I had no idea that was possible but I’d say if they broke the pact they would be cursed or afflicted by some sort of (divine) punishment from the patron they supported.
It may not be impossible to make a pact with a different patron as instead, after breaking it with the original one.
I think the implication is the only way its possible is time travel or some other plot device. They have stated the powers can't be taken away. IMO the clear implication from that is you already paid for it. You thew the villagers into the volcano, you sold your soul, you agreed to have the abilities as a bet between two celestial beings to show the nature of man, you beat them at a game of solitaire. Whatever bizarre requirement they had to grant you abilities, you already paid for. Any interactions with your pact being after that is for role playing, for sparking new quests for the group, just to give the DM another voice in the game at a unusual time etc and has nothing to do with keeping or maintaining your powers as that deal is already done.
Hmm... what if it comes in reverse? The being that made the pact with the warlock breaks the pact or doesn't hold up their end of the bargin?
In some cases, they can't
Devil's for example can't renege on a deal. I guess in theory the can, but then you can basically sue them, but that's a bit complicated so I'd just rule they can't. While the price is steep, these being are the only ones you can really trust to act in a consistent manner.
Demon's certainly can and I'd imagine in most situations would, but that doesn't mean they can take powers back. Let's say Orcus makes a pact with someone. I give you incredible cosmic powers, you summon me to the material plane, then I'll teach you how to become a Lich. Once Orcus makes it to the material plane, he probably can't take the powers back, but he doesn't *have* to teach you anything at that point. He could just in fact kill you, where I don't think Devil's are allowed to randomly kill.
Yugoloth's and other powerful beings probably work in a similar way, they aren't bound by cosmic law to honor an agreement, and will only do so as long as they continue to benefit. So you're probably better off doing what you need to, then getting away from them.
Night Hag's are somewhat bound I think. They have to honor an agreement...unless their fingers were crossed, so dealing with them can be tricky.
Hmm... what if it comes in reverse? The being that made the pact with the warlock breaks the pact or doesn't hold up their end of the bargin?
In some cases, they can't
I think in both cases it will depend heavily upon the nature of the pact, as a pact might be granted for some kind of ongoing service, in which case failure to provide that would be reasonable grounds for breaking the pact, or the patron temporarily revoking powers or such.
For example, Hadar (the dark sun) basically just wants souls to delay its own demise, so a warlock who fails to provide it with souls might be eligible for losing their powers, or having part of their own soul taken instead.
But yeah, you're right that if the pact was made in the form of a an exchange contract (do a thing, get cool warlock powers) then a Devil would absolutely be bound to honour it, as would anyone who made an agreement involving a marut (to hunt down those in breach of it).
I would say that forging a new pact with a more powerful entity could potentially override an existing one, e.g- if you upgrade from a minor to a major deity, though there'd be no guarantee the former patron won't seek revenge. 😉
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
I think they can't in the sense they already gave you the power, they have nothing to renege on anymore. They could kill you or permanently polymorph you into something without abilities or something but this is not like a stream of constant energy they are feeding you that they can cut off. They gave you a seed, how much you grow it is all on you. potentially on a role-play level you might need to do something to level up more in warlock, extra mysteries they wont show you until you do X or Y But what they already gave you they can't renege on.
So, my take on this: RAW, once you have a class feature, it's yours in perpetuity. Prior editions experimented with different mechanics for loss of features based on either level reduction or violating some standard of behavior/terms/etc., but this has since been viewed as problematic enough in implementation that it has been cut as a hard mechanic. Now, that said, I do think there's a great deal of fun RP potential to it, so if a player and/or DM want to have such features be more responsive to the player's actions, it's something to talk about in session 0. Really, I'd say what happens is very much a table-to-table call, rather than a matter for the rulebooks.
It's yours. The being teaches you things; you're not being streamed power from a subscription service, so they can't just cut off your internet and be done with you.
