Warlocks in Dungeons & Dragons draw their magic and power through a pact with mysterious beings, demons, or other entities that grant their followers a portion of their power in exchange for their services. But which of these beings are particularly powerful and suitable for your warlocks?
What are these beings? The pact beings, referred to as “Otherworldly Patrons” in Dungeons & Dragons, are not just the sources of a warlock’s power. They are powerful entities from other planes of existence that possess access to different kinds of powers.
A patron rarely grants their power without a sacrifice. They often expect one or more favors of varying magnitude to be done by the warlock in return.
Some patrons enjoy distributing their powers to as many followers as possible and care little for the existence of individual mortals. But there are also those who enter into a single pact and can exert much influence over the warlock.
The D&D rulebooks include various beings that can be chosen by a player for their warlock based on the setting, campaign, and background, but also simply by virtue of their advantages.
How was this list created? Since the various Otherworldly Patrons can vary in strength depending on the situation and the character, this list is not a ranking. However, it includes 6 pact beings that provide strong advantages and may facilitate the choice of a patron for one’s warlock.
Here you can see the trailer for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves:
The Great Old One
The Great Old One is suitable for players who want to draw their power from something unknown and ancient, which might drive some characters in the D&D universe to insanity. Due to its eerie and cultic themes, it fits well into campaigns that venture into the realm of horror. The Great Old One is (as the name suggests) often an ancient being with a wealth of hidden knowledge that a warlock might strive for or flee from to avoid falling into madness.
The abilities granted by the Great Old One are quite powerful, but can also be very situational. However, this subclass is not particularly complex, making it suitable for beginners without being boring for an experienced player.
The spells of the Great Old One warlock are less offensive and work more outside of combat, where they can truly be very useful.
Examples of Otherworldly Patrons:
Ghaunadar (“That Which Lurks”), Tharizdun (“The Chained God”), or the Great Cthulhu.
Best Features:
- Awakened Mind: You can telepathically communicate with creatures that do not need to speak the same language as you starting at level 1.
- Dominate Person (5th-level spell): On a failed Wisdom saving throw, you can control a humanoid target.
- Telekinesis (5th-level spell): You can move objects and/or creatures at your will. Creatures can attempt to save with a Strength check, but if they fail, you can move or throw them up to 9 meters in various directions.
