Dungeons & Dragons: The Finest Archfey Patrons

Abstract

• Warlocks achieve their powers by way of pacts with highly effective entities just like the Archfey.
• Constructing a warlock entails contemplating the patron relationship and pact particulars.
• Archfey like Oberon, Titania, and Cerunnos provide distinctive alternatives for gamers.

On the planet of Dungeons & Dragons, Warlocks are spellcasters who achieve their magical skills by way of a discount, or pact, with some form of highly effective entity. These can vary from denizens of the 9 Hells (the Fiend subclass) to beings of the higher planes (the Celestial subclass) to probably the most highly effective of those living in the Feywild: the Archfey.

Not simply any fey is usually a warlock patron. Solely probably the most highly effective can bestow these skills upon a mortal, giving them the facility to allure, frighten, and disorient their foes with illusion and enchantment magic. When constructing a warlock character, it is vital to think about their relationship with their patron, and the way they entered right into a pact with them. How did they meet? What satisfied the patron to lend their energy to a mortal? Listed here are among the most notable archfey in Forgotten Realms lore, and what warlock pacts with them would possibly appear to be for a participant character.

The Queen of Air and Darkness

Ruler of the Unseelie Court docket

The Unseelie Court docket encompasses the evil denizens of the Feywild, and the Queen of Air and Darkness is probably the most highly effective amongst them. She was as soon as the sister of the fey ruler Titania, however was corrupted by an artifact referred to as the Black Diamond, which radiated evil from an unknown supply. Since then, she has resided within the Unseelie Court docket, a realm of darkness and hatred stuffed with corrupt fey that exist to serve her.

The Queen of Air and Darkness is thus an ideal match for evil-aligned warlock players who search her energy to do hurt to others. Little is understood about her character, however contemplating Unseelie fey’s penchant for cruelty, it is seemingly this can be a sentiment she shares. Nonetheless, warlocks pacted to her wouldn’t have to be evil-aligned. Maybe a personality made a pact along with her out of desperation or coercion, and now they discover themselves at odds along with her. Or maybe they have been merely power-hungry, and prepared to miss her malevolent nature.

Titania, Summer season Queen of the Feywild

Ruler of the Seelie Court docket

However, Titania is the chief of good-aligned fey, referred to as the Seelie. She has unbelievable energy over the forces of nature, and shifts in her moods could cause drastic modifications within the atmosphere round her. Although some see her as fickle or changeable, she can also be extremely clever, and serves as a good and simply ruler. She wishes nothing greater than to see all fey dwell in pleasure and concord, and to guard the fey realms from hurt. Titania is normally benevolent and gentle-natured, however when provoked, her wrath is a terror to behold.

Titania is among the commonest archfey patrons for warlocks in Faerûn, as she is fascinated by mortals and sometimes entertained by their escapades. A warlock would possibly win her favor just by amusing her with such antics, main her to grant them her energy as a boon. Alternatively, a warlock pacted to Titania could be referred to as upon to defend the Feywild or the Seelie courtroom in instances of hazard.

Oberon, the Inexperienced Lord

Lord of Beasts

Titania’s consort, Oberon, is almost as highly effective as she is. Like Titania, he’s deeply attuned to nature, and has a selected reference to the beasts of each the Feywild and Faerûn. He tends to be extra direct and fewer of a trickster than most different fey, and is much less reliant on phantasm magic. Oberon is a powerful, extremely expert hunter and warrior, and, like Titania, is a staunch protector of all fey creatures and realms.

As a warlock patron, Oberon is a superb match for a personality who’s an animal lover or finds themselves in tune with forests. Maybe they drew Oberon’s consideration by way of feats of looking prowess or animal taming abilities. Possibly they even proved themselves by besting him in a hunt. No matter how it began, a warlock pact with Oberon offers fascinating alternatives for gamers to invoke the facility of wildlife.

Hyrsam, the Prince of Fools

The Anarchist of the Feywild

Hyrsam takes the form of a satyr, and is among the most chaotically aligned of the archfey. He dislikes the affect that outsiders have had on the civilizations of the Feywild, and seeks to return it to its most wild and ungoverned kind. Most of his powers stem from his mastery over music, as he can use it to sway individuals to his whims or stir them right into a frenzy. He seeks allies from throughout to assist him in his objective of toppling society and authorities within the Feywild, which generally leads him to make pacts with mortals.

Contemplating his affiliation with music, Hyrsam is a superb patron for any musically inclined warlock, and the right selection for a Bard/Warlock multiclass build. Maybe a bard character would search him out within the curiosity of honing their craft, thus increasing into the warlock class. Alternatively, a personality might have been swayed by Hyrsam’s music into accepting a pact — willingly or in any other case.