It's like that old saying, give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime. Same idea. You learn the basics of fishing and can toss a worm on a hook and catch some trout. If your pact breaks, you still know how to catch trout, even if you haven't yet been taught how to tie your own flies or use various lures or baits to catch other sorts of fish that you would learn from leveling up the pact.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
I'm currently playing a LG Yuan-Ti (Fiend) Warlock. A conflict of conscience led him to try to dis-connect from his Patron. My DM said "Cool" and built a whole mini quest out of it. Ultimately, my warlock had to go on a "spirit quest" to confront the avatar of this Fiend. It was my warlock vs this avatar with my party "spiritually" in attendance but only able to buff/aid me. Very tough battle but my warlock won! Result? He is now a Warlock with NO abilities that is desperately seeking a new Patron. Nothing sadder than a Yuan-Ti moping about "jonesing" for a fix of power from beyond!!! Lots of fun!!!
Since your Patron supplies your character with most (of not all) of your character's arcane might, if your character seriously tried to break the pact (most likely signed with Your Own Blood), then the Patron would be entitled to strip you of everything gained from the Patron and to leave you with probably less than what you had before making the pact.
Your patron might even alter your physical form as a reminder to others of the hazards of not honoring pacts. In the Greek myths, after the gold obsessed King Midas begged Apollo to take away the king's power to turn anything into gold, Apollo gave the idiot king the ears of a donkey as a reminder that the king would always be a foolish jackass.
But what if the warlock "breaking" the pact was part of the patron's inscrutable plan all along?
In that case, the patron was simply playing the warlock as a pawn, as a fool, as a worthless toy, in short, a patron who richly deserves to BE LEFT ALL ALONE.
What happens when/if a warlock breaks the pact with their patron? I'm looking for RAW, RAI, and any other knowledge, thoughts, or opinions.
It appears that there is nothing in RAW. But RAI indicated that yes something bad happens.
The long and short of it is, the DM decides what happens.
It can be as simple as the Patron does not acknowledge the player so has no idea it occurred and life goes on,
or another extreme.
Where a fissure opens in the earth, the Player and all that is around him gets swallowed and the earth closes that fissure and all that fell are instantly smashed to molecule size that player and any others that were with the player are all dead, never to be brought back to life. (AKA total party kill).
PS the player and DM should mention something of consequences if there is a huge disobey action(s) when the player comes up and states, that they want to be a warlock....
What happens when/if a warlock breaks the pact with their patron? I'm looking for RAW, RAI, and any other knowledge, thoughts, or opinions.
It appears that there is nothing in RAW. But RAI indicated that yes something bad happens.
The long and short of it is, the DM decides what happens.
It can be as simple as the Patron does not acknowledge the player so has no idea it occurred and life goes on,
or another extreme.
Where a fissure opens in the earth, the Player and all that is around him gets swallowed and the earth closes that fissure and all that fell are instantly smashed to molecule size that player and any others that were with the player are all dead, never to be brought back to life. (AKA total party kill).
PS the player and DM should mention something of consequences if there is a huge disobey action(s) when the player comes up and states, that they want to be a warlock....
It has always been my viewpoint that the Player Character wants a short-cut to immense arcane power and the Patron (whichever creature it is) is willing to invest a measure of the Patron's power in the client so as to serve some purpose of the Patron. The game designers at Wizards have mostly remained silent about the Patron/client relationship, for which I am grateful: it is better to let such matters rest upon what the individual PC and DM decide.
Back in the days when Wizards published the magazines of Dragon and Dungeon, there had been a couple of articles in both magazines that explored the Patron/client relationship. Based upon those articles, I decided that entering into a Pact with a Patron meant that the client's soul was transferred into a gemstone called a 'shadow gem' and the client received a 'shadow soul' in return. (This was back when a warlock, under stress, would "leak" shadow stuff.) This meant that the warlock had to remain in the good graces of his/her Patron or else risk the imprisoned soul being sold to A Very Unpleasant Entity.
