Warlock religion? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Warlock religion? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Shek
12-27-07, 09:07 AM I'm pretty new to the eberron setting of D&D, but I can already say that I like it. Still I have my trouble as a beginner, and I have to admit to the fact that this is not the first problem I have encountered. Making my story, name, reason for my travels/adventures, and so on.

I still though have trouble finding out my exact religion. To help my DM I've decided not to be too evil at least so I would care to help others and take the quests I am given. But still I long for some darkness to add the "it" factor to my char. Can someone please suggest some deities and maybe a suiting alignment?

It would help out a lot.. cheers
Alex_
12-27-07, 10:18 AM Well there's always the Dark Six. They are generally considered an Evil pantheon by the people of Khorvaire, but they have many Good and Neutral worshipers. I'm under the impression that while the Host would be consulted when you want good things to happen, the Six would be prayed to when you do/don't want bad things to happen.

Like if you're going out in a ship on a long voyage, well you're in the domain of the Devourer now. He's in charge of the oceans, and if you want to survive, you had better not pray to Aureon or Balinor, you had better be on your knees, praying to and trying to appease the deity that can swallow you up. If you want a disease or bad fortune to befall your enemies during a war, you don't pray to Dol Dorn, you pray to the Mockery.

So you could make your character a more fervent worshiper of the Dark Six. Try to look at things from a negative standpoint, and then pray to the Six to tell inform them of what you want done to your enemies, as well as what you don't want done to you.

Then there are cults of the Dragon Below. They tend more than other faiths towards the "kidnap people and sacrifice them on the full moon" types, but I'm sure many (if not most) are not nearly as bad. Since you're a Warlock, you could have gotten your power from the dark forces or beings trapped in there.

so you could say that it's not that you're so bad as a person, it's just that you should give proper respect to the thing that granted you the ability to fly around and fire energy blasts from your hands. So the Dragon Below earns your respect and you pray to her (and/or her inhabitants) more than you would other forces in the world.

Hope that helped.
Vharuck
12-27-07, 04:17 PM Just because you draw power from evil doesn't mean you have to be evil. Maybe you're a neutral guy sapping the power of the bound rajahs for yourself, free to do good or evil as you wish.

Maybe you draw power from a planar deal, driving people into a gibbering madness with the essence of Xoriat or engulfing them in the darkness of Mabar. Maybe you're not even that evil, and you're simply infused with the arcane power of Thelanis.

A classic example of a non-evil deal-with-the-devil is Faust. He bargained his soul for opportunities that he used to learn more about the universe, sating his thirst for knowledge. It ended badly with him (they came to collect), but he was a nice guy throughout the story.
RedRider
12-27-07, 04:33 PM Want darkness? The Shadow may be for you.

While Aureon represents society's ideals of mages, The Shadow he cast off for his power represents the forbidden, the unknown, the unorthodox.
The vassals of the Host see The Shadow as a danger, but to some he is a creative force for those who dare plumb the depths of magical learning to their fullest.

Of course, "unorthodox" is a word that generally applies to worship of any of the six, given how fragmented their worshippers are.

Decide your own beliefs, follow your own path and reach heights few are brave enough to grasp.
Dauthi_Overseer
12-27-07, 06:18 PM Or you could always worship the Rakshasa's since they are demonic in nature so it fits the whole warlock thing. So, maybe Cult of the Dragon Below??
Shek
12-29-07, 06:03 PM Okey, thanks a lot guys.. I still have to think about it, but I will try to keep it on a general lvl, to avoid complications that are bad for the story. :)
Salla
01-01-08, 07:02 AM Why not just be irreligious? Non-divine evil could certainly be your power source ... and is more likely, given the fact that the presence of gods in Eberron is questionable.
skrap-san
01-01-08, 11:43 AM Well to clarify this one a bit, He do not see the gods as the source of his powers. He want to know what deities would be natural for a Gnome Warlock to follow. At least that's the impression he gave me when he created the figure for our campaign.

