This is a crosspost from my other entry over on Cleric Subforum, however I felt it also had a place here.
Basically my question is this:
What happens when a caster class that borrows its powers from an external source (this referring to Warlock, Cleric, Druid, and Paladin) kills, goes against, or by nature is an affront to their lender? We have the Oathbreaker Paladin and that is fine, but I want to know if other Violator subclasses exist. Allow me to give some examples of what I mean by Violator:
A Fiend Warlock that killed the demon lord of fungus Zuggtmoy with her own lended power.
A Druid that actively led a logging operation on what was once sacred ground to their people.
A Grave Domain Cleric that died several decades ago only to be resurrected by a necromantic cult, believing them to hold the residual power of their god’s nemesis, and to spite them for their insolence by making them an abomination to their beloved deity.
If a warlock is able to turn their borrowed power on their master, they would have to be very clever indeed. It is a magical contract, and the patron can immediately activate any applicable penalty clauses. Which would be quite severe, I imagine. If they manage to do it despite all this, they might usurp their master's power and possibly their place as well. What they will do with that power will depend on their willpower and motivation.
More generally, warlocks that break their pact will suffer the appropriate penalty clauses, as soon as their patron notices and cares to enforce them.
Anyone that receives power from a divine connection who blasphemes against said divinity is at risk of losing their powers, depending on the severity of the infraction. Once lost, it can only be regained by atoning to the satisfaction of their divinity.
The grave cleric in your example would probably not be resurrected, because that only works if the soul is willing. If their soul was willing, that could be blasphemy enough for revocation of power. If the cultists managed to resurrect without consent of the soul, it would depend on how they did so, what the cleric is able to do after coming back and what they actually do.
Warlocks that break their oaths often turn into deathlocks.
Clerics that stop believing/worshipping their deity I'd imagine would lose their spells and channel divinity, but keep everything else that doesn't require a connection with a god.
Paladins become oathbreakers when they break their oath.
Druids could possibly become Circle of Fungi, as they now believe death is just as important as life.
This is what I'd imagine would happen for these classes.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
It's an undead warlock that their patron has whole power over, while still having their soul and mind trapped inside the undead body as punishment for breaking their oath.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew (Mostly Outdated):Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
This is a crosspost from my other entry over on Cleric Subforum, however I felt it also had a place here.
Basically my question is this:
What happens when a caster class that borrows its powers from an external source (this referring to Warlock, Cleric, Druid, and Paladin) kills, goes against, or by nature is an affront to their lender? We have the Oathbreaker Paladin and that is fine, but I want to know if other Violator subclasses exist. Allow me to give some examples of what I mean by Violator:
A Fiend Warlock that killed the demon lord of fungus Zuggtmoy with her own lended power.
A Druid that actively led a logging operation on what was once sacred ground to their people.
A Grave Domain Cleric that died several decades ago only to be resurrected by a necromantic cult, believing them to hold the residual power of their god’s nemesis, and to spite them for their insolence by making them an abomination to their beloved deity.
What exactly would happen in such a case?
If a warlock is able to turn their borrowed power on their master, they would have to be very clever indeed. It is a magical contract, and the patron can immediately activate any applicable penalty clauses. Which would be quite severe, I imagine. If they manage to do it despite all this, they might usurp their master's power and possibly their place as well. What they will do with that power will depend on their willpower and motivation.
More generally, warlocks that break their pact will suffer the appropriate penalty clauses, as soon as their patron notices and cares to enforce them.
Anyone that receives power from a divine connection who blasphemes against said divinity is at risk of losing their powers, depending on the severity of the infraction. Once lost, it can only be regained by atoning to the satisfaction of their divinity.
The grave cleric in your example would probably not be resurrected, because that only works if the soul is willing. If their soul was willing, that could be blasphemy enough for revocation of power. If the cultists managed to resurrect without consent of the soul, it would depend on how they did so, what the cleric is able to do after coming back and what they actually do.
Vote here for an interim solution for homebrew classes:
https://dndbeyond.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360036951934-Homebrew-class-interim-solution
Interesting! Much appreciated.
Warlocks that break their oaths often turn into deathlocks.
Clerics that stop believing/worshipping their deity I'd imagine would lose their spells and channel divinity, but keep everything else that doesn't require a connection with a god.
Paladins become oathbreakers when they break their oath.
Druids could possibly become Circle of Fungi, as they now believe death is just as important as life.
This is what I'd imagine would happen for these classes.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
It's from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes.
It's an undead warlock that their patron has whole power over, while still having their soul and mind trapped inside the undead body as punishment for breaking their oath.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Or just failing to accomplish it.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
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Homebrew (Mostly Outdated): Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, Subclasses
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If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
Powerful paladins that break their oaths can turn into Death Knights.
It has been suggested that powerful clerics can turn into liches, though I'm not sure how, or even if it is possible.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms