Fey Pact
The Fey Pact originally came from the plane of Lamannia, home of the Eladrin. Eladrin are as the folktales tell us, snobbish, arrogant, selfish, manipulative and loves magic. Fey Pact Warlocks are generally expected by their Fey Overlords to cause as much mischief as possible just like your average Faerie critter.
The Elves and Orcs of Eberron detest Fey Pact Warlocks. The Elves detest the Fey Overlords and their minion Warlocks because their ancestors were kidnapped and slavebound by Giants and the Fey Overlords made no rescue attempts whatsoever during the long millenia.
The Orcs detest the Fey Overlords because their ancestors appealed to them for help during the Dal Qour invasion and got none whatsoever.
An Eladrin Fey Pact Warlock might have some respectability on his home plane but on Eberron he is a very suspicious-looking and potentially dangerous individual.
Infernal Pact
The Infernal Pact originated in the Demon Wastes and usually practiced by the Sakah Tieflings born there. The Infernal Pact involves worship of the Lords of Dust. Infernal Warlocks discovered in the Five Nations and other civilised lands are usually regarded as potential traitors and dangerous criminals. Authorities who discover Infernal Warlocks keep them under surveillance until a crime is committed and then the Warlock is either killed resisting arrest or dumped in a deep dungeon hole where they are left to rot.
The Church of the Silver Flame has this edict regarding Warlocks: "Suffer not A Warlock to live".
Dark Pact
The Dark Pact originated with the cults of the Dragon Below. A Dark Warlock will be treated with the same extreme prejudice as an Infernal Warlock.
Star Pact
Star Pact Warlocks are usually regarded as dangerous madmen and left alone unless they call attention to themselves from the authorities then they will be treated as other Warlocks . . .
Vestige Pact
Vestige Warlocks are also regarded as dangerous madmen but every right-thinking individual on Eberron will treat a person who deals with powers best left forgotten with extreme prejudice. There is usually a reason why these powers were left forgotten . . .
Artficers, Bards, Swordmages and Wizards have respectability. Sorcerers have developed an inborn magical talent and are regarded as either a freak of nature or respected as a selfmade individual. Divine, Martial, Primal and Psionic classes are all respected traditions. Warlocks have made deals with malign, eldritch powers and are inherently untrustworthy and suspicious.
(Seriously, what do you have against warlock players?)
Warlock magic is cheating. They make a pact with an eldritch power and get magic for a price. Artificers, Bards, Swordmages and Wizards have to study hard for their magic. Sorcerers are born with magical talent.
Warlocks make the Divine classes look like hypocrites and that is unforgivable and not to mention heretical. The difference between the Divine classes and the Warlock is that Divine characters are rewarded with magic for serving the Gods and upholding their ideals. Warlocks make their pacts for personal power, they do it for themselves.
Gods are respectable. Rakshasa Rajahs, the Dragon Below, amoral Faerie Lords, remnants of things best left forgotten and the uncaring stars are not respectable.
Karrnath was desperate during the war and indiscriminate in terms of what they use as weapons. Korranberg gnomes are too curious for their own good.
I'm not sure whats Arcanix and the Twelve 'excuse' (maybe they didn't want to stay behind on the warlock-arms-race front).
So in general I'll agree with Alisair_Longreach: warlocks are dangerous individuals which use shortcuts to power and tap into ancient forces they have no real understanding in (and someone needs to stop them
).btw: Thelanis is the fey court not Lamannia.
Everybody on Khorvaire hates or at the very least is very suspicious of Warlocks and here are the reasons why.
Fey Pact
The Fey Pact originally came from the plane of Lamannia, home of the Eladrin. Eladrin are as the folktales tell us, snobbish, arrogant, selfish, manipulative and loves magic. Fey Pact Warlocks are generally expected by their Fey Overlords to cause as much mischief as possible just like your average Faerie critter.