But i still personally feel that nonreligious is a good way to go, one could feel that since the gods fail to take action, he is required to take it himself. But that line of thinking can also lead to a strong religious connection to ones deity.
Edymnion
01-01-08, 04:35 PM I typically drop the alignment prereqs for Warlocks (when I allow them), and make them part of the Silver Flame.
Salla
01-01-08, 06:58 PM I typically drop the alignment prereqs for Warlocks (when I allow them), and make them part of the Silver Flame.

I drop the alignment restriction, but don't link them to an organization (and always allow them).

As far as 'natural' goes, probably any god of magic if he would care about such, so Aureon or his Shadow.
Edymnion
01-01-08, 10:23 PM I drop the alignment restriction, but don't link them to an organization (and always allow them).I make them part of the Silver Flame because just looking at the class, with some flavor rewrites, it just has "silver flame gout throwing holier than though" written all over it.

And I only allow them under the condition that they don't take any save or die invocations. Its all well and good until they get unlimited baleful polymorph per day, then you've got entire cities full of sheep.
Salla
01-02-08, 04:31 PM I make them part of the Silver Flame because just looking at the class, with some flavor rewrites, it just has "silver flame gout throwing holier than though" written all over it.

And I only allow them under the condition that they don't take any save or die invocations. Its all well and good until they get unlimited baleful polymorph per day, then you've got entire cities full of sheep.

Eh, I don't see it, but your game. :)
Shek
01-07-08, 09:02 AM Well if it is of any interrest, the choice I made for my lock was that I from tradition had "The Dark Six". Though my character do not belive this is the only way. So with the Neutral alignment I go out in search for my thorugh belives. My character also belive that it might be other ways to solve things than through the evil ways. And that al fits in to my story of an adventurer as well. The whole concept my change over time, but for now my DM allows it, so I'm happy ;)
ChaoticGood
01-12-08, 01:07 PM Eh, I don't see it, but your game. :)

I actually played a Silver Flame warlock for a short time, and it actually makes a lot of sense. Rather than channeling dark power, you are channeling the holy power of the Silver Flame itself. As Edy mentioned, if you want to play a character like this properly, it is necessary to choose invocations based on flavor rather than mechanics... but overall, it was a very fun character to play, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!
kelvinaw273
01-13-08, 01:47 PM I actually played a Silver Flame warlock for a short time, and it actually makes a lot of sense. Rather than channeling dark power, you are channeling the holy power of the Silver Flame itself. As Edy mentioned, if you want to play a character like this properly, it is necessary to choose invocations based on flavor rather than mechanics... but overall, it was a very fun character to play, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

In that case the normal alignment restriction would not apply ... so ... Knight Training and Paladin/Warlock anyone? :D
Marcus Majarra
01-13-08, 11:51 PM Another interesting perspective on the Purifier warlock is the one who willingly draws off the power of the fiend bound within the Silver Flame in order to keep it weakened and maintain the holy energies of the Flame.

In any case, I don't see Eberron warlocks favoring one specific religion over the other. It mostly depends on their background and perspective on life. Some might be completely corrupted by the dark power they wield and be drawn towards specific Cults of the Dragon Below. Some that suffered grave social injustices might turn a vengeful attitude towards the worship of some of the Dark Six, such as the Fury or the Devourer. Some might be involved with the Greensingers, seeing as they wield otherworldly powers.
Edymnion
01-14-08, 12:59 PM In any case, I don't see Eberron warlocks favoring one specific religion over the other. It mostly depends on their background and perspective on life. Some might be completely corrupted by the dark power they wield and be drawn towards specific Cults of the Dragon Below. Some that suffered grave social injustices might turn a vengeful attitude towards the worship of some of the Dark Six, such as the Fury or the Devourer. Some might be involved with the Greensingers, seeing as they wield otherworldly powers.Yup, you can't really ascribe specific religions to something as abstract as a class. Its like asking "What religion are Fighters?" Sure, there are some obvious ones, but they can easily be linked to any religion, or none at all.
Hellcow
01-14-08, 11:52 PM Yup, you can't really ascribe specific religions to something as abstract as a class.
Agreed. Just throwing out some ways I've used warlocks in my campaign...

