Warlock

With a pseudodragon curled on his shoulder, a young elf in golden robes smiles warmly, weaving a magical charm into his honeyed words and bending the palace sentinel to his will.
As flames spring to life in her hands, a wizened human whispers the secret name of her demonic patron, infusing her spell with fiendish magic.
Shifting his gaze between a battered tome and the odd alignment of the stars overhead, a wild-eyed tiefling chants the mystic ritual that will open a doorway to a distant world.
Warlocks are seekers of the knowledge that lies hidden in the fabric of the multiverse. Through pacts made with mysterious beings of supernatural power, warlocks unlock magical effects both subtle and spectacular. Drawing on the ancient knowledge of beings such as fey nobles, demons, devils, Titans, and alien entities of the Void, warlocks piece together arcane secrets to bolster their own power.

Sworn and Beholden

A warlock is defined by a pact with an otherworldly being. Sometimes the relationship between warlock and patron is like that of a cleric and a deity, though the beings that serve as patrons for warlocks are not gods. A warlock might lead a cult dedicated to a demon prince, an archdevil, or an utterly alien entity—beings not typically served by clerics. More often, though, the arrangement is similar to that between a master and an apprentice. The warlock learns and grows in power, at the cost of occasional services performed on the patron’s behalf.
The magic bestowed on a warlock ranges from minor but lasting alterations to the warlock’s being (such as the ability to see in darkness or to read any language) to access to powerful spells. Unlike bookish wizards, warlocks supplement their magic with some facility at hand-to-hand combat. They are comfortable in light armor and know how to use simple weapons.

Delvers into Secrets

Warlocks are driven by an insatiable need for knowledge and power, which compels them into their pacts and shapes their lives. This thirst drives warlocks into their pacts and shapes their later careers as well.
Stories of warlocks binding themselves to fiends are widely known. But many warlocks serve patrons that are not fiendish. Sometimes a traveler in the wilds comes to a strangely beautiful tower, meets its fey lord or lady, and stumbles into a pact without being fully aware of it. And sometimes, while poring over tomes of forbidden lore, a brilliant but crazed student’s mind is opened to realities beyond the material world and to the alien beings that dwell in the outer void.
Once a pact is made, a warlock’s thirst for knowledge and power can’t be slaked with mere study and research. No one makes a pact with such a mighty patron if he or she doesn’t intend to use the power thus gained. Rather, the vast majority of warlocks spend their days in active pursuit of their goals, which typically means some kind of adventuring. Furthermore, the demands of their patrons drive warlocks toward adventure.

Otherworldy Patrons

The Archfey

Sometimes patron is a lord or lady of the fey, a creature of legend who holds secrets that were forgotten before the mortal races were born. This being's motivations are often inscrutable, and sometimes whimsical, and might involve a striving for greater magical power or the settling of age-old grudges. Beings of this sort include the Prince of Neverending Branches, Green Knight, Duke of Pain and ancient hags.

Famous Warlocks: ?

Celestial

Celestial patron is a powerful being of the Hills of Harmony, Divine Crown or Fields of Freedom. Some have bound yourself to an ancient empyrean, solar, ki-rin, unicorn, or other entity that resides in the planes of everlasting bliss. Their pact with that being allows them to experience the barest touch of the holy light that illuminates the multiverse.
Being connected to such power can cause changes in their behavior and beliefs. They might find yourself driven to annihilate the undead, to defeat fiends, and to protect the innocent. At times, their heart might also be filled with a longing for the celestial realm of their patron, and a desire to wander that paradise for the rest of their days. But they know that their mission is among mortals for now, and that their pact binds them to bring light to the dark places of the world.

Possible Patrons: Celesti or Godlings
Famous Warlocks: ?

Fiend

Many Warlocks have made a pact with a fiend from the lower planes of existence, a being whose aims are evil, even if they strive against those aims. Such beings desire the corruption or destruction of all things, ultimately including them. Fiends powerful enough to forge a pact include Demon Lords such as Gamygyn, Orcus, Baphomet, and Zhengyi; Archdevils such as Cerrinf Nulgrimsota, Moloch, Baalzebul, and Dantanian; pit fiends and balors that are especially mighty; and ultroloths and other lords of the Yugoloths.

Famous Warlocks: ?

Great Old One

Old One patron is a mysterious entity whose nature is utterly foreign to the fabric of reality. It might come from the Void, the space beyond reality, or it could be one of the Beings from Beyond and Titans known only in legends. Its motives are incomprehensible to mortals, and its knowledge so immense and ancient that even the greatest libraries pale in comparison to the vast secrets it holds. The Great Old One might be unaware of Warlock's existence or entirely indifferent to them, but the secrets they have learned allow them to draw their magic from it. Entities of this type include Beings of Beyond, Cosmic Gods and Titans or their Icons.

Famous Warlocks: ?

Hexblade

Sometimes Warlock has made their pact with a mysterious entity from the Shadow Reflection—a force that manifests in sentient magic weapons carved from the stuff of shadow. The mighty sword Humilipugio is the most notable of these weapons, which have been spread across the multiverse over the ages. The shadowy force behind these weapons can offer power to warlocks who form pacts with it. Many hexblade warlocks create weapons that emulate those formed in the Shadow Reflection. Others forgo such arms, content to weave the dark magic of that plane into their spellcasting.

Possible Patrons: Shadow Masters
Famous Warlocks: ?

Undying

Death holds no sway over your patron, who has unlocked the secrets of everlasting life, although such a prize—like all power—comes at a price. Once mortal, the Undying has seen mortal lifetimes pass like the seasons, like the flicker of endless days and nights. It has the secrets of the ages to share, secrets of life and death. Beings of this sort include Vecna, Lord of the Hand and the Eye; the dread Orcus; the lich-lords of the Graveyard of Macabre; the Undying Court of the Land of Undeath; and the Vlaakith, lich-queen of the Gith.

Famous Warlocks: ?