Hey, all. I'm about to start my first D&D campaign in about 2 weeks and I'm trying to be as prepared as possible! As I was making my character, I decided to write out a whole backstory detailing how he became a Hexblade Warlock and the events leading up to this point in his life. But, this left me with some questions. I'll try to be brief.
First, I had my PC meet his Hexblade in a dire moment in his recent past. I want to make sure how I wrote it makes sense for how Hexblades work. In my story the Hexblade: knew my thoughts and spoke to me directly, was disguised as a normal tool/blade then transformed into a glowing dagger with runes, got heavier when it transformed, made me a deal to save my life in trade for my services as a Warlock in his debt. So, does all that work? Is there anything there that Hexblades can't do?
Other thoughts: Assuming that's all fine above, I still don't really know how to play as a Hexblade or what my future development may be. Can other people hear my Hexblade, and who speaks for him, me or the DM? Do they talk at all??? Do I make choices based on my own opinions and morals, or is everything dictated by the will of my Hexblade? And, again, this all happened recently, so I'm just trying to figure out what it means to be a warlock, what struggles might I face?
Lastly, if you have any thoughts, tips, suggestions for a new player, especially a new Warlock, I'm happy to listen and learn!
The DM controls the patron, you control your character. You can/should discuss with the DM what your relationship and deal is with the patron. The DM determines how you are contacted (usually in a means that only you understand), and what the penalties are for not following through with your pact.
Right on, I'll talk with my DM about how he wants to handle my Patron and see what info he needs from me. I hadn't thought as far as penalties for breaking my pact, and that's a very good point. Are there any general rules that should be applied to my pact? I was/am looking at it as though I owe them a debt, a mutual agreement. Would it be more of a slave/imprisonment type of thing? And even so, would my idea still work that it was mutual and not forced?
Warlocks get their warlock power in exchange for... Well something. The rules don't actually specify what the pact should be.
It could just be an IOU that the patron collects later once you have gotten strong enough. The patron could just give power on a whim "go do adventuring stuff, I dont care." You might have to spread the patron's influence like a religion or snuff out cults that follow a different entity.
It is usually mutual and not forced, with the idea being that you already agreed to the pact when you got the powers.
Your patron is the actual intelligent, sentient weapon. That can be good and bad - make sure you understand the limitations of that arrangement. I agree - the DM should be it's voice, as it is essentially an NPC. But it's wise to have codes or some kind of way to pass messages - my DM passes me a piece of paper, or you could use a TXT.
My patron is NOT my pact blade - it was just given to her by her patron. So, it's not sentient, but can be used as a binary message device when either my patron wants me to kill something (it gets ice cold) or if I ask her a fairly simple question through it. (like, where can we find a portal to the Shadowfell? while pointing at a map.)
As such, it can be sent to another plane and recalled. But, since it is a magic item, she has to do the 1-hour ritual to bond / unbond with it.
WHile the Patron in a Warlock career is an important aspect, its also something that is totaly up to the player and/or the DM.
There's no rules about Pacts and Patrons and how they operate outside their boons and powers they give you.
unlike paladin and Clerics in past editions, who could loose their powers if they would go against their Gods teachings( and that was an ingame rule back then) a Warlock never had this kind of ruling, it always was up to the player and the DM.
Bit ther's a common line of conduct or more like expectations on what could happen.
A Fiend could very well ask for your soul or your eternal service as payment, while on the other hand the Great Old Ones give powers to mortals, but don't even care half of the time what they do with it, some of them don't even notice that a mortal have them for Patrons.
Its best to treat the Patron as a Character, with its goals, aspirations, fears and desires, and how all of these can affect your characters life.
been a Warlock comes with an Rp and emotional bagage, but its up to you what you'll do with it, some people are deeply invested in their pacts, others only see it as a Free ticket for powers with any strings attached.