The Mourning. The warlock is a survivor of the Mourning, whose powers have developed in the wake of the event. Such a character might be more predisposed to the Cults of the Dragon Below (seeing the Mourning as "the Breath of Khyber") or the Keeper (who preserve her soul when all around her were slain), but could just as easily follow any faith; she might not ascribe her abilities to the Sovereigns, but she can still thank Olladra for the good fortune that brought her safely through it.
The Cults of the Dragon Below. I like the reflexive classes for the Marcher CotDBers - sorcerers and warlocks instead of wizards, wilders instead of psions. If you want to play with actual fiendish heritage or bargaining, the rajah-cult path works well for it; you're not just a follower of random cult X, you're a Child of Sul Khatesh. While the CotDB are easy villains, there's no reason that they have to be; especially in the Shadow Marches, many of the cults simply want to be left alone to practice their traditions. Some seek to earn passage to the paradise within the world, while others believe that the rise of the Dragon Below or the ancient powers they revere will transform Eberron into a paradise. Their beliefs may be odd and unlikely, but it doesn't make them evil.
The Church of the Silver Flame. As Edy has said, as long as you aren't too concerned with alignment restrictions, the champion wielding blasts of silver fire is a logical champion of the Church. A warlock of Dol Arrah could summon the blazing beams of the sun; perhaps a modifying invocation could be added that dazzles the victim of a blast.
The Children of Winter. Sure, they're best known for their druids, but a CoW warlock may draw directly on the power of the Gloaming... his sinister powers heralding the winter that is to come. As is always the case with the CoW, he might seek hasten winter's approach - or he could believe that the signs have been misread, and that his needs to find a way to prove to his comrades that their actions are misguided.
The Dark Six. Any number of easy paths here, depending on the "special effects" of your warlock. While you could claim a connection to the pantheon as a whole, being touched by one of the Six certainly gives you an easy hook to roleplay with. The Child of the Devourer has a tempestous temper mirrored in the stormy blasts she unleashes upon her foes (of course, the Fury is also the child of the Devourer...); is she evil, or simply wild and uncontrollable? The Shadow promises knowledge and power at a terrible price; it may also be the dark force touched by the Umbragen drow. Perhaps a warlock of the Keeper could gain a high-level invocation adding the Keeper's Fang trait to his eldritch blasts; does he seek to preserve the souls of heroes? Collect the souls of villains (Bounty hunter reclaiming souls that have escaped the Lair of the Keeper, anyone?)? Or simply build the hoard of the greedy god?
This is just the begining, and many of these assume that the character in some way relates his powers to his religious beliefs; as has been said here, that's hardly a requirement. Dark or light, there's lots of interesting paths to follow.
Slaunyeh
01-16-08, 09:05 AM Agreed. Just throwing out some ways I've used warlocks in my campaign...

The Church of the Silver Flame. As Edy has said, as long as you aren't too concerned with alignment restrictions, the champion wielding blasts of silver fire is a logical champion of the Church.

This is pretty much my current character. A kalashtar warlock who channel the raw power of the silver flame through his eldritch blasts. I picked the Otherworldly Whispers invocation (from CM) to simulate the Silver Flame whispering secrets to him.

I'm going into the Enlightened Spirit PrC next level. Not because it's particular good, but because it fits the concept really well.