Feel free to disagree but remember that the Patron always has the advantage in the negotiations and the only thing of value that the lowly client has, is the client's soul.
I last played under 3.5 and I don't recall any warlocks, so they are a "new" class for me.
But I disagree with the shortcut philosophy. I would say that Shortcut is for the vast majority, but not all. I am thinking that the warlock I am creating is nothing more then the result of a bet between Randolph and Mortimer Duke concerning nature vs. nurture.
Not all patrons from what I gather are evil so those who would be good would have no use for a soul either.
I do agree a Patron would have a use for their "client" which seems to be missing from a lot of players.
As this thread has returned from the grave I decided to dig out my old 3.5e books and found the description of Warlock as it was written then, I'll pop it in a spoiler to minimize the space required but it is quite interesting to compare it to the current version:
Born of a supernatural bloodline, a warlock seeks to master the perilous magic that suffuses his soul. Unlike sorcerers or wizards, who approach arcane magic through the medium of spells, a warlock invokes powerful magic through nothing more than an effort of will. By harnessing his innate magical gift through fearsome determination and force of will, a warlock can perform feats of supernatural stealth, beguile the weak-minded, or scour his foes with blasts of eldritch power.
Many warlocks are champions of dark and chaotic powers. Long ago, they (or in some cases, their ancestors) forged grim pacts with dangerous extra-planar powers, trading portions of their souls in exchange for supernatural power. While many warlocks have turned away from evil, seeking to undo the wrongs of their former colleagues, they are still chained by the old pacts through which they acquired their powers. The demand to further the designs of their dark patrons, or to resist them, drives most warlocks to seek the opportunities for power, wealth, and great deeds (for good or ill) offered by adventuring.
Warlocks harbor great reserves of mystical energy. The font of dark magic burning in their souls makes them resistant to many forms of attack and arms them with dangerous power. Warlocks do not wield spells, but they do learn to harness their power to perform a small number of specific attacks and tricks called invocations. Warlocks make up for their lack of versatility by being tougher and more resilient than sorcerers or wizards.
Warlocks are often chaotic or evil (and more than a few are both). The powers they serve can be cruel, capricious, and wild, unbound by conventional views of right and wrong. However, even warlocks who derive their powers from the most sinister of patrons have been known to turn the black powers at their command against evil. A good-aligned warlock is a grim and fearsome enemy of evil. All too familiar with the darkness lurking in his heart, he gazes unflinchingly on the evil in others and battles the foulest of foes without fear.
Warlocks know firsthand the power of supernatural beings, so they do not scorn religion. Evil warlocks sometimes seek the favor of cruel and bloodthirsty deities, while good warlocks often turn to the worship of noble and true deities for the strength to win the battle raging in their tortured souls.
Warlocks are born, not made. Some are the descendants of people who trafficked with demons and devils long ago. Some seek out the dark powers as youths, driven by ambition or the desire for power, but a few blameless individuals are simply marked out by the supernatural forces as conduits and tools. The exact nature of a warlock's origin is up to the player to decide; just as a sorcerer is not beholden to the magic-wielding ancestor that bequeathed his bloodline with arcane power, a warlock is not bound to follow the source that gifted him with magic.
Warlocks are not half-fiends or tieflings by default (although many creatures of those kinds become some of the most powerful and terrifying representatives of the class). The mark that the supernatural powers leave on their servants is often a mark in the soul, not the flesh. In fact, many warlocks are created by nonevil powers - wild or fey forces that can be every bit as dangerous as demons or devils. Whatever their origin, warlocks are widely feared and misunderstood. Most are wanderers who rarely stay in one place for long.
Ambitious and often unprincipled, humans are the most likely to seek out the dangerous shortcuts to power that lead to life as warlocks. Half-orcs are common as warlocks as well, since they often find that the powers that create warlocks do not discriminate against individuals of mixed heritage. Warlocks of other races are rare at best.
