Sorcerer-king pact Warlock in FR - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Sorcerer-king pact Warlock in FR

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
jjr199
Mar 30, 2011 18:34:13 This is more stream of consciousness than I like, but here it goes.

For my next character I'm going to be putting together a Sorcerer King pact Warlock in the post-spellplague Realms, and I need to do some flavor editing to make him fit in. Any suggestions are appreciated, it's been a while since I played FR.

He's a High Netherese Human, only son to a minor noble family. He went through the Netherese schooling and testing system, testing moderately well as a wizard, but the lords of Shade noticed his exceptional resilience. Because of this he was offered the chance to raise his station by swearing a pact to one of the Princes, becoming one of his personal agents. Due to his inferiority complex from having grown up a "lesser" noble, he accepted immediately. His human bonus feat is Arcane Initiate, representing the basic wizard's education he was receiving when the princes noticed him.

I'm going to attempt to re-cast the Princes of Shade in the sorcerer-king role, as they seem to fit it pretty well. They are few in number, exceptionally powerful, infighting behind the scenes, and able to grant pact magic. The psychic-themed spells would work well unchanged, especially with my character's need for station and respect. I think that anything with a necrotic keyword can be shadow-themed. The sand and heat themed powers, if I take any, can be flavored as shadows, black fire, and burning necrosis.

As my character grows in experience, he begins to look for sources of power outside of Shade in lost and forgotten lore (twofold pact Vestige). Whether his patron is enthusiastic about or troubled by this is unknown.

Are there any gaping explanations that I'm missing by attempting to import sorcerer king powers and attributes and giving them to Princes of Shade? Should I concoct an alternate entity, native to the plane of shadow but not granting Shadow or Gloom pacts? My party is going to be made up of selfish to antihero types who have little reason to trust each other but need to work together, not all of them of Netherese origin. I will likely be spying on them, at least initially, and at least one of them will likely be spying on me for the Eladrin in return.

Any ideas / changes / expansions on the theme are welcome, feel free to take it and run with it.
#2
The_Silversword
Mar 31, 2011 15:03:06 I'm not real familar with the Sorcerer King Pact, not sure how it differs from other pacts, but it sounds like you got it worked in pretty good to me. I see nothing wrong with throwing some elements from other settings into the Realms, Artificers and Warforged could easily be fit into the Realms. Ive recently let a few players who have been spending time in Waterdeeps arena to take the Gladiator theme from the Dark Sun book.

Sounds good to me.
#3
jjr199
Mar 31, 2011 16:25:46 Mechanically, the only real difference between sorcerer-king pacts and standard pacts is that sorcerer king powers are all player's choice of Cha or Con based, making them available to almost all warlocks, and they are generally enhanceable through the pact boon fell might (burn fell might to enhance power, regain as pact boon, can't bank more than one), making them more attractive to kinglocks than to others. Sorcerer king powers (even when not labeled as such) are also generally melee-friendly with the addition of "touch or" at the beginning of their descriptions.

Flavor-wise, their powers are generally focused on psychic-damage powers that break the minds of their opponents. They are the lieutenants of powerful arcane tyrants, and generally of high station within their society, which seems to fit in nicely with Shade.

I'm not really familiar with Eberon, so I don't know how much/little tweaking that material needs to be added to FR.
#4
Diffan
Apr 26, 2011 15:20:09
I'm a bit concerned about your Human feat choice of Arcane Initiate. Do you intend on taking other Multiclass feats for the wizard and what's your Intelligence score? While I think it's a great feat if you can actually utilize a good at-will attack, I'm not sure that's the best source to show your wizardly training. Could you, instead, gain that same sort of Wizardly backround from a backround trait? This could still give you automatic training in the Arcane skill (or a bonus to another) while retaining that feel of being taught from a school AND save you a feat or another purpose.

As far as that goes, I think your character is looking good.

As an alternative to using Shade Princes, you can use almost God-like beings such as Larloch (Wasn't he Netherese?) and they could look up to him for inspiration or aspire to be like him.