Advocating the Silver Flame is just tough, when ever church official we meet is a huge jerk. :P
GhoulLord
01-24-08, 12:43 PM In one of the campaigns that I participate in, warlocks are mainly tied to a cult within the CotSF that worship the demonic portion of the trinity. The Order of the Hidden act as inquisitors, thanks to a Zone of Truth-like invocation and a few other homebrew invocations and feats, and are considered a necessary evil by the mainstream church. Officially, the church denies that the order even exists.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Shek 12-27-07, 09:07 AM	I'm pretty new to the eberron setting of D&D, but I can already say that I like it. Still I have my trouble as a beginner, and I have to admit to the fact that this is not the first problem I have encountered. Making my story, name, reason for my travels/adventures, and so on. I still though have trouble finding out my exact religion. To help my DM I've decided not to be too evil at least so I would care to help others and take the quests I am given. But still I long for some darkness to add the "it" factor to my char. Can someone please suggest some deities and maybe a suiting alignment? It would help out a lot.. cheers
Alex_ 12-27-07, 10:18 AM	Well there's always the Dark Six. They are generally considered an Evil pantheon by the people of Khorvaire, but they have many Good and Neutral worshipers. I'm under the impression that while the Host would be consulted when you want good things to happen, the Six would be prayed to when you do/don't want bad things to happen. Like if you're going out in a ship on a long voyage, well you're in the domain of the Devourer now. He's in charge of the oceans, and if you want to survive, you had better not pray to Aureon or Balinor, you had better be on your knees, praying to and trying to appease the deity that can swallow you up. If you want a disease or bad fortune to befall your enemies during a war, you don't pray to Dol Dorn, you pray to the Mockery. So you could make your character a more fervent worshiper of the Dark Six. Try to look at things from a negative standpoint, and then pray to the Six to tell inform them of what you want done to your enemies, as well as what you don't want done to you. Then there are cults of the Dragon Below. They tend more than other faiths towards the "kidnap people and sacrifice them on the full moon" types, but I'm sure many (if not most) are not nearly as bad. Since you're a Warlock, you could have gotten your power from the dark forces or beings trapped in there. so you could say that it's not that you're so bad as a person, it's just that you should give proper respect to the thing that granted you the ability to fly around and fire energy blasts from your hands. So the Dragon Below earns your respect and you pray to her (and/or her inhabitants) more than you would other forces in the world. Hope that helped.
Vharuck 12-27-07, 04:17 PM	Just because you draw power from evil doesn't mean you have to be evil. Maybe you're a neutral guy sapping the power of the bound rajahs for yourself, free to do good or evil as you wish. Maybe you draw power from a planar deal, driving people into a gibbering madness with the essence of Xoriat or engulfing them in the darkness of Mabar. Maybe you're not even that evil, and you're simply infused with the arcane power of Thelanis. A classic example of a non-evil deal-with-the-devil is Faust. He bargained his soul for opportunities that he used to learn more about the universe, sating his thirst for knowledge. It ended badly with him (they came to collect), but he was a nice guy throughout the story.
RedRider 12-27-07, 04:33 PM	Want darkness? The Shadow may be for you. While Aureon represents society's ideals of mages, The Shadow he cast off for his power represents the forbidden, the unknown, the unorthodox. The vassals of the Host see The Shadow as a danger, but to some he is a creative force for those who dare plumb the depths of magical learning to their fullest. Of course, "unorthodox" is a word that generally applies to worship of any of the six, given how fragmented their worshippers are. Decide your own beliefs, follow your own path and reach heights few are brave enough to grasp.
Dauthi_Overseer 12-27-07, 06:18 PM	Or you could always worship the Rakshasa's since they are demonic in nature so it fits the whole warlock thing. So, maybe Cult of the Dragon Below??
Shek 12-29-07, 06:03 PM	Okey, thanks a lot guys.. I still have to think about it, but I will try to keep it on a general lvl, to avoid complications that are bad for the story. :)
Salla 01-01-08, 07:02 AM	Why not just be irreligious? Non-divine evil could certainly be your power source ... and is more likely, given the fact that the presence of gods in Eberron is questionable.
