhaps they can sponsor a mortal in exchange for some kind of service.  Djinn would be more like a Seelie patron, while Dao would be decidedly nasty and wicked benefactors.
  • Eladrin and Guardinals - These celestials, especially the eladrin, closely resemble the concept of good fair folk.  They could empower mortals to fight for all that is good in the Multiverse and lay curses upon the evil in a manner similar to Fey Pact mechanics.  "Infernal" powers used by this sort of warlock would manifest as cleansing, purifying fire instead of a vile blaze.
  • Yugoloths - Yugoloths are like the darker fey: capricious, evil beings that enjoy making bargains and toying with mortals.  Powerful 'loths may coerce foolish or arrogant mortals into their clutches in exchange for fell and mysterious powers.  They would represent the decidedly darker aspects of the "fey pact" mechanics. A basher could likely make a similar case for tanar'ri as dark fey pact patrons, especially glabrezu.

Star Pact

  • Pandemonium - Part of the point of the Star Pact seems to be that the warlock is not sure what he's summoning power from, and that power eventually drives him closer and closer to insanity.  What better "patron" for such a warlock than the winds of Pandemonium?  Such a warlock wouldn't actively seek out a patron (though some may exist), but would study how to harness the power of the winds and make it his own.
What other ideas could be out there?  I'll update the list as folks post more.

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Mon, 2008-12-29 02:07
#2
Clueless
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Ok - I adore this idea. I'm

Ok - I adore this idea. I'm going to have to read up on the pacts idea and see what I can come up with.

Thu, 2009-01-01 21:28
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GunsmackIt
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This may be a bit ambitious

This may be a bit ambitious but upon thinking about it, I come to realize that there are other oppporunties for sponsors unexplored by the three pacts given. What possible resistance would a powerful good exemplar, even a lawful one, have to giving power to a mortal agent? Perhaps an Aasimon pact would be a solid choice, a warlock who's abilities focused on channeling radiant energy as an attack form, but with some minor abilities mimicking those of priests, and even if you want to maintain the darker aspect of the class (keep the emo-tude) there are plenty of sources that would be more than happy to help.

 Less in keeping with the emo-tude but suitably planescapey (and perhaps fitting star or fey, maybe requiring its own pact) is the Mortai. What's to say the enigmatic living clouds of the Beastlands, described as Super-Intelligent, couldn't bestow some fragment of power upon a mortal. More emo-tastic would be that a powerful Observer, aka, super-beholder, giving power to a warlock, as a star pact. The continued exposure to such rigid minds, minds that viewed the world through entirly different filters, would eventually warp the warlock.

The thought of channelling the winds of Pandemonium brings up another question. What if there were warlocks capable of making pacts with the general spirit of the plane, the zeitgeist. I think any suitably powerful creature though could be a choice. Everyone has a reason to take mortal servitors at times, from Rilmani to Illithids. Its just a matter of finding those that mesh with the system. 

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Thu, 2009-01-01 23:26
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Clueless
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How about Incarnates? Given

How about Incarnates? Given their personification of a sin or grace, there's a great deal of power to be found behind those conceptual creatures.

Fri, 2009-01-02 00:13
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GunsmackIt
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True that and certain of the

True that and certain of the Incarnates fit the already established pacts fine. Would it be so strange to see am incarnate of rage with an infernal pact or an incarnate of Things Man Was Never Meant to Know with a star pact?

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Fri, 2009-01-02 01:07
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Clueless
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Most of the Incarnates of

Most of the Incarnates of the sins would be infernal I'd think. Though Lust might wander more into Fey territory, and Pride really deserves something special. Smiling

Fri, 2009-01-02 02:58
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Center of All
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It's interesting that most

It's interesting that most of the 4e warlock pacts imply contacting powers of darkness, evil, madness, or other similar unfriendly themes.  Fey pact warlocks could arguably have decidedly good-aligned patrons, but the others run a very sinister path.  Planescape, fortunately, can potentially accommodate ideas less wicked for warlocks, but what would that entail, do you think?

Let's assume for the moment that an aasimon can be a patron for a warlock pact.  Which pact would he grant?  Would he use a "recolored" version of an existing pact or would a new pact be needed?  Or should warlocks, by definition, be restricted to things less good than an aasimon?  That is, should warlocks be limited to more malicious, capricious, or insane powers?

I love the ideas here so far.  The Incarnates one is really, really neat.  How would that go?  Would a warlock lose his powers if an Incarnate un-possessed him? (I'm not terribly familiar with Incarnate lore here other than the basics of what an Incarnate is, so do nudge me around if I am saying something weird)

I agree with the idea that any suitably powerful creature could potentially be a warlock patron, though I wonder how many would.  My guess is creatures like aasimon and archons would rather work through clerics, paladins, and good folks that already have their own abilities.  Rilmani almost certainly would not, since they are enigmatic and mysterious.  They're much less likely to "reveal their secrets" than other exemplars.  A lot of people in the Planescape setting don't even realize the rilmani exist

You see fewer instances of people beseeching celestials for power than you do fiends.  On the other hand, the BoED for 3e has a whole slew of PrCs, feats, and other mechanics that call upon the power of celestial paragons.   But it still begs the question posed earlier: What sort of pact would, for example, a planetar's warlock use?

If we kept with the idea that a warlock pact should be actively malicious (fiends, efreeti, yugoloths), capricious (other genies, fey), or distant, unknown, and "addle-cove-ing"(Pandemonium, zeitgeists, possibly the quasiplane of Vacuum?), my thought is "warlocks" that make pacts with goodly creatures like the celestials would be more like the 3.5e favored soul.  As such, they'd use a different mechanic, so they'd be a cleric or some such. 