The Elves and Orcs of Eberron detest Fey Pact Warlocks. The Elves detest the Fey Overlords and their minion Warlocks because their ancestors were kidnapped and slavebound by Giants and the Fey Overlords made no rescue attempts whatsoever during the long millenia.
The Orcs detest the Fey Overlords because their ancestors appealed to them for help during the Dal Qour invasion and got none whatsoever.
An Eladrin Fey Pact Warlock might have some respectability on his home plane but on Eberron he is a very suspicious-looking and potentially dangerous individual.
Infernal Pact
The Infernal Pact originated in the Demon Wastes and usually practiced by the Sakah Tieflings born there. The Infernal Pact involves worship of the Lords of Dust. Infernal Warlocks discovered in the Five Nations and other civilised lands are usually regarded as potential traitors and dangerous criminals. Authorities who discover Infernal Warlocks keep them under surveillance until a crime is committed and then the Warlock is either killed resisting arrest or dumped in a deep dungeon hole where they are left to rot.
The Church of the Silver Flame has this edict regarding Warlocks: "Suffer not A Warlock to live".
Dark Pact
The Dark Pact originated with the cults of the Dragon Below. A Dark Warlock will be treated with the same extreme prejudice as an Infernal Warlock.
Star Pact
Star Pact Warlocks are usually regarded as dangerous madmen and left alone unless they call attention to themselves from the authorities then they will be treated as other Warlocks . . .
Vestige Pact
Vestige Warlocks are also regarded as dangerous madmen but every right-thinking individual on Eberron will treat a person who deals with powers best left forgotten with extreme prejudice. There is usually a reason why these powers were left forgotten . . .
Artficers, Bards, Swordmages and Wizards have respectability. Sorcerers have developed an inborn magical talent and are regarded as either a freak of nature or respected as a selfmade individual. Divine, Martial, Primal and Psionic classes are all respected traditions. Warlocks have made deals with malign, eldritch powers and are inherently untrustworthy and suspicious.
Everyone in Eberron has a reason to be hated by someone else.
The last war pretty much ensured than any character is going to have enemies somewhere for no other reason than his/her nation of origin. Conflicts between and even within religions ensures no peace their either. Racial/Cultural rivalries exist going back nearly a million years.
No matter who or what you are, there's a group somewhere that has never met you, but nonetheless doesn't like you.
It's also worth noting that Fey are not really outcasts in Eberron. While the Gatekeepers might dislike them, the Gatekeepers are a dying institution amongst Orcs, with the overwhelming majority of them actually worshiping the Dragon Below or Dark Six who could honestly care less. The Eladrin actually have ambassadors to many nations in Khorvaire and although their motives and goals are inscrutable, they are not considered enemies.
Those who have the dark pact could just as easily be taking their power from the source of negative energy that fuels undead, making them just as accepted as any place the Blood of Vol is- which as creepy as it is, is generally tolerated with members not being publicly beaten in the streets or their temples attacked.
Nothing about Starpact warlocks makes them madmen. If they gain their powers from Daelkyr, most people don't even know what those are. If they draw their powers from the Quori, that would make them like the Redrians, who are viewed rather positively in Khorvaire, especially in Q'barra.
Artificer or Wizard? You had better not be from Aundair, you fop. A member of house Cannith? Watch yourself, since the Aurumn is out to wrest power from your house, and there are currnetly three leaders vying for power, all of whom have influence in different parts of Khorvaire. What kind of arcane institution did you graduate from? Morgrave? Bunch of filthy tomb robbers. Rekkenmark? Karrnathi dog.
Sorcerer? Undisciplined arcane casters. Want to talk about cheating? A Warlock has to actually make a deal and give something up to gain powers. A Sorcerer? Well his great great grandmom was a hussy and got knocked up by a Dragon or an Efreet.