The warlock views sorcerers and wizards as bitter rivals. He values the strength and cleverness of resourceful fighters and rogues but rarely gets along with clerics or paladins. Of course, most warlocks understand that it's a bad idea to antagonize their comrades (especially those who hold the key to healing magic), and so they work out an uneasy truce with characters who otherwise might ostracize them.
A warlock serves much the same role in an adventuring party as a sorcerer or wizard would. He is much more limited in his abilities compared to the spell selection of spellcasters, and he must rely on his eldritch blast in place of the spell power of an arcane caster. Like a bard, he often fits best in a party that already has another spellcaster or two, since his unique abilities provide him with little magic to use for his companions' benefit.
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Since 5e at least I am not sure how much if any of a short cut it is. "Warlocks quest for knowledge that lies hidden in the fabric of the multiverse. They often begin their search for magical power by delving into tomes of forbidden lore, dabbling in invocations meant to attract the power of extraplanar beings, or seeking places of power where the influence of these beings can be felt. In no time, each Warlock is drawn into a binding pact with a powerful patron. Drawing on the ancient knowledge of beings such as angels, archfey, demons, devils, hags, and alien entities of the Far Realm, Warlocks piece together arcane secrets to bolster their own power." While i have the 4e book they are in I don't have it near me to see if it is much the same or closer to the 3.5 version above.
That sounds like someone putting their nose to the grindstone to me. And again is why it should have been the int stat instead of chr. I suspect most wizards had a mentor who trained them so gaining some of their learning form a patron is no different then having a master wizard train an apprentice. The 5e version is designed more around a cthuluesq occultist. The difference between them and a wizard is more that the wizard is studying the accepted theories of magic, the Warlock is trying to find secrets outside of that scope. The wizard is basically studying the science of the magic setting, the warlock is studying "truths" beyond the science.
As for the main part of the thread.
"Warlocks view their patrons as resources, as means to the end of achieving magical power. Some Warlocks respect, revere, or even love their patrons; some serve their patrons grudgingly; and some seek to undermine their patrons even as they wield the power their patrons have given them.
Once a pact is made, a Warlock’s thirst for knowledge and power can’t be slaked with mere study. Most Warlocks spend their days pursuing greater power and deeper knowledge, which typically means some kind of adventure"
Given that undermining their patrons is one of the default settings so to speak of the warlock, is the intent was something massive like power loss, TPKs etc I think they'd bring it up.
As this thread has returned from the grave I decided to dig out my old 3.5e books and found the description of Warlock as it was written then, I'll pop it in a spoiler to minimize the space required but it is quite interesting to compare it to the current version:
That was in the players handbook? People could become one? I still don't remember having a choice to be a warlock, but it could be I was to into fighters back then.
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I think the implication is the only way its possible is time travel or some other plot device. They have stated the powers can't be taken away. IMO the clear implication from that is you already paid for it. You thew the villagers into the volcano, you sold your soul, you agreed to have the abilities as a bet between two celestial beings to show the nature of man, you beat them at a game of solitaire. Whatever bizarre requirement they had to grant you abilities, you already paid for. Any interactions with your pact being after that is for role playing, for sparking new quests for the group, just to give the DM another voice in the game at a unusual time etc and has nothing to do with keeping or maintaining your powers as that deal is already done.
Fair enough, I didn’t think of it this way thanks for the thought process. 😊
Hmm... what if it comes in reverse? The being that made the pact with the warlock breaks the pact or doesn't hold up their end of the bargin?
In some cases, they can't
Devil's for example can't renege on a deal. I guess in theory the can, but then you can basically sue them, but that's a bit complicated so I'd just rule they can't. While the price is steep, these being are the only ones you can really trust to act in a consistent manner.
Demon's certainly can and I'd imagine in most situations would, but that doesn't mean they can take powers back. Let's say Orcus makes a pact with someone. I give you incredible cosmic powers, you summon me to the material plane, then I'll teach you how to become a Lich. Once Orcus makes it to the material plane, he probably can't take the powers back, but he doesn't *have* to teach you anything at that point. He could just in fact kill you, where I don't think Devil's are allowed to randomly kill.
