I'm a new DM, and one of my players wants to play a warlock who has swapped bodies with their patron. In short, the patron is in his human body, and the human in the patron's. I've surmised that it could easily be the result of an experimental spell, maybe somewhere between 'True Mind Switch' and 'Soul Swap.' I have, however, absolutely no idea how the mechanics of that should work. Any suggestions?
You are entering into the wonderful world of roleplaying!
In this case, why even consider the mechanical aspects? In the case the player is playing the Patron (now human), just encourage them to pick up a few weird habits to signal that they're Something Else wearing the skin of a person (Oh no! Men in Black scene!). Otherwise, just run it as any other weirdo character :)
In the opposite case, the player playing the human who is now stuck in an otherworldly body, I'd suggest their lack of cosmic power is unable to sustain its full potential (regaining it as they level up), and just to pick a race that thematically fits with the patron's origin (tiefling for Fiend, elf for Fey, gnome for Great Old One, etc...).
So, don't sweat any new mechanics - just encourage fun roleplaying! :D
Personally I'd forgot the spell unless the character wants new abilities and stats for the patron, otherwise it's great RP for a "possessed" warlock...
(And honestly, I feel like it could be an awesome new subclass)
You made a deal to survive a fatal illness, avoid the debt collectors, or some other unfortunate circumstance - but you didn't read the fine print. You gave your patron the use of your mortal shell for an unknown amount of time. What will you return to, when the lease is up?
Yeah, that's a concept that practically writes itself!
I agree, no mechanics needed here. The player just roleplays as the patron instead of a regular person. Most likely you, as the DM, should roleplay the regular person stuck inside the patron if they ever show up.
There are plenty of concepts that work with it and it depends partly on the patron.
For example, entities like demons represent corruption so typically these kinds of mishaps come from some kind of failure on behalf of the character in the past and or the twisting of some other intention.As an example I had a warlock who wanted to be a hero so they made a deal that basically sucked out their negative properties and made an evil twin hell bent on making them miserable. A similar plot is in one of the earth sea books where a wizard summons a demon and tries to get rid of it.
Something like a fey are less malevolent and have more of a fairy tail vibe. A fey may want to get out of their responsibilities and swap places to do it, they may want to explore or do mischief with your face as well as similar things. A devil may do something similar as well where they try to escape responsibilities by taking your body and a demon may want to do some more malevolent mischief. Also a genie, they may leave you bound to their lamp.
A hex blade is a powerful magic item so it could have been created to do this kind of thing. For example a powerful wizard may want s new body and takes yours through the use of a cursed weapon. It leaves you with some link to their power but has left you old and weak. An undead or undying patron could do something similar by trapping the players souls in a corpse.
The hardest ones are probably, great old one and fathomless as they are about the unknown. Them having a physical form a mortal could take seems wrong for those two. For a Great old one rather than a patron it might make more sense to swap bodies with another warlock of that patron for mysterious reasons.
As mentioned this is mostly a role playing choice UNLESS the player has a plan to do this to have access to either the spellcasting abilities or the physical capabilities of the patron.
For example, a fiend warlock of an Archdevil or Archdemon or any other patron - Dao, Greater Fey, GOO etc. The physical or mental capabilities of most of the likely patrons would dominate a game. If the DM allows the switch, then the player may quite reasonably ask afterwards "Don't I get to use the patron's abilities when they inhabit my body or when I am in theirs?"
So before going with the soul swapping, the DM needs to consider what mechanics will be affected, if any. The DM can easily say that you can role play the situation but that there will be no mechanical benefits. Your patron may inhabit your body from time to time if you want to role play it but your character abilities will not change. The patron is limited by the capabilities of your mortal shell. When your spirit inhabits the patron's body, you are locked in a pit of inky blackness, unable to interact with the outside world since the patron is never going to let a mere mortal have access to their body.
This is probably the easiest and most fun approach for the entire table but it may not be what the player has in mind so you will need to chat with them to make sure that they don't expect more and to give them a good idea of how it will work.
