So I'm running a campaign with a PC who's mother is a warlock under the influence of an evil, manipulative patron. The PC has managed to free her from the patron's influence and I'm entering the next stage of this arc.
On the one side, the NPC is leaving an emotionally abusive relationship with their patron. It's a very delicate RP situation but one that I have a handle on.
On the other side, my NPC has also been stripped of the magic they've relied on to survive for nearly two decades. I'm approaching this as a form of addiction and having her go through the arcane equivalent of withdrawal/detox. I'm a little more concerned about this stage of the arc and am looking for any advice as to how to do it "right". I've done research on breaking addiction but I'm still a little troubled about a few things.
1) What does withdrawal from a magic addiction look like? Is it purely a psychological addiction or is there an element of physical addiction as well?
2) How do I present withdrawal in a realistic way and still ensure that we're staying respectful to the real-world issue of addiction? Should I drop this element of the story arc entirely?
3) Can a patron withdraw a warlock's powers but still retain a connection? If so, the patron has a vendetta against the PC and would have no problem increasing the NPC's suffering as a form of revenge.
Thanks in advance for any help, I know this is a delicate topic which is why I want to make sure that it's handled in an appropriate way. My apologies to anyone I've offended through ignorance.
1) I'd say withdrawal from loosing your magic could be both psychological and physical symtoms, in the sense that your body essence has lost connection to the Weave from which spellcasters channel their magic, and psychologically may affect the NPC from sheer power reduction, feeling de-powered and powerless both in soul body and mind.
2) I don't think you should drop it if it was an integral part of your plot or storyline. It's also very unique and particular so it has merits i think. You could present withdrawal in a realistic way by having the person show distinctives signs or behaviors such has fever, shake desinterest, obsession etc...
3) A DM can do anything! The magic bestowed on a warlock by its Patron could be cut off, loosing access to the Spellcasting or Eldritch Invocations features of a Warlock for exemple. The connection between them could still remain and even have their pact restore it after the completion of a specific task or result.
I could still get the emotional story beats from just the abuse recovery arc, but the idea of arcane magic being harmful, even toxic, fits in to some of the bigger themes of the campaign. So I'd like to include it, but I don't necessarily *need* to.
I know, at the end of the day, how a pact is handled is up to the individual DM but I'm curious how other DMs may approach a pact broken by the patron.
Before you move forward, make sure your players are okay with this. If you've already checked in with them and they're cool with it, then you're good to go. The last thing you want or need is to introduce a theme that will be received badly due to personal history with the subject matter.
My question to you is what function does this withdrawal arc serve? What choices, challenges or growth are you going to present the PCs with as a result of this? The thing that gives me pause is that it's an arc centered on an NPC's internal struggle, not a PC's. This very easily could turn into a melodrama that overshadows the party and distracts the warlock's kid from adventuring.
If you use withdrawal to introduce the next part of the campaign plot - maybe a race to find magical methadone to save the mom, or the discovery that there are other ex-warlocks out there needing help and support, or even the consequences of a separation you foreshadowed as being a very bad idea that the party did anyway - then I can see it being effective. But if the point is just to introduce drama and pain into one PC's roleplay...it feels a bit self-serving to me and I'd recommend downplaying it or eliminating it altogether. The PCs should have the spotlight in the adventure, not an NPC. As for the patron wanting revenge against the PC for stealing his warlock, that could be a fun consequences arc that involves the whole party.
We did go over boundaries before we started so we are good there.
There is an overarching theme of a society using magic to cover up social ills rather than addressing the root causes. Cure the symptoms with magic rather than treat the illness as it were. Essentially magic is the gilding that covers over and empire rotting from within. So I believe that allowing this idea to play this out on a personal level will help underscore the idea.
As for the campaign itself, it's very RP focused and the character in question is driven by a desire reveal and correct the problems those in power have chosen to ignore. I view allowing him to address the hidden dangers of magic dependence and drive a redemption arc for his mother as a chance to provide a very personal victory on that front, but maybe that is the wrong tack.
I'd love to get more of your insight based on the additional information. Again, thank you for offering another point of view!
There is an overarching theme of a society using magic to cover up social ills rather than addressing the root causes. Cure the symptoms with magic rather than treat the illness as it were. Essentially magic is the gilding that covers over and empire rotting from within. So I believe that allowing this idea to play this out on a personal level will help underscore the idea.
As for the campaign itself, it's very RP focused and the character in question is driven by a desire reveal and correct the problems those in power have chosen to ignore. I view allowing him to address the hidden dangers of magic dependence and drive a redemption arc for his mother as a chance to provide a very personal victory on that front, but maybe that is the wrong tack.
