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Nerdarchy > Dungeons & Dragons  > Character Builds  > Top 10 5E D&D Homebrew Warlock Otherworldly Patrons by a Factor of Three
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Top 10 5E D&D Homebrew Warlock Otherworldly Patrons by a Factor of Three

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Over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted get back to basics and discuss the warlock class for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons. In the video they look across all of the 5E D&D books with warlock content. There are warlock subclasses in the Player’s Handbook, Sword Coast Adventurers Guide and Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and Dave and Ted share an overview of the character class plus weigh in on their personal gaming experiences. Outside of official sources there are countless Otherworldly Patrons created by players all over the world. We’ve created quite a few ourselves in our products, newsletter and posts here on the website. There’s more from the D&D design team included in various Unearthed Arcana playtest documents, and lots of terrific third party products contain new options for warlock players. Over at Dungeon Master’s Guild there’s currently 840 products tagged as character options with warlock content too. But there is another source of homebrew content I’m looking at today — D&D Beyond, where people have used the homebrew tools there to create 755 Otherworldly Patrons for 5E D&D warlocks. Let’s get into it and take a closer look at some!

Warlock Otherworldly Patrons at D&D Beyond

Before getting started it’s important to note you can create homebrew content for private use and share your homebrew content publicly at DDB at no cost — there’s no subscription required to access these services. However if you want to add any of the homebrew warlock Otherworldly Patrons mentioned below or any other homebrew content you come across to your collection you must subscribe at the Hero Tier or above. There’s a lot you can do at DDB for free. Check out what you can do here.

The DDB homebrew collection uses several statistics to track entries. Views shows how many eyeballs any particular homebrew creation received, Adds shows the number of times a creation was added to someone’s collection and Rating is an upvote/downvote system. Since there are over 750 Otherworldly Patrons in the collection I’m going to share the top 10 highest rated, most viewed and most added selections. I’m curious to see what’s out there and any crossover between these three lists.

Top 10 highest rating warlock Otherworldly Patrons

  1. The Odd Howard. “Odd Howard was a great wizard who sought to become a god, but in his hubris he overreached himself; the worlds he created were incomplete and unstable, and ultimately collapsed in on themselves, trapping him beyond time and space. Now he offers his patronage to lesser reality-shapers in the hopes that one of them will discover the means of his escape.”
  2. Ancient Dragon Patron. “At a moment in your life, you came into contact with a powerful dragon of old. You have manage to convince him, through actions, words or otherwise, that you could be a valuable servant to it. You bear the mark of this contract on your body and it has given you great powers. Chromatic dragons have warlock servants that they use as pawns in their malevolent schemes of destruction and domination. Metallic dragons give powers to mortals that they deem worthy. Warlocks serving a metallic dragon are expected to uphold the ideals of virtue and valor of their benevolent masters.”
  3. Kraken. “Sailors of all races and creeds seldom breach a topic widely regarded as taboo. This one unmentionable is known to both salty seadogs and green sailors as the mighty Kraken, the terror of the deep. The notion of a beast so mighty that it can simply drag entire vessels to the briney deep is enough to convince whole crews to stay ashore, so merely mentioning the titan would bring the ire of sailors of all types upon you. That said, there are those who have faced such a beast and lived to tell the tale, if they are to be believed. While most such claims are tall tales, there are those who bargain their souls for their survival in an encounter with a Kraken. They live, and the leviathan grants them power to exact its will upon the shores.”
  4. Aboleth. “Aboleths are huge creatures from the Underdark, old enough that they remember the day gods were born. With each death of an Aboleth, they grow wiser as they are reborn in the Plane of Water, absorbing the memories of all their kin. Once, they ruled the Prime Material, enslaving all mortal races, and the mortals they share their power with are bade to make that a reality once again.”
  5. The Elemental. “Your patron is a powerful elemental being; either a pure elemental – an Efreeti, Marid or Djinni – or another resident of one of the Elemental Planes with great influence – a Wind Duke of Aaqa, a mighty Dao from the City of Jewels, one of the ancient Sultans from the Cinder wastes or a forgotten Leviathan from the Darkened Depths. Or maybe your patron is something more primordial, the rage of an ever-burning fire seeking mortals who will carry out its destruction, or the stubbornness of an enormous formation of crystals ancient enough to have awakened on some level of magical sentience.”
  6. The Parasite. “It is common knowledge that warlock’s make pacts with mysterious entities in order to learn and possess magical abilities. The patron could be fey nobles, demons, devils, hags, aliens, dragons, primordial, and many more. Some of these entities can either be living in the Materiel Realm, or reside within other dimension far from mortal reaches. However, this particular entity is far different from you usual patron, for it reside not on another realm, but instead within the warlock own body. This being is known as the “Parasite”, a creature who origin is unknown to you, to where it came from or how you now have a living creature inside of you”
  7. Additional Warlock Pacts. “A number of pact options designed for the warlock’s Pact Boon, entered here because they cannot be entered separately.”
  8. The Final Pam. “In your hubris and folly, you elected to make a pact with the most powerful entity in all of video games – the Final Pam. She has granted you but a sliver of her reality-warping power on the condition that you free her and her thousand sons from the Ocean Beneath The World. Upon her return, she will destroy all of video games….Gods help us all.”
  9. The Raven Queen. “The Raven watches over the mortal planes anticipating every living beings death, she doesn’t cause that death per-say but she ushers the souls that died to their final places. Every once in a while she pulls a soul aside and returns it to life for reasons only known to her. Her reach of power is limited beyond the Shadowfell but is very powerful when she does. Often times Warlocks will be visited by a Raven either sent from the queen her self because she saw fit or because she was beckoned. Unlike other Patrons that warlocks deal with the Raven demands Fealty to her Offering them a place among her ranks in the after life. She communicates with her servants either through Visions, Dreams, Whispers, or a Raven. The Queen is very active with her patrons, but not all warlocks are accepted. Many come to her begging for the power of the Shadowfell and many are turned away, often times become Hexblade warlocks.”
  10. Dungeon Master. “You have made a pact with a being of unspeakable power. Truly a being that holds fate in the palm of it’s hands. You have made a pack with… The Dungeon Master!”