I'm a new DM, and one of my players wants to play a warlock who has swapped bodies with their patron. In short, the patron is in his human body, and the human in the patron's. I've surmised that it could easily be the result of an experimental spell, maybe somewhere between 'True Mind Switch' and 'Soul Swap.' I have, however, absolutely no idea how the mechanics of that should work. Any suggestions?
You are entering into the wonderful world of roleplaying!
In this case, why even consider the mechanical aspects? In the case the player is playing the Patron (now human), just encourage them to pick up a few weird habits to signal that they're Something Else wearing the skin of a person (Oh no! Men in Black scene!). Otherwise, just run it as any other weirdo character :)
In the opposite case, the player playing the human who is now stuck in an otherworldly body, I'd suggest their lack of cosmic power is unable to sustain its full potential (regaining it as they level up), and just to pick a race that thematically fits with the patron's origin (tiefling for Fiend, elf for Fey, gnome for Great Old One, etc...).
So, don't sweat any new mechanics - just encourage fun roleplaying! :D
At will or at rp times?
Personally I'd forgot the spell unless the character wants new abilities and stats for the patron, otherwise it's great RP for a "possessed" warlock...
(And honestly, I feel like it could be an awesome new subclass)
Ooooh! Good idea, Bob! "Possessed Warlock".
You made a deal to survive a fatal illness, avoid the debt collectors, or some other unfortunate circumstance - but you didn't read the fine print. You gave your patron the use of your mortal shell for an unknown amount of time. What will you return to, when the lease is up?
Yeah, that's a concept that practically writes itself!
I agree, no mechanics needed here. The player just roleplays as the patron instead of a regular person. Most likely you, as the DM, should roleplay the regular person stuck inside the patron if they ever show up.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Thanks, everyone. Appreciate the advice!
There are plenty of concepts that work with it and it depends partly on the patron.
For example, entities like demons represent corruption so typically these kinds of mishaps come from some kind of failure on behalf of the character in the past and or the twisting of some other intention.As an example I had a warlock who wanted to be a hero so they made a deal that basically sucked out their negative properties and made an evil twin hell bent on making them miserable. A similar plot is in one of the earth sea books where a wizard summons a demon and tries to get rid of it.
Something like a fey are less malevolent and have more of a fairy tail vibe. A fey may want to get out of their responsibilities and swap places to do it, they may want to explore or do mischief with your face as well as similar things. A devil may do something similar as well where they try to escape responsibilities by taking your body and a demon may want to do some more malevolent mischief. Also a genie, they may leave you bound to their lamp.
A hex blade is a powerful magic item so it could have been created to do this kind of thing. For example a powerful wizard may want s new body and takes yours through the use of a cursed weapon. It leaves you with some link to their power but has left you old and weak. An undead or undying patron could do something similar by trapping the players souls in a corpse.
The hardest ones are probably, great old one and fathomless as they are about the unknown. Them having a physical form a mortal could take seems wrong for those two. For a Great old one rather than a patron it might make more sense to swap bodies with another warlock of that patron for mysterious reasons.
As mentioned this is mostly a role playing choice UNLESS the player has a plan to do this to have access to either the spellcasting abilities or the physical capabilities of the patron.
For example, a fiend warlock of an Archdevil or Archdemon or any other patron - Dao, Greater Fey, GOO etc. The physical or mental capabilities of most of the likely patrons would dominate a game. If the DM allows the switch, then the player may quite reasonably ask afterwards "Don't I get to use the patron's abilities when they inhabit my body or when I am in theirs?"
So before going with the soul swapping, the DM needs to consider what mechanics will be affected, if any. The DM can easily say that you can role play the situation but that there will be no mechanical benefits. Your patron may inhabit your body from time to time if you want to role play it but your character abilities will not change. The patron is limited by the capabilities of your mortal shell. When your spirit inhabits the patron's body, you are locked in a pit of inky blackness, unable to interact with the outside world since the patron is never going to let a mere mortal have access to their body.
This is probably the easiest and most fun approach for the entire table but it may not be what the player has in mind so you will need to chat with them to make sure that they don't expect more and to give them a good idea of how it will work.