Hello everybody Jorphdan here the PH is silent.
You’re building a warlock and now you’re deciding who your patron should be?
You’re leaning towards fiend but which fiend?
What devil or demon?
The planes are infinite and vast!
There are nine layers of hell, and over 666 possibly infinite layers to the Abyss.
Today we’ll discuss some of the known Devils and Demons in the Forgotten Realms and how
they can become your patron.
Now fiend is a term to refer to really any malicious otherworldly creature within the
D&D universe.
Most if not all fiends hail from the lower planes, realms such as the Abyss, or Baator.
Making a pact with these creatures is dangerous, their aims are almost always evil, even if
you strive against them.
They will try to corrupt you to bring destruction to your surroundings.
It makes for a complicated patron.
One that can keep a good aligned party on their toes.
Despite the evilness of fiends the warlock does not have to accept this fate and perhaps
can manipulate their patron just as their patron strives to manipulate them.
Warlocks are cool.
Your fiendish patron could be from the Nine Hells, Hades, The Abyss…
Pretty much any creature from the lower plans could be considered a fiendish patron.
However something to note for Dungeon Masters out there.
A weaker fiend often serves as an intermediary for high powers.
So a warlock might make a deal with a creature for power and not truly understand whom they
serve.
For example a minor devil could come up with the contract, but the Warlock’s powers come
from Asmodeus, Lord of the Nine Hells himself.
The Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide has a list of possible fiendish patrons, if you’re
playing in the Realms or wish to borrow some characters for your homebrew game.
Baazka, is a pit fiend, a type of devil, from the Nine Hells.
He lead armies from Dragonspear Castle against the peoples of Faerun.
But a cleric of Tempus used a magical sword and stabbed Baazka in the heart.
The blade broke off and he fled back to the Nine Hells.
Now with a problem, the blade still in his chest if he dies in the Nine Hells he dies
for good.
If he had died on the prime material plane he would simply have vanished back to the
Nine Hells; being stuck there for a century.
However the fiend’s black heart continued to beat around the blade and his desire is
to return to Faerun for revenge.
Eltab is a demon lord that was summoned back in Forgotten Realms History to be used as
a weapon against the enemies of the Narfell.
This was back in -148 DR and by -75 DR Eltab was captured and imprisoned beneath the ground.
He was discovered and released a handful of times but ultimately was re-imprisoned and
discovered by the Red Wizards of Thay in 922 DR.
I talk more about Eltab and his connection to the Red Wizards of Thay in my Red Wizards
episode so check it out.
Eltab is a demon lord that once ruled a layer of the Abyss, he could be granting warlock’s
power to assist him in breaking free from his current prison in the Citadel of Conjurerers
in the nation of Impiltur.
Malkizid was a high solar in the service of the Seldarine, but he betrayed Corellon under
Lolth’s influence and was cast into the Nine Hells.
There Malkizid rose up the ranks in the Nine Hells until he was exiled by Asmodeus.
1355 DR he somehow made his way to Faerun and wishes to attack and destroy elves.
He attempts to get the elves to fight amongst themselves, in hopes they’ll destroy one
another.
Finally Wendonai was the balor lord that tempted the dark elves to summon demons during the
Dark Descent.
Which was the time when the dark elves went underground.
He was tasked by Lolth to corrupt the dark elves into worshiping her, it was another
piece of the puzzle that ultimately pushed the dark elves to their evil way of life.
Wendonai might be a good dark elf warlock patron, still trying to manipulate the dark
elves under the instruction of Lolth.
When it comes to fiends I really like the idea of making a pact with an unknown devil
or demon.
Something you create yourself that has a tie back to the larger archdevils or demon lord.
For example in your warlock’s backstory he was a mighty general but unable to stop
an encroaching orc hoard from destroying his kingdom.
He makes a pact with a lesser devil for powers to destroy this army, but winds up in servitude
as a warlock.
For a brief moment he had the power of Asmodeus to destroy the orcs and possibly, accidently,
his own kingdom too.
Now he must live with his lessened, (game terms) level 1 powers.
What could he have possibly given up to obtain such instant power but then be in a longer
contract with the devil.
A dark secret for a powerful warlock to hide from his party.
Or in the case of the chaotic demon lords, perhaps a young wizard apprentice was part
of a summoning ritual gone wrong.
Now the “pact” he’s made is actually a demon’s power fused with his very soul.
The demon lord like Demogorgon is pulling at the young warlock’s soul, infusing it
with power.
The more powerful this warlock becomes the stronger the pull to the Abyss becomes.
Until he’s cured of this affliction or becomes absorbed in the Abyss.
If you want further information on the Devils of the Nine Hells, or the Demon Lords of the
Abyss I’ve got a couple videos that talk about them.
They’re also in detail in Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes.
There are 9 Lords of Hell, and loads of demon lords of the Abyss.
I’ll put a link in the description but a simple google search will bring up a wikipedia
page of demon lords that could be possible patrons for your Warlock.
Each has their own motivations and it could be fun as a Dungeon Master to turn those motivations
against your players.
Abraxas is the demon lord of magic words and arcane secrets.
Alvarez is the demon lord of Torture.
Cabiri the watching Master is an Obyrith with numerous eyes.
Dagon the prince of Depths who is said to possess forbidden knowledge.
Or even Orcus the prince of the undead.
Demons seem more difficult as patrons, because they are so chaotic and primal.
Not the civilized contracts that devils bring to the table.
Still demons might have a larger purpose in creating warlocks.
Distributing their power in a handful of creatures that might facilitate their arrival to Faerun.
I think we get caught up so easily in I’ll give you power if you do a certain task for
me.
They could simply be a pawn in a greater scheme and becoming a warlock is an after thought
for the devil or demon.
Maybe that power comes unwillingly from a demon or devil.
When it comes to warlocks, power can be easily given, but not so easily taken back.
Going against your patron using the blade given to you by said patron could be a very
epic fight.
Perhaps your warlock had his soul sold to a devil before he was born.
He’ll be stuck in hell once he completes a task for the devil but unfortunately he
doesn’t know what that task is.
The Warlock’s whole quest is to be able to read their contract and look for a way
out of it.
As a DM that has potential quests or adventure paths written all over it.
Depending on how much they want to save this warlock.
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Thanks again everybody I’ll see you all next week with more Forgotten Realms Explained.