Yugoloth's and other powerful beings probably work in a similar way, they aren't bound by cosmic law to honor an agreement, and will only do so as long as they continue to benefit. So you're probably better off doing what you need to, then getting away from them.
Night Hag's are somewhat bound I think. They have to honor an agreement...unless their fingers were crossed, so dealing with them can be tricky.
I think in both cases it will depend heavily upon the nature of the pact, as a pact might be granted for some kind of ongoing service, in which case failure to provide that would be reasonable grounds for breaking the pact, or the patron temporarily revoking powers or such.
For example, Hadar (the dark sun) basically just wants souls to delay its own demise, so a warlock who fails to provide it with souls might be eligible for losing their powers, or having part of their own soul taken instead.
But yeah, you're right that if the pact was made in the form of a an exchange contract (do a thing, get cool warlock powers) then a Devil would absolutely be bound to honour it, as would anyone who made an agreement involving a marut (to hunt down those in breach of it).
I would say that forging a new pact with a more powerful entity could potentially override an existing one, e.g- if you upgrade from a minor to a major deity, though there'd be no guarantee the former patron won't seek revenge. 😉
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
I think they can't in the sense they already gave you the power, they have nothing to renege on anymore. They could kill you or permanently polymorph you into something without abilities or something but this is not like a stream of constant energy they are feeding you that they can cut off. They gave you a seed, how much you grow it is all on you. potentially on a role-play level you might need to do something to level up more in warlock, extra mysteries they wont show you until you do X or Y But what they already gave you they can't renege on.
So, my take on this: RAW, once you have a class feature, it's yours in perpetuity. Prior editions experimented with different mechanics for loss of features based on either level reduction or violating some standard of behavior/terms/etc., but this has since been viewed as problematic enough in implementation that it has been cut as a hard mechanic. Now, that said, I do think there's a great deal of fun RP potential to it, so if a player and/or DM want to have such features be more responsive to the player's actions, it's something to talk about in session 0. Really, I'd say what happens is very much a table-to-table call, rather than a matter for the rulebooks.
It's yours. The being teaches you things; you're not being streamed power from a subscription service, so they can't just cut off your internet and be done with you.
It's like that old saying, give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime. Same idea. You learn the basics of fishing and can toss a worm on a hook and catch some trout. If your pact breaks, you still know how to catch trout, even if you haven't yet been taught how to tie your own flies or use various lures or baits to catch other sorts of fish that you would learn from leveling up the pact.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
I'm currently playing a LG Yuan-Ti (Fiend) Warlock. A conflict of conscience led him to try to dis-connect from his Patron. My DM said "Cool" and built a whole mini quest out of it. Ultimately, my warlock had to go on a "spirit quest" to confront the avatar of this Fiend. It was my warlock vs this avatar with my party "spiritually" in attendance but only able to buff/aid me. Very tough battle but my warlock won! Result? He is now a Warlock with NO abilities that is desperately seeking a new Patron. Nothing sadder than a Yuan-Ti moping about "jonesing" for a fix of power from beyond!!! Lots of fun!!!
Yuan-tis have a conscience?!
.
Since your Patron supplies your character with most (of not all) of your character's arcane might, if your character seriously tried to break the pact (most likely signed with Your Own Blood), then the Patron would be entitled to strip you of everything gained from the Patron and to leave you with probably less than what you had before making the pact.
Your patron might even alter your physical form as a reminder to others of the hazards of not honoring pacts. In the Greek myths, after the gold obsessed King Midas begged Apollo to take away the king's power to turn anything into gold, Apollo gave the idiot king the ears of a donkey as a reminder that the king would always be a foolish jackass.
But what if the warlock "breaking" the pact was part of the patron's inscrutable plan all along?
In that case, the patron was simply playing the warlock as a pawn, as a fool, as a worthless toy, in short, a patron who richly deserves to BE LEFT ALL ALONE.