skrap-san 01-01-08, 11:43 AM	Well to clarify this one a bit, He do not see the gods as the source of his powers. He want to know what deities would be natural for a Gnome Warlock to follow. At least that's the impression he gave me when he created the figure for our campaign. But i still personally feel that nonreligious is a good way to go, one could feel that since the gods fail to take action, he is required to take it himself. But that line of thinking can also lead to a strong religious connection to ones deity.
Edymnion 01-01-08, 04:35 PM	I typically drop the alignment prereqs for Warlocks (when I allow them), and make them part of the Silver Flame.
Salla 01-01-08, 06:58 PM	I typically drop the alignment prereqs for Warlocks (when I allow them), and make them part of the Silver Flame. I drop the alignment restriction, but don't link them to an organization (and always allow them). As far as 'natural' goes, probably any god of magic if he would care about such, so Aureon or his Shadow.
Edymnion 01-01-08, 10:23 PM	I drop the alignment restriction, but don't link them to an organization (and always allow them).I make them part of the Silver Flame because just looking at the class, with some flavor rewrites, it just has "silver flame gout throwing holier than though" written all over it. And I only allow them under the condition that they don't take any save or die invocations. Its all well and good until they get unlimited baleful polymorph per day, then you've got entire cities full of sheep.
Salla 01-02-08, 04:31 PM	I make them part of the Silver Flame because just looking at the class, with some flavor rewrites, it just has "silver flame gout throwing holier than though" written all over it. And I only allow them under the condition that they don't take any save or die invocations. Its all well and good until they get unlimited baleful polymorph per day, then you've got entire cities full of sheep. Eh, I don't see it, but your game. :)
Shek 01-07-08, 09:02 AM	Well if it is of any interrest, the choice I made for my lock was that I from tradition had "The Dark Six". Though my character do not belive this is the only way. So with the Neutral alignment I go out in search for my thorugh belives. My character also belive that it might be other ways to solve things than through the evil ways. And that al fits in to my story of an adventurer as well. The whole concept my change over time, but for now my DM allows it, so I'm happy ;)
ChaoticGood 01-12-08, 01:07 PM	Eh, I don't see it, but your game. :) I actually played a Silver Flame warlock for a short time, and it actually makes a lot of sense. Rather than channeling dark power, you are channeling the holy power of the Silver Flame itself. As Edy mentioned, if you want to play a character like this properly, it is necessary to choose invocations based on flavor rather than mechanics... but overall, it was a very fun character to play, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!
kelvinaw273 01-13-08, 01:47 PM	I actually played a Silver Flame warlock for a short time, and it actually makes a lot of sense. Rather than channeling dark power, you are channeling the holy power of the Silver Flame itself. As Edy mentioned, if you want to play a character like this properly, it is necessary to choose invocations based on flavor rather than mechanics... but overall, it was a very fun character to play, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! In that case the normal alignment restriction would not apply ... so ... Knight Training and Paladin/Warlock anyone? :D
Marcus Majarra 01-13-08, 11:51 PM	Another interesting perspective on the Purifier warlock is the one who willingly draws off the power of the fiend bound within the Silver Flame in order to keep it weakened and maintain the holy energies of the Flame. In any case, I don't see Eberron warlocks favoring one specific religion over the other. It mostly depends on their background and perspective on life. Some might be completely corrupted by the dark power they wield and be drawn towards specific Cults of the Dragon Below. Some that suffered grave social injustices might turn a vengeful attitude towards the worship of some of the Dark Six, such as the Fury or the Devourer. Some might be involved with the Greensingers, seeing as they wield otherworldly powers.
Edymnion 01-14-08, 12:59 PM	In any case, I don't see Eberron warlocks favoring one specific religion over the other. It mostly depends on their background and perspective on life. Some might be completely corrupted by the dark power they wield and be drawn towards specific Cults of the Dragon Below. Some that suffered grave social injustices might turn a vengeful attitude towards the worship of some of the Dark Six, such as the Fury or the Devourer. Some might be involved with the Greensingers, seeing as they wield otherworldly powers.Yup, you can't really ascribe specific religions to something as abstract as a class. Its like asking "What religion are Fighters?" Sure, there are some obvious ones, but they can easily be linked to any religion, or none at all.