I can see where you're coming from, though my hesitation about this struggle being focused on an NPC still stands. The player has almost no agency in this other than attempting to wean his mother off magic - and since she's separated from her patron, it sounds like this is a done deal.
It seems there's little opportunity for him to make decisions that effect change because he is not responsible for anything - it's not his arc, it's his mother's. From what you've described, there aren't really any further actions the PC needs to take, so whatever victory is coming is pretty much through him being a sympathetic bystander. Could it make a compelling and dramatic subplot? Maybe, but again...she's an NPC. The choices and obstacles are all happening behind the DM screen. Yes, we DMs should absolutely get our moments in the limelight, but the operative word is moments. A drawn-out arc for an NPC tends to turn players from active participants to spectators. It gives me pause because that also tends to be when players check out or feel sidelined.
A question I'd ask you is whether you can translate any of this into personal challenges and choices for the PC instead of his mother? Is there a quandary or option or fix or consequence that can stem from his own actions that leads to the same realizations you're hoping for? What if the withdrawals are killing her, (or heck, what if the patron is making them worse because of the party's interference) but there's a way he can shoulder/share the burden in her place? What if something happens and he finds himself in a position where he could use magic to cover up his problems and he experiences this firsthand? Seeing an NPC go through something is one thing, but having it happen to your character and your surviving it is a lot more compelling, especially when you're the one who chose to walk that path. Player agency isn't just important for engagement; it's the best narrative tool you have. Just my two copper.
A question I'd ask you is whether you can translate any of this into personal challenges and choices for the PC instead of his mother? Is there a quandary or option or fix or consequence that can stem from his own actions that leads to the same realizations you're hoping for?
Yes, the patron is actively trying to recruit the PC into it's schemes. The triggering event for the arc is that the patron (who has been using mom to groom the character as part of it's long term plans) is punishing him through his mother for being intractable.
What if the withdrawals are killing her, (or heck, what if the patron is making them worse because of the party's interference) but there's a way he can shoulder/share the burden in her place?
The suffering of the NPC is literally being used as a bargaining chip by the patron (or at least it's painting the situation that way) to influence the character. So the PC is in the conundrum of leaving her to her fate, making a "devil's bargain" to save her, or finding a third way.
What if something happens and he finds himself in a position where he could use magic to cover up his problems and he experiences this firsthand? Seeing an NPC go through something is one thing, but having it happen to your character and your surviving it is a lot more compelling, especially when you're the one who chose to walk that path.
That's exactly what the PC is being offered. I'm using the NPC as a cautionary tale about taking the easy path in juxtaposition to the patron's offers to help aid him in their mutual goals.
Player agency isn't just important for engagement; it's the best narrative tool you have. Just my two copper.
I'm not certain about the story arc but if it is something that you and your players will like then it probably won't be an issue. It is not a storyline I would personally choose to run in most cases.
In the real world, addiction/withdrawal and other social ills are situations that often don't end well. Exploring that within an RPG using NPCs that are closely connected to character backgrounds could be something that the player or others at the table could find difficult to deal with. On the other hand, some players might like the possible emotional catharsis but I'd be careful with it.
In terms of the storyline itself, the concern would be having an NPC plot line overshadow the other characters and their storylines. This puts a lot of RP focus on the one character - what are the other characters doing during this (most irrelevant to them) plot line? Are you playing this mostly off camera with the one player involved or is everyone else in the game having to sit and watch the NPC deal with addiction issues and the PC role play their response?
In terms of patrons, it is up to the DM how they run them, however, I usually choose to run it like a cleric/diety relationship. Patrons are not gods, they don't necessarily provide powers to their followers, they bargain knowledge and abilities in exchange for services. Although a cleric could lose their abilities if the god chose to withdraw their support, I usually interpret warlocks as losing access to gaining new knowledge rather than completely losing access to that knowledge and the ability to use the skills already learned. But as mentioned, it is up to you how you run patrons, maybe this patron is more like a god and the follower more like a cleric in this case even if using the warlock character archetype?