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"Normality is but an Illusion, Whats normal to the Spider, is only madness for the Fly"
Hey, all. I'm about to start my first D&D campaign in about 2 weeks and I'm trying to be as prepared as possible! As I was making my character, I decided to write out a whole backstory detailing how he became a Hexblade Warlock and the events leading up to this point in his life. But, this left me with some questions. I'll try to be brief.
First, I had my PC meet his Hexblade in a dire moment in his recent past. I want to make sure how I wrote it makes sense for how Hexblades work. In my story the Hexblade: knew my thoughts and spoke to me directly, was disguised as a normal tool/blade then transformed into a glowing dagger with runes, got heavier when it transformed, made me a deal to save my life in trade for my services as a Warlock in his debt. So, does all that work? Is there anything there that Hexblades can't do?
Other thoughts: Assuming that's all fine above, I still don't really know how to play as a Hexblade or what my future development may be. Can other people hear my Hexblade, and who speaks for him, me or the DM? Do they talk at all??? Do I make choices based on my own opinions and morals, or is everything dictated by the will of my Hexblade? And, again, this all happened recently, so I'm just trying to figure out what it means to be a warlock, what struggles might I face?
Lastly, if you have any thoughts, tips, suggestions for a new player, especially a new Warlock, I'm happy to listen and learn!
The DM controls the patron, you control your character. You can/should discuss with the DM what your relationship and deal is with the patron. The DM determines how you are contacted (usually in a means that only you understand), and what the penalties are for not following through with your pact.
Right on, I'll talk with my DM about how he wants to handle my Patron and see what info he needs from me. I hadn't thought as far as penalties for breaking my pact, and that's a very good point. Are there any general rules that should be applied to my pact? I was/am looking at it as though I owe them a debt, a mutual agreement. Would it be more of a slave/imprisonment type of thing? And even so, would my idea still work that it was mutual and not forced?
Warlocks get their warlock power in exchange for... Well something. The rules don't actually specify what the pact should be.
It could just be an IOU that the patron collects later once you have gotten strong enough. The patron could just give power on a whim "go do adventuring stuff, I dont care." You might have to spread the patron's influence like a religion or snuff out cults that follow a different entity.
It is usually mutual and not forced, with the idea being that you already agreed to the pact when you got the powers.
Your patron is the actual intelligent, sentient weapon. That can be good and bad - make sure you understand the limitations of that arrangement. I agree - the DM should be it's voice, as it is essentially an NPC. But it's wise to have codes or some kind of way to pass messages - my DM passes me a piece of paper, or you could use a TXT.
My patron is NOT my pact blade - it was just given to her by her patron. So, it's not sentient, but can be used as a binary message device when either my patron wants me to kill something (it gets ice cold) or if I ask her a fairly simple question through it. (like, where can we find a portal to the Shadowfell? while pointing at a map.)
As such, it can be sent to another plane and recalled. But, since it is a magic item, she has to do the 1-hour ritual to bond / unbond with it.
WHile the Patron in a Warlock career is an important aspect, its also something that is totaly up to the player and/or the DM.
There's no rules about Pacts and Patrons and how they operate outside their boons and powers they give you.
unlike paladin and Clerics in past editions, who could loose their powers if they would go against their Gods teachings( and that was an ingame rule back then) a Warlock never had this kind of ruling, it always was up to the player and the DM.
Bit ther's a common line of conduct or more like expectations on what could happen.
A Fiend could very well ask for your soul or your eternal service as payment, while on the other hand the Great Old Ones give powers to mortals, but don't even care half of the time what they do with it, some of them don't even notice that a mortal have them for Patrons.
Its best to treat the Patron as a Character, with its goals, aspirations, fears and desires, and how all of these can affect your characters life.
been a Warlock comes with an Rp and emotional bagage, but its up to you what you'll do with it, some people are deeply invested in their pacts, others only see it as a Free ticket for powers with any strings attached.
"Normality is but an Illusion, Whats normal to the Spider, is only madness for the Fly"
Kain de Frostberg- Dark Knight - (Vengeance Pal3/ Hexblade 9), Port Mourn
Kain de Draakberg-Dark Knight lvl8-Avergreen(DitA)