Top 10 most viewed warlock Otherworldly Patrons

  1. Ancient Dragon Patron. “At a moment in your life, you came into contact with a powerful dragon of old. You have manage to convince him, through actions, words or otherwise, that you could be a valuable servant to it. You bear the mark of this contract on your body and it has given you great powers. Chromatic dragons have warlock servants that they use as pawns in their malevolent schemes of destruction and domination. Metallic dragons give powers to mortals that they deem worthy. Warlocks serving a metallic dragon are expected to uphold the ideals of virtue and valor of their benevolent masters.”
  2. Kraken. “Sailors of all races and creeds seldom breach a topic widely regarded as taboo. This one unmentionable is known to both salty seadogs and green sailors as the mighty Kraken, the terror of the deep. The notion of a beast so mighty that it can simply drag entire vessels to the briney deep is enough to convince whole crews to stay ashore, so merely mentioning the titan would bring the ire of sailors of all types upon you. That said, there are those who have faced such a beast and lived to tell the tale, if they are to be believed. While most such claims are tall tales, there are those who bargain their souls for their survival in an encounter with a Kraken. They live, and the leviathan grants them power to exact its will upon the shores.”
  3. The Necromancer. “the horror of necromancy.”
  4. The Parasite. “It is common knowledge that warlock’s make pacts with mysterious entities in order to learn and possess magical abilities. The patron could be fey nobles, demons, devils, hags, aliens, dragons, primordial, and many more. Some of these entities can either be living in the Materiel Realm, or reside within other dimension far from mortal reaches. However, this particular entity is far different from you usual patron, for it reside not on another realm, but instead within the warlock own body. This being is known as the “Parasite”, a creature who origin is unknown to you, to where it came from or how you now have a living creature inside of you”
  5. The Phoenix. “Your patron is the Phoenix from the Elemental Plane of Fire. The Phoenix epitomizes the ideals of good and righteousness. The light and fire of the Phoenix serves to find and burn away any corruption or cruelty.”
  6. The Elemental. “Your patron is a powerful elemental being; either a pure elemental – an Efreeti, Marid or Djinni – or another resident of one of the Elemental Planes with great influence – a Wind Duke of Aaqa, a mighty Dao from the City of Jewels, one of the ancient Sultans from the Cinder wastes or a forgotten Leviathan from the Darkened Depths. Or maybe your patron is something more primordial, the rage of an ever-burning fire seeking mortals who will carry out its destruction, or the stubbornness of an enormous formation of crystals ancient enough to have awakened on some level of magical sentience.”
  7. The Odd Howard. “Odd Howard was a great wizard who sought to become a god, but in his hubris he overreached himself; the worlds he created were incomplete and unstable, and ultimately collapsed in on themselves, trapping him beyond time and space. Now he offers his patronage to lesser reality-shapers in the hopes that one of them will discover the means of his escape.”
  8. Aboleth. “Aboleths are huge creatures from the Underdark, old enough that they remember the day gods were born. With each death of an Aboleth, they grow wiser as they are reborn in the Plane of Water, absorbing the memories of all their kin. Once, they ruled the Prime Material, enslaving all mortal races, and the mortals they share their power with are bade to make that a reality once again.”
  9. The Raven Queen. “The Raven watches over the mortal planes anticipating every living beings death, she doesn’t cause that death per-say but she ushers the souls that died to their final places. Every once in a while she pulls a soul aside and returns it to life for reasons only known to her. Her reach of power is limited beyond the Shadowfell but is very powerful when she does. Often times Warlocks will be visited by a Raven either sent from the queen her self because she saw fit or because she was beckoned. Unlike other Patrons that warlocks deal with the Raven demands Fealty to her Offering them a place among her ranks in the after life. She communicates with her servants either through Visions, Dreams, Whispers, or a Raven. The Queen is very active with her patrons, but not all warlocks are accepted. Many come to her begging for the power of the Shadowfell and many are turned away, often times become Hexblade warlocks.”
  10. Ancient Dragon Patron. “Your patron is one of ancient and fearsome power, an Ancient Dragon. Known for their cunning and greed, the nature of your patron depends on which type of dragon you bound yourself to. A metallic patron might want you to protect the innocent or uphold the virtues they hold dear. While a chromatic may command you to gather riches to increase their hoard or you may just be a pawn in their schemes for destruction and domination. Whether through actions or deeds, this Ancient Dragon has seemed you to be worthy of its powerful gifts.”