Or actually, now that consider it, the Invoker class that Wizards previewd on D&Di recently would fill the concept of a "good warlock" quite aptly I think.  A divine caster that doesn't quite call on the gods the same way clerics do.  I could potentially see an aasimon teaching or bestowing the powers of the Invoker on someone he forges a pact of service with.

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Fri, 2009-01-02 10:17
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The idea behind a rilmani

The idea behind a rilmani warlock was, to me, that in a "mysterious ways" kind of deal, the rilmani might contact someone who would have some important say in maintaining the balance later. Not necessarily even a willing pact, but more like the 3.e sorceror, they just wake up one day and, "WTF? I can shoot fire....from my mind!" The warlock might not even know he was being "sponsored" by the rilmani. That said I think it (if you were to use it) should be a very singular thing, and the occasion for much speculation.

And you're right about the invoker. I likes him alot, and he fits into the PS setting very well, I think. He is the good version of the warlock. However, one thing that really isn't covered in the pacts provided is a pact with a strictly lawful entity. I think Primus would be loath to share power with anyone not modron but there are other lawful exemplars who would be johnny on the spot to spread the love.

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Fri, 2009-01-02 11:57
(Reply to #8) #9
Center of All
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GunsmackIt wrote: And

GunsmackIt wrote:

And you're right about the invoker. I likes him alot, and he fits into the PS setting very well, I think. He is the good version of the warlock. However, one thing that really isn't covered in the pacts provided is a pact with a strictly lawful entity. I think Primus would be loath to share power with anyone not modron but there are other lawful exemplars who would be johnny on the spot to spread the love.

Inevitables, maybe? Smiling They probably like certain Hardheads and Guvners and probably some Mercykillers, too.  And unlike the modrons, the Inevitables have a recognizable crusade that would lend itself well toward employing "lesser" beings.

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Fri, 2009-01-02 19:29
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Parai might also work - in

Parai might also work - in the course of converting the sponsored being to their side.

Thu, 2009-01-15 05:31
#11
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Some ideas for using famous

Some ideas for using famous Planescape characters as warlock patrons:

 

Infernal Pact

Baator: All the Lords of the Nine, the Dark Eight, powerful dukes and other nobles (Geryon et al). Tiamat, her consorts, or others of her powerful servants.

Gehenna: The General of Gehenna, Helekanalaith (Keeper of the Tower Arcane), Typhus.

The Abyss: Alzrius, Graz'zt, Kardum.

Limbo: Bazim-Gorag (the slaadi Two-Headed Scion).

Elemental Plane of Fire: Imix, Zaaman Rul, Kossuth, Marrake al-Sidan al-Hariq ben Lazan (sultan of the efreeti), Amaimon (ruler of the azers).

 

 

Fey Pact

The Beastlands: The Cat Lord, the Monkey Lord, and other animal lords.

Arborea: Morwel, Faerinaal, Gwynharwyf, other members of the Court of Stars or powerful eladrin.

The Abyss: Malgarius.

Members of the Seelie Court, members of the Unseelie Court.

 

Dark Pact

The Abyss: Luperico, Nocticula, Rhyxali.

The Grey Wastes: Anthraxus, Mydianchlarus (the Oinoloth).

Baator: Glasya.

Powerful Pandemonium, Negative Energy Plane, and Shadow Plane entities.

 

Star Pact

Celestia: Venya the Seer

Limbo: Ssendam, Rennbuu, Chourst, Wartle, other powerful slaadi.

The Abyss: Adimarchus, Diabolus, Dagon.

Astral: Vlaakith the Lich Queen.

Powerful Astral and Far Realm entities.

Tue, 2009-01-06 14:41
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I could see yugoloths

I could see yugoloths (especially ultroloth caste) getting behind the dark pact. Seems like Dagon could be a good benefactor for star pact.

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Tue, 2009-01-06 16:06
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True dat. In a pinch I

True dat. In a pinch I suppose most fiend lords could be considered for the infernal and dark pact, with varying degrees of credibility.

 

I had the impression earlier that the Dark Pact was about drawing power from the Underdark, with central themes being darkness and underground. Now that I have actually taken a closer look at the pact, however, it seems more expansive than that:

"Spells of darkness, poison, madness, and spite fill your mind." (FRPG p35)

 

Interesting, I should have considered poison to be a central theme what with Lolth's people being the iconic practitioners. I guess that means Anthraxus and Glasya, for instance, would be pretty good for dark pacts.

Mon, 2009-01-12 23:14
#14
Tarion'sCousin
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My next warlock is going to

My next warlock is going to have a pact with Bob the Efreet.

 

\not a bookmark. Wink

Tue, 2009-01-13 15:21
(Reply to #14) #15
Bob the Efreet
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Tarion'sCousin wrote: My

Tarion'sCousin wrote:

My next warlock is going to have a pact with Bob the Efreet.

 

 I approve of this plan.

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Tue, 2009-01-13 15:38
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What about the Oinoloth?

What about the Oinoloth?

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Thu, 2009-01-15 05:39
(Reply to #16) #17
Dunamin
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Bob the Efreet wrote:I

Bob the Efreet wrote:
I could see yugoloths (especially ultroloth caste) getting behind the dark pact. Seems like Dagon could be a good benefactor for star pact.
 

My initial thought was that a "lord of the deeps" is somewhat antithetical to a "patron of the stars", but thinking a little more about it I agree with you. It's more about the style connected to Dagon, somewhat Lovecraftian / Far Realm-esque that makes him seem good for star pact.

 

Center of All wrote:
What about the Oinoloth?

Good point. I'd peg Mydianchlarus at Dark Pact.

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