#5
Tech-Priest
Jun 07, 2011 9:11:10
Bumping this for a player of mine (my DM from our current Eberron campaign) who has a similar character in mind. After reading the sidebar about king'locks in the Realms, I came to wonder who else (as in beings of great magical prowess and the like) would be suitable patrons for such a pact-sworn PC?
#6
the_ubbergeek
Oct 18, 2011 0:45:47 Excuse this lameness, but I like this thread - I could use ideas for this and my PoL inspired world (and who is also inspired by FR).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 jjr199 Mar 30, 2011 18:34:13	This is more stream of consciousness than I like, but here it goes. For my next character I'm going to be putting together a Sorcerer King pact Warlock in the post-spellplague Realms, and I need to do some flavor editing to make him fit in. Any suggestions are appreciated, it's been a while since I played FR. He's a High Netherese Human, only son to a minor noble family. He went through the Netherese schooling and testing system, testing moderately well as a wizard, but the lords of Shade noticed his exceptional resilience. Because of this he was offered the chance to raise his station by swearing a pact to one of the Princes, becoming one of his personal agents. Due to his inferiority complex from having grown up a "lesser" noble, he accepted immediately. His human bonus feat is Arcane Initiate, representing the basic wizard's education he was receiving when the princes noticed him. I'm going to attempt to re-cast the Princes of Shade in the sorcerer-king role, as they seem to fit it pretty well. They are few in number, exceptionally powerful, infighting behind the scenes, and able to grant pact magic. The psychic-themed spells would work well unchanged, especially with my character's need for station and respect. I think that anything with a necrotic keyword can be shadow-themed. The sand and heat themed powers, if I take any, can be flavored as shadows, black fire, and burning necrosis. As my character grows in experience, he begins to look for sources of power outside of Shade in lost and forgotten lore (twofold pact Vestige). Whether his patron is enthusiastic about or troubled by this is unknown. Are there any gaping explanations that I'm missing by attempting to import sorcerer king powers and attributes and giving them to Princes of Shade? Should I concoct an alternate entity, native to the plane of shadow but not granting Shadow or Gloom pacts? My party is going to be made up of selfish to antihero types who have little reason to trust each other but need to work together, not all of them of Netherese origin. I will likely be spying on them, at least initially, and at least one of them will likely be spying on me for the Eladrin in return. Any ideas / changes / expansions on the theme are welcome, feel free to take it and run with it.
#2 The_Silversword Mar 31, 2011 15:03:06	I'm not real familar with the Sorcerer King Pact, not sure how it differs from other pacts, but it sounds like you got it worked in pretty good to me. I see nothing wrong with throwing some elements from other settings into the Realms, Artificers and Warforged could easily be fit into the Realms. Ive recently let a few players who have been spending time in Waterdeeps arena to take the Gladiator theme from the Dark Sun book. Sounds good to me.
#3 jjr199 Mar 31, 2011 16:25:46	Mechanically, the only real difference between sorcerer-king pacts and standard pacts is that sorcerer king powers are all player's choice of Cha or Con based, making them available to almost all warlocks, and they are generally enhanceable through the pact boon fell might (burn fell might to enhance power, regain as pact boon, can't bank more than one), making them more attractive to kinglocks than to others. Sorcerer king powers (even when not labeled as such) are also generally melee-friendly with the addition of "touch or" at the beginning of their descriptions. Flavor-wise, their powers are generally focused on psychic-damage powers that break the minds of their opponents. They are the lieutenants of powerful arcane tyrants, and generally of high station within their society, which seems to fit in nicely with Shade. I'm not really familiar with Eberon, so I don't know how much/little tweaking that material needs to be added to FR.
#4 Diffan Apr 26, 2011 15:20:09	I'm a bit concerned about your Human feat choice of Arcane Initiate. Do you intend on taking other Multiclass feats for the wizard and what's your Intelligence score? While I think it's a great feat if you can actually utilize a good at-will attack, I'm not sure that's the best source to show your wizardly training. Could you, instead, gain that same sort of Wizardly backround from a backround trait? This could still give you automatic training in the Arcane skill (or a bonus to another) while retaining that feel of being taught from a school AND save you a feat or another purpose. As far as that goes, I think your character is looking good. As an alternative to using Shade Princes, you can use almost God-like beings such as Larloch (Wasn't he Netherese?) and they could look up to him for inspiration or aspire to be like him.
#5 Tech-Priest Jun 07, 2011 9:11:10	Bumping this for a player of mine (my DM from our current Eberron campaign) who has a similar character in mind. After reading the sidebar about king'locks in the Realms, I came to wonder who else (as in beings of great magical prowess and the like) would be suitable patrons for such a pact-sworn PC?
#6 the_ubbergeek Oct 18, 2011 0:45:47	Excuse this lameness, but I like this thread - I could use ideas for this and my PoL inspired world (and who is also inspired by FR).