Finally, in terms of withdrawal, withdrawal would be a function of use. Most interpretations of magic I have seen are as a useful tool, not as something that causes euphoria, positive feelings or other side effects. Adding magic addiction as a concept to your game world is a fundamental change implying that the use and channeling of magic induces some strong positive feeling or other physical or mental side effect that makes the character want to use more magic, more frequently so that its loss becomes an issue. However, you don't seem to have introduced consequences for the over use of magic, or necessarily have lore indicating that this is a possible common occurrence. Unless you are running it as being a side effect of only using this patron's magic? In this case, I would tend to think of it as a curse placed on the follower by the patron for their behavior rather than a larger issue with magic addiction and withdrawal. Unless the world already has magic addiction and withdrawal as a problem (which it doesn't sound like it does) then this is just a problem for this one NPC that has symptoms like addiction but is more in the nature of a magical curse. Looking at it from that perspective, magic that removes a curse might be a starting point for a cure.
P.S. It could even be a self-induced curse by the NPC since even if they have outwardly acknowledged a break with their patron, perhaps part of them is still loyal to the patron and this internal fight is resulting in the symptoms of withdrawal as one part fights to give up their connection with their patron and the other part of the NPCs psyche doesn't want to do that.
I have the equivalent of an associate degree in psychology and a lot of experience with addictions, personality disorders, and abusive relationships.
1) Since magic doesn't exist in real life, my studies and experience can't really help here. However, what you described sounds a lot like the player character's mother may have a dependent personality disorder. The addiction in this case would be metaphorical, and the effects purely psychological.
2) "Withdrawal" in this case would refer to the person with DPD no longer being in a relationship. By reading the Wikipedia article I provided above (blue link), you can get plenty of material to work with. Bear in mind that the player shouldn't expect his character's mother to be thankful to him. Drug addicts would do anything to keep doing drugs, even selling their own children to sexual slavery. The same goes for gambling addicts who wouldn't hesitate to jeopardize their entire family's financial life, including forcing their spouses and children to become homeless for the rest of their lives. Pathologically dependent people are also no different. Mothers with DPD often blame their own children for denouncing their stepfathers who sexually abused them. Those mothers hate losing their abusive boyfriends who are now in prison and legally forbidden to come in contact with their victims. They feel a pathological need to be in a relationship, no matter how abusive. In fact, their behavior actually pushes sane and healthy potential suitors away. The only ones people with DPD attract are narcissists, psychopaths, and other kinds of abusers.
3) There's not much in terms of RAW when it comes to revoking warlock powers. As a DM, I always encourage my warlock players to tell me about the pact itself and what it entails. My favorite approach is when you make the warlock powers a form of payment for services rendered. It makes no sense for an employer to ask their employees who quit their job to refund their salary. It just means you lose the ability to gain new levels as a warlock until you find a new patron. I'll give you an example of a warlock character I made.
He's a tiefling who made a pact with the archdevil Dispater. In exchange for sharing knowledge, the tiefling gets to be powered up. The tiefling gets to keep his soul and can do anything he wants. The only sacrifice he has to make is agreeing to letting Dispater know everything he knows. Anything the tiefling knows, Dispater knows. This is done automatically. Considering the tiefling is a spy who collects secrets about royal families and other powerful organizations, this is a pretty sweet deal for Dispater. Should the tiefling decide to end the contract, Dispater would be disappointed, but he would never dare go against his servant's wishes unless the latter suddenly decides to conspire against the former. It's part of the contract. Both parties gain something from it. The tiefling gets powers and Dispater gets knowledge that will help him increase his influence. Technically, Dispater could also end the contract at any time, but why would he? Giving some tiefling powers is a very small price to pay compared to the valuable knowledge he can gain from it. The only reason why he'd end the pact is if the tiefling goes on a quest to kill him. Even then, it's doubtful he'll even care considering he already knows everything the tiefling knows, so there's no way such an endeavor would be successful. In fact, it might help strengthen Dispater's defenses because the tiefling could be thinking about new ways to breach them. Actually, it would be advantageous for him to uphold the pact if the tiefling rebels against him, as that's the only way to keep knowing about his plans.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Age: 33 | Sex: Male | Languages: French and English | Roles: DM and Player
Thanks for everyone's feedback! Thought I'd post a follow up now that the arc is resolved.
1) I decided to approach it predominantly as psychological addiction, but there was initially a brief period of intense symptoms of physical withdrawal as the remaining magic drained from her body(more on that later).
2) Obviously, that means that I kept the arc in, though I scaled it down from my original vision. This was significantly easier thanks to some clever and effective role-playing on the part of the player (more on that below as well).
3) I decided to go with the idea that the severing the connection was complete but, since the Patron is a consummate deceiver, he claimed that the physical withdrawal symptoms were in fact pain that he was inflicting as punishment for the PC defying him. So I was able to keep the intended story beat of using her pain to try and leverage the PC.