Cleric/Invoker/Avenger/Paladin of the Soverign Host, eh? Remember when other races ruled this land, practicing their own religion before you Humans came along and converted everyone to your gods? Your faith resulted in the genocide and enslavement of the entire Goblinoid race and destruction of their religion and ways. Blood of Vol are a bunch of Undead worshiping freaks. Don't even get me started on the overzealous Silver Flame. Undying court killed off an entire Elven bloodline and caused a mass migration of their kind to Khorvaire to escape it.
Shaman/Barbarian/Druid/Warden= uncivilized, savage, luddites. The Druid sects can't even agree on how best to be root around in the dirt like animals.
I'd just remind you that you should make such disparraging views interesting and not a punishment to players. A Good aligned Feylock with training in Diplomacy and Skill Focus Diplomacy should not automatically have all Diplomacy check's DCs increased by 5 because "no one trusts you."
Also, suddenly having the Silver Flame out to kill all Warlocks is just an all-around bad idea. Suddenly, you can't have a Purified paladin, cleric, avenger, or invoker in the party with a warlock, because one or the other will decide to kill each other, or the Purified pc will be labled a heretic by association and failure to "suffer not a Warlock to live".
Somewhere along the line I recall hearing the idea of Infernal Warlocks 'bleeding off' power from the imprisoned Demon Overlords to keep them weak and imprisoned.
Warlocks can have a lot of origins, now every single one purposefully finds and bargins with evil things for power.
Like someone said many folks won't be able to tell the different between a bard, warlock sorcerer or even a wizard.
A Warlock looks like a pasty-faced goth with black clothes, black make-up and pentagram jewelry. And they love The Cure.
Some Warlocks are Tieflings with a leather fetish who speaks with an eastern europe accent.
Fey Pact Warlocks look like Eladrin Lord wannabees with either fake, surgically altered or real Spock ears.
Bards prance around in bright, garish clothing with a big floppy hat and a lute.
Sorcerers dress according to type. Dragon Sorcerers have a scaly motif to their clothes in the color of the dragon type they favor.
Chaos Sorcerers don't care about clothing or grooming or cleaning themselves, they have a certain fragrance a la Eua de Cat ****.
Storm Sorcerers all have long hair filled with static blowing in the wind.
Cosmos Sorcerers like to walk around in robes embroidered with sun, moons, stars and astrological signs. They are often mistaken for Wizards.
Wizards wear robes embroidered with mystic runes, carrying around a big book, a staff, an orb and some wands. Many elderly Wizards also wear a big pointy hat as a symbol of seniority.
All the above is of course my own prejudiced wiev. :D
If someone let others in a small town that a person was a warlock they might be a bit suspicious, and only if they probably of the Infernal sort. People from Aundair might be a little more savvy, people from Karnaath deal with necromancers and are (somewhat) used to seeing undead and death magic so how "offended" can they be at warlocks. In a place like Sharn warlocks might be seen as sexy or exotic. The Gatekeepers/druids in general and orcs might be a little suspiscious of warlocks. Again this all depends on what type you are IMO.
I think people understand demon and devils but do not fully get Far Realm type things. Feypact might only bother people that live near contemerous areas linked with Thelanis, others will treat Fey as fairytale beings (pun intended). Some people might get frightened of Shadowpact if they are told that they aare not wizards. It is all subjective IMO and not black and white. That is why it is Eberron and not another setting. :D
Vestige Pact
Vestige Warlocks are also regarded as dangerous madmen but every right-thinking individual on Eberron will treat a person who deals with powers best left forgotten with extreme prejudice. There is usually a reason why these powers were left forgotten . . .
I totally disagree with this bit. Even without reflavouring, I can immediately see that the powers following Elidyr's line and invoking old armies and soldiers and so forth basically draw upon the power of old Galifar - they may not be praised, but people generally have positive connotations with Galifar, so this type wouldn't be seen with a lot of mistrust - more like a bit of incredulity (how can somebody draw upon a lost glory!?).
Cheers, LT.