Hellcow 01-14-08, 11:52 PM	Yup, you can't really ascribe specific religions to something as abstract as a class. Agreed. Just throwing out some ways I've used warlocks in my campaign... The Mourning. The warlock is a survivor of the Mourning, whose powers have developed in the wake of the event. Such a character might be more predisposed to the Cults of the Dragon Below (seeing the Mourning as "the Breath of Khyber") or the Keeper (who preserve her soul when all around her were slain), but could just as easily follow any faith; she might not ascribe her abilities to the Sovereigns, but she can still thank Olladra for the good fortune that brought her safely through it. The Cults of the Dragon Below. I like the reflexive classes for the Marcher CotDBers - sorcerers and warlocks instead of wizards, wilders instead of psions. If you want to play with actual fiendish heritage or bargaining, the rajah-cult path works well for it; you're not just a follower of random cult X, you're a Child of Sul Khatesh. While the CotDB are easy villains, there's no reason that they have to be; especially in the Shadow Marches, many of the cults simply want to be left alone to practice their traditions. Some seek to earn passage to the paradise within the world, while others believe that the rise of the Dragon Below or the ancient powers they revere will transform Eberron into a paradise. Their beliefs may be odd and unlikely, but it doesn't make them evil. The Church of the Silver Flame. As Edy has said, as long as you aren't too concerned with alignment restrictions, the champion wielding blasts of silver fire is a logical champion of the Church. A warlock of Dol Arrah could summon the blazing beams of the sun; perhaps a modifying invocation could be added that dazzles the victim of a blast. The Children of Winter. Sure, they're best known for their druids, but a CoW warlock may draw directly on the power of the Gloaming... his sinister powers heralding the winter that is to come. As is always the case with the CoW, he might seek hasten winter's approach - or he could believe that the signs have been misread, and that his needs to find a way to prove to his comrades that their actions are misguided. The Dark Six. Any number of easy paths here, depending on the "special effects" of your warlock. While you could claim a connection to the pantheon as a whole, being touched by one of the Six certainly gives you an easy hook to roleplay with. The Child of the Devourer has a tempestous temper mirrored in the stormy blasts she unleashes upon her foes (of course, the Fury is also the child of the Devourer...); is she evil, or simply wild and uncontrollable? The Shadow promises knowledge and power at a terrible price; it may also be the dark force touched by the Umbragen drow. Perhaps a warlock of the Keeper could gain a high-level invocation adding the Keeper's Fang trait to his eldritch blasts; does he seek to preserve the souls of heroes? Collect the souls of villains (Bounty hunter reclaiming souls that have escaped the Lair of the Keeper, anyone?)? Or simply build the hoard of the greedy god? This is just the begining, and many of these assume that the character in some way relates his powers to his religious beliefs; as has been said here, that's hardly a requirement. Dark or light, there's lots of interesting paths to follow.
Slaunyeh 01-16-08, 09:05 AM	Agreed. Just throwing out some ways I've used warlocks in my campaign... The Church of the Silver Flame. As Edy has said, as long as you aren't too concerned with alignment restrictions, the champion wielding blasts of silver fire is a logical champion of the Church. This is pretty much my current character. A kalashtar warlock who channel the raw power of the silver flame through his eldritch blasts. I picked the Otherworldly Whispers invocation (from CM) to simulate the Silver Flame whispering secrets to him. I'm going into the Enlightened Spirit PrC next level. Not because it's particular good, but because it fits the concept really well. Advocating the Silver Flame is just tough, when ever church official we meet is a huge jerk. :P
GhoulLord 01-24-08, 12:43 PM	In one of the campaigns that I participate in, warlocks are mainly tied to a cult within the CotSF that worship the demonic portion of the trinity. The Order of the Hidden act as inquisitors, thanks to a Zone of Truth-like invocation and a few other homebrew invocations and feats, and are considered a necessary evil by the mainstream church. Officially, the church denies that the order even exists.