In the end, the PC tricked the patron (a CE demigod attempting to ascend to full godhood) into revealing that he needs the player to help him unravel "the Tapestry of Fate" so that he can reweave fate to achieve his goals (think of it as a free will butterfly effect). The PC took this information, plus some hints from seemingly unrelated plot threads that were ment to merge later in the campaign, and petitioned the God of Fate to help him (while spending a level advancement and doing the necessary RP to become a cleric of said deity). So now Mom is safely under the care and protection of the PC's deity and the patron is pursuing his agenda through a different route (which the PCs will eventually have to discover and thwart).
All in all, it ended up being a good way to help establish the patron as a dangerous secondary BBEG (one that's pursuing the same overall goals as the PCs but for much darker purposes).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
(Also Posted Under Warlock)
Hello all!
So I'm running a campaign with a PC who's mother is a warlock under the influence of an evil, manipulative patron. The PC has managed to free her from the patron's influence and I'm entering the next stage of this arc.
On the one side, the NPC is leaving an emotionally abusive relationship with their patron. It's a very delicate RP situation but one that I have a handle on.
On the other side, my NPC has also been stripped of the magic they've relied on to survive for nearly two decades. I'm approaching this as a form of addiction and having her go through the arcane equivalent of withdrawal/detox. I'm a little more concerned about this stage of the arc and am looking for any advice as to how to do it "right". I've done research on breaking addiction but I'm still a little troubled about a few things.
1) What does withdrawal from a magic addiction look like? Is it purely a psychological addiction or is there an element of physical addiction as well?
2) How do I present withdrawal in a realistic way and still ensure that we're staying respectful to the real-world issue of addiction? Should I drop this element of the story arc entirely?
3) Can a patron withdraw a warlock's powers but still retain a connection? If so, the patron has a vendetta against the PC and would have no problem increasing the NPC's suffering as a form of revenge.
Thanks in advance for any help, I know this is a delicate topic which is why I want to make sure that it's handled in an appropriate way. My apologies to anyone I've offended through ignorance.
1) I'd say withdrawal from loosing your magic could be both psychological and physical symtoms, in the sense that your body essence has lost connection to the Weave from which spellcasters channel their magic, and psychologically may affect the NPC from sheer power reduction, feeling de-powered and powerless both in soul body and mind.
2) I don't think you should drop it if it was an integral part of your plot or storyline. It's also very unique and particular so it has merits i think. You could present withdrawal in a realistic way by having the person show distinctives signs or behaviors such has fever, shake desinterest, obsession etc...
3) A DM can do anything! The magic bestowed on a warlock by its Patron could be cut off, loosing access to the Spellcasting or Eldritch Invocations features of a Warlock for exemple. The connection between them could still remain and even have their pact restore it after the completion of a specific task or result.
Thanks for the feedback!
I could still get the emotional story beats from just the abuse recovery arc, but the idea of arcane magic being harmful, even toxic, fits in to some of the bigger themes of the campaign. So I'd like to include it, but I don't necessarily *need* to.
I know, at the end of the day, how a pact is handled is up to the individual DM but I'm curious how other DMs may approach a pact broken by the patron.
Before you move forward, make sure your players are okay with this. If you've already checked in with them and they're cool with it, then you're good to go. The last thing you want or need is to introduce a theme that will be received badly due to personal history with the subject matter.
My question to you is what function does this withdrawal arc serve? What choices, challenges or growth are you going to present the PCs with as a result of this? The thing that gives me pause is that it's an arc centered on an NPC's internal struggle, not a PC's. This very easily could turn into a melodrama that overshadows the party and distracts the warlock's kid from adventuring.
If you use withdrawal to introduce the next part of the campaign plot - maybe a race to find magical methadone to save the mom, or the discovery that there are other ex-warlocks out there needing help and support, or even the consequences of a separation you foreshadowed as being a very bad idea that the party did anyway - then I can see it being effective. But if the point is just to introduce drama and pain into one PC's roleplay...it feels a bit self-serving to me and I'd recommend downplaying it or eliminating it altogether. The PCs should have the spotlight in the adventure, not an NPC. As for the patron wanting revenge against the PC for stealing his warlock, that could be a fun consequences arc that involves the whole party.
Thanks for your insight!
We did go over boundaries before we started so we are good there.
There is an overarching theme of a society using magic to cover up social ills rather than addressing the root causes. Cure the symptoms with magic rather than treat the illness as it were. Essentially magic is the gilding that covers over and empire rotting from within. So I believe that allowing this idea to play this out on a personal level will help underscore the idea.