Plus, it's doubtful that, even in Eberron, the average person will be able to tell the difference between a sorcerer and a warlock at first glance.
Agreed. To the average person, a warlock with a wand and a ritual book would probably be indistinguishable from a wizard. Come to think of it, a warlock with a rod and a ritual book might be indistinguishable from an invoker; same with staff-wielding invokers and wizards.
Clever changelings exploit the popular perceptions of these "props." ;)
Everybody on Khorvaire hates or at the very least is very suspicious of Warlocks and here are the reasons why.
Oooh, my favourite subject.
Warlocks AND re-flavouring things.
Fey Pact
Elves consider practitioners of Fey magic as scholars of history. Not even the Undying Court can remember the travel from Lamannia, but through the Warlocks a bit of their ancestral home is returned to them.
The Aernal Elves custom of honouring the dead and the great exploits of their ancestors falls much in key with this and those who wield these powers are unquestionably honouring those who came before themselves.
The Valenar elves practice this art on a much smaller scale, as few of those who use Fey magic acheive the glory typically aspired to by the Valenar. Still, the ability to take a life without leaving physical marks of death makes these Fey Crusaders unparalleled at guerilla warfare.
Most other races hold little opinion about Fey Warlocks, some seeing them as figures from fairy tales while others see them as tricksters and heartbreakers of the worst sort.
Infernal Pact
The power of Fernia is powerful of that there is no question. Whether used on the frontlines to defend ones country, by vile rakshasa sorcerers or by the Silver Pyromancers from the Chuch of the Silver Flame, fire in all its forms is a force to be reckoned with.
While it may seem a purely destructive force at first glance, the ability to heat forges effortlessly and the obvious link to the purest manifestation of Good in the world - the Silver Flame - makes it a tool that can create as easy as it can destroy.
Dark Pact
The Blood of Vol understand that Blood is the source of our own divinity. Utilizing these powers, they gradually become living saints of their faith. During the Last War, Karrnath had the greatest amount of these practitioners, earning them the title "Dark Warlocks," though in actuality all armies used them eagerly. Aundair, especially found the ability to inflict serious damage on powerful creatures, such as ogres, critical to prevent enemy shock troops from breaking their lines.
Star Pact
Whether Arcanix or the Twelve have the most Star Warlocks is unknown. Their title is very apt, referring to the Dragon Above and their ability to bring light to our world, serving as a beacon of hope in gloomy situations have made them figures of public adoration... with exceptions, for when atrocities of war occured survivors had trouble identifying individual soldiers, but the man lit up with the light of the sun in the dead of night is easily recognizable.
Still, a Star Warlock can expect a warm welcome most places, seen as an omen of good luck.
Vestige Pact
Archeologists travelling to Xen'drik discover ancient texts, the Twelve develop both dragonmarks and traditional magic and Morgrave University encourages us to look at the past before journeying forward into the future.
The name "Vestige Warlock" came from a group of Zil scholars who discovered an ancient tome in a language not yet identified, though it shares similarities with both Giant and Draconic. While the text would have been impossible to decipher for most, these gnomes possessed the curiousity that all gnomes have and a persistence that bordered on obsession.
Somehow - and there are many whispered rumours on how - they managed to create an approximate translation of certain passages detailing magical processes and if you ask the Korranberg Library, you may be able to check out a copy of those passages: "A Vestige of Knowledge."
Any Vestige Warlock is considered to be a serious scholar - or a scholar, at any rate - and some dragonmarked heirs hire them as advisors... and to brag to their friends, of course!
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I think that these descriptions could fit the pacts every bit as well. Sure, if you don't reflavour at all, no Infernal Warlock would risk entering a city for fear of discovery...
My take on things is to judge on how the character presents him or herself. If he is walking around with pentagrams, smelling of sulphur and shooting fire from his hands, he'll be run out of town, but if he is a friendly priest who helps heat the blacksmith's forge with a burst of silver flame, he'll probably get invited in for dinner.