How to - Fiend Patreon

Have you ever worked with a Patreon?

Hey guys, 

I'm in the making of a campaign especially built for my friend. He is playing a warlock (Logan) with a fiend Patreon and for the sake of the campeign I would love to connect them directly.

Storyline: Logan is part of this criminal organisation and the head of it is secretly the fiend Patreon. But Logan doesn't know yet. As he is Lvl 5 now I would love to bring this Patreon thing to live. So I was thinking if the Patreon contacts Logan saying sth. like: "Hey boy, I'm your sugar daddy. Go and do things for me and you will be rewarded with better positions in the organization. But you must not tell that I'm the leader of the organization.". 

Mechanical issue: So I'm working on the next adventure which shall lead into the sequence of events that will lead Logan to contact his Patreon. But... well I've never worked with a Patreon before. I really don't know how to handle him, how to bring him to live or introduce him or whatever. I'm totally overwhelmed with the situation and I reall need your input guys.

So please: If you had ever an intereaction with a Patreon in your adventures or if you implemented a Patreon yourself I would love to read your storys. <3 Tell me what you liked, what you disliked and what you wish you would have done. I really appreaciate your input. 

Thank you and take care 

Well what exactly IS the patron? While they are under the umbrella of a Fiend patron, that can mean many different things. Are they perhaps an Arcanaloth, a hoarder of knowledge and spells that wants to expand his collection? or are they something like a Bone Devil, enforcing Hell's laws upon the organisation and those underneath it.

Something you should do is check expectations with your player about what they think the patron will act like. Has the patron interacted with Logan in any way before, because that could help make up what their personality is like.

Does your player have an antagonistic relationship with their patron? A symbiotic one? Grudging acceptance? Understanding their relationship up front is super important to determining their in-person dynamic. The appeal of a Warlock-Patron relationship dynamic from an RP standpoint is that it directly opposes the traditional role Heroes play in a game. You have a character who is supposedly doing good at the beck an call of an objectively evil creature (or at least a morally ambiguous one). If your player is serving their patron happily, it's going to change your approach considerably than if they were tricked at a young age into a binding contract with a being they fear and resent.

It is difficult running a patron as an NPC, because the rest of the players likely do not have a living, breathing source of their power. As such, the player-patron dynamic runs a real risk of hijacking the story in a way that can make the rest of the party feel left out in the cold. Make sure you're shining the spotlight on the rest of the team as you go forward if you're going to center this NPC in any way.

As for how to bring them to life, yeah, I agree with ClassicCharismaCaster that understanding the nature of the Fiend patron is important. Not only are the lower echelons of the Nine Hells populated by an array of different creatures with different personalities and goals, the Lords themselves are incredibly distinct. If you don't want to dive TOO deep TOO soon, I like to start by leaning into vanity and confidence. Devil's, especially, won't ask you for a favor unless they're sure you'll agree, so make sure that you've got the characters dead to rights, or that you're giving them a mission they want to accept.

Also, it's important to understand the level of control your player's Warlock-Patron relationship confers. The Patron has the power to interact with the Warlock's ability to sense and manipulate magic. In some cases, they may be able to manipulate their senses, or grant improved health and vigor. It stands to reason that these gifts can not only be taken away, but inverted. If your player opposes their patron, they could retaliate, leaving the player blind, powerless, and writhing in interminable agony if they attempt to violate the conditions of their Pact. Don't be afraid to "give them a taste" if the player isn't appropriately deferential.

Something I had a lot of success with was small, needling reminders of the pact. I ran a game where I told a warlock they had to "say please" whenever they cast a spell or invoked a Warlock ability, as proof of their subjugation to their master. If they forgot, I'd gently remind them, but if they, for some reason or other, chose to ignore my reminder, or if they forgot too often, they'd get a little punishment. Bears mentioning, this was a very close group of very experienced players, and we agreed to this dynamic early. It's not something you would want to spring on a normal player with no warning. But the occasional "visit" from their patron in the form of visual and auditory hallucinations can help keep them on track.

Figure out what kind of fiend it is, what it exactly wants out of its deal with the character, and why it wants that. Play the devil as aloof, uncaring, but quick to repay a slight and unwilling to suffer fools. Patrons are typically powerful creatures, and let the players know the patron considers them below it.