As for the campaign itself, it's very RP focused and the character in question is driven by a desire reveal and correct the problems those in power have chosen to ignore. I view allowing him to address the hidden dangers of magic dependence and drive a redemption arc for his mother as a chance to provide a very personal victory on that front, but maybe that is the wrong tack.
I'd love to get more of your insight based on the additional information. Again, thank you for offering another point of view!
I can see where you're coming from, though my hesitation about this struggle being focused on an NPC still stands. The player has almost no agency in this other than attempting to wean his mother off magic - and since she's separated from her patron, it sounds like this is a done deal.
It seems there's little opportunity for him to make decisions that effect change because he is not responsible for anything - it's not his arc, it's his mother's. From what you've described, there aren't really any further actions the PC needs to take, so whatever victory is coming is pretty much through him being a sympathetic bystander. Could it make a compelling and dramatic subplot? Maybe, but again...she's an NPC. The choices and obstacles are all happening behind the DM screen. Yes, we DMs should absolutely get our moments in the limelight, but the operative word is moments. A drawn-out arc for an NPC tends to turn players from active participants to spectators. It gives me pause because that also tends to be when players check out or feel sidelined.
A question I'd ask you is whether you can translate any of this into personal challenges and choices for the PC instead of his mother? Is there a quandary or option or fix or consequence that can stem from his own actions that leads to the same realizations you're hoping for? What if the withdrawals are killing her, (or heck, what if the patron is making them worse because of the party's interference) but there's a way he can shoulder/share the burden in her place? What if something happens and he finds himself in a position where he could use magic to cover up his problems and he experiences this firsthand? Seeing an NPC go through something is one thing, but having it happen to your character and your surviving it is a lot more compelling, especially when you're the one who chose to walk that path. Player agency isn't just important for engagement; it's the best narrative tool you have. Just my two copper.
I'm not certain about the story arc but if it is something that you and your players will like then it probably won't be an issue. It is not a storyline I would personally choose to run in most cases.
In the real world, addiction/withdrawal and other social ills are situations that often don't end well. Exploring that within an RPG using NPCs that are closely connected to character backgrounds could be something that the player or others at the table could find difficult to deal with. On the other hand, some players might like the possible emotional catharsis but I'd be careful with it.
In terms of the storyline itself, the concern would be having an NPC plot line overshadow the other characters and their storylines. This puts a lot of RP focus on the one character - what are the other characters doing during this (most irrelevant to them) plot line? Are you playing this mostly off camera with the one player involved or is everyone else in the game having to sit and watch the NPC deal with addiction issues and the PC role play their response?
In terms of patrons, it is up to the DM how they run them, however, I usually choose to run it like a cleric/diety relationship. Patrons are not gods, they don't necessarily provide powers to their followers, they bargain knowledge and abilities in exchange for services. Although a cleric could lose their abilities if the god chose to withdraw their support, I usually interpret warlocks as losing access to gaining new knowledge rather than completely losing access to that knowledge and the ability to use the skills already learned. But as mentioned, it is up to you how you run patrons, maybe this patron is more like a god and the follower more like a cleric in this case even if using the warlock character archetype?
Finally, in terms of withdrawal, withdrawal would be a function of use. Most interpretations of magic I have seen are as a useful tool, not as something that causes euphoria, positive feelings or other side effects. Adding magic addiction as a concept to your game world is a fundamental change implying that the use and channeling of magic induces some strong positive feeling or other physical or mental side effect that makes the character want to use more magic, more frequently so that its loss becomes an issue. However, you don't seem to have introduced consequences for the over use of magic, or necessarily have lore indicating that this is a possible common occurrence. Unless you are running it as being a side effect of only using this patron's magic? In this case, I would tend to think of it as a curse placed on the follower by the patron for their behavior rather than a larger issue with magic addiction and withdrawal. Unless the world already has magic addiction and withdrawal as a problem (which it doesn't sound like it does) then this is just a problem for this one NPC that has symptoms like addiction but is more in the nature of a magical curse. Looking at it from that perspective, magic that removes a curse might be a starting point for a cure.
P.S. It could even be a self-induced curse by the NPC since even if they have outwardly acknowledged a break with their patron, perhaps part of them is still loyal to the patron and this internal fight is resulting in the symptoms of withdrawal as one part fights to give up their connection with their patron and the other part of the NPCs psyche doesn't want to do that.