Top 10 most added warlock Otherworldly Patrons

  1. Ancient Dragon Patron. “At a moment in your life, you came into contact with a powerful dragon of old. You have manage to convince him, through actions, words or otherwise, that you could be a valuable servant to it. You bear the mark of this contract on your body and it has given you great powers. Chromatic dragons have warlock servants that they use as pawns in their malevolent schemes of destruction and domination. Metallic dragons give powers to mortals that they deem worthy. Warlocks serving a metallic dragon are expected to uphold the ideals of virtue and valor of their benevolent masters.”
  2. Kraken. “Sailors of all races and creeds seldom breach a topic widely regarded as taboo. This one unmentionable is known to both salty seadogs and green sailors as the mighty Kraken, the terror of the deep. The notion of a beast so mighty that it can simply drag entire vessels to the briney deep is enough to convince whole crews to stay ashore, so merely mentioning the titan would bring the ire of sailors of all types upon you. That said, there are those who have faced such a beast and lived to tell the tale, if they are to be believed. While most such claims are tall tales, there are those who bargain their souls for their survival in an encounter with a Kraken. They live, and the leviathan grants them power to exact its will upon the shores.”
  3. The Raven Queen. “The Raven watches over the mortal planes anticipating every living beings death, she doesn’t cause that death per-say but she ushers the souls that died to their final places. Every once in a while she pulls a soul aside and returns it to life for reasons only known to her. Her reach of power is limited beyond the Shadowfell but is very powerful when she does. Often times Warlocks will be visited by a Raven either sent from the queen her self because she saw fit or because she was beckoned. Unlike other Patrons that warlocks deal with the Raven demands Fealty to her Offering them a place among her ranks in the after life. She communicates with her servants either through Visions, Dreams, Whispers, or a Raven. The Queen is very active with her patrons, but not all warlocks are accepted. Many come to her begging for the power of the Shadowfell and many are turned away, often times become Hexblade warlocks.”
  4. The Elemental. “Your patron is a powerful elemental being; either a pure elemental – an Efreeti, Marid or Djinni – or another resident of one of the Elemental Planes with great influence – a Wind Duke of Aaqa, a mighty Dao from the City of Jewels, one of the ancient Sultans from the Cinder wastes or a forgotten Leviathan from the Darkened Depths. Or maybe your patron is something more primordial, the rage of an ever-burning fire seeking mortals who will carry out its destruction, or the stubbornness of an enormous formation of crystals ancient enough to have awakened on some level of magical sentience.”
  5. The Parasite. “It is common knowledge that warlock’s make pacts with mysterious entities in order to learn and possess magical abilities. The patron could be fey nobles, demons, devils, hags, aliens, dragons, primordial, and many more. Some of these entities can either be living in the Materiel Realm, or reside within other dimension far from mortal reaches. However, this particular entity is far different from you usual patron, for it reside not on another realm, but instead within the warlock own body. This being is known as the “Parasite”, a creature who origin is unknown to you, to where it came from or how you now have a living creature inside of you”
  6. The Odd Howard. “Odd Howard was a great wizard who sought to become a god, but in his hubris he overreached himself; the worlds he created were incomplete and unstable, and ultimately collapsed in on themselves, trapping him beyond time and space. Now he offers his patronage to lesser reality-shapers in the hopes that one of them will discover the means of his escape.”
  7. Aboleth. “Aboleths are huge creatures from the Underdark, old enough that they remember the day gods were born. With each death of an Aboleth, they grow wiser as they are reborn in the Plane of Water, absorbing the memories of all their kin. Once, they ruled the Prime Material, enslaving all mortal races, and the mortals they share their power with are bade to make that a reality once again.”
  8. Ancient Dragon Patron. “Your patron is one of ancient and fearsome power, an Ancient Dragon. Known for their cunning and greed, the nature of your patron depends on which type of dragon you bound yourself to. A metallic patron might want you to protect the innocent or uphold the virtues they hold dear. While a chromatic may command you to gather riches to increase their hoard or you may just be a pawn in their schemes for destruction and domination. Whether through actions or deeds, this Ancient Dragon has seemed you to be worthy of its powerful gifts.”
  9. The Fateweaver. “Your patron is a powerful being connected to the arcane tapestry. Perhaps they manipulate the threads of fate or maybe they just read them. You have bound yourself to an ancient diety forgotten by time, a powerful modron, or other entity whose purpose is tied to the tapestry of all. Your pact with that being allows you to manipulate the threads that bind all to their destiny.”
  10. The Necromancer. “the horror of necromancy.”