Psilofyr, Lord of the Myconids

The Spore Lord of the Feydark

The Feydark is basically the Underdark of the Feywild, and that is the place the mysterious determine referred to as Psilofyr dwells. He’s worshipped by the myconids, and his main concern is the expansion and growth of their race, although he would not pursue this at the price of non-hostile civilizations. Intimidating although he could seem, he’s sometimes pleasant in the direction of mortals, admiring them for benefiting from their restricted lifespans. As such, he is seemingly a reasonably benevolent patron to warlocks who pact themselves to him.

But, Psilofyr remains to be a mysterious determine, and isn’t properly understood even by the myconids who worship him. His personalities are unpredictable, altering as he grows and divides into a number of manifestations. This gives loads of enjoyable prospects in a marketing campaign. Warlock gamers might by no means know what facet of Psilofyr they’ll get, and DMs may have loads of possibilities to shock gamers with the surprising.

Baba Yaga, Mom of All Witches

The Hag of Traditional Folklore

Originating in Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga is a determine in lots of tales which have formed the present cultural picture of a typical witch. Residing in a hut that stands on rooster legs, she’s notorious for tricking mortals, normally leading to them ending up in her stew pot. On the planet of the Forgotten Realms, Baba Yaga travels each Faerûn and the Feywild in her roaming hut. She is related somehow to hags, having raised no less than three hag daughters.

Although identified to be harmful and evil-aligned, it isn’t unusual for mortals to hunt her out, as a result of immense magic information she possesses. A warlock character may need pacted themselves to Baba Yaga in trade for such information, for all kinds of causes. Alternatively, one may additionally play a personality whom Baba Yaga tricked right into a pact, as such a factor could be very a lot in character for her.

Iggwilv/Zybilna/Tasha

The Witch Queen

Loads of D&D gamers will acknowledge the identify Tasha, whether it’s from spells like Tasha’s Hideous Laughter or the growth e book Tasha’s Cauldron of All the pieces. Nonetheless, “Tasha” is only one of many names, and this archfey extra typically goes by Iggwilv. Although she started her existence as a mortal lady, Iggwilv was adopted by Baba Yaga, the place she started to realize her magic powers. She later moved between the worlds of the Hells and finally got here to rule her personal area within the Feywild, underneath the identify Zybilna. Over time, the magic of the Feywild remodeled her right into a fey creature, and he or she turned referred to as an archfey.

Like her adoptive mom, Iggwilv possesses an unbelievable quantity of magical information, having studied each demons and fey in nice element. She would not search cruelty for cruelty’s sake; nonetheless, she won’t hesitate to make use of her energy to destroy her foes. She’s a superb selection for gamers who desire a patron steeped in D&D lore, and excellent for characters pushed by a thirst for magical information.

Cerunnos, the Horned Lord

Grasp of the Hunt

Cerunnos is a impartial, barely evil-leaning archfey, making him good for morally gray warlock characters. Born a firbolg, he was as soon as a protégé of Oberon, however was cursed and solid out. Now, he’s a wanderer with no true dwelling, looking for out prey and chasing them down. He instructions the Wild Hunt, by which he and his hounds sweep throughout the land seeking their quarry, compelling any witnesses to hitch them on this unrelenting pursuit.

Cerunnos is worshipped by firbolgs and centaurs, making him a becoming warlock patron for characters of those races. Contemplating the single-minded nature with which he instructions the Wild Hunt, he might draw warlocks who search energy for equally obsessive causes. A mortal would possibly win him over with the promise of a brand new quarry, or by pledging themselves to the Wild Hunt.

Kannoth, the Vampire Lord of Cendriane

Little exists about Kannoth in official D&D lore, however he has loads of storytelling potential as a warlock patron. He dominated over Cendriane, a glorious fey city that existed in each Faerûn and the Feywild. Kannoth is even stated to have remained within the metropolis after it was destroyed by the drow, as its solely remaining denizen. He’s generally related to Cerunnos’ Wild Hunt, and is alleged to stay loyal to Cerunnos himself.

Regardless of being a vampire, Kannoth will not be essentially evil; his alignment will not be outlined. His actions after the autumn of Cendriane are equally mysterious. As such, he is largely a clean slate for gamers to work with. What’s his character like, and what are his motivations for making pacts with mortals? Maybe he has a benevolent facet, contemplating Cendriane’s glory. Or maybe he turned to evil in his resentment after his metropolis fell. There’s lots that gamers can discover right here, making Kannoth good for individuals who like placing their very own spin on the lesser-known characters of the Forgotten Realms.