It appears that there is nothing in RAW. But RAI indicated that yes something bad happens.
The long and short of it is, the DM decides what happens.
It can be as simple as the Patron does not acknowledge the player so has no idea it occurred and life goes on,
or another extreme.
Where a fissure opens in the earth, the Player and all that is around him gets swallowed and the earth closes that fissure and all that fell are instantly smashed to molecule size that player and any others that were with the player are all dead, never to be brought back to life. (AKA total party kill).
PS the player and DM should mention something of consequences if there is a huge disobey action(s) when the player comes up and states, that they want to be a warlock....
It has always been my viewpoint that the Player Character wants a short-cut to immense arcane power and the Patron (whichever creature it is) is willing to invest a measure of the Patron's power in the client so as to serve some purpose of the Patron. The game designers at Wizards have mostly remained silent about the Patron/client relationship, for which I am grateful: it is better to let such matters rest upon what the individual PC and DM decide.
Back in the days when Wizards published the magazines of Dragon and Dungeon, there had been a couple of articles in both magazines that explored the Patron/client relationship. Based upon those articles, I decided that entering into a Pact with a Patron meant that the client's soul was transferred into a gemstone called a 'shadow gem' and the client received a 'shadow soul' in return. (This was back when a warlock, under stress, would "leak" shadow stuff.) This meant that the warlock had to remain in the good graces of his/her Patron or else risk the imprisoned soul being sold to A Very Unpleasant Entity.
Feel free to disagree but remember that the Patron always has the advantage in the negotiations and the only thing of value that the lowly client has, is the client's soul.
I last played under 3.5 and I don't recall any warlocks, so they are a "new" class for me.
But I disagree with the shortcut philosophy. I would say that Shortcut is for the vast majority, but not all. I am thinking that the warlock I am creating is nothing more then the result of a bet between Randolph and Mortimer Duke concerning nature vs. nurture.
Not all patrons from what I gather are evil so those who would be good would have no use for a soul either.
I do agree a Patron would have a use for their "client" which seems to be missing from a lot of players.
As this thread has returned from the grave I decided to dig out my old 3.5e books and found the description of Warlock as it was written then, I'll pop it in a spoiler to minimize the space required but it is quite interesting to compare it to the current version:
Born of a supernatural bloodline, a warlock seeks to master the perilous magic that suffuses his soul. Unlike sorcerers or wizards, who approach arcane magic through the medium of spells, a warlock invokes powerful magic through nothing more than an effort of will. By harnessing his innate magical gift through fearsome determination and force of will, a warlock can perform feats of supernatural stealth, beguile the weak-minded, or scour his foes with blasts of eldritch power.
Many warlocks are champions of dark and chaotic powers. Long ago, they (or in some cases, their ancestors) forged grim pacts with dangerous extra-planar powers, trading portions of their souls in exchange for supernatural power. While many warlocks have turned away from evil, seeking to undo the wrongs of their former colleagues, they are still chained by the old pacts through which they acquired their powers. The demand to further the designs of their dark patrons, or to resist them, drives most warlocks to seek the opportunities for power, wealth, and great deeds (for good or ill) offered by adventuring.
Warlocks harbor great reserves of mystical energy. The font of dark magic burning in their souls makes them resistant to many forms of attack and arms them with dangerous power. Warlocks do not wield spells, but they do learn to harness their power to perform a small number of specific attacks and tricks called invocations. Warlocks make up for their lack of versatility by being tougher and more resilient than sorcerers or wizards.
Warlocks are often chaotic or evil (and more than a few are both). The powers they serve can be cruel, capricious, and wild, unbound by conventional views of right and wrong. However, even warlocks who derive their powers from the most sinister of patrons have been known to turn the black powers at their command against evil. A good-aligned warlock is a grim and fearsome enemy of evil. All too familiar with the darkness lurking in his heart, he gazes unflinchingly on the evil in others and battles the foulest of foes without fear.