Otherworldly Patrons 5E D&D warlock

The Norns in Norse mythology are female beings who rule the destiny of gods and men. They roughly correspond to other controllers of humans’ destiny, such as the Fates, elsewhere in European mythology. One of our own Otherworldly Creations — The Norn — lets warlocks make a pact with the powers of fate along with some new Eldritch Invocations you can drop right into your game. Click the image to discover more. [Art of The Gold Key by John Bauer]

Warlock Otherworldly Patrons rising to the top

Using a highly scientific method taking into account ratings, views and adds here’s all of these DDB homebrew Otherworldly Patrons in order from highest scoring to lowest.

  1. Ancient Dragon Patron
  2. Kraken
  3. The Odd Howard
  4. The Elemental and The Parasite
  5. Aboleth
  6. The Raven Queen
  7. The Necromancer
  8. The Phoenix
  9. Additional Warlock Pacts and Ancient Dragon Patron
  10. The Final Pam

If I’m honest the two most intriguing ones to me — Dungeon Master and The Fateweaver — barely registered at all! Clearly 5E D&D warlock players yearn to make pacts with Ancient Dragons, straight up ignoring the timeless advice made popular by Shadowrun. Homebrew creator SavageVince presents a really fun Otherworldly Patron plus includes some special Eldritch Invocations. I really dig connecting the subclass to classic powerful dragons like Bahamut (a favorite of mine) and Tiamat. Next up the Kraken satisfies desires for aquatic themed warlocks with mysterious powers from the depths courtesy of Dreaded_Lord. This warlock very much appeals to the tentacle aficionados out there. Lastly Odd Howard comes at you with a variety of unusual features and the most originally themed Otherworldly Patron on the list (Final Pam runner up).

5E D&D warlocks are definitely one of the most popular and favorite classes both to play and design subclasses for. Warlocks are so flavorful and thematic, and with their Expanded Spell Lists, Eldritch Invocations and Pact Boons there’s a lot of space to play in for designers. Everyone on the Nerdarchy team enjoys creating warlock Otherworldly Patrons and there’s a lot of them in our various products here in the store.

Even though they didn’t make the final cut I want to share a little about the two I liked the most! I love the Dungeon Master Otherworldly Patron so much. Bringing 4th wall breaking features into the mix this is exactly the kind of meta celebrating character option I’d really get a kick out of playing or guiding in a game. Does that mean I would be the character’s patron? If they played with another DM would they become the patron? I’d like to think so. Maybe DMs are like Kang the Conquerer and there’s a Council of Dungeon Masters who meet in a special demiplane to discuss all the warlocks we’ve got out there in the multiverse. Actually that sounds like a fantastic adventure hook wherein adventurers travel to this demiplane and see behind the curtain of their own campaign.

As for the Fateweaver, I am a sucker for anything like this. My favorite of our own creations is The Norn Otherworldly Patron with a similar theme. Understanding and manipulating probability, fate and destiny captivates my imagination and I’d really dig playing a character as a total weirdo with visions of fate…or are they just crazy?

5E D&D warlock resources

Here’s a few places for more warlock content to add to your 5E D&D games.

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Doug Vehovec

Nerditor-in-Chief Doug Vehovec is a proud native of Cleveland, Ohio, with D&D in his blood since the early 80s. Fast forward to today and he’s still rolling those polyhedral dice. When he’s not DMing, worldbuilding or working on endeavors for Nerdarchy he enjoys cryptozoology trips and eating awesome food.

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