I have the equivalent of an associate degree in psychology and a lot of experience with addictions, personality disorders, and abusive relationships.
1) Since magic doesn't exist in real life, my studies and experience can't really help here. However, what you described sounds a lot like the player character's mother may have a dependent personality disorder. The addiction in this case would be metaphorical, and the effects purely psychological.
2) "Withdrawal" in this case would refer to the person with DPD no longer being in a relationship. By reading the Wikipedia article I provided above (blue link), you can get plenty of material to work with. Bear in mind that the player shouldn't expect his character's mother to be thankful to him. Drug addicts would do anything to keep doing drugs, even selling their own children to sexual slavery. The same goes for gambling addicts who wouldn't hesitate to jeopardize their entire family's financial life, including forcing their spouses and children to become homeless for the rest of their lives. Pathologically dependent people are also no different. Mothers with DPD often blame their own children for denouncing their stepfathers who sexually abused them. Those mothers hate losing their abusive boyfriends who are now in prison and legally forbidden to come in contact with their victims. They feel a pathological need to be in a relationship, no matter how abusive. In fact, their behavior actually pushes sane and healthy potential suitors away. The only ones people with DPD attract are narcissists, psychopaths, and other kinds of abusers.
3) There's not much in terms of RAW when it comes to revoking warlock powers. As a DM, I always encourage my warlock players to tell me about the pact itself and what it entails. My favorite approach is when you make the warlock powers a form of payment for services rendered. It makes no sense for an employer to ask their employees who quit their job to refund their salary. It just means you lose the ability to gain new levels as a warlock until you find a new patron. I'll give you an example of a warlock character I made.
He's a tiefling who made a pact with the archdevil Dispater. In exchange for sharing knowledge, the tiefling gets to be powered up. The tiefling gets to keep his soul and can do anything he wants. The only sacrifice he has to make is agreeing to letting Dispater know everything he knows. Anything the tiefling knows, Dispater knows. This is done automatically. Considering the tiefling is a spy who collects secrets about royal families and other powerful organizations, this is a pretty sweet deal for Dispater. Should the tiefling decide to end the contract, Dispater would be disappointed, but he would never dare go against his servant's wishes unless the latter suddenly decides to conspire against the former. It's part of the contract. Both parties gain something from it. The tiefling gets powers and Dispater gets knowledge that will help him increase his influence. Technically, Dispater could also end the contract at any time, but why would he? Giving some tiefling powers is a very small price to pay compared to the valuable knowledge he can gain from it. The only reason why he'd end the pact is if the tiefling goes on a quest to kill him. Even then, it's doubtful he'll even care considering he already knows everything the tiefling knows, so there's no way such an endeavor would be successful. In fact, it might help strengthen Dispater's defenses because the tiefling could be thinking about new ways to breach them. Actually, it would be advantageous for him to uphold the pact if the tiefling rebels against him, as that's the only way to keep knowing about his plans.
Age: 33 | Sex: Male | Languages: French and English | Roles: DM and Player
Thanks! Pact for mom was similar at first, but patron keeps upping the stakes. Escalating to "I need this person murdered" was the breaking point.
Will check out the article later today!
Thanks for everyone's feedback! Thought I'd post a follow up now that the arc is resolved.
1) I decided to approach it predominantly as psychological addiction, but there was initially a brief period of intense symptoms of physical withdrawal as the remaining magic drained from her body(more on that later).
2) Obviously, that means that I kept the arc in, though I scaled it down from my original vision. This was significantly easier thanks to some clever and effective role-playing on the part of the player (more on that below as well).
3) I decided to go with the idea that the severing the connection was complete but, since the Patron is a consummate deceiver, he claimed that the physical withdrawal symptoms were in fact pain that he was inflicting as punishment for the PC defying him. So I was able to keep the intended story beat of using her pain to try and leverage the PC.
In the end, the PC tricked the patron (a CE demigod attempting to ascend to full godhood) into revealing that he needs the player to help him unravel "the Tapestry of Fate" so that he can reweave fate to achieve his goals (think of it as a free will butterfly effect). The PC took this information, plus some hints from seemingly unrelated plot threads that were ment to merge later in the campaign, and petitioned the God of Fate to help him (while spending a level advancement and doing the necessary RP to become a cleric of said deity). So now Mom is safely under the care and protection of the PC's deity and the patron is pursuing his agenda through a different route (which the PCs will eventually have to discover and thwart).
All in all, it ended up being a good way to help establish the patron as a dangerous secondary BBEG (one that's pursuing the same overall goals as the PCs but for much darker purposes).