Warlocks know firsthand the power of supernatural beings, so they do not scorn religion. Evil warlocks sometimes seek the favor of cruel and bloodthirsty deities, while good warlocks often turn to the worship of noble and true deities for the strength to win the battle raging in their tortured souls.
Warlocks are born, not made. Some are the descendants of people who trafficked with demons and devils long ago. Some seek out the dark powers as youths, driven by ambition or the desire for power, but a few blameless individuals are simply marked out by the supernatural forces as conduits and tools. The exact nature of a warlock's origin is up to the player to decide; just as a sorcerer is not beholden to the magic-wielding ancestor that bequeathed his bloodline with arcane power, a warlock is not bound to follow the source that gifted him with magic.
Warlocks are not half-fiends or tieflings by default (although many creatures of those kinds become some of the most powerful and terrifying representatives of the class). The mark that the supernatural powers leave on their servants is often a mark in the soul, not the flesh. In fact, many warlocks are created by nonevil powers - wild or fey forces that can be every bit as dangerous as demons or devils. Whatever their origin, warlocks are widely feared and misunderstood. Most are wanderers who rarely stay in one place for long.
Ambitious and often unprincipled, humans are the most likely to seek out the dangerous shortcuts to power that lead to life as warlocks. Half-orcs are common as warlocks as well, since they often find that the powers that create warlocks do not discriminate against individuals of mixed heritage. Warlocks of other races are rare at best.
The warlock views sorcerers and wizards as bitter rivals. He values the strength and cleverness of resourceful fighters and rogues but rarely gets along with clerics or paladins. Of course, most warlocks understand that it's a bad idea to antagonize their comrades (especially those who hold the key to healing magic), and so they work out an uneasy truce with characters who otherwise might ostracize them.
A warlock serves much the same role in an adventuring party as a sorcerer or wizard would. He is much more limited in his abilities compared to the spell selection of spellcasters, and he must rely on his eldritch blast in place of the spell power of an arcane caster. Like a bard, he often fits best in a party that already has another spellcaster or two, since his unique abilities provide him with little magic to use for his companions' benefit.
Since 5e at least I am not sure how much if any of a short cut it is. "Warlocks quest for knowledge that lies hidden in the fabric of the multiverse. They often begin their search for magical power by delving into tomes of forbidden lore, dabbling in invocations meant to attract the power of extraplanar beings, or seeking places of power where the influence of these beings can be felt. In no time, each Warlock is drawn into a binding pact with a powerful patron. Drawing on the ancient knowledge of beings such as angels, archfey, demons, devils, hags, and alien entities of the Far Realm, Warlocks piece together arcane secrets to bolster their own power." While i have the 4e book they are in I don't have it near me to see if it is much the same or closer to the 3.5 version above.
That sounds like someone putting their nose to the grindstone to me. And again is why it should have been the int stat instead of chr. I suspect most wizards had a mentor who trained them so gaining some of their learning form a patron is no different then having a master wizard train an apprentice. The 5e version is designed more around a cthuluesq occultist. The difference between them and a wizard is more that the wizard is studying the accepted theories of magic, the Warlock is trying to find secrets outside of that scope. The wizard is basically studying the science of the magic setting, the warlock is studying "truths" beyond the science.
As for the main part of the thread.
"Warlocks view their patrons as resources, as means to the end of achieving magical power. Some Warlocks respect, revere, or even love their patrons; some serve their patrons grudgingly; and some seek to undermine their patrons even as they wield the power their patrons have given them.
Once a pact is made, a Warlock’s thirst for knowledge and power can’t be slaked with mere study. Most Warlocks spend their days pursuing greater power and deeper knowledge, which typically means some kind of adventure"
Given that undermining their patrons is one of the default settings so to speak of the warlock, is the intent was something massive like power loss, TPKs etc I think they'd bring it up.
That was in the players handbook? People could become one? I still don't remember having a choice to be a warlock, but it could be I was to into fighters back then.