Well, the RAW difference is, that clerics patron is a god, warlocks patron is something much weaker (eg. powerful devil).
How I imagine them (and is thus probably not RAW), cleric ask his god for spell, and if the god agrees, he casts the spell, using the cleric as a focus. For warlocks, I imagine it more in the way "here, I transfer part of my power to you" do whatever you want with it, but I'll ask something in return later.
Clerics get their powers directly from a deity, usually in exchange for furthering that deity's agenda.
Paladins get their powers from swearing and following a sacred oath. They uphold certain ideals rather than directly furthering the interests of a specific deity.
Warlocks study obscure arcane lore and make deals with all sorts of powerful extraplanar beings that usually aren't gods. There's a combination of wizardly study and either mentorship or gifting of magic power at play.
There's obviously potential overlap in these concepts. For example, Asmodeus could be a warlock patron for some people and a cleric deity for devil cults simultaneously. Likewise, the Raven Queen is believed to be the force behind the Hexblade patron for warlocks, and she's arguably a deity as well. It's also likely that paladins will worship good deities that reflect their ideals.
I think InquisitiveCoder got the basics of the three pretty accurate. But as many have said, there's a lot of room for overlap. And a God to one person might be a Patron to another. Plus clerics and paladins can get their powers from their beliefs and convictions without directly interfacing with a being.
I think the GENERAL relationship between the three is that clerics are in a chosen and mutually beneficial relationship, paladins are in a mutual relationship but one might have chosen the other, and warlocks are in a more complicated relationship that might not be mutually beneficial and might have more subterfuge and nuisance. This isn't always the case, and there is LOTS of room for DMs and players to craft their own unique relationships.
It's also worth considering the way the powers manifest for those three classes and the type character they are. What kind of character you are might help pick what kind of relationship you have. My cleric worships a Phoenix, who in the classic sense would fit more as a warlock patron, but my character is a healer and protector who wants that friendly relationship with a being. So worshipping the Phoenix as a cleric feels more accurate to the character.
I don't know where people got this idea that Paladin's have to follow a specific god/religion. They never have. Its a good example of the Mandela Effect. While a Paladin COULD serve a religion/god in specific, its not required. Sure, your Paladin is probably gonna be more respectable if they follows (for example) Heironeous, the god of Chivalry and Honorable War, but they're not actually part and parcel of such an organization/church. Its the nobility and and code of the Paladin that grants them their powers.
I don't know where people got this idea that Paladin's have to follow a specific god/religion. They never have. Its a good example of the Mandela Effect. While a Paladin COULD serve a religion/god in specific, its not required. Sure, your Paladin is probably gonna be more respectable if they follows (for example) Heironeous, the god of Chivalry and Honorable War, but they're not actually part and parcel of such an organization/church. Its the nobility and and code of the Paladin that grants them their powers.
4th edition switched them to dieties briefly.
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I understand maybe that warlocks are more of a pact than as a follower, but still there is serving.
Are paladins and clerics at the same connections with their patrons only with different mechanics?
With all three of them, the powers come for the patrons, yeah?
Well, the RAW difference is, that clerics patron is a god, warlocks patron is something much weaker (eg. powerful devil).
How I imagine them (and is thus probably not RAW), cleric ask his god for spell, and if the god agrees, he casts the spell, using the cleric as a focus. For warlocks, I imagine it more in the way "here, I transfer part of my power to you" do whatever you want with it, but I'll ask something in return later.
Clerics get their powers directly from a deity, usually in exchange for furthering that deity's agenda.
Paladins get their powers from swearing and following a sacred oath. They uphold certain ideals rather than directly furthering the interests of a specific deity.
Warlocks study obscure arcane lore and make deals with all sorts of powerful extraplanar beings that usually aren't gods. There's a combination of wizardly study and either mentorship or gifting of magic power at play.
There's obviously potential overlap in these concepts. For example, Asmodeus could be a warlock patron for some people and a cleric deity for devil cults simultaneously. Likewise, the Raven Queen is believed to be the force behind the Hexblade patron for warlocks, and she's arguably a deity as well. It's also likely that paladins will worship good deities that reflect their ideals.
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I have a PadLock who has sworn her Paladin oath to Athena, but who also made a Warlock pact (with Athena's permission) to the Spirit of Courage, Alke.
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InsiderI think InquisitiveCoder got the basics of the three pretty accurate. But as many have said, there's a lot of room for overlap. And a God to one person might be a Patron to another. Plus clerics and paladins can get their powers from their beliefs and convictions without directly interfacing with a being.
I think the GENERAL relationship between the three is that clerics are in a chosen and mutually beneficial relationship, paladins are in a mutual relationship but one might have chosen the other, and warlocks are in a more complicated relationship that might not be mutually beneficial and might have more subterfuge and nuisance. This isn't always the case, and there is LOTS of room for DMs and players to craft their own unique relationships.
It's also worth considering the way the powers manifest for those three classes and the type character they are. What kind of character you are might help pick what kind of relationship you have. My cleric worships a Phoenix, who in the classic sense would fit more as a warlock patron, but my character is a healer and protector who wants that friendly relationship with a being. So worshipping the Phoenix as a cleric feels more accurate to the character.
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I don't know where people got this idea that Paladin's have to follow a specific god/religion. They never have. Its a good example of the Mandela Effect. While a Paladin COULD serve a religion/god in specific, its not required. Sure, your Paladin is probably gonna be more respectable if they follows (for example) Heironeous, the god of Chivalry and Honorable War, but they're not actually part and parcel of such an organization/church. Its the nobility and and code of the Paladin that grants them their powers.
4th edition switched them to dieties briefly.