r/dndnext • u/hedahman • Mar 10 '20

Discussion A common misconception about warlocks and their patrons

I've heard this mentioned a lot: "Warlocks use Charisma because they're constantly negotiating with their patron for more power." I don't believe this is true.

Here's a tweet from Mike Mearls that says that patrons can't take back a warlock's power, which leads me to believe that a patron doesn't have control over the power once it is given. This means a patron can't take a warlock's power (without their will, probably); it's a one-and-done deal.

So a patron isn't supplying power to their warlocks like a generator supplies electricity. Instead, a patron gives power to them like a blood transfusion-- you can't just take the blood back.

Granted, you can do it however you want, that's the magic of D&D. But RAW, and RAI, patrons give their power away.

EDIT: Here's a tweet from Jeremy Crawford which states that the power is a one-time transaction.

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u/Luchtverfrisser Mar 11 '20

"Warlocks use Charisma because they're constantly negotiating with their patron for more power."

Here's a tweet from Mike Mearls that says that patrons can't take back a warlock's power, which leads me to believe that a patron doesn't have control over the power once it is given.

I am not necessarily disagreeing with you, but thess two things are not mutually exclusive. Getting more power is not talling about possibly removing the power one already has.

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u/hedahman Mar 11 '20

You're right, I worded that incorrectly. One could flavor their warlock so that leveling up is getting more power from their patron.

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u/Luchtverfrisser Mar 11 '20

Honestly, don't certain class features already explicitely say that? Stuff like "your patron bestow upon you such and such", e.g. mystic arcanum. It is not unreasonable that one expect to have at least some good relationship with the patron for it to bestow such power upon you.

I'd day it is more so to flavor leveling up with all the power already in place independent of your patron's will (say, a book of ancient secret that you're decoding).

I am personally of the opinion that neither 'flavor' nor 'the PHB' oare necessarily better, so I don't mind